Thinking about hiring a doula to be on-call for the big day? Doulas, who offer non-medical physical and emotional support, are growing in popularity in delivery rooms and birthing centers.
But many doulas also do postpartum work, helping new moms navigate the stressful, bleary-eyed early days of parenthood. Here's why you may want to consider hiring a postpartum doula to help you through the "4th trimester."
What is a postpartum doula?
A postpartum doula is one who specializes in helping families transition through the period after their baby is born, explains Meaghan Grant, a certified birth and postpartum doula and co-owner of Toronto Family Doulas. Some are exclusively postpartum doulas but others are also birth doulas with experience helping parents through labor and delivery.
When they got pregnant with their second child, Lucy and Mike L., of Minneapolis, Minnesota, were no newbies when it came to parenting. Their older daughter had given them plenty of experience and they felt comfortable with childbirth and all the baby basics like diapering, sleeping schedules and feeding options.
But when a friend introduced them to a doula named Mary, they clicked immediately and decided that hiring a doula was something they wanted to try.
“My first birth experience was kind of traumatic, honestly, and I wanted this one to be different,” Lucy explains. “Plus, when she talked to us about everything she could do to help, it just seemed like a really great idea.”
Mary told the couple that not only would she be there to help with the pregnancy and delivery but she’d also help out during the postpartum period, doing whatever Lucy needed her to. This turned out to be a godsend when Lucy went into labor early and Mike wasn’t able to make it home from a business trip in time to be there.
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Mary helped keep Lucy calm, told the hospital about her birth plan, provided regular updates to Mike and called Lucy’s mother.
“I was all set to panic but she kept me from freaking out,” Lucy says. She also credits Mary with helping her avoid the epidural she had decided she didn’t want after a bad experience during her first labor.
What do postpartum doulas do?
Postpartum doulas can do a wide variety of things to help new parents, including calming a cranky infant, troubleshooting feeding problems, watching the baby while the parents rest, preparing simple meals, installing car seats, helping with older children and even doing some light cleaning like laundry. Many will also do “on-call” work, pitching in when things feel particularly crazy.
“Basically we are the extra set of hands every new mom wishes she had,” Grant says.
Mary not only continued to help Lucy and her family in the first 24 hours after Lucy gave birth, but she also stayed on call the entire first week. “She did dishes. She played with our older daughter. She made sure I had a water bottle and nipple cream handy at all times. She ran errands. She even helped me use the bathroom for the first time at home, which is a lot harder than it sounds,” Lucy says.
After that, Mary dropped by once a week for the first few months to check up on the family and help out, often babysitting both kids for a few hours so Mike and Lucy could get some time alone together.
“It was such a different experience than the first time,” Lucy says. “I got to spend more time bonding with my baby and resting. It was just a much calmer, saner experience for everyone.”
One of the most important services a postpartum doula offers, however, is a little harder to quantify. The postpartum period can feel like a hazy, painful blur and moms can easily feel lost or overwhelmed. A doula can keep an eye on you, listening when you need to vent and watching for signs of postpartum depression or other adjustment issues, Grant says. She can also help with your healing and physical comfort during your recovery from childbirth.
While doulas are not qualified to give medical advice, they are trained to look for signs you’re having a tough time and can help you find the appropriate resources to feel better, she says. That could include a therapist, a lactation consultant, a pelvic floor specialist, an acupuncturist or a number of other kinds of specialists who might come in handy as you navigate life with a new baby.
“We provide an outside perspective and you can tell us anything,” says Grant. “Believe me, you can’t shock us; we’ve heard it all!”
Who should hire a postpartum doula?
Any parent who would like a little extra help after the baby is born could benefit from a postpartum doula. But their services are especially good for first-time parents, parents expecting multiples, moms who had a complicated delivery, parents of colicky babies or anyone who had a difficult previous experience, Grant says.
How much does a postpartum doula cost?
Fees vary by region, practice and the type of care needed, but you can expect to pay between $25 and $75 an hour. Sound steep? Many doulas and doula practices offer package deals that give a discount for scheduling in advance or bundling services.
How to find the right postpartum doula for you
Because doulas are a relatively new phenomenon in the United States, many families find their doulas through word-of-mouth. There are also online resources. DONA International has an international database of thousands of certified doulas. Be sure you select “postpartum” or “both” under doula type.
Because being a postpartum doula is a separate certification from other types of doulas, Grant recommends asking certain questions when interviewing a potential doula, including:
- What are your postpartum qualifications? Currently, there is no universally recognized standard, but a good postpartum doula will be able to describe her training, certifications and/or experience and background in a way that feels like it aligns with your values and helps you feel safe.
- What other certifications do you have? Many doulas also hold additional qualifications like lactation consultant, pregnancy massage, childbirth/childhood educator, therapist/social worker and/or photographer.
- Are you part of a practice? Doulas may work independently or in conjunction with a birthing center, medical facility or doula clinic. This will determine what types of services they’ll be able to offer you, Grant says. For instance, going with a doula practice will ensure someone is on-call for midnight emergencies while an independent doula may be harder to reach.
- What is your per-hour fee and do you offer any packages? Make sure you have everything in writing.
- What is your plan for medical emergencies? Doulas are not medical professionals, but they should be prepared to contact your doctor and know basic first aid in the event of an emergency.
- What services do you include? Not all doulas do the same tasks. For instance, some will do light cleaning and babysit older children, while others prefer to focus specifically on the mother and new baby. Setting clear expectations upfront will make everyone happier.
- Do you work overnight or only during the day? You may want a postpartum doula to help you overnight as well as during the day. So it's important to find out whether candidates you're considering do nighttime as well as daytime shifts.
When should you hire a postpartum doula?
Some couples want to be prepared and will hire a postpartum doula while they are still pregnant, but that’s not a necessity, Grant says, adding that about half of her clients call her for the first time after the baby is born.
“It’s not uncommon for parents to get home and find that things just aren’t going like they hoped and get really stressed out,” she says. “We get a lot of middle-of-the-night calls from moms up with a crying infant and Googling for ways to get help.”
And those tough moments are exactly what they’re here for, she adds.
“Every mom deserves to enjoy parenthood!” she says.
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