Congratulations – you are going to have a baby! We imagine you are now starting your research, attending antenatal classes and getting specific medical advice under the consultant or midwife you are seeing. But suddenly you hear about a Doula. And then you hear about postnatal Doula. But what is a postnatal Doula?
According to Doula, Postnatal Doula’s “ …work with with a family in the first few months after birth, and sometimes work with families with older babies too…” to “…provide emotional, practical and informational support.”.
Here is what you need to know about Postnatal Doulas:
How do Postnatal Doulas work?
A Postnatal Doula is someone you hire after the birth of your baby to help and give you all round support. Click To Tweet Postnatal Doulas will sometimes meet you whilst your are pregnant or shortly after birth to assist and support you in caring for your newborn and in helping you relax, allowing you to make the transition into motherhood (whether it be for the 1st, 2nd or even 10th time!) a smooth one.
Sometimes Postnatal Doulas can also be hired well after the first months of birth if, for example, a mother feels like she needs the extra support. Your Postnatal Doula can meet you at any point during the pregnancy or after your birth. Meeting antenatally allows you to get to know your potential Postnatal Doula well in advance and allows her to get to know you.
Your Postnatal Doula will go through the various options of how she can potentially support you to try and understand what kind of support package you are looking for. If you decide to then hire your Postnatal Doula antenatally, she would then book your package and charge you a retainer fee to ensure that your booking is secure and so that she doesn’t book in any other client for once you have birthed.
If you chose to select your Postnatal Doula after birth, she would be able to start immediately! Often Postnatal Doulas are also birth doulas (where they help mothers-to-be during labour) and so can often be booked up in advance, therefore, it may be a good idea to start the search for a postnatal and/or birth doula as early as possible to ensure you have enough time to select the perfect person.
What do Postnatal Doulas do?
Postnatal Doulas often:
- Meet you (and your partner where possible) either after your birth or antenatally to discuss what kind of support you feel you might need.
- Support you with feeding your baby
- Support you with bathing your baby
- Support you with caring for your baby and allowing you to rest or sleep
- Cook
- Help with older siblings and school runs
- Help around the house with tidying/ washing
The actual practical tasks of a Postnatal Doula do vary. Ultimately, the doula is there to help and support you in a way that will be unique to you and in the areas where you feel you would like support. One thing that a Postnatal Doula will always do though, is provide you with emotional support so that if you feel you need to talk or express yourself, they are available.
What are the benefits of having a Postnatal Doula?
Some of the benefits of having a Postnatal Doula include:
- Impartial advice and support with your choices
- Easier breastfeeding
- More time to rest
- More time to bond with your baby if you are well rested
- Tidying up is done- less to worry about!
- Home cooked meals while you rest
- A helping hand and someone to talk to
How much do Postnatal Doulas cost?
Many Postnatal Doulas are Birth doulas as well, therefore Postnatal Doulas sometime offer packages which are designed to provide birth doulaing care too. If you wanted to hire just a Postnatal Doula, they would likely charge per hour or per 24hours.
Prices do vary widely depending on the Postnatal Doula, her experience and her qualifications. Doulas are free to set their prices themselves and will often be happy to take your personal budget into account.
How do I find a Postnatal Doula?
It is possible to search on Google for an independent Doula or alternatively to ask Doula training agencies. It possible to also find a doula by contacting us here at Polo and Tweed. We would be very happy to help you find the perfect match so whatever your requirements, please do not hesitate to get in touch.
Article written by our lovely Yasmin Aly