So you’ve had your baby – will a postnatal doula help?
“Mothering the mother” does not stop when your baby is born. In addition to being one of the more experienced birth doulas working in the London area, I am also a trained postnatal doula, trained by Nurturing Birth.
A postnatal doula will come to your home for a few hours at a time during the early weeks, typically the first six weeks of the baby’s life. She will do whatever is needed to make your life more comfortable – light housework, everyday cooking, shopping, tidying, laundry; but also is there to help you learn to trust yourself and to find your own way of caring for your baby. Your postnatal doula is more than just a helping hand: she can lend an experienced ear.
With postnatal clients, as with birth clients, my aim is to give you, the client, confidence in your own ability to care for your child(ren). YOU are the best parent your baby can have!
I can point you to sources of information about feeding, sleeping and baby care and gently guide you on your first steps into this wonderful new state of being – parenthood!
Under a typical postnatal doula contract I would, typically, come to your house from 9am to 1pm for several days a week for the first 4-6 weeks after the birth; or you might prefer me to come for more days a week at first and “tail off” the hours as time goes by.
A typical postnatal doula morning
…Bring mum her breakfast/tea then take the baby for a short while to allow mum to sleep, tidy up the house, process some laundry, cook a meal for you to have later on; bring baby to mum for a feed and do some local shopping, either with baby or leaving baby with mum.
I would also be concerned to monitor breastfeeding to ensure you and your baby are getting off to the best start.
I would be happy to show you how to change nappies/bath your baby – anything that will improve your confidence as parents.
My target is to hear you say not “I couldn’t manage without you” but instead “I think I can do this on my own now!”
CRB
St John’s Ambulance Lifesaver certified
Contact me about engaging me as your postnatal doula
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