Recently I read an article highlighting Five Reasons to Hire A Birth Doula. Birth doulas are fast becoming a part of general social and cultural knowledge. However, a fair amount of confusion still exists around postpartum doulas and how they help new parents. The article cited and expanded upon reasons such as “continuous emotional and physical support,” “greater birth satisfaction,” medical benefits,” “informed decisions,” and “postpartum support,” as the main factors in support of the birth doula (click here for source article). The reality is that women should and do hire a postpartum doula for the same reasons. I’ll explain.  Here is my quick rendition of top five reasons to hire a postpartum doula.

“Continuous Emotional and Physical Support.” A mother and father’s need for emotional and physical support doesn’t end when they leave the hospital. For many people, the postpartum period is a most critical time of need—perhaps even more so than during labor and delivery. Coming home means sleepless nights, the challenge of establishing a feeding schedule, fears, and uncertainties. Just as a birth doula stays by your side during the course of labor and delivery, a postpartum doula stays by your side as you establish your new life with baby. Whether it’s baby number one or five, the time following birth is a time of adjustment. A little help can go a long way—especially when it means a break from night duty.

“Greater Birth Satisfaction.” Postpartum doulas don’t claim to make your birth better—that’s already over, but they do help you to process the experience of labor and delivery in a healthy way. Maybe your neighbors and family can’t bear another tale from the delivery room, but your doula is there to listen and help you talk about what you went through. They also help make those newborn days a lot sweeter, alleviating the pressures that most new parents feel when they have to go it alone.

“Medical Benefits.” Didn’t know that hiring a postpartum doula could actually be good for your health? Try lower occurrence of postpartum mood disorders such as depression and anxiety. Doulas aren’t just there to attend to baby—they make sure that you’re getting the care you need too. Simple self care like hydration, nutrition, and sleep are the doula’s priority. If mama ain’t happy and healthy…well, you know how it goes.

“Informed Decisions.” The choices you will have to make regarding care for you and your baby also don’t end once you step outside the hospital doors. While doulas aren’t there to offer medical advice, their knowledge and experience can help you to work through decisions you have to make and to gain confidence in the choices you ultimately do make.

“Postpartum Support.” This is where the postpartum doula grabs hold of the baton from the birth doula. Whether you need help around the house, breastfeeding support, instruction on infant CPR, tips on how to bond with your baby, or someone to pull the night shift so you can rest, your postpartum doula is your ongoing support team.

Can you do it alone? Sure. But are you trying to simply survive the difficult weeks postpartum or would you like to see your family really begin to thrive? To find out more about how Welcome Baby Care doulas can ease your new baby transitions, see WelcomeBabyCare.com. For more information about our services, Contact Us.