As your postpartum doula, I offer care for your whole family, helping all of you to get off to the best possible start with your new baby (or babies!). I can hold your baby while you shower; run to the grocery store and cook you a meal; guide you in your breastfeeding or bottle feeding journey; and provide emotional support when things get difficult. Here are some concrete examples of ways I can help:
Practical support: Laundry, vacuuming, dishes, meal preparation, home organization, care of siblings or pets, running errands, teaching you to use your baby carrier, sterilizing bottles and pumps, making your bed while you shower, and giving you time to rest.
Lactation and feeding support: I can suggest feeding positions that will help you be more relaxed and comfortable as well as helping baby latch properly, making breast or bottle feeding easier and more effective for both of you. I have access to excellent local resources should any special difficulties arise.
Emotional support: New parenthood is a major life transition and can be very challenging at times, especially with exhaustion and hormonal fluctuations. I am here to listen with compassion as you navigate your new role. I will be a safe and nonjudgemental presence, helping you gain confidence as you find your way as a parent. If things get especially difficult for you, I can connect you with additional support for postpartum depression/anxiety or perinatal mood disorder.
Sibling support: For some children, adjusting to life as a big brother or sister is difficult. If this is the case in your family, I can bring special books and activities to each visit and spend some one-on-one time with your child, giving him or her a little break from having to always share adult attention with the new baby. I can make suggestions for how to help your child step into their new role more confidently. Additionally, by having me do many of the household chores, you now have fewer to do yourself and more time to spend with your older child. And of course, I am always happy to hold and care for baby while you give big brother or sister some much needed one-on-one time! I would welcome the opportunity to meet you. Together, we can discuss your needs and ways in which I can help to ease the stressful aspects of new parenthood, giving you more time and energy to feel joy and appreciation for the new addition to your family.