ERIKA DAVIS DOULA
  • Home
  • About Me
  • Work With Me
    • Birth Doula
    • Postpartum Doula
    • Childbirth and Parenthood Preparation
    • Whole Body Pregnancy
    • Prenatal Yoga
  • Client Testimonials
  • Contact Me
  • What is a Doula?
  • Blog

8/11/2017

Do You Really Need a Postpartum Doula?

3 Comments

Read Now
 
Picture





​I remember the first time I needed to call a postpartum doula for a birth doula family I was working with. The new parent was a single mother and overwhelmed by a 2-3 day old baby who seemed to just want to cry. The mother's breasts were hot and engorged, making it difficult for her hungry screaming baby to latch on. Tears streamed down her face and she looked at me helplessly. I gave her a forced smile, picked up her wailing baby and lead her into her bathroom to draw a warm bath. As she soaked I soothed her baby and quickly text a postpartum doula and lactation consultant I worked with. She arrived just as I was helping the mother dry off. I watched as the postpartum doula expertly helped the mother express some breast milk to spoon feed the baby and got to work helping the new mother.

When I came for my second prenatal a few days later my client was a new person. She was confident, happy and nursing, though still difficultly. She'd already attended her first Le Leche League meeting and planned to go back. Her transformation was astounding and it was in that moment that I realized that my job as a birth doula was only one part of the journey. A Postpartum Doula is a necessary ally for all pregnant people and new parents in the 4th Trimester, the time after baby is born.
I never wanted to have that "holy shit, now what?!" moment again and decided to train at the Simkin Center at Bastyr University as a Postpartum Doula to help bridge the gap between pregnancy and parenthood.
Now that my training is complete and I'm working towards certification I want to empower all new parents to seek the care of a postpartum doula. 

Your postpartum doula is not a nanny or babysitter, your postpartum doula is an extra set of helping hands for the entire family. The role of a postpartum doula is to help new parents navigate the transition from being pregnant to becoming parents to a new baby. A postpartum doula helps to reassure new parents in their decisions around feeding and sleep. A postpartum doula helps new parents understand their new baby better by teaching them how to speak to a tiny human that speaks a different language than the parent. A postpartum doula helps keep new parents organized and provides support with light household tasks like meal making and grocery shopping. A postpartum doula has your best interests in mind; making sure new parents are staying hydrated, eating, sleeping and is watchful for signs of postpartum mood and anxiety disorders. A postpartum doula's role is to help new parents get their sea legs and to eventually leave when new parents are feeling more confident in their new role as parents.
I will be starting to take postpartum doula clients in September and would love to talk to you about ways in which I can support your new family.​

Share

3 Comments
Stacey link
8/11/2017 08:18:22 pm

Love this! As a PP doula I have the same sentiments...❤️

Reply
Emily link
8/12/2017 02:52:47 am

It's amazing what skilled and compassionate support can do for people! I would love to see postpartum work become a bigger part of what parents demand in their perinatal care.

Reply
Macey C link
5/24/2022 06:17:27 am

Great blog you havee here

Reply



Leave a Reply.

Details

    Author

    Hi there! I'm Erika Davis and I'm a doula working in the Seattle and South Puget Sound area. 

    All of the posts listed on my blog are my own words, except where noted.

    If I have posted your work and have not properly sited you, please reach out to me and I'm happy to either remove the post or link back to you.

    Archives

    December 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    August 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    January 2016
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    April 2015
    October 2014
    August 2014
    April 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014

    Categories

    All
    A Doula's Role
    After Birrth
    Baby Oil
    Baby Products
    Benefits Of Having A Doula
    Bestfed
    Beyonce
    Birth
    Birth Education
    Birth Justice Work
    Birth Stories
    Birth With Intention
    BirthWithoutFear
    Birth Workers
    Black Breastfeeding
    Black Breastfeeding Week
    Black Doulas
    Black Women
    Black Women Breastfeed Too
    B.R.A.I.N
    Breast Feeding
    Breastfeeding Benefits
    Confident Birthing
    Cross Post
    Do I Need A Doula
    Do I Need A Doula At My Second Birth
    Doula
    Doulas Of Color
    Education
    Essential Oils
    Evidence Based Birth
    Exercise
    Federal Way Doula
    Hospital Interventions
    How Long Can You Push In Labor
    Jewish Doula
    Johnson&johnson
    Kavanah Doula
    Labor
    Lactation Consultant
    Lena Cups
    LGBTQ Doula
    LGBTQ Doulas
    LGBTQ Doula Tacoma
    Love Your Period
    Massage
    Menstruation Cups
    Moon Cycle
    Natural Baby Products
    Normalize Breastfeeding
    Nursing Benefits
    Period
    Pitocin
    POC
    Positive Birth Stories
    Postpartum Care
    Postpartum Doula
    Postpartum Plan
    Pushing Time In Labor
    Red Tent
    Religious Doula
    Responsible Period Care
    Reusable Pads
    Safe Alternatives To Chemical Products
    Seattle Doula
    Seattle In The Fall
    Second Birth
    South Puget Sound Doula
    Swollen Feet
    Tacoma
    Tacoma Birth Doula
    Tacoma Doula
    Third Trimester Woes
    Tip Tuesday
    Vaseline
    Volunteer Doulas
    Washington
    What Doulas Do
    When Should I Hire A Birth Doula
    Who Hires A Doula
    Why I'm A Doula
    WOC

    RSS Feed

© Kavanah Doula 2019 | Birth, Postpartum and Parent with Intention | Tacoma, WA | 347.471.0739
Proudly powered by Weebly
Photo used under Creative Commons from JasonCorey
  • Home
  • About Me
  • Work With Me
    • Birth Doula
    • Postpartum Doula
    • Childbirth and Parenthood Preparation
    • Whole Body Pregnancy
    • Prenatal Yoga
  • Client Testimonials
  • Contact Me
  • What is a Doula?
  • Blog