What is a postpartum doula?
Good question! According to CAPPA:
A postpartum doula is a woman who assists the new mother,
baby and the rest of her family within the first few weeks after the birth of
the baby. The postpartum doula may offer the following:
Breastfeeding tips
Baby care and advice
Household help
Sibling care
Meal preparation
Errand running
Other tasks that may be requested
A postpartum doula will not offer medical advice or perform clinical tasks (check blood pressure, perform fetal heart checks, vaginal exams, etc.)
What are the benefits of having a postpartum doula?
Other than the easily understood benefit of having two extra hands and a willingness to do necessary tasks, Vicky York states these as advantages:
Increased chance of successful breastfeeding
Reduced chance of infant dehydration and hospitalization
with health complications due to informed care
Less chance of maternal postpartum depression and shorter
duration and easier for mother to cope with it if it occurs
More independent control of baby’s care in the face of
overbearing relatives
Earlier bonding due to more confidence
And most importantly, a doula will not “tell you” what to do. A doula will not push personal parenting preferences onto you. They will help you implement your parenting if you would like. They will help do the necessary chores around the house… basically being a generally helpful person!
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