“I am a peer; a mentor in mothering but not an expert. My place is beside you, not above you. I have skills to share, but am not there to demonstrate my competence. I am the hands behind the hands; my hands never take the place of yours. I am simply a woman of my community, with wisdom and compassion to share with new families, with heart and hands to smooth the passage into parenting.” Dana Blue
As defined by NAPS:
As a non-judgmental caregiver, the Postpartum Doula assists the new parent(s) with recovery from the birth experience, allows for focus on the needs of the new baby, helps the new family by demonstrating practical newborn care and supports the mother with the method of feeding she has chosen.
A postpartum doula provides individually tailored emotional and practical in-home support. Services vary from family to family but often include:
- Breastfeeding/bottlefeeding support and assistance.
- Suggestions and assistance with mother’s birth recovery.
- Advice on infant and parent sleep patterns.
- Guidance on newborn care.
- Recognizing and responding to postpartum mood disorders.
- Light housekeeping, laundry and meal preparation.
- Sibling and pet care.
