What is a postpartum doula?

A postpartum doula is a perinatal professional trained specifically in postpartum care and newborn care. A postpartum doula’s mission is to provide support during the post birth stage of the childbearing year. Some postpartum doulas also help new parents prepare ahead of time for the postpartum season. Postpartum doulas are trained to recognize normal postpartum recovery and newborn development. They also have an extensive list of resources and referrals available for you if the fall out of the range of normal. Doulas are tapped into your local birth and parenting communities.

What's the difference between a postpartum doula and a baby nurse or night nurse?

A baby nurse or night nurse is a medical nursing professional usually with an RN certification. Their mission is to bring their medical expertise into the home for families and babies with needs beyond their birthing place. Many baby nurses and night nurses are familiar with NICU and PICU and specialize in helping those families or families who need help with clinical tasks like weights checks and administering medication. A baby nurse or night nurse is perfect for families with special needs or serious post birth complications.

What's the difference between a postpartum doula and a nanny?

A nanny is a childcare professional trained specifically to supervise and care for children and is hired to do so in the absence of their parents. A nanny’s mission is to take over child care so that the parents can do other important activities like going to work or date night. A nanny cares for children as young as 6 weeks old all the way up to 18 years old.

What are the benefits of working with a postpartum doula?

Working with a postpartum doula will give you evidence based and real world based education, a huge boost of confidence and the understanding help you need navigate early motherhood successfully. Here are just a few ways that education, confidence and support benefit you as a new mother: More confidence More self-efficacy aka belief in yourself that you can do this Smoother transition into mother role More satisfaction with your body and how you are healing Reach your breastfeeding goals More understanding of newborn emotional and physical needs and behaviors Earlier bonding More independent confidence in new role Less risk for postpartum depression or perinatal mood disorders Less exhaustion, frustration and apprehension Smoother return to work

How far in advance do I need to book my postpartum doula?

I suggest booking your postpartum doula as far in advanced as possible. Ideally 12 weeks or even earlier will allow you to maximize all of the support and resources that your postpartum doula has. The postpartum doula doula search can be daunting. You want to be sure that the postpartum doula you love will be available to support you. This means signing that contact and securing your spot on their calendar as soon as possible. If you wait and they aren’t available this could leave you scrambling for support or worse going with out the help at all. Most new parents do’t start looking for a postpartum doula until baby is already born. And at this point they are desperate and may choose anyone who is available instead of being able to take time to find a postpartum doula they really love and work well with.

How long do I work with my postpartum doula?

The Prima Mama Signature package is designed to provide in person doula support during the first 6 to 8 weeks after birth. However, if you choose a start day 2 weeks or more after birth you can will end 6 weeks weeks from that start date. If you really love The Prima Mama experience you can book for another 6 weeks.

How to create your postpartum plan

A postpartum plan is a must have if you are pregnant or expecting a baby. But making a postpartum plan or knowing where to even start can be confusing.

A good postpartum plan can include a range of information, strategies, systems and supports and is going to be unique to each mother and baby.

You might be wondering how to even keep track of all of this information without getting overwhelmed. Or perhaps the thought of figuring out where to start is too daunting and you’ve decided to just figure it all out after baby gets here.

If you’re pregnant and you know you need a good postpartum plan of care for yourself, you and your baby deserve better than winging it.

Here are my postpartum doula approved steps to making a healing postpartum plan:

1. Gather your materials – like paper, pencil, calendar, fliers, printouts, etc – and keep everything together in a binder or folder. You can keep this with your pregnancy/birth related stuff or have a separate binder.

2. Get into a maternal mindset by taking time to think about your vision for your life as a new parent and what those early days and months look like, what values drive you and the goals you are working towards now as a new parent.

DOWNLOAD THE FREE POSTPARTUM VISION BOARD KIT

3. Next your going to use your notebook or binder to set up 3 lists

Home – Take a moment to think about the bare minimum that needs get done each day in your household (in addition now to baby care and parent care). List them all out on a sheet a paper.
Baby Prep – As you plan you will create a list of action tasks, and community resources that will help you start to use your plan and get your home and self set up for newborn life.
Support Squad – This is where you will keep track of who is on your support squad, how they can help you and a calendar to schedule out your support.

4. Consider the 12 areas that I have found to be most important and impactful to new parents who have a postpartum plan:

Physical recovery from pregnancy and birth
Postpartum nutrition and meals
New parent self care
Sleeping arrangements
Mental wellness
Caring for your baby
Feeding your baby
Bonding with your baby
Managing expectations
Your support squad
Visitors and guests
Processing your birth story

As you look over the areas here, where are you feeling like you need the most support? Or maybe there’s an areas that’s calling to you. Let’s start there.

For example: Do you really need to figure out your postpartum nutrition plan? Or get your home set up for life with a newborn? Maybe you’ve been putting off learning about the lactation educators and community near you.

5. Work through the 10 questions in each area to start creating a game plan to combat challenges and lean into your strengths. As you are working through each area and asking yourself the questions, make sure that you are adding any action items you come up with to your baby prep list and give them a due date. You’ll also want to fill in your support squad list and calendar as you are working out your plan. You’ll use your home tasks list to delegate who will be responsible for each, whether it is you, your partner or someone on your support squad.

6. Repeat this process for each postpartum planning area. You will see your postpartum plan starting to come together. You will have a plan and strategy for taking care of yourself and for taking care of your newborn baby.

Now it’s time to work your plan.

7. If you haven’t done so already, this is a great time to get your support squad on board and be as clear as possible about how they can best help you after birth. You’ll want to arrange a schedule so that your support squad is ready to go as soon as you need them.

8. Tackle the baby prep list and get your mind, body and home ready. This includes tasks like signing up for and taking those classes, setting up your care stations and snack stations around your home and any other tasks you came up with during the planning process.

9. Bring your baby home and start using those systems and strategies you’ve set up. Read over your plan if you need a reminder after the whirlwind of labor and delivery and mobilize your support squad.

10. Lean into what is working for you and making life as a new mom go smoothly. If something isn’t working for you, don’t be afraid to change directions towards something that better aligns with your original vision for how you wanted to be and feel as a new parent.

Here is a quick postpartum planning checklist to guide you.: