What Does Postpartum Work Look Like for a Doula?

There are a lot of components to Postpartum Care. One of the main things is guiding new parents in the kind of newborn care they would like to provide for their new baby by teaching them about different parenting philosophies and where they might align based on their family values.

As we are teaching new parents a plethora of new things, we as doulas also need to be attuned to all different personalities and emotions that come along in the postpartum time period and tailor ourselves to those needs.

Some other hot topics that come up in teaching a new parent how to care for their newborn baby include but are not limited to: what to do with an overstimulated baby, when to use a pacifier, breastfeeding, breastmilk storage, paced bottle feedings, navigating schedules for premature and twin babies, umbilical cord care, circumcision care, baby wearing, bathing, troubleshooting reflux in babies, physical and emotional/mental recovery for moms, c-section recovery, sleep shaping.

The above topics are both things we teach as well has help implement with our hands on care. Lastly, once we have a good handle on whatever topic might be important for that day in caring for the family, we help tend to any light household chores that may need to be done so we are leaving the family with a positive flow for the day or night.