A Night with a Postpartum Doula

Many of my potential clients want to know what a night with a postpartum doula actually looks like. My shifts are 8 hours, typically from 10pm-6am. When I arrive we spend a few minutes going over the day, and any questions that you may have had come up. We make a plan for the night, and then you go to sleep knowing your little one is in experienced hands. I will chart any feedings you prefer I do and baby care through the night so you have a clear picture in the morning how the night went.

I support families through all the variations you can imagine when it comes to how they want to feed their babies. I am a Certified Lactation Counselor, which means I am able to provide hands on breast/chest feeding support during those long 3am feedings, help come up with a sustainable pumping schedule, or feed your baby expressed milk or formula using best practice. If you are breast/chest feeding I will bring the baby in to you to nurse, and come back for them once you are finished up and ready to get back to sleep, unless you would like company or support. If you are pumping I am happy to come collect the milk and take care of cleaning pump supplies so you are ready for your next pumping session.

 The majority of my night consists of baby care - feeding, changing, and soothing your little one. On nights where your little one is having a hard time settling this takes up the majority of my attention. On nights when your little one is sleeping well I am happy to take care of quiet, baby related chores to help make your day easier. This could be anything from dishes, tidying baby things and restocking baby supplies and changing tables, folding baby laundry, or other quiet tasks that would be helpful. On nights where these tasks are complete and your baby is sleeping I may lay down to rest nearby, once I have had a chance to get to know your baby and their cues. Before I leave in the morning I will make sure to tidy up any baby supplies I used, dispose of any trash, and gather up any laundry that was dirtied overnight.

Helping your baby learn to sleep consistently at night is an ongoing process, one I am happy to help you navigate. I work with you to help you understand healthy sleep/wake patterns for newborns and how to help support early sleep habits. By the end of the fourth trimester (usually around the twelve week mark) the families I work with are usually finding a comfortable rhythm and getting adequate sleep on nights I am not there. Of course every baby, and every family, are different and I am happy to work with you to find that comfortable rhythm.

I have worked with dozens of families over the years, and as counter intuitive as it might sound I love being able to support families to reach a point where they no longer need my help. One of the best moments in my relationship with families is when they feel comfortable enough to move forward knowing they have all the tools they need to thrive. Of course, I’m always happy to come back for a night or two during rough stretches when babies aren’t sleeping as well and a solid night of sleep is needed!