Provide care
Doulas care for the new family in the first 12 or so weeks after birth or adoption. We are not there to take care of your baby for you, but rather support you so that you feel empowered and trust that you can do so yourself/selves.
Provide non-medical support
We do inform you about warning signs, things to keep an eye out for, but we do not diagnose, and know when to recommend you speak to your provider. We can help you advocate for yourself when you do speak for your provider by finding the right language to use and encouraging you.
Provide companionship
We are happy to keep you company if that’s what you need the most.
Provide feeding support
Regardless of how you choose to feed your baby, we can provide evidence-based information and tips to help you find techniques that work for you.
Provide resources and referrals
We know that you will often have needs that we cannot fill, whether that be social or medical. We are curators of vetted resources that can help you with things like lactation support, physical therapy, or mental health support.
Provide evidence-based information
We do not offer opinions – only evidence. We love keeping up with the newest research so that we can give you the most up-to-date information, all with the goal of helping you choose what’s best for your family.
Provide support with meals and snacks
We just assume you’re always hungry. We try to come with easy-to-eat snacks, and a lot of us also love to cook for you! We also can help you organize meal trains so that your friends and family can support you with food.
Assist with newborn care
Arming ourselves with evidence-based information, we guide you as you learn how to parent this new child. We can also hold your baby to give you a break for showering, eating, or napping.
Assist with household organization
Different doulas will have different boundaries around cleaning tasks, but the general idea is that we are there to help bring calm to the chaos by tidying up here and there and doing light household chores like laundry and dishes. If your house is in need of a deeper clean, we can help you assess who you have in your life who would love to come be of assistance.
Assist with emotional and physical adjustment after birth
During our prenatal planning meeting, we go over some physical and mental changes that might occur. We do this not to scare you, but to prepare you for what’s possible so that you know how to handle these changes if they arrive. We give you guardrails so you know what’s typical and what’s not – and when to reach out for external support.
Promote maximum self-determination
We know that no one cares about your baby more than you do. We also know that you have years and years of caring, growth, and love to look forward to together. We are here to set you up for success in your future together by providing a foundation of support in the first few months postpartum. We want to do whatever we can to leave you feeling confident and calm when our time together is over.
Provide medical advice
We are not medical practitioners. We do not diagnose. We provide you with evidence-based information on how your and your baby’s bodies might respond to this new life, but at the end of the day, if anything of concern arises, we recommend you speak with your provider.
Judge or force opinions
This is your family, your baby, your life. We can provide information, context, and support, but we never tell you what to do, or how we would do things. We give you the information you need in order to decide what is right for your family. And we know that you will make the right decisions for your family.
Displace you in your role as parent
We are not here to be nannies or do all the newborn care for you. Our ultimate goal is to empower you to be the best parent you can be in this moment.
Replace normal childcare for other siblings
We are happy to help with small tasks with other children in the house, and help you help them adjust to life with a new sibling. We do not, however, replace babysitters or daycare.
Replace house cleaners
We are happy to do light housework so that we can help you relax and help keep your house a place of calm and refuge. Different doulas have different boundaries, but in general, we do not do heavy house cleaning work like scrubbing toilets or mopping floors. If you need help with deeper cleaning, we can help connect you with friends or community members who are interested in helping in this way.
Any questions?