5 Reasons You Might Need a Postpartum Doula

A postpartum doula is someone who helps you out at home after you have had your baby. Though we spend a lot of time working out the details of pregnancy care and eve who will be with us in labor, we rarely think about postpartum doula care. Here are some situations that are examples of who might benefit from a postpartum doula:

1. First Baby
   Having your first baby, you may not know what to expect in terms of physical recovery after childbirth or even what to expect from a newborn. Having a nurturing figure there to help you navigate the early days after giving birth can be very helpful. A postpartum doula can help you with baby care, breastfeeding and early postpartum questions, while also help you get some light house work, laundry and meals done.

2. Not Your First Baby
   A postpartum doula can be such a blessing if you have other kids at home. While you might be confident and well versed in breastfeeding and baby care, managing two or more children at once is a learning curve. Having a postpartum doula to help entertain an older sibling or even do some baby care while you pay attention to a sibling for a few minutes can be a way to ease into this role as a mother to more than one.

3. Twins or Other Multiples
   Speaking of more than one child, sometimes they come in pairs or more. Having multiples was a real learning curve for me, even though I already had four children. My postpartum doula helped me keep my sanity by helping me with laundry and meals while I managed two babies at once.

4. Can't Rely on Family for Various Reasons
   Many women try to rely on their family when they have a baby. But sometimes, family is far away, physically unable or are otherwise unavailable. If this is true, a postpartum doula can help you fill the gaps that your family may have been considering.

5. Need Some Extra Help
   A postpartum doula is someone who can help you fill the gaps. Think of folded laundry, hot meals and no dishes in the sink. Isn't that a better imagery than anything you did in yoga class?

So as you can see, a postpartum doula can be helpful to almost any new mom: married, single, new mother or professional. Consider looking into hiring a postpartum doula for your upcoming birth.