Omaha Birth & Babies went to a baby fair this year at the Baxter Arena in Omaha, NE. We spoke with many couples that day and found out that many of them had heard of a doula before, but most had only heard of a birth doula; almost none of them had heard of a postpartum doula.
This isn’t too surprising when we consider that it really wasn’t until nearly five or so years ago that postpartum doula services were brought to the Omaha metro area in a big way. In fact, when our very own Shannon Barnett needed a postpartum doula 5 years ago, she couldn’t find one! Luckily for us, she then set out to become the doula that Omaha deeply needed.
Over the past 5 years postpartum doula support has become much more popular. Still, based on what we heard at the baby fair, postpartum doula work still isn’t as well-known as birth or labor doula support. Postpartum doula support seems to be a hidden gem—a gem that many mothers-in-the-know say they won’t bring home another baby without.
Allow us to share with you a bit about this invaluable service so you can leave this blog with a better understanding of the support that is available to you as a new parent. Postpartum doulas are there for mom, baby, family and much more. We love the way this blog showcases what a postpartum doula does.
Postpartum services are Omaha Birth & Babies most popular service, and for good reason! Birth lasts 12-24 hours—maybe even two days long—and having a birth doula to support you can greatly benefit your birth experience. Consider, though, the fact that your postpartum recovery will last 6-12 weeks. Add in hormones and the many changes babies go through in the first days, weeks, and months after birth, and it’s easy to see how having a postpartum doula can make your parenting experience exponentially more satisfying than trying to do it all on your own.
Why go through your baby’s first year alone when you can instead have experts in the postpartum and infant care field walk along side you?
If you are married and had the big wedding experience, you know how overwhelming planning the wedding, knowing what all your options are and making sure it goes smoothly can be. Most couples don’t choose to tackle that all on their own; they enlist help from a wedding party—and often a professional wedding planner—to help walk them through the experience. Why should bringing home baby, healing from birth and parenting be any different?
I would be so bold to say that caring for a newborn who doesn’t sleep when you want to sleep, who doesn’t speak your language and who is constantly changing their behaviors is even more challenging than planning a large wedding. Why go through your baby’s first year alone when you can instead have experts in the postpartum and infant care field walk along side you? Treat yourself to the peace of mind a postpartum doula can bring.
If you are thinking of adding a postpartum doula to your welcome home support team, or you simply want to learn more about the support a postpartum doula can offer, we would love to meet with you.
