6 ways that postnatal doulas make life with a newborn so much easier …

Bringing your baby home for the first time is magical, but let’s not sugar coat it. The early weeks (and months) can feel like a total whirlwind…

… but this is exactly where postnatal doulas shine.

Emotions, sleepless nights, and constant questions creates physical and emotional chaos. But this can all be relieved with the consistent, gentle & reassuring support of a postnatal doula like me.

While we spend so much of pregnancy imagining the blissful quiet and peace of newborn life, the reality is - so often - far more intense.  And as any new parent will tell you, it’s not one you can ever really prepare for. 

Once your baby lands earthside, you are inevitably plunged into a world of responsibility and logistics that you could never have imagined. This is made all the more difficult because of our modern mentality. We’ve been raised to… 

• Be independent masters of our own destiny

• Fix the issues in front of us with actions

• See any form of struggle or difficulty as innate weakness.

But babies don’t understand that…

Nor do their abilities (aka lack of) in communication or scheduling.

More often than not, this clash in baby-parent ideologies creates a melting pot of insecurities and confusion that can create chaos for new parents…

But it’s a chaos that postnatal doulas like me can support and help to solve. Hiring a postnatal doula means that you have a calm, knowledgeable professional friend by your side who knows exactly how to help you and your baby thrive. 

Our care is practical, emotional, and completely tailored to your needs and our mission is to make your transition into parenthood so much smoother…

Do postnatal doulas actually help?

Short answer: yes. For the details, keep reading…

Doulas have existed for millenia; we’ve always been there in the background but evidence suggests that the number of people hiring doulas (both birth and postnatal) is on the rise. 

And this isn’t a fashion thing. It’s a statistical thing. Having a postnatal doula on your team is associated with: 

• increased rates of successful breastfeeding

• lower levels of maternal stress and anxiety 

• improved postnatal maternal mental health 

• improved relationships between the birthing parent and their partner 

And these aren’t little things. Every single one of these factors has a huge bearing on how the new normal of family life evolves and develops. 

Doula support during this time sets you up for success.

What does a postnatal doula do to support their families?

By giving your the consistent, gentle, reassuring support you need during this tender time, we help you to find your feet with confidence…

1. Emotional Reassurance

Around 10-20% of new parents experience some form of mental health issue during pregnancy and postnatal life, ranging from the ‘baby blues’ to postnatal depression and psychosis. Some research indicates that these conditions are made more likely and worsened when the new parent feels alone, not heard and not valued.

As a postnatal doula, my job is to listen without judgment, offer reassurance, and help you feel supported so that you can build confidence and resilience as a parent, in as positive and healthy a way as possible.

2. Breastfeeding Support

The majority of women want to breastfeed to some extent, but the reality often means many stop before they’re ready.  The World Health Organization notes that, exclusive breastfeeding rates drop significantly after the first few weeks, often due to lack of support; this is a gap skilled professionals like me is uniquely equipped to fill.

Postnatal doulas provide hands-on guidance and troubleshooting to help you find what works for you and your baby. If more specialized support is needed, we can connect you with trusted lactation consultants.

3. Practical Help

Adjusting to life with a newborn is really intense; the time needed to figure out the baby logistics often means that the normal everyday things (eg: washing, cooking, hoovering) pile up. Seeing that chaos creates an additional stress that directly contributes to poor postnatal mental health.

That’s why a lot of my postnatal doula shifts are spent relieving that stress: doing light housework, meal preparation, or walking the dog so that you can focus on doing one thing at a time - caring for your baby, resting and recovering or playing with your other children.

4. Baby Care Tips

Whether this is your first or your fourth, it’s likely there will be some ‘I have no idea what I am doing’ moments. But you want to avoid getting stuck in a Google Search Doom Spiral too; when everything is both right and wrong, confusion is rife.

This is where postnatal doulas really shine; working with families day in and day out means that we have an ever evolving toolkit of knowledge, hints, tricks and tools covering everything from sleep to slings, feeding to toys. Hiring a postnatal doula like me means that you get this knowledge on tap, whenever and wherever you need it. 

5. Gentle Sleep Support

Navigating sleep in the newborn phase is no laughing matter: sleep deprivation and adjusting to ever evolving and totally unpredictable sleep routines can cause total chaos. And there’s no one way to solve it, a conundrum which can make it feel so much worse.

While a postnatal doula like me cannot ‘fix’ sleep, what we are experts at are supporting you to find balance. Be that through baby sleep strategies, referrals to sleep consultants or simply helping you to get your own naps in, we’re here to help you find your way through it.   

6. Support Without Judgment

Doulas don’t tell you what to do and you’ll never hear me utter the phrase, “You should definitely…”. While I, like many others, came to this line of work because of my own parenting journey, I am not here to make you replicate the path I took.

As a birth and postnatal doula (and an antenatal teacher too), my mission is to help you find the route through pregnancy, birth and postpartum that genuinely works for you. No judgement, no criticism, no grudges. Just unconditional, open-minded support for you.

More often than not, when I explain what I do to people, they say, “Oh I wish I’d had someone like you! I just didn’t know doulas were a thing…”

If you leave this blog knowing anything, let it be this: doulas are a thing. A GOOD thing. While there are some that are more on the ‘hippy’ end of the spectrum, and some that only work for royalty and celebrities, there are plenty of us who work for normal people just like you. But whichever doula fits your bill, know this: we exist for a very good reason - we make postpartum lives better. 

Sound good? Get in touch and we’ll arrange a free consultation chat to discuss how my support can make your postnatal journey a happier, more settled place.