In a world of people barely prepared to begin caring for newborn babies the two male parent family is the least naturally prepared. Thank goodness for postpartum doulas!
The job of the postpartum doula is to come into a brand new family’s home and become their fairy godmother.
The postpartum doula is an expert in infant care who helps parents learn and succeed in their early parenting journey. They know about baby feeding, bathing, clothing, soothing and sleeping. They provide hands-on care and impart practical wisdom.
The really wonderful thing that postpartum doulas do is care for babies overnight. You know those little tiny bundles of cute wake up every two or three hours all night long, every night, for weeks and sometimes months, right?
Let that sink in. Newborn babies wake up every two to three hours every night for weeks and months.
It’s like joining a cult: just when you get fully asleep an unmistakable and impossibly loud natural alarm goes off. You have to get up and out of bed and take care of the baby’s needs – feeding and diaper changing – before you can put them back to bed. Whether or not your baby dutifully goes back to sleep is a gamble. Some nights they do and some nights they don’t.
Newborn babies are also infamous for a particularly onerous habit. In the first month, most babies prefer to sleep less at night.
Don’t worry! The postpartum doula will get you through these early and nights of parenting. You’ll get your sleep with overnight care from a doula who will lovingly feed and cuddle and care for your baby. The doula will help your baby establish good sleep habits. And, soon, your baby will be sleeping great and so will you!
When you are planning your life as a parent, plan for a postpartum doula. All of that support and extra sleep will mean a happier parenting experience for you and your partner.
Leanne Palmerston is the Founder of Hamilton Family Doulas and has been supporting families in Ontario for over a decade. She loves to travel around North America training new doulas. Visit www.hamiltonfamilydoulas.com to learn more about getting doula support, prenatal and postpartum classes and placenta encapsulation in Hamilton, Halton, Niagara and Brant.