Given the state of our economy and the financial times of the last few years, it is an important and fair question to ask: Is hiring a Postpartum Doula worth the money?
People expecting a baby face the enormous, and often overwhelming, cost of raising a child. Naturally they are going to seek ways of being smart and intentional about their spending.
To ask the question ‘is hiring a doula worth the costs’, let’s look at what value a doula brings and whether this is important for you.
The first few weeks after your baby is born can be a blur. It is not a very long time in the grand scheme of your whole life, but can feel like the longest time of your life. Physical recovery from birth, processing the emotions of new parenthood, new body, new life – this can be a very overwhelming period in one’s life. And yet it’s also the first few weeks of your baby’s life! So it’s also precious and momentous – how is a new mother supposed to rest, recover and process – while also caring for a new person who cannot do one single thing without assistance (so it would seem. Like, they can’t even burp without help!)
A postpartum doula comes to your home after your baby is born and attends to you with a myriad of things as needed such as – preparing food for you and helping your basic needs get taken care of, showing how to bathe baby, helping with nursing issues and concerns, helping with light chores or pets or baby so that you can have a rest. Your doula can be an integral part of your recovery by being an emotional support, listening to your birth story and making appropriate recommendations to other professionals as the need arises.
So in the realm of postpartum life, the question I would return to you is how valuable is your:
sleep & rest?
peace of mind?
body & recovery?
confidence as a parent?
Healing will happen with or without a postpartum doula – you will figure things out one way or the other. However, one path might be more stressful, tiring, and unpleasant. And this can have ramifications down the line, for you and for your family. Doulas help you get your birth recovery going strong right out the gate so that you can parent the way you want to parent sooner. Prolonged healing or unhealed birth trauma interferes with how we are as a parents and takes longer to catch up and get to where we want to be. A doula shortens that gap.
A postpartum doula is not going to be as valuable or necessary to someone who has a lot of skilled supportive help like parents, in-laws, siblings who are nearby – experienced and eager to jump in and help. Each family dynamic is unique and sometimes family help is not the kind of support a new parent is interested in receiving. A doula is helping new parents transition into their new life with a baby – and then they leave. Your family is always still your family, and that might not be who you want around in those first few weeks.
For a first-time parent, the benefit from having the counsel of an expert on what to expect and the assurance of ‘you’re doing great’ is huge. This alone can help bring rest and sleep to an anxious new mom.
A postpartum doula is a wonderful investment in creating the best possible start for your new baby and your family. Not convinced yet? Contact us for a no-obligation free consult 🙂