Postpartum Doula Services
What is a postpartum doula?
A postpartum doula is someone who provides professional and meaningful care for the family during the initial postpartum period, usually the first few weeks or months after the baby is born. This care includes emotional support, helping with physical recovery, assisting with infant feeding, and in-the-moment education. The overarching goal is to nurture, empower, and bring relief to the parent(s) with a focus on caring for the baby during the day or overnight.
This role can be social (debriefing your birth experience, discussing baby milestones and expectations, body doubling, etc.) or it can also be the caregiver’s chance to relinquish some stress and pass it off to a willing teammate, the doula, in order to prioritize their own needs.
Here’s an image of me providing hands-on support by burping the baby after a feeding so her parents could take a nap!
How can a postpartum doula help you?
Every person benefits from a postpartum doula’s presence at home, even if you have a wonderful partner and a great support system. Why? Because it is often difficult for birthing parents to ask for help or prioritize their own needs. A postpartum doula not only helps to provide evidence-based information, but also reassures all family members of common newborn behaviors and postpartum recovery norms and offers constructive ways to help.
Also, every baby is unique! Sometimes you’ve been-there-done-that and your first baby was pretty chill, but you’re not sure how to care for a kiddo who seems fussier and has more needs. Or maybe you want to spend time with your older . Bringing a baby into the world is a big change, whether it’s your first or your fifth, and having an attentive helper to lend a hand or a listening ear can make all the difference.
What a postpartum shift might include:
Breastfeeding support, bottle prep, pumping support, or formula feeding preparation and support
Help with the emotional and physical recovery after birth, including debriefing conversations
Light housekeeping, especially pertaining to the postpartum period (ie. newborn laundry, washing bottles, etc.)
Running errands, especially pertaining to the postpartum period (ie. picking up prescriptions, fetching a meal, etc.)
Newborn care such as diapering, bathing, feeding, burping, swaddling, and comforting
Light snack and beverage refills for parents/caregivers
Sibling care (prioritizing newborn care unless otherwise communicated)
Referrals to local resources
What this can look like:
DAYTIME SHIFT - checking in with you, talking through your recent challenge (cluster feeding, lack of sleep, baby started crying as soon as you put the shampoo in your hair, etc.) offering validation and education that can help during this stage. I can take prep a snack and drink for you then care of baby while you go rest, shower, eat, play with your other kiddo(s), read a book, do a craft, chat with your partner about something other than counting dirty diapers - generally giving you time for you, whatever that means. Day shifts are usually 4-6 hours long and often from around 10-2 pm but other timing can be accommodated based on location, preference, and availability.
OVERNIGHT SHIFT - checking in with you on baby’s bedtime routine and likes/dislikes, tucking you into bed with a full water bottle and snacks and then head to an adjacent “home base” space where I’ll take care of baby with soothing, watching for signs of discomfort or hunger, bringing baby to you for a feed at the breast and then whisking baby away for the burping/swaddling/getting to sleep while you go back to sleep. It can also be me with baby throughout the night and just sending you pumping reminders periodically and taking care of your expressed milk, or feeding and comfortable baby with formula to give you a full night of undisturbed sleep. Overnight shifts are usually 6-10 hours long from around 9pm - 5am but other timing can be accommodated based on location, preference, and availability.
In terms of benefits, people who have a postpartum doula report:
More protected opportunities to rest
Proven decrease in likelihood of postpartum mood disorders including postpartum depression or anxiety
Notable increase of support and community via in-home presence as well as an ear to the ground for local resources and groups, decreasing the isolating feelings that can accompany the postpartum period
More autonomy in regards to how to spend time when postpartum doula is present
Postpartum Doula Services At A Glance
Postpartum doula services begin with 1 prenatal visit
center on the in-home postpartum daytime and/or overnight support
and conclude when you feel ready to “graduate”, usually sometime in that “fourth trimester”
Investment Details and Next Steps
The fee for postpartum support ranges from $30-50/hour, including the initial prenatal visit, daytime or overnight support, and can be a standalone service or bundled with other services. Families using Michigan Medicaid can obtain postpartum doula support with a 2-3 hour daytime or nighttime shift, or can combine usage of Medicaid and self-pay to increase the number of shifts. For families who are paying out of pocket, please note that I care about accessibility - so please feel free to ask about a sliding scale if this amount doesn’t work for you! Also note: I can currently accept Straight Medicaid, Blue Cross Complete, Meridian, Molina, Aetna, and United Healthcare plans.
I accept FSA, HSA, Carrot, Medicaid, PayPal (debit or credit), Zelle Quickpay, CashApp, Venmo, Cash, or Check.
PLEASE ask about discounts or sliding scale fees. Discounts can vary between 10-50 percent off and are available for repeat clients, for bundling services, for people who identify as BIPOC, for families using WIC, for LGBTQIA+ families, for military or military spouses, for those new to the country, or for those experiencing financial hardship. These discounts can be combined if you qualify for more than one! I am able to take on clients at a reduced fee periodically, so let’s chat.
How to choose your postpartum support: We can discuss a-la-carte packages, bundled packages, days or overnights or a mix of both, and decide your preferred number of shifts with your preferred number of hours per shift. For example: 4 overnight shifts for 8 hours each plus 4 daytime shifts for 4 hours each for a custom package, tailored to your needs.
Once we have estimated your package, I’m flexible with payment plans and request a 30% non-refundable retainer to put your shifts on the calendar, with the balance due upon completion of shifts once the coverage from the retainer has ended, but we can chat to see what works best for your family!
I never like finances to get in the way of a great postpartum experience, so let’s talk more if you have any questions about payment. Here are a few other ideas to help budget for your postpartum support:
Arrange a payment plan- For example: using multiple paychecks to pay your retainer instead of all at once
Include requests on your baby shower invitation asking for donations in addition to or in lieu of gifts
Get donations from friends and family (many loved ones will pitch in so you’re only responsible for a portion of the cost)
I can barter in exchange for some of my fee, depending on the items or services you/your loved ones are offering. Some examples include handyman services, home improvement, graphic design, babysitting, landscaping, deep cleaning, music lessons, snow removal, etc.
Think you’d like to talk more?
Schedule a Free Consultation. In this no-obligation meet and greet. We’ll get to know one another, and you can ask questions.
Follow up. We check in with each other to discuss if you’d like to move forward.
Paperwork. Sign a contract and pay a retainer fee (deposit) to secure your space on my calendar.
Schedule prenatal visit. Put our prenatal visit(s) on the calendar.
Keep in touch. Send me questions, updates, or the big news that baby has arrived!
Schedule first postpartum visit. Chat via text, Zoom, or Google Meet to finalize either all of the shifts (flexibility is always guaranteed) or at least the first one.
I look forward to the possibility of working alongside your family!