Postpartum doula
Acclimating to life with a newborn is undoubtedly exciting, but it can also be challenging in many ways. Having a knowledgeable and compassionate doula to help you navigate this transition can make life with a newborn significantly easier to manage. Based in East Hollywood, Katharine Whetzel, of Rose Moon Birth Services, is a certified full-spectrum doula, currently training to become an IBCLC, offering postpartum doula services to birthing people in and around Los Angeles, California. If you’re planning for your “fourth trimester” and would like to schedule a consultation, call Rose Moon Birth Services, or request one online today.
What is a postpartum doula?
Postpartum doulas provide knowledgeable, compassionate support to birthing persons and their families during the early postpartum period, also known as the “fourth trimester.” They are well-versed in all aspects of postpartum, including infant care and bonding, chestfeeding/breastfeeding support, bottle feeding, postpartum recovery (including post-cesarean care), emotional support, meal prep, and much more.
In part, postpartum doulas act as parent educators. They offer their knowledge and expertise to help your growing family smoothly transition as it grows and evolves. A postpartum doula helps to “parent the parent” as they tend to their new baby.
There is a growing body of evidence that suggests parents and newborns have an easier time navigating this transition when they have a great support team behind them.
Having a postpartum doula helps to ensure the physical, emotional, and practical needs of the birthing person and their families are met, so they can spend more time getting to know their newest addition with a lesser degree of stress and worry.
What can I expect from postpartum doula care?
Postpartum doula care helps your family transition into life with a newborn. With Rose Moon Birth Services you can expect the following support during your fourth trimester:
Postpartum planning
Chestfeeding/breastfeeding support
Emotional support and recovery after birth
Parent education
Product recommendations
Light housekeeping (cleaning, laundry, dishes, etc.)
Meal prep
Grocery pickup
Assistance with newborn care (bathing, diapering, bottle feeding, comforting)
Sibling care
Holistic recovery practices (herbal sitz baths, hot and cold therapy)
Babywearing support
Access to a resource library
Referrals to other resources (lactation consultants, pediatricians, chiropractors, classes)
Birth processing and more
Having a postpartum doula can help ensure that you enjoy your newborn's earliest days to the fullest extent possible.
Rose Moon Birth Services also offers individual and small group yoga classes as an add-on service to support your body physically as you heal.
How is a postpartum doula different from a baby nurse?
A baby nurse, or a night nurse, can help you establish a bedtime routine, arrange your baby’s nursery, and assist with feedings. However, a baby nurse is hired to care primarily for the infant.
By contrast, a postpartum doula cares for both you, your baby, and your family. They care for the birthing person, provide newborn care, and support your partner and any siblings as you experience the fourth trimester.
Due to my limited availability, I am not offering postpartum services (beyond 10 hours for my birth clients) until after August 2024. To learn more about postpartum doula care, contact Rose Moon Birth Services or request a consultation online today.