As your postnatal doula, I can be there on the other side when you bring home a newborn. You may need a gentle guiding hand, or just a shoulder to cry on and a listening ear. Often, it’s just a chance to sleep while I hold the baby. There is so much advice and information out there that it’s easy to feel bamboozled, and when you’re in a state of exhaustion it’s sometimes hard to know what’s right for you and your baby. I’ll support and encourage you to trust your own instincts and find your own parenting style, rather than tell you what to do, and if needed, I’ll help you to find further specialist support.
Together we’ll work out how many hours and days a week you need and we’ll discuss what kind of support would be the best for you. These sessions often include listening to you tell your birth story, infant feeding support, newborn care, using slings, finding ways of adjusting to parenthood and managing lack of sleep, cooking nutritious meals, and minding the baby while you get some much-needed rest. I can even do the dishes, hoover the floors, organise your cupboards or whatever it is that will help you feel able to relax and nest with your baby.