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Many expectant parents understandably are reluctant to commit to an exact schedule for postpartum doula support when the reality of birth and the newborn stage still seems so far off and comes with so many unknowns. As an agency owner, I have an insider’s view of the doula community, how they plan and allocate their services, and how families can best ensure they have the right kind of support for their particular needs. This knowledge can help families to avoid scrambling at the last minute or settling for a service provider that doesn’t feel “just right” for their family. The truth is, I see over and over again that the very best postpartum doulas and newborn care specialists get scooped up many months in advance. This is largely because families that have great experiences with these doulas sing their praises and refer them to friends. Sometimes, a friend who is…

In preparing to speak at the DONA International annual conference last year, I polled an online doula community about what factors either threatened, or ultimately led to, their burnout. Three main areas presented themselves: The income-related reasons had a lot to do with how hard it can be to anticipate income. Postpartum doulas are tasked with finding new assignments every few months, with potential gaps in between, and birth doulas may find the number of births per month varies and can’t always be known very far in advance, for example. There’s also sometimes trepidation about charging “too much,” either because there’s a culture that says doing this kind of work shouldn’t make you a lot of money (that’s for a whole other blog post) or because a doula is afraid of not being hired if their rate is too high. Many doulas also don’t account for the amount of unpaid…

Doulas tend to naturally be giving people. We’re drawn to this work because we want to make an impact during a time of need. Being in a caretaker role can be rewarding… and draining. Many doulas and newborn care specialists have to go back to their own families between shifts and continue in some sort of caretaking role there, as well. And yet they’re reluctant to set the boundaries and put the conditions in place with their work to make sure they can continue in this field without burning out, because it’s tempting to be able to meet whatever accommodation a family might need. That, unfortunately, is not always possible or sustainable. Preventing burnout needs to be a central focus of doulas if they’re going to continue offering their deeply valuable services. Detachment The word “detachment” can seem cold or unfeeling, but if we want to pull from some ancient…

Today I put my first born on a plane (yes, he insisted on wearing pajamas because he is 14) for his first solo adventure to see some cousins in Colorado. And while this might not seem related to our work as a Postpartum Doula Agency… I’ve decided it is. It is because… he was a newborn not that long ago. And I really do mean not that long ago. Not in the cliché way of “blink and you miss it,” because it’s not that simple – it HAS felt like 14 years in many ways… but instead what I mean is that when we “zoom out” we can get a glimpse of the reality that it will be a relatively small percentage of our lives that we are actively parenting, that our children live with us. And I share that not to say “enjoy every moment,” (because that’s another oversimplified…

We’ve been recruiting and mentoring doulas for over 10 years, and fielding questions from people who are curious about becoming a postpartum doula. If that’s you, start here to make sure you know what to expect and how to set yourself up for success! [H3] Relevant BackgroundThis work is great for someone who has a background in a relevant field such as early childcare, nursing, nannying, childbirth education, or other caretaking professions. If you don’t have much hands-on experience with newborns, we’d encourage you to dive in with that however you can to build confidence – help out some friends or family, volunteer at a hospital/NICU if you can (these opportunities can be hard to come by),… and if you lack in-person opportunities, start to watch some how-to videos on YouTube (regarding bathing, swaddling, soothing, etc…) Perhaps you could even attend a Newborn Care Class meant for new parents, or…

You’ve heard from friends about how amazing it was to hire a postpartum doula or newborn care specialist to help them adjust to life with a newborn, provide an extra set of hands, a listening ear, and a source of up-to-date information to answer all of their questions. Some of them had the doula come at night, to help with the accumulating sleep deprivation. So, you start to search the internet, maybe make some calls…. And bump up against the reality of your budget. Many families, while they may have budgeted for baby gear, the nursery, and professional photos, among other expenses in preparation for baby… haven’t budgeted for this expense because they just didn’t know they would need it. (If you’re learning about these services early in pregnancy, of course we want to emphasize that it’s worth considering whether some of your budget could be set aside for these…

Not every family is looking for the same thing when hiring a Postpartum Doula. Some really prize experience, in the form of years working as a doula, and/or families served. Others put more emphasis on the personal “fit,” how they emotionally connect with this person, whether they have the right energy and approach for their family (along with, of course, professional training and some amount of relevant experience). Some parents value life experience more than they value professional experience, and still others have specialty area requests like a doula with extra lactation education, or experience working with twins or premature infants. As part of our specialized matchmaking process we’ve sent many doulas out to many interviews over the years, and learned from the clients and from the doulas what resonated and went well, and what left the families feeling uncertain about the match. We’ve counseled our doulas before and after…

What Resources Are There for Infant Feeding Challenges During a Pandemic? Amongst the huge range of challenges COVID-19 has presented for the world, altering your birth plan or your postpartum experience is likely amongst them. Being a new parent and figuring out your infant feeding plan amidst a pandemic can be especially challenging, but just because things look a bit different these days doesn’t mean your breastfeeding, chestfeeding or infant feeding journey has to be left behind. We’ve gathered a variety of different options for you to choose from to get the support you need. Breastfeeding Classes San Diego Breastfeeding Center offers a ‘Preparing to Breastfeed’ class. It’s available in an on-demand format ($35) or a virtual class alongside other expecting parents (free). Infant Feeding Consultations with an IBCLC Rachael Oeffner, a IBCLC (International Board Certified Lactation Consultant) at Night & Day San Diego, offers in-person, in-home visits or teleheath…

Kathryn Keener, Director and Founder of One Moon Doula Services, was featured on the Women’s Health Happy Hour Podcast by Dr. Dawn Andalon. In this episode “Uplevel Your Postpartum Experience and Keep Your Sanity,” Kathryn discusses the importance of those vulnerable first months with a newborn and what you need during your postpartum experience to make it better. Tune in below, on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to your podcasts.

How many times have we heard people joke or lament that babies don’t come with a user’s manual? That they couldn’t believe they were simply sent (or left) home with their newborn and trusted to somehow figure it all out? Often those sentiments are seemingly about understanding and figuring out a new baby, and yet in addition there are also the unexpected physical and emotional effects that birth, and postpartum, have on the mother or birthing person, and on the rest of the family. Well, even if there were a manual… you couldn’t ask it questions, like you can of an expert who is available to you live and in real time. It couldn’t listen to your frustrations and commiserate with you the way another parent of a newborn, struggling with the same uncertainties, can do. And a manual also could never capture the whole range of scenarios you might…