Congratulations on becoming a new family
Postnatal Support & Night Doula Support
Having a new baby is an exciting time for many new parents but can also seem rather daunting.
Recovery from any type of birth takes time and for some parents the whirlwind of sleepless nights, round the clock feeding, caring for their newborn and adjusting to life as a new family can feel like a lot to cope with.
Some families lack a close support network and for those who do have the support of family and friends, after the initial period of support slips away, they find they feel the need for additional help.
I cover Dorset, Hampshire, Wiltshire and surrounding areas and villages. These include Bournemouth, Poole, Christchurch, Ringwood, Sandbanks, Salisbury, Lymington, Lyndhurst, Brockenhurst, The New Forest, Dorchester, Winchester, Shaftsbury and Southampton to name a few.
What does Postnatal Doula care from Maria the Doula look like?
First and foremost, I believe that every woman has the innate understanding and connection to care for her baby. As your postnatal doula I aim to support and help you to trust you mother instincts and to help you (and your partner if you have one) to build confidence in your abilities to parent as you wish to.
- I am there to provide you time and the opportunity to talk about and reflect on your birth experience, if you wish.
- Give you time to rest and recover from the birth. To enjoy a lovely bath or simply have some time to yourself.
- Provide unbiased, nonjudgmental, person-centred care for all your family.
- Offer feeding support and guidance however you wish to feed your baby. I am a qualified Breastfeeding/infant feeding counsellor which enables me to offer up to date information following the UNICEF guidelines.
- Help you overcome feeding challenges as well as give you guidance on formula feeding, expressing and mixed feeding.
- Be a form of constant support, offer practical guidance and empowerment so moving forward you feel confident to care for your baby.
- Cover practical skills such as nappy changing, bathing, soothing techniques, sleeping patterns and newborn development.
- I can join those early outings to baby clinic, shopping trips and a lovely walk for a change of scenery.
- I can help with practical chores around the house from laundry, light household jobs, entertaining older children, running errands and walking the dog.
- Preparing light meals, snacks and drinks to ensure you stay hydrated and nourished.
- Signpost you to local specialist services should you need help outside my areas of expertise and experience eg. tongue tie specialist, LBCLC lactation consultant, sleep specialist.
- Be available via WhatsApp for any questions or queries during my time with you.
What does Night Doula care from Maria the Doula look like?
As your night doula many of the points above are included but the difference is where a postnatal doula comes during the day a night doula arrives late evening and stays until the morning (6-8am).
- I am there predominantly to care for your baby so that you can sleep and recover from the birth and the early days of becoming a new parent.
- I support you in your feeding journey. If you are breastfeeding, I will bring your baby to you for feeds and once finished, and if you wish, I will take over caring for your baby, allowing you to return to sleep until the next feed.
- If you are feeding formula, I will do this throughout the night, noting how much and when your baby fed.
- It would be impractical to do noisy household tasks in the night, but I can spend time sterilising feeding or expressing equipment ready for the morning and folding laundry.
- I will spend time soothing and holding your baby, changing their nappies and there maybe even some quite singing. I will keep a note of all nappy changes (and their content) for you to read in the morning.
- I am however not able to care for other siblings during the night as my focus will be on you and your baby.
