Pregnancy - Postpartum Doula

Posted by Carri:

Postpartum Doulas

Now that I am due to have my 4th child, I am trying to figure out what all I can do to help make this transition as easy for me as possible. I often think about what it was like to have only one child, and am surprised at how much more capable and efficient I am now 3 kids later. However, I still want to make sure that I don't try to be super mom and wear myself down. So this time, I am hiring a postpartum doula. As a birth doula, I will still have a doula present for my birth (both because I want one, and my husband won't do it without one!), but I have never used the services of a postpartum doula. The doula I have hired specializes in Ayurveda. Here is the description of ayurveda and the benefits of postpartum doula care directly from her website:

Ayurveda is a 5,000 year tested medical source of knowledge in India. Ayurveda is a health system that focuses on all of the bodily energies being in balance, mind, body and soul. It uses preventative measures for bodies to be in balance and maintenance to keep it there. In Ayurveda, it is the belief that the first 42 postpartum days impact the next 42 years of a woman’s ability to mother and partner. With all good intentions we tend to put our needs like sleep, nutrition, time to ourselves on the back burner because we are so committed to our babies. There is nothing wrong with loving our babies so much but we need to realize that receiving help whether it is a massage a nap or a meal is not a luxury nor is it selfish to accept. It is important not to allow ourselves to become depleted physically or mentally and unable to give the care and love we want for our babies and families. Many health problems arise after child birth in women because they don’t give themselves time to heal. Our bodies go through an incredible transition during pregnancy and the delivery of our babies. We tend not to notice the impact childbirth has on the entire system. If left unchecked the resulting imbalance can create additional problems. Some of the ways it appears; digestion, elimination, hormones, nervous system, and our pelvic and abdominal organ condition.

Postpartum doula care is beneficial for:

• Avoiding colic and postpartum depression
• Extended and enhanced bonding
• The mother and baby’s health for years to come
• Providing an opportunity for mothers to be the best mother and partner they can be

It is vital to restore the balance within to:

• Have better digestion
• Lose the baby weight
• Return to work sooner
• Have sex or a sex drive
• Feel energetic
• Able to deal with choices required for parenting
• Have better health and immune system
• Produce milk

So, I am REALLY looking forward to having someone around making sure my physical and mental health are taken care of so I can be the best mom I can be! Also, a good peice of information is that some health insurance companies pay for this service, as well as birth doulas - so it is worth taking the time to submit the paperwork and put forth the effort to do everything possible to make this work. Every person that submits the paperwork helps show the insurance companies that it is a valued service and makes it more likely that others will be able to have the service.