Postpartum Doula

Postpartum doulas focus on the period between the birth of the baby and three months of age. This can be a vulnerable time for families, a time when new roles are explored and intuition nurtured. It can also be a time of mourning what has been left behind, or perhaps a birth that didn’t go the way it had been planned. Postpartum doulas are trained to help women and families transition to parenthood (& kids to siblings) and become more confident and fulfilled in their parenting. They provide support as outlined below:

• Emotional Support: encourage mom and dad to follow their intuition, companionship, a sounding board for fears and concerns, offer a hug or laughter; asks couples questions to help them delve deeper into their own answers
• Evidence-based Informational Support: explain normal newborn appearance and behaviour, breastfeeding help, strategies for optimal and safe sleep, soothing techniques; timely referral for issues, concerns that arise.
• Practical Support: help adjusting to new rhythms with simple meal prep, laundry help, dishes, groceries, holding baby so mama can shower etc.
• Partner and Sibling Support: helping with transition to new roles by listening to frustrations, suggesting ideas to ease the changes, include siblings and partners and also support mom in her new role.

Typically, clients buy a package of hours, and meet prenatally. Once the baby is born, clients arrange how they would like to use the hours, depending on the support or priorities they have. Some prefer many hours at the very beginning, others prefer a once/week routine, and others seek help once the baby is slightly older (3-4 weeks) and other family or partners have returned to their previous routines.

Sage Mama Postpartum Services

~Rooted Parents, Flourising Family~

• 4 tenets of support through 1 prenatal (or initial) visit, and agreed upon hours of postpartum support
• postpartum support between 9am and 10pm in agreed shifts of minimum 3 hours/visit.
• 1 resource booklet of local and on-line supports in over 40 categories
• available by phone, text and e-mail for support during postpartum contract period
• access to small library of prenatal and postpartum books