Who is a Doula? A qualified midwife trained to support first-time birthing mothers in their journey into motherhood and parenthood. Doulas make the transition from pregnancy to delivery and up to the fourth trimester easy and smooth. She helps a mother with household chores, prepares her body for labor childbirth, assists her in breastfeeding, and builds confidence. In short, a doula offers physical, emotional, and informational support. Let’s understand better.
Specific Role of a Postpartum Doula
Postpartum doulas are like mentors, guides, and nurses. She is a helping hand to a new mother and her family. She supports families in different activities related to the newborn. Here is a list of work that a birth-postpartum doula does.
- Emotional healing and physical care from the pregnancy stage and long after childbirth.
- Help a new birthing mother sail effortlessly into motherhood.
- She performs a myriad of tasks for the baby and the mother.
- The doula helps in breastfeeding, milk pumping, and lactation support.
- She also helps bottle-feed the infant when the mother is sleeping or resting.
- Doulas help in diapering, burping, bathing, and comforting the baby.
- She helps the mother forge a natural bond with the baby.
- Often, she takes care of siblings, prepares meals for the mother, and does light household work.
Benefits of Having a Postpartum Doula
During pregnancy and immediately after childbirth, a first-time mother experiences Baby Blues syndrome. It is characterized by bouts of anxiety, fear, restlessness, and depression. Here, a doula helps build confidence and removes her fear. Her emotional support helps enhance maternal self-confidence.
Similarly, she works to reduce stress and depression. Whether physical exhaustion or emotional stress, a doula supports a mom throughout her Baby Blues and postpartum depression stage. She talks to the mother, empathizes with her, and instills confidence.
A birth and postpartum session can be in-person or virtual over Skype or WhatsApp. Moreover, the physical support to a mother in washing, exercising, stretching workouts, etc., is invaluable and priceless.
End Note
In the world of postpartum care, a doula’s job is to care for the new parent and her family. If you reside in Vienna and are searching for a birth postpartum doula, Mona Alkhelewi deserves a special mention. She is a trained and experienced professional, assisting birthing moms with a seamless transition into parenthood.