One of the main things that clients talk with me about both prenatally and postpartum is SLEEP. Expecting parents are sometimes actually scared of the lack of sleep they expect and how they will deal with it. New parents are living with that sleep deficiency. There are ways to maximize your sleep and make your night wake ups more efficient but those are for another newsletter. Here I want to talk about what overnight postpartum pros do and how they can make a difference in your postpartum journey.
Some of the many benefits include:
Time and space to rest and recover. Pregnancy and birth are taxing on the body no matter your experience. And now you have to get up every 2-3 hours (or more) in the night to care for your newborn. Let a seasoned pro take care of baby a few nights a week so you can recuperate.
An expert will be there who knows all about newborns and is experienced in what's normal for newborn sleep, bottle feeding, diaper changing, swaddling and soothing babies.
Doula and Newborn Care Specialists are also usually well-versed in breast and chest feeding and can answer questions, help with latch and trouble shoot with you. They'll bring baby to you for feeding and then take care of all the other details so you can go back to sleep.
If you're pumping and bottle feeding in any fashion, these pros are familiar with pumps as well as hacks to keep your night as efficient as possible. (plus, they'll wash all those pump parts while you sleep!)
Overnight support is super helpful for partners too! This way BOTH parents can re-charge and be fresh and ready to face another day of newborn parenting in the morning.
Overnight doulas often take care of light housework while you sleep as well. This can look like doing the dishes, emptying the dishwasher, cleaning the bottles and pump parts, doing and folding laundry, restocking diaper stations, general tidying and some light food prep. They will only do these things if it won't disturb the sleeping parents though!
Having someone trustworthy to take of your baby which, in turn, takes care of you can reduce stress and give you peace of mind so you can SLEEP.
Imagine waking up refreshed after a great night's sleep to a neat and tidy house with fresh food prepped in the fridge, clean bottles and pump parts, organized and ready for use, fully stocked diapering and feeding stations, freshly cleaned and folded laundry and a happy baby who can't wait to see their parents! This could be your reality. Trust me.
We offer daytime and overnight postpartum support in all sorts of package scenarios. Reach out today to talk about how we can help you!
-Hilary
Go from pregnant to parent with confidence. We've got your new family needs covered.