Why Have a Postpartum Doula?

I love running into other mothers at parks when I take my children out. We get to talking... "How old is he?" "Are you from around here?" "Did you guys get into preschool?". The most common questions, but when they ask what I do for work that always brings up interesting topics. When I tell them I'm a birth and postpartum doula then we get deep into their birth stories and usually how unprepared they were for postpartum. They didn't understand that food was more important after having a baby than ever before. That postpartum can be so uncomfortable and sometimes painful. How they had so many questions and anxieties. That they felt like no one understood them and family members crossed boundaries. And of course, how much the lack of sleep affected them. It always follows up with the phrase, "I wish I had a postpartum doula". I wish I had one too! The sleepless nights, no showers, my anxieties becoming my reality (no matter how ridiculous it was). I was exhausted physically and mentally. My experiences inspired me to want to support my community. I would to have all families feel supported the way they deserve.

When I decided I wanted to become a postpartum doula I looked at the statistics.

1 in 8 Mothers experiences PostPartum Depression (PPD) and 1 in 10 Fathers experiences Postpartum Depression. That is way too common! I then looked into why parents experience PPD. I found that the lack of sleep, nutrition, and support are the main factors. Women experience a huge hormonal shift after birth and because of that all of their minerals and nutrients are depleted. Are they told this in hospitals before discharge? Most likely not. Mothers need their rest more than ever and can find it almost impossible to do during the day during naps. Parents both need to receive postpartum support to be able to support their own families. Fathers usually are not granted much time with their family after the baby arrives In the US. Leaving them exhausted and going to work and still having to come home and help the mother and baby and other children. The mental and physical load on parents in the US is exhausting. So I looked into another statistic. How beneficial is it to have a postpartum doula?

Well... Parents who chose to hire a postpartum doula have a 57.5% decrease in developing Postpartum Depression. W O W!

That statistic validates every parent who struggled in their postpartum period.

You are capable of doing hard things, but it is okay to ask for help and let them help.

-Gianna