I am so glad you asked because I have a lot to say on this! For most of us, pregnancy involves a great deal of focus, attention and learning on one very specific moment of the process – the birth – and understandably so, it’s a very exciting moment! But have you considered how your postpartum will look? What plans have you put in place to minimise stress and to-do lists while you adjust to new-born life? Once the birth announcement messages have been sent, and the phone calls to friends and family made, you will be home to begin living every moment of every day, caring for this baby you just brought into the world. Have you rallied a team to help you through the blurry early days and weeks of adjusting to life as parents? Or are you just hoping for the best?
Perhaps you have a solid support system already and feel safe that you will be well held and nourished during this time – amazing! Or perhaps you have no family close by, your friends all have their own families or work, and the time beyond the birth may leave you feeling alone, lacking confidence and depleted.
Amongst the excitement of a new baby, it is often forgotten that there is an equally important birth occurring simultaneously – that is, the birth of a mother. A new-born mother requires holding, loving, nourishing, and honouring just as her baby does. We barely blink at spending hundreds if not thousands of dollars on the bells and whistles pedalled to us as necessary (spoiler: mostly not necessary!) for our babies – but what about our new mothers? What do they need to feel held, safe, supported, nurtured? How can they be best supported so that they have the capacity to nurture their baby with the endless (often sleepless) hours of love, nourishment and care that is so needed in that all important “4th trimester”?
Many indigenous communities still have long-standing traditions and care practices to honour and support a woman through her journey into motherhood, however this connection to tradition and ancient honouring of the mother have been lost for many of us. As we have moved away from close knit families and communities, lost touch with our connection to earth, and the maternal wisdom and knowledge traditionally passed down, has been diluted by new ways of living, the sad truth is mothers often find themselves feeling alone, scared, and unsure of how to navigate life with a baby. New Zealand is not alone in the world with alarming statistics around maternal mental health.
As a Postpartum Doula I provide a mother-centred support system. I will look at you, see you and spend time to listen and hear you, to find what you need in your specific situation to experience peace and joy during your postpartum and then help you achieve it.As you step into motherhood, I will:
- Help you to bring calm, reassurance, and confidence to your journey.
- Help you to tune out the tidal wave of information directed at new parents and to instead reconnect you with your innate mothering knowledge.
- Focus on you, the mother, amongst the influx of attention towards your baby and ensure you are nurtured, nourished, heard and supported.
- Ensure you have the tools to not only stay afloat but to thrive during what will undoubtedly be one of the most life changing and challenging experiences of your life.
- Help to foster an environment where you and your baby can bond, learn, love and grow together, to trust each other.
- Hold space for you to blossom as a mother, the kind of mother only you can be.
The Hand that Rocks the Cradle 