F.A.Q

What does a Postpartum Care Practitioner / Doula do?

In a nutshell Postpartum Care Practitioners (sometimes known as Postpartum Doulas) “mother the mothers”.

Our job is to come into a newborn family’s home, with our number one priority being the wellbeing of the Mother. With an understanding of Mama and Baby’s physiologic needs, I help to tend to whatever that particular mother needs on that particular day.

In the absence of “the village”, true community, alloparenting and other traditional postpartum practices, beliefs and collective understandings, I step in to assist with Mama’s physical, emotional and spiritual health so that she can be nurtured and nourished in her postpartum time and when ready, can remerge into life and community as a Mother feeling confident, proud, whole and valued.

For more information on what I do on a practical/day to day level please take a look at “What does a Home Visit include?”

Why would I need Postpartum Care?

Arriving into Motherhood, while living in a culture that puts almost all focus of a pregnancy on the moment of birth, is often a time of utter shellshock. After a pregnancy that draws attention, enthusiasm, care and anticipation, a mother may be surprised to find that suddenly there is actually a baby to care for around the clock! Not only that, but she is home alone with this baby for the vast majority of her time. The days and weeks after birth can be isolating and confusing as a Mother goes through multiple, simultaneous transformations on physical, emotional and spiritual levels while the outside world just carries on without her.

In our Western culture of bouncing back, doing it all, and sucking it up, women are expected to just get the job done, all while having endless, contradicting and often confusing or counter-intuitive advice thrown at us from every angle – and boy are we paying the price. Statistics of postpartum depression, anxiety, mood disorders and maternal suicide are devastatingly high, while experiencing burnout and depletion has become the norm for most Mothers. The health and wellbeing of a Mother will always flow through to determining the health and wellbeing of her baby and her family, and the shocking state of Maternal Health is simply a consequence of living in a highly dysfunctional system. In a few short few generations we have really lost our way.

Traditional cultures around the world have always (and many still do) honored and cared for new mothers. The time of postpartum for a woman entailed rest, deep nourishment, nurturing and support – a standard of care that was believed by the whole community to be essential for the ongoing wellbeing of the community as a whole. In Traditional Chinese Medicine the postpartum time is known as one of the three “Golden Opportunities” in a women’s life – where the potential for immense healing and setting up for future health (through deep nourishment and support) or degeneration and opportunity for illness and disease to arise (through lack of nourishment and support) exists. Similar threads of such beliefs are woven into traditional cultures all around the world.

Perhaps you have family and friends living close by, who have a great understanding of the true needs of mothers during their postpartum and are able to support you – this is the dream and vision for us all! But the truth is most of us don’t. Most people we know are working or busy with their own families and lives, or they live far away. You might find that most well-meaning people who do offer to help, actually have no idea how to truly support a new mum and despite their best intentions may create stress, discomfort or frustration for you at this vulnerable time.

In my eyes, everyone not only deserves, but needs Postpartum Care, because quite simply we were never meant to do mothering alone, and our attempts to do so are ultimately harming us all. When we find ways of truly supporting and nourishing our newborn mothers everyone in the community benefits immensely. Thriving Mothers = Thriving Humanity.

How much do your packages cost?

Please contact me for pricing at hello@thehandthatrocksthecradle.co.nz

Spending money on hiring a Postpartum Doula seems indulgent. Why do I deserve this?

Unfortunately our current collective mindset would suggest spending money on this kind of care was indulgent and unnecessary – that is exactly the kind of view that the Postpartum Renaissance is working to change. Contrary to modern expectations, we were never meant to do the job of mothering alone, and until very recent times we never did. Today’s lifestyles have led us away from community living and a huge void has been left in terms of the support mothers historically had in raising our babies and children. The social expectations on new mothers to do it all alone is simply not sustainable – proven everyday by our alarming maternal health statistics around Post Natal Depression and Suicide. If you don’t have a support network nearby who are truly on board with supporting you in all the ways you need supporting through your postpartum, then hiring a Postpartum Doula is a wonderful alternative. Rather than indulgent, hiring postpartum care is a wise investment in your baby’s best start and your lifelong emotional and physical health and wellbeing – especially during a time when Mothers are no longer provided that support by our communities.

How can I afford Postpartum Care?

The sad reality is, Postpartum Care is not currently affordable for everyone. One of my many hopes for the future of Mothers, is that in time, this care will be recognised as essential and be funded by the government, and made widely available to all groups of women. Until then unfortunately for some families, the money simply isn’t there.

If however you are in a position where spending priorities can be reassessed, perhaps give it a thought. Many expectant families will spend hundreds if not thousands of dollars on baby paraphernalia without a thought – brand new furniture, fancy gizmos and gadgets, clothing and blankets enough to cater for quintuplets. Sure it’s fun and exciting and oh-so-cute…but most experienced parents will tell you that 90% of all the “stuff” sold to us for our babies is completely unnecessary and only adds to clutter, wastage and extra admin of having to pass them on or get rid of them once you realise you never needed it anyway. Consider buying second hand, or look for hand-me-downs from family and friends, stick to the bare essentials in terms of clothing for your baby at each stage (they grow out of it in a minute anyway) and before you get swept up in the Baby Industry and all it has to sell you, talk to other parents about what you and your baby REALLY need. You might find you have the funds needed to invest in your own postpartum care after all.

Other ways to obtain Postpartum Care is by suggesting to friends, family and colleagues that your preferred “Baby Shower” gift or gesture is donations towards your investment in Postpartum Care.

When is the best time to book a Postpartum Care Practitioner/Doula?

The earlier the better! Ideally, you will have your Postpartum Care Practitioner booked well before your due date. This will allow you to find someone that aligns with your family, and to get to know each other prior to baby’s arrival. It also means you and your partner will have time to implement some of the strategies you discuss with your doula around planning your postpartum before baby arrives. We really want Mama’s “to-do” list entirely wiped clean as her new role will be all-encompassing, and her only jobs post-birth should be healing, resting, breastfeeding and bonding with her baby. Literally!

Another reason to book your Doula early, is that there aren’t actually that many of us. Availability can be scarce and the earlier you book the more likely you will be able to secure the practitioner you want.

However, as many women don’t even discover that Postpartum Care exists until after baby is born, or don’t realise they need help until they are deep in it, planning that far in advance may not be possible. In which case you can book at anytime in your Postpartum journey, it will just come down to availability and how many weeks/months after birth individual practitioners offer their services.

What training have you completed in preparation for working with women in this way?

In 2020 I completed my Newborn Mothers Postpartum Professional Training with Julia Jones of Newborn Mothers.

In 2023 I completed my Innate Postpartum Care – Certified Practitioner training with Rachelle Garcia Seliga of Innate Traditions.

Both of these teachers and their trainings are highly regarded in this field, and each have many years of experience working with women in birth and postpartum behind them. These were two vastly different trainings in their approach, and I believe have allowed me to integrate a vast spectrum of knowledge and wisdom.