Why hire an overnight doula?
Nighttime can be the hardest part for a postpartum family. Babies wake up and want to eat every 2-3 hours. They may stay up longer to be burped, changed, held, or rocked back to sleep. Parents are exhausted! An overnight doula can help you stay in bed and increase your chances of sleep. They will take care of the baby when s/he is awake and bring them to you when you want. They will support your breastfeeding and/or bottle-feeding choices. Together you can come up with a plan to maximize sleep for parents and baby, as well as, maintain a good feeding routine for baby.
What is the difference between a postpartum doula and a night nurse/nanny?
When you hire a night nanny, they will be in your home to care for the baby, and only the baby. The nanny is not there to care for mom or the rest of the family. They will feed, change diapers, and rock baby so you can sleep.
A postpartum doula, on the other hand, is there for the mother and whole family care. They can support with siblings. The doula also understands how important the mother/baby bond is, and makes a point to help the pair establish a strong connection. They are happy to help with small tasks that keep the household running smoothly, and can also provide physical and emotional support for the new family. Learn more about their differences here.
How does the doula help with feedings?
The doula will help mother and baby establish a nighttime feeding routine and encourage good feeding habits. Each family has their own unique set of goals for feeding in the night. Some would like baby to sleep next to them and then they wake up to nurse and call the doula to come get the baby after. Some would like the baby to sleep in another room and be brought to them once they wake and have been changed. Other families would like their baby bottle fed through the night.
The doula can create daily tracking logs for feeding, diapers and sleep. The goal is for families to do as much or as little as they want at night, while the doula fills in any remaining gaps so parents can go right back to sleep. Bonus points for an overnight doula because they will be there to encourage you when things get rough at 3am AND bring you a midnight snack when you are starving!
What else do overnight doulas do during the night?
Chore Assistance — Sleep when the baby sleeps, yeah right! Then when will the laundry and dishes get done? In the middle of the night, by your overnight doula of course. Doulas know one of the hardest things to keep up with is household chores, so they will make sure that things are neat and tidy for you when you wake up.
Meal Prep — If you’d like, the doula will do some light meal prep. This can mean making sure there is breakfast when everyone wakes up or even chopping veggies for meals throughout the next day.
Do overnight doulas sleep?
The doulas are not sleeping when the baby sleeps, but as we said, they are up monitoring baby and helping out the family. Sometimes they are strategizing and problem solving, researching resources for the family. But, there are times when babies are peacefully sleeping and all the chores are done. Do they rest? Yes. They may close their eyes, so that they have a safe ride home in the morning.
