Pregnancy can be an exhausting journey for parents--both mentally and physically. But it is still just the beginning. Once the delivery stage is over, you'll have to get ready for the parenting stage and this is where a lot of new parents develop post-delivery anxiety. But there is a way to ease this stress--by engaging postpartum doula services.
A postpartum doula can provide support to you and your partner after the birth of your baby. The primary focus of a postpartum doula is to help the mother and her family with infant care.
It's a crucial role set at a crucial time for new parents, which is why the International Childbirth Education Association (ICEA) describes the role of a postpartum doula as "mothering the mother.”
Postpartum Doula: What You Can Expect
The postpartum doulas are responsible for providing support and information about infant feeding practices. They educate the new parents on topics including breastfeeding and share tricks and tips with the mother to calm their newborn.
A postpartum doula can also provide hands-on help in the form of breastfeeding support, bathing the baby, car seat education, helping to heal diaper rash and ways to feed a baby. The primary job of the provider is to focus on education, problem-solving, and supporting parents emotionally through their postpartum journey.
As DONA International (Doulas of North America) explains, a doula “provides continuous physical, emotional and informational support to the mother before, during and just after birth; or who provides emotional and practical support during the postpartum period."
Type of Support Given To New Parents
The ICEA lists the domains of a postpartum doula to "provide emotional support, physical comfort, Self-care, Infant care, Informational support, Advocacy, Referrals, Partner/father support, Support mother/father with an infant, Support mother/father with sibling(s) and finally household organisation."
You should remember that postpartum doulas are not medical professionals unless they have the license to practice. Postpartum doulas are not certified to give clinical advice but can provide professional referrals for additional help.
They are instrumental in helping new parents, especially a new mother navigate through postpartum depression. As we now know, there can be a variety of reasons that can affect the mental health of a new mum. From facing difficulty with breastfeeding, to not finding enough support network.
A postpartum doula not only helps to ease your stress, but can also identify early signs of depression.
Postpartum Doula Vs Baby Nurse: Who You Should Choose
You shouldn't confuse a postpartum doula with a baby nurse. Postpartum doulas focus on the mother, partner, and overall family. While they do care for babies, but their primary goal is to provide emotional support to the mother.
Baby nurses provide at-home care for newborns during the postpartum period. The primary goal of the baby nurse is to take care of the infant's needs.
Postpartum Doula Services In Singapore
Singapore has many reputed centres that provide doula services to help new mums. These services include providing help during labour, as well as postpartum support and sleep support once the baby is born.
Below are a few agencies that provide doula services. You can check their website to know more about them.
Fourth Trimesters Birth Sanctuary: They have been around for over 17 years and are known to support and nurture mothers after they have given birth.
Doulas of Singapore: The Doulas registered with Doulas of Singapore (DoS) are professional birth workers certified with internationally renowned institutions.
Parentlink: It is one of Singapore's largest doula services with over 30 years of experience. The company has been instrumental in providing new mums with invaluable support.
The addition of a new person to your life and your home can be a major time of transition and brings with it many challenges. As new parents, you do not have to put yourself through any stress postpartum. If you can, its best to avail postpartum doula services so you can sail through this transition phase with ease.
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