Postpartum Care
Whether you are a new parent or have done this before, the time immediately following birth is one that may require a little extra help. Enter: the postpartum doula! Postpartum doulas are trained in newborn care, and perform house visits to newborns and their parents to provide support for feeding, sleeping, new family dynamics, and more.
I can't tell you what a relief it was to have someone so experienced in my home supporting me after my birth.
- R.P. (postpartum services)
Supporting the Whole Home
Postpartum support means doing whatever needs doing to make the birthing person feel comfortable in their home, including laundry, meal preparation, older sibling care, and newborn care. Postpartum doulas allow birthing folks and partners to get some rest, bathe, or otherwise take care of their needs. When you hire a postpartum doula, you are hiring someone you can trust with the care of your newborn.
The Facts, the FAQs, and the Fax
(Just kidding, we don't have a fax. You can find our contact information in this section, though!)
What is a postpartum doula?
Postpartum doulas provide support for the birthing person, their family, and their home in the period of time immediately following birth. Postpartum doulas are trained in newborn handling and care, and are infant CPR certified.
why hire a postpartum doula?
Beyond this, postpartum doulas provide emotional support for the person who has given birth, evidence-based information presented in a nonjudgemental way, practical hands-on support for household chores, and help with navigation new family dynamics for older siblings or other family members.
A great gift!
Ahh, sleep! Postpartum doulas perform overnight care as well as daytime care. You can give the gift of rest to the new parent in your life with a postpartum doula.
where do postpartum doulas work?
Postpartum doulas come to you: they will travel to your home to work with you in the space in which you are most comfortable.
affording postpartum support:
We know that affordability can sometimes be a barrier to postpartum support, and are happy to work with you on a plan that works best for you. Some ideas for affording postpartum support include: asking for doula services from friends and family as a baby shower gift; fundraising for doula support using a crowdsourcing platform; asking about zero-interest payment plans that Rainbow Doula DC offers; accessing the Rainbow Doula Community Pooled Fund.
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Did you know? Some insurance plans and HSAs or FSAs offer full or partial reimbursement for doula services, as long as you have a receipt (which we provide!). Check with your insurance provider.
how does covid-19 change things?
Many things are rapidly changing! Virtual postpartum can mean check-ins with your doula to answer newborn questions and access emotional support. Virtual support is billed differently than in-person postpartum support, contact us for more. You can find more about virtual support here.
get started!
Schedule a free 15-minute consult with Rainbow Doula to get started on your doula journey. You can also email us with your questions.