Doula - New Port Richey,FL

I considered using a birth doula, but the cost was prohibitive for us. I can see how birth doulas can have a really positive role for a woman in labor.

Post-Partum Doula, I don't know... I honestly would never consider leaving my newborn with anybody and I don't know how leaving a baby with a Doula would be any different than leaving her with any other sitter. I guess I could see how a single mom, or one whose husband isn't around could use a PP-Doula to catch a break and take a shower during those first days.

This may just be me being weird, but when I first had my baby, I did NOT want any "help" with her. I loved holding and taking care of her and had a hard time even giving her to my DH while I showered. When we were first ready to go out without her she was 7 months old and stayed with my mom... no need paying a PP-doula for that.
A housekeeper who cleans, does the dishes and the laundry now that I think would be useful...

2 moms found this helpful

I would not hire someone to watch my other children while I'm in the hospital having another child. That's what my family and friends are for. I currently have a doula right now and her main job is to support me emotionally especially when it comes time to have my baby.

1 mom found this helpful

Postpartum doulas do not babysit kids, just fyi. They provide postpartum support for moms--helping with meals, some light cleaning, answering questions about baby care, teaching soothing techniques for baby & mom, etc.

Check out DONA and get certified through their program (http://www.dona.org/). Contact your local midwives group and see if you can make contacts w/ local doulas (most doulas apprentice with an experience doula for quite a while).

Most of the doulas I've seen offer a "hardship" rate, or whatever, if the $ is problem for the family. But if you make payments, it's really not that expensive (and most of the ones we interview were willing to take payments).

DH and I had a post partum doula for the first two weeks after DS was born. We were completely inexperienced with babies and I thought is was a great help. Although 3 adults staring at a newborn does get a little boring sometimes and she did run out of things to do. We absolutely left DS with her to get out of the house for a few hours. After 2 weeks, my mom (who lived 3000 miles away at the time) came for 2 weeks and DH went back to work. Then MIL came for a few days but she is 80 and came to see the baby, not really to 'help' (completely understandable). By 4 weeks, we kind of felt like we had the hang of it - I went back to work PT, DH stayed home PT.

I would NOT ask my friends to take care of a newborn. And some of us do not have family down the street who can just drop everything else in their lives.