The Helping Hands of a Doula Lauren Hise As we grow, there are many subjects we learn to help build a foundation for our future as adults. While math, science, history, literature and even music are important parts of our education and development, not much emphasis is given to the most important step in many adult lives: becoming a parent. Surprisingly, before they become a parent, many people have spent little time with children or not even held a baby. Forty-plus weeks provide little time to prepare for the monumental event that is the birth of a baby. And no matter how much you try to prepare, you’re never really ready when it happens. Becoming a parent is a ‘learn as you go’ job. You never know how your body will react to pregnancy, how delivery will go, how your body will recover postpartum, what your baby will be like, or how the baby will change all the aspects of your life. Although there are many ways you can prepare for pregnancy, childbirth, and parenthood, there are many things you cannot or will not have prepared. One of the first things to do, once you discover you’re going to be a parent, is to think about providers and what kind of experience you want for your prenatal care and delivery. Most people are familiar with the roles of OBGYNs, midwives, nurses and sonographers, and other professionals you might encounter along your pregnancy journey. But there are more birth professionals with whom many Americans are not as familiar. Lactation consultants, sleep specialists, pelvic floor therapy, and doulas are all pregnancy support professionals who in other countries play an important role in helping new parents and families adjust to a new baby in the house. Labor will most likely be the most intense, amazing experience of your life. Imagine it like any huge event in your life, when you will want a professional by your side. That’s where a labor doula comes in. The role of a doula is to totally support - physically, emotionally and informationally - the laboring mother throughout active labor and delivery. A labor doula is trained in the tools to help you feel and cope better throughout the laboring and birthing process. Think of a labor doula like a wedding planner; sure, you could have a wedding without one, but you’ll be able to enjoy your wedding more and worry less if you do have a planner to attend to all the details, small and large, of such a big event. The learning curve doesn’t end after birth - that’s just the beginning! Once you get home, your new life sets in. Now it’s time to learn your baby, figure out feeding and sleeping, console fussing, constant diaper and outfit changes, tend to other children, pets and your spouse, and don’t forget to feed and care for yourself! There’s no denying that new parents have a new life that they must learn quickly to keep up with the constant demands. Wouldn’t it be comforting to know someone could come to your house and help you acclimate to all these changes, and ease the burden of all the new responsibilities of being a new parent? A postpartum and infant care doula supports mom, baby and family, and helps transition everyone into life after birth. During the day, a postpartum doula offers physical and emotional support for the new parents, especially
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mom. She can help with feeding; changing and caring for baby; address mom’s postpartum needs; help with light household needs like straightening up, prepping food and running errands; entertain and care for other children; and more. If you’d prefer help at night so you can get a good night’s sleep (yes, that’s a vital post-partum need), your doula can care for the baby all night while you sleep. If you’re already a mother, you know how appreciated this help would be. If you’re not a mother, I’m sure you can imagine how beneficial a doula would be to mom’s recovery and the family’s life as they adjust to a new baby. As helpful as family may want to be during this time, they usually think of visiting the baby and maybe sending food, not really helping mom care for her postpartum recovery needs, troubleshooting the baby’s indigestion issues, or doing a load of laundry. We keep hearing about how important self-care is, how the proper care for mom trickles down and benefits the whole family. A doula is a mother’s best self-care during the most pivotal time in her life, as she transitions into motherhood. If you’re pregnant, know someone who is, or planning for future parenthood, I hope you will consider incorporating doulas into your birth and postpartum plans. As a mother who has given birth three times, I can tell you from experience, it is a decision you will not regret. Lauren Hise is a certified doula who, as a mother of two, also gave the gift of motherhood when she served as a surrogate in 2020. She owns Baby Love (2244 Henderson Mill Road in Tucker by Northlake Mall), offering clothing, shoes, toys and more for children through age 10. Support for new parents is offered through Baby Love’s services division, BabyMoon (www. Babymoonatlanta.com).
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