Postpartum support in Richmond, VA
Because your care matters as much as your baby’s
“Like a best friend for moms with new babies”
What does a postpartum doula do?
A postpartum doula cares for you while you care for your baby.
The 4th trimester is a time of transition: you’re not who you were before this child joined you out here, and you’re not quite who you’re going to be as a parent yet.
Much of this change happens rapidly (literally overnight!), leaving little time to process and adjust, much less tend to the everyday tasks that used to get done without much thought.
While a newborn can bring elation and a new dimension of love, joy, and awe to your life, postpartum and all that it entails can often feel overwhelming, isolating, and exhausting.
Enter: the postpartum doula.
Some of the ways a postpartum doula supports you after birth:
Trusted Guidance
I listen to what’s on your mind and offer reassurance. I answer your questions (alllll of them) with evidence based information so you can make informed decisions and build confidence in your parenting along the way.
Feeding Support
I support your chosen method of feeding. I help you get comfortable with breastfeeding (it truly is an art AND a science) while identifying which challenges are typical and which warrant an IBCLC to help you get back on track.
Help Around the House
I do the dishes and the laundry. I make you a one-handed snack while you feed your baby. I tidy and organize your home space so it doesn’t feel as cluttered as your mind.
Meal Prep
I give you easy, nourishing recipe suggestions for when you feel like getting back in the kitchen again. Until then I chop, marinate, and prep a meal so there’s less to do later. I set up a Meal Train for you.
Local Referrals
I connect you with local resources for whatever your additional needs may be: lactation consultants, mental health providers, pelvic floor therapy, pediatric services, postpartum support groups, etc.
Emotional Support
As your newborn soaks in all the healthy benefits of skin-to-skin time on your chest, I remind you how much you’re accomplishing—for yourself, your baby & humanity—even when it feels like you’ve barely moved all day.
Family Support
I check in with your partner on how they’re adjusting and provide resources for them too. I help you find ways to involve (and stay connected to) your other children during this time of transition.
A Break
I listen some more while I fold the laundry. I hold & comfort your baby while you take a hot shower, a nap, or when you just need a break from someone needing you.
Maintaining Boundaries
I give you tools and scripts to use to handle those tricky boundaries with others when you can’t find the right words in the brain fog.
Meet Meredith
Mom of two, DONA International trained postpartum doula supporting parents with newborns in Richmond, VA
As a postpartum doula, I specialize in this tender in-between time, providing nurturing support and evidence based information as you navigate the physical, emotional and logistical changes that occur in the days and weeks after birth.
Did You Know…
The postpartum hormone drop is the largest, most rapid hormone change for any human at any point in their life
The U.S. is one of the only countries that puts more focus on pregnancy than on postpartum
100% of parents can benefit from postpartum care in the first month after birth
I provide nonjudgmental, evidence based support and resources so you don’t have to rely on social media or compulsive googling for reassurance of your instincts and decisions.
This enables you to focus on rest, recovery, and bonding as you grow confident in your capabilities during this time of awe and vulnerability.
You are the expert on your baby, your body and your experience.
