Bringing home a baby is a beautiful and vulnerable time. I’m here to help.
What is a postpartum doula?
A postpartum doula is a trained professional who provides support to new parents in the weeks and months following the birth of a child. Having a postpartum doula can be very helpful for new parents and second time (plus) parents in a number of ways.
A postpartum doula can help with the practical aspects of caring for a newborn, such as feeding, diapering, soothing, and sleep. They can also provide support with taking care of the whole household, such as laundry, meal preparation, and childcare/pet care - tasks which can be overwhelming to parents who are trying to adjust to the demands of caring for a newborn.
In addition to providing practical support, a postpartum doula can provide emotional support to parents. The transition to parenthood can be overwhelming, and a postpartum doula can help shepherd parents through the ups and downs that come with having a newborn. They make space for all of the big feelings involved in parenting by offering a listening ear, offering words of encouragement, and helping to increase the confidence of the parents they are supporting.
Aiming to fill the role of the proverbial “village,” postpartum doulas help to promote a more positive and healthy environment for the family as a whole.
“Anna was the most amazing post-partum doula we could have dreamed of for our first child. From the moment we got home from the hospital, she was always there for us, providing virtually any type of assistance that we needed. Whether it was caring for our baby boy, tidying up around the house, providing valuable feeding tips, or just being a shoulder to lean on during tough times, we knew we could trust and rely on Anna.”
Meet Anna.
Anna is a long time early childhood educator turned postpartum doula. When she decided to leave her career at Boston University’s Children’s Center as an administrator, she wanted to spend time with her own children at home while pursuing the good work of supporting families while adjusting to the changes and learning curves inherent in adding a new member to their family. Anna has a wide array of knowledge regarding newborns and the postpartum period, and trained with Childbirth International as a postpartum doula.
Anna views her time supporting families with the mindset of supporting the birthing parent first, and then by extension, helping with the newborn, the family, and the home. Anna will care for the postpartum parent through infant care, education, emotional support, cooking, light cleaning, and a wealth of information on child development that is especially helpful for parents who already have other little ones at home also acclimating to the big changes.
Anna has a BS in elementary education. Her career aspirations include becoming a board certified lactation consultant, helping families with all feeding concerns including both breast/chest and bottle feeding as well as human milk and formula feeding. Anna is very knowledgeable about breastfeeding, pumping and breastfeeding issues as well as bottle feeding and will support any client in achieving their goals in this area. However, as in all areas, Anna brings no judgment to the infant feeding arena and will always support every client in ways that are their preferences and in theirs and their baby’s best interests.
Anna’s other special interests and skills include baby wearing, cloth diapering, baby-led weaning, and cosleeping and attachment parenting. Anna enjoys reading, cooking, and nerdy books and movies, and lives in Whitman with her family, including her mom, husband, daughter and son.
“Everyone needs a doula, and everyone deserves a doula like Anna.”
—Jaclyn M.-B.