Doula Help in the Hospital
One of the different ways that families can use postpartum doula support from Buddha Belly is while still in the hospital, before discharge.
Here are a couple of scenarios where we have provided help in the hospital as postpartum doulas.
After a cesarean birth. Recovering from this major surgery can be very difficult, especially when caring for a baby! Simply getting in and out of bed is challenging and can be quite painful. Without a doula there, little tasks like changing baby’s diaper, getting baby out of the bassinet and bringing her to the new mother for breastfeeding, getting ice or even plugging in the smartphone can be very difficult.
When baby joins an older sibling or siblings. Most new mothers can anticipate a two night stayover in the hospital after giving birth. What do you do if you have an older child or children at home? Postpartum doulas in the hospital mean partners can attend to the rest of the family without leaving the recovering mother without support.
Breastfeeding. Evidence-based breastfeeding support can be hard to find in hospitals. IBCLCs often work banker’s hours or rightly need to prioritize the most complicated cases. If you’re lucky enough to get a breastfeeding experienced nurse, she most likely cannot stay with you for hours at a time! Having an experienced professional right by your side can really make a difference in your breastfeeding experience.
High risk birth. Managing a high-risk mother or baby’s health can be tricky. While our doulas are not medical care providers, they can help with listening, following medical advice, supporting you all while providing professional, expert doula care.
Rest. One of the most important things you need to recover from birth – vaginal or surgical – is rest. And almost no one would describe a hospital stay with a new baby as “restful!” With an doula there, we make sure you get the most rest possible.
