Postpartum Doula

 When you hire a Postpartum & Infant Care Doula from DC Metro Maternity, you can expect the following:

• A compassionate, experienced doula who is trained to recognize the normal and not-so-normal signs of postpartum emotional recovery.
• She will be a constant source of support as you navigate the waves of emotion that accompany the postpartum transitional period.
• She is well-versed in all parenting philosophies and can help you establish yours.
• She will develop systems and strategies that work well for you based on your parenting philosophies!
• She is a baby expert! She will teach you to soothe and comfort your baby while helping you learn your babies cues.
• She is an infant feeding expert! Regardless of your feeding choice; breast, bottle or a combination of both, your DC Metro Maternity doula is also an Infant Feeding Specialist trained to help you with trouble-shooting feeding issues as they arrive. Having this support in real-time is incredibly valuable!
• She cooks and does light day-to-day household tasks!
• She is an extension of you and your partner and can assist with your other children as you rest and recover from birth.

There are no time limits on this support. In fact, we have served and support clients well into their baby’s second year of life. Our support evolves as the needs of our do.

Contact DC Metro Maternity  today to discover a plan and package that will support you best!

Frequently asked questions for your convenience!

What is a postpartum doula? 

A postpartum doula specializes in the postpartum recovery of the mother and the care of the newborn. Certified postpartum doulas have an expertise in all things associated with the mother’s postpartum physical recovery and postpartum mental health. They are specialists in infant care and follow the standards set forth by the American Academy of Pediatrics. They are held accountable by their certifying body and maintain a professional membership with a credible organization.

What is a night nurse or baby nurse?

“Night nurse” is a term for a Registered Nurse or a Licensed Practical Nurse that works an overnight shift typically with new parents and their infants.  Many families become familiar with the term night nurse while seeking care for their newborns during the night. These individuals are sometimes referred to as a “baby nurse”. 

It is a common misconception that night nurses or baby nurses are actual nurses. However, these are not credentialed titles and they are intended to cause the confusion that they do. It is actually illegal to call oneself a nurse without the appropriate licensing. As always, when considering care for your precious newborn, buyer beware.

What does a baby nurse or night nurse do?

Someone filling the role of a baby nurse or night nurse enables parents of newborns to get some much needed sleep. A baby nurse or night nurse is responsible for infant care during the night. Tasks associated with baby nurses or night nurses include:

• Infant feeding
• Infant hygiene
• Infant sleep
• Formula preparation
• Bottle cleaning and sterilization

A baby nurse or night nurse may have experience with caring for newborns at night, but often does not have professional training, certification or insurance.

What is the difference between a night nurse and a baby nurse?

The difference between a night nurse, sometimes referred to as a night nanny and a baby nurse is primarily the title they choose to use. The tasks associated with their care are the same.

What is a newborn care specialist? 

A newborn care specialist is an individual who has taken private training focused on newborn care. This training is typically offered by an individual who has become successful in acquiring clients over a period of time and is sharing their tips and tools for comforting and feeding newborns.  

What’s the difference between a night nurse and a postpartum doula? 

The differences between night nurses and postpartum doulas are vast. Postpartum doulas provide physical, educational and emotional support to the mother and her partner as well as care for the newborn. They are trained to recognize the early signs and symptoms of postpartum mood disorders and can help clients navigate getting the support they need during difficult times. Night nurses strictly care for the baby.

What is a night nanny? What does a night nanny do? 

The term night nanny is often used by people who are unsure of what exactly they are looking for. There are many titles used by baby care providers and often they all refer to the same thing- night nannies provide the same overnight care as baby nurses and night nurses. A person, typically a woman, who exclusively watches babies at night. They sleep when the baby sleeps and feeds and soothes them when they wake. Household tasks and postpartum recovery is beyond their expertise.

Why should I hire a night nanny, baby nurse or a postpartum doula? 

Recovering from giving birth either vaginally or surgically is a long and daunting process. For families with the means to hire professional help for their newborn, recovery is often easier. By hiring a postpartum doula, families benefit from the added advantage of professional care for not only the infant, but the postpartum mother and partner as well. 

Postpartum doulas are available to provide their expertise to families during the day, overnight or for long or short-term live in care. The expertise of a postpartum doula includes but is not limited to:

• Breastfeeding, bottle feeding and pumping 
• Physical recovery after birth and through the fourth trimester (e.g. normal postpartum bleeding, post cesarean/c-section recovery, signs of postpartum preeclampsia)
• Postpartum mental health including baby blues, postpartum depression and other postpartum mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs)
• Recovery after cesarean (c-section) birth
• Newborn sleep, safe sleep practices and co-sleeping
• Parenting philosophies including attachment parenting, scheduled parenting and Happiest Baby on the Block
• Referrals to resources such as pelvic floor therapists, nutritionists, chiropractors, lactation consultants, therapists and 
• Caring for multiples including twins (and how that may impact breastfeeding and parenting philosophies)
• Premature birth and NICU stay
• Newborn and infant development
• Preparing to go back to work after maternity leave (or parental leave)

How do I find a night nanny, baby nurse or postpartum doula? 

Hiring a professional to care for your family after the birth of a new baby can be done in several ways. Many postpartum doulas, night nannies and baby nurses have websites to advertise their services. An expectant parent or parent of a newborn should be able to contact a professional postpartum doula or night nanny via email or phone, and inquire about experience, availability and pricing. A professional should also offer the opportunity to have a consultation prior to contracting their services. 

When deciding if a professional is the right fit for your family, you might consider: 

• How responsive the company is
• Certification by a nationally recognized organization
• Whether the professional has insurance
• A referral from someone you trust such as another parent, or care provider 
• The ability to provide a backup if the doula or nanny is sick or otherwise unavailable when you request care
• Expertise in your family’s circumstances (e.g. multiples, exclusive pumping or premature birth) and compatibility with your parenting decisions

What are the benefits of using a night nanny? 

Families who hire a night nanny are primarily looking to ensure that their newborn is cared for overnight, while new parents are able to sleep. The benefits of this increased sleep include: 

• Easier physical healing after birth 
• Possible reduced the likelihood of postpartum depression or other postpartum mood and anxiety disorders
• Improved bonding with a newborn during daytime hours
• Reduced strain on romantic and coparenting relationships between parents
• More restful maternity leave and parental leave 

There are many additional benefits to hiring a postpartum doula, rather than a night nanny (aka baby nurse or night nurse). 

• Postpartum doulas have expertise in feeding options such as breastfeeding, pumping and combination feeding with formula and breastmilk, which can prevent supply issues associated with not expressing milk overnight. Night nannies, baby nurses or night nurses do not have this information.
• Postpartum doulas have the ability to adapt their overnight caregiving to various parenting styles including attachment parenting while night nannies tend to need a schedule. 
• Postpartum doulas are aware of various early signs of postpartum depression and anxiety, many of which can present themselves overnight, while a night nanny is unlikely to be watching for these symptoms. Postpartum doulas also have expertise to  support families after complicated or traumatic births that night nannies may not. 
• Because postpartum doulas work both during the day and overnight, families can choose continuity of care from a professional supporting both parent and newborn. 

Do night nannies sleep? 

Many night nannies or night nurses rest when your newborn is resting, however it is important that your care provider practices safe sleep. Your infant should never bed share with a night nanny or be held while a night nanny is drowsy in a chair or on a couch.

Postpartum doulas promote practices that are sustainable long term for the family, including rest for the adults when the baby is cared for. A postpartum doula will have appropriate sleeping arrangements listed in their contract, and will discuss with you expectations for your newborn’s routine at night. Your postpartum doula sleeps when your newborn has been fed and cared for, and your infant is safely sleeping according to the American Academy of Pediatrics’ safe sleep guidelines.  

Do I need a bedroom for a night nanny or night nurse? 

You do not need a separate bedroom for a night nanny, night nurse or overnight postpartum doula. Many postpartum doulas will nap in a chair or couch in the nursery, to hear the newborn(s) during the night and attend to their needs. Alternatively, the postpartum doula, night nanny or night nurse may sleep in another room (a guest bedroom or on the couch) with a baby monitor, according to your preference. 

How can a night nanny, night nurse or postpartum doula help with breastfeeding? 

Night nannies (and night nurses) tend to be focused on babies sleeping through the night as early as possible, and are most familiar with formula or bottles. There is no standardized training or certification, and a night nanny may be unable to support nursing or pumping overnight in a way that will protect a new parent’s milk supply and help with breastfeeding. 

A postpartum doula is familiar with practices that support breastfeeding including: 

• The basics of a good latch for nursing 
• How often to expect a baby to nurse (including feeding overnight and clusterfeeding)
• Preparing bottles of pumped breastmilk and overnight pumping

A postpartum doula can support nursing by allowing breastfeeding mothers to sleep between nursings, while taking care of the baby’s diaper changes and rocking, swaddling and soothing the baby, as well as putting them back to sleep. A postpartum doula can also wash and sanitize breast pump parts and safely store pumped breast milk and feed an infant breast milk from a bottle. 

Who do you hire when you have twins? 

Parents of multiples, including twins as well as triplets, quads or more should hire newborn care professionals with expertise. Certified postpartum doulas receive training in care for twins including: 

• Feeding and sleeping schedules for twins
• Supporting breastfeeding for twins and multiples
• Safely holding twins
• What to expect when bringing twins home from the hospital

Night nannies and night nurses may or may not have training and experience in care for twins and multiples. 

How far in advance do I need to book a postpartum doula or night nanny? 

A well established postpartum doula (or night nanny or night nurse) may be booked months in advance. Many expectant parents reserve care for several weeks at a time while they are still pregnant. It is wise to request overnight care in your second or third trimester, to ensure that you find a good fit with your postpartum doula and have time reserved on the calendar of the professional that you prefer.  

How do I pick a start date for my postpartum doula or night nurse?  

A night nurse or night nanny will likely require a start date and from families that they are working with, and require a number of weeks to be reserved in advance. 

Given that many postpartum doulas are also birth or labor doulas, they have an understanding of the unpredictable nature of when a baby will be born. By contracting with a postpartum doula, you are reserving time in their calendar and can expect care to be available soon after the birth of your baby. There is an increased amount of flexibility with a postpartum doula, rather than a night nurse. Postpartum doula agencies (a number of doulas working together in a group with shared clients) provide backup to one another and ensure that families with newborns have care regardless of the accuracy of their estimated due date. 

By considering the amount of support from friends and family you have available and providing a consultation, a postpartum doula will use their expertise to help you determine when care should begin.  

Many parents request for care to begin shortly after they bring their newborn(s) home from the hospital. Other parents request that their postpartum doula begin after friends and family have returned to their routine after birth to ensure continued support for a new mother and baby. 

How long can I have a postpartum doula, night nanny or night nurse? 

A night nanny or night nurse often has expertise only in working with newborns for the first three months, overnight. A certified postpartum doula has expertise to work with new parents and infants up to the first year after birth. 

A postpartum doula can work with your family to ensure that your family adjusts throughout the postpartum period, and will help you create good sleep habits and support breastfeeding or bottle feeding in a way that fits with your parenting goals. 

By working with a family soon after birth until their routine is established, a postpartum doula can also assure parents of normal newborn development such as a typical amount of crying, and assist with newborn care tasks such as swaddling, newborn safety and tasks that may be daunting for new parents. Throughout this time, your postpartum doula will assist with finding your parenting philosophy and instill confidence in your parenting abilities. A postpartum doula will also watch for signs of postpartum depression and other mood disorders through the first year after birth. 

What do postpartum doulas cost?

Postpartum doulas work in shifts of 8-12 hours overnight, and 4-6 hours during the day. They are paid by the hour. Rates in DC, MD and VA vary from $30-50 per hour depending on the level of experience, expertise and credentials. 

Many postpartum doulas will provide discounts for reserving packages of hours in advance. 

Night nannies (and night nurses) will often cost less than postpartum doulas as a reflection of their lesser training and credentialing. 

Is a night nanny worth it? 

Hiring a night nanny, night nurse or postpartum doula to ensure that new parents and your newborn(s) get much needed sleep and rest is worth it for most families that decide to get professional overnight help. 

Lack of sleep can contribute to postpartum depression and mood disorders, slower healing after birth, and relationship challenges between new parents. Night of rest can allow new parents to bond with their babies, and reduce the demands of breastfeeding and newborn care. 

The expertise of your overnight professional can impact how effective they are in supporting your family’s goals. In addition to allowing new parents to sleep, a postpartum doula provides the added value of supporting breastfeeding, newborn development and knowing the early signs postpartum physical illness, or postpartum depression and mood disorders. 

Should I hire a postpartum doula? 

You should hire a certified postpartum doula if you are looking for a professional who can support new parents and newborns throughout the postpartum period up until a year after birth. 

Unlike night nannies, baby nurses and night nurses, postpartum doulas provide: 

• Standardized training and certification, which increases accountability and a standard of care for new families
• Flexibility based on the parenting philosophies and needs of a family with a newborn(s)
• Ability to support families during daytime or nighttime hours
• Experience and expertise for families with multiples, NICU parents, families after traumatic births and new parents experiencing symptoms of postpartum depression or other mood disorders
• Expertise in supporting all types of infant feeding including breastfeeding, pumping and alternating between feeding breastmilk and formula 
• Referral networks for  other professionals helpful to new parents including therapists, chiropractors and lactation consultant