Roles that a postpartum doula provides:

1. Emotional Support: Supporting processing the birth experience and providing reassurance, encouragement, and a listening ear for parents as they navigate the postpartum period.

2. Infant Care Guidance: Assisting with baby care basics, such as bathing, diapering, soothing techniques, and safe sleep practices.

3. Breastfeeding & Feeding Support: Offering guidance on breastfeeding, bottle feeding, and general feeding questions, as well as helping with latch techniques and troubleshooting issues.

4. Physical Recovery Support: Supporting the birthing parent’s physical recovery by offering practical tips, self-care suggestions, and understanding physical changes postpartum.

5. Household Assistance: Helping with light household tasks like meal prep, laundry, and tidying, to give the family more time to rest and bond.

6. Sibling Adjustment: Assisting older siblings with the transition, helping parents manage attention, and providing guidance on integrating the new baby into family life.

7. Sleep Support: Providing advice on newborn sleep patterns, sleep safety, and strategies for maximizing parents’ rest.

8. Resource Referrals: Connecting families with resources like lactation consultants, pediatricians, mental health support, and parenting classes when additional help is needed.

9. Education: Educating parents on baby cues, development stages, and parenting strategies to increase confidence.

10. Encouraging Self-Care: Reminding parents to care for their own needs, from physical rest to mental well-being, to create a more balanced and healthy postpartum period.