Postpartum Services
*Available during COVID Crisis
Vaccinated, Boosted
I'm currently offering Nighttime Postpartum Services only. At night, I can help with light cleanup, laundry and taking care of baby's needs while you get extra rest. As a Certified Lactation Consultant, I'm here for support and education, breast or bottle.
10 Hours of In Home support for Overnight care ~ $425
Packages of 50 hours or more offered at a discounted rate
How can a postpartum doula support you in your recovery and transition into motherhood?
Besides helping mommy get some rest and recover, here are some things many doulas and moms have noticed:
1. Mothers who have doula support pump more milk.
Yes, it is true! When your doula visits, you will likely see a jump in your milk production (at least observable when you pump, but also quite likely when you breastfeed as well). This could be due to many factors, but most likely due to the oxytocin increase from having support, reassurance, and literally a doula feeding them. It is called oxytocin, but we call it the doula magic. Some moms say they wish we could be there for every pump because they make double when we arrive!
2. Mothers who have doulas get their confidence faster than when they are doing it alone.
Why would this be true? When you have someone there to affirm that your choices are actually right on track, you start to believe in and trust yourself and your observations about your baby. Most new moms question themselves. The key is whether you have someone to believe that your instincts are good—or not. Doulas can do that.
3. Dads who have doulas learn skills earlier and are more able to take on care of their infant alone earlier.
When dads have doulas to show them the ropes (hopefully while mom is resting and recovering from birth) they have a chance to have a neutral party give them some insider tips, helping them learn without the pressure of relatives or their especially protective spouse watching. What we know about dads is that those who spend more time with their infant alone in the early days spend significantly more time caring for their baby in the first year.
4. Grandparents who have doulas around learn to care for new parents in a gentle and supportive way, able to use their instincts and experience in a way that supports their choices.
Some grandparents feel that a doula will replace them—until they meet the doula! They quickly learn that the doula’s role will never come close to the relationship that a grandparent can provide, and that the immediate support of a postpartum doula can help answer their questions as well.
Many grandmothers don’t have experience with breastfeeding, and have to learn how to support a new mother venturing out on this adventure with only bottle feeding experience to share. A doula can fill the gaps, translating some of the advice given years ago into what will both encourage a new mom while respecting that grandma has done much of this work before, and she knows a lot!
5. Families that have doulas streamline their stuff as they don't buy things they don’t really need.
The market of options is often overwhelming to new families and every new gadget promises ease and peace with a baby. But doulas really know what works and what doesn’t, and they can help you read your baby to recognize what might be helpful and what will likely be a waste of time and space. (And you can waste less time returning items you don't need!)
Doulas also understand stages of development, so they know when each item would be most helpful, keeping you from buying that fancy highchair when baby is still only 3 months old. Keeping your home efficient and clutter free is a huge benefit to having a knowledgeable professional share some time with you early on.
6. Babies who have doulas have parents who understand their needs better, and can better communicate with their parents to get their needs met.
So many families tell us how much crying happens when parents don’t understand their babies…how frustrating for both parties! Doulas can help parents interpret those newborn cries—and the reflexes, body language, and other sounds that accompany newborn life! This is hugely empowering to parents who desperately want to know what is going on in that new little person.
7. The first week feels less crazy when you have a postpartum doula.
Did you know that most families experience a bit of a roller coaster during the first 5-7 days of newborn life? Particularly days 3-5 are filled with hormonal changes, dramatic breast changes, various stages of body recovery and adjustment, and of course getting to know a newborn. Doulas are experts in all these, and with wisdom and gentleness will guide you to a more peaceful recovery and adjustment phase as you become parents or add another child to the family.
Check out this relevant article to learn more:
Reiki & Postpartum Care
Reiki is a spiritual healing practice for balancing energy that originated in Japan in the early 20th century. Reiki is pronounced ray-key. “Rei” means spiritual wisdom, and “ki” means life energy. “Ki” is also known as “prana” in Sanskrit, and modern science calls it “biofield energy.” Reiki moves energy in subtle yet powerful ways, bringing calm and relaxation, as well as dramatic shifts to the body, mind, and spirit. Trained Reiki practitioners provide Reiki, and you can also learn self Reiki techniques with the guidance of a trained Reiki practitioner like me. The postpartum time is a beautiful time to integrate Reiki and bring balance and peacefulness to your new family.
During a Reiki session, you are fully clothed, on a massage table and covered with a blanket. I move my hands over the body – hovering above the body and or gently touching. Reiki energy works in partnership with your energy to bring balance and grounding. I bring my intuitive practice to you and enjoy teaching simple visualization tools and self Reiki techniques for continuing to ground during and after our session.
Postpartum is a time of healing for mothers. The energy balancing of Reiki allows the body’s innate healing wisdom to arise. Birth opens mothers physically and energetically which can feel vulnerable to new mothers, and a Reiki session can help provide a healthy energetic closing that focuses on her energetic boundaries. Reiki can also help you bond with baby because when you are calmer, it is easier to observe baby’s cues, and baby tends to be calmer with a calm caregiver!
Sometimes after birth, new mothers feel overwhelmed, jittery, and as some mamas describe, “buzzy.” The work of labor and birth, sleep changes, new rhythms and rituals of newborn care and feeding, as well as the energy in the home, birth center or hospital affect the new mother, baby and family. An in-home Reiki session helps to move and release energy that is “buzzing” by bringing your upper chakras’ energy down to your lower chakras, grounding you, bringing a feeling of calm, focus and relief of anxiety or nervousness that can arise. In my experience working with families during their postpartum transition, I witness that an in-home Reiki session is the calm, grounding gift that every new mom and dad or partner deserves. The relaxation and calm it brings are just some of the benefits that help new parents transition into parenthood with more ease. Better sleep is almost always reported too!
“I wish every new mother and family could have Reiki in their home after birth! It is ideal for new mamas to have these moments of deep relaxation with Reiki in their early days and weeks together. Mamas say it’s easier to access their mothering intuition from this place,” says Michele Kolakowski,
Reiki & Energetic Healing Sessions available to Postpartum moms during Postpartum Shifts for an additional $65.