Providing personalized compassionate perinatal doula services for parents in the Saratoga Springs area.

Postpartum care looks different for everyone. Here’s what is can look like:

-Educate expecting parents on what to expect and how to prepare for their new baby.

- Use evidence-based tools to help with the emotional and physical recovery after birth, foster, or adoption.

- Infant feeding support through breastfeeding education or supplementation.

- Support birthparent in prioritizing their rest and recovery through planning, delegation, and information.

- Assistance with newborn care such as diapering, bathing, feeding, and comforting to support the birthing person.

-Listening, supporting, providing a safe space.

- Meal preparation and cooking to facilitate a healthy recovery

- Provide relevant information for the birth parent and partner when asked.

- Referrals to local resources

Anyone would benefit from a postpartum doula especially if they have the time to find one they really connect with.

Whether it’s your first or fourth child. Whether you grew up in a large family or a small one, have experience with babies or not. There is nothing like becoming a parent.

People who have a large support system can still benefit from dedicated, scheduled, professional care in addition to family and friends. A doula can also assist in prioritizing and organizing that support system, taking that off the plate of new parents. A postpartum doula can consolidate a lot of care, and be one of the only people in your space during that time, if that is what you prefer.

Anyone who is far away from their family and friends, moved to a new area or feels alone or isolated.

Anyone who is feeling overwhelmed at the thought of facing the newborn period.

Anyone who simply wants to set themselves up for the better postpartum phase.

Someone who felt isolated and overwhelmed with their first baby might want to do it again a little differently. Or maybe doing it again with an older child in tow feels like a new challenge.

If you know yourself, and you have a little feeling inside you, saying yes, I want this! Trust that instinct, it's the first of many parental instincts that guide you how to best care for yourself and family.

Perhaps you have a history of trauma, or mood disorders, personally or in your family, and the postpartum period may be triggering for you. A postpartum doula can be part of your care team, and help alleviate some postpartum stress.

Maybe you are unhappy with our modem day maternal health care system and know that you need and deserve postpartum care.

Ideally, you want to meet and select a postpartum doula before the arrival of a new baby. Sometime during the second half of your pregnancy. By doing this you’ve looked ahead and set yourself up for a better postpartum period. You have time to select a doula who works best for your needs, have a chance to know each other and best plan for the arrival of the newborn.

However, there is no wrong time to hire a postpartum doula!!! More often than not, postpartum doulas are called upon after the arrival of the new family member. And that is what we are here for. It is never too late to call on a postpartum doula. I will meet wherever you are and will go from there.

Regardless of whether you are a birthing person, or fostering/adopting a baby, many of the postpartum gifts and challenges are the same. All new parents need support, regardless of how your baby came to you.

As a postpartum doula, I can support you through the emotional transformation of becoming a parent, educate and support feeding and newborn care, and assist in setting up systems to support your new family’s needs.

In modern times many of us find ourselves starting families far away from family, trusted friends, and traditional support systems that historically supported new mothers and families. It is very common for people in this situation to reach out to postpartum doulas and other care workers to fill this gap. That said it is also very helpful to have a postpartum doula in addition to a supportive network of friends and family. The main difference is that a postpartum doula is a trained professional there to prioritize the rest and recovery of the birthing parent with clear boundaries and no other agenda. They arrive as scheduled and can be depended on to follow through. Additionally, postpartum doulas can help organize visitations and support provided by family and friends so it is the most helpful and restorative.

The main difference rests in the fact that a postpartum doula is primarily there to care for and support the birthing parent. While sometimes this will include caring for the newborn, postpartum doulas do not perform childcare so that the parents can return to work. Nannies, night nurses, and NCS usually do not care for the mother, provide lactation or postpartum mood disorder education, provide practical family care, and other services provided by a postpartum doula.

As a postpartum doula, it is important to prioritize what the client prioritizes to allow them to healthily bond, rest, and recover. If house organization is preventing this from happening, a postpartum doula will perform a limited number of household tasks to relieve anxiety and create space for rest. Additionally, we will come up with systems to take care of pressing tasks to allow for more rest, such as hiring a housekeeper, reaching out to friends and family, or delegating tasks to family members.

Unfortunately at this time, doula care is not fully covered by standard commercial insurance. In New York, as of 2024, some insurance companies will reimburse the birthing person a portion of their doula expenses, whether it be birth, postpartum or both. NY Medicaid is also starting to cover a portion of doula expenses by paying doulas directly. The remaining expense can be paid out of pocket or sometimes out of medical savings account. If your insurance does not reimburse for doula services you will be left to pay out of pocket. Things are changing rapidly on this front, so be sure to call your insurance and see that the latest coverage is. For a list of my pricing and payment options see services below.