How I nurture new mothers

People often ask me what I do as a postpartum doula. I’m pretty sure my mum thought I cuddled newborns all day until I shared with her recently what I really do.

Newborn mothers need even more love, care and nourishment than their babies. New parents have the most important job in the world. It is important they receive the right support so they can transition into this new role as easily as possible.

As a postpartum doula, some of the things I do are:

Birth Debrief
For many people, their experience of giving birth is not what they imagined or hoped for. Sharing their birth story can be very healing. I listen deeply and validate their experience and help them understand and make peace with what happened.

Massage
After birth, a newborn mother can feel exhausted and very sore. Massage is an age-old tradition for helping new mothers feel nourished and contributes to their healing and recovery from birth. I love massaging women during postpartum. It helps relieve those sore ‘breastfeeding shoulders’, helps them relax, feel calmer and more connected to their baby.

Organise Nourishing Food
Food is so much more than just ‘fuel for the body’. It also helps nourish and heal and boost oxytocin. I’ve teamed up with the Golden Month so that my clients can be fed with healing postpartum meals. I can also help organising ‘meal trains’ with friends and family so that home-cooked meals are always available.

Lactation counselling
I help new mothers feel confident with positioning and latching. I can provide education around normal newborn behaviour, feeding cues and how to tell if baby is getting enough milk. I can help assess any issues that may come up and refer when necessary.

Belly Binding
The practice of binding after birth is common across many cultures. It helps provide back support, improve posture, stabilise loose ligaments and assist organs to return to their original position. Belly binding is also supportive and grounding for the nervous system. It can also help the body to recover in a shorter period of time.

Mother Warming with Moxa
This gentle warming of the lower back and abdomen feels amazing and is very nourishing during postpartum. It is great for aiding recovery from the birth.

Herbal Foot bath
This calming foot bath is very grounding and nurturing for the new mother. The added benefit is that it can enjoyed while mama is breastfeeding.

Birth Closing Ritual
Closing the birth journey is important for so many reasons. Energetically it helps bring closure, physically it helps the body to heal and mentally/emotionally it helps the mother to transition to the next chapter. Ritual is important to help the mother feel honoured and celebrated.

Emotional Support
My doula clients can reach out to me any time they have a question or need more support. This helps them feel supported the whole way through their postpartum journey. Regular check-ins are great for mental health.

Some of the things I bring to a postpartum visit and why…

Yoni herbs
After giving birth, many women experience soreness in their vagina, vulva and perineal area. Often, urinating can elicit some stinging. This can be helped or alleviated by using a perineal bottle whilst going to the toilet. I can bring a herbal rinse that is soothing and helps with healing and providing relief.

Breastfeeding balm
I’ve found a great naturopath-formulated nipple balm that helps soothe and heal sore, cracked or worn-out nipples.

TCM Postnatal Tea
This tea has been specially formulated by a Traditional Chinese Medicine Doctor to build blood and restore yin and Qi (vital energy). It also helps mothers to stay hydrated and nourished.

Herbal Lactation Tea
This delicious tea is well-loved by everyone. The herbal brew is beneficial for healthy milk production and calming baby’s digestion.

A Postpartum Library
I have lots of books available to loan. Some of my favourites are: The First Forty Days (Heng Ou), The Fourth Trimester (Kimberly Ann Johnson), Mama Rising (Amy Taylor-Kabbaz) and The Postnatal Depletion Cure (Dr Oscar Serrallach). I also have other postpartum and lactation supplies that can be borrowed if needed.

For more information, you can see my postpartum packages HERE