postpartum doula
In Ayurveda, it is recommend that the mother receives care for up to 42 days after the baby is born. This 6-week period is a sacred period that should be honored and respected, ensuring enough time and space for the baby and the mother to establish a deep bond, as well as for to allow the mother to properly heal and recover her body, mind and spirit.
After the delivery, the woman’s body begins re-adjusting, while the baby slowly begins its process of connecting to the outside world and developing its nervous systems after many weeks in the environment of the womb. In parallel, both mother and baby are also connecting and crafting a beautiful relationship outside of the womb. It’s a period of incredible shift and significant adjustments for the family. In the Western world, unfortunately, we tend to rush things, and usually the mother would jump back to work and other responsibilities in and out of the home.
Receiving special care that will support the mother to rest, sleep, eat and get the nourishment she needs is important during this period, ensuring she can properly rebuild her energy, replenish herself with nutrients, and focus on supporting the body for breastfeeding, recovering and healing.
Postpartum doulas provide an in-home support during the first few weeks after birth, assisting with breastfeeding, newborn care, and (maybe most importantly, and often neglected) mother care. They offer resources and guidance, along with general support for the family, light household tasks, help around the kitchen, and in providing connections and recommendations to community resources.
“The postpartum window is a unique period of transition in a woman’s life. In just a few weeks, as she recovers her strength and learns to be a mother to her new baby, a woman’s body and mind undergo changes of unparalleled intensity. She enters a rite of passage which literally changes who she is and learns many things about life and herself in the process. She also brings a relationship with her newborn which will be a template for the baby’s trusting relationships with other human beings, in a bond which will last in their lifetimes”.
Jenny Allison, Golden Month: Caring for the World’s Mothers after Childbirth.
offerings
Postpartum Support
and Self-Care Planning
The process begins with a 90-minute online session where we cover postpartum planning and care, such that you feel prepared for this process, and know how I may support you, and how you can start supporting yourself as well. I will share resources, information, recommendation, including Ayurvedic practices, that will be helpful for this period. It is also included that we will schedule a follow-up session late in pregnancy, or post-partum, so you can ask any specific questions that come to mind, or to share any support that you may need that we may not have covered in the first session.
In-Home Support
(only available for clients located in Miami)
Also included in the package is either a session, or a packaged service, where I offer in-home cooking, support in performing light household chores, groceries, support for processing the birth, support with the baby (so the mom can nap or bathe), and other miscellaneous errands. It is customized by the client’s needs.
Ayurveda Postpartum
Meal Guidance
I will also provide guidance in choosing the best and most nutritious foods for this 6-week period, as well as how to prepare them (if not included in the package for me to support with preparation). We will favoring food groups that will replenish and rejuvenate your body. This can be performed through an online session (most probably if not in Miami), or via an in-person session where I can cook in-home and/or guide the person that will oversee cooking during this period.