The Power of Support in Early Postpartum…

Humans are social creatures. Our survival depends on surrounding ourselves with other members of our species - having company, someone to talk to, physical contact, and even help with daily tasks makes life more enjoyable and meaningful. After having a baby, this is even more important. We were not meant to stay at home, alone with a baby, and be expected to function normally. Life becomes a whole new level of difficult.

Your body, mind, and spirit have been utterly changed, and life will not go back to the way it was, no matter how much we think it should. You have transcended your Self, and transformed into something more. You might not understand who you are yet. Give yourself time, allow your identity to resettle - it may be a while until you feel like yourself again. But trust me, you are still all the things you were before, but now you can add “mother” or “parent” to that list. It hasn’t replaced all the parts of you that make you who you are. It has increased the meaning of each piece that fits into your puzzle.

And this is why it is crucial to have support, because in those early days after you bring your baby home, you will spend a lot of time wondering what just happened to you. What has happened to your life. You need to be held in this space, and allowed to feel everything you need to. Your baby needs to be loved, but if you don’t feel loved, how can you show love to your baby? On an aeroplane, we are told to put the oxygen mask on ourselves first, before we help our loved ones. This is true of parenting. We need to look after our own needs in order to care for our children and other family members. It is not selfish to ask for help. Gaining support is the best thing you can do to ensure a good foundation for parenting.

I’m not saying every new mother will feel overwhelmed by the role she embodies. But for the majority of women, navigating this time is incredibly hard.

Postpartum doulas have your needs at the forefront of everything we do. It is our mission to lessen the physical and emotional load on parents during early postpartum, and to increase the time and space for you to enable strong bonding with your child. We work with you to set up good systems, and encourage you to surround yourself with loving, tangible support. This often means letting go of the idea that we need to do it all on our own.

As your doula, I will support you with kindness, compassion, and empathy. I will never judge you, and never question your choices. I come to this work from a background of caring for others, as an aged carer in residential aged care, and from a lifetime of feeling called to be of service to others. I am committed to making your life that little bit easier. I am passionate about empowering you to stride into your parenting future with confidence, and without shame.