What Is a Postpartum Doula? And Why You Need One?
Now that we talked about birth, let’s dive into postpartum work. The days and weeks after your baby arrives can feel just as overwhelming as labor itself, sometimes even more so. And that's where a postpartum doula comes in!
So, What Exactly Is a Postpartum Doula?
The Postpartum Doula is a postpartum recovery specialist, primarily focused on supporting the postpartum client as they heal physically and emotionally, and learn to care for themselves and their baby, and adjust to their new life [1].
They are non-medical, so they don’t diagnose, prescribe, or make medical decisions. But they do show up with warmth, practical know-how, and a whole lot of patience to help you move from "I have no idea what I'm doing" to "okay, we've got this."
Their role includes:
Allowing you to rest and care for yourself while they hold your baby, play with the siblings or tackle light household chores
Making sure you’re well-nourished and helping with meal preparation
Creating a safe space for you to process your birth or talk about the challenges you are facing
Helping your partner rest and understand how to support you, and helping the couple navigate the relationship shift.
Building your confidence in caring for and feeding your baby by helping you focus on you, your baby and your family’s goals and specificities, providing education and tried-and-tested tips that make all the difference.
Answering all your questions and sending you reliable resources and referrals depending on your needs.
What Does Working With a Postpartum Doula Actually Look Like?
The best time to reach out to a postpartum doula is prenatally, ideally the 2nd or 3rd trimester of pregnancy. This way, you have time to shop around and find the perfect fit for you and your family without being rushed. It’s important to find someone who has the availability and energy you are looking for. But most importantly, someone you feel comfortable around and you can rely on.
The prenatal meeting is a chance to get to know each other, and for me to understand your family dynamic and what matters most to you in those early weeks. We'll talk through your expectations, any worries you might have, and start building trust.
If you want some ideas of what to include in a postpartum plan, check out the Episode: What to ask yourself when preparing for postpartum.
Once baby’s here, we’ll start scheduling postpartum shifts according to what we previously discussed, knowing that your needs might actually change. Every family is unique and schedule can go from 1 unique visit to several times per week for up to 3 months. You have the option between daytime visits, overnight shifts or a combination of both.
Daytime visits usually last 4-5h and are perfect for getting some education and having your questions answered. I’ll check in to see how you and your family are doing, we might spend time processing your birth and all the emotions coming with parenthood, working through a feeding session together or talking about sleep. I might also show you and your partner how to use your babywearing device, do tummy time and all the things to know your baby and care for them.
Also, I might hold your baby while you take an uninterrupted shower, eat a real meal, or take a nap. Or, I’ll tackle some light household chores and meal preparation so you can snuggle your baby without the mental load.
Overnight support usually lasts 8-10h. The goal is for the family to get as much sleep as possible. So after checking in with you to see how you are doing and if you have any struggles or questions, I’ll take care of the baby while everybody goes to sleep. You and your partner get a full night's sleep and are rested for the next day! If you are breastfeeding, I’ll take care of everything but the feeding.
What Does the Research Say?
Regarding the needs of postpartum families, 2 systematic reviews [2] [3] concluded that women don’t feel prepared enough for postpartum, specifically on breastfeeding, newborn care, physical and emotional changes. Similarly, Madray C. et al. explored in a qualitative study in 2022 the unmet needs of postpartum mothers [4]. Though the study was small (26 participants) and mostly included white, well-educated mothers in a relationship and who gave birth in a hospital in the United States, it highlighted that “postpartum maternal health and well-being are related to more than physical recovery and the absence of medical complications”. Breastfeeding was identified as the main source of concern and the biggest problem mothers faced in the first two weeks postpartum, most of the participants stating they wished for more education prenatally and hands-on, real-time support. Regarding maternal health, they mentioned sleep deprivation and self-care as their main concerns and said they wanted more information on how to care for themselves and more attention given to their own physical recovery and emotional well-being once baby was born. Also, half of the participants reported feeling overwhelmed by the demands of managing their health while juggling the demands of their new lifestyle and changing routines.
How are postpartum doulas answering those needs?
A systematic review on doula support and breastfeeding outcomes [5] showed that doula support was associated with improved breastfeeding outcomes overall, even though there were mixed findings regarding breastfeeding duration and exclusivity. Lactating clients found doulas to be an important source of breastfeeding support, education, and knowledge.
Regarding mental health, Stanley, A. et al did a narrative review of the doula’s role in reducing postpartum depression [6] and concluded that women receiving doula support had lower odds of developing Postpartum Depression (PPD) or postpartum anxiety. Outcomes for women who had doula participation during and after pregnancy included enhanced social support, reduced stress, improved birth experiences, and increased maternal self-efficacy.
Those studies did not distinguish birth from postpartum doulas and studies specifically on postpartum doulas are scarce! The only one worth mentioning here is the study of Judith Fry McComish et al [7], which included 13 mothers and their infants and concluded that postpartum doulas facilitated maternal responsiveness and competence on 3 main issues: resolution of infant feeding, integrating the infant into the family, and supporting developmental care and attachment.
That being said, studies demonstrating that social support plays a key role in the prevention of postpartum depression do exist [8] [9] [10], and the postpartum doula is one aspect of this support system.
You Deserve to Feel Supported
Most of us arrive at parenthood without having spent much time around newborns. Our culture doesn't really prepare us for the intensity of the early weeks. The round-the-clock feeding, the learning curve of soothing a baby, the emotional tidal wave of it all. And then we're expected to just... figure it out, mostly alone, while recovering from birth.
You don't have to do it that way! And I believe it shouldn’t be that way.
You deserve someone in your corner who’s rooting for you, even on the days you don't believe in yourself. Someone who knows what's normal and what to watch for, who will answer your questions without making you feel silly or like your time is up. That's what postpartum doula support looks like.
And while it is true that the 4th trimester is a difficult time, it is also a time of amazement, love, and joy, where parents are building a new and special relationship with their baby. What is created here has consequences, even years later. Robert Winston and Rebecca Chicot mentioned in one of their articles that “A good early parent-infant-relationship, in which the parents are sensitive and responsive to their infant's physical and emotional needs, lays the foundation for a child's future self-esteem and resilience, their ability to regulate their emotions and their capacity to form close relationships” [11]. It is worth nurturing and giving it the best start possible, so that the family as a whole can grow confidently and thrive.
Love and strength to you!
References
[1] DONA International. What is a Postpartum Doula. Consulted in June 2026. https://dona.org/what-is-a-postpartum-doula/
[2] Sendas, M.V. and Freitas, M.J., 2024. The needs of women in the postpartum period: A scoping review. Midwifery, 136, p.104098. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0266613824001815
[3] Nazarenko, D.N., Daniel, A.L., Durfee, S. and Agbemenu, K., 2024. Parent‐identified gaps in preparation for the postpartum period in the United States: an integrative review. Birth, 51(4), pp.669-689. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/birt.12832
[4] Madray C, Richardson J, Hornsby P, Grello C, Drake E, Kellams A. Exploring the Unmet Needs of Postpartum Mothers: A Qualitative Study. J Perinat Educ. 2022;31(2):71-81. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8970134/pdf/sgrjpe_31_2_71_81.pdf
[5] Heuberger A, Ramos G, Weerasuriya W, Barrientos N, Applequist J, Louis-Jacques AF. Doula Support and Breastfeeding Outcomes: A Systematic Review. Breastfeeding Medicine. 2025;20(10):685-706. https://doi.org/10.1177/15568253251367430
[6] Stanley, Angela, Hemphill, Tarnisha, Cassar, Linda. The Doula’s Role in Reducing Postpartum Depression: A Narrative Review. MCN, The American Journal of Maternal/Child Nursing 51(3):p 123-130, May/June 2026. https://journals.lww.com/mcnjournal/abstract/2026/05000/the_doula_s_role_in_reducing_postpartum.2.aspx
[7] McComish, Judith Fry, and Joan M Visger. Domains of postpartum doula care and maternal responsiveness and competence. Journal of obstetric, gynecologic, and neonatal nursing. JOGNN vol. 38,2 (2009): 148-56. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0884217515301702
[8] Ugarriza, Doris Noel et al. Anglo-American mothers and the prevention of postpartum depression. Issues in mental health nursing vol. 28,7 (2007): 781-98. https://doi.org/10.1080/01612840701413624
[9] Li, Yang et al. Social support and depression across the perinatal period: A longitudinal study. Journal of clinical nursing vol. 26,17-18 (2017): 2776-2783. https://doi.org/10.1111/jocn.13817
[10] Reid, Keshia M, and Miles G Taylor. Social support, stress, and maternal postpartum depression: A comparison of supportive relationships. Social science research vol. 54 (2015): 246-62. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0049089X15001611
[11] Winston R, Chicot R. The importance of early bonding on the long-term mental health and resilience of children. London J Prim Care (Abingdon). 2016;8(1):12-14. Published 2016 Feb 24. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/17571472.2015.1133012
