Imagine this:

The smell of fresh-brewed coffee wakes you up. As you stretch your legs, you’re amazed at how rested you feel. It’s been weeks since you’ve slept more than an hour at a time so these past four hours have felt like a lifetime. You open your door and follow the rich aroma into the kitchen, where you’re greeted by a spread of homemade blueberry muffins, a piping hot latte, and a baby just starting to stir in her swing.

Your toddler has reached her usual afternoon breaking point. She’s crying, the baby is crying, and you are about to join them as you realize your husband doesn’t get home for another two hours. Suddenly, you hear the door knock and a wave of relief falls over you. The women you lovingly call “the baby whisperer” has arrived and in just minutes your newborn is sleeping in her baby carrier while the oldest is happily playing in the bath. You sit for what feels like the first time in hours and soak in these moments of quiet.

“Hi Sara, I just reviewed your recent feeding log and saw baby Juliet will be ready for her next bottle at 6pm. Would you prefer I feed her so you can finish dinner, or I finish up the meal so you can get off your feet for a few moments?” You take a moment to think, amazed at the opportunity to choose. “Or, if you’d like, I’m happy to do both while you enjoy a shower. I know you haven’t had the chance to take an uninterrupted one in a while!” That, you think. I will definitely do that.

Sound too good to be true, doesn’t it?

But what if I told you these imaginary scenes of support, comfort, encouragement, and peace of mind can be your reality? What if you could experience a happy, peaceful, and restful postpartum period? Sounds pretty great, huh?

Introducing: The postpartum doula.

A postpartum doula is an individual that has been professionally trained to support a family after the birth of their baby. Her mission? To provide the support you need at the exact moment you need it. She is a laundry folding, baby soothing, tear wiping, dinner prepping, info providing, woman supporting professional of the most wonderful kind. Her support is tailored to your family’s specific needs and as such, the work she does often varies from day to day. One shift she may care for your baby while you enjoy a nap or shower (or both!) the next she is tackling the laundry and helping organize the nursery, and the next she joins you for an overnight shift so you can get some extra sleep. Whatever you need, she is there to provide unwavering support for this unpredictable thing called parenthood.

Her education covers everything from breast and bottle feeding, baby sleep habits, postpartum recovery and nutrition, comfort measures, emotional self-care, and more. Judgment and opinions are checked at the door and are replaced with encouragement, support, and comfort. Her wealth of knowledge coupled her compassionate and supportive nature provide the perfect environment for you to grow, learn, adjust, and discover. You can feel safe to ask questions, share your struggles, or celebrate the victories both big and small. She’s there to share in this journey alongside you.

Yup, postpartum doulas do that.

And so much more.

At Doulas of Northern Virginia, we’re thrilled to have a team of incredibly trained women to provide the support your family is looking for. Whether you desire overnight care to help you get more rest, day-time support to help tackle your daily chores, or a delightful combination of both – we have a postpartum doula for that. Their family-tailored support helps create a seamless transition to life with baby so that you can focus on what truly matters: your family, your recovery, and yourself.

So stop dreaming of a better postpartum and start experiencing one! Hire your postpartum doula today.

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We’re celebrating World Doula Week with a blog a day!

Day One: The Doulas of Northern Virginia Difference

For more great #WorldDoulaWeek blogs from doulas across the country, visit http://louisvilleareadoulas.com/blog/2016-world-doula-week