Five days after having my third daughter, my husband found me unresponsive in the living room, holding our sleeping baby. He wasn’t able to wake me, and ended up calling 911. I wasn’t able to fully regain consciousness until I arrived at the hospital, and later was told that I was likely severely dehydrated and exhausted. I was put on “couch” rest for the week, and slowly regained my strength with lots of sleep and fluids.
It was a scary time for our family, and it reminded me of how important it is for a new mother to rest and take care of herself, even when the needs and demands of family feel like they’re pressing in on her.
Looking back on that time in my life, I realize that having a postpartum doula would have been one of the best investments that I could have made during that hectic period.
I reached out to Jocelyn Wells, a Guelph-based postpartum doula, who shared some insights on what a postpartum doula offers.
According to Wells, a postpartum doula is someone who comes into the picture after the baby is born, helping parents with the transition with their new baby.
Wells said that she offers information on baby care basics, sleep with a newborn, help with meal preparation and housekeeping, and help with looking after older children.
Wells realized that she wanted to become a postpartum doula after having her own children.
“I felt so supported during my pregnancy, and then once I had my baby it all went away, and I felt like I had been left when I needed it most,” she said. Wells went on to receive training through Doula Training Canada.
Wells shared that 21st century mothers are turning to postpartum doulas for non-judgmental support and guidance, because they’re pulled in a million different directions and are more willing to ask for help.
“Everyone has an opinion on how you do things, but my goal is to offer a safe space for you to discover what you want to be as a parent,” said Wells.
She also added that self-care is becoming a priority for mothers, and she encourages mothers to reach out and find that support so that they don’t run themselves into the ground (like I did with my third baby!)
Wells said that her first tip for any expecting mom is to stop reading the pregnancy books, advising that our bodies know what to do, and we have the support and experts available through our doctor or midwife. She added, instead consider reading a book on new motherhood.
She also added that she always advises mothers to trust their gut, because our own instincts as mothers are powerful, and we must learn to be attentive to our instincts.
Wells said that mothers who reach out for help and hire her are the types of mothers that want to be set up for success, looking for support so that they can be the best parent possible to their baby.
Now that I’m done having babies, I can see how valuable a postpartum doula would have been for me in helping me to slow down, and recharge my batteries as a new mother.
“You can’t pour from an empty cup.” said Wells.
You can find more information about Jocelyn at her website.
