Rest and Peace, with A Postpartum Doula
Posted on: July 20, 2020 | Babies, birth, Business, childcare, Children, Doulas, Famillies, Fatherhood, Feeding, Friendship, Information, Motherhood, Parenting, Postpartum Doulas, sleep
Shaun glanced at the clock. Tick…tock…tick…tock…1 hour until the postpartum doula was scheduled to arrive. They had been trying to soothe the upset baby for the past 3 hours. Bouncing here, holding baby this way and that, and singing ‘Motownphilly’ to bring some fun into the situation. Shanae was out taking a stroll indulging in some much needed Vitamin D and fresh air. Shaun was confident that they could navigate this moment with Sammi, but now wasn’t so sure. A co-worker had mentioned the services of a postpartum doula that they have used, and recommended. Both Shaun and Shanae had been apprehensive for weeks to reach out, a now 6-week old Sammi was NOT having it. What “it” was, Shaun was clueless.
The day before, after sleeping for a combined 5 hours between them, Shaun reached out to Shanae. “So, you know Chris and Brian recently had Mickey…” Shaun spoke, pouring hot coffee into his favorite mug. “Uh huh.” Shanae uttered while adjusting herself to feed a squirming Sammi. “Well, he and Brian used a postpartum doula when they brought Mikey home. He said that they were clueless when it came to all the baby things, and the postpartum doula helped get them situated. Chris mentioned that their doula came overnight to help them get a workable routine down. He said that now at 12 weeks, Mikey sleeps like clockwork, and that he and Brian have a little time alone before they go to bed.” Shaun continued. “Reeeally?” Shanae pondered as Sammi nursed.
“Did he give you the contact information by chance?” Shanae searched. “He did.” Shaun started with a mix of enthusiasm and hesitation. “Do you think I should call them?” He continued, grabbing his work bag. “I think that if YOU feel like we could benefit from having a doula, I’m game with giving it a shot.” Shanae yawned, getting up from the table and placing a sleeping baby in the nearby bassinet. As she turned, she came face-to-face with Shaun. “I think that a great night’s sleep is in order for us both. And that sweet Sammi could probably use some rested parents for a change.” He said peering over the bassinet to gaze at Sammi, then giving Shanae a kiss goodbye.
So tonight was the night that the doula was coming over. Shanae had spoken with the doula agency owner earlier that day, and expressed her anxiousness. As Shanae spoke, the owner of Vegas Family Doulas listened, assured, attuned her expectations and fears. She spoke about the benefits of having the support of a postpartum doula, and how their agency operated. The conversation flowed like hot coffee with friends. By the time Shanae hung up the phone, she was anticipating having the support of her psotpartum doula.
Terry arrived 10 minutes before her 8pm shift. As she grabbed her belongings and headed up to meet the Jamesons, she smiled as she was excited to meet Shanae in person. The agency provided all the needed information about the family, and she already felt like she’s known them. Earlier that day, she spoke with Shanae on the phone to introduce herself.
Before Terry could ring the doorbell, Shaun eagerly opened the door with a smile. Walking in, Terry was greeted by a sleeping Sammi in Shanae’s arms, and what appeared as dinner simmering on the stove. The trio caught up on the couch with formal introductions, wants, and expectations for the evening. As the minutes quickly turned to an hour, Terry and baby retreated to the nursery, while Shaun and Shanae sat down at the kitchen table to enjoy their first meal together since baby.
As the evening rolled on, a swaddled Sammi grunted, moaned and tooted through the slumber. Feedings were coordinated with Shanae, and the house filled with sounds of a humming refrigerator and a white noise machine. As dawn began to break, Shaun stopped by the nursery to check out the scene on his way to the kitchen. “How’d it go in here?” He asked in wonder. “It went wonderful. Normal baby sounds, no crying, and Sammi slept like ‘baby’” Terry joked, “how did YOU sleep?” Terry continued. “Like a baby!” Shaun replied in a chuckle.
Shanae joined the group at the table and Shaun placed a cup of hot tea in front of her. “WOW!” Shanae started. “You know when your whole body just melts into the bed, and you sleep a nice deep peaceful recharging sleep?” Shanae asked rhetorically. “That’s how I slept. With the feedings,Terry, bringing the baby in to feed, SO amazing. I didn’t have to leave the bed. I can’t believe Sammi slept so well! Shoot we ALL slept SO well. Thank you, thank you Terry. I didn’t know what to expect having someone in our home with our baby overnight, and this was bigger and better than my expectations.” They continued to discuss the happenings over the night. Terry gave tips for daytime to help those evenings go more smoothly for the couple. They chuckled over Shaun’s work shenanigans and talked about Terry’s availability for the next week.
As Terry gathered her belongings to head out from the shift. Shaun and Shanae escorted her to the door. “We appreciate you more than you know.” Shaun said with appreciation in his voice. “We’ll be calling the office to have you come back, you are an amazing postpartum doula.” Shanae added. “Drive safely!”