Postpartum Doulas in Vancouver: Why We Work As A Team
The transition to life with a newborn is multi-layered and complex. Many new parents describe it as both the hardest and the most fulfilling experience they've ever had. Between the lack of sleep, changing identities, new family dynamics, caring for a baby, physical recovery, and emotional adjustment, there's an incredible amount to navigate all at once.
As doulas we know this journey well. Some of us as parents ourselves, and others from having walked this journey with many families before. No two families, births or babies are the same. We love learning along with the people we support and being able to brainstorm and offer gentle guidance along the way. Families deserve support during this transition as much as they do in pregnancy and birth.
I, Dasha, started out as a solo doula and worked that way for about 8 years. I'd often have clients who needed more support after their baby was born, including overnight care. With a busy schedule of births I'd see them as much as possible early on. Still, often I'd be trying to find another doula for them for more visits, especially nights, and I'd want to ensure it was someone trustworthy and reliable, someone who could care for them equally as well. It could be a hard task though as often people don't realize just how much care they'll actually need until baby is born. Postpartum doulas in the meantime get booked months in advance and so finding both a solution, and a good fit last minute could be a challenge.
This is why I decided to put together a group of doulas that I trust and love working together with. Now in its second year, our collective has 17 doulas including myself - it has grown a lot! Our team brings together a wide range of experience, training, and special interests. Some have been in this work for 30+ years. Some specialize in multiples (twins and more) care. Another has specialized focus and education in nutrition. Some have Early Childhood Education (ECE) certification. A few have degrees in psychology. A couple are also nurses. I love how varied our team is and what each member brings to the care for the families we support. A full desription of our postpartum care can be found here.
I'm also so glad to finally have more reliable coverage for postpartum families, even last minute! Sometimes the care is booked many months in advance, and other times we hear from someone who has just had a baby, and we do our best to make it work. With a bigger team comes more ability to help each other out, and cover big support projects as well. It is not unusual for 3 or more doulas to care for one family if they've asked for support every day or every night of the week, or both! Of course some families are only having us visit briefly, and then one doula can typically cover it all. Still, with everyone's busy schedules, their own children, and at this time of the year, also sickness considerations, it is nice to be able to more easily cover each other instead of searching for help in online doula groups.
Between the continuity of support, communication between the doulas, and our different strengths and experiences, I am so proud that our team is able to work well together. It's been a passion of mine for a long time to ensure people going through the rite of passage of becoming parents are feeling well supported, cared for, and loved on. We hardly ever worry about the baby (that's the favourite worry of parents!), but we want to make sure the parents are also held.
Whether you're preparing for your baby's arrival or already navigating life with a newborn, we'd love to help you find the support that feels right for your family. You don't have to figure everything out on your own. Get in touch to learn more about our postpartum doula services in Vancouver and the surrounding area. We'd be happy to help.
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