What a Postnatal Doula Actually Does and Why It Matters More Than You Think
- Julia Priston
- Jul 25, 2024
- 4 min read
The days and weeks after birth are unlike anything else. You're recovering, learning, falling in love, running on no sleep - and often doing all of it with very little support around you.
A postnatal doula doesn't just help with the baby.
She's there for you - the woman underneath all of it.
What is a Postpartum Doula?
A postnatal doula is a trained companion who supports new mothers and families in the weeks after birth. Unlike a midwife or health visitor, whose visits are brief and clinically focused, a postnatal doula offers something different - unhurried, practical, emotionally present support that fits around what you actually need.
Not what a checklist says you need. What you need, on that particular day.
The Role of a Postpartum Doula
Every family is different, and postnatal support should reflect that. Some days you need someone to hold the baby while you sleep for three hours. Some days you need someone to sit with you while you cry and not try to fix it.
Here's what postnatal support might include - though this list is never fixed:
Overnight support - taking over feeds or bringing the baby to you for breastfeeding, nappy changes and settling so you can sleep. Really sleep. Not one eye open sleep.
Daytime support - practical help around the house, a nourishing home-cooked meal, support with older children, gentle company when the walls start closing in.
Breastfeeding support - a patient, experienced presence to help you find your way in those early days. Not an appointment in two weeks. Now, when you need it.
Emotional support - someone to talk to who genuinely understands what you're going through. No judgment, no advice you didn't ask for, no rushing on to the next thing.
Untangling the knot - sometimes you don't even know what kind of help you need. That's okay. Part of my role is to arrive, read the room and just start doing the most useful thing. Taking the decision-making and organising off your plate entirely - so you don't have to think, you just have to be.
What makes postnatal support different with me
I remember what the postnatal period felt like from the inside. Not just the first few weeks - but for two or three years after my children were born. The loneliness, the overwhelm, the times I reached out for help and was told "we'll get back to you in 4-5 working days"...
That's why I try to show up as quickly as possible - sometimes the same day. Because I know what it feels like when the support isn't there when you need it.
It's also why I helped create The Village - a free weekly space in West Sussex (and now in Hampshire twice a month too) where families can access support across pregnancy, birth and early motherhood without waiting lists or referrals. The professionals who show up there share the same values: that support should be available when it's actually needed.
The relationships I build with my clients often last long beyond the postnatal period. I enter one of the most tender, private times in a family's life and that means something to me. I don't maintain a professional distance for the sake of it. I show up as a real person and many of the families I've worked with have become genuine friends.
Why so many families wait too long to ask for help
There's still a strange idea that needing support after birth is a sign of struggle rather than wisdom. It isn't. Having someone present and experienced in those early weeks doesn't mean you can't cope - it means you've chosen not to cope alone.
The most common thing I hear from families after working together is some version of:
"I wish we'd done this sooner."
How to know if Postpartum care is right for you
You might benefit from a postnatal doula if:
You don't have family nearby
Your partner returns to work quickly
You're recovering from a difficult birth or caesarean
You have older children at home
You want breastfeeding support that's actually available when you need it
Your baby needs extra settling - whether from digestive discomfort, birth tensions or simply being a more sensitive soul who needs more contact and cuddles than you expected
The transition into parenthood has been more of a shock than you anticipated and you haven't yet found your rhythm
You simply want someone steady and experienced in your corner during those first weeks
A note on availability
I offer postnatal support during the day and overnight, in blocks of hours that work for your family. I try to be flexible and responsive - because I know that needing support on a Tuesday evening doesn't always wait until Monday morning.
Postnatal support starts from £34/hour or block of 20 hours (£640) available. Payment plans can be discussed.
Ready to talk?
If you're pregnant and already thinking about the weeks after birth or if you've recently had a baby and could do with some support right now - I'd love to hear from you.
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