All about postpartum doulas and CLC’s.
(CLC = Certified Lactation Counselor)
Guest blog with Rebecca Anderson, OT, Postpartum Doula, CLC.
A little preface…
They say it takes a village to raise a child… but where is that village for the mom?
Throughout my experience as a pelvic health PT, perinatal educator, and mother, it’s become clear that it very much takes a village to nurture a new mother. The general public typically does not get information on different postpartum care options, so I invited Rebecca to describe her role in the community.
Consider adding someone like her to your team. Or add her services/services like hers to your registry… because I guarantee that this type of postpartum support will provide more benefit than a wipe warmer or fancy changing pad.
Rebecca, give us a little glimpse into your professional background!
I am a board certified Occupational Therapist with a masters, and eight years of experience helping people with adaptation and optimization of function in daily life. In 2022, I was trained and began work as a Postpartum Doula, and completed the coursework and examination to become a Certified Lactation Counselor. With this unique background, I love to empower families by educating and supporting them with lactation and the transition to parenthood.
Postpartum Doulas are masters in the art of “mothering the mother.”
Tell us about postpartum doulas and who might benefit from one?
Many people have heard of a Birth Doula, a Doula who may help with the birth of a child. A steadily growing number of people are becoming familiar with the Postpartum Doula, a Doula who supports a family in the postpartum period, or fourth trimester. Postpartum Doulas are trained in nurturing and facilitating a smooth transition for the new parents and are masters in the art of “mothering the mother”.
A Postpartum Doula also empowers new parents by teaching strategies for infant care, soothing, sleep, and feeding. The care they offer is specific to each family’s needs. Care may also look like emotional support, light housework, guidance with postpartum physical recovery, and providing connections with community resources.
All new families benefit from good support after the addition of a new baby. Most things about having a new baby, recovering from birth, and lactation are not intuitive, and it is helpful to have a Doula’s non judgmental support to ease the transition.
What about lactation counseling? What sort of things can you help with?
In my role as a Certified Lactation Counselor (CLC) I educate families on breast/chest feeding. Breastfeeding is not something that comes naturally to most people. I really enjoy empowering parents with education beforehand so that they can get off to the best possible start and maximize those first few hours after birth.
After the baby’s arrival, parents benefit from a few well timed check-ins early on to insure success. I am in the new parent’s home for at least three hours at a time so I get to address lactation questions that most forget to ask during office visits. We also get the opportunity to practice newly taught techniques over a few feeding sessions, and not just one. I provide education on latch, positioning, infant nursing behavior, questions on supply, and infant weight gain.
Just because insurance provides a pump, does not mean that the use of a pump is easy or intuitive! I can also assist with the introduction of bottles, pumping and return to work. Sometimes, breastfeeding no longer fits with a family’s plan, and I can support the transition to supplementation. When complex situations or skills are out of my scope of knowledge or I don’t have the required equipment I have wonderful local IBCLCs whom I refer to.
What are 3 things you wish parents-to-be knew about postpartum?
The postpartum period is often referred to as the “fourth trimester” which lasts about 12 weeks after birth. The fourth trimester deserves as much as much care and attention and maybe more than the other trimesters because where there was once one person, there are now two. The person who has given birth needs more care, love, and support than ever before, but this is often where the focus shifts to the baby. I’d love if people knew:
- Postpartum deserves as much planning and thought as labor. Assistance with planning can be completed with helpful tools like the ‘ Build Your Nest: A Postpartum Planning Workbook’, by Kestrel Gates, or attending a postpartum workshop. I just hosted a postpartum workshop virtually, and am excited to host more, so stay tuned!
- Expect conflicting information. Decisions like feeding your child, and sleep can feel like there are two separate camps, and unfortunately it may feel like there is some judgment between parents as to what’s actually “best”. Really, what we need instead is more women supporting women and lifting each other up. I love the book ‘Crib sheet’, by Emily Oster to especially highlight this reality, and recommend this book for all parents-to-be.
- We are not meant to do this period of our lives, or any period for that matter, alone. It’s a wonderful time, but also can have some real challenges. Reach out for help if you need it whether it’s from professionals or from trusted family and friends. That being said, it’s okay to establish boundaries! If you don’t want your family to visit until 3 weeks postpartum, that’s okay! If you’d prefer visits to be short and sweet, that’s okay too. How this period looks is entirely up to the new parents and no one else. I highly recommend having these conversations in the third trimester to avoid any tension after birth.
Support for new parents and mothers should not stop at any point, but especially not in the vulnerable time after childbirth. Postpartum Doulas are such a beautiful resource to help nurture new parents and create an environment perfect for family bonding.
CLCs are also incredibly helpful to have in your back pocket, and can ease the transitions during all seasons of your feeding journey.
Rebecca is both. Find yourself a person like her.
Rebecca owns Beyond Birth, Postpartum Doula and Lactation Counseling LLC. Find her on instagram @beyondbirthservices and if you live local to Salt Lake City, contact her via website to work with her.
Cheers: to supporting, nurturing, and loving new parents and mothers (not just the new babies).
Sam (& Rebecca)