I'm a Postpartum Doula!
Where to start? I got my BS in Environmental Design from Syracuse University. For most of my life I was a faux finisher and muralist, more recently my friend and I opened a cupcakery in Wellesley called Fivebites Cupcakes. Last year I ran into a an old friend at my daughters softball game and she told me about her job, she was a Postpartum Doula. That was it, I was so interested in it I kept her for far too long asking questions. Goodbye cupcakes hello baby cakes! Worked out the details with the cupcake shop and long story short I am now a CAPPA (Child Birth and Postpartum Professional Association) trained and certified Postpartum Doula. Caring for other people comes naturally to me, I am at a time and place in my life that I have the flexibility to do this kind of work. I love it. It's my job but it doesn't feel like work.
I have been married to my wonderful husband Steve for 27 years and I'm the mother of three children who are not so little anymore. Our oldest and wisest is 25 (crazy for me to think about), our charming, worry-free and sensitive middle child is 23 and my beautiful, talkative and conscientious baby girl is turning 19 and starting at University of Delaware in September! Some of the most wonderful moments in my life were those days just before and just after they were born. The anticipation of what they would look like, and be like and feel like. Each time I hoped for a safe and easy birth and a healthy baby with ten fingers and ten toes. Fortunately I was blessed with three healthy children, not necessarily all easy births but I did it! I was lucky to have a lot of support from our families, so much so that MY family in general and me in specific, was able to rest , recuperate and have a smooth transition after each birth. Each birth was unique with it's own set of specific needs. I have 2 older sisters with children older than mine so there was a lot of knowledge shared, help and support getting through those very difficult days with our new baby.
Those early days with a new baby WERE difficult and would have been harder had I not had these women in my life, caring about me smf looking out like lionesses for my well-being. My bed was made, my sheets were changed-nothing like fresh sheets- I was able to rest and sleep, they did my laundry, washed and sorted out the babies clothes. They helped ensure I had the supplies I needed in the places I needed them (who knew you needed a changing station upstairs and down?). They cooked my family warm healthy meals and gave me the emotional support I needed. These women in my life were willing to talk to me about my baby and only my baby for 2 hours at a time or as long as I needed or wanted to. Most people don't have the built in local support that I had. I want to provide this support for you and your new baby and your family. I want you and your family to have a gentle transition home with your new precious baby at a time that is notoriously fraught with stressors. I have the experience and knowledge to help alleviate the stress and to help make those first days, weeks or months just what you hoped it would be, amazing!