How Long Is a Typical Postpartum Doula Shift?
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Kaely Harrod 0:01
Today's episode goes hand in hand with our last episode. We're talking about norms in terms of doula care. And so the question that we're answering today is how long is a typical postpartum doula shift? So as with almost every episode, it depends a little bit in this one as well. So just to reiterate, the question that we're talking about is how long is a typical postpartum doula shift? Now, for the sake of clarity, I am not talking about the like postpartum visit that a birth doula might do with a client, what I mean is a shift that a postpartum doula is doing, or that your birth doula is doing as part of your postpartum care. Okay, now, I am of the opinion that this should look however you need it to look right. I do think a minimum of about two to three hours is a good idea, because you can't get much done in less time than that. Okay. So, take for instance, if you're needing a nap, or a shower or a meal, or you're wanting some help with newborn education, like bathing or diapering or whatever, then one hour is not going to be enough in most cases, to get much of anything done. Okay. So I do recommend a minimum shift of two to three hours, I usually do a minimum of three, except in like very specific scenarios. So three to four hour shifts during the daytime is what I usually see. Most commonly, if the primary goal is a short bit of assistance, like for you to nap or take a shower or whatever, or to teach something like to teach how to give a bath or to teach how to diaper better or to work on some lactation stuff or whatever that might look like. Three to four hours is kind of the sweet spot in my mind. Of course, you can also have a postpartum doula for an entire day. I am firmly of the opinion that a postpartum doula kind of crosses can cross over into like, Nanny babysitting kind of stuff. But we are, that's kind of less than what we do, right? And so. So I don't mean that that's beneath us. I don't say that to be like, super arrogant. What I mean is, I'm happy to watch your kid while you do something. And also, I'm a lot more expensive than a babysitter, right? And so I'm happy to do that, because that is part of what I do as a postpartum doula. But if you're needing like eight or 12, or 24 hours worth of care, then you might also distinguish like, Are you wanting this as like a nanny kind of thing? Or are you wanting this as a postpartum doula? Now, when you're talking about overnight care, then eight to 10 hours is pretty typical, in part because you most doulas do not want to be driving and the middle of a shift at like 2am. Right. So that's a little bit different in terms of timeline, because the shift is overnight. And it doesn't make sense for you to have less time than that it also doesn't make sense for them in terms of safety stuff to be driving at like 2am or something wild. There are also scenarios where people do like 24 hour or like live in doula care. And so we'll talk about that in a second. We'll be back after this message from our sponsor. The birth prep blueprint course is a guide from pregnancy to postpartum, giving you the competence to walk through this journey. However it might play out. It is pre recorded on demand content, so you do not have to fit your busy schedule around a class or meeting time. You can go back and revisit the lessons as much as you need to. And you can watch or listen to them on your own time. This curriculum has left many families feeling confident in their decisions, knowing what questions to ask their providers, and knowing when they should be concerned in all of these periods. One of the biggest parts of this work in terms of preparing families and walking through this journey is knowing that you have a guide to rely on and that's exactly what this class is. Students have told me they felt like I was walking them along a path to know what to watch for and what to not be worried about. Because you are here as a listener, you get the opportunity to have a 10% off discount on this class. That code is podcast. It is in the show notes as well along with the link to use to check out for the class. I do really recommend And that you go give it a look. Because it is going to make you feel more prepared calm and confident for your birthing experience. Okay, so picking up this conversation with kind of 24 hour or, or even like more than that kind of care. I, this is where I say you should have as much care as you need, and kind of make this look like what you need it to look like, right? I don't think there's a maximum amount of time to have a postpartum doula. I think that both in like, a day, right? Like, is it too much to have a doula for 15 hours? I don't think so. If your doula is fine with that, and you want that, and that feels helpful to your family, by all means, right. But also, I don't think you outgrow a postpartum doula, as early as some people think you do. So I've worked as a postpartum doula for families off and on for the first year. And I know that's kind of outside the range of what a lot of doulas do. But I find that if you need a little bit of education, or some support, as like shifts happen and the baby goes through developmental changes and things like that, a postpartum doula can be hugely beneficial for that time. And if we've already established a relationship from when the baby was younger, it makes sense to continue that and have that like lovely continuity of care. So I don't make this episode to tell you, I think you should only hire a postpartum doula for X amount of hours, absolutely not. However, I do want you to have the context that if you're wanting some like education or support, don't plan to hire a doula for just one or two hours. Because really, you're not going to get very much done in that time. So three or four hours is a much more productive shift of time to actually get some real help out of it. And also to be able to sort of troubleshoot some things together, if that's part of what you're needing. Okay, so this is kind of a short and sweet episode. I would love to get a question from you if you have a question that I can add to the 2023 lineup. The last episode was a question from a listener, which I'm super, super pumped about. And I have a couple more questions coming up from listeners. And so if you shoot me a message on Instagram at Herat doula, then I will add your question to the list. Until next time, I wish you well informed consent filled. So all of this information is intended to be educational and entertainment. Please use it as such. And if you have questions about your own medical health, or need recommendations from your own provider, please do speak to them. This is not intended to replace them in any way. We are so happy that you are here joining us in this walk through pregnancy postpartum and lactation. Please take a second to like and subscribe, leave a positive review. That is how other families get to hear about us and get to learn from all the answers that we have here on this podcast. As always, I would really love to connect with you. I love answering questions. I know that you know that because you are here, but I would love to hear what your questions are. So if I have not yet answered them on the podcast, I would love to add them to the list of questions to be answered. please do reach out to me on Instagram or via email Kaely at Herat, doula services.com so that I can answer whatever question you have, and so that I can hear the feedback that you have about the podcast. Until we meet again, I wish you well informed consent filled birth and postpartum experiences
Transcribed by https://otter.ai
Postpartum Doulas function in a wide variety of ways! I know, I know, this is what I say about SO MANY of these questions. But it’s true. However, there’s still some typical and not typical situations in terms of shifts.
For Postpartum Care a shift will be determined a bit by what your family’s needs are. If a family is needing overnight care those shifts are usually a minimum of 8 hours, with some being 10 or 12, but the vast majority are 8 hrs from 10pm-6am.
If a family is wanting daytime care that varies starting from typically 2 hrs and going up! As a postpartum doula I almost always do 3-4 hr shifts. I really don’t think less than 2 hrs is ever enough, but I know there may be times when it is! (Like if you don’t live in a metro area with crazy traffic! ha!)
Key Takeaways:
Most daytime shifts are between 3 and 6 hrs but it depends a bit on the needs of the family and the availability of of the doula
Most overnight shifts are 8-10 hrs from 10pm-6am
There are 24 hr shifts as well as families who need months of care. Those are both discussed here as well, but I would say they are slightly less common than the other two types of shifts!
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