Postpartum Doula Service
People Who are Postpartum Are Sacred.
In many cultures, the postpartum period is understood to be a sacred, important, and holy time. People who give birth are confined to their rooms, homes, and beds and fed warm and nourishing foods. People who come to visit have no expectation to see or "pass the baby", but instead know and honor the fact that a huge transition has been made. A new life has been born and indeed, a new person (the mother or birthing person) has also been born. When a baby is born, a family is also born; siblings are born, grandparents are made, and people become aunts or uncles or gunkles. It’s not just about this new being, it’s about the people who surround them.
The more research and training I do around postpartum care, the more I am altering and adjusting my role as a postpartum doula to be multifaceted. Yes, I am here to help with logistical and practical things like meal prep and help with cord care, and help with feeding. And, I'm also here to witness your transition into parenthood. To listen with a non-judgmental ear, to nourish you with food and love, and to empower you and your choices as a parent. My sole purpose in being your postpartum doula is to care for, nurture, honor, love, and support you as a new parent. From my perspective, our time together is one of deep mutual respect, one that is special and holy, one that is focused on you as a new parent.
And yes, there are realities of postpartum life that require attention like sleep (or lack thereof), understanding your new human, relationship dynamics in your family, and your new relationship with yourself in your new role as a parent.
Every family situation is unique and therefore the way that I work with families is unique. Each postpartum session is tailored to the individual needs of your family each time we're together.
Above all, my role as your postpartum doula is to be your partner. My role is to be the unconditional scaffolding to you and your home in the first year after birth. To hold space. To be your witness. To honor and support you. To hold your time of transition into parenthood with love and tenderness. And to welcome you into your new role as a parent.
Need Support, but not local to the PNW - No worries! I offer a complete Postpartum Preparation Consultation. We’ll work with one another for 4 hours for just $350
Whole Body Pregnancy Postpartum Doula Support for 15 months, 6 months, or 3 months, as well as virtual support, and digital downloads.
15 Months of Support
$7500 ($500 monthly payments)
The goal of my postpartum practice is to care for the new parents that are born, not to center my attention on the baby. As such, the way that I do postpartum work is to work with folks in their last trimester to establish our relationship and to work with them through the anniversary of their birth for a total of fifteen months of postpartum support.
Our prenatal visits serve a few purposes; they help us to establish our relationship and get to know one another. I want to understand your journey to pregnancy, learn about how pregnancy has been for you, help thinking about your birth plan, and begin to create a postpartum plan. In these prenatal visits, we’ll discuss a variety of topics including; hopes and fears about becoming a parent, what your network of support looks like, honoring grief, and worry about the shift of identity when you become a parent, assuring we’ve discussed how to care for your postpartum body, and ways of making sure the physical, emotional, spiritual, and mental health needs of the entire family unit are addressed. And so much more. These visits can last as long as two hours and ideally, we’ll meet at least once or twice a month for the three-four months of your third trimester.
When your baby is born, it is my goal to be by your side on your first day back from the hospital or the day following a home birth. Depending on how you’re feeling this visit may be fairly short; I want to check in on you and your family to see how you’re adjusting. I want to listen to how your birth went and address any concerns you may have about feeding your baby and yourself. I want to make sure that your bleeding is appropriate and gently love your body with oils and warmth. I’ll leave you with food and tea.
The Fourth Trimester
The Fourth Trimester is all about REST, and therefore my focus is to help you get as much rest as possible to aid in your long-term postpartum recovery. Over the first months of your postpartum healing, I aim to visit you once a week. During our time together I will prepare nourishing meals for your postpartum healing, modalities like Belly Binding and pelvic steaming as well as sacred listening to help process birth and the fourth trimester.
Months 4-9 Postpartum
In Months 4-9 Our visits will space to 2x monthly for 4 hours at a time. These visits are to provide you with continual support during your postpartum period and can be tailored to your needs. We may continue to process your birth and your first months postpartum, help with seeking resources around introducing solids to baby and adjusting to sleep, help with adjusting back to work, and continue steaming after your monthly menstrual cycle.
We can also begin gentle movements and postpartum yoga.
Each month I’ll bring a warm meal and teas to help with your continued nourishment postpartum.
Months 9-12 Postpartum
Did you know that there is a pronounced spike in mental health issues for people during their 9-11 months postpartum? This was the darkest/lowest part for me and when my PMADS really kicked into high gear.
Because of this, we will continue to meet with one another at least once a month and at any time virtually. Again, these visits can be catered to your own needs, but I find it vitally important to have the continued support of a trusted person in extended postpartum can help folks as they continue to recalibrate their lives post baby. Perhaps you’re thinking of weaning, you need help with adjusting to new sleep schedules or just need to talk.
12-Month Honoring Ceremony
As you step over the threshold of one year of parenthood, I will gather friends, trusted family, and loved ones to help mark your year of parenthood. Or if desired, this can be a private ritual with just your immediate family. The ritual is crafted for each individual but includes a water ritual, honoring, and listening.
This also marks the end of our time together.
Payment for 15 Months of Postpartum is on a monthly schedule of $500.
Six Months of Support: $4400
Twice weekly support for your first month postpartum, once weekly for months 2-3, and then once monthly for months 4-6.
During our time together I consider my role to be support for you and your family to aid in your postpartum healing and recovery. I do this in a variety of ways including nourishing meal prep, body work and movement, meal preparation, listening and witnessing, and help with sleep. Our time together is focused on YOU and your well-being. For six months I’m able to give you very close support and care, slowly releasing the “scaffolding” to help you feel more grounded and centered in your parenting when we finish working together.
Six months allows us to ensure you’re supported and nurtured through those tricky developmental leaps, sleep shifts, new teeth, and starting to crawl.
The Fourth Trimester Support: $1800
Once weekly support for the first month postpartum and then every other week for months 2&3
During our time together my focus is on your REST and RECOVER in the very tender early part of postpartum. I say, birth is a moment and postpartum is forever. The fourth trimester is an incredibly tender time of your new relationship with yourself as well as your baby and anyone who is in your family constellation. There are big emotional and hormonal shifts, sleep disruptions, and the whole figuring out how to feed a baby thing. Many people feel unmoored in the first few months postpartum, worrying if they’ve made a mistake while basking in the glory of new parenthood. I am here to hold your hand. To remind you that you’re doing a great job. To feed you. To make sure you’re resting. We will bind your belly to support your postpartum healing, I will feed you nourishing and easy to digest food. I will wipe your tears and listen to you, and help you get deep rest.
Add on :
Hourly Support for Daytime Postpartum Care $65/hour with a 4-hour minimum.
Hourly Support for Nightime Postpartum care $85/hour with a 6-hour minimum.
Where I serve
Right now, I’m providing Postpartum care for folks between Tacoma and Olympia in the Puget Sound Area. If you live outside of my service area, please reach out to see if I’m able to accommodate you.
What’s Included in Postpartum Care?
This is individual based on the needs you have as a family and with each visit. Postpartum Care can include things like helping with feeding yourself and your family, help with getting rest, help with adjusting to the baby’s needs, help with understanding the baby’s needs, help with sleep, help to organize and tidy, and help to process birth. And so much more! I don’t care for children solo, nor do I do heavy household tasks, but almost anything to help ease your burdens postpartum is on the table.
Next Steps:
Free no-pressure consultation
Let’s meet to make sure we pass the vibe check! We’ll meet during your pregnancy to discuss your postpartum needs and the services I offer. After we’ve met, I’ll send over my Doula Agreement and once signed we’ll begin right away. I like to meet folks at least once, but preferably twice before the baby is born to help you prepare for postpartum. During this time we’ll come up with a schedule that works for when the baby arrives.
I like to see folks as soon as they are home from the hospital or the day after birth for home births. This quick, 30-minute max visit, is a time for me to check in with you and your healing. Most people who give birth won’t see a provider until 6 weeks and this visit allows me to make sure that your healing process is starting off smoothly. I’ll drop off herbs for sitz baths and leave you with a warm meal.
50% of the total fee is due upon booking. The remaining payment is due at our first meeting. Payment for stand-alone services is due at the time of our meeting. Payments can be made by check, cash, Paypal, Venmo or Stripe.
Add-Ons and Traditional Postpartum Care
Pelvic Steaming $150 per session
Pelvic Steaming provides warmth and healing to the perineum and uterus post-birth. This therapeutic methodology can be relaxing and a much-appreciated healing method.
Feel free to check out this study over on Steamy Chick for more information about the benefits of steaming. Please note that the study uses gendered language.
”The study found drastically different results for the steam group on healing the labia. Both groups began on Day 4 with fairly consistent issues with swelling and gapping, but by Day 8 a full two thirds of the steam group had fully healed labias while the entire control group was still experiencing swelling and/or gapping.”
*all herbs used are either grown in my front yard garden that is free from pesticides, in healthy soil, or purchased from responsible organic providers.
Special Circumstances
I believe that every person should have the emotional, physical and psychological support of a doula no matter their financial situation, and am happy to volunteer my time to those who are without means, which can include bartering for products and services and payment plan options.
Centering Black and marginalized people
If you are a white person who would like to help fund the accessibility of this work for Black folks, please know that you can make a contribution to my fund via Venmo at @erika-davis-22 or on Paypal at paypal.me/wholebodypregnancy . By contributing to this fund you allow me to serve Black families while also being able allow me to get paid for my work in the Black community.
If you are a Black birthing person who would like to access my service, please reach out for a free consultation.