Why hire a postpartum doula?
The early newborn days are hard. They’re amazing, of course—but still hard. If you’re a first time parent, you probably have a LOT of questions about newborn care. Newborn care classes are helpful, but sometimes a little extra help goes a long way. Plus, no matter how experienced you are, the sleep deprivation during the newborn days can feel unbearable. If this sounds like you—or if you’re preparing for a new baby and want to set yourself up for success to the highest extent possible, I’d definitely suggest looking into a hiring a Boston postpartum doula.
Postpartum doulas don’t just hold your baby to help you get some extra zzz’s (although this IS a big benefit if you hire one for overnights). In addition to helping you rest, they provide emotional support for you and care for the baby so that you can take care of yourself (eat, shower, etc.). They can teach you about newborn care, and many can help support you in your breastfeeding journey if that’s what’s best for your family. If you’ve gotten this far, I’m going to assume that you’re looking into working with one, so here’s a curated list of 6 of the best Boston postpartum doulas to help you start your search!
Six Postpartum Doulas in Boston to Guide You Through the Fourth Trimester
Tranquility by Hehe
Take control of your postpartum journey at Tranquility by Hehe. The mission of Tranquility by Hehe is to provide custom-tailored experiences based on your wants and needs, so your services will support your unique experiences. This doula team offers exceptional postpartum support for families who just welcomed their new additions. You will be assigned a professional to assist you with around-the-clock care.
For daytime care, your Boston postpartum doula will come to your home during the day and evening to help care for your baby while you eat, shower, nap, walk, or do anything else necessary for your self-care. Your doula may also do light housework (like unloading the dishwasher, folding laundry, cooking, etc.). As the parent, you’ll be able to chat with the doula and ask questions about your body’s healing process and anything related to your baby (keep in mind that doulas aren’t medical providers, though, so they’ll refer you to your OBGYN/midwife if necessary). You can book daytime services in blocks of 3 or more hours.
With overnight care, your doula will care for the baby in your home so you can sleep. She will sleep when the baby sleeps and will take care of all diaper changes and the infant’s other needs while you rest. For breastfeeding babies, your doula will bring the baby in for feeding and take the baby back with her afterwards. With bottle-fed and formula-fed babies, the doula will ask for instructions (verbal & written) about how to feed your baby and any preferences. The Tranquility by Hehe team offers a variety of packages for overnight care, including up to nearly 100 hrs of overnight per week!
Service area: Boston, and virtual postpartum support
“(Hehe) taught us how to get through the early stages of labor at home, and a few weeks later when she met us at the hospital, she advocated for me from the beginning – asking for blankets, letting me walk the halls, and asking about the pain relief options we had discussed. But her support didn’t end when our son was born; at our postpartum visit, she helped us gain confidence as new parents. As a couple without family in New England, knowing that HeHe is in our corner is very comforting!” –Katie A.
Night Owl Nurses
The goal of Night Owl Nurses is to care for your newborns, offer guidance and support, respect your home andvalues, honor your wishes, relieve sleep-deprived parents, and promote healthy sleep habits for everyone. These doulas are genuinely focused on helping sleep-deprived parents. Night Owl Nurses’ founding Boston postpartum doula, Rebeca Wetzel, holds certifications as a lactation consultant, postpartum doula, and child passenger safety technician.
With the commitment to being reliable, consistent, and nurturing, Night Owl Nurses provides the following services for overnight newborn care:
Feeding, changing, and soothing your newborn
Initiating and practicing healthy sleep habits
Bottle preparation
Bottle/breast pump cleaning and sterilization
Breastfeeding guidance and support
Establishing feeding routine/schedule
Maintaining feeding, changing, sleep journal
Service Area: Boston
“Rebecca is incredible. She started with us on our first night home from the hospital and immediately gave us helpful tips & advice. Most helpful was her encouragement towards breastfeeding as well as her guidance around feeding and sleeping schedules. She was instrumental in getting our baby on a schedule and sleeping through the night. We jokingly refer to her as the ‘baby whisperer’ – nothing rattles her.” –Jeff & Jade
Rising Tide Doulas and Lactation
Rising Tide aims to provide comprehensive, evidence-based education from the time of pregnancy through the toddler years. This team is very hands-on, so if that’s something you’re looking for, this Boston postpartum doula team is a great option. Liz and Lindsay, the two women behind Rising Tide, have a myriad of qualifications between them. In addition to being a doula, Lindsay is a registered nurse, a lactation educator, and a childbirth educator. Liz is an IBCLC (International Board Certified Lactation Consultant) and childbirth educator, and she’s also a certified Spinning Babies instructor.
Rising Tide postpartum doula support includes daytime hours, overnights, light housework like laundry and cooking (if possible depending on the baby’s needs, of course), tending to the baby, assistance with breastfeeding, babywearing, newborn care, and more.
Service Area: Cape Cod, South Shore, Boston
“Lyndsay made a postpartum visit which was really helpful because I was having a very hard time adjusting to being a new mother, with the lack of sleep it was rough. Lindsay had nothing but encouraging words and just made me feel so much better as a mother. I cannot express how happy I am to have met Lindsay and she has such a chill, calming personality, I loved it. I highly recommend you consider Lindsay for your birthing experience!” –D.C.
Boston Birth Associates
Boston Birth Associates (BBA) is a doula team that offers several services for new parents. In addition to offering Boston postpartum doula care, they offer breastfeeding support, courses on infant care and even an infant sleep class (naps, overnight sleep, or both). You can book postpartum doula support for daytime, overnights, and even short-term live-in periods. BBA doulas are patient and empathetic, ready to support both your emotional and physical needs. They are highly trained in newborn care and infant feeding and can help you troubleshoot any issues that come up. One of the things that I appreciate most about the Boston Birth Associates team is that it is diverse and LGBTQ-friendly.
Service Area: Offices in Woburn, MA and Andover, MA, but also serve Boston and greater New England
“A very close friend gifted my wife and I a 4 hour, postpartum Doula at our baby shower. While originally skeptical of the idea of a Doula, we found that Brittany exceeded our expectations. We were incredibly appreciative of all she did. She brought a lot of comfort and reassurance.
Absolutely no intimidation, no overwhelming feeling. It was key to calming our anxieties. She was lovely! Overall, casual, calm and understanding. She spoke TO us, and not at us. Very welcomed at a time where stress is at an all time high. Would definitely recommend to others!” –Jeff
Nightingale Night Nurses
Nightingale Night Nurses is an agency comprised of newborn care specialists, postpartum doulas, registered nurses (RNs) and licensed practical nurses (LPNs). They are dedicated to offering the highest standard of newborn care. Their Boston postpartum doulas and and newborn care specialists are non-judgmental and welcome all clients, whether birth parents, adoptive parents, LGBTQ+ parents, families living in large homes or small studio apartment dwellers.
If sleep is your primary concern (your own or your infant’s!), you should consider Nightengale Night Nurses. Their main goal is to prevent sleep deprivation before it becomes an issue. With this goal in mind, Nightingale Night Nurses provides overnight newborn care, 24-hour care, live-in care, feeding support, and baby sleep training (or, in the case of newborns too young for sleep training, education for developing healthy sleep habits). The RNs and LPNs on staff are capable of caring for babies with unique medical needs (such as a heart monitor or supplemental oxygen).
Service Area: Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut
“From the very first night that we brought our baby home from the hospital, Nightingale Night Nurses were there every step of the way. It was such a wonderful feeling to not only know that our baby was in the safest and most caring hands (other than our own) overnight, but also that we could get a restful night’s sleep.
We were never truly prepared for the exhaustion that came with bringing our bundle of joy home with us, but it was overwhelming to say the least. Knowing that at the end of the day, we would have a trusted, knowledgeable Nightingale watching over our baby and helping us get a good night’s sleep was sometimes all we needed to get us through those early days of exhaustion.” -Joanne & Jonah
A Golden Birth
A Golden Birth offers postpartum doula support for you and your baby right after birth. I’m a little biased, as I hired (and LOVED) Bethany as my birth doula, and she’s just the sweetest, most caring individual. While she is primarily a birth doula, her partner Colleen provides daytime postpartum doula and lactation support.
Packages may include a prenatal visit, 12-25 4-hour daytime postpartum doula support, lactation support, and unlimited email, text, and phone and video conference support during your journey. Your doula will help you reach breastfeeding goals by working with you to design a plan that works specifically for you and your breastfeeding needs.
Service area: Boston, Worcester, Central Massachusetts communities
“At every step my husband and I felt heard and supported. Having Colleen help us postpartum gave us space to enjoy bonding with our baby and gave me the support I needed to breastfeed successfully.” -Sara T.
Boston Postpartum Doula
Right after your baby is born, an entirely new chapter of your life begins. Start strong and confident with the help of your Boston postpartum doula!
If you found this interesting, you may also want to check out some of these other posts!
8 Boston Lactation Consultants for Breastfeeding Expertise
5 Best Birth Doulas in Boston and the Surrounding Area
