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Looking for a Postpartum Doula in Connecticut? Are you considering different types of postpartum care, such as the differences between a Newborn Care Specialist, Postpartum Doula and even a “baby nurse”? Let’s explore ways to find a Postpartum Doula in CT, and how to know which kind of support is right for your family.
CT Postpartum Doula
A Postpartum Doula is a caregiver who typically supports the whole family after birth. Postpartum Doulas are trained to provide care to the parents as well as the newborn. There are several organizations that train and certify Postpartum Doulas, such as CAPPA, DONA or ICEA.
[Not all PPD are Certified Postpartum Doulas. To become a Certified Postpartum Doula one must jump through additional hoops and continue to be re-certified on a regular basis.]
A Connecticut Postpartum Doula will typically provide in-home care immediately after birth and throughout the early weeks and months of life. They may have more robust training in lactation support than other types of postpartum and newborn caregivers. Their focus tends to be on the family’s wellbeing as a whole, rather than directly on the newborn. Stereotypically a Postpartum Doula is more likely to work with a family during the day, or on occasional respite nights.
Typical roles and responsibilities of a Postpartum Doula are:
- Breastfeeding, pumping, and bottle feeding guidance
- Newborn care while parents sleep or practice self-care
- Newborn care education i.e. swaddling tips, normal vs. abnormal newborn behavior, infant milestones, soothing techniques
- Babywearing education
- Light daytime household tasks i.e. folding laundry, washing bottles and pump parts, simple meal prep
- Nursery organization
- Daytime or overnight care, live-in or live-out care
- Light meal prep i.e. making parents a sandwich, cutting up fruit
- Errands i.e. accompanying parents to the pediatrician, grocery shopping
- Sibling and/or pet care
- Referrals to additional support i.e. counseling for PPMDs or pelvic floor therapy
Connecticut Newborn Care Specialist
Alternatively, a Newborn Care Specialist is trained to provide care to the newborn directly. There are many NCS trainings available, however only a select few are approved for certification through the NCSA (Newborn Care Specialist Association). Many of their roles and responsibilities are similar to that of a Postpartum Doula, however their focus tends to be more on the newborn’s care and routines. They may have more extensive training in newborn and infant routines and sleep conditioning/ sleep shaping techniques than other types of postpartum caregivers. Stereotypically a Newborn Care Specialist will provide regular overnights or 24/7 live in care.
Typical roles and responsibilities of a Newborn Care Specialist are:
- Direct care of newborn i.e. bottle feedings, diapering, bathing
- Parent education i.e. swaddling demonstration, soothing techniques, infant milestones
- Getting babies into a routine, sleep conditioning
- Nursery organization
- Washing and sanitizing bottles and pump parts
- Light housework i.e. dishes, laundry
- Breastfeeding, pumping, and bottle feeding guidance
- Light baby-related household tasks i.e. folding baby laundry, washing bottles and pump parts
- Nursery organization
- Daytime or overnight care, live-in or live-out care
Connecticut Baby Nurse
A baby nurse is another type of newborn caregiver. “Baby nurse” and even “night nurse” is a bit of an antiquated term. Baby nurses are not typically nurses, as in Registered Nurses (RNs) or Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs). When looking for in-home newborn support in Connecticut, running into a baby nurse may be more common along the border of the state, as it is common in New York City for families to hire a NYC 24/7 baby nurse that may not be qualified and/or may charge a low daily rate under the table.
For families seeking professional postpartum support, a Postpartum Doula or Newborn Care Specialist are the best options.
Find a Postpartum Doula in Connecticut
Postpartum doulas and Newborn Care Specialists may work independently or through an agency that matches families with caregivers. To find a Postpartum Doula or NCS in CT, it’s best to begin your search during your second trimester of pregnancy, as doulas can book up quickly. However if you need a last-minute NCS or last-minute postpartum doula in CT, hope is not lost!
Reach out today to set up a discovery call and start the matching process. Our team of expert trained and certified Postpartum Doulas and trained and certified Newborn Care Specialists are available to support new families across CT. If you need a Hartford Postpartum Doula, Fairfield county Postpartum Doula, Middlesex county CT Postpartum Doula, Litchfield county CT postpartum doula, New London county postpartum doula, Tolland county postpartum doula, New Haven postpartum doula, or Windham County postpartum doula – please reach out anytime to learn more about our services.
