I know, that can be hard to believe. I wouldn’t have believed it myself when my kids were itty bitty newborns ahem 12-21 years ago…..
No one told me there were ways to have help at night, even if I was breastfeeding. No one offered to come to stay with me and take care of my babies while I slept.
I did have a little daytime help, mercifully. I had a friend who came over once a week for about a month and cleaned my kitchen. My mother-in-law came and stayed for a week or so, and helped with the older kids and the cooking and cleaning.
After that first couple of weeks, though? I was on my own. My husband went back to work, and there I was, with three small children and little to no sleep. It didn’t have to be that way…
What Does Overnight Help Look Like?
Imagine this.
You’ve just rocked and sang your way through the 5:00-7:00 PM crying spell. Your back hurts from standing because your baby screams when they sense that you’ve sat down. It’s almost time for bed, and your eyes are bleary and the lids heavy. You’re almost done, the doula is on her way.
It’s 9:00 PM. A knock sounds at the door, and you feel an almost physical sensation of relief. Your doula is there, fresh, smiling. She has a small overnight bag and puts it down to accept your baby so you can sit. She has the magic touch, and sways and shushes as you relay the events of the day, and let her know how much milk the baby drinks and how she likes to be swaddled.
You close your bedroom door and pull the curtains shut. Maybe you diffuse a little lavender, turn down the air conditioner, and put on your softest pajamas. You switch on the fan and the white noise app on your phone. Your body relaxes completely, not needing to jolt awake at your baby’s every snuffle sound or whimper. Your doula will lovingly attend to her every little need.
At 7:00 AM, there is a gentle knock at the door. It’s your doula, with your baby fed and dressed. You blink, realizing that you feel something strange and different. You feel rested like you can get up and tackle everything the day can throw at you!
This isn’t a cute fantasy. It’s real life for the Colorado Mountain Doulas clients whose lives we have changed by wiping out harmful sleep deprivation.
Can I Have Overnight Help if I’m Breastfeeding?
One of the most common questions we receive is: are our Colorado overnight postpartum doula services breastfeeding-friendly?
The short answer is, YES! The long answer is:
We support our clients, however, they choose to feed their babies. You may provide formula, pumped breastmilk, or breastfeed at night when the baby is hungry. You may give us bottles, but wake up to pump a couple times when your breasts feel uncomfortable.
As we are caring for your baby throughout the night, we will observe when she displays cues that she is hungry and ready to eat. At that time, we can quietly bring the baby into your room so that you can nurse, and then we’ll take her back so you can get back to dreamland while we burp, change, and settle her back down.
Overnight Infant Care is Easy and Painless
It’s easy to book professional overnight infant care in Colorado. Our clients can contact us and we can help you figure out how much help you need: whether that is nightly; a few times a week; or just occasionally. We will take care of everything – you just have to enjoy your sleep. You can have an overnight postpartum doula in Denver, Colorado Springs, Pueblo, and all other surrounding Colorado cities.
My journey through sleep deprivation and its many harmful effects was a big factor in my decision to become a postpartum doula. I feel grateful that my life has taken me in this direction, and so many new moms in Colorado can now enjoy restful sleep – yes, even with a newborn.