Birthing a child is a very hard yet rewarding process we go through as birthing women. What's even harder is the role of being a mother. We adorn in the glory and beauty of childbirth, we get to hold our hearts in the palms of our hands, we have been graced with permission and accepted the responsibility of nurturing, teaching, and supporting them in their growth and development but...
HOLD UP, WAIT A GOT DAMN MINUTE!!!!
Are you the mom that whispers quietly, I didn't sign up for sleep deprivation crap, lack of self-care, being pee'd, poo'd, or vomited on, and I sure didn't sign up for the stares and glares of feeding my baby in public. As many people that CONGRATULATED me while I was pregnant and smiled and coo'd in their face, couldn't one of them support me in my healing?
If the last paragraph resonated with you, know and understand, you DON'T have to be alone or in this on your own. Even if you don't have family, a partner, or friends around that can aid you, you have an option.
What is it? A Postpartum Doula. What the hell is a Postpartum Doula? So glad you asked! A Postpartum Doula provides a Mother Earth and family with care after birth. Whether a Postpartum Doula is hired for day or overnight duties, the roles of the doula is to provide exceptional care and service to the family by performing task required to support, educate, and provide relief while the Mother Earth heals.
Postpartum Doulas are seen as a luxury today, especially in the BIPOC culture but understand, our culture of postpartum recovery consist of the "village" where the true idea of postpartum doula comes from. A circle of lineages, the Mother Earth, Grandmother, Great-Grandmother, Auntie, Mother in Loves, ALL pitching in to aid. Performing task such as prepping her soups and meals for nourishment and strength, taking care of the children, running errands, keeping the house tidy, so that the Mother can heal. In modern times, the "village" has now become Postpartum Doulas.
It takes a village to raise a child and until we can build this mindset and create birth villages, hiring a postpartum doula can ensure that you don't experience postpartum depression as well as ensure you have a peaceful, calm, and beautiful transition into your Rites of Passage into Motherhood.