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Health
&WELLNESS
Oh Baby!
Can a Postpartum
Doula Help?
Corey Engmann never imagined hiring a postpartum doula until she learned she was
expecting twins. Feeling overwhelmed and worried about how she would handle two
newborns, along with the pressing needs of her two-year-old, she turned to Teresa
Marshall, a certified birth and postpartum doula, for help following the twins’ birth.
Marshall spent five nights a week for four months at Engmann’s home once the
twins arrived providing physical and emotional support. Her assistance enabled
Engmann to get the sleep she needed to recover from a physically demanding pregnancy and delivery.
“I can easily say that hiring Teresa was the best thing I have ever done for myself and our family,”
Engmann says. “During the day I could be present, loving and enjoying all three of my children. It
wasn’t the endless cycle of fatigue and frustration as it sometimes was during the first few months with
my first child.”
What is a Postpartum Doula?
The first six weeks after a newborn arrives can be a mixture of happiness and anxiety as mom settles
into a new routine. Many of today’s new mothers lack the support network that generations of mothers
have relied on. Close family and friends are far-flung and partners return to work within days. A
postpartum doula can provide the experience and valuable support that a new mother may be missing.
“A lot of women are waiting to have children until they are much older. Their parents are older or
live in other parts of the country,” says Marshall who, in addition to her work as a birth and postpartum
doula, is a facilitator for a pregnancy and postpartum depression and anxiety support group. “With
postpartum depression being a risk, it’s so important for women not to be isolated.” The support of a
postpartum doula can be especially helpful to mothers who:
• Have a history of depression or postpartum depression.
By Christa Melnyk Hines
• Don’t have loved ones nearby to
rely on.
• Are expecting multiples.
• Have other little ones
demanding their attention.
“I am convinced that Teresa
saved my life. As most moms have
felt at one time or another, I was
often wondering and questioning
if what I was doing was the right
thing for my children and, with
twins, the responsibility is so
unbelievably overwhelming,”
Engmann says.
Mothering the Mother
A mom who spends hours
alone with her baby can easily
spiral into emotional and physical
exhaustion, which can put her
at greater risk for postpartum
anxiety or depression. During
this challenging transition period,
often called the fourth trimester, a
postpartum doula can provide calm
reassurance and support to a new
mama and her family.
“When moms feel supported
at home and they are getting what
they need, the rates of postpartum
depression are reduced,” says
Kate Kripke, LCSW, an expert
in perinatal mood and anxiety
disorders and contributor to
. “There
is a lot to be said about the role
the postpartum doula plays in
simply mothering the mother after
giving birth that can be incredibly
preventive for lots of women.”
In addition to helping to care
for the baby, postpartum doulas
often help with light housework,
errands, cooking, crowd control,
and caring for siblings. Many are
also trained to recognize the signs
of postpartum depression and
provide resources to the moms
they support. “When doulas are
educated in what to look for,
they’re one of the first people to
pick up on and identify when
something is going on with the
mom,” Kripke says.
What is Postpartum
Depression?
According to Postpartum
Support International, 1-in-8
ORLANDO FAMILY MAGAZINE JANUARY 2016 26