I’m past the 4th trimester…can I still get a postpartum doula?

The short answer: yes!

Modern medicine has tricked us into thinking that postpartum only lasts the first 6-8 weeks, but in reality, it lasts a lot longer. Some say the entire first year, some say until you stop chestfeeding, others say it can last up to 7 years, and then there’s the fact that infancy lasts up to age 3. The truth is, the identity shift you experience as a mother, even if it’s not your first baby, lasts forever. You are always discovering new parts of yourself as your children age and come into their own.

Parents often do need the most help those first few months, but there are other reasons past the fourth trimester where you might find yourself needing an extra set of hands. Your partner’s return to paid work, for one. Suddenly your teammate who has been in the trenches and waking up with you for those middle of the night feeds needs to be up and out of the house by a certain time, leaving you solo for a majority of the day. With more and more states and companies offering paid parental leave for the non-birthing parent, this can happen later and later into your parenting journey, but it’s still a shock.

Another reason is your return to paid work. Of course now you’ll be out of the house a large part of the day, and your baby in care. But how are you going to spend those precious few hours between reuniting with your baby and putting your baby to bed? A postpartum doula can help support you by being an emotional sounding board for all your feelings about returning to paid work, providing advice and support for pumping or prepping bottles for the caregiver, and basically clearing the way for you and your partner to spend as much time with your little one after work.

Put simply, a postpartum doula is there to support you as you make this transition. And you are well within your rights to engage one, even if your baby has started solids and you’re back at an office.

If you find yourself outside of that first year but still needing support, I provide motherhood support coaching for wherever you’re at in your journey, whether your baby is 12 hours or 12 years old. If you’d like to see how I can help support you, book a free discovery call with me today.