"Having a baby?  Here are some great tips for ensuring an easy, sweet and gentle start at home.  Please, feel free to print out and share this article with others, including my contact information please.  Healthy parenting means knowing what is right for you and your new family."
-Schyler Mason, Postpartum Doula

Article 1:  How to get the quiet start you need, tips for managing family and friends when you’ve just had a baby.

 By Schyler Mason, Postpartum Doula, www.seattlebabies.com

No matter how excited friends and family are to meet the new baby, a sweet, gentle beginning for the new family is the most important thing.  Our family and friends are so excited to meet the new baby after the birth that their excitement can easily overwhelm their logic.  They know you need quiet, and are very sure that during their visit they’ll be helpful, holding the baby so you can sleep, or doing dishes… but their best wishes so often just aren’t what is truly needed at that moment in time.   Don’t be afraid to set limits with friends, family and loved ones for the first few weeks.   

Top 5 things to do to ensure quiet with your new baby the first weeks:

 1.    Turn off the telephone ringer, and leave an outgoing message with :

·       baby’s arrival information (sex, name, date, weight)

·        your information (we’re fine)

·       When you’ll be returning phone calls (maybe in a few weeks, so don’t worry)

·       Who people can contact to coordinate bringing a meal over, or running errands for you

 2. Disconnect the doorbell, or put a note on it asking people to knock instead “sleeping baby, please knock!” 

3. Ask a trusted friend or family member to be your contact person for food and errand running coordination, and your emergency contact. 

4. Make sure you have a lot of postpartum support, no matter where it comes from.  You'll want a trusted source of information, ideas and nurturing support at this time, more than ever!  Family, friends or your Postpartum Doula will be the people who are your first line of defense in this challenging and amazing time.  Choose people who will help you parent the way you want to parent, not someone who will tell you what to do and be highly opinionated.  Even scheduling two hours a day for a much needed nap may make the difference between a peaceful transition and a chaotic one.  Remember, you'll need as much sleep as you needed before the baby came, no matter when or how you get it for optimum health.

5.    Coordinate short, once a day (if that much!) visits with family and friends.  Let them know AHEAD of time: 

·       They’re welcome to come over (day and time)

·       Please don’t be offended if we call and ask you to reschedule, we might be napping or very fussy)

·       How long they can stay (it would be great if you could stay for 30 minutes or so, we get tired so quickly!)

·       What they can bring (could you please please bring two grande 2% lattes?  Decaf if you're breastfeeding!) 

This will set up the visit so it’s short, sweet and perfect for everyone.  Don’t wait until they’re at your house, and aren’t getting the subtle messages that it’s time to leave.  That’s awkward and not fun for anyone. Taking care of yourself and your new family in this way is just what the doula ordered!   

Here’s to healthy parenting,

By Schyler Mason, Postpartum Doula, www.seattlebabies.com

Article 2:  Five things every family needs to know before their baby arrives. 

Generally, I meet my families before their baby is born, though often we meet after the birth, when the parents have realized just how much help they need!   So much time and effort is put into learning about and planning for the birth of the baby – which ob/gyn or midwife to use, where to labor, plan a, b and c…  And then, after the birth, you’re handed a tiny little human!  Your baby! 

This sweet little baby, so anticipated, is often a mystery to new parents.  Even for parents who have had children before.  There is no instruction manual for your newborn!  The parents I meet are usually at wit’s end, trying anything people suggest, or so confused by the many well intentioned but conflicting pieces of information they get that they are just trying to survive, unable to actually try any of those ideas.  If this is the only thing you read before your baby arrives, you’re going to be leaps and bounds ahead!

There are so many baby advice books out there (the number one item new moms tell me they throw away) so much of the information held within is just useless.  Parents don’t need advice; they need solid, non partial, opinion free information!  That is where I come in.  I’ve done all the research, tried the methods, and have seen first hand exactly which ones work.

 Now, don’t get me wrong – not every method works for every family and every baby, of course!  But there are numerous good methods out there, one of which will help get you to your goal.  It’s a matter of trial and error, even for an expert like me.  Getting to know your new baby is the most important job you have right now.  That knowledge of your baby’s temperament, personality and preferences will serve you well for the rest of your life together.  Yes, even brand new babies have their own wishes, dreams, likes and dislikes.  They’re tiny little people, just as we’re full grown people.  Please, try not to forget that.  These little people need our understanding, compassion and creativity to get an easy start to this life.

  Imagine yourself as a tiny, new baby.  What do you need the most?  You need loving arms, food, shelter, comfort and safety.  It’s actually very simple.  There is a system to babies, no matter how erratic they may seem at first.  They have their own schedule they’d like to follow (despite our best efforts at thwarting that).  When babies get their core needs met, they are content.  And what a sweet joy it is to behold a content baby in your arms!  You can have that! 

What we are talking about is creating the fourth trimester.  A term more commonly known now, it refers to the first three months after a baby’s birth.  What we want to do is create a new, wonderful, warm and loving environment to replace the perfect one they’ve just left.  Baby misses the constant noise of the womb, the rocking movement, the gentle pounding of mom’s heartbeat.  Give baby a gentle transition to the world by providing for them an external womb to come home to.  Here is how:

1. Loving arms; these, I hope, are in good supply in your home.  They need not be mom’s arms, or dad’s arms… they may belong to a friend, a trusted doula, a grandparent…  What babies need and want so much is just to be held.  Consider this… they’ve been in full body contact with mom for nine months!  All of a sudden, they’re born into an air filled world that is cold and dry and very much unknown.  Babies miss that skin contact they had, they want to be that close again.  Hold your baby close to your skin; let them feel you there, completely available to them, as mom was for them for those nine months. 

2. Food.  The best food for baby is mom’s milk.  Mom and baby will need a lot of support to get on the right path with breastfeeding.  These first few weeks are so important to your success with breastfeeding, please get the support of an experienced mother who breastfed, the support of a postpartum doula, mom’s partner, a grandparent, or lactation consultant.  Breastfeeding is an amazing and wonderful way to bond with your baby, and gives baby the best start. 

I know it’s not always possible to breastfeed.  If you aren’t breastfeeding for any of the many very good reasons, make sure that bottle feedings are sweet times where baby gets skin to skin contact with whomever is feeding her, a time to relax, take her time and get the nourishment her body and whole self needs.  If using a formula, please talk with your pediatrician while baby is starting out.  If baby is experiencing gas pains, bloating, projectile spit up, or other problems, you may want to try a different formula. 

3. Shelter.  Baby feels very strange in this new, cold and dry environment.  He feels scared to have his body be so out in the open and stretched out.  For nine months, and especially the last three, he’s been snuggly and warm, all rolled up inside mom.  Imagine being like a ball for nine months, and then suddenly stretched out!  How uncomfortable, to say the least!  Swaddling is a wonderful way to help baby feel safe and cozy again.  Swaddle baby tight, all tucked in.  In addition to helping him feel safe and cozy, he may experience less gas and better sleep.  What benefits!  See my special swaddling blog entry for swaddling instructions and inspiration!

4. Comfort.  Baby, as we’ve talked about has very basic needs.  Having warm loving arms, nourishment and the shelter of a swaddling, baby also has other physical needs right away.  Burping baby will do wonders for everyone in the home.  It can be tricky in the beginning, but practice will make perfect.  Burping reduces gas, one of the main things that can cause baby to experience pain.

 Dry diapers and dry skin are so important.  Make sure that in between each diaper that baby’s skin is allowed to get completely dry.  Air drying or a low, cool setting on your hair dryer will work wonders.  Dry skin means no diaper rash, another way baby may experience pain. 

Comfort also means good sleep habits.  Help your baby sleep when tired by allowing her to lie down and have time to really relax and get good REM sleep.  I see so many families making the well intentioned but terrible mistake of getting their baby out of bed at the first sound they make.  Babies are noisy sleepers.  They may speak in droves while sleeping; this doesn’t mean they’re ready to get up.  Look at and really observe baby.  Are her eyes still droopy and red?  Is she unresponsive and not at all alert?  She may need more sleep.  Meet any obvious needs and then tuck her back in.  If not necessary, don’t even get her up.  This might wake her more than necessary and disrupt her sleep cycle.

 Sleep habits are especially important to enforce right away with early babies.  Premature and early babies are very prone to sleep deprivation.  Work hard when baby is very young at getting sleep time to work well for you.  You and your family will benefit more than I can say. 

5. Safety is vitally important to baby, even though the safety measures you take will hopefully never be put into use.  Make absolutely sure that your home is safe for baby and exhausted parents before baby arrives.  Replace batteries in smoke detectors, get a carbon monoxide detector, and get CPR and First Aid for infants for anyone who will be alone with baby.  Most hospitals offer classes aimed at new parents.  One afternoon may save baby’s life one day.  Don’t skimp!  Never leave baby alone with someone who isn’t prepared to perform CPR on baby.  Always make sure you actually see a childcare person’s current CPR certification card.  They may not realize it’s time to renew.

 Also, make sure family pets are trustworthy around baby.  They may feel threatened, ignored, or even territorial around baby.  Never leave baby alone with pets until trust is firmly established. 

          Making sure you’re comfortable with these 5 points to my “happy baby and family” system will allow you to feel much more secure, confident and ready for your new baby!

To your healthy parenting,

By Schyler Mason, Postpartum Doula, www.seattlebabies.com

Article 3: Baby Days/ Infant Care log 

By Schyler Mason, Postpartum Doula, www.seattlebabies.com

      Many new families like to keep logs for baby's particulars, when they ate, when they had diaper events...I designed these logs to be easy to use and useful for multiples as well.  In the first few weeks when everyone is getting used to less sleep, and a lot of changes, logs can help keep track of things that are easy to lose track of.  These are great to bring along to doctor's visits.

Baby:

 Baby:

 Baby:

Baby:

Article 4: Mom's Postpartum Health Log

By Schyler Mason, Postpartum Doula, www.seattlebabies.com

        Goals: Drink water every time you feed baby, eat when you're hungry.  Take meds on schedule and get as much sleep as you can.  Limit exertion for healing, get love and support!

 Date:

 Date:

 Date:

Article 5: Ten important things to ask when hiring a Postpartum Doula

By Schyler Mason, Postpartum Doula, www.seattlebabies.com

          A Postpartum Doula provides nonjudgmental support, nurturing, information and education to families with newborn babies.  She may help you with very practical things, such as cooking meals, light housekeeping, running errands, holding baby while allowing the new parents to take a much needed nap, and more.  She is someone who provides evidence based information to new parents and is an expert on newborn care and characteristics.  Your Doula will support you with breastfeeding.  She is an expert on infant feeding; she will help you with the emotional and physical recovery from the birth.  She is fantastic at teaching you ways to calm your baby, and will help you learn coping skills for when nothing seems to work.  She knows when an issue requires a different type of professional support, and will make an appropriate referral.

 When looking into hiring a Postpartum Doula, ask her the following questions. 

          1. What training have you had? 

2. Have you had a recent criminal background check, recent TB test, current CPR certification?

3. Tell me about your experience as a Postpartum Doula

4. What is your philosophy about parenting and supporting women and their families during postpartum?

5. May we meet to discuss our needs and the role you will play in supporting us?

6. What different types of services do you offer?

7. May we call you with postpartum questions or concerns before the birth?

8. When do your services begin after birth?

9. What is your experience in breastfeeding support?

10. Do you have a backup?  May we meet her?

 Thanks to Doulas of North America for this concise list.  Read a full article on the role of a Postpartum Doula in Maternity Care here:

 http://www.dona.org/PDF/PDPositionPaper.pdf

 In addition to these questions, make sure your Doula is comfortable working in your home; check with her about family pets, other children in the home, lifestyle (is she a smoker, healthy?)  Make sure she has reliable transportation and a reputation for being timely.  Check with at least three references – is she trustworthy, a good investment?  Does she understand the limitations of her practice?  Postpartum Doulas are not medically trained.  She should tell you that during the interview.

Your Doula will be with your family at a very intimate time.  Make very sure you’re comfortable having her in your home.  Most families end up giving me their keys to their home, sending me to buy groceries with their store account information or debit cards, take me to doctor’s visits, and more!  The trust of a Doula is a gift. 

10. Diapers, or diaper service.