Hi Reader,

It's the final day of your Baby Prep Advent 🎁

I hope the past 12 days have given you resources that make life with your new baby go more smoothly.

That has been my goal ever since I started working as a postpartum doula more than ten years ago.

One of the most common questions I'm asked in my instagram DMs is how to find a postpartum doula, so I thought I'd give you a resource to make that easier. (if you're not already following on IG click here)

If your first reaction to hiring a doula is, “That sounds nice, but not realistic for us,” let me share a few ways families make support doable even on a limited budget.

• Add a doula fund to your registry.​
  People want to give you something you’ll truly use. Let them contribute toward a few nights of support.
• Save for one or two nights.​
  I have worked with families for months, but that is not always the case. There's a group of girlfriends who give one another ONE night of my support whenever someone has a baby.
• Look for a doula in the certification process.​
  These doulas need to support families to gain experience for certification, so their support is often offered at a deep discount. They may ask for a short write up about how they did in return.

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🎁 YOUR DAY 12 GIFT:
​How to Hire a Postpartum Doula

This guide walks you through:

• Where to find a doula
• What to ask during the interview
• How to choose the right fit for your family

👉 So CLICK HERE to grab the Guide 🎁

🤔 NEWBORN NUGGET

There are a lot of opinions about hiring a doula:

“Mom won’t bond with the baby if she hires help.”
“Moms who breastfeed can’t have a doula.”
“Must be nice, I did it all myself.”

False.
False.
And rude.

After more than a decade of supporting hundreds of families, I can tell you this: every single family was grateful for the support.

You will still bond with your baby.

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There are 24 hours in a day. Having support for part of that time does not make you a bad mom. It often makes you a more confident, well rested one.

And yes, you can absolutely hire a doula if you’re breastfeeding.​
If I were your doula, I’d wake you to feed, observe the latch, help with burping and settling, and send you back to bed until the next feeding.

🙌🏼 ONE SMALL THING TO DO TODAY

Talk with your partner about whether postpartum doula support is something you would like to consider, even if it is just for a night or two.

This is the final day of the Baby Prep Advent and I’ve loved sharing these free gifts with you.

As you prepare for your baby, I’m honored to be a resource for you and will continue sharing support, tips, and tools to help you enjoy the newborn stage, not just survive it.

🎁 If you missed any of the Advent gifts, you can grab them all HERE until the end of the month.

xoxo,

Valerie Trumbower, PCD(DONA), CLC

Certified Postpartum Doula, Certified Lactation Counselor

P.S. If you would like more support as you prepare and have not already registered, my free class is available here: newparentsacademy.com/free​
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