Having a baby is a tender time, and all new moms need support. I have the experience and professional training to ease the transition, helping you to get more rest, gain confidence, and feel supported as you acclimate to your new role and routines.
As a doula, I specialize in supporting first-time parents, parents with late pre-term preemies, parents who experienced infertility or loss on their journey, and parents without local family or friends to help.
I provide:
Physical support.
My primary role is to anticipate your needs without being asked. I’ll quietly attend to whatever is necessary so you can slow down, focus on your recovery, and bond with your baby.
My help with the baby’s laundry, bottle prep, breastmilk storage, and newborn care provides much-needed rest for you. My visits are tailored to your specific needs and may include:
- Breast and bottle-feeding support
- Postpartum recovery help
- Meal prep
- Tending to the baby while you rest or shower
- Help setting up “meal trains” from friends
- … and other needs you identify
No one knows your baby like you, and I’ll be there alongside you to carry the load.
— “Emily is exactly the right type of doula you need assisting you in those crazy, beginning weeks. Knowledgeable and confident, she can assist you without making you feel inadequate. As a second-time mother, she helped me remember soothing techniques I had forgotten, suggested some new baby-wearing techniques that helped me better manage a toddler with a newborn, and helped me find mothers and resources I could use in an area I had just moved to. She was just generally reassuring and helpful. I 100% recommend her to anyone looking to hire a postpartum doula.”
— Sarah L.
“I appreciated having another adult around who wasn’t getting in the way but instead was ready to help”
— John R.
Emotional support.
I believe the best way to hold a baby is to hold space for you. This emotional support can decrease the risk for perinatal mood disorders, improve the adjustment period, and aid in the mother/baby bond.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists reports that 20% of mothers experience Postpartum Mood Disorders, and new parents need a safe space to adjust from what was, to what is.
Trained in maternal mental health through Postpartum Support International, I feel comfortable with difficult emotions; and offer a non-judgmental ear and a safe space to process them in your own time. If a licensed maternal mental health referral is needed, I have a deep network of qualified professionals.
“Even as a 5th-time mother, I found Emily’s listening ear and insight into newborns so helpful and comforting in those challenging early weeks.”
— Claire R.
Confidence Building.
No one knows this baby more than you, yet having a baby presents many new experiences we’re simply not trained for! I will be there to support you with evidence-based research and information on common newborn challenges like,
- Optimizing newborn sleep
- Swaddling
- Breastfeeding and milk storage
- Pumping
- Soothing techniques
- Newborn care assistance
- Boundary setting
- …and bottle feeding
As a mom and certified postpartum doula, I am experienced, confident, and trained with up-to-date science-based information.
“The next best thing to my mom.”
— Client, and first-time mom
Total Family Support.
Whether it is to receive help with sibling adjustment, navigating changing dynamics within your family, or setting up new routines, hiring a postpartum doula is an investment in the well-being of the entire family. I will support you and your partner with the resources to find your new rhythm.
— “Emily was very supportive in helping us learn to manage a newborn and a toddler”.
— Justin L.
Rates:
$40 per hour
4-hour minimum per shift
Virtual support available: $18 per hour
Durham Doula 