Postpartum Doula Services

Caroline expanded her decades of teaching expectant parents with certification as a Postpartum Doula in 2012. As such, she draws on her experience as an educator to help families meet the emotional and logistical challenges parenthood brings. Postpartum services are personalized to each family’s needs, may change over time, and often include the following:

  • Infant care education
  • Assistance with infant feeding
  • Emotional support
  • Mother care
  • Developmental education and anticipatory guidance
  • Sleep strategies
  • Caring for baby while parents rest/sleep/shower
  • Sibling care and adjustment
  • Meal preparation
  • Light housekeeping
  • Errands
  • Guidance in prioritizing daily tasks

Postpartum Doula Benefits

Postpartum Doulas provide practical and psycho-social support for women and their families, benefiting each individual as well as the family as a whole.

Research shows that:

Women who have support during the postpartum period:

  • Are more likely to breastfeed
  • Have greater self-confidence
  • Are less likely to experience postpartum depression
  • Are less anxious
  • Have a lower incidence of abusive behavior toward their children

Babies whose parents receive postpartum support:

  • Are less likely to visit the Emergency Department
  • Are more likely to be breastfed

About Caroline

“Although we prepare the best we can to welcome a new baby into our lives, we can never really know how much or in what way things will change until they do. My goal is to help families prepare as well as possible for life after the birth, and to support them with all the little surprises that come along with their new baby. There are a lot of new logistics and a lot of new emotions in a home with a new baby. As a Postpartum Doula, my role is to figure out what the new family needs and help them get it. Whether it’s developmental information, emotional support, breastfeeding support, couple time away from baby, or just a nap and shower, I’m there to help new parents and older siblings transition smoothly to their new life with baby.”

Caroline has provided postpartum doula support to over 80 families, including families experiencing premature births, postpartum mood disorders, children with special health care needs, and multiples (including quadruplets). She is certified through DONA International and the Northwest Association for Perinatal Support (NAPS). Other qualifications include:

  • Bachelor of Arts, Psychology, Amherst College
  • Master of Public Health, University of Washington
  • Childbirth and New Parent Educator, Overlake Medical Center, since 1992
  • ICEA Certified Childbirth Educator since 1992
  • Bringing Baby Home instructor training in 2005
  • Certified Postpartum Doula since 2012 (NAPS) and 2014 (DONA)
  • DONA International and NAPS Doulas member since 2012
  • American Heart Association CPR Instructor since 2015
  • Infant Massage Educator training in 2019
  • Swedish Doula Program Advanced Postpartum Doula since 2019
  • Certification Lead for NAPS Doulas since 2020
  • Mother of three nearly-grown children
  • Fully vaccinated and double-boosted against Covid-19

Testimonials

“Caroline was very cheerful, caring, and knowledgeable. She was a willing helper at all times. She was awesome!” —M.B.

“I tapped into Caroline’s vast knowledge and experience to understand how I should be going about my day and ways to make bath time, nursing, naps/bedtime, and playtime more enjoyable and less stressful for both my baby and me. Her calm, warm, and patient demeanor was perfect for me. Caroline always provided me with a number of options and things to try, because she knows what works for one baby may not work so well for another, especially the very sensitive ones among us! Without the knowledge and guidance Caroline passed on, life would not have gotten this much easier. Her help made me feel more confident as a first-time mother, and for that I will always be grateful.” — J.H.

“Caroline has a calm presence and is personable, professional, and experienced. She was very helpful with sleep issues, especially naps. She cared for our toddler, assisted with home care projects, and was willing to support us however we needed. “ — S.J. & A.M.

“We had the pleasure of working with Caroline after the birth of our son in May. Amidst the many challenges of the pandemic, we were so lucky to have found her. Caroline’s expertise regarding the baby’s developmental milestones & my postpartum recovery were incredibly helpful to our transition into parenthood. Countless times, Caroline put our minds at ease by providing research-based guidance for challenges that we faced and helped us to prepare for upcoming developmental changes. Without family in town, as we had originally planned before the pandemic, Caroline became a big part of the “village” that helped us get on our feet after bring our son home. We’re forever grateful!

Additionally, we really appreciated Caroline’s thoughtful approach to navigating Covid safely for herself and our family. We always felt well informed of her efforts to maintain a safe environment and really appreciated her offering a virtual meeting option when covid became widespread. We recommend Caroline to every new parent we know, she’s the best!” — K.A. & K.A.

“Caroline was an exceptional doula in every way! She was a huge support from when I was recovering from labor to today in teaching us about caring for our two month old twins. Every piece of her knowledge was appreciated.  We have been so lucky and appreciate her greatly!” — A.R. & R.R.

“Caroline’s professional assistance made a huge difference in the first three weeks after my daughter was born. Our life became difficult with a few unexpected challenges around my delivery. With Caroline’s help I was able to overcome my postpartum health issues while learning how to care for my baby (nursing, bathing, napping, …) in a way that is enjoyable for both of us. Caroline has calm and non-judgmental manner. She recognizes challenges and provides a variety of solutions and information so you make the best decision for yourself. She is willing and more than capable to help with a wide range of postpartum items from emotional and physical health to nursing and caring for baby, financial future planning for baby, dealing with insurance, and arranging laundry and kitchen. We were so lucky and truly appreciate her help. ” — Y.H.

Belly to Babies > Postpartum Services

“The beginning is the most important part, especially when dealing with anything young and tender.”

— Socrates