Daytime Postpartum Doula Support in Maine | Sunny Side Postpartum Care
Expecting or already home with a newborn? Here's what daytime postpartum support looks like and how Sunny Side helps families across Maine and the New Hampshire Seacoast.
What kind of help will I need with a newborn?
Pregnant? Great - we just became best friends, and this one's for you. And if you've got a one week old and you just realized you haven't sat down all day, this one's for you too.
Funny thing about bringing a baby home. Everybody wants to come over and hold the baby. Hardly anybody shows up to fold your laundry, make you your favorite soup, or sit on the couch with you while you ask the question you've been Googling since 2 AM.
That's what I want for you. Someone who does all of that.
What's the fourth trimester?
It's what people call the first twelve weeks with a new baby. Your baby is getting used to life on the outside, and your whole family is getting used to life with a baby in it.
Okay, nerd moment. Scientists sort mammals by how they care for their young. Some are "cache" mammals, like rabbits and deer, who tuck their babies away in a safe spot and come back to feed them only once or twice a day. Their milk is super rich in fat and protein, so the babies can go a long time between feeds.
Humans are "carrier" mammals, like other primates. Our babies are designed to be held close almost all the time, and human milk is lighter and easier to digest, made for frequent feeds around the clock. So when your newborn wants to eat every couple of hours and only settles in someone's arms, they aren't spoiled and you aren't doing anything wrong. That's exactly how human babies are built.
And the grown ups need a fourth trimester too. In 2018, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists officially updated its guidance to say postpartum care should be an ongoing process over those first weeks, instead of one single checkup at six weeks.
It's a lot. Feeding is still coming together. Sleep is tough. Your body and your brain need time to rest, heal, and catch up. Your old routine is gone and you're figuring out what being this baby's parent looks like.
And that's true no matter how your baby comes home to you, whether through birth, adoption, or surrogacy.
What does it feel like to have a newborn baby at home?
If you're a week in, you might be living this right now. If you're pregnant, just know this is really common and totally normal.
Families tell me the days just blur. You look at the clock, it's 2 PM, and you realize you haven't eaten anything but half a granola bar. The sink is full. The laundry basket is overflowing. You desperately need a shower. And the baby is only happy if someone is holding them. And that someone is always you.
It can get lonely, too, especially once your partner goes back to work. The days are long and the questions don't stop. Is this normal? Are they eating enough? Why won't they settle??
You might feel like you should have it all figured out by now. You don't have to. Nobody figures this out alone.
What do postpartum doulas actually do?
Our daytime visits are 3 to 5 hours, with a 3 hour minimum, and each one is built around whatever you need that day.
A lot of it is baby care and learning together. Feeding, baths, soothing, swaddling, babywearing. We'll show you little tricks you can keep using long after we leave. And we'll get to know your baby right alongside you, figuring out what makes them tick together.
We take care of you, too. Maybe that means making sure you actually eat a warm lunch and drink some water. Maybe it's a long, hot shower. Maybe it's resting while we care for the baby. And if you'd rather stay right there next to us as we answer all your questions and chat while you hold the baby, that's completely okay. You're the parent. You call the shots.
We help around the house with laundry, dishes, tidying up, breaking down those amazon boxes, washing pump parts and bottles, and prepping meals. We can run a quick errand or help knock out something on your to do list, too.
And sometimes the best part of a visit is just talking through last night with someone who's been there a hundred times.
How we show up for your whole family
We're a small team, and that's on purpose. Before care starts, you'll meet your doulas in person, whether that's a few weeks before your due date or a few days before your first visit if your baby's already here. You'll get to know them, they'll get to know you, and you'll never feel like you're being handed off to a stranger. Our doulas give you real, evidence based info with zero judgment. However you feed your baby, however you parent, however you want your home to feel, we're on your side.
We care for your whole family, not only the baby. That can look like showing your partner how to give a bath or settle a fussy baby so they feel confident too. It can look like reading books with your toddler or playing a game with your big kid, so they get some one on one attention while the new baby takes up so much of everyone's time. It can look like getting a meal going that everyone can eat tonight.
I've got about twenty years of newborn care under my belt, plus training as a Certified Lactation Counselor and Infant Sleep Coach. Our whole team leans on that when it comes to feeding questions, soothing, and early sleep.
You can do daytime visits on their own or pair them with overnight care. If you're pregnant, we'll set up your schedule before the baby comes. If your baby's already here, we'll work on getting someone to you as soon as we can. And since I'm a backup doula, we do our best to keep your shift covered if your doula can't make it.
What does a postpartum doula schedule look like?
Every family's first weeks look different, so we build your daytime schedule around what you need. Some families book a couple of shifts a week for the first few weeks, when having an extra set of hands and someone to answer questions in real time makes the biggest difference. Others wait and add support once their partner goes back to work, which can make that big transition feel a whole lot softer. And plenty of families do a little of both.
You can do daytime visits on their own or pair them with overnight care. If you're pregnant, we'll set up your schedule before the baby comes. If your baby's already here, we'll work on getting someone to you as soon as we can. And life with a newborn changes fast, so we can adjust whenever you need to. Since I'm a backup doula, we do our best to keep your shift covered if your doula can't make it.
What if I'll have some support but just need to fill in the days I'll be alone?
Pregnant? The easiest time to set this up is now, before the days start running together. Reach out and let's talk about what your first weeks at home could look like.
Already home with a newborn? Don't wait until you're running on fumes. Send me a message and let's get you some help this week.
We serve families across Maine and the New Hampshire Seacoast.
P.S. Have you emailed your HR department yet? Some employers offer fertility and family building benefits through companies like Carrot, Maven, and Progyny. Depending on your plan, you may have an allowance you can put toward postpartum doula care. It's worth a quick email to find out! And whatever your benefits look like, we'll give you detailed receipts to make reimbursement easy.
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