How soon do you take clients after having a baby?

[Iarwain]

Not sure if this is where this should go, so forgive me if I put it in the wrong spot. This is my first day posting here so - hello!

I was wondering how soon after having a baby you go back to taking clients - speaking specifically in terms of birth doulas here. I have a 3 mo and with my other kiddos I waited a full year. I have two women due this fall who are interested in hiring me. My dd will be 9 and 10 mos old when they are due. I have very mixed feelings about this. I've never left my babies when they were little before but I'd really, really like to get back into the swing of things, especially since one of these ladies would be a repeat client. I can't imagine leaving dd, and I don't really know if I'd be able to find childcare willing to take on a nursing baby who misses her momma and would probably cry the whole time. Of course the thought of her crying for me makes me feel sick to my stomach too. Anyway, just wanted to get others' perspectives.

[Tiffany]

My baby is 9 months old right now, and I have a 2.5 year old and a 5 year old. I am just now getting back into taking birth clients. It also makes me uneasy and feel guilty about leaving them with a sitter. I will cross the bridge when we get there though. Hopefully you'll have someone your kids are really comfortable with when you've got to attend a birth!

Oh, and welcome to AllDoulas.

[loveslabor]

I took clients when my baby was about 8 months along.

This worked out just fine for me. Baby stayed with daddy and I pumped t the hospital.

[Acacia]

I am currently pregnant and will begin to take clients when the baby is 7 months old or when he or she begins some solid foods. This of course also depends on whether or not this baby will or will not take pumped milk in a bottle! I have a nice portable pump and have access to the hospitals pumping station if I were to need it. I think as long as good arrangements are made for the kids then you should be able to start whenever you are comfortable!

[naturalbirther]

well, y'all are making me feel like a jerk! I am planning on starting back to doula-work when my ds is around 3 or 4 months old! I just plan to pump while at the hospital since dh is my sitter when doula-ing. If he has to go somewhere, then my parents or his parents or ciblings help out. It'ss in my contract that I need time to pump, unless mom is pushing, of course, or REALLY can't be left alone!
Ash

[DoulaYvonne]

I really believe this is an individual decision and a child-by-child decision too. Each child is unique in their needs.

I got into doula-ing when my kids were a bit older. Even now though, with my youngest four years old, it is a concern when I need to find care for him. If my husband is around - great! But, he has his own business to run and he tends to travel a bit. My ds isn't in school full time so it is a juggle. I am fortunate to have my mil as a backup in case my dh is unavailable. I KNOW the kids will be taken care of ffor as long as I'm needed by a client.

This is (still) the toughest part of putting myself out there. I want a client, but on the same hand birth is so unpredictable and when you have young children their needs have to come first.

Another option is to do some work as a pp doula. PP work is scheduled and is easier on your family.

Good luck!

[Iarwain]

Well, I don't know that I feel any less conflicted, but it's good knowing I'm not alone. I hate to leave the two ladies that are inquiring about my services hanging, but I'm just not sure at this point. I also don't want to commit now and then when the time comes regret it terribly. Neither are first timers so that is one thing in favor of doing it. I would hate to find myself in the middle of a three-day marathon labor when my baby was still relying mostly on Mommy milk. My kids have mostly started solids at 8 or 9 mos and then only token amounts until closer to a year which definitely factors into the decision.

[JerseyJess]

Heidi-don't feel like a jerk! I did a birth when my son was 4mo old. I did pump while at the birth. This time I'm hoping to wait until 6mo BUT if a repeat client comes along I know I won't be able to say no. As of right now my bestfriend is due 6wks after me and it will kill me (and her) not to be at her next birth...For me the hardest part of going when they're so young is worrying about dh waking with them in the middle of the night (he's a very heavy sleeper)

[jenstano]

HI there.

I have a 4 mth old and am still training to become certified. I have my first birth (1st of 2 to become certified) in January. Bub will be almost 10 months old and I plan on still be b/f her then.

My question is, how do you pump at the hospital? I mean, sometimes it can take me half an hour to pump a feed - what if something big happens in that time???

I'm sure there's a solution!!

[helpinghands]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jenstano HI there. I have a 4 mth old and am still training to become certified. I have my first birth (1st of 2 to become certified) in January. Bub will be almost 10 months old and I plan on still be b/f her then. My question is, how do you pump at the hospital? I mean, sometimes it can take me half an hour to pump a feed - what if something big happens in that time??? I'm sure there's a solution!!

Well...when I first started attending births, my now 6 yr old was an infant..probably about 4 months old. Sometimes I could pump, but more often than not, moms needed me there and I left the hospital engorged. I ended up with a breast infection after a series of births like this and took a bit of a break until baby was older. Now that I have more breastfeeding experience.. I am thinking I could hit the bathroom and manually, (hand express) some milk if need be, but it really just depends on how much mom needs the support at that moment. This particular child would also NOT take pumped milk in a bottle from Dh (or anyone else!). A friend of mine told me that she ran into Dh walking around the local mall with the baby in a sling and some breastmilk in a bottle.. (she said poor dh looked lost and forlorn!)

[amymaew]

My first birth was the day after Henry's 7 month birthday. He was fine with me being gone, but he's a pretty laid back kid if he has his dad or his brother around. I only pump when I'm getting uncomfortable at the hospital, so I might take 10 minutes here & there to pump.

[MIA-D]

With my last baby who is now 17 mths, I went to my first birth after him at 4 mths. It was hard but it was an opportunity that could not be passed up. He unfortunately was a bottle baby so that made it a little easier, and the birth was short so I was home in no time. I think it all depends on how you feel - Do you have a backup that you can rely on? Do you have a babysitter that can come help in the middle of the night if need be? or if you don't feel comfortable maybe there is another doula in your area that you can refer these potential clients to?

Heather

[missilla]

well for me it was about 9 months. but if i was still nursing full time i would wait. sometimes the length of labors and the time you take away from BF it could mess everything up. but if i was not feeding anymore i would go back to work around 9-12 months depending on sitter situation and husband.

and yes you put it in the right forum.

[AltHealthMomma]

I started my training when dd was 11 months old, so she was just over a year when I attended my first birth. She's now 18 months old and still nursing like a fiend -- esp. at night. My last birth I didn't pump but should have, I didn't get an infection but did get plugged ducts. The first birth the nurses showed me where their lactation/CBE room was and I pumped there a few times and hand expressed in the bathroom a few more. That worked really well -- I excused myself for about 7 minutes and just used my hand pump every four hours (not enough for a feeding, but enough to prevent momma-troubles).

I'm currently on call for my third birth, and plan to follow the "interupted pumping (sorry for the spelling, I'm tired today)" method where I pump periodically rather than taking a full sitting to pump.

Of course so much of this will depend on your flow and production to begin with. I had a some-what sleepy baby and finally broke down and did the SNS with her for about two months (she was 3mo when we started and we stopped around 5mo, I think), so at that point, we had already given her goat milk to drink if I wasn't around. In the meantime, my production has never been exactly gushing (I think I have leaked a grand total of three times in a year and a half), and my pumping only ever got as high as two ounces after a 20minute session...sooo, yeah. It is a tough call, and you'll have to work it out.

OH! one other thing we did that first birth, my DH met me in the waiting room with the baby about an hour before her bedtime for a good solid half hour, I had forgotten. The client was resting then, and her DH knew to summon me if they needed me.

My next birth is way too far from home to do that, but with any luck you might have a chance to do that. Be discreet about what your doing either way, you want to maintain professionalism by respecting that mom's on her own "trip" and your bf needs are not part of that. After the birth, of course, if she is going to bf, then support like nuts and sharing about pumping would, IMHO be fine.

One last note, get in as much pump time as you can early on, before things get "serious" and you may not be able to break after 4 hours (or seven if it's a hard labor)... And ask the nurses after the birth if there is a room to get a good pumping in before leaving (if the hospital is a long drive from home).

No matter what you do, allow for a "milk day" following the birth, where you basically get waited on and stay in bed nursing to remove plugs and prevent infection.

Just suggestions, regardless of how it sounded again, still tired.

Good luck, you'll figure out something that works for you!!!
MJL

[jenstano]

Thanks all for your suggestions!

There are some really great ideas here from a wide range of backgrounds, views and experience!

Cheers.