*woot* 1st day of 1st pp experience

Matrescence · 06-21-2006, 01:15 PM

It went great!

I was a little (okay a lot) nervous after talking to her yesterday, she said she really didn't have anything for me to do and felt weird having people bringing her food and offering to do things for her, she said they've had a really easy time of it and all she really does is fold clothes and nurse

I got there, she was in her bathrobe which I took as a good sign

we talked about cloth diapers... (crap, I just remembered I left my samples over there) and diaper rash. I held the baby for a little bit after she got him dressed then gave him back to nurse and got busy on a sink full of dishes (thankfully there was something for me to do after all

) I heated her up some quiche for breakfast and she sat and talked to me while I did the dishes, then she went and got dressed and after I was done we went outside for a walk so she could walk her dogs (which she told me she's been worried about not having time to do), I walked with the baby laying against my chest and shoulder and before I knew it he was conked out. We walked a little while longer, down in the field, up by the road and down by the creek which was nice. Mom looked like she was really enjoying herself playing ball with the dogs (which made me feel good that I was helping, even if it was a small help). We came back in and talked for a little while then I asked her when she wanted me to come back (we'd planned on my coming both today and tomorrow but she really didn't 'need' anything, her house was tidy, laundry caught up by dh, dishes done, plenty of food from family and neighbors...). She said that toward the middle of the week is when her dh starts getting worn out and she'd love it if I could come back on wednesdays to help with stuff around the house to lessen that load for him, so I'm on-call if she needs me and will be going back on Wednesdays I guess

It's not at all what I was expecting, I thought there would be a lot more involved and I felt like I was just hanging out most of the time, If she had been a paying client I would have felt bad charging... if that makes sense. Do you guys ever feel like that?

Over all it was a good first experience, I can't imagine they'll all be so well adjusted postpartum... she's got a lot of really good common sense (like nursing while laying down and napping...) and a strong support network...

fearlessbirth · 06-21-2006, 01:23 PM

Sounds great! You'd be surprised how much the little things are really big to the mom! I've not done any PPD work yet (well, except for with my friend but I don't count that as work). For instance one day I called and she sounded esp stressed and aggravated. Baby (3 mos) has colic and might be teething...can't cook or clean kitchen b/c of leak. We took her some food and she was like 'this is the most beautiful thing anyone's done for me'. I'm sure that mom just being able to walk freely with her dogs was so nice for her.

teachinmamaof4 · 06-21-2006, 02:22 PM

How fun!!

Have you done any babywearing yourself? Since she walks her dogs that might be a big help for her.

Matrescence · 06-21-2006, 06:23 PM

Thanks for the feedback

I needed to hear that it was something, however small

I was surprised that she didn't have a sling of any type yet, she said they'd registered for one but it was one of the things that no one got and then they looked for one themselves and couldn't decide, we talked a little about the different styles and she was going to try to get online this evening to research them. She's a real active person, walking and such it would be a great thing for her to have

InnerPeace · 06-21-2006, 06:38 PM

Glad you had a good first day! I plan to eventually add pp services after I completed my labor certification.

PostDoula · 06-21-2006, 11:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MamaBellies

It's not at all what I was expecting, I thought there would be a lot more involved and I felt like I was just hanging out most of the time, If she had been a paying client I would have felt bad charging... if that makes sense. Do you guys ever feel like that?
...

Congratulations!!

When I was first starting out, I also felt uneasy about "not doing enough." But, especially for new moms, that sense of companionship can be what they need the most! Often it's the intangibles that make the biggest difference.
I try to do as much as possible, but emotional support is just as valid as physical work. I realized that sometimes my drive to "make sure I was doing enough" was sometimes adding a type of stress for moms who didn't have that much for me to do. (Finding things to keep me busy became another thing for them to do!! Last thing we want is to add to their burden!)
I'm sure that your presence made a big difference for her. They are often so relieved just to know that someone else is there "just in case" they need it. You gave her time and space to move freely and interact with her dogs! (among other things you probably weren't aware of! Isolation can be such a huge weight for new moms.)
Finally, I always have my sling on hand for clients. I always use them or a Bjorn when I'm working. If you don't have one, you can pick up a good sling on ebay for around $10. It's nice to be able to loan to families such as hers, so they can try it out, too.
Again, Congratulations!! It's good that your first wasn't too chaotic!

sacredma · 06-22-2006, 08:55 PM

emotional support is a very big part of pp doula work. every job varies in what needs to be done. i find i do a lot of breastfeeding support and carrying the baby around a lot to give mom a break. most new moms need to talk and process their birth experience, so don't think you are doing nothing!
i always bring my own sling to the job, sometimes moms don't have them.when a mom sees a pp doula wearing the baby, it helps her to want to do it herself. i have a over the shoulder baby holder. i would love to know what types of slings you all like?
mavis