I have my first job!-need advice!!

BlessedBottomz · 11-28-2006, 12:34 PM

And it is twins

I am really happy and boy will this be some good experience for me because it is nights with twins. I will do 3 weeks at 9 hours a night, 5 times a week. Boy will I be tired but we can do so much with the money and the mama is really nice. Unfortunately, I have to travel 55 miles to her, but hopefully, there won't be any traffic at 7 at night or 5 am.

Is there anything that I need to bring?
IF you where scrubs as a uniform, is it proper to wear them everynight?
Is there anything else that I should know?

Thanks!

Amydoula · 11-28-2006, 07:06 PM

I think if you are unfamiliar with twins you should do some reading up in advance as it is a VERY different experience than with a singleton. I like the book "Having Twins and More". I don't do overnights but I would just wear comfortable clothes. Also make sure to be very up front about expectations on both ends. Do they expect you to be doing laundry and dishes at 2am or are you alowed to sleep when babies sleep?, etc.

tinamomof6 · 11-28-2006, 10:28 PM

last winter and it was a wonderful experience. I was moms labor and postpartum doula. The mom and dad were really wonderful and a May/December marriage. Dad just couldn't handle lost sleep but he was a big help during the day....so the mom needed me at night. She was very committed to breastfeeding and on her first few nights she only averaged 1/2 hours total sleep. So we switched my day hours to night hours...because honesly twins get lots of offers for help during the day...but nights, they're on their own. What we did was mom would nurse the babies then go to bed and i would keep the twins in the livingroom with me. I rocked, walked, danced, swaddled, and did whatever else it took to let the mom sleep as much as possible. At first it was only 2 hours, but by the end of me working there I could get them to go 5 hours. When the babies would need to nurse I would bring them to their mommy and change their diapers or burp them as needed during the feeding. Mom wasn't very disturbed having to get up and she enjoyed the support during the night. I only took care of the babies, didn't do housework or other chores. Sometimes I had to laugh at how busy I was. Standing with one baby in my arms rocking her and the other in her car seat as I rocked her seat with my foot....LOL

I did an overnight job for 5 weeks over the summer and it was for a singleton. Much, much different. I was honeslty bored much of the time. I loved taking care of the baby...but when he slept....the hours just dragged on and on.

Good luck, I think you'll love it.

BlessedBottomz · 11-29-2006, 02:19 PM

For nights, I have it set up ahead of time and for this mom, I won't need to do any housework because she has a housekeeper. I sleep when the babies sleep (as per our talk and contract) so I hope it will go smoothly.

What do you bring the first time you meet the family?

Amydoula · 11-29-2006, 07:11 PM

I usually mail out a pre-natal packet ahead of our first visit, it includes the DONA confidentiality statement, my contract, the DONA ppdoula position paper, info on breastfeeding, my brochure, a questionaire on their needs, business cards a magnet with my name/phone on it for the fridge (very cheap on vistaprint by the way), and any other handouts that might be pertinent for a particular family. That way they have time to review everything and fill out forms before our first prenatal. The only thing I bring to pre-natals is the clients folder and a pen.

NewMoonDoula · 11-29-2006, 07:38 PM

I've never ppd'd anyone before, but I have had my own twin nurslings, and I would recommend you bring a sling or some type of wrap if mama doesn't already have one. Otherwise you cannot keep one from crying while changing the other, etc.
Also, be sure to keep good records of who ate/pooped/peed and when, because that stuff is alot easier to remember with just one, and sometimes milk intake and weightgain can become an issue with newborn breastfed twins.
Good luck!!

BlessedBottomz · 11-30-2006, 02:16 AM

Those are some awesome ideas. I would have never thought to bring a sling. I have a ring sling and the mei tai that I made in my avatar. I'm not quite sure how soon you can where a newborn in a mei tai so I'll have to look that up. I put mine in at about 4 months. Also, about the journaling, I am going to draft up a chart before I go. That way, I can take one with me everyday and it can be consistant. Thanks!

One more thing, do you give your mama's any gifts when you first meet them?

NewMoonDoula · 11-30-2006, 12:35 PM

They will probably be a little small for the mei tei, but maybe in the sling. I was never really comfortable with slinging them both at once, but if one is slung you can hold the other... that's what worked for me.
As far as gifts, I usually give my clients one of my glass ornaments... but my favorite gift I received during my baby moon was a "do not disturb" sign for my door... it was cross-stitched and said "new mama sleeping!" I used it every day, and it made it easier for me to declare that much-needed time for myself.