Sleep Through the Night

One of the most challenging things about having a new baby is sleep deprivation.  Many new parents are surprised and dismayed as to how little sleep they will get once the baby comes home.  A newborn’s need to feed and how often it needs to feed will have a huge impact on the new mom and dad’s ability to get sleep themselves.  

The average newborn feeds about 10 – 12x’s in a 24 hour period. This means baby will feed every 2 hours around the clock.

Why do babies feed so often?  A new baby is born with a stomach the size of a walnut. A baby has to feed around the clock in the early weeks to get his or her caloric needs met.

They typically have one long stretch of 3 – 5 hrs. during that 24 hrs. but often that deep sleep happens during the day at first which means he/she will be doing those every 2 hours feedings at night.  

A night nurse or postpartum doula can be of great benefit for couples who find the lack of sleep becoming unbearable.  A MothersCare Doula night “nurse” or doula will help the couple get more sleep during the night while she tends the baby.  

Breastfeeding Assistance

For a breastfeeding mom, the doula can assist in the early days with helping mom while she is learning to breastfeed. The doula or “night nurse” has training in breastfeeding and can help with latching and answering questions about nursing at each feeding.  

She will then change the baby and settle the baby for the new mom, cutting down her “up-time”.

Once breastfeeding is established the doula can bottle feed the baby breastmilk that the mom has pumped during the night. Pumping takes about 10 minutes while breastfeeding from start to finish (including settling the baby) can take 45 minutes or more.  Pumping allows the mom to get back to sleep quickly while not interfering with her milk supply.

For the formula fed baby, the doula can tend to the baby all night, allowing both the mother and father a full-night’s rest.

Night Notes

A MothersCare overnight doula or “night nurse” will take notes during the night letting the parents know in the morning when the baby fed, how much he/she ate, appearance of the diapers, and other details so the parents will know how the baby slept during the night.  

Our doulas follow the directions of the mom as to how she wants the baby cared for at night.

• Does she want the baby to be awakened to feed?
• Does she want her burped for a certain amount of time?
• Does she want the baby to get a certain amount of ounces?

MothersCare overnight doulas can also make suggestions about how to help the baby sleep better at night.

Some families have older babies who still don’t sleep well after being a few months old.  Having a doula or “night nurse” to come in to provide relief after months of broken sleep can often be enough for the parents  – mom especially by this point – to feel “human”.

Flexible Nights with No Minimum

Our Overnight Services are flexible.  You can have one night or many. Some families do consecutive nights initially and then drop down as the baby starts to sleep better.  

Some families try a night with a doula and see how it goes and then add on from there. We’ve had numerous parents tell us that “knowing the doula is coming the next night helps us get through the previous one!”  

There is no minimum number of nights that you have to contract for. The minimum number of hours per night is 8 hours. Often this is from 10:00 p.m. – 6 a.m. The start and end times are flexible. You can also add hours to either end if needed for instance 9 p.m. to 6 or 7 a.m. or 10:00 p.m. to 7 or 8 a.m.

Sleep is Right Around the Corner

Having a CT “night nurse” or doula can help everyone feel a little happier and get you through until your sweet baby starts to sleep.  And he will…she will….we promise!

Please call to find out more details.  You also can meet your doula or “night-nurse” in advance to be sure you feel comfortable with who will be caring for your baby.  All of our doulas are experienced, nurturing and reliable. We don’t hire anyone that we wouldn’t trust with our own families.

MothersCare Doula Services of CT since 1993
Susan Shepard and Sheila Marley, Owners
203-375-5719
www.motherscaredoula.com