As a new parent, you might be asking yourself if a Postpartum Doula is the same as a Baby Nurse or Baby Nanny. While Baby Nurses and Baby Nannies focus solely on the newborn, a Postpartum Doula will assist the entire family and teach the new mom about her baby. Baby Nannies or Nurses will also feed the baby, but a Doula will provide breastfeeding support and advice to the mother. A Doula will care for the baby as per mother’s request. Doulas also provide emotional and physical support to the mother building confidence and easing anxiety.

Since Postpartum Doulas provide support to the whole family, and not only the newborn, you can expect her to do the laundry for all the members in the family, do errands with her car, drive the mom or siblings to the doctor or to school. Baby Nannies or Nurses will not care for siblings or any other member of the family besides the baby. They do not run errands or drive mom or siblings to the doctor or to school, and they will only do the laundry for the baby. Doulas will also cook meals for the whole family while the Baby Nurse will only prepare bottles/meal for the baby.

Postpartum Doulas from MothersCare Doula Services also come for a minimum of 4 hrs./day; 8 hr./night. No minimum number of days or nights are required. Baby Nannies are typically contracted by the week. Baby Nurses live-in 24hrs..7 days/week.

This is a general description. There are variables in both what some Doulas* do as well as what some Baby Nurses do. It’s good to just ask if you are researching both about the type of services each individual will provide.

*The above is for MothersCare Doulas Services only.