I didn't plan on using a post-partum doula...

Our 4-yo DS caught pneumonia and was hospitalized a week before my scheduled c-section. Two days before my surgery, his doctors decided he needed a chest tube and would need to be in the hospital for another 5-7 days. As I thought about how my DH and my mom were going to split taking care of the two of us in separate hospitals, I realized they could not do it all and would need time to sleep. So I decided to hire a post-partum doula to stay nights with me in the hospital. Luckily my (divorced) dad offered to help with the expense.

I called up a friend with twins who had used several people for help at various times because her husband travels a lot for business. She recommended 3 people, and I asked her which one had the most low-key personality. I hired the doula witout even meeting her first -- time was just that tight and I could not leave DS before I absolutely had to.

I have to say that having the doula made all the difference in the world! She was such a great help in the hospital -- helping with everything I needed without being intrusive. My dad was willing to keep paying afterward, so we had her come to our house for the first week afterward as well. We've had 3 nights total without her and on the nights she is here we get such a good night's sleep and are recharged the next day. The nights we've been on our own we are exhausted physically and mentally the next day.

When she is here, she arrives at 11pm. I breastfeed the twins and go to bed. She burps, diapers, and settles them, then wakes me up around 4am for the next feeding. (The ped has given the green light to let them sleep 5 hours at night.) I am up for about an hour while breastfeeding, then back to bed and sleep until 8am or so. At first I thought it would really bother me that they were sleeping downstairs in their bouncies instead of the cosleeper by our bed, but I adjusted to the idea very quickly and no longer feel torn.

On the nights she hasn't been here, burping and settling the babies eats up an extra hour or two with each feeding. They keep waking up and crying so DH and I never get a good stretch of sleep. We had my mother stay one night and it just wasn't the same. She would sleep until the babies woke up, and help with the diaper and burping, but having someone awake all night who could respnd instantly was much better.

We are cutting back to 3 times a week for the next 3 weeks to save on expense. My mother is going to stay 2 nights, and we are going to wing it on our own on the weekends.

If you have the financial means or some generous relatives, I would highly recommend using a post-partum doula to help out with the early days!

 

While I'm extremely happy that you were able to have this wonderful service, :acute: it is a little weird to me to think that 1 week olds are ok to go 5 hours breastfed. I know that your pedi said it was ok, it just strikes me as odd. If your babies keep waking up & crying, I'd say they are hungry. JMO.

Congrats on the babies!

 

We had a couple instances where we inadvertantly let the girls sleep 4-5 hours during the day (DS is recovering from pneumonia and kept throwing up his antibiotics and changing his bandages from the chest tube was a major ordeal), so they are ready for the long stretch. The Ped also recommends a single bottle of formula top-up at bedtime, which I am ok with. It's really more like 4 hours of sleep because it's 5 hours from start to start of feeding, and they eat for about an hour. So far it's worked 3 out of the last 4 nights -- when it doesn't I just get up and breastfeed earlier. The doula is very pro-breastfeeding and great about waking me up when the girls need it.

 

Thanks for posting this - a couple of friends have suggested a "night nurse" but I had trouble picturing how that would work when you are breast feeding.

How is your son doing? I'm so sorry you had such a stressful time!

 

Our son is doing much better. He's been out of the hospital 10 days. It was a slow recovery, but he has his appetite back and is getting back to his old energy levels. We may try a half day at preschool by the end of the week.

The doula is also a big help with the mid-feed burping. She will burp one twin while I continue to feed the other one, and then help me to place and re-latch the burpee. While the twins are sleeping, she hand washes any bottles and pumping equipment and will wash and fold baby clothes. She's given some good breastfeeding advice, but only when I ask for her opinion.

 

I LOVE my PP doula! We did the same thing. Had her come a few nights a week 11-5 or 12-5 just so we could get some sleep for work. I didnt find her until a fwe weeks after my twins had come home.

Its expensive but OMG worth EVERY cent!!! now she sits on occassions for us since we really dont need her doula services anymore