Find a Postpartum Doula in Bellingham, WA

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Certified, Expert-Vetted Postpartum Doulas Near You

Our postpartum doulas are the best of the best and hold the highest standards of evidence-based, inclusive, and compassionate care. Each verified doula on Meela is vetted by a licensed medical professional and comes with multiple client recommendations, active certifications, and has extensive training and experience in perinatal care.

Found 3 Pros in Bellingham, WA, USA | Postpartum doula support
EXPERIENCE
0 50
Families served
0 3500
Birth fee
$0 $7500
HOURLY RATE
$0 $500
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Rose Smith

Arlington, WA

3 reviews • 215 families supported • 9 years experience

3 reviews • 215 families supported • 9 years experience

I have been providing support to Families since 2016. Whether this is your first pregnancy or fifth, you can benefit from having a doula or taking one of our highly sought childbirth classes. This is my calling, passion. I would be honored to serve you!

Care philosophy

I am a Certified Doulla for Birth and Postpartum, I am also a certified Lactation Educator, Childbirth Instructor and Student Midwife

Areas served

  • Marysville, Granite Falls, Everett, Lynwood & more

Reviews

  • Cayce
    March 22, 2023 at 11:12 am | Client review

    Rose Smith has been my doula for both my births. I first came to meet her through her exceptional childbirth educational course, and due to her passion, genuine care, and knowledge I immediately retained her as our doula not fully understanding how her involvement would help me through childbirth. On the big day she was accessible, supportive, and helpful in guiding us on next steps. At one point in the the midst of my labor she could sense my fear and confusion, without missing a beat she guided me to refocus, showed me how to reclaim my calm, and encouraged me that I could do this. It was that level of care that made it so simple to have her with me at my second birth. There she was again with the same level of care and support for our family again. If you are looking for someone who cares, is knowledgeable, and will support you then Rose Smith is a wonderful choice on one if the biggest days of your life.

$ flexible
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Caitlin Holle

Port Townsend, WA

0 reviews • 5 families supported • 3 years experience

0 reviews • 5 families supported • 3 years experience

I spent all of my twenties working as a nanny, with many of those years specializing in infant care. I feel excited about transforming my knowledge and experience into a resource to work with new parents. During lockdown I trained as a Certified Lactation Educator and with DONA International in order to move in the direction of full time doula work. While I am always learning my years working in the homes of young families has taught me a lot about the specific challenges and joys of the transition into parenthood and I feel deeply passionate about witnessing, normalizing, and supporting that process. I am a full spectrum, trauma informed, and gender affirming doula. I deeply value reproductive and economic justice and sliding scale services are available.

Care philosophy

I hope to enter your care team by helping you to have the best possible birth experience via the path that will best suit you and your family. I strive to help you clear that path! As a doula I serve as an emotional, educational, and physical support. At the core I believe birth is a normal healthy process, albeit a transformative one, and your body is going to get you there.

Areas served

  • East Jefferson and Thurston Counties
  • Quilcene
  • Sequim
  • Irondale
  • Olympia
  • Shelton
$ flexible
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Hannah Stephens

Bellingham, WA

2 reviews • 3 families supported • 1 years experience

2 reviews • 3 families supported • 1 years experience

Growing up the oldest of four kids, I always knew I was meant to be a mom. But I was terrified of the idea of childbirth because of the horror stories I had heard from my own mother and the women in my family. At that time, they spoke of the pain, failed inductions and emergency cesareans. After my husband and I decided to start trying for our first baby, I knew I needed to face my birth fears head on. The only thing to combat the fear of the unknown is to educate yourself. I read every pregnancy, birth and postpartum book I could get my hands on, listened to countless birth podcasts and took weekly prenatal yoga classes at a local studio. The most invaluable resource I turned to though, was my doula. She took the time to get to know me and understand my goals, fears and motivations. She educated my husband and I on what to expect throughout the birth experience. She helped us create a plan A, B and C and put our worries at ease. She taught us comfort measures, breathing techniques and various positions to help throughout labor. I believe that because we established a foundation (or roots) on the front end along with the labor support from both her and my husband, I was prepared and able to work through the pain and rise to meet the expectations of a successful birth as defined by me. I can only hope to do the same for other mothers and support people in our community.

Care philosophy

Whether you dream of an unmedicated home birth or feel more comfortable birthing in a hospital, it is your birth story and my goal is to educate and empower you to choose what's best for you. It's my role as your doula to ensure that you have a successful and fulfilling birth experience as defined by you. I am here to support you emotionally & physically prenatally, during birth and beyond.

Areas served

  • Bellingham, WA and Greater Whatcom County

Reviews

  • Reyan
    October 17, 2022 at 11:17 am | Peer review

    Hannah is sweet, thoughtful and attentive! You will be in great care with her as your doula.

Postpartum Doula Services: FAQs

For most parents, the transition into early parenthood is hard. Postpartum doulas in Bellingham, WA offer all sorts of practical, physical, informational and emotional support to new parents. Postpartum doulas in Bellingham, WA offer a wide range of after-birth support services, including:

  1. Caring for and assisting in the recovery of the birthing parent
  2. Providing breastfeeding and lactation support
  3. Offering advice for baby soothing, diapering and bathing
  4. Parent-baby bonding
  5. Caring for older siblings
  6. Light housework
  7. Night nannying or sleep relief services

Some parents require additional physical and emotional support due to their specific situation, lack of family support, or their particular lifestyle. A postpartum doula positively affects the entire family, as many postpartum doulas are involved in sibling care, housework chores, and educating clients on childcare information/techniques.

To find a postpartum doula in Bellingham, WA, most parents recommend creating a job post on Meela and having uniquely qualified postpartum doulas near you (in your budget) reach out to you through the Meela app.

You can interview and chat with as many postpartum doulas as you wish and hire a postpartum doula in Bellingham, WA with confidence. It is completely free to create a job post on Meela and find a postpartum doula. There are no commitments to hire any of the qualified and expert vetted postpartum doulas Meela brings you.

Here’s how it works in 3 easy steps:

  1. Post a job for free: Answer some questions and receive responses from top-rated postpartum doulas near you. It takes less than 30 seconds to post your job.
  2. Get your list of postpartum doulas: In a few hours, you will have a collection of postpartum doulas near you who are qualified to meet your needs. You can compare pricing, experience, and read reviews. You can chat with each postpartum doula to learn more about them.
  3. Hire a postpartum doula with confidence: Schedule virtual or in-person interviews with your top postpartum doula choices. Hire your top postpartum doula and start getting the care you deserve.

To find a postpartum doula, you can also browse the available postpartum doulas near you in Bellingham, WA and read reviews, compare pricing, experience and fit. Send the postpartum doulas you are interested in a message, introducing yourself and setting up an interview. We recommend reaching out to and interviewing at least three postpartum doulas before hiring a postpartum doula near you. After interviewing, hire the most qualified postpartum doula near you and start getting the care you deserve.

While the cost of a postpartum doula can vary based on experience and the services offered, the average cost of a postpartum doula in Bellingham, WA is $33 per hour, but typically ranges from $29 to $38 per hour. These costs are based on a representative group of 21 postpartum doulas surveyed by Meela in the Bellingham area. The average cost of a postpartum doula in Bellingham, WA is lower than the average cost of a postpartum doula in the state of Washington, which is $37 per hour.

To put this in further context, the cost of a postpartum doula in Bellingham, WA is lower than the U.S. national average cost of a postpartum doula, which is $37 per hour.

When hiring a postpartum doula in Bellingham, WA, you and your doula will discuss and agree upon a fee structure, and your postpartum doula will send you itemized invoices through Meela, which you can pay securely through the app.

A postpartum doula in Bellingham, WA is meant to help the entire family and their role is not just limited to the birthing parent and newborn. A doula provides physical and emotional support to parents and siblings, but they also offer information and advice regarding how to feed, bathe, swaddle, and soothe the baby.

They also often help with postpartum depression issues, and are considered child care “consultants” rather than medical professionals. Many postpartum doulas in Bellingham, WA offer a range of services that can help with parents trying to adjust to a newborn child. These services often include:

  • Sibling care
  • Assist with household chores
  • Parent-baby bonding
  • Physical and emotional recovery
  • Support to parents and extended family

A postpartum doula in Bellingham, WA can have a lasting positive impact on a family and help them feel more confident about their parenting role and the way that they feed and nurture their baby. They might offer advice regarding feeding, bathing, and parent-baby bonding.

It is important to note that a postpartum doula might offer advice but is not expected to provide medical care of any kind or serve as a replacement to an accredited physician. Postpartum doulas are also not qualified to prescribe medication.

Many new parents want to know about certified postpartum doulas and how exactly they are certified. Since the demand for postpartum doulas has greatly expanded in the last several years, the number of reputable postpartum doula training and certification programs has grown in Bellingham, WA. Training criteria can differ from program to program, but most follow a similar curriculum which includes core academic curriculum and practical hours and real-life care experience.

One of the most common national postpartum doula training certifications comes from DONA International. A postpartum doula usually receives about 27 hours of practical training before they are a certified postpartum doula.

There are also CAPPA-certified postpartum doulas in Bellingham, WA, as well. These doulas were certified by the Childbirth and Postpartum Professional Association, an international organization that certifies doulas and other childbirth educators/professionals.

As a reminder, because postpartum doulas are not trained to be a medical professional and diagnose and treat medical conditions, a certification is not required for them to practice.

As their names suggest, a birth doula’s main priority is to provide support services before, during and in the moments immediately after childbirth. A postpartum doula’s obligations usually begin after the birth, for several weeks or months. In many cases, your birth doula will also be a trained and certified postpartum doula, which can provide a continuity of care that many parents find extremely valuable.

Many parents want to know whether a postpartum doula or a baby nurse would meet their needs and expectations. A baby nurse might be focused on making sure that a baby sleeps or feeds properly, but that might be the extent of their role. A postpartum doula generally offers more holistic services for their clients.

A postpartum doula in Bellingham, WA is expected to be more involved with the family as a whole. They might remain involved in sibling care or also provide emotional support to the partner as both parents adjust to becoming new parents. This may even include support for older siblings, light housework, and even meal prep. A postpartum doula provides more physical, emotional, and informational support than a baby nurse.

You can hire two types of doulas in Bellingham, WA: a birth doula and a postpartum doula. The birth doula is during your pregnancy and through the birth of your child. They provide you with emotional, physical and educational support during your pregnancy, your labor and delivery and for the first few hours after your child is born.

A postpartum doula will support you for the first few weeks after the baby is born. They provide in-home assistance, including teaching you how to take care of your newborn, acting as lactation consultant, and can provide some night nanny services.

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