Find a Postpartum Doula in Oakland, CA
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Why Use Meela to Hire Your Postpartum Doula?
Meela is the trusted place for parents to find top-rated postpartum doulas, connecting over 1,700 parents with vetted doulas each month. Reach out to postpartum doulas directly, or answer a few questions and let us bring you the best available options near you. All for free, no strings attached.
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.
8 reviews • 40 families supported • 10 years experience
0 reviews • 300 families supported • 8 years experience
0 reviews • 2 families supported • 1 years experience
0 reviews • 45 families supported • 2 years experience
0 reviews • 7 families supported • 1 years experience
0 reviews • 117 families supported • 20 years experience
0 reviews • 2 families supported • 1 years experience
0 reviews • 500 families supported • 12 years experience
0 reviews • 125 families supported • 8 years experience
Postpartum Doula Services: FAQs
For most parents, the transition into early parenthood is hard. Postpartum doulas in Oakland, CA offer all sorts of practical, physical, informational and emotional support to new parents. Postpartum doulas in Oakland, CA offer a wide range of after-birth support services, including:
- Caring for and assisting in the recovery of the birthing parent
- Providing breastfeeding and lactation support
- Offering advice for baby soothing, diapering and bathing
- Parent-baby bonding
- Caring for older siblings
- Light housework
- 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 Oakland, CA, 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 Oakland, CA 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:
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 Oakland, CA 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 Oakland, CA is $40 per hour, but typically ranges from $31 to $48 per hour. These costs are based on a representative group of 38 postpartum doulas surveyed by Meela in the Oakland area. The average cost of a postpartum doula in Oakland, CA is about the same as the average cost of a postpartum doula in the state of California, which is $39 per hour.
To put this in further context, the cost of a postpartum doula in Oakland, CA is higher than the U.S. national average cost of a postpartum doula, which is $37 per hour.
When hiring a postpartum doula in Oakland, CA, 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 Oakland, CA 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 Oakland, CA 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 Oakland, CA 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 Oakland, CA. 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 Oakland, CA, 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 Oakland, CA 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 Oakland, CA: 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.
Raelyn
December 6, 2022 at 10:49 am | Client reviewLydia’a work is very thoughtful and knowledgeable. She worked with my family and I from the moment we found out we were expecting. Going into the experience as first time parents she helped us prepare every detail including birthing plans, delivery and postpartum care. We certainly will request her services for the next birth. Highly highly recommend!