Chicago Baby - Fall 2008 - (Page 22) 0-3 MONTHS A helping hand More parents are bringing in hired help after baby is born, but is it worth the cost? BY DANIELLE BRAFF I nstead of returning home to a house filled with crying babies after her twin girls were born, Rebecca Joslin came home to blissful silence. Well, almost. Joslin, of Chicago, hired two postpartum doulas—one for the daytime and one for night—to help her transition after she had her C-section so that she could “regain her sanity.” The doulas, which cost about $30 per hour, looked after the babies while Joslin slept, cared for them when she wanted to take a walk and even did her laundry, made her meals and kept her company during those difficult first three months at home. “They let me regain balance a little earlier than people who are on their own,” Joslin says. “A doula is not a medical care provider, but we can help to say, ‘that’s just a diaper rash.’“ SUSAN SMARTT Postpartum doula Baby nurses and postpartum doulas have long been a staple of post-pregnancy life in the Northeast, but the trend has grown in popularity over recent years and it is becoming more common for busy Illinois parents trying to find balance with a newborn to employ these hired helpers. While baby nurses and postpartum doulas don’t require any licensing or prior baby training, there’s a difference in care commonly offered for both. Baby nurses, who aren’t actually nurses, tend to come to the home in the overnight hours to care for the baby while the mother sleeps. If the mother is breastfeeding, the baby nurse will bring the baby into her room for feedings and then will remove the baby, change its diaper and put it back to sleep. If the mother is using a bottle, she can opt to not be woken up at all during the evening hours. Postpartum doulas focus their care on the mother and are there for companionship, to do her laundry, wash her dishes and even do the grocery shopping. Baby nurses and postpartum doulas are both intended to help the parents transition during the weeks after the baby is born and they can stay as long as needed. But while some parents swear by the help they receive from the doulas and the nurses after birth, pediatricians are warning parents not to trust them with everything. Richard Burnstine, a professor of clinical pediatrics at Northwestern University, fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics and pediatrician with North Suburban Pediatrics in Evanston and Buffalo Grove, says he’s heard his share of horror stories. One baby nurse decided the baby was constipated and gave the baby milk of magnesia instead of consulting with a doctor, says Burnstine, who adds that he never recommends baby nurses. “Certainly it helps mothers to get rest, and if these people are going to take care of the minute-to-minute care particularly 22 | Fall 2008 | ChicagoParent.com http://www.ChicagoParent.com
For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.