Being a Postpartum Doula & Newborn Care Specialist on Cape Cod

By Carrie-Lee Touhey

Being a doula on Cape Cod isn't for everyone. The work can be temperamental. People come and go as quickly as the tourist seasons do. But more and more people are staying on Cape year round. More businesses are open all year instead of just summers. More people are raising families here, especially as remote work becomes more available.

A lot of families on Cape don't even know this kind of support exists. Someone to educate? Help with newborn care? Overnights? Come provide support so you can rest and shower?!

And if they do know about these services, they may assume it's out of reach financially. That's something I think about a lot. I'm currently in the process of becoming a MassHealth doula so that every family who wants this support can access it.

This is my home. I've raised my kids here. My parents live with my husband and I and I see the need for not only good healthcare but good support systems regardless of age and need. That's why I've decided to further invest in my education, because it's not just an investment in myself, it's an investment in my community.

In a few weeks I'll be heading to Boston for International Nanny Training Day where I'll be learning alongside other childcare and birth work professionals. I'm especially looking forward to sessions on supporting parents experiencing perinatal mood and anxiety disorders and translating caregiving instincts into real professional expertise. 

And I have something I am so excited about! I just officially signed up for a live CAPPA Lactation Educator training with Jodi Congdon in June. This is going to be a game changer. Not just for supporting my postpartum families in the moment but eventually offering breastfeeding classes right here on Cape and virtually as well. I hope to officially be a CLE by this summer. 

The Cape is growing and so am I. I'm not going anywhere and neither is this work. These are my neighbors, my people.