What’s the difference between and Newborn Care Specialist and a Postpartum Doula?
By Carrie-Lee Touhey
Today is World Doula Day and that got me thinking about why I got into this field in the first place. When I first realized years ago that I wanted to start to focus my nannying career on newborns I thought being a Newborn Care Specialist was the only path. It’s a word I knew. I’d heard the term a hundred times before. So that’s what I wanted to become.
I had already started to dip my toes into that world via Facebook groups, reading, research and networking with others in the brand spankin’ new baby sphere. I’ll be super honest; I had preconceived notions about what a doula really did. It sounded, I don’t know, hippie dippy crispy crunchy. Are those words? They are now. Do doulas work off of vibes? That’s not me, I’m an evidenced and science based girlie through and through.
Boy, I couldn't have been more wrong. I’m so glad I pushed through my own biases and learned more about the importance of this field. So, when it came time to choose a program to enroll in, I decided to go with a dual Newborn Care Specialist and Postpartum Doula course. Here I was able to really learn what the similarities were and where the differences lie. Both care for baby from birth, cord care, diapering, feeding (breast/bottle), sterilizing pump and bottle parts, head to toe body care (nails, scalp, circumcision, skin), swaddling, soothing, safe sleep, recognizing signs of concern for baby or the postpartum mind/body, gentle sleep conditioning, parent education, tracking feeds & diapers, communicating with parents. Overnight support can feel quite similar in many cases.
NCS’s provide mostly baby focused care. Where Postpartum Doulas differ is that they support the family as a whole, the non-birthing parent, at times siblings and even grandparents. They dive deeper into making sure the birthing person has what they need, are hydrated, fed, and listened to. They may help with household tasks and meal prep and usually have more education in lactation support. And the financial piece is getting better too. More state Medicaids are starting to cover doula care, more insurance plans are coming around, and many doulas are listed on the Carrot fertility and family benefits directory. And every doula brings their own flavor and flare to the work they do. All this to say NCS’s and Postpartum Doulas both serve incredibly important roles in helping families navigate the newborn trenches.
I will never forget my first client. I felt so extremely privileged to be allowed in that very intimate, precious space that is a new family. It was quite a visceral feeling. An overwhelming abundance, a feeling of wanting to help pass on generations of knowledge, a fragile connection, a warmth of light, a whiff of a newborn head. I would say that in that moment I was taken over by a sense of hippy dippy and I embraced it!
To all my fellow doulas, happy World Doula Week and keep doing the incredible work that you do!
