Press
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New City Neighbors Magazine
January 2021 |
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New City Neighbors Magazine April 2020 |
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Postpartum doulas can be a great gift for a baby "sprinkle." A "sprinkle" is a shower thrown for a mom who has already had a baby. Postpartum support is a great way to give a mom and family the rest and support they truly need.
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A new mother's mental and emotional health is a high priority for postpartum doulas. Read more about how postpartum doulas offer support to mothers in my article found in New City Neighbors magazine (September, 2019). |
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Happy to post this article that New City Neighbors magazine wrote for their April 2019 issue regarding my business as a doula. |
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If you're thinking about hiring a newborn specialist (baby nurse), here are a few priorities you may want to think about. Hope it's helpful. |
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I was recently asked about my postpartum services as a baby shower gift. I wrote this article for New City Neighbors magazine, where I am an expert contributor on postpartum and newborn care. |
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This is my first article as a contributing editor writing for New City Neighbors magazine. |
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I had the honor of speaking on behalf of Nyack Hospital's New Moms Circle support group on January 13th. There was a great turnout and many important topics were discussed. So grateful for this opportunity! |
RIVERTOWN - September 2017 Pages 34-35
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RIVERTOWN, September 2017
LAURA WANAMAKER DOULAS IS A NEW MOTHER’S BEST RESOURSE
A grassroots movement has arisen in the United States to meet the needs of postpartum women. The days of toughing it out that our culture encourages in new mothers serve the mom nor baby well. We need to learn from other cultures and begin to change the way we think about the kind of care new mother’s need. A new mother needs to recover from birth, make the emotional transition to motherhood and if she chooses, breastfeed her baby. Those who take on this role are called doulas from the Greek word for “a woman who serves”. They can be labor, postpartum doulas or both. A doula provides practical and emotional help during and after birth. Enter Laura Wanamaker, a professionally trained postpartum and newborn doula whose mantra is “The Best Gift You Can Give Your Baby Is A Happy Mother.” She is ProDoula trained, Certified in Pediatric and Adult CPR and First Aid and is fully insured and holds a legal LLC in NY State.
“I had been in the medical and pharmaceutical industry on a sales and marketing end and unfortunately been through a few corporate downsizes. I had a hard time after the birth of my babies compounded with short maternity leaves in sight. A new mother is discharged anywhere from 24-48 hours after a vaginal delivery and 2-4 days after a caesarian birth. Some vaginal deliveries can be just as hard on the body as a C-section. She truly may not have anyone at home to assist her. Many women in this area do not have direct family here and her partner most likely will return to work in about a week. Many times, she is left alone to make sure she has enough to eat, recuperate from the birth and if nursing may not have the support she needs to make sure her milk supply is adequate and the baby is being fully nourished. The people who gave her attention during her pregnancy are usually no longer there and the ones who do come visit are more interested in the baby. In many parts of the world a doula can be a close friend or family member. Thankfully postpartum doulas as a profession are becoming more commonplace and available. I am someone who respects intuition but looks for evidence based research also. Research studies show time and time again that having a postpartum doula reduces the probability and severity of depression and anxiety when available in the home for a short amount of time,” said Laura.” We are not medical professionals and do not diagnose. However, we educate and inform. We collectively discuss and encourage medical or lactation help if the mom and doula mutually agree it would be helpful or necessary. We also need to be very good listeners, not an easy thing by any means.”
“Doulas respect and honor the mother. After leaving the private sector, I became a nanny which I loved. I love toddlers and children, but have a special passion and patience with newborns. It’s really about what the mother wants, not what a partner or family member wants or think she needs. We honor the mother by respecting her choices and changes. We follow AAP guidelines for newborn concerns, especially safe sleep. Since we don’t have a prior personal relationship with most clients, it’s easier not to have pre-conceived thoughts or judge them. That to me is key. I’m impassioned about postpartum mental health issues because it effects the entire family. The postpartum period will be tiring but should be joyful, not riddled with anxiety, fear and exhaustion. Starting out on the right note makes all the difference.” Said Laura.
“In the next few months I will be looking to acquire certifications in Postpartum Mood and Anxiety Disorders Training, Sleep Consultant Training and Newborn Massage and Calming Techniques. It’s definitely a referral based profession based on referrals from Physicians, Midwives, Labor Doulas and Client Testimonials. A potential client should never feel pressure from a doula and its critical to have an almost instant connection. I know I don’t want someone in my home I’m not comfortable with. My service area is Rockland, Bergen and Westchester Counties. Many clients are usually older, first or second time moms and some are parents of adoption. Usually the client with a high-pressure career are the ones I hear from most frequently. I understand completely.”
Stop trying to “tough-it-out” yourself after bringing home your baby. Get hands on professional care you need by a heartfelt and caring doula, Laura Wanamaker. You can reach out to Laura on her website, LauraWanamakerDoulas.com and ProDoula.com. Please remember “The Best Gift You Can Give Your Baby Is A Happy Mother.”
LAURA WANAMAKER DOULAS IS A NEW MOTHER’S BEST RESOURSE
A grassroots movement has arisen in the United States to meet the needs of postpartum women. The days of toughing it out that our culture encourages in new mothers serve the mom nor baby well. We need to learn from other cultures and begin to change the way we think about the kind of care new mother’s need. A new mother needs to recover from birth, make the emotional transition to motherhood and if she chooses, breastfeed her baby. Those who take on this role are called doulas from the Greek word for “a woman who serves”. They can be labor, postpartum doulas or both. A doula provides practical and emotional help during and after birth. Enter Laura Wanamaker, a professionally trained postpartum and newborn doula whose mantra is “The Best Gift You Can Give Your Baby Is A Happy Mother.” She is ProDoula trained, Certified in Pediatric and Adult CPR and First Aid and is fully insured and holds a legal LLC in NY State.
“I had been in the medical and pharmaceutical industry on a sales and marketing end and unfortunately been through a few corporate downsizes. I had a hard time after the birth of my babies compounded with short maternity leaves in sight. A new mother is discharged anywhere from 24-48 hours after a vaginal delivery and 2-4 days after a caesarian birth. Some vaginal deliveries can be just as hard on the body as a C-section. She truly may not have anyone at home to assist her. Many women in this area do not have direct family here and her partner most likely will return to work in about a week. Many times, she is left alone to make sure she has enough to eat, recuperate from the birth and if nursing may not have the support she needs to make sure her milk supply is adequate and the baby is being fully nourished. The people who gave her attention during her pregnancy are usually no longer there and the ones who do come visit are more interested in the baby. In many parts of the world a doula can be a close friend or family member. Thankfully postpartum doulas as a profession are becoming more commonplace and available. I am someone who respects intuition but looks for evidence based research also. Research studies show time and time again that having a postpartum doula reduces the probability and severity of depression and anxiety when available in the home for a short amount of time,” said Laura.” We are not medical professionals and do not diagnose. However, we educate and inform. We collectively discuss and encourage medical or lactation help if the mom and doula mutually agree it would be helpful or necessary. We also need to be very good listeners, not an easy thing by any means.”
“Doulas respect and honor the mother. After leaving the private sector, I became a nanny which I loved. I love toddlers and children, but have a special passion and patience with newborns. It’s really about what the mother wants, not what a partner or family member wants or think she needs. We honor the mother by respecting her choices and changes. We follow AAP guidelines for newborn concerns, especially safe sleep. Since we don’t have a prior personal relationship with most clients, it’s easier not to have pre-conceived thoughts or judge them. That to me is key. I’m impassioned about postpartum mental health issues because it effects the entire family. The postpartum period will be tiring but should be joyful, not riddled with anxiety, fear and exhaustion. Starting out on the right note makes all the difference.” Said Laura.
“In the next few months I will be looking to acquire certifications in Postpartum Mood and Anxiety Disorders Training, Sleep Consultant Training and Newborn Massage and Calming Techniques. It’s definitely a referral based profession based on referrals from Physicians, Midwives, Labor Doulas and Client Testimonials. A potential client should never feel pressure from a doula and its critical to have an almost instant connection. I know I don’t want someone in my home I’m not comfortable with. My service area is Rockland, Bergen and Westchester Counties. Many clients are usually older, first or second time moms and some are parents of adoption. Usually the client with a high-pressure career are the ones I hear from most frequently. I understand completely.”
Stop trying to “tough-it-out” yourself after bringing home your baby. Get hands on professional care you need by a heartfelt and caring doula, Laura Wanamaker. You can reach out to Laura on her website, LauraWanamakerDoulas.com and ProDoula.com. Please remember “The Best Gift You Can Give Your Baby Is A Happy Mother.”
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Two months ago, when new mom Mara Glick should have been happily celebrating her son Jackson’s bris, she was marooned upstairs in her parents’ home with a fever, unable to feed the baby.
Even though 100 people were in the house, she felt wretched and alone. Fast-forward 24 hours, and a guardian angel arrived in the form of postpartum doula Brenna Griffin, who identified the problem as a clogged milk duct. A combination of warm compresses and massage soon had Glick’s supply up and running again — and baby Jackson eating and sleeping contentedly. “[Brenna] saved me in those first few weeks of motherhood,” says 31-year-old Glick, who owns a realty-services company and lives in the East Village. While doulas are associated with providing support during labor, and the focus of a baby nurse or nanny is on the baby, more professionals in New York City are “mothering the mother” following birth. The service is another example of how the European trend of having a secondary team to the OB-GYN catering to the mom before and after the delivery is being embraced by well-heeled Gotham families. In America, there is this perception that the woman has to get on and do it all on her own, but, of course, in a place like New York City, help is at hand. Charging an average of $50 an hour, postpartum doulas visit parents’ homes for anywhere between three and 40 hours per week. Most certified doulas earn qualifications from organizations such as DONA International. They are usually CPR certified and devote themselves to nurturing moms — cooking, cleaning, running errands, and giving child-rearing tips. “It’s the same logic as first putting the oxygen mask on the mother on the airplane,” says Ruth Callahan, founder and director of Manhattan’s Doula Care, which counts Griffin among its staff. “In America, there is this perception that the woman has to get on and do it all on her own, but, of course, in a place like New York City, help is at hand.” She adds that her agency’s typical clients are college-educated professionals in high-pressure jobs who find the shift to mothering overwhelming. Many have relatives living in distant states Jessica Goldberg, who has been a postpartum doula for five years, stays with a family until she is no longer needed. “There are some families who struggle with having a new baby in the house and need a support system,” she says. “Yes, you can take shortcuts like ordering Chinese takeout from Seamless. But, at this stage, with all the upheaval in your life, nothing beats having a simple, healthy meal cooked for you, like steak and spinach.” Goldberg worked with Hoboken, NJ, mother Lindsey Kochman Halligan for two months and is considered a godsend by the 31-year-old elementary school teacher. “I had a lot of trouble breast-feeding and anxiety, so having someone checking on me was very important,” says Kochman Halligan, whose son, Nolan, is now 10 months old. Her mom lives in Philadelphia and was visiting a lot, but it wasn’t the same as getting impartial, professional advice. “[Jessica] taught me everything from soothing techniques for Nolan to managing my own anxiety. She gave me the reassurance and support I so desperately needed.” |
