Many will tell you that raising a child takes a village, but unfortunately, most of us do not have the village accessible to us. For some, transitioning into parenthood is very smooth, and for others, it can be a rocky road. No matter your journey, a postpartum doula can absolutely be beneficial to the new parents, the baby, and the family unit. 

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Recovery is best when the birthing person is able to lay in bed for the days following birth (longer if a surgical birth was performed). This means that basic household chores will fall to the wayside. For some, that can be a massive source of stress. For others, they may feel compelled to get out of a bed to cook, clean, or tend to other tasks and they may find themselves taking longer to recover, or in some cases, find themselves experiencing debilitating anxiety surrounding the mess or their inability to "do it all" or "bounce back". 

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I speak as someone who experienced postpartum and anxiety myself. I speak as someone who had a very skewed understanding of what postpartum was going to look like and of my own abilities. I do not mean to be hyperbolic when I say the following: the support that you have in the weeks and months giving birth are absolutely linked to your emotional and physical recovery. Not every one needs a postpartum doula but everyone needs rest, nutrient dense foods, opportunities to care for themselves in the most basic ways (showering,  using the toilet, having alone time to read a book or fill one's cup - however that looks). Even if the support you need just looks like having someone to lean on, cry to, or keep you company, a postpartum doula can provide all of that.