A Letter From Your Doula: Dear New Parent

Dear New Parent

Dear New Parent,

You’re doing great.

I see how exhausted you are after just getting home with your new baby. You value good sleep and now you are getting less than you’ve ever gotten in your life. But every time that little voice cries out in the night, your eyes jolt open, and you roll out of bed to meet your baby’s needs and soothe them.

You’re doing great.

I hear your struggles around feeding your baby. I know you went over and over in your mind the pros and cons of each decision. I understand the complications woven through the pride you feel for feeding from your body as you simultaneously wince in pain and wonder if it will ever get easier. I hear the anxiety in your voice as you ask about the benefits of breast milk, knowing you likely won’t be going that route. I relish in the drop of your shoulders as you relax just a little bit when I tell you that, no, you don’t have to pump if you don’t want to.

You’re doing great.

I know it seems as though you will never again have time to shower or eat or brush your teeth as often as you prefer, but I promise you that time will come again. I know you feel like the laundry has been piling up forever and the dishes in the sink will never get washed and the bathroom is gathering far too much dust, but you are doing even more important work right now. And guess what?

You’re doing great.

The love you have for your baby is palpable. It fills up every room that you enter.

Even when you are dead tired,

even if you feel guilty for not getting everything right,

even if you don’t feel bonded to your baby yet,

even when you miss your old life,

even if you are drowning in postpartum depression or anxiety…

You are the best parent for your baby…and

YOU ARE DOING GREAT!

With all sincerity and warmth,

Your Postpartum Doula


 

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Family Tree Doula Services

From the day you leave the hospital...to the day you no longer need us, we’ll help you adjust to life with your new baby and give you all the tools you need for a healthy, confident start.

Not a client yet? You'll find many of our favorite tips & resources for new parents here on our blog.  Learn more about our daytime, overnight, and live-in postpartum doula services as well as our postpartum support offerings for intended parents.