The Unsung Heroes of the Fourth Trimester: Why More Parents Are Hiring Postpartum Doulas
The Importance of Postpartum Support
The fourth trimester can be intense—especially when you're healing from birth, learning to feed and care for your baby, and running on little to no sleep. Hiring a postpartum doula or overnight newborn care specialist can make the difference between surviving and thriving. Demand is growing for skilled, compassionate professionals who can support the whole family—especially overnight.
What Does a Postpartum Doula Do?
A postpartum doula is trained to support families after birth with education, newborn care, emotional support, and maternal recovery. Working with a postpartum doula can help you feel less alone, more competent, and more rested as a new parent.
Whether you’re looking for a postpartum doula to support you during the day, or with overnight care, the goal is the same: easing the transition into parenthood.
Overnight Postpartum Doula vs. Night Nurse vs. Night Nanny
It can be challenging to decide what kind of overnight support would be the best fit. If you’re looking for additional help, here’s a quick guide to these other roles:
A night nurse often has formal medical training and may be ideal for babies with complex health needs.
A night nanny offers non-medical baby care while parents sleep, including diapering, soothing, and bottle feeding.
Many families opt for a postpartum doula who offers overnight care—combining practical support with newborn care (including soothing, diapering, and supporting feeding) and maternal well-being, with evidence based information and emotional support. This kind of overnight postpartum support can be especially helpful when families have limited local family help or need extra rest, but is supportive for any new parents.
Why Choose Professional Postpartum Support?
Working with a postpartum doula offers benefits and support in several areas including:
Promoting Sleep and Healing — Hiring a doula can help parents get restorative rest—a key factor in postpartum recovery.
Feeding Support — Postpartum doulas in are trained in breastfeeding and bottle-feeding support. They help new parents build confidence and troubleshoot early feeding challenges.
Mental Health Benefits — Postpartum mood disorders are common and a trained postpartum doula can recognize the early signs and offer support or referrals when needed
Custom Support Based on Your Needs — Doulas tailor their support to match each family's preferences, schedule, and cultural values.
What to Look For When Hiring a Doula
Here's what to look for:
Training and certification from organizations like DONA, CAPPA, or Canadian doula associations.
A personality match—you want someone you feel safe and supported with during this deeply personal time.
Experience and ongoing professional development — you want a doula who has experience and is keeping up to date with new research and best practices.
Where to Start
At MamaCare, we match families in Durham Region and Toronto with postpartum doulas who are skilled, warm, and trauma informed. Our client care coordinator takes the time to learn about you and your family to connect you with a doula who fits your needs and preferences.
Want to learn more? Book a Complimentary Consultation