Doulas in Perinatal Intensive Outpatient Programs

Many birthing and postpartum parents suffer perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs). But parents in emotional distress can recover – with social support, psychotherapy, and medication – often without being separated from their babies. In fact, programs that keep parents and babies together during treatment are on the rise in the U.S., and Metropolitan Doulas participates in a Washington, DC-based perinatal intensive outpatient program.

MedStar Georgetown’s Perinatal Intensive Outpatient Program

The MedStar Georgetown University Hospital campus in Washington, D.C. is home to the MedStar Mother-Baby Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP). Over 12 weeks, a team of licensed mental health clinicians treat parents who don’t need inpatient care or wish to avoid separation from their babies while receiving care. While sitting on comfy gliders with their nestling newborns or stretched on playmats with their little crawlers, these parents receive skill-based therapy, medication, health and wellness education, meditation, and peer support to aid their recovery. 

Metropolitan Doulas is part of the IOP’s wellness education component, facilitating a weekly doula group. Our discussions are free-flowing on topics from physical and emotional recovery after birth, the role of sleep and nutrition in postpartum healing, lactation and bottle feeding, infant sleep and other milestones, and questions and concerns about the adjustment and transition to parenthood. Sessions follow a curriculum unique to this program, written in partnership between Metropolitan Doulas and Program Director Dr. Aimee Danielson. Our time together offers participants reflection on personal stories and shared experiences, along with evidence-based information on what is typical of newborns and infants and tips for managing difficult situations. 

Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders

Mood and anxiety disorders are the most common complication during pregnancy and the postpartum period. In the U.S., 1 in 5 birthing parents is affected each year, many of whom (about 75%) do not receive any treatment. And they are not alone – about 8%-10% of non-birthing parents – mainly fathers – also report symptoms of postpartum depression. 

While depression is the most common and well-known PMAD, it is not the only one. There is a range of conditions – each with unique symptoms – that can occur or recur during pregnancy and postpartum, including anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, bipolar mood disorder, and postpartum psychosis. Without treatment, parents can often face long-term consequences that also affect their baby and family. 

For the parents at the MedStar IOP, having their babies close by removes a major barrier to seeking and staying in treatment, and moving through the months-long IOP together provides the peer support that is vital for healing. For postpartum doulas who typically support postpartum parents in the quiet comfort of their homes, the IOP reflects the role we can play in supporting parents in more clinical settings.