METRO DMV OVERNIGHT DOULAS & NEWBORN CARE

Overnight doula shifts are typically eight hours in length. Our postpartum doulas arrive late evening and leave early the next morning, so you are supported through the night. If you would like a longer shift, please let us or your postpartum doula know and we will try to accommodate your needs.  

A key focus for overnight postpartum doulas is your sleep, so they do their best to keep your home calm and quiet through the night. If tasks that might disturb your rest - such as cooking, vacuuming, or answering questions about your baby's care - are important to you, we encourage you to schedule extra time with your doula, if they are available, or add some daytime support. 

Every parent/family is unique, so we encourage you to discuss your priorities with us - or with the doulas available to work with you - as early as possible in the process. This will ensure you are matched with a postpartum doula that is right for you.  

Here are some examples of services that our postpartum doulas cannot provide:
- Medical diagnosis or treatment. We are not clinicians. 
- Transportation. We cannot drive you or any member of your family, day or night, in either your vehicle or the doula's car.  
- Sibling care exclusively. We may assist with siblings as part of our focus on your recovery and adjustment, and are happy to connect you with qualified babysitters if older sibling care is your primary need. 

If your postpartum care is covered by private insurance or Medicaid, their policies may have restrictions on services covered.  We do work with families using insurance plans such as Carrot and Progyny.

Our overnight postpartum doulas rest when your baby is fed, soothed, and asleep and any requested chores are complete.

For some doulas, rest may mean reading a book or listening to something quietly on head/earphones; for others, rest may mean a light and brief nap from which they will wake at a moment's notice ... or noise. We encourage you to discuss rest with the doulas available to work with you early in the process to ensure the best match. 

We request that you provide your doula with a safe and clean space for them to be with your baby and rest as they are able. We also ask that you provide accessible and safe parking while they are in your home overnight. 

We want you to get as much support as you want and need! So we do not ask you to commit to a single schedule or package of hours. We are available to offer recommendations on the number of hours to purchase based on your anticipated needs. 

Once you determine the number of hours you want, this total and an estimated timeframe will be indicated in your contract with us. You can always purchase additional hours. Though we cannot guarantee the doula you select will be available for an extension, we will work to meet your changing needs.  

We encourage you and the postpartum doula you work with to mutually agree on a schedule. Our staff is always available to help if needed.