Louise Print-Lyons; Post-Natal Doula Services

01/02/2023

Received a gorgeous card today. Its such a privilege to do this job and to make a difference

"Dear Lou,

Thank you from us three for making such a difference to our new little family. Your reassuring presence felt like a hug when you turned up. Thank you for listening to me moan from breastfeeding to mother-in laws. I hope our paths cross again (baby #2??) And wish you all the best"

09/01/2023

I love this post

Not everyone has family close enough in location or emotion to do this for them but every new parent deserves some of this!

I try to create this support in the time I'm with a family and its incredibly special

My parents visited when you were four weeks old. Dad quietly got to work. He cleaned our oven and fridge. The smell of Dettol filled our flat and felt like love. Mum kept the washing rolling over and made the beds. They bought organic strawberries from a local farmers market. "This will do you good. Get those vitamins zinging" Mum said.

They could see I was delirious with no sleep so they took you after a feed and packed me off to bed. I could hear them trying to pacify you for a wee while as I zonked out.

Dad apologetically nudged me from my slumber: "Sorry doll. He's hungry again." I didn't understand why he was apologising. I had woken up smiling and refreshed. "How long was I out for? It felt like ages" I said, as if I were emerging from a coma. Dad half-laughed his reply: "About 20 minutes".

Between feeds, Mum held you and you melted into her arms. You looked more content with her than with me. But I didn't mind. I put it down to the bigger b***s but really it was some innate calmness. I watched her little ways. She knew exactly how to hold you. How to pat you. How to talk to you. "Tell me a wee story" she'd say as you looked up wide-eyed and round-mouthed. It felt like a masterclass in mothering that I needed to see. I had felt silly talking to you up until that point.

There is nothing quite so delicate as a first-time mum. She will never forget the way people tried to help. Those who wrapped her up in love and for a moment made her feel like a baby again.

Words: Karen McMillan (Mother Truths)

Collection of Poetry and Prose on Early Motherhood available to buy worldwide: https://linktr.ee/mother_truths

29/10/2022

This job 🥰 what a joy and privilege

26/09/2022

A spot of CPD over the summer. . . . . Important but hopefully never needed

10/08/2022

This baby wrap is my most useful tool for postnatal doula work but it also came in very handy for a weary 6 year old at Brighton Pride this weekend 🤣🌈🤩

06/07/2022

Batch cooking !
The perfect task for a postnatal doula with fussy post vaccinations baby asleep in the sling and Mum sleeping.

High energy, healthy, nutritious quick dip-in food for the next few day or so.

Crustless quiche first on the menu

23/05/2022

Post natal doula top tip-

Don't put down your birthing ball after the birth!!! No, no, no!

It's such a useful addition in the early weeks, particularly those fussy 6-9 weekly old babies who need a lot of in arm time. Bouncing whilst sitting on one of these recreates walking around very well. Babies love it and it's more restful for your body that the evening pacing!

20/05/2022

Baby in sling whilst mum is sleeping.. . . . A nutritious, energy boosting salad ready for when she wakes.

What would you top it with? This time I went with freshly roasted chicken.

This is the reason postnatal support is so valuable! The first few weeks focus for parents on feeding (parent and infant), rest and recovery whilst adapting to a new way of life 🤎

19/05/2022

This was a brilliant day with brilliant people working on a really important project!

15/04/2022

When hanging out with the dog starts to look like postnatal work 🤣
He is living his best life!

11/04/2022

THE most perfect day for an afternoon fresh air carry nap for this gorgeous postnatal client baby who is growing up fast 🥰

28/03/2022

🙋‍♀️🙋‍♀️ this is what I do 😊

What do you need to help you recover, adjust and thrive with a new baby? Postnatal doulas responsibilities change each day based on what you and your family need.

A postnatal doula arrives with a listening ear ready to give you emotional, informational and practical support. Across the world, parenting is not designed to be done alone, during the fourth trimester your postnatal doula is there to nurture and nourish you so you can be a rested, reassured and happier parent.

You can find a postnatal doula here: https://doula.org.uk/find-a-doula/

27/03/2022

My doula colleagues are a big part of my support system so that I can support you!

Here are just some of the local doula faces 🤩

Find your local doula https://doula.org.uk/find-a-doula/

03/03/2022

Time for tea! I don't drink 'normal' tea or coffee but there's always plenty of raspberry leaf available on postnatal jobs 🤣

Started with a new family today
- baby asleep in sling ✅
- washing hung up ✅
- mum resting and having some time to herself ✅

15/01/2022

The other part of my work and I LOVE it. Trying to improve the maternity service in Oxfordshire for ALL families and days like yesterday are so rewarding. Passionate, driven, caring and considerate midwives of the future.

Now to help protect their work environment as part of the NHS maternity service 💪

I had such a great day with the third year midwifery students at brookes today alongside Deputy Directors of Midwifery Bea Culligan and Milica Redfearn.

Thank you for hosting us. It was a pleasure to talk to the students, hear their views and read their suggested mission statements for the Oxfordshire Maternity Service.

We get so much positive feedback about student midwife care in our surveys and it was a great opportunity to tell them how much their time, care and passion means for the families of Oxfordshire.

Louise, chair

10/01/2022

I love this post but what strikes me most is the image- if you are managing to have a lie down with eyes closed, whilst feeding baby AND you have pizza and water within reach then you are nailing life!

If you would like emotional support, reassurance as well as someone to bring you food and drink and snuggle baby whilst you sleep/shower/potter/anything that makes you feel like you then I'm here to help 🙋🏻‍♀️

Some truths about postpartum:

You’ll miss the girl of yesterday, but love who she is becoming even more.

Asking for help doesn’t make you weak, we weren’t designed to do this alone.

Unwanted intrusive thoughts are really common, and yet we never talk about them.

You can be in so much company and still feel lonely.

You’ll never feel so strong and so vulnerable all at once.

You’ll never be so attune to someone else’s feelings, their breathing, their cries, its incredibly beautiful and incredibly exhausting.

You’ll get asked if they’re a good baby, you’ll wish you responded with, “they’re all good babies”.

You’ll be triggered often, you may even have to reparent yourself in some ways.

You’ll scroll a lot, your feed will be over taken with Mum accounts and baby things, some of which will give you Mum guilt. You don’t need that, it’s hard enough.

You’ll cringe at some of the things you said, or the things you didn’t do for your friends with kids, way before you had any of your own (I get it now, and I’m sorry).

Your baby is not manipulating you, it’s biologically normal for them to want you close, and that’s no bad habit.

If you simply kept the kids alive today, then you achieved a lot.

That crying in the shower is something we’ve all done, sometimes we don’t even know why.

Your brain will go missing for a while.

It is not a one size fits all, the routines, the apps… no one knows your baby better than you.

You’ll feel distant from your partner, the one thing that makes you feel as if you’re floating one minute has you both sinking the next. Sometimes it’s an ocean between you (but it won’t always be like that).

You’ll crave alone time and yet when you’re without them it feels like a piece of you is missing.

They grow so fast (but you won’t enjoy every minute) and that’s OK.

You’ll get better at this, but mostly you’ll get better at just rolling with it.

You’ll never know patience until you become a mother.

You’ll never know a person inside out until you become a mother.

You’ll never know how love can turn you inside out too.

And you’ll be forever changed, but in the best way.

Words:
Art:

Follow: www.instagram.com/jessurlichs_writer/

07/12/2021

This is what I do 🙋‍♀️🙋‍♀️ and I LOVE it

I can support your nest and/or help you build it

𝐏𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐦 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐬𝐚𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞, 𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐰𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐚 𝐟𝐞𝐰 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬.

It's a magical time, for you and your baby to fall in love and to thrive!

Planning and preparing for it will allow you to experience the real benefits of this time ... otherwise, it can become one of the hardest periods to remember.

Planning, therefore, is the key.

Think about it today:

✨ how you can prepare your meals in advance?

✨ what duties your partner can take over?

✨ who can help with other home duties, like cleaning and laundry?

Look for the answers now and if you feel stuck - ask for help. I am here and I have done it for many new mothers and families so many times before.

Visit my website and find out how I can help you to be truly prepared for the birth of your baby.

Slowpostpartum.com

Thank you for inspiration 💓

04/12/2021

Tax return day! 🤪
Made better by chocolates from recent client 🤩