All Sound Doula Postpartum Services include:

Professional support by Joy MacTavish, a fully trained, licensed, insured and certified postpartum doula
Scheduled times for postpartum doula services, daytime and overnight
Support and assistance with breastfeeding/bottle-feeding
Suggestions and assistance with mother's recovery
Advice on infant and parent sleep patterns
Hands-on guidance with newborn care
Recognizing and responding to postpartum mood disorders
Light housekeeping, laundry, meal preparation and running of errands
Assistance with basic pet care
Sibling care and assistance with transition
Access to my (growing) lending library and Resource & Referral list
Questions answered by email or phone in-between postpartum sessions

For additional packages, please see my Packages and Rates page.

 
    As a postpartum doula, I provide scheduled time for both day and overnight sessions during your postpartum period to support you with a variety of tasks. These are determined by your family and the specific needs you are anticipating, but can include newborn care, feeding, recovery, sleep and general household tasks to maximize a smooth transition for everyone in the family. I also have a personal interest in sibling care and transition and I'm happy to work with families that have pets.

My Personal Answers to Commonly Asked Postpartum Doula Questions:

• What training, education and experience do you have?

Since I was a teenager, I have worked in a variety of childcare roles including babysitter, camp counselor and nanny. I have five younger siblings, (including a sister fourteen years younger than me) and I have always loved babies, children and the excitement of family transitions. After becoming a birth doula, I decided to expand my practice and completed the Postpartum Doula Training Course at the Seattle Midwifery School in the fall of 2007. Postpartum doula work is completely in-line with my philosophies regarding birth as a transition not only for the mother and child, but for the entire family. I am aware of the unique changes and challenges that a new baby can bring. I know that my skills and experience can help make this transitional period more manageable and even more rewarding for every member of the family. For more information regarding my education and experience, please see the page about me.

• Have you had a criminal background check, a recent TB test and do you have current CPR certification?

I always keep my criminal background checks, TB testing and CPR certifications current. These are required annually for my participation in the UWMC Doula Care program and certification by NAPS. Knowing that I have a clear record, negative for tuberculous and have the skills to perform CPR if necessary is relieving for both my doula clients and myself. If you are interested in proof for any of these, please let me know and I will be happy to provide documentation.

• Tell me about your experience as a postpartum doula.

My experience as a postpartum doula has included working with a variety of families during the postpartum period during both day and overnight sessions. I have experience with both singletons and twins, as well as premies and babies with medical conditions including reflux. I have supported mothers with breastfeeding challenges, mothers recovering from cesarean birth and mothers experiencing postpartum mood disorder. I have also worked with siblings dealing with transition issues and families dealing with other challenges during the postpartum period.

In addition to my general doula training and skills, my strong suits are communication, adaptability and assisting with siblings, specifically their transition to being the new “big brother” or “big sister.”

• What is your philosophy about parenting and supporting women and their families during postpartum?

My role as a doula is to support the new parenting and overall transition of families during the postpartum period. I do this through support and assistance with feeding, suggestions and assistance with mother's recovery, advice on infant and parent sleep patterns, guidance on newborn care and recognizing and responding to postpartum mood disorders among other things. I pride myself on being open-minded and adaptable and make a point of establishing good communication with my clients to ensure that their needs and wishes are being met to the best of my ability at all times while I am providing doula services.

• May we meet to discuss our postpartum needs and the role you will play in supporting us in the postpartum period?

I truly enjoy meeting potential clients and discussing my services. This is a great opportunity to see if we connect and if your needs and my services are compatible. After the meeting you will have the chance to decide if I am the right doula for you and your family and then contact me with your decision. Once I am hired by a client, we will schedule a prenatal meeting to discuss the specific details of the postpartum plan and the supportive role that I can play through this period.

• What additional services do you offer?

I offer day and overnight postpartum doula services. Depending on the shift, I also offer light housekeeping, laundry, meal preparation, assistance with sibling care and transition, pet care and running of errands. If you or your family has additional needs, please feel free to inquire about having them included in the postpartum doula services. If they are within the Postpartum Doula Scope of Practice and I feel I am able to fulfill that need I will happily do so. If they are not, I will make sure to provide a referral. I am also a Happiest Baby on The Block Certified Educator and can teach the program to clients in addition to postpartum doula sessions. Specifics of all services will be discussed in detail during our consultation or prenatal meeting.

• May we call you with postpartum questions or concerns before the birth?

All of my clients are encouraged to contact me at anytime with any questions or concerns. I am committed to responding quickly to phone calls and emails.

• When do your services begin after birth?

The starting date and times for my services will be decided upon based on individual client preferences. We will discuss this during our prenatal meeting.

• What is your experience in breastfeeding support?

My training in breastfeeding support has included multiple trainings by local professional lactation consultants, a Basics of Lactation Management Course which covered Starting Out Successfully, Difficulties, Breast Pumps and Breastmilk Storage, Breastfeeding the Premature Infant and Alternative Feeding Methods and on-going independent reading and research and community engagement.

During my attendance at the 2008 DONA Conference, I attended two sessions on breastfeeding support. The first was "Why Breastfeeding Matters: What You Need to Know and What You Can Do to Help Women Achieve Their Breastfeeding Goals" with Kathie Lindstrom and "When Mommy Really Wants To, But It Just Isn't Working: Supporting the Mother with Significant Breastfeeding Challenges" with Jacqueline Kelleher. These lecture and discussion sessions provided valuable advanced training to increase my ability to effectively support all breastfeeding clients.

In addition to these trainings, I have also gained first-hand experience in breastfeeding support with all my previous doula clients. For challenges beyond the scope of a doula, I refer to a IBCLC Lactation Consultant within the community.

• Do you work with one or more backup doulas for times when you are not available? May we meet them?

I do not generally work with a designated back-up postpartum doula. If I have a birth doula client booked during the time you are hiring me for postpartum services I will let you know. If you desire my having a postpartum doula back-up, please let me know and I will be happy to make arrangements with another postpartum doula.

• What is your fee? What is your refund policy?

For current information about my fees and refund policies, please see my Rates. 

If you have any addition needs during the postpartum period, or if you have additional questions about my services, please feel free to contact me to set-up a complimentary “meet-and-greet” consultation.