Postpartum Doula vs Nanny — What’s the Difference?

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If you’re an expecting mother, chances are, you’ve come across someone or something that mentions a postpartum doula. Truth be told, this is a unique system of support provided for families in the postpartum stage, but what about nannies? Aren’t they the same? Today, we’ll discuss the key similarities and differences between a postpartum doula vs nanny to help figure out which is the best type of support for you.

When I was pregnant with my first child, I shockingly never heard the words “postpartum doula” mentioned. I knew all about what a birth doula was, but I had no idea this type of support extended beyond birth.

As a new mother, well, even as a seasoned mom — any help you can get throughout the postpartum stage is crucial.

That’s because the postpartum period is a beautiful time where you soak in the memories with your newborn baby and your family, but they can also be overwhelming. Navigating so many changes at once, on your own.

Fortunately, there are support personnel around to help, such as postpartum doulas and night nannies. Let’s talk about exactly what a postpartum doula does and what a night nanny does so you can determine which is the best fit for your entire family.

What is a Postpartum Doula?

A postpartum doula is a supportive role that provides evidence-based support to new parents that support the whole family.

Oftentimes, postpartum doulas are certified through an accredited doula certification agency such as DONA International or CAPPA, to name a few of the larger more common agencies, but certification is not required in most states.

A doula’s role is to work with the family to ensure they’re educated and supported in their new role as parents, second-time parents, etc… (especially important for first time parents).

Here is a list of tasks you can expect a postpartum doula to offer support with:

• Emotional support: Listening to the concerns of parents/new moms, helping them navigate basic concerns, providing mental health resources, and being a shoulder to lean on.

• Practical support: Providing newborn education and support along with light housework to make the postpartum period easier on parents. This might include feeding the baby, helping mom figure out a pumping or nursing schedule, teaching how to swaddle a baby, and providing care for mom such as prepping a meal or drawing a bath.

• Evidence-based support: One of the key ways a postpartum doula’s role is so unique, is that they take the time to educate families on what to expect during postpartum recovery while offering resources and solutions to those common challenges. This supports the entire family dynamic from parents to other siblings in the home.

Some postpartum doulas only work as overnight doulas. This is simply because one of the hardest transitions to motherhood is the lack of sleep. Your doula understands how crucial it is for you to get your rest, so nighttime support is just as valuable as a daytime postpartum doula.

Benefits of a Postpartum Doula

Hiring a postpartum doula has many benefits. Of course, the most important is that it is often a trained or certified individual ready to support the family’s needs.

Here is a list of more benefits of hiring a postpartum doula:

• Can provide a sense of community for new moms

• Supports all family members during the postpartum stage

• Can lead to breastfeeding success (if opting to breastfeed)

• Can educate, support, and assist with bottle feeding

• Could minimize the chance of developing postpartum depression due to the additional emotional & practical support

• Can help with basic baby care needs

• Offer basic meal preparation support

• Help parents and baby develop a healthy sleep schedule

Some postpartum doulas take on additional training to offer more support in specific areas such as baby sleep support, breastfeeding and lactation support, basic infant care, postpartum nutrition, and more!

Depending on what your family’s needs are, these additional skills can come in quite handy for a mom during the fourth trimester.

Postpartum Doula Rates

Time for the big question, what do postpartum doulas cost? This will be highly dependent on where you live and whether your doula works independently or for an agency, but I did a little research to dig up some averages by a few popular states. You can check out the average range for postpartum doula services by state below:

California: On average, postpartum doulas range anywhere from $35-65 per hour in California.

Arizona: On average, postpartum doulas range anywhere from $25-55 per hour in Arizona.

Texas: On average, postpartum doulas range anywhere from $35-65 per hour in Texas.

Florida: On average, postpartum doulas range anywhere from $25-55 per hour in Florida.

New York: On average, postpartum doulas range anywhere from $50-75 per hour in New York.

Keep in mind, that this is a rough average I got from going through a variety of different doula’s pages and looking at their service rates. On average, these services were based on an a la carte type of fee. For full packages that include 4-8 weeks of support and other special services, those can start anywhere from $500 on up.

Are Postpartum Doulas Covered by Insurance

This is another popular question. Does medical insurance cover the cost of a certified postpartum doula?

To be honest, there is not a clear-cut answer for this one. Some insurance companies will pay up to a certain amount for postpartum care by a doula, but usually, the doula needs to have proof of their certification.

To find out if your healthcare insurance will cover some or all of the cost of a postpartum doula, call your member services number and check with the benefits department.

Postpartum Doula vs Nanny — What Families Need to Know

What is a Nanny?

Nannies often referred to as a night nurse, night nannies, and even baby nurse, provide support for babies overnight so that the new parents can get some rest.

However, don’t let the name fool you. Most night nannies or baby nurses aren’t actually nurses and don’t usually have any formal training or certifications under their belt.

Just like daytime nannies, night nannies are specifically there to help parents get a good night’s sleep while they manage the care of babies. Many night nannies have experience caring for children which is a plus.

I like to think of night nannies as a person who provides nighttime help to ease the load off of parents.

Postpartum Doula vs Nanny – What are the Differences?

Unlike postpartum doulas, nannies don’t provide resources or evidence-based support.

Nannies also don’t have formal training or certifications like many doulas have (though, it’s often not required of the doula).

Some nannies will also offer light housekeeping, but typically their main role is focused on providing overnight help to care for the newborn baby. They also tend to develop a close relationship with the families they work with making their stay long-term as the baby grows older.

The role of a postpartum doula, on the other hand, is more focused on providing a variety of types of support (including overnight shifts) to support postpartum mothers and the family’s needs.

Night Nanny or Postpartum Doula — Which Should You Hire?

Choosing between a postpartum doula vs nanny can be a tough decision. Sometimes, it strictly comes down to who you can afford. While for others, it will come down to account for the special needs your family desires during the postpartum period.

Both of these professionals are not there to provide medical advice or treat any sort of medical conditions, so it’s important to be clear on your expectations prior to hiring a doula or nanny.

If the care of your new baby is the main area you need help in (for instance if you’re a second or third-time mother who already has some older children at home to help with household tasks) then a nanny could be a perfect option for you.

If you are a mom who has struggled emotionally during the postpartum period before or you’re a new mom expecting her first baby and unsure of what to expect, then a postpartum doula would likely be a better option.

Now that you better understand the key differences between a postpartum doula vs nanny, which one do you think would be the best fit to support your family?

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