A Night With Your Postpartum Doula
Well first, what exactly is a postpartum doulas role overnight?
Postpartum doulas are there to support a postpartum family and their newborn. They provide breastfeeding and feeding support, newborn education, baby care, organizing and restocking the nursery, light household work like baby laundry and tidying up kitchen and, of course, cleaning all bottles and pump parts.
Overnight postpartum doulas are particularly focused on parents getting much needed sleep. According to a study, parents with lack of sleep are 3.34x more likely to develop a postnatal mental health disorder than those with adequate sleep. By taking care of baby overnight, postpartum doulas are taking care of you.
So what will your night look like if you hire a postpartum doula for support? Here is a timestamped look at your life with overnight help.
9:00 PM: Your doula arrives, bringing a calm, reassuring presence. She checks in, helps with any immediate concerns like gas, and gets things set for the night. While you settle in for bed, she preps bottles and sterilizes pump parts, so you don’t have to worry about it later. She then heads to the nursery to wait for the baby to wake up.
11:30 PM: The baby wakes for a breastfeeding session. Your doula gently brings your little one to you, helps with positioning, and makes sure you're comfortable. While you focus on feeding, she’s nearby, grabbing your water or snack if needed. Once the baby is fed, your doula handles diaper changes, swaddling, and getting them back to sleep while you head right back to bed.
3:30 AM: Baby is up again! It’s time for a bottle feed so mom can rest a little longer. Your doula has already prepared the milk, whether expressed breast milk or formula, and takes care of the feeding while you catch some extra rest. She knows how important it is to balance bottle feeding with breastfeeding and helps with techniques that support both.
5:00 AM: The baby wakes again, and your doula is there to handle it. She prepares the bottle, takes care of the feeding and burping, and tidies up the kitchen. She’ll even clean bottles, sterilize pump parts, and handle any small tasks that might pile up by morning. She hands baby off, ask how your nights sleep was and as she heads up, shoots you a text with timestamped notes on how the night went.
By the time you wake, you feel surprisingly rested. Your doula has kept everything under control, giving you the space to recharge and focus on bonding with your baby, without the overwhelming fatigue. With a postpartum doula, those overnight wake-ups become manageable, and you can feel more like yourself again.
By being cared for while you give every minute of your time and body to care for your baby, you wake up feeling empowered to take on another day of being a new mom. You wake up to a clean kitchen with a lightened mental load!
Here is an example of notes a postpartum doula will send you at the end of each night:
About the Author
Meet McKenzie Jones, PPD, NCS, the heart behind Austin Infant Care. As a University of Texas alum with deep roots in Austin, McKenzie transitioned from a career in television and film to pursue her passion for postpartum care. Driven by a belief in the transformative power of responsive, evidence-based care, she founded Austin Infant Care as a boutique agency dedicated to supporting families with the very best in attachment-based caregiving. With years of experience as a nanny and doula, McKenzie provides gentle, informed, and hands-on care, ensuring every family feels nurtured and empowered. Off-duty, she’s an avid reader, hydroponic gardener, and leader of a local book club, always ready to explore new ideas and adventures..