Doula’s 4 crucial tips will get you ready to welcome your new baby
- Bertie Hynes
- Mar 21
- 3 min read
Professional doula Roberta Hynes revealed her practical tips on what parents can have prepared ahead of the arrival of their newborn.
In order to make things go more smoothly after baby is born, Roberta, of Irish-based support service Doula Help, emphasises that there’s a lot of practical things mums and dads can tick off before their little one’s due date.
An experienced doula, Roberta specialises in providing parents with support throughout their fertility journey, during pregnancy and post-partum.
1. Reach out for help ahead of time
Roberta recommends that parents look at their current routines and assess who can help take over certain elements once baby arrives.
She advises mums and dads to consider the things they do everyday such as; who is going to walk the dog, who will cook meals and who can drop their other children to school.
2. Decide when is best for visitors to come
Ahead of baby’s arrival, Roberta advises parents to have a conversation with friends and family members about the best time for them to visit their newborn.
‘Have realistic expectations for family and visitors to say “we know everyone is super excited to meet our newborn and around week three, we’re going to get in touch and arrange a time for you to come”‘, she says.
‘Perhaps you might not want visitors even though everyone’s just really excited to meet the new baby. It’s a very raw time for new parents’.
Explaining that new mums might have bleeding, may be experiencing night sweats or could simply just be exhausted, she adds: ‘Mums may not be in the humor to have visitors, although visitors coming to the door and leaving off food parcels is always welcome!’
Detailing the importance of visitors sticking to the time agreed, Roberta continued: ‘There’s a reason for that time that’s been given – sticking around the sleeping schedule or the naptimes of the child, if you’re half an hour late, that’s really going to mess up the child’s schedule’.
3. Plan practical support
Roberta says: ‘Whether it’s arranging a doula or a lactation consultant, if you’re going to get some ready made meals into the freezer or if you’re going to arrange for a cleaner to come once a week’, putting these types of plans in place ahead of time can really help.
Further describing how important asking for support is, she suggested: ‘Can your family help with gift vouchers for services? Everyone has loads of blankets and onesies, what parents really need is practical supports in those early weeks ‘
4. Organise your hospital set up
Roberta states that doulas ‘often describe birth as a very intimate thing’, adding: ‘for some families, coming to the hospital can be quite off putting, knowing that you’re going to be in a room with strangers coming in and out.’
‘Try to get your home experience replicated into the delivery room – bring your own pillow, your own favourite smell that you can put onto your pillow, bring tea lights, photos, have a playlist of songs that have an emotional connotation for you.’
Roberta also suggested for those giving birth to bring in their partner’s sweaty gym gear: ‘so you can just smell their scent and get really primal with it.’
Creating a comfortable environment in a hospital room is a huge part of what doulas can help with explains Roberta:
‘Doulas help set the scene for the birth and the doula can help chatting with the midwife while mum and dad lock eyes and zone in on each other for the labor and the birth’.
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