It's no secret that a lot of Doulas have children of their own. How does one balance family life and a Doula business at the same time? Being a Doula isn't like having a normal 9-5 job; I'm on call 24/7 pretty much year round, depending on how many clients per month I have. I can be sound asleep one minute, and off to attend a woman in labor the next. I do have scheduled "office hours", during which I schedule prenatals, postnatals, consultations, file paperwork, and offer my Postpartum Services. But labor is unpredictable.
So knowing that, how does one balance having small children at home while being on call? In this mini-series, Mother vs Doula, I intend to cover the various aspects of Motherhood, and how I work around them as a full time Doula.
So, item one on the docket: Breastfeeding.
My youngest was exclusively breastfed until nearly 7 months old, when we started Baby Led Weaning. She is now 9 months old and her diet is 80% breast milk, 20% solid foods. I nurse her exclusively when I am home, and pump once per day, usually at night once she has gone to sleep. The milk I pump goes straight into the freezer (frozen flat, in 3 oz increments) for when I am gone. I currently have about 120 oz in our freezer, give or take a few. I am fully at ease knowing that even if I'm at an incredibly long labor (like the 45+ hour labor I attended back in June), my daughter still has more than enough milk in the freezer to cover the time I'm away. All of my childcare providers (aka my husband, my mother, and my backup Doula) are informed on paced feeding and know how to prepare the frozen breast milk.
When I am away from her at a birth, I do need to remove myself every 4-5 hours or so to pump. I bring a little cooler filled with ice and either leave it in my car or bring it to the nurses station. I am usually able to use the nurses lounge or an on-call room if I'm at a hospital, and I take 15-20 minutes and quickly pump. If a birth is intense and I am unable to pull away, so be it. It can certainly be uncomfortable at times, but that's a sacrifice I'm willing to make. I will not leave the room once transition (8cm+) is in full swing, so sometimes I have to wait 6+ hours between pumping sessions. I always wear a cloth diaper insert inside of my bra for these occasions, just in case. It doesn't look very professional to start leaking all over your clients as they are welcoming their brand new baby into the world!
Once I arrive home, depending on what time it is, I'll either pump and then fall asleep, or I'll immediately latch my daughter to the breast and relax. When I first began taking clients after my daughter's birth, I was worried about the breastfeeding aspect. Would I be able to juggle it and not have to resort to formula? My fears were valid, but I find that most mothers are totally understanding about needing to briefly step away to pump, and as long as you have some stored in your freezer at home, you are golden.
Most breastfed babies will drink 1-1.5 oz per hour, so that's a good base calculation to start with. If you anticipate a long labor and delivery for each client, say 30 hours, it's a good idea to consistently have at least 45-60 oz in your freezer stash. Some births will be quick, 8-12 hours, and you will be home before you know it. Others will be seemingly endless and may deplete your freezer stash down to the bones. If that happens, don't panic. Pump a little after each nursing session to slowly build your stash again. The odds of having two intense 30+ labors back to back isn't too likely, unless you take 5+ clients per month. If you are averaging 3-4 clients per month or less, you should have a bit of time between births to refresh your freezer stash. If you are able to pump during the labors, then you will be returning home with some liquid gold to replenish your stash anyway, so the rebuilding won't be from the ground.
Breastfeeding while being an on-call Doula can be challenging and at times uncomfortable, but it is by no means impossible. As with any job, it requires some time and dedication to pull it off, but if you have a game plan set in advance, it's not nearly such a daunting task.
On that note, goodbye until next time, and Happy World Breastfeeding Week!
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