Welcome to Then Came Baby

Ask any new mom and she will whole-heartedly agree that taking care of a newborn is hard!  After all, the baby's needs are never-ending; you're up half the night attending to those needs and your body is trying to recover from growing, laboring, delivering and perhaps now nursing this amazing bundle!  That is one tall order for any newborn mother!  That's where Then Came Baby Postpartum Doula Services comes to your rescue! We are here to offer both practical and emotional support on your arduous journey as a newborn mother.  

Consider a typical day in your life with your newborn.  You hear the cries from the nursery; it's barely light outside and you realize yet another day has begun.  Baby is hungry and you must answer the call!  You stumble out of bed, trying to remember the day of the week as you make your way to the nursery. Never mind what day it is...it's Groundhog Day! One look at this beautiful creature and your heart swells with a love you've never known while your body is dragging. You care for and feed your newborn, spend time interacting, and eventually settle the baby down for the first nap.  

You have a to-do list a mile long: the baby laundry is piling up, the pantry needs restocking, you need a few self-care items from the store, the diaper receptacle needs emptying, the dishwasher needs unloading, thank you notes for recent baby gifts need writing, and you must feed and nourish yourself, stay hydrated and hopefully squeeze in a quick shower!  Where to start?  Hold that thought!  Your precious little is calling from you from the nursery. Naptime is not going as planned.  So, you end up holding, shushing and soothing your baby back to sleep in the comfy nursery chair.  You doze while baby dozes and next thing you know baby is fussing and telling you it's time to eat again.  And on and on goes your day, one after the next, until you are facing a mountain of baby laundry, empty pantry shelves, dirty dishes, smelly diapers, and you can't remember the last time you have had a moment to yourself (or a quick shower)!  This is normal!  You are a newborn mother and this is a day in the life.

But imagine a day in YOUR life with YOUR postpartum doula... Let me paint a picture for you! It's 8 am and you have just settled your little nugget down for a nap.  You are now thinking about that never ending to-do list and where to start.  Ding Dong!  Then Came Baby is calling!  You answer the door and you find me standing there on your front porch bright-eyed and ready to serve you while you're still a little groggy eyed!  Not to worry!  Then Came Baby is here to ensure that your day goes seamlessly and that you actually do get the shower you've been dreaming about, all while those piles of laundry and dirty dishes are taken care of for you.  I prepare you a light breakfast that you are free to enjoy in bed, at the breakfast table, or wherever you'd like!  Within the next few hours, all of those nagging chores that never seem to get done are accomplished: the pantry is restocked, the diaper receptacle is empty and the nursery smells fresh again, the nursery is tidied and restocked, and things are set to rights. 

In the meantime, you have spent some uninterrupted time with your baby and feel rejuvenated, pampered and ready to face the rest of your day!  We spend a few minutes chatting where I offer my non-judgmental ear and listen to your concerns, your dreams and any questions you may have.  I assess your mood and make sure you are practicing the self-care necessary to avoid any postpartum mood disorders.  If I notice anything of concern, I gently share my concerns and offer you the resources you need.  And if you have a toddler or older child in the equation, I am there for them as well.  I can play with and listen to your child's concerns and cares as well and focus undivided attention on this precious little as well.  Better yet, I can care for your newborn while you give your older child your full attention and spoil them with an extra dose of mama love! 

Can you see the incredible difference that a postpartum doula will make in your life?!  Reach out today for a complimentary consultation! I offer virtual or audio consultations to all interested mamas!

 Donna was absolutely wonderful as we transitioned into parenthood, answering all our seemingly endless questions and helping for those first few weeks. She's also been a constant resource for us as our daughter has grown. Further, her routines helped us get our little one to sleep through the night after 4-5 months. It's a blessing! I would highly recommend her to anyone!
~Christopher Halstadt, First Time Dad

When I became pregnant with my second child, I knew I would need expert help. Having a toddler to take care of in addition to a newborn, meant I would have to be "on" all day. Donna came and allowed me to get through the days more easily with both kids, especially since I'm not a great daytime napper. Having Donna's mentorship and knowledge as I worked through schedules, transitions, naps, etc. helped me immensely.

Donna was a great partner in navigating my breastfeeding journey.  She was instrumental in ensuring the newborn had a good latch, was nursing often enough and long enough in the very beginning to help establish a good breastfeeding relationship and give me confidence as a nursing mom, as well as comfort techniques early on. Once breastfeeding was well established, she guided me on when to pump (without making things too stressful and when it could work most effectively and naturally in my daily routine to ensure maximum milk supply.

I loved the natural and loving way that Donna approached caring for my newborn. She followed the baby's lead always. I liked the soothing techniques (pacifier, Shusher, white noise, swaddling, etc) that we used.  They were easy to keep consistent across Donna, me, my husband, our nanny, etc. I also liked the guidance she gave me on how to manage things during the day to help make our newborn's sleep training even more effective at night.

I am forever grateful for Donna's trustworthy knowledge on sleep training, swaddling, soothing, breastfeeding, etc.

and I love the confidence she provided me regarding the fact I was doing a good job with breastfeeding, supplementing, nap schedules, sleep training, etc. This is so important even if it's baby #2 because mom is hormonal, tired, and still recovering physically. Donna’s amazing assistance goes a long way! 

We also appreciated Donna's flexibility. We easily adjusted her hours along the way to accommodate what we needed most. She even stayed one day all day when I was sick, and would come early sometimes so we could do date nights.  When I needed to leave town for an entire weekend, she came to care for my newborn while I was away.  She sent frequent photos of their time together, thus assuring me all was well and I could relax and enjoy the wedding I attended.

Donna made my entire experience as a second time mom one I will treasure always because of her guidance and expertise.

~Erin C.  Second time mom of two boys, Willam and Carson

I am not quite sure we could have survived without Donna the first few months!  She was right there after we got home from the hospital and became like family to us :) She took great care of my newborn was also so wonderful to my 3-year-old as well.  We were a great team!! Donna was knowledgeable and reliable and went above and beyond to help us.  She was a listening ear to me always and helped me navigate through some tough phases.  We will never forget all that she did for our family!                                                           

~Amelia S.  Second time mom of two girls, Lucy and Ruby

In my opinion, Donna is highly qualified from a technical perspective, but more importantly, from an “intangibles” perspective. She was able to come in to our household very quickly and professionally allowing us to dictate the amount of control we wanted to exert over the caregiver process, thus reassuring us that our babies were, in fact, our babies.
Whether you are looking for help with multiples or a singleton Donna is as good as it gets and

 she comes highly recommended. Her loving nature and intuitiveness are characteristics that allow for the highest level of trust and respect. She is the type of person that feels like a natural extension of your family and I cannot adequately express how fond we are of her.               
~Brent M.  Dad of triplets, Ronen, Orelle, and Shaia

I am writing this on behalf of Donna Parrish who took care of my daughter from the time she was one month old until she was four months old. Donna came highly recommended from a close family friend and she did not disappoint.

Donna was amazing! She helped us get my daughter on a schedule and helped me figure out what times to pump so that I could maximize the amount of sleep I was getting. She recognized that my daughter had reflux and we were able to get her on medication, which made a huge difference! Donna helped us set up our nursery to make it an environment that is conducive to sleep. I don’t know what we would have done without Donna. With her help, I was able to take better care of my daughter and because I was more rested, I was able to enjoy and cherish the time I was spending with my sweet baby.

I trust Donna implicitly. When Donna was here, I was able to sleep knowing that my daughter was getting the best care. Donna helped me with breastfeeding whenever I was having issues. She also cleaned bottles and pump parts, put away laundry, and restocked the changing table.

I don’t know what we would have done without Donna. I give her my highest recommendation.                               
~Julia J.  First time mom of baby girl, Logan

Donna was a part of our family from November 2018 until the end of January 2019 (approximately 10 weeks). We cannot say enough wonderful things about Donna. She is punctual, professional, highly organized, and, most importantly, loving. She was such a calming presence in a hectic household. Her years of experience were very helpful; she  quickly noted my daughter had a lip tie that we were able to have revised right away.

She also helped to sleep train our baby using gentle sleep training methods.  Our baby was sleeping twelve hours a night at ten weeks!!

Donna is a true professional and a lovely, caring person. You can't go wrong utilizing  her amazing services.                            
~Alex M.  Second time mom to baby girl, Morgan

Donna Parrish was a Newborn Care Specialist for my twins in 2012 for 3.5 months. She came highly recommended, and I extend that recommendation as well. Not only was Donna extremely patient with me and my hormonal changes after delivery, but she also listened to my desires and concerns. I can't say enough to about Donna! She can handle multiples with her eyes closed! She was kind, gentle, consistent, knowledgeable, diligent and organized when dealing with my twins. She is truly a baby whisperer! She was able to help me tandem breastfeed my twins, get them on a schedule, teach me when and how to pump, and I was able to sleep during the night! I don't know how she does it. My twins were sleeping through the night, 12 HOURS, by 14 weeks!

Donna was very flexible with my schedule and even traveled with us for a few days when my twins were 4 weeks old. My experience with Donna was 100% positive. I absolutely do not know what we would have done without her! My twins are almost 4 and are still great sleepers. I owe that to Donna; the sleep schedule she started with them when they were infants was a life changer for our busy family. You can't go wrong with Donna! I have referred her to several families that have all loved her assistance and guidance.
~Jacque G, Mom of twins, Parker and Sloane

I am writing this for the wonderful Donna Parrish. Donna helped us take care of our daughter, Layla, for the first three months both at night and during the day. She arrived at the hospital the day after I gave birth and made our lives infinitely better in the time she was with us. My husband and I were working from home the entire time Donna was here, and so she helped during the work day and taught our daughter better sleep skills at night. By the time our daughter was eight weeks old, Donna had helped her to sleep 10 hours, and as promised, by twelve weeks, our daughter was sleeping twelve hours at night, and on a regular, restful schedule during the day. I cannot imagine how different our first months with our daughter would have been without her.

Because of Donna, I had time to recuperate physically and process the many emotions that come with being a first-time mom. My husband and I had time alone to reconnect. And our daughter is thriving and sleeping very well. I enjoy my daughter profoundly and am almost never overwhelmed or frustrated. We have Donna to thank for much of that.

Donna combines a real depth of feeling for the babies she cares for with complete professionalism. She gave us valuable advice more times than I can count, and she always respected our wishes and never judged any of our decisions. It is hard to overstate how knowledgeable she is. She has taken care of over 100 babies, and it shows. Whenever we encountered a trouble spot, Donna had helpful advice. When she was alone with our daughter during the day, she was always talking or reading or doing something fun.

When Donna left after three months, we did not need her help because she had been such an amazing teacher and sleep trainer, but we missed her a great deal because of her kindness, skill and knowledge. That says a lot about the kind of caretaker she is. Because of Donna, I know that my husband and I are better parents, and we are certainly much happier than we would have been otherwise. Hiring her will be one of the best decisions you will make.               
~Mary Z.  First time mom of baby girl, Layla

When I found out baby #3 was actually baby #3 and baby #4, I knew right away I needed a great caregiver for my twins. I searched high and low to find someone who would support breastfeeding twins and was so grateful when I found Donna. Donna completely supported my needs and wishes and helped me navigate sleep training two very different babies. She always had answers to my questions and was an incredible resource. I honestly don't know how I would have done it without her.              
~Jennifer T.  Mom of twins, Charlie and Edith

Our family had the pleasure of working with Donna for our first 2.5 months with our twin boys. To say that Donna was a lifesaver to us as first-time parents (and parents of multiples) is an understatement. She spent multiple hours visiting with me during pregnancy. She helped us prepare for the twins’ arrival and gave us invaluable expertise regarding swaddling, feeding, nursery organization, and other baby “gear” that made our first weeks home much easier.

Once the twins arrived, it felt completely natural to have Donna with us in our home. The boys absolutely loved her (so did our Australian Shepherd!) and she was incredibly capable, caring, and calm. Overnight care for the twins was just one part of what Donna provided. She also helped us implement a schedule for the boys, provided guidance regarding breastfeeding, pumping, and formula, and left us with clean bottles and pump parts each morning. Because of the great sleep foundation she helped us set, the twins were sleeping 11+ hours/night by 4 months without any formal sleep training.

Most importantly, the extra sleep and listening ear that Donna provided helped immensely in my postpartum recovery and I truly believe she is the reason I did not struggle with postpartum depression and anxiety – something I was very worried about being a first-time mom to multiples.

Donna has our highest recommendation. She is a wonderful person, was an absolute lifesaver for our family, and helped my husband and I become the absolute best parents we could be for Easton and Noah.
~Amy M.  First time mom of twin boys, Easton and Noah

I am writing this on behalf of Donna Parrish, who served as a newborn care specialist for my twin girls for the first 12 weeks of their lives. Donna came highly recommended as someone who had extensive experience including twins and even triplets. We hired her on the spot during her interview, and she stayed in touch and always asked how I was doing during my pregnancy.

After the girls were born, she made it a point to be there the night I came home from the hospital, and helped me get everything at home settled for them. She helped me with all aspects of their care including breastfeeding assistance, pumping, feeding/burping, changing, washing/sterilizing bottles, and laundry. She even helped me to organize the nursery and get my girls on a great schedule. By the time she left us at 12 weeks, my twins were sleeping approximately 8 hours at night and on a regular napping schedule during the day.

Although Donna was great at carrying out these tasks, it's the intangible qualities that truly make her a standout.  Donna has a very calm manner and is absolutely great with babies. She is very in tune with babies and seems to just "know" what to do. As a first time mom, her advice and care were indispensable. She is perceptive, conscientious, and beyond all else. a loving and caring person whom I trust implicitly. I give her my highest recommendation.                     
~Tiffany M.  First time mom of twin girls, Chloe and Madison 

Donna is a fabulous caregiver and I would recommend her in a heartbeat.  Donna spent six weeks at our home with our newborn baby.  She was kind, loving, and trustworthy from the moment she stepped into our house.  She worked very hard to get the baby on a good schedule and to help me get some rest.  Donna was so great with our baby that I was able to sleep soundly and not worry about him during the night.  She got him on a good schedule from the first night she was there and by 4 weeks he was sleeping 8-10 hour stretches at night.  Obviously, Donna is very knowledgeable and that is a huge strength.  But her best quality is her calmness.  She was so calm that it helped me, a first-time mom, be calm as well. Of course that rubbed off on our baby and he is a very calm and relaxed baby.  Donna was also very helpful with nursing and gave me tons of great tips and pointers.  She helped me feel confident that our baby was fully nourished.  If we decide to have more children, I will call Donna immediately.  She is kind, helpful and hardworking. 

~Lesley L. First time mom to baby boy, Samuel (Please note: When baby #2 arrived, she hired Donna to care for baby William as well!)     

Donna cared for our family for the first three months of our son’s life and she was a life saver! With her calming spirit, she immediately made us feel comfortable in our new role as parents and set us on the right track! She was very knowledgeable and she just made everything more peaceful in our home. Our baby had some reflux issues and Donna was such a big help with that too! She was a source of support for my breastfeeding issues and just being a new mother in general.  Donna is also a great sleep trainer and by the end of her stay he was sleeping through the night!  Donna was such a joy to have in our home and our son loved her too, always greeting her with a big smile!  We would not have been able to get through those first few months without her!                                    
~Mary L.  First time mom to baby boy, Jody,  (Please note:  When babies #2 and #3 came along, Donna was hired to care for baby Miles and baby Leo!)