Get the Most From Your Night Doula and Get More Sleep With Kristin Revere of Gold Coast Doulas
Fourth Trimester Podcast Episode 130: Get the Most From Your Night Doula to Get More Sleep With Kristin Revere of Gold Coast Doulas
I don’t know about you, but one of my top goals as a parent of a newborn was getting more sleep. A night doula is a great addition to any postpartum dream team because they will help with achieving exactly that – more sleep. More sleep for you, your other family members in your household, your baby.
It’s perfectly normal for newborns to be awake multiple times during the night (just ask PhD Sleep Consultant Dr Millette). And, it’s also true that sleep deprivation is associated with an increased risk of postpartum anxiety and depression. Plus, sleep is simply wonderful.
In this episode, we talk with Kristin Revere, a doula and the founder of Gold Coast Doulas. She’s also the author of Supported: Your Guide to Birth and Baby. We talk about how to get the most out of your night doula experience, including:
Hiring the right person, what to check and ask
Costs and affordability
Benefits
A typical night with a night doula
What to expect: practical, mental, social, emotional support examples
Wishing you happy family sleep!
Kristin Revere, Owner, Gold Coast Doulas
“The biggest benefit of hiring a night doula is getting rest, no matter how you choose to feed your baby. An overnight doula can optimize not only your sleep, but your entire family’s sleep. We can do the burping, the sleep shaping, and diaper changes. So even if you’re breastfeeding, you are able to get that important support.”
— Kristin Revere, Owner, Gold Coast Doulas
Full Show Notes
1. Introduction & Topic Overview [00:00:01]
2. Podcast Website and Partner Deals [00:00:22]
3. Kristin’s Background and Credentials [00:00:43]
4. Kristin’s Personal Postpartum Experience [00:01:32]
5. Importance of Community Support [00:03:36]
6. Overcoming Misconceptions about Doulas [00:06:53]
7. Typical Reasons for Seeking Overnight Support [00:08:10]
8. Night Support with Multiples or NICU Babies [00:08:57]
9. Benefits of Doula Support for Working Parents [00:09:34]
10. Typical Night with a Newborn Explained [00:10:03]
11. Daytime vs Overnight Doula Support [00:12:00]
12. Accessing Doula Services: Misconceptions [00:15:01]
13. Social & Emotional Support from Doulas [00:15:46]
14. Building Relationships with Your Doula [00:19:10]
15. Positive Outcomes with Doula Support [00:21:41]
16. Preconceptions and Personal Parenting Styles [00:23:35]
17. Listening and Supporting New Parents [00:26:00]
18. Interviewing and Selecting a Doula [00:31:09]
19. Safety and Training Requirements for Doulas [00:32:19]
20. Final Thoughts and Advocacy Tips [00:33:47]
Sarah Trott: [00:00:01] Hi everyone, this is Sarah Trott. Welcome back to the Fourth trimester podcast. I’m here with my special guest, Kristin Revere, who I will introduce in a moment. Today’s topic is overnight doula support and how it can help you get the sleep that you need, especially in that early newborn phase. So it’s a really cool topic. We’re excited to dive in.
Sarah Trott: [00:00:22] We have a website: fourthtrimesterpodcast.com, so please go there, check it out, sign up for our newsletter. Look at all of our partner deals that we have there for you. I don’t mention that often, but I do want to give it a shout out because we have a lot of great partners there who are here to support all of you as caregivers and parents and perinatal professionals.
Sarah Trott: [00:00:43] Kristin Revere is the owner and founder of Gold Coast Doulas in Grand Rapids, Michigan. She is an elite certified birth doula, a newborn care specialist, a childbirth educator, and an elite certified postpartum doula. She is the coauthor of Supported Your Guide to Birth and Baby, and she is also the host of Ask the Doulas, which is a great podcast, and we’re going to put links to that one in our show notes, too. So, hit follow and subscribe for this podcast if you haven’t already. And also do it for Ask the Doulas because it’s so good. Kristin is also the mom of two and bonus mom to one.
Sarah Trott: [00:01:20] So welcome, Kristin. Welcome to the program!
Kristin Revere of Gold Coast Doulas: [00:01:23] Thanks! I’m so excited to chat today! Sarah overnight support is absolutely my favorite topic, so let’s get into it.
Sarah Trott: [00:01:32] Yeah, I love that. So tell me, Kristin, you’re a mom. You’ve been through this yourself personally, what are some lessons learned from your own fourth trimester experience?
Kristin Revere of Gold Coast Doulas: [00:01:44] Ask for help. Hire paid experts. I did work with birth doulas when I had my second child, but the postpartum doulas were not as prevalent in my area. There were a couple, and I did work with a nonprofit that brought volunteers into the home with both of my postpartum phases. So I had a grandmother come in and she when my husband had to go back to work, she was a volunteer with Moms Bloom and did offer some of the support that, say, a mother’s helper or a postpartum doula might do, but she didn’t have all of the skills, and so did hire lactation consultants.
With both of my kids, I had totally different breastfeeding experiences and still needed support, so neither of my kids were great sleepers. I ended up needing to use various methods by reading books. And there weren’t any online programs. My kids are 14 and 12, and so there weren’t all of the options available back during that time. But yes. So I understand how the lack of sleep can add up and how it can affect not only mental health, but job performance and relationships. And so when I launched Gold Coast Doulas in 2015, we really wanted to have a focus on daytime as well as overnight postpartum care.
Sarah Trott: [00:03:36] And that’s a big piece that’s missing for a lot of people. They don’t realize that, you know, the family support or the neighbors or friends support that you can get, which is so wonderful and critical I would argue for families with newborns at home, it doesn’t always mean that that care is informed or coming from a place of education beyond kind of kind of one’s own experience that they bring to the table.
And so having that additional professional support, as you’re recommending, can really just be the icing on the cake, either to help educate and train your helpers who are coming in or just to fill those gaps. And maybe you live far away from your family. I love that point so much. And tell me more. What drives you to do the work you do. I mean, you’ve seen what, hundreds of births at this point?
Kristin Revere of Gold Coast Doulas: [00:04:32] Yes. I have attended hundreds of births myself and the agency has supported thousands of families. And so my passion has always been to support women. I worked in political fundraising before having kids. I also worked in a nonprofit women’s business center as a fundraiser in my first couple of years in the business, and so this just translated, and I started as a childbirth educator, and then my students wanted me to be their doula. So I decided to get trained as a birth doula and take a couple of clients here and there as a hobby. And then I fell in love with the work.
Kristin Revere of Gold Coast Doulas: [00:05:20] And women need support, and this role is so important and is now a profession, both birth and postpartum doulas. But women have always taken this role of a non-medical support person, whether it was, you know, in a village or a family member or a friend. But in the United States, we’re so isolated and expected to be a wonder women and do it all ourselves, and to ask for help or pay for help can be seen as a sign of weakness. And I am all about getting support, building a team of personal and professional support networks and the fact that we don’t need to isolate ourselves. We need community.
Sarah Trott: [00:06:09] We really do need community. Yes. And just because someone I’m sure I mean women, we’re so strong, right? Parents? It sort of brings out the strength in us. And I think that we do have superpowers individually so we can do it ourselves. But that doesn’t necessarily mean you should. You don’t have to suffer through something if it’s hard.
And in fact even even feeling fairly neutral about it, it can be so, so helpful and beneficial for you, a partner if you have one, your other children in the family, just to have that additional layer of support who’s there to help guide and give you what you need. Yeah, I couldn’t agree more. The community piece is so important. Yeah.
Kristin Revere of Gold Coast Doulas: [00:06:53] And there is a misconception about overnight support that it’s only for the wealthy or elite, but really it can be accessible to most anyone. I mean, health savings and flex spending cover doulas. There are some fertility focused benefits, like Carrot and Progyny and Maven that cover birth doulas, as well as day and overnight postpartum doulas, so you can look into your benefits and your partner’s benefits. And over the years, we’re also seeing more and more registering for services. And not just all of the baby gear and things. And so you can have friends and family gift you an overnight postpartum doula.
Sarah Trott: [00:07:44] I would take sleep over another onesie any day.
Kristin Revere of Gold Coast Doulas: [00:07:48] 100%. Absolutely.
Sarah Trott: [00:07:52] Yeah. Well, so okay. What are some common reasons people seek overnight support. I mean, I think we’ve talked about the big misconception there of it being affordable or not. I mean, sleep was a biggie, right?
Kristin Revere of Gold Coast Doulas: [00:08:10] Yes, certainly. Mental health and wanting to stay on top of their mental health, maybe with a past history of postpartum depression with prior children or anxiety in general, and wanting to know that sleep deprivation can increase perinatal mood disorders. So that could be one. You had mentioned earlier, Sarah, about people not having family nearby. And, you know, a lot of couples are moving for jobs or even finding affordability or, you know, a safe and welcoming place to raise a family, for a variety of reasons. But then they’re lacking that support. So hiring experts to help.
Kristin Revere of Gold Coast Doulas: [00:08:57] And then certainly we at Gold Coast, we work with a lot of twin and triplet families, NICU babies. So and then working professionals who maybe the partner has to go back to work right away, or, you know, the client is studying for exams or has some pressure on top of, you know, their role as a parent. And so wanting to get that extra support so they don’t feel like everything falls on their shoulders.
Sarah Trott: [00:09:34] Yeah. And that’s I think that’s a really good point there too, because you’re having the sleep deprivation and that can just, like, creep into every other part of someone’s experience, right? If you’re tired, you just can’t function. You can’t like as a partner and as a parent and as a worker and all of the roles that we often play as people who have multiple kinds of responsibilities in life.
Sarah Trott: [00:10:03] And, you know, Kristin, one of the things that I found really surprising, becoming a parent for the first time myself, was just that babies don’t sleep through the night. Like that’s a total myth. And so it might be helpful to set the scene a little bit of, you know, like, what’s a typical night with a newborn like. And by the way, it’s not only normal for newborns not to sleep through the night, but it’s appropriate. It’s not a bad thing that they wake up. It’s actually normal and good.
Kristin Revere of Gold Coast Doulas: [00:10:30] It’s a good point. And depending on the feeding requirements, if a baby needs to gain weight, then the feedings might be more frequent than a child who was not in the NICU. And so it varies. But initially, you know the day and night can be a little mixed up. And so babies may tend to sleep more during the day until they get adjusted. And overnights can be tricky, but they can wake up every couple of hours at first. Some babies do sleep longer and need to be woken to feed. but it all depends again on the feeding goals.
So if a family is breastfeeding, you can still work with an overnight postpartum doula or a newborn care specialist. And we would just bring the client the baby or babies to feed or have them come into the nursery. We can support any questions about latch or hold or, you know, anything to do with breastfeeding. And then our clients who are pumping would get up to pump. but the clients who formula feed would be able to sleep through the night.
Sarah Trott: [00:11:49] Right. And you mentioned that a doula is a non-medical support person. Should we mention the differences between day and night doula because those are different offerings.
Kristin Revere of Gold Coast Doulas: [00:12:00] Yes. Good point. So it all depends on the training and certification scope of the doula. Some doula training organizations are focused more on daytime care and mothering the mother and doing household tasks, sibling care, light meal preparation, and certainly giving resources and newborn, you know, tips and tricks. But they’re not necessarily trained as infant care or newborn care specialists. So their job is to support the entire family. And then some doula trainings also include an infant care component. And so they would then be able to provide 24 over seven care overnight care as well as daytime. But our doulas that are trained in both can provide different tasks during the day than they do overnight.
Sarah Trott: [00:13:04] And what are some examples?
Kristin Revere of Gold Coast Doulas: [00:13:07] So overnight is more focused on keeping the household quiet. So doulas would not vacuum. We would of course tidy up the nursery and clean bottle parts or, you know, any sort of pump parts. But for the most part, the household is quiet and the doula would rest. unless they’re paid for awake care. but the doula usually rests when the baby or babies are resting. Where during the day, it’s usually more household tasks and allowing our client to rest and focusing on newborn care, if that is their training. So it could be bathing the baby or, you know, helping with feeding, eating whatever the need would be on that particular day.
Sarah Trott: [00:13:59] So it’s giving the parents some relief at night for the overnight doula. Right. So that ultimately the parents need to catch up on their sleep.
Kristin Revere of Gold Coast Doulas: [00:14:06] Exactly. And some parents work overnight so the partner could be away at work working a night shift, and there could be other children at home. So it’s a divide and conquer. And at Gold Coast, we support families. They could hire us just for one overnight. Some doulas or agencies require a larger block of time, but I have families where they are traveling for work or their spouses, and so they end up wanting care when they’re traveling or military families where the partner is overseas and not available to help would be another example.
Sarah Trott: [00:14:48] So it could be just spot coverage as needed in certain situations.
Kristin Revere of Gold Coast Doulas: [00:14:53] Exactly.
Sarah Trott: [00:14:55] Okay. And then how many nights a week is typical?
Kristin Revere of Gold Coast Doulas: [00:15:01] I would say for our clients, typical would be three week nights a week. In those first several weeks after delivering my agency works through the first year because all of our doulas are infant care trained or they’re also newborn care specialists. some doulas who are trained, their scope is only that recovery phase. So eight weeks. But we do work a lot longer. So typical overnight would be eight hours, could be longer. Some of our clients hire us for 12 hours of care.
Sarah Trott: [00:15:38] Okay.
Kristin Revere of Gold Coast Doulas: [00:15:38] But our minimum shift would be eight hours. So typical would be arriving at 10 p.m. and leaving at 6 a.m..
Sarah Trott: [00:15:46] Okay. And then you’re going to come. You let yourself in. Maybe parents are already asleep. Maybe yes. Maybe not. You let can let yourself in. Having already met the family, you’ll know the routine. You know where everything is, right? You don’t like. The goal is like, let the parents sleep. And if there’s someone who’s breastfeeding you, bring the baby to them exactly when it’s time.
Kristin Revere of Gold Coast Doulas: [00:16:07] Yeah, or wake them when the baby needs to feed and have them come into the nursery if they want feeding support or they don’t want to wake their partner, for example. So it varies certainly from family to family, but in some cases clients will want to talk like right when we arrive, they may be awake and have some questions about, you know, what happened during the day. Or any newborn concerns or need a referral for something, whether it’s a therapist or a pelvic floor therapist, as doulas, and not only in the postpartum role, but as birth doulas, we are experts in all of the local and national resources, so our clients can ask us for different support options.
Sarah Trott: [00:16:57] Yeah. And there’s also the social support aspect of that that I love so much. I mean, sometimes as a new parent, you don’t have other people to talk to who have been going through the same thing or who have such a nuanced understanding of what might have happened that day with the newborn. So having that social support, like, I just can’t understate that that’s really valuable to just having someone to talk to.
Kristin Revere of Gold Coast Doulas: [00:17:20] Absolutely. And some of our doulas are also certified lactation consultants or have different backgrounds and trainings that are appealing. So I am the matchmaker for our clients and not only look at availability, but location since we serve a large area. And then if my client has a particular personality in mind, but all of our doulas are fully certified, background checked, you know, CPR, first aid certified and insured. So, you know, there are sometimes apprehension in hiring someone who’s in your home when you’re asleep. So, as you mentioned earlier, Sarah that interview and getting to know your doula or in some cases where a lot of support is desired, there may be more than one doula coming in and out of the household. So trying to have that continuity of care and communication with the entire team is important.
Sarah Trott: [00:18:23] Yeah, and having someone come in and meet all of your family members is really important. Like make sure it’s good chemistry before they start working for you.
Kristin Revere of Gold Coast Doulas: [00:18:31] Exactly. The partner if there’s a daytime nanny, if grandparents are in the home or any other friends.
Sarah Trott: [00:18:38] Mhm. And do you ever do trials? Like a trial night.
Kristin Revere of Gold Coast Doulas: [00:18:43] We do not. I mean I certainly am all for a client hiring us just for a small package like one night or a couple of short daytime shifts before committing to a larger package. But we don’t have what would be considered a trial night.
Sarah Trott: [00:19:01] Yeah, that makes sense. Well, I mean, if you hire someone for one night, that’s kind of like a trial, right? You get a sense of what it’s like to work with them and what the experience might be like.
Sarah Trott: [00:19:10] And the benefits, which I think we’ve covered. But you mentioned mental health support, physical recovery with sleep and then also those we talked about the social aspect, but what are we missing. Any other benefits that we should highlight? I mean, obviously there’s the practical if someone’s cleaning quietly while you’re sleeping, that’s amazing.
Kristin Revere of Gold Coast Doulas: [00:19:30] Yeah. And I would say schedules. So, you know, optimize. Our doulas, whether it’s overnight or daytime support can take a look at the sleeping conditions, whether it’s a nursery or if the family prefers the baby to be in a bassinet in a guest room with a doula. But making sure that the sound machines are set up if needed, or their blackout curtains, and optimizing the sleep environment and giving expert tips there. And certainly if we’re noticing there’s a lot of colic or spit up or some concerns, then we will talk to our family about seeking support from a, you know, an IBCLC lactation consultant or talking to their pediatrician, for example.
And we’re also on the lookout for anything that might be going on physically with our clients. If we’re noticing that they have a fever or they’re still swelling in the postpartum phase. And if there are some medical signs or mental health signs, then we’re also, you know, talking through to not only our client but also their partner about concerns. But as far as schedules multiples, it is so important to try to get them on the same feeding and sleep schedule. So having an expert in the home, whether it’s a newborn care specialist or a postpartum doula to help get the twins or triplets on as close to the same schedule as possible, is very helpful for parents to be able to implement on their own.
Sarah Trott: [00:21:13] Yeah, gosh, three babies awake at different times sounds like a lot to juggle.
Kristin Revere of Gold Coast Doulas: [00:21:19] Yeah, that’s challenging not only on mental health, but also just the recovery and getting things done. so a daytime doula, if they’re able to get twins on a similar schedule, can then do some of those household tasks that they’re often available to do during the day.
Sarah Trott: [00:21:41] Yeah, great. And so I imagine you’ve got lots of stories you can share with us around some real successes with using overnight doula support.
Kristin Revere of Gold Coast Doulas: [00:21:52] So certainly just feeling refreshed. And we don’t. Women already feel that transition when you have kids sets you back in work. And so I’ve had clients that say they’re a director of marketing for a big company, feel like they’re able to better get back to the pre-pregnancy stage in their career with having that support. So some of our clients don’t hire us until they’re going back to work after maternity leave, and they may have a lot of support at home from their partner taking extended leave or family members, and they want to be performing at their best or their partner needs to. And so some of those stories make me feel so hopeful again, like women are my passion and I don’t feel like the work environment is set up for us to succeed.
Sarah Trott: [00:22:52] So in other words, it’s helping women succeed in their careers by allowing them to flex someone else in to replace the work that they were previously doing at home when they were taking a leave.
Kristin Revere of Gold Coast Doulas: [00:23:03] Exactly. I mean, you know, women take a lot of the emotional labor at home, the physical labor. And so if you’re bringing in support and they’re able to get more rest, then they’re going to be happier. Their relationships are going to be stronger, not only with their partner but also friends. And then they’re going to be, you know, more productive at work.
Sarah Trott: [00:23:27] Yeah. And so what’s a big misconception about overnight doula support or like hiring a night doula?
Kristin Revere of Gold Coast Doulas: [00:23:35] So I would say the thought that you only would hire for overnight if you were, you know, in that wealthy bracket. And it’s just for someone who already has a team, a household manager and a nanny and all of the things. But as I pointed out earlier, doulas are accessible for the most part to everyone. It’s just a matter of prioritizing and budgeting.
Kristin Revere of Gold Coast Doulas: [00:24:04] And the other misconception outside of the economics would be that you can have any type of feeding, any type of parenting with postpartum doula support. It’s not just attachment and one way or the other where when people often think of doulas, it’s more of they confuse us with homebirth midwives. They think that we’re very attachment focused. Maybe crunchy would be a word that’s brought up whenever I see doulas in the media. They have, you know, those long flowy skirts and Birkenstocks. But we can also be professional, and we focus our practice at Practice at Gold Coast on judgment free support. So no matter how you choose to birth your baby, or where hospital and birth center home, or how you choose to feed your baby, or how you choose to parent. So some families that have a goal of formula feeding from the start might feel judged. But if you’re hiring the right doula, you shouldn’t be judged for that.
Sarah Trott: [00:25:16] That’s something that’s really important to vet when you’re meeting someone in one of those early conversations on the phone or over a zoom, or if you meet face to face for the first time, like talk about your parenting style. Talk about your philosophy. Right? These are a chance to really understand how that person feels. And even if their ideal is not yours. I love that. Yeah. Don’t feel judged. it’s hard enough becoming a parent to then feel like you’re being Criticized by someone. I mean, the point is to have support and education shared in a real loving way, in a kind way, in a respectful way.
Kristin Revere of Gold Coast Doulas: [00:26:00] Exactly. Yes. And I feel like we get judged enough that your doula should be someone that you feel open and can trust. It’s a very intimate and vulnerable time. And so you should interview doulas. You should choose someone that you connect with even if you’re not interacting much. and you’re asleep and the doula is there caring for baby only. It has to be a relationship and someone that you feel comfortable with in your home and caring for your new baby or babies if they’re multiple.
Sarah Trott: [00:26:40] Yeah. Listen to your intuition. Have self trust, you know. Listen. And if something doesn’t feel right, talk to someone else. You know, it’s like dating, right? Find the right support person.
Kristin Revere of Gold Coast Doulas: [00:26:51] Exactly. And we have a client communication form that really goes over what the goals are for the family, how they plan to feed their reason for hiring and everything from where a doula will sleep to where a doula should park and how they should enter the home. And so a lot of that’s worked out. So the family and the doula or team of doulas can focus more on connection versus logistics. So we’re trying to make our clients’ lives easier.
Sarah Trott: [00:27:25] Yes. And that kind of brings me to this next question I wanted to talk to you about, which is, what are some tips? Are there any small but really powerful things that you’ve observed that you would want to share in terms of how someone can benefit from working with someone?
Kristin Revere of Gold Coast Doulas: [00:27:42] So I think the biggest tips are if any of your Listeners have friends who are expecting find ways to support them, whether it’s, you know, gifting a postpartum doula, thinking of meal delivery services, or even a housekeeper can make a big difference, versus can those onesies that you mentioned earlier and really ask them how they’re doing? The doula role is very emotional. We connect. We help our clients process their birth and are trained to do that now. A friend may not be or a family member, but listening is so important because during pregnancy the woman is celebrated.
It’s, you know, the baby bump and like, there’s showers and they’re gifted, but then after you give birth, it’s all about baby. Visitors tend to come in and want to hold the baby. They bring presents for baby. But then the mother feels lost. So considering gifts that might be self-care focused could be a nice thought. So we love leaving our clients little notes, telling them you know how? What amazing parents they are. What a great mom you know they are and how their hard work is paying off. And so think about uplifting your friends and family members and just, you know, the kindest words can make a big difference in how the day goes. So we try to bring a little light and love into it.
Sarah Trott: [00:29:34] I love all those recommendations. So even if someone doesn’t have a doula, these are things that friends and family can do to help support. Yes.
Kristin Revere of Gold Coast Doulas: [00:29:44] And then if someone doesn’t have a daytime doula, I love when my birth clients put a list on their fridge and have tasks that need to be done. So if family members and friends are coming in, the dishwasher could be unloaded again. We’re not supposed to be vacuuming after giving birth. A family member could run the vacuum and fold a load of laundry. Those little things also add up. So just if there isn’t a list, ask how you can help. But most importantly, ask how she is doing.
Sarah Trott: [00:30:23] Yes. And sometimes also, it can be nice to just observe if there’s a pile of unfolded laundry while you’re talking and listening, maybe just fold that laundry. You don’t even have to be asked. Just do it.
Kristin Revere of Gold Coast Doulas: [00:30:36] Exactly. Be intuitive and moms know, so we don’t even have to be asked. But I know before I had kids and having kids later in life, I had no had no idea what to do other than bring a gift for my friends and how to truly be helpful. But once I had kids, even before I became a doula, that all changed 100%.
Sarah Trott: [00:31:00] Yes for sure. It’s like the curtains are drawn and you can see through the other side.
Kristin Revere of Gold Coast Doulas: [00:31:07] Yes.
Sarah Trott: [00:31:09] So we talked about this just a little bit, but just to repeat the list. So when you’re going to hire someone, what are some questions to ask or things to look for for a night doula.
Kristin Revere of Gold Coast Doulas: [00:31:19] Okay. So certainly their experience working with newborns and their. You know, their background is important. The type of training they have. Does the training include newborn care and what their philosophy is? And certainly I feel it is important to be certified not just trained because of the accountability and ability and requirements. but, you know, are they insured? Do they have CPR, first aid, not only for adults current, but also for the infant. If the infant started choking or something went wrong. And so the things that I consider standard in my team, even before these fertility benefits required are important things to look into. So it’s not just experience but certainly personality.
Kristin Revere of Gold Coast Doulas: [00:32:19] Do you connect and do you align with the doula? certainly. Overnight doula should be following a safe sleep, excuse me requirements. And baby should be, you know, in a flat surface, not an inclined rocker, for example, or sleeping in a car seat. There should not be any bumpers or blankets or toys in a crib Or a bassinet. And so doulas should be able to educate families on safe sleep if they’re not aware from, you know, their hospital education that they get. Sometimes we’re just exhausted after giving birth and all of those informational pamphlets and videos, it just goes out the window. So we can also instruct on safe sleep so that doula should be knowledgeable about safe sleep. Certainly.
Sarah Trott: [00:33:15] And so looking for certifications and evidence of training and years of experience are very worthwhile. Yes.
Kristin Revere of Gold Coast Doulas: [00:33:24] Absolutely.
Sarah Trott: [00:33:25] And you mentioned CPR earlier too.
Kristin Revere of Gold Coast Doulas: [00:33:28] Yes. Yeah. Certainly knowing what to do and first aid in addition in case there are any injuries.
Sarah Trott: [00:33:37] Yep. Great. Well Kristin, what are any final thoughts you have for our listeners on this topic or just what’s top of mind for you right now?
Kristin Revere of Gold Coast Doulas: [00:33:47] I would say. Don’t feel like you have to do this alone. We are meant to have support and consider a doula in your birth and baby dream team, whether it’s daytime or overnight. And yeah, and really understanding your body and your baby and advocating for yourself. If something feels off with your health or if you’re noticing something with your newborn, speak up. So talk to your pediatrician. Talk to your ob gyn or midwife. And don’t just suffer because a lot of conditions can happen after delivery. And it’s important to seek help.
Sarah Trott: [00:34:35] Great. Kristin, where can people find you if they want to reach out to you or learn more about you?
Kristin Revere of Gold Coast Doulas: [00:34:42] So our website is Gold Coast doulas.com On, and we’re on all of the social media platforms as @GoldCoast. Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook. Certainly we’re on YouTube and my book website is supportedbook.com and Supported: your guide to birth and baby. Half of the book is focused on pregnancy and birth prep, and the other half is focused on postpartum recovery, newborn care, mental health, feeding, as well as sleep. And so the book is available on audible, paperback, hardcover and Kindle. So pretty much wherever you consume your content and you can find it online or in select bookstores.
Sarah Trott: [00:35:36] Brilliant. Thank you so much, Kristin. I really appreciated the conversation.
Kristin Revere of Gold Coast Doulas: [00:35:40] Thanks for having me on, Sarah.
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