A second-time mom went viral on TikTok for talking about her decision to spend almost $6,000 on an overnight postpartum doula two nights a week until her son was 11 weeks old.
What does a postpartum doula do?
Typically, postpartum doulas will help the family with feeding the newborn, start a sleep routine, and provide emotional support during a hectic time of transition with a new baby. They don’t do heavy housework or any medical diagnosis.
An overnight doula will feed and take care of the infant while the mom gets her rest. That’s the kind of doula that mom Brittany Bright, 28, hired.
She explained in her TikTok, which currently has more than 6.5 million views, that a typical night with her doula looks like this: “First I get the baby ready for bed by getting him clean, getting his essential oils on and burning and prepping bottles for the doula to give him overnight. She arrives at 8 p.m. At that point, I retreat to my bedroom where 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. is my time, free of all children.”
@itsbrittanybright Here’s what a typical night looks like with our postpartum doula ##postpartum ##momsoftiktok ##babiesoftiktok ##momtok ##postpartumrecovery ##fypage ##fyp
Postpartum doula costs
As you may imagine, a postpartum doula is not inexpensive but for many families, that cost is well worth it.
According to Healthline.com, a postpartum doula will charge anywhere from $35 to $65 an hour, which is largely dependent upon location and whether you live in a small or larger city.
Bright’s doula, which worked from 8 pm – 6 am two nights a week for 11 weeks, cost $5,700. Bright said she saved up money to pay for her doula.
Mental health
Postpartum depression is something we here at The Real Deal of Parenting talk about often. And for good reason. Many moms face this battle and they need to know they aren’t alone.
When interviewed by Fox News about her video, she said that she “decided to hire a doula for the birth of her second son, Maddox, after she had several challenges during her first pregnancy in 2016, including a fibroid tumor on her uterus. Bright said doctors didn’t take her concerns seriously, and she ended up going into early labor at 38 weeks via emergency C-section.”
She also revealed she suffered from blackouts and postpartum depression following the birth of her first son.
In her TikTok, she shows a scene of a bubble bath and scented candle as she leaves her postpartum doula to take care of the baby so she can have her own time.
People had some strong reactions
Once Brittany’s video started gaining traction, the comments poured in. Some were critical of her decision but many, many others saw the benefits and congratulated her.
y’all see a “lazy mother” i see a mother investing in herself so she can be the best possible mother for her son. this mother is amazing.
Anthropologist here. This is one of the many things we used to do for mothers for FREE. This is not luxury time, it is meeting basic needs.
I had 3 singletons in 3 years, did it on my own. U know what, hospitalized for sleep deprivation for a week. Get the doula! Maternal health matters!
THIS is how we prioritize black womens’ health in this country. Thank you so much for sharing.
Nope. No. The days fly by and these middle of the night feeds are so special in the early days.
Would you hire a postpartum doula? Tell us in the comments.
