Postpartum Support Through the Holidays
A season-by-season guide for families with a fall or winter baby in Scottsdale, Paradise Valley & across Maricopa County.
A baby due in the fall or winter arrives into the busiest stretch of the year: visitors, travel, school breaks and fewer free hours for the people you would normally lean on. Doulas of the Valley offers postpartum, travel and adoption doula support, and the guides below are arranged in the order the season unfolds, from planning in October to going back to work in January.
October – November
Make a postpartum plan before the holidays
The first weeks at home go more smoothly when the practical questions are settled early: who cooks, who covers the nights, who visits and when. Our guide walks through building a postpartum plan, and freezer meals made in the fall mean one less thing to think about in December.
Ask about: Postpartum doulaNovember – January
Baby due over the holidays: line up help at home
A postpartum doula can take on meal preparation, light housekeeping, errands and sibling care, and help with feeding, soothing and newborn care while you recover. Overnight support means someone cares for your baby through the night so you can sleep.
- Postpartum doula support →
- What overnight postpartum doulas do →
- Night doula vs night nanny →
- Planning for a holiday due date →
November – December
Family visiting: grandparents and a new baby
Holiday visits often mean grandparents meeting the baby for the first time. Our article looks at how the grandparent role changes and how a postpartum doula can support the whole family through it.
Ask about: Help while family visitsNovember – December
Traveling with a newborn for the holidays
Flying or driving to family? A travel doula can come with you to care for your newborn, and your older children too, for a few days or a few weeks, so you can enjoy the trip.
Ask about: Holiday travel with a newbornDecember
Newborn care basics while life is busy
Soothing, feeding and learning to read your baby's cues take practice, and the holidays leave less time to learn. Our newborn care guide covers the early weeks, and a postpartum doula can show you hands-on at home.
Ask about: Postpartum doulaJanuary
New year, back to work
Going back to work after the holidays means a pumping routine and a plan for the nights. Our guide covers building a milk supply, pumping during the workday, what your employer is required to provide, and how overnight help fits in.
Ask about: Overnight postpartum supportDue between Thanksgiving and New Year's? Read what to arrange for a holiday-season due date, from meals and visitors to overnight help and traveling with a newborn.
Ask about support this season
Tell us your due date and the kind of support you are considering: postpartum help at home, overnight support, a travel doula for a holiday trip, or adoption doula support. Ask us about availability for your due date and we will talk it through with you.
Prefer to call or email? Reach us at 602-999-5023 or info@doulasofthevalley.com, or use our contact page.
Doulas provide non-medical support. For questions about your pregnancy or your baby's health, please talk to your healthcare provider.