sanctuary doula group offering postpartum doula care in boulder county
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front row: Jill, Michele, Amy, Emma.
back row: Ali, Anna, Jess, Jen, Julie, Annie, Jeanne, Darla.
not pictured: Caroline and HeatherLyn
At Sanctuary Postpartum Doulas, it’s our deepest desire to bring women’s postpartum experience to its fullest potential by unearthing its treasures – fierce love, reverence, beauty, abundance, blessings, trials and tribulations that foster growth during one of life’s most transformative seasons – mamahood! We envision a community of families who thrive on abundant postpartum care that has the potential to create transformational inner and interpersonal experiences for women, their wee ones and families, as well as the larger family of humanity.
It’s our intention to infuse the postpartum experience with richness by honoring women’s and wee ones’ innate wisdom with professional, home-based postpartum doula care for up to six months after birth (and longer if needed in special circumstances.)
We know that on the other side of the birth, families continue to thrive in community.
Casie Zalud Photography
Research confirms what our families tell us in their reviews. When a postpartum doula offers support after birth, parents…
- feel more secure and cared for
- are more successful in adapting to new family dynamics
- experience greater success with breastfeeding
- have greater self-confidence
- have less postpartum depression
- experience lower incidence of abuse
Sanctuary Postpartum Doulas are trained professionals who follows DONA International (DONA) and Childbirth and Postpartum Professional Association (CAPPA) Standards of Practice. All of our care providers have completed Infant CPR training, carry professional postpartum doula insurance and have passed all background and reference checks. We love mothers, babies and new families and are committed to exceptional postpartum care for you.
Our postpartum doulas help you create a sanctuary in your home where your family thrives. Today, families are no longer integrated by the web of wisdom passed down by three or more generations living under one roof. In the United States, many mothering traditions are now sought out via books and/or the Internet which bypasses the personal touch that instills a new mother’s confidence in her own innate wisdom. A postpartum doula fills this “mothering the mother” role with professional, evidence-based care that nurtures each mother’s unique path and her own self determination to care for herself and her family.
Whether you are planning ahead for ideal support after your birth or you’re already home with babe in your arms, Sanctuary Postpartum Doulas are here to support your journey. We work with a diversity of mamas and families including those who birthed vaginally and by Cesarean, experienced easeful or complicated journeys into the world, those families welcoming multiples (we love twins & triplets!), single parents and LGBTQIA families, as well as those families adopting a baby or experiencing newborn loss.
*We know that not all pregnant and postpartum people identify as women. We see you and respect you. We are here to serve everyone in their journeys and are happy to tailor our language and pronouns to be inclusive of your identity.*
sanctuary postpartum doulas…
- help create a thriving new family environment with our home visits that meet your family’s heart’s desire for each day
- honor your innate mothering wisdom and nurture your self confidence in caring for your baby or babies
- celebrate your baby’s intelligence while offering evidence-based information and hands-on support for caring, feeding, soothing and parenting your new little wonder(s) of the world
- weave in your spouse/partner’s supportive role in the new family mix
- offer support and suggestions for sweeter sibling adjustment
- work in a positive spirit of teamwork alongside your extended family and friends
- encourage rest with nap “tuck in’s” during the day, longer sleep stretches at night and offer guidance for creating healthy family sleep rhythms
- use food as medicine and prepare delicious, nutritious meals and snacks in traditional postpartum ways and upon request weaving in galactagogic and lactogenic foods and spices that optimize mama’s making and moving breast milk
- offer time-honored healing rituals after vaginal & Cesarean births including postnatal mama massage therapy, infant massage, massage for spouse/partner, perineal sitz baths, embodied care and sealing ceremonies
- integrate Feed My Baby expertise from our certified lactation counselors and consultants (CLC and IBCLC) in your postpartum doula care and honor each mama’s wishes for breastfeeding, bottle feeding and supplementing with compassion and without judgment
- take care of light householding including laundry, cleaning, organizing and running errands
- assess your and your family’s well being and providing professional referrals and resources before, during and after our postpartum doula care ends
Read the common questions about hiring Sanctuary Postpartum Doulas and the common questions about postpartum doula care.
Sanctuary Postpartum Doula Services
We offer day home visits and overnights.
Sanctuary Doula Day Home Visits
Our day home visits are ideal for families who want to nurture their innate parenting wisdom and self confidence; learn evidence-based information and receive hands-on support for caring, feeding, soothing and parenting their babies; enjoy Feed My Baby consults with our lactation professionals; integrate spouse/partner, sweet sibling adjustment, extended family and friends into their care; rest during the day and receive guidance in creating healthy family sleep rhythms; enjoy healing rituals, delicious, nutritious meal preparation and light house holding help. Day home visits are scheduled between 9am-6pm.
Our day home visits are 4 hours (or more upon request). Why? Our experience working with many families has shown us that at least 4 hours is the sweet spot for the perfect amount of daytime support. Your doula is then present for at least one newborn baby cycle of feeding, sleeping, peeing and pooping that new parents often want our support with! Adjusting to new sleep rhythms is a common concern for most new families. Research shows that a rejuvenating, continuous sleep stretch of 4 or more hours for 4 consecutive days (yes, even during the day!) can prevent and turn around postpartum depression that is exacerbated by sleep deprivation.
Learn more about our Sanctuary Doula Day Home Visit offerings …
In your 4 hour visit, your doula weaves in your heart’s desire for that day including nurturing your mothering wisdom, allowing rest, healing and bonding with your family, baby care while you nap, support with baby basics of feeding, soothing, sleeping, along with spouse/partner support, sibling adjustment, meal preparation and light householding including errands. $136-200
In your 4 hour visit, your doula weaves in your heart’s desire for that day including nurturing your mothering wisdom, allowing rest, healing and bonding with your family, baby care while you nap, support with baby basics of feeding, soothing, sleeping, along with spouse/partner support, sibling adjustment, meal preparation and light householding PLUS a 60-min talk therapy session in the comfort of your home. This visit is designed for those who are experiencing feelings of sadness, worry, isolation, guilt, panic, or insecurity, maybe having upsetting thoughts or having a difficult time bonding with baby – all common, yet hard to acknowledge, emotional challenges that can arise in the early days and weeks postpartum. In this visit, you will receive support and education from our dually-trained doula and Licensed Clinical Social Worker, with your care being tailored to your unique postpartum emotional needs. You will learn tools and coping skills that will help you and your loved ones navigate this delicate time and be held in a supportive space as you work towards feeling calm and grounded with a renewed sense of self in this new season of life. Others who may benefit from this specialized visit are those who have previously experienced postpartum depression or anxiety, have trauma, psychosocial stressors or other challenges contributing to their emotional health postpartum, or feel they are otherwise at risk to experience postpartum distress. This visit can be scheduled once for assessment only or scheduled ongoing throughout doula care. $325
Ask us about our other Mood Support offerings, including standalone visits in person or virtually for Mamas (60 min – $160/$130), Papa Mood Support in person or virtually (60 min – $160/$130), and Couples Mood Support in person or virtually (75 min – $260/$200). Virtual sessions can be prorated in 15-minute increments to customized duration.
In your 4 hour visit, your doula weaves in your heart’s desire for that day including nurturing your mothering wisdom, allowing rest, healing and bonding with your family, supporting baby care with feeding soothing, sleeping, parenting, spouse/partner support, meal preparation and light householding PLUS a 75-minute Ayurvedic postnatal mama massage. This allows you to be wrapped in the bliss of warm oil soothing away the aches of early motherhood and grounding you back into your body. Ayurvedic postnatal mama massage is an ancient Indian therapy that rejuvenates the body by drenching hard working tissues in nourishing warm oil and soothes the mind with rhythmic strokes over the whole body. Benefits are said to include grounded mind, happy mood, deep rest, good digestion and abundant lactation. The session closes with a warm bath followed by a “tuck in” nap. This massage is appropriate for mamas after vaginal birth and adapted for Cesarean births. Please provide a 10’—12′ cleared space in your home for massage table and supplies. $320
Also ask us about massage therapy only house calls for mamas or spouse/partners. $165-180 or for both $320-350
In your 4 hour visit, your doula weaves in your heart’s desire for that day including nurturing your mothering wisdom, allowing rest, healing and bonding with your family, baby care while you rest, support with soothing, sleeping, parenting, spouse/partner support, meal preparation and light householding PLUS a 75-minute postnatal mama massage. This new mother bliss allows you to enjoy caring, specialized attention that speeds your healing after vaginal or Cesarean birth, relieves your muscle tension and pain after labor, birth and with the new tasks of caring for your wee ones or ones! Postnatal mama massage may also reduce uterine afterpains and expedites uterine involution, as well as relieve your breast tenderness and pain associated with lactation and breastfeeding. Massage during this sweet transformation promotes structural realignment of your spine, organs and pelvis for optimal pain free movement now and in the years to come. This massage is appropriate for mamas after vaginal birth and adapted for Cesarean births. Please provide a 10’—12′ cleared space in your home for massage table and supplies. Also ask your doula about massage therapy for spouse/partners too. $295
Also ask us about massage therapy only house calls for mamas or spouse/partners. $165-180 or for both $320-350
In preparation for your sealing ceremony, please schedule this 1 hour virtual consult with your doula to tune in, explore what happened in the past, what wants to happen now toward a more satisfying embodied integration of your pregnancy, birth and/or postpartum experience. You are invited to share your story, your intentions and desires with your doula while she holds curiosity around how to best serve you. You share ideas and insights about how your sealing ceremony can be creatively customized to fill your heart’s desire. Your doula welcomes deeper questions about your sealing ceremony toward co-creating a meaningful and rich experience for you and your family. $30-40
In this 4 hour visit, your doula facilitates a sacred space for you to ceremonially integrate the experiences of pregnancy, birth and motherhood. Arriving with supplies including flowers, foot baths, warm oils and belly binds, your doula prepares a beautiful and deeply nourishing experience. Here, you can close your birth, continue to heal your body and honor the passage from maiden to mother. In Latin American countries, midwives call this ritual “closing the bones” because it literally wrap your body, allowing you to experience your embodied wholeness again on the other side of your profound expansion. You collaborate with your doula to clarify your intentions and determine the unique structure of your ceremony. Your partner, family and/or community are welcome to join and support the unfolding. This service can serve every mother and is ideal for those who wish to ritualize their journey with ceremony. Please provide a 12×12 cleared space in your home. In preparation for this visit, we recommend our 1 hour sealing ceremony experience phone consult. $260
During this 4 hour visit, your postpartum doula with additional Certified Lactation Counselor (CLC) expertise, offers feeding support to you and your baby or babies. Side by side support with your doula/CLC in the comfort of your home allows for a gentle, spontaneous sharing of wisdom and insight about feeding your baby. When your baby is ready to feed, we explore the norms and physiology of newborns and feeding, positions, and latch toward a satisfying feeding experience as you define it. Research shows that in home support increases new mothe’s confidence while reducing their stress and expectations around feeding. This home visit is ideal for new parents who have many questions about feeding their baby, are curious about what is normal and have an intuition that feeding could be better and more satisfying for all, and want to explore this with a Certified Lactation Counselor. Families who choose to breastfeed, bottlefeed and supplement can benefit from this home visit. As time permits and upon request, your doula can focus on other postpartum care tasks. After this home visit, we recommend a feed my baby CLC phone consult follow ups for continued support as needed. $160-200
After a sanctuary doula day home visit + feed my baby CLC consult, virtual follow up conversations with your doula/CLC often provide the continued professional support and other available resources needed to achieve a satisfying feeding experience. Virtual consults are available in your choice of 15-minute increments up to 1 hour. $15-60
During this 4 hour visit, your postpartum doula who is also an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) offers you the highest level of feeding support. Side by side support with your doula/IBCLC in the comfort of your home allows for a gentle, spontaneous sharing of wisdom and insight about feeding your baby. When your baby is ready to feed, you not only explore the basics of the norms and physiology of newborns and feeding, positions and latch, but you can also troubleshoot feeding challenges, baby’s weight (with weight checks pre and post feeding with scale), breastfeeding milk over/under supply (with supplements, foods and home remedies), painful breastfeeding (with assessment of baby’ mouth for possible restriction and supplies including nipple shields or gel pads), supplemental nursing system guidance and treatment of mastitis, just to name a few of the challenges this home visit supports. Research shows that in home support increases new mother’s confidence while reducing their stress and expectations around feeding. This home visit is ideal for new parents who anticipate or are currently struggling with feeding their baby, have not had positive prior feeding experiences or positive feeding role models and want to explore paths to a better feeding experience with an IBCLC. Your IBCLC also consults with your and your baby’s medical care provider(s) for optimal care planning for best outcomes and continuity of care. As time permits and upon request, your doula can focus on other postpartum care tasks. After this home visit, we recommend feed my baby IBCLC consult and feed my baby CLC phone consult follow ups for continued support as needed. $275
After a sanctuary doula day home visit + feed my baby IBCLC consult, virtual follow up conversations with your doula/IBCLC often provide the continued professional support and other available resources needed to achieve a satisfying feeding experience. Virtual consults are available in your choice of 15-minute increments up to 1 hour. $25-100
Sanctuary Doula Overnight Home Visits
Our overnight home visits are ideal for families who want to maximize sleep for the whole family, learn about newborn sleep norms, physiology and their relationship to feedings, and receive guidance in creating healthy family sleep rhythms. All of our overnight home visits are 8 hours (or more upon request) for a rejuvenating, longer continuous sleep stretches for both mother and spouse/partner. Your doula sleeps on a guest bed or full length sofa near your baby or babies to wake and attend to their needs during the night. Overnight home visits are scheduled 10pm-6am. (Note: Our doula do not provide newborn sleep training as it is not within our professional postpartum doula scope of practice, but we can provide referrals to newborn sleep specialists upon request.)
Learn more about our Sanctuary Doula Overnight Home Visit offerings …
In your 8 hour overnight visit, your doula helps maximize sleep for the whole family with baby care and sweet soothing during nights while the rest of the family sleeps. Upon arrival, your doula checks in with you to make a plan for your baby’s sleep, feedings and care through the night, as well as the rest of family’s evening of sweet slumber ahead. Evidence-based information on newborn sleep can help you understand newborn sleep norms, physiology and the relationship to feedings and help you establish a sustainable, healthy sleep rhythm for your family. Please provide a clean guest room bed or full length sofa for your doula to comfortably rest and care nearby your baby though the night. $256-320
In your 8 hour overnight visit, your doula helps maximize sleep for the whole family with care and sweet soothing of your twins or triplets during nights while the rest of the family sleeps. Upon arrival, your doula checks in with you to make a plan for your babies’ sleep, feedings and care through the night, as well as the rest of family’s evening of sweet slumber ahead. Evidence-based information on newborn multiples sleep can help you understand newborn sleep norms, physiology and the relationship to feedings and help you establish a sustainable, healthy sleep rhythm for your family. Please provide a clean guest room bed or full length sofa for your doula to comfortably rest and care nearby your babies though the night. $320-360
