Even though I had a birth doula at both of my births, it didn't occur to me until I was about 4 weeks postpartum with my second baby to hire a POSTPARTUM doula. I had thought about hiring someone to help clean the house, but when I thought about what I really needed, it was much more that that. I interviewed a few doulas, but decided to hire Ashley for several reasons. I was not very familiar with Ayurveda before I met her, but after a brief explanation from her, I knew that I would love to have this incorporated into my postpartum care. Ashley brought me teas, and suggested others for healing. The food she cooks is absolutely incredible! A huge part of having a postpartum doula is making sure you incorporate self-care into your life when so much of your world revolves around a new baby. Having someone prepare and cook these meals that are created specifically for PP healing takes self-care to another level. Feeling pampered like this is something ALL women should experience during this phase of their life. Even if you are not interested in the food, tea, and homeopathic remedies, Ashley is simply a lovely person to invite into your home. She did light-cleaning and laundry (so many baskets of laundry), introduced yoga poses/stretches that were geared toward the PP body, allowed me to shower without a baby monitor in the room (this is HUGE!!!), and generally just allowed me to relax and have meaningful adult interaction for a few hours a week. Another thing that I loved about having her around is that she has young children herself. Doulas with years and years of experience are WONDERFUL - but having someone that has very recently been in the same boat as you is very therapeutic and comforting. To end my spiel - I can't recommend Ashley enough. I am so glad she has made St. Louis her home, and wish her the best with bettering the postpartum experience for many more families!
