in-home nurturing support for families with newborns
Katie Jarratt, CPD, RN, BSN Certified Postpartum Doula (CAPPA) former Mother/Baby & Pediatric RN mother of two | serving the Atlanta area
Compassionate Postpartum Doula Support for Growing Families
Welcoming a new baby is such a special time - but it can also be exhausting, emotional, and overwhelming in ways you may not expect. Whether this is your first baby or you've been through the newborn stage before, every postpartum experience is different. And no matter how prepared you are, those early days can be a lot.
I truly get it.
As a mom of two, I've lived those early postpartum days myself - the exhaustion, the questions, the emotions, and the feeling that you're constantly taking care of someone while sometimes forgetting to take care of yourself. As a postpartum doula and former Mother/Baby RN, I've also spent years walking alongside families through this season.
You were never meant to do all of this alone. Sometimes having another set of hands, a listening ear, and someone you trust to say, "Yes, that's normal. You're doing great. Let me help," can make all the difference.
What Is a Postpartum Doula?
Think of a postpartum doula as someone who comes alongside your family during the early weeks with your new baby - not to take over, but to make things feel a little easier.
I provide in-home support tailored to what you need that day. Maybe you have breastfeeding questions. Maybe you desperately need a nap or an uninterrupted shower. Maybe you need someone to hold the baby while you spend time with your older child. Or maybe you simply need to sit on the couch and talk to someone who understands what you're going through.
Postpartum support can include:
Breastfeeding, pumping, bottle-feeding, and newborn feeding support
Support as you physically recover from birth
Newborn care education and hands-on guidance
Baby soothing and settling techniques
Caring for baby so you can sleep, shower, eat, or simply have a little time for yourself
Support as your family adjusts to having a new baby
A listening ear and emotional encouragement
Meal and snack preparation
Laundry, dishes, tidying, and other light household tasks
Evidence-based answers to all those "Is this normal?" newborn questions
Most importantly, my care isn't one-size-fits-all. I meet you where you are and support your family in the ways that will make the biggest difference that day.
Support for Mom, Baby & the Whole Family
So much attention naturally goes to the new baby after birth. But I've always believed that moms need to be cared for, too.
You need to be nourished and hydrated. You need rest. You need time to recover. You need reassurance when you're second-guessing yourself. You may need someone to listen while you tell your birth story for the tenth time - or someone who understands why you're crying even though you aren't quite sure why you're crying.
And sometimes you just need someone to walk into your home and say, "I've got the baby. Go take a shower."
As a mom of two, I remember what those early weeks feel like. My years of experience as a Mother/Baby RN gave me the clinical knowledge behind postpartum and newborn care, but becoming a mother gave me a completely different understanding of what families actually need when they're living it.
For the past six years, I've had the privilege of bringing both of those perspectives into the homes of Atlanta-area families as a postpartum doula.
Why Hire a Postpartum Doula?
There's no single reason families choose postpartum support.
Maybe your family lives far away. Maybe your partner has to return to work sooner than you'd like. Maybe you have wonderful family nearby, but you'd also like the reassurance of someone experienced in postpartum recovery, feeding, and newborn care.
Or maybe you simply know yourself well enough to realize that having support will allow you to enjoy this season more instead of just surviving it.
You don't have to be struggling to deserve help.
Personalized Care When You Need It Most
Imagine knowing that someone is coming over who doesn't need anything from you.
You don't need to clean your house before I arrive. You don't need to entertain me. And you definitely don't need to apologize for the laundry on the couch or the bottles in the sink.
I'm there to help.
I'll hold and care for your baby while you rest. I'll make sure you've eaten. I'll answer your feeding and newborn questions. I'll start the laundry or wash the bottles. I'll sit beside you while you feed your baby and talk through whatever is on your mind.
Some days we may accomplish a lot. Other days what you need most might simply be rest, reassurance, and another person beside you who understands.
That's postpartum support.
Easing You Into Life With Your New Baby
The early days at home are about so much more than caring for a newborn. You're recovering from birth, learning your baby, figuring out feeding, adjusting relationships and routines, and trying to find your footing as a family.
My role is to make that transition feel a little gentler.
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RECOVER
Birth is a major physical experience, whether you delivered vaginally or by C-section. While you're focused on your new baby, I'm also paying attention to you. I'll help make sure you're eating, drinking, resting, and giving your body the opportunity to recover. I can help you get comfortable for feedings, bring you what you need while you're resting, prepare nourishing meals and snacks, and take things off your plate so you aren't trying to do everything while your body is still healing. Sometimes the best thing I can do is simply remind you: you just had a baby. You're allowed to rest.
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REST
Newborn exhaustion is a different kind of tired. When you're feeding, soothing, changing, rocking, and starting all over again around the clock, even finding time for a shower can feel like an accomplishment. That's where I can step in. I'll care for your baby while you nap, shower, spend time with your other children, or simply have a little time to yourself. You can truly relax knowing your baby is being cared for by someone with years of newborn experience. Sometimes a couple of uninterrupted hours can completely change how the rest of the day feels.
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LEARN
Babies don't exactly come with instruction manuals - and even when you've had a baby before, you may be surprised by how many questions come up.Is baby eating enough? Is this poop normal? How do I know if the latch is good? Why won't baby settle? How should I swaddle? When should we start a routine? Ask me all of it. I can help with breastfeeding, pumping, bottle-feeding, diapering, bathing, swaddling, soothing, newborn sleep, developmental expectations, and everyday baby care. My goal isn't to tell you there's only one "right" way to parent. It's to give you reliable information, show you your options, and help you feel confident caring for your own baby.
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PROCESS
I provide a safe, nurturing environment where you can openly share and process your birth story along with the full spectrum of emotions that come with it. Together, we will navigate the emotional experience of childbirth and motherhood. I offer compassionate, personalized emotional support designed especially for mothers facing postpartum depression and anxiety, ensuring you get the care and understanding you need during this challenging time.
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BOND
Sometimes the best way I can help you bond with your baby is by taking care of everything else for a little while. I'll wash the bottles while you snuggle your newborn. I'll make lunch while you breastfeed. I'll hold the baby while you spend uninterrupted time with your older child. Or I'll entertain a big sibling while you and your partner enjoy a quiet moment with your newest family member. My role is to create a little more space for you to simply be together as a family.
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NOURISH
It's amazing how easy it is to realize at 2 p.m. that you've been taking care of a baby all day and haven't eaten lunch. Good nutrition is especially important while your body is recovering, but preparing food can quickly fall to the bottom of the list when you're caring for a newborn. I can prepare simple meals and snacks for you and your family so there's one less thing to think about. Sometimes knowing there's dinner ready for later feels like a huge win.
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BALANCE
Life doesn't stop just because you had a baby. There are still dishes. Laundry. Meals. Older children who need attention. And somehow the house seems to get messy approximately five minutes after you cleaned it. While I'm not a housekeeper, I'm happy to help with the everyday tasks that make your home feel more manageable - washing bottles and pump parts, doing baby laundry, tidying the main living spaces, preparing meals, unloading the dishwasher, or taking care of a few errands. The goal isn't a perfect house. It's giving you more time and energy for the things that matter most.
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THRIVE
My goal isn't just to help you "get through" the newborn stage. I want you to feel supported while you recover. I want you to get some rest. I want you to understand your baby and trust your instincts. I want you to have space to bond with your new baby and the people you already love. nMost of all, I want you to feel like someone is taking care of you, too.
you don’t have to do this alone.
There's a reason people say it takes a village. As your postpartum doula, I become one small part of yours.
I'm there for the practical things - the baby care, feeding support, meals, laundry, and dishes - but I'm also there for the parts that are harder to put on a service list. The reassurance. The questions. The "Is this normal?" The "Can you hold the baby while I shower? The "I just need to tell someone how hard last night was."And the reminder that while you're learning how to care for this brand-new little person, you deserve to be cared for, too. It would be an honor to walk alongside your family during those early days and help make your transition into life with your new baby feel a little lighter.
to learn more about all of the specific ways I can support your family, see the “services” menu tab.
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