30 - Monthly Doula Check-Ins: Real Support for Real Life in the First Year

In this heartfelt and empowering episode of Doula Talk: Postpartum, Babies, and the Battle for Sleep, Deb Jimenez—beloved doula, certified sleep coach, and postpartum ride-or-die—dives deep into one of the most underrated tools for new families: monthly doula calls.

Deb pulls back the curtain on what these calls actually look like (spoiler: it’s not a checklist), how they build confidence brick by brick, and why they’re a lifeline for exhausted, overwhelmed, and over-Googled parents in the first year.

Listeners will hear:

• Why support after birth is just as vital as during it
• How monthly check-ins can gently guide families through sleep struggles, feeding questions, and the emotional rollercoaster of new parenthood
• The confidence-boosting power of having someone in your corner who truly gets it
• Real-life examples of what parents talk about on these calls—from baby nap chaos to partner dynamics to that working-parent guilt
• A call to ditch the Pinterest-perfect expectations and embrace real, human connection

Deb reminds listeners that it truly does take a village—but in today’s world, sometimes that village looks like a recurring Zoom call with your favorite doula. And that’s more than okay—it’s powerful.

✨ Free Resource Mentioned:

Listeners are invited to book a FREE 15-minute consultation to explore if monthly doula support is a good fit for their family. It’s warm, welcoming, and totally pressure-free.

👉 Schedule your free call at DoulaDeb.com

👉 Learn more about Monthly Doula Calls in my First Year Support Program

If you’re craving more peace of mind, more clarity, and someone to walk with you through the unpredictable, beautiful chaos of baby’s first year—this episode is your sign to stop doing it all alone. Press play and take the first step toward feeling held, seen, and supported.

Chapters

• 0:40 Introduction to Postpartum Support
• 1:50 What Does a Doula Do --And Why Monthly Support Matters
• 2:55 What Happens During a Monthly Call? (Hint: It’s Not a Lecture)
• 3:57 From Chaos to Clarity—Why Confidence is the Goal
• 4:39 Sleep Goals, Baby! Let’s Talk Realistic Rest
• 5:38 Peace of Mind for Busy Parents (You Deserve That)
• 6:38 You Deserve a Village—And This Is a Start
• 7:34 Let’s Connect—Your First Step Toward Support

Transcript

Deb (00:40)
Hey friends and welcome back to Doula Talk, postpartum babies in the battle for sleep. I'm Deb, your favorite doula sleep coach and fellow parent support detective here to help you decode the wild world of postpartum life and the first year with your baby. Today we're digging into something that doesn't get enough attention, something that can be an actual game changer for new families, especially if you're the kind of person who likes to plan ahead.

ask all the questions and maybe just maybe worries that you're not doing it just right. Spoiler, you are. Let's talk about the real magic of monthly doula calls. Yes, I said it monthly, not just one and done consults. mean, reoccurring consistent check-ins with someone who's walked this road with hundreds of families who knows the emotional roller coaster, the sleep deprivation, the second guessing. And is this normal?

Googling 3 a.m. I'm going to talk about what these calls look like and what kinds of families benefit most and how they can bring actual peace of mind in a season that can otherwise feel like a swirl of uncertainty. All right. Let's back it up a little bit.

We talk a lot in the birth world about what doulas do during labor. And yes, that work is powerful and essential, but the real secret sauce, it's in the after, in the showing up, and the you don't have to figure this out alone kind of care. a postpartum doula isn't just someone who swaddles your baby and tells you how to burp them.

Of course we do that, but we're trained professionals who understand infant development, family systems, postpartum recovery, lactation, bottle feeding, safe sleep, and maybe most importantly, the emotional ride of becoming a parent. And monthly calls, that's where the magic really starts to unfold. Imagine having a trusted expert checking in with you regularly, not when things are falling apart, but before they do.

These calls are preventative care for your mental health, your baby's sleep, your feeding journey, your household dynamics. It's like having a postpartum strategy coach, but with a whole lot of heart. Let me paint the picture here. You hop on a call with your doula, maybe while baby is napping or trying to, or maybe you're bouncing them in a wrap. We start by checking in on you. How are you really doing?

What's feeling really hard right now? What's getting better? What's shifting? We might talk about nap transitions, feeding questions, how your body is healing, like being back at work, or how your partner is adjusting. Sometimes we troubleshoot sleep regressions. Sometimes we talk about how to introduce a bottle without stress. Sometimes we cry and sometimes we laugh.

And sometimes, real talk here, we just take a few deep breaths and remind you that you are not alone in this. These calls are all your generic checklist. It's customized real support. And because we check in monthly, we actually track your progress together. And you start to see the patterns. You start to feel a lot more confident. And most importantly, you start to trust yourself.

Now let's talk about the big win here, the confidence you'll feel. Not perfection, not doing everything by the book, but trusting your own gut. I can't count how many times a parent has gotten on a call with me overwhelmed and second guessing. And by the end of our chat, they're like, ⁓ my gosh, that makes so much sense. I can totally handle this. It's not because I waved a magic wand. It's because I helped connect the dots. I helped them see the bigger picture to zoom out and get in touch with what they already knew.

that they're doing a great job. Confidence is everything in the first year and it's built, not born. These monthly calls help you build it brick by brick. Okay, let's talk about the elephant in the nursery, sleep. Because I know for many of you listening, this is a big one. Here's the truth. Sleep in the first year is so complicated, but it doesn't have to be so confusing.

And no, you don't need to let your baby cry it out if that doesn't align with your values. On our monthly calls, we look at the sleep puzzle together. We figure out what's working. We figure out what's not. And where can we make some gentle tweaks? Maybe we start with a bedtime routine. maybe we adjust wake windows. Maybe we talk about safe bed sharing

or we explore how to transition out of contact naps. We go slow, we go steady, we set realistic expectations, and as your baby grows, we get to grow with them and with the guidance that you need. No more middle of the night Google rabbit holes. You've got me and I've got your back.

Let me take a moment to shout out to my busy professionals, those of you who are juggling baby care, partner dynamics, household tasks, Slack messages from work, text messages coming on all the time. You are doing the most and you deserve the support that gets it. calls are a lifeline for working parents. Whether you're returning to work and need help with daycare friendly routine or trying to keep up with that pumping while managing Zoom meetings.

a rhythm that doesn't burn you out. And yes, sometimes we even troubleshoot how to feel connected to your baby when you're apart most of the day because that guilt, ooh, that's real.

But it's also something we can work through with some great strategies. This isn't just support, it's strategy. It's sustainable, realistic care for modern families. It's doula support in your real life, not a fantasy version of parenthood. You've heard the saying, it takes a village. But in today's world, most of us don't have one. We're expected to do it all alone, to bounce back, to figure it out with a smile and a Pinterest-worthy nursery.

I call BS on that. You were not meant to raise a baby in isolation. And even if your mom lives across the country and your best friend is working full time, and that doesn't mean you're alone.

And even if your mom lives across the country or your best friend is working full time, that doesn't mean you're alone. I'm here, your doula is your village. Monthly calls are the rope bridge across that foggy gap between surviving and thriving. You don't need to wait until you're drowning to get help. Let's make support part of the plan ahead of time or jump in now, but it shouldn't be a last resort.

So if this is resonating with you, if you're nodding along thinking, whoa, this is exactly what we need, then let's talk. I offer a free 15 minute call if monthly support is a fit for your family. No pressure, no overwhelm, human conversation about what you're navigating and how I can help. So all you have to do is head over to contact.

to book your free consult or check the link in the show notes. And if you know a new parent who needs this kind of support, go ahead and send this episode their way. you might be the lifeline. They didn't know they needed. All right, friends, until next time, take care of yourselves, rest while you can, ask for help, and remember, you're not doing this alone. You've got this and I've got you.