Where to begin in a review of Beth Hammond? There's so much good to report. The word "gift" keeps coming to mind, both because of her many gifts as a doula, and because she was such a huge gift to our family during a very difficult transition. I can't recommend her highly enough to those seeking a tender, calm, competent caretaker in their home during the postpartum period.
Mothering a newborn is hard work. In our particular case, we had a toddler at home whose world was turned upside down by the new addition to the family. My little girl really missed mommy. And I, too, was heartbroken about losing my special time with my older daughter. I was now constantly holding and feeding and tending to a tiny, vulnerable newborn who needed me in different, more constant ways. I was a wreck. I cried constantly, felt anxious and guilty any time my toddler was in the room with the baby, and felt horrible for appearing so fragile and weepy in front of my family. I needed/wanted to hold it together so that I could properly care for the baby and model some calm and strength for my older daughter as our family dynamic shifted in what felt like seismic ways.
Enter Beth Hammond! She came a half hour early on her first night with us just to talk. Beth has an understated, gentle tranquility about her that immediately put me at ease (she's also super smart and hilarious at times, but unless you book her for days as well as nights, you might not know how funny she is! Because you'll be getting GLORIOUS SLEEP while she's taking expert care of your newborn!) Anyway, that first night Beth listened to my story, let me cry, shared some of her own relevant experience, and sent me off to bed with the warmth and compassion every mother needs during those early weeks. She took such good care of me. And for a mom of a newborn (and a toddler, and the wife of a husband, for that matter!) being on the receiving end of this wisdom and kindness is KEY, because so much of my world (OUR WORLD, ladies) is taking care of other people. When you're exhausted and falling apart, having an exceedingly competent caregiver in the house is really the antidote to all that ails. Beth made everything feel calmer, safer, easier, more manageable.
Beth came during the day and cuddled my newborn so I could spend special one-on-one time with my toddler. She came at night and soothed my newborn into sleep and out of fussiness so that I could get solid chunks of rest between feedings. She brought special treats for my older daughter and displayed endless patience when the toddler literally ran laps around the living room and tried to smack her little sister on the head as she rounded the corner of the sofa. (Ugh!) Beth also answered numerous questions about my newborn when I couldn't figure out what was going on with her, offering explanations for mysterious rashes, fussiness, breastfeeding concerns, etc. She had so much valuable info and advice to share.
As a doula, it was certainly her job to provide physical and emotional support after the birth of our daughter, but we never anticipated having someone with Beth's level of knowledge about infant care, infant brain development, infant sleep, and what the mother needs too. That knowledge, combined with exactly the right personality to do this sort of work, makes Beth an exceedingly special person who transformed our postpartum experience from something painful and chaotic into something beautiful and good. We are forever grateful to her. read more
