Postpartum Doula vs. Newborn Care Specialist: Training, Roles & Which Is Right for You

You know you want professional in-home support after your baby arrives, but where to begin? As you research your options, you’ll soon discover that there are different types of professional caregivers for new parents and babies. In this post, we’ll talk about the similarities and differences between two types of professionals for new parents: Postpartum Doula vs. Newborn Care Specialist. 

Postpartum Doula vs. Newborn Care Specialist: The similarities

Postpartum Doulas and Newborn Care Specialists are both trained to support new parents in the immediate period after birth throughout the newborn period. Many of their roles and responsibilities overlap. The primary goal for both Postpartum Doulas and Newborn Care Specialists is to make the transition to life with a newborn easier for families. The way each professional does this is unique to their training, experience, and personal caregiving style. 

Not sure which you need? Book a call with our team, many of our team members are cross-trained in both roles and all of them have the skills to provide both roles!

What’s a Postpartum Doula?

A Postpartum Doula is a professional who offers warm, evidence-based support for your whole family in the weeks after birth. Trained to assist with feeding, newborn care, sibling transitions and emotional adjustment, they help you rest, recover and bond with your baby with confidence. They are more likely to provide care on occasional nights or on day shifts.

Typical Care From a Postpartum Doula:

• Parent education of newborn care [swaddling, soothing, bathing]
• Breastfeeding and bottle feeding support
• Light housework i.e. dishes, laundry
• Nursery organization
• Emotional support for the parents
• Meal prep
• Errands
• Sibling and/or pet care
• Referrals to additional support i.e. counseling for PPMDs or pelvic floor therapy

What is a Newborn Care Specialist?

A Newborn Care Specialist is a professional who offers expert in-home support focused on your baby’s needs and your family’s recovery. Trained in newborn behavior, safe sleep, and infant development, they partner with you so you can rest easier and feel confident in those earliest weeks and months. They are more likely to provide regular overnights and 24/7 live-in care.

Typical Care From a Newborn Care Specialist:

• Direct care of newborn i.e. bottle feedings, diapering, bathing
• Parent education of newborn care [swaddling, soothing, bathing, feeding, “what is normal?”]
• Getting babies into a routine, and sleeping longer stretches- sleep conditioning
• Washing and sanitizing bottles and pump parts
• On day shifts: Light housework i.e. dishes, laundry, nursery organization

Postpartum Doula vs. Newborn Care Specialist: The similarities

Postpartum Doulas and Newborn Care Specialists are both trained to support new parents in the immediate period after birth throughout the newborn period. Many of their roles and responsibilities overlap. The primary goal for both Postpartum Doulas and Newborn Care Specialists is to make the transition to life with a newborn easier for families. The way each professional does this is unique to their training, experience, and personal caregiving style. 

Each postpartum care expert is unique and will have strengths or areas of specialty. For example some Postpartum Doulas specialize in nourishing meal preparation, while others stick to simple sandwich assembly. And some Newborn Care Specialists specialize in getting your baby into a routine ASAP, while others work better with parents who like to mostly design their baby’s routine themselves.The training to become a Postpartum Doula or Newborn Care Specialist varies between training organizations, and not all trainings that produce the same credentials are created equal.

When interviewing a potential Postpartum Doula vs. Newborn Care Specialist, ask about their training and relevant continuing education.

How does a Postpartum Doula differ from a Newborn Care Specialist?

Training and Certifications

Newborn Care Specialist trainings and Postpartum Doula trainings all vary greatly. Newborn Care Specialist trainings are slightly more regulated by the NCSA [Newborn Care Specialists Association].

Newborn Care Specialist trainings
Newborn Care Specialist trainings focus deeply on newborn development, care, and potential emergency situations. They go beyond diapering and swaddling to cover reflux, colic, infant skin conditions, how to get babies to sleep longer stretches, all ways to feed baby and typical and atypical newborn behavior for preterm and full term babies. These trainings are designed to prepare caregivers to support a baby just discharged from the hospital, address unique needs, and educate parents on how to care for their babies with confidence.

Postpartum Doula trainings
Postpartum Doula trainings focus on the relationship between parents and their newborn and the family’s adjustment after birth. They dive deeply into lactation support, the emotional and physical recovery period, awareness of postpartum mood disorders, and practical strategies for a smooth transition into parenthood. Programs vary widely, are often holistic, may be combined with birth work, and frequently emphasize daytime support with parents present and involved.

For example: A Postpartum Doula might be more inclined to teach a parent to babywear so they can get things done while baby naps in the sling, while a Newborn Care Specialist might be more inclined to teach a baby to nap independently to set up long-term sleep habits.

Primary focus [Baby vs Family]

Because of their training, Newborn Care Specialists center their work on the baby’s needs and routine and may assume full caregiving so parents can rest, work or support other children. Postpartum Doulas center their work on family well-being, supporting feeding, recovery, and support in other ways so parents gain confidence and settle in.

Emotional Support

Both Newborn Care Specialists and Postpartum Doulas are trained to notice when parents may be having a hard time, including potential signs of perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. Caregivers often have quiet talks during feeds or at handover and can offer calm, nonjudgmental support. A Postpartum Doula may devote more time to discussion, education, and resource sharing, but both can suggest professional referrals if concerns arise.

Household Support

Newborn Care Specialists commonly help with baby-related tasks during daytime or 24/7 shifts such as washing bottles and pump parts, reorganizing the nursery, baby laundry or even making parents a light snack or coffee. However, on evening shifts their primary focus is typically the newborn and having a quiet household.

Postpartum Doulas commonly help with baby related tasks on day or night shifts. As Postpartum Doulas are typically not focusing on working on longer stretches of sleep, they may focus on however the parent needs help with their transition. This may include meal prep, family laundry, changing bedding or doing dishes. This does not include deep cleaning.

At Well Supported Family, regardless of the background, we have a set list of tasks that we provide. On day and 24/7 shifts we provide baby plus related tasks but don’t typically do full meal prep or household laundry. On overnight shifts we take care of bottles and pump parts from the night and depending on shift length can provide some baby laundry as well.

Availability

Newborn Care Specialists typically work overnight so they can help establish healthy sleep routines. This is usually four or more nights per week on a consistent schedule. They are often available for longer shifts, including up to 24 hours. Most work with families for about 4 to 16 weeks, guiding babies into age-appropriate rhythms and educating parents to feel confident on their own.

Postpartum Doulas often support families through occasional nights or daytime shifts. Many also take birth clients and therefore keep flexible hours. They might work only during the first one or two weeks at home, or provide periodic check-ins and regular shifts for many months.

Insurance and Benefits

At this time, Newborn Care Specialists are not eligible for reimbursement with most insurance plans or employer benefits.

Care from a Postpartum Doula may be eligible through some insurance plans and reimbursement platforms. Postpartum Doula work has been established longer and overlaps with Birth Doula support, which is becoming more regulated.

Eligibility often requires that a Postpartum Doula be certified through an approved organization or registered with the state. If you are using medical insurance, the benefit typically has a set structure, for example three four hour postpartum visits. If you are using an employer benefit such as Maven, CARROT fertility, or Progyny, there is often more flexibility, though programs may still have strict parameters.

Well Supported Family does not contract directly with insurance, but can provide detailed invoices for reimbursement. We also work regularly with CARROT fertility, Progeny and Maven, and more than 2/3 of our Newborn Care Specialists have gone on to be trained and certified as Postpartum Doulas to be able to support parents with Postpartum Doula specific benefits. Working with a Postpartum Doula within our agency typically means you’ll be working with someone who is dual trained!

Typical Cost Range

The cost for a Postpartum Doula or Newborn Care Specialist varies by location, experience, whether you work with an agency or an independent provider, and whether you have multiples. In many markets, a Postpartum Doula and a Newborn Care Specialist will charge similar rates. Shopping around in your area will give you the best sense of the typical range. Be cautious of rates well below your local standard and confirm that the individual has reputable training and experience.

When to Choose a Postpartum Doula vs. a Newborn Care Specialist

Postpartum Doula may be best if:

• Parent recovering from birth needs support.
• Family wants emotional guidance, household help, or sibling care.
• Insurance or employer benefits may help cover cost.
  

NCS may be best if:

• Parents mainly want expert help with deeply understanding their baby.
• Goal is to build independence quickly in sleep training/feeding.
• Parents want a caregiver who can fully take over hands-on care so they can rest.
  

Both types of professionals understand that the well-being of both parents and babies are interlinked, they are just trained to have slightly different approaches. 

You may have a strong feeling which type of professional is best for your family, or you may still feel uncertain. That’s okay! While professional training shapes a lot about a professional’s style, each caregiver brings their unique history and experience to the table. The goal is to find the professionals that best suit your family’s needs, not to hyper–focus on the specific credentials. When it comes down to it, deciding who is best to support your family is beyond the question of postpartum doula vs. Newborn Care Specialist. What matters most is if the individual puts you at ease and can provide support that your unique family needs.

Does Well Supported Family Have Newborn Care Specialists or Postpartum Doulas?

Well, you’re in luck…we have both! When we are interviewing team members it is important that a team member is well rounded. Someone who only cares for the baby and has no knowledge of breastfeeding challenges or postpartum mood disorders has a gap in their knowledge, same with someone who is solely focused on the parent’s support and doesn’t understand safe sleep. Additionally, many of our Newborn Care Specialists have gone on to be trained and certified to support parents with employer benefits like CARROT fertility.

While most of our overnight and 24/7 teams are Newborn Care Specialists and most of our day support are Postpartum Doulas, there are many amazing individuals who crossover.

How Well Supported Family Helps Families Choose

The good news is that families don’t have to decide, our intake team asks detailed questions to match you with the perfect person for your family! We take our matching process very seriously and only match you with someone who aligns with your schedule, location and all the small details about your unique family. Let us know your preferences and we can take it from there!

We are fortunate that so many members of our team are dual trained as both Newborn Care Specialists and Postpartum Doulas, allowing families to receive the specialized care they need while also taking advantage of available benefits.