postpartum support « Back to Group Discussions

[MadiMamacita]

So I have posted on here a few times about being unsure what to do about my current job after baby comes, and I think I have decided. I want to start a business. It would be a postpartum support service. I am still in the brainstorming stage and these are things I have thought of so far:

*Basic chores (light housecleaning/organizing, dishes. laundry, running errands, going to the grocery store, etc)

*Meals (choice of having daily hot meals prepared in the home, daily meals prepped and ready to cook, or delivery of homemade frozen meals to reheat)

*Childcare (for older siblings so mom/baby can rest, for baby so mom can take a nap/take a shower/ get stuff done etc) Picking up older kids from school, extracurriculars, etc

*Referrals and information on community resources (moms groups, LLL meetings, parenting classes, PPD/cesarean/other birth related support groups)

*Basic baby care tips (bathing, swaddling, etc)

*Breastfeeding support (I am not currently a licensed LC but I could offer basic support and advice, and refer out for more complicated issues)

*Car seat selection and/or installation (help choosing a car seat that will work with your vehicle/situation, instruction on proper installation- I am already a certified car seat tech)

*Babywearing (Try out a wide variety of carriers before you buy to see what is comfortable for you and baby)

*Baby gear rental (Again, try out a variety of baby gear without committing to buy- does your baby like swings or bouncers? and wouldn't it be nice to be able to return that stuff when it is not used anymore so its not cluttering up your house?)

I will keep adding to this list as I remember more of my brainstorms... I have a good deal of connections to potential clients already in place, as well as a good functional knowledge of what resources are currently available in my area (no one is doing this here yet)

What services would you find useful during the postpartum period? I'm thinking this would be a sort of a la carte type of thing- every family isn't going to have the same needs so being able to pick and choose which services would be useful is nice.
I know in some areas (Seattle, for one) services like these charge between $40-120/hr. How much would you be willing to pay for something like this? A good name is also something I am looking for. My mom suggested " Now What?" which is kind of cute. it would be a funny way to answer the phone anyway

What do you all think?
Edited by MadiMamacita - 10/27/12 at 10:14am

[judybean]

I think this is a wonderful, brilliant idea!! So many people don't have the "community" kind of support that is *vital* to success after a birth! (Success being defined here as being relaxed -- not worrying about cleaning, meals, other kids -- and getting to know your new baby without being overwhelmed!). I'll think more on the other points after getting bedtime going here and getting dh from work!

[MadiMamacita]

thanks! I'm excited to hear some feedback!

[ilovejeff]

So like a postpartum doula, but with additional services? You may want to think about getting certified thru DONA, just to have the credentials.

I like Now What?...cute! Your tag line could be: Because babies don't come with instruction manuals.

If you're pricing a la carte, maybe a set price for ech thing rather than a price per hour...different meals could be priced according to the cost of ingredients and time to prepare, car eat consults could be a set price, etc. For child care/mama care/ housecleaning, you'd obviously need a price per hour. I'd check out any similar services I. Your area to see what is fair, since that can vary a lot depending on where you are. For example, everything is like half the cost here in central Washington compared to what it cost when we lived in Seattle.

[MadiMamacita]

Yes- the instruction manual tag line is something my mom mentioned too.

I am thinking about DONA postpartum certification, good suggestion.

Good points about pricing meals etc. I still have to work out those kinds of specifics. I'm excited to really sit down and work on this in the coming days!

[goin' green]

I think it's a great idea. It's very similar to what many of the postpartum doulas do around here.  And my moms group often pitches in to hire one for the moms who have babies.  Great way to get some business!  

[MadiMamacita]

According to my midwife we don't have any practicing postpartum Doulas in the area

[MadiMamacita]

bumping this, now that we are all recently postpartum! give me ideas for other services i could offer!

[AnyaRose]

My doula who is a PP doula as well usually offers aid at night for new moms. So, for the first week she helps the moms get some sleep. She would sleep on the couch or something and right when the new mom was done nursing, she would wake up and take the newborn and burp and comfort until they fell back asleep. It helped me SO much. It worked really well, I'm not sure if I'm describing it quite well though... If I remember, I can ask her what other advice she might tell you. 

[MadiMamacita]

yeah I thought about nighttime help, but with my own night time nursling I can't see how that would work! maybe I can add that in when this one weans.

[Yeeska]

Picking up older kids from school, extracurriculars, etc. My babies all hate cars at first...

[MadiMamacita]

oh great idea!

[Yeeska]

Also, I would suggest offering items a la carte, but also having some packages (where the package price is slightly lower than the sum of the services, ya know?)

Like, a new mom package that has breastfeeding support, baby wearing support, car seat support, and rental of 2 baby gear items. And a returning to motherhood package that has grocery shopping, light housekeeping, sibling babysitting, and 6 meals. Anyway, stuff like that.

In my experience, a sense of what would go into a package will evolve over time. For instance, if there are high c-section rates in your area, you might offer a c-section recovery package (housekeeping, grocery shopping, meal prep) or if there are a lot of gardeners, you might include that.

Oh! Dog walking and other basic care! Something to do with cloth diapering? Like maybe ways try different types of diapers and lessons in doing them. A lending library!

You can also offer gift certificates for little things. Like "one long bath" that could be a little thing for someone to get even a mom of a bigger baby. When I was an Army wife, we used to do that for each other for birthdays and stuff.

Things it would help to learn/get certified in: postpartum doula, basic LC, infant CPR, infant massage

You make me want to start one of these!

[rnra]

*Adding pet care would be great--taking the dog for a walk, cleaning the cat box, etc.

*When there are older siblings, it would be nice to offer help with homework, continuing homeschool curriculum, packing lunches for school, etc.

*Having a lending library of books.  It seems like after a baby is born many moms want books to refer to regarding breastfeeding, sleep, etc.

*You could partner with other professionals on an as-needed basis.  Some ideas would be a beautician who is willing to come do a pedicure or haircut at home, a lawn service company who will come mow/weed/shovel snow, and a handyman who can fix all those odds 'n ends that seem to break at inopportune times.

*If it's around the holidays, offering to gift wrap and ship presents would be helpful.

*Transportation for the mom.  In the first few days sometimes baby needs a bilirubin check, mom needs something from the store and wants to go herself, etc.  Having someone else drive can be a big help.

[MadiMamacita]

thanks for the ideas! keep them coming!