Postpartum
Care Ireland
Ayurvedic Postpartum Caregiving is nurturing, supportive care offered to newborn mothers after birth. Usually a time period of up to 6 weeks but it can last longer depending on the individual birther. This care and support creates space for new mothers to rebuild, rest and rejuvenate after childbirth and be empowered on their journey to motherhood whether it's for the first or fourth time.
The services mentioned on the website are available within a 50 km radius of Galway city. For national travel I'm available until January 2024 as I will be on maternity leave from March 2024. For national travel a minimum of 4 days a week is required and accommodation to be organised outside of the home. Please get in touch to discuss accommodation as if I have friends or family in the area I will work with you to make this feasible.
“Maternal health is foundation to society’s health, so, to tend to children’s health, we must begin by tending our mother” - Rachelle Garcia Seliga
Skilled Support & Care
Postpartum Planning, In-home Postpartum Care, Nutritional Guidance & Cooking, Emotional Support, Abhyanga (Massage), Practical Support, Basic Breastfeeding Support, Mothering the Mother.
“Motherhood is the essence of people taking care of people. Without this, culture itself dries up, leaving our children and ourselves without roots. When any culture allows its women to lose their health and joy through the process of re-creation, people lose touch with the greatest source of its natural enfoldment of lovingness, its vitality, and its innate mappings back “home”. It is essential on so many levels, and especially potent in the postnatal time, that we support Mothers to feel at home within themselves.” - Ysha Oakes
What are the benefits of Ayurvedic Postpartum Care?
Tailored care for a mothers best rest, recovery & rejuvenation following the extensive energy expenditure of labour, and transition into motherhood.
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Nourishing Postpartum appropriate meals.
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Deeply restful Mothers Abhyanga (massage).
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Emotional Support to avoid overwhelm.
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Enhanced bonding for mother and baby.
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Light housework to reduce stress.
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Suitable herbs for lactation, rejuvenation and digestion.
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Basic breastfeeding support.
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Years of lasting benefits.
Why is Postpartum Care important?
In our culture, people are excellent planners for childbirth. We very often see preparation through prenatal care, prenatal yoga, childbirth education and other labor related trainings. All of this is valuable and important, but for the relatively short time in labor and birthing a child, there will be at least 6 - 8 weeks or even more of vital recovery ahead.
Placing emphasis on the care of mothers and providing families with the appropriate care, space and opportunity for support during the Postpartum window is imperative to the overall health of society. Why? Love, enthusiasm, peace and unity can be experienced over fear, overwhelm, separation, stress and anxiety.
What's Ideal?
Your primary goal as a birther for the first 6 - 8 weeks is to REST, your long term health depends on it. This means no cooking, no cleaning or laundry and not being the primary caregiver for older children. You should feel empowered to nurse and care for your newborn while healing, rebuilding, connecting, navigating and integrating your journey to motherhood.
What's realistic?
Receiving help. This may come from your own family, neighbours or friends. If support isn't available from here, I highly recommend hiring help from a Postpartum CareGiver. Other support in your community may be experienced through a meal train organised by friends, new mother facebook support groups, hired cleaner, meal delivery service, dog-walker, child-minder and more! Please get in touch to discuss creative ways to prepare for the care that feels right to you.
Biddy, Mother to be
I can’t tell you how vital this service is, and I would highly recommend it to a friend. I have found the information invaluable, because it’s like nothing I standardly received with the HSE and it’s so directly applicable.
I think we often overlook the importance of planning, possibly because we're scared or unsure? So, I feel these Postpartum Preparation Guides & Forms put great structure on what I needed to get my head around. Plus having an informed practitioner on hand as a guide is an added bonus!
Christine, Teacher
Noretta brings a thoughtful and dedicated approach to her studies. Her coursework and communications exhibit a strong work ethic and determination to excel at what she sets out to do. Her compassionate nature brings the perfect blend of knowledge and tenderness that creates an ideal postpartum doula.
Noretta is a shining light and I know she will serve many families with informed love, dedication and support to see them through these important first weeks of their babies lives.
Catherine, Mom of 3
The meal train was the nicest gift anyone has ever given me. At a time when you're so vulnerable and exhausted, having a healthy meal delivered to my door was just amazing!
It was very exciting each week wondering what each person was going to prepare and taste everyone's culinary skills. It also reignited my love for cooking.
Leanne, New Mother
Noretta is a wonderful person with a big heart and smile who lovingly supported me in my postpartum recovery in so many different ways. Her presence is incredibly grounding and calming. One of her most admirable qualities is how she listens, truly listens and manages to respond in the most heartfelt and empowering way.
She visited our home 8 times from 2 - 12 weeks postpartum. Each and every visit was impactful and meant so much to me. It was one heck of a journey! Noretta saw me at my most vulnerable. There were times when my heart ached, tears flowed and I was so lost and confused. She held the space so beautifully for ALL of my emotions. She helped to shine a light and offer perspective. She encouraged me to lean into love and compassion. She carved out moments for me to connect with my breath which helped soothe my racing mind. She reminded me that rest is where we can recover, rebuild and rejuvenate and taught me that food can provide a lot of rooting and stability. She ensured I was cared for in this way by preparing delicious drinks, snacks and meals for my husband and I to enjoy! At the end of each visit, warm oil Abhyanga massage provided me with an opportunity to nourish my body and mind. One of my most cherished memories of our time together is of the opening ceremony she facilitated for my husband and I. It gave us the space to open up, release and allow healing to occur. She also facilitated a closing ceremony that allowed for further connection and a chance to reflect on our experience and move forward. She really does support the whole family!
Noretta messaged me in advance of each visit to share her thoughts about upcoming care days. I loved that she asked how I felt about her suggestions and was flexible to meet the need of the day. The follow up support she offered was invaluable. She provided ideas, resources and recommendations based on the questions and the conversations we had. Her thoughtfulness and kindness in this regard was amazing. She went above and beyond. In writing this testimonial, I re-read the messages we exchanged and they have reminded me of how much her support extended her home visits. She is a beautiful soul with so much warmth, knowledge and understanding to share.
If you are considering postpartum doula support, don't hesitate to connect with Noretta. You won't regret it! We loved her visits. Her energy is so beautiful, her presence is a blessing. I will be forever grateful to her for the role she played in helping me find strength and stability again. Thank you Noretta for the special times we shared and memories I have of our time together. You bring love, warmth and compassion wherever you go! xx
Contact Me
There is a sacred nature to the Postpartum period that you may not be aware of. Neither was I until I began this journey. A simple understanding of this time is, you're never meant to experience it alone. If you feel you may not have the support you need, I'm here to guide you through it.
Tel: +353 87 140 5550