Meet Dorinda
All my life, I have been drawn to caretaking. Being the youngest of 6 kids and having over a dozen nieces and nephews, I was always the favorite baby caretaker from the start.
After receiving my degree as a physical therapist, I worked for years with children with mental and physical disabilities alongside parents and other caretakers. The collaboration with parents - to provide the best care for their child - has always been one of my favorite parts of my work. After becoming a mother myself, and moving from The Netherlands to the USA, I was quickly surrounded with other new parents and realized how important it is to have a helping ‘tribe’ - even more so in the postpartum fourth trimester and beyond.
For the following years I worked as a nanny for several families, taking care of their newborns and toddlers, besides taking care of my own family. After that it felt very natural to train and get certified as a postpartum doula and start supporting families in their postpartum journey and I have loved doing that ever since. Because I truly love what I do, it does not feel like work and supporting families in the fourth trimester with overnights has brought me so much joy. I have lost count (but remember them all with love) and have supported over 50 families, including twins, preemies, and special needs babies. I look forward to supporting many more families in the years to come!
*Vaccinated against flu and Covid -19 including current booster shot per Oct 2024
“Being a part of the first days and weeks of a newborn’s life and supporting their family is such a special honor. I love seeing parents become more confident in their role as parents and help them get the rest and support in whatever way they need the most. Many families don’t have a village of people nearby so it is wonderful to become part of their support tribe in the precious but intense first weeks postpartum. ” - Dorinda
Benefits of an Overnight Postpartum Doula
Support with Night Feeding
As your night doula, I will be present to attend to your baby, take note of early hunger cues, and bring your baby to you before he is getting frustrated. As a lactation educator I can give you all kinds of support in your breastfeeding journey if you choose to breastfeed. And to make sure you get enough rest, feeding a nighttime bottle can often also be an option at some point.
Sleep Peacefully
As your overnight doula, I will be right there to tend to your baby so you can sleep peacefully, knowing your baby will be looked after. I can give you tips and resources to learn about infant sleep and how to best support your baby in all the different stages.
Nighttime Companionship
Having me there as a non-judgmental person to encourage you can be incredibly helpful. As your overnight doula and lactation educator I can help with positioning and getting a great latch for comfort and learn how to have a good feeding.
Fun Facts About Dorinda
one
I’m the youngest of 6. I became an aunt at age 11 and many more nieces and nephews followed! Now I am an aunt to 26 total.
two
I grew up in the Netherlands where we would bike EVERYWHERE! The Netherlands has more bikes than people.
three
Something I could eat EVERY day is soup! Ever since I was pregnant with my first I have LOVED all kinds of soup.