Kelly Bareford of Robb Hollow Road is a postpartum doula. It’s probably reasonable to ask what on earth that is: Imagine if an absurdly talented and well-trained grandmother responded to the Bat-Signal.

New parents (even those with multiple children) can find the rush to be ready for visitors, the rush to be ready for work, and even the rush to be ready for each other impossible. Our culture insists everything be done fast, but that doesn’t mean that everything is always done well (or perhaps even that it should be done at all), Bareford said.

“Everyone wants to come and see the baby…but the mom kind of gets lost in that,” she said. “It’s okay to say no… It’s okay to say, ‘Okay, you can come and see the baby. There’s also a list on the fridge. Could you check off one of those things for me? Maybe unload the dishwasher?’” The idea is simple, but could have a profound impact on how the family experiences the first few days at home as a new family.

The role of a postpartum doula is to come into the home and monitor the family’s needs: Would teaching Dad different ways to hold or wear a fussy baby allow him to feel more connected to the little one? Has Mom had enough time to get a shower or sleep? Is the baby showing signs of jaundice and should have a check-up with the pediatrician? A postpartum doula is trained to watch for the places where support would be welcome, necessary, or just plain helpful for the whole family.

“I don’t think anyone tells you when you leave the hospital that it’s okay to take time and do nothing except bond with that baby and get to know each other. That’s really important,” she said.

The profession trains in an evaluation system called NEAR: nurture, educate, access, and refer. The Pittsburgh Doula Network website explains, “Her guiding principles are to:

• Nurture the family with her loving heart and hands, offering non-judgmental support.
• Educate the family by modeling behavior, observing and offering options.
• Assess the environment in order to best meet your needs.
• Refer by providing resources and referrals, and also assisting the family in developing the skills to seek out resources and referrals.”

However, near in terms of geography isn’t really part of the job description – Bareford has gone as far away as Boston to practice her cape-wearing skills.

Why take on such a stressful time in families’ lives over and over again? She found that nurturing families was still her calling when her sons left behind a happy home, but an empty nest. As a result, she took her years of experience as a mother, an undergraduate degree in psychology, and a master’s in teaching into a new adventure, seeking both education and skill development.

From CPR to nursing latches, she studied for her certification as a postpartum doula while working as a nanny and managing the nursery at her church. Her dedication to families doesn’t have office hours, just as babies aren’t going to hang a schedule on the door of the nursery.