Nurtured by Maya- personalized support during your postpartum journey
Welcome!
Maya is a dedicated Postpartum Doula and aspiring Newborn Care Specialist, who brings a calm presence and sense of grounding to the transition into parenthood. Serving the Portland Metro area, she provides support and guidance, ensuring both parents and baby feel nurtured and secure. With her compassionate approach, she helps families navigate the challenges of early parenthood.
About Me
My name is Maya Gerber
I grew up in the Texas Hill Country and have lived in Portland for almost 5 years now. I have wide-ranging interests that include gardening, cooking, baking with my sourdough, herbalism, doing art projects, exploring nature, ice- dyeing, everything involving music. I love to sing, dance and fill my day with tunes. I also love watching movies and staying cozy at home, while also filling my cup with road trips and adventuring out and about. My beloved dog Sprout is a light in my life, as I am a huge animal lover. I have worked in childcare for the past 5 years and instantly fell in love with this work. I have worked as an infant/toddler teacher at The Nest Playschool for the past 3 years and counting. I enjoy soaking in the childlike wonder of all things and creating meaningful connections. Being organized is in my nature and I thrive on lists, which comes in handy in this line of work. I am a helper at heart and fit myself in where it's needed.
Services
Household Assistance
Supporting families during their time of need. Help with light cleaning, organization, meal preparation, laundry, and pet upkeep to help you focus on rest, recovery, and quality bonding time. Let me take care of the daily tasks, so you can enjoy peace of mind.
Newborn Care and Education
Gentle guidance on all aspects of caring for your little one. From sleep and feeding techniques to soothing methods and baby-wearing tips, I am here to support you every step of the way. Always ready to answer your general newborn questions and offer product recommendations for both baby and mom.
Postpartum Recovery
Helping to support recovery by preparing meals focused on postpartum nutrition. And supporting your healing by using herbal blends, soothing teas, and assisting with the setup of sitz baths, peri bottles, padsicles, etc.
Sibling Support
Bringing a new baby into the family is both thrilling and challenging. I offer care for older siblings, while incorporating enjoyable and interactive activities that foster sibling bonding. This gives parents the opportunity to enjoy quiet moments with their newborn, helping them feel supported while easing the transition for older siblings.
​Resources and Community building
Connecting you with reliable local resources, parent groups, lactation counselors, therapists, sleep specialists and other postpartum services. So that in the haze of new parenthood, you don't have to search for these essential connections.
Setting your Baby up to Succeed in Group Care
Get your little one ready for group care with recommendations for creating effective schedules and routines that suit your baby's needs, and typical infant care settings and scenarios. Making both you and your baby feel confident and prepared for this exciting new chapter.
Choosing a Postpartum Doula is personal. This lets us connect and see if we are the right fit.
30 min
FAQ's
What is the difference between a Postpartum Doula and night nanny/caregiver?
Postpartum Doulas work with the whole family and household environment and are there to teach and comfort in the 4th trimester. There should be a family member in the home/proximity at all times and time for teachable moments. Doulas provide advice, address concerns, and give information while nannies and sitters care for baby as their sole job.
What is a NCS (Newborn Care Specialist)?
​A Newborn Care Specialist (NCS) focuses almost exclusively on the infant's development, sleep, feeding routines,etc. A postpartum doula provides holistic emotional and physical support to the entire family, as well as the birthing parent. Neither role is medical; they do not diagnose illnesses, prescribe medication, or perform clinical tasks.
What is a "Doula in Training"/ "NCS in training"?
Working to get a certification through DONA International (Doulas of North America) and certification through The Newborn Care Academy requires many things including class time, readings, recorded experience and more.
I have finished my 40 hours of postpartum doula training, and am working through the NCS training, which requires applying gained knowledge to families in order to acquire certification.
I would love to work together so that you can help me grow and move through this milestone in my career.
Daytime vs Nighttime shifts
A daytime shift is typically interactive. It usually focuses on the household flow and building long-term confidence with your new little one. This time is spent in different ways depending on your family. Examples include processing your birth story, trying out baby soothing techniques, troubleshooting feeding, tackling light household tasks, and
answering any questions. Daytime shifts are typically 4-6 hrs.
A nighttime shift focuses on maximizing recovery and sleep. The goal is to keep the house quiet, dark, and peaceful while I care for the baby and reset things like dishes, light laundry, etc. Nighttime shifts are typically 8-10 hr shifts.
-What if I am breastfeeding? - During an overnight shift, I will text/knock/wake you (whatever we discuss prior to care) and bring the baby to you for a nursing session. When you both are finished, you will send me a text and I will come take the baby back to our care area to burp, diaper, and soothe while allowing you to fall right back to sleep. If you are comfortable pumping and doing bottles, I will pace feed with pumped milk and a bottle.
Does my Postpartum Doula/NCS stay awake all night with the baby?
Answers vary for each Doula or NCS, but typically no. If you are looking for this type of care it is usually advertised as "Awake Care" or "24/7 Care", and usually doubles in rate. Our primary role is promoting safe, high-quality care while preventing caregiver burnout. Typically we are provided with a guest room/couch/cot/area for sleeping in between caring for the baby and completing light household tasks. This is essential so that we can rest and be ready to be our best care-giving selves. It also serves as a model for fostering the idea that parents, too, need to sleep and that it is safe and necessary for parents to sleep while babies sleep. Unless your child is medically compromised or has a reason for awake care.
When is the best time to book services?
Whether you are planning ahead or currently in your postpartum period, I am here to support you. Since I have limited availability, if you want to secure your spot around your due date window, booking in the second trimester is ideal. This will give us time to build a relationship and have a pre-baby consultation where I can get a lay of the land in your home. We will chat about postpartum goals, care preferences and refine our schedule. However, if you have already given birth and find yourself needing an extra set of hands please reach out anyway. I always do my best to accommodate short-notice support or connect you with another trusted doula/specialist.
