Meet
Kourtney
DONA International Certified Postpartum Doula · Hampton, NH and the Seacoast
DONA International Certified Postpartum Doula. Hampton, NH and the Seacoast.
I came to this work the way most people come to the things that matter most. Through my own experience of needing it and not having it.
My story
I have two kids of my own, and my first postpartum experience was one of the hardest seasons of my life. My husband was active duty, and while he was local, his days were long and I spent a lot of them alone. Our family lived at least an hour away. No drop-ins, no spontaneous check-ins. Everything required planning. I'd also recently stepped away from a career and a community that had been my whole identity, so I was navigating a newborn and a version of myself I didn't fully recognize yet.
Those months were lonely in a way I hadn't anticipated. I was doing fine by most measures, and completely underwater at the same time.
At about eight months in, I learned that postpartum doulas existed. That there were people whose entire purpose was to show up for new parents the way I had desperately needed someone to show up for me. I felt relief just reading about it. And then I thought: that's what I'm supposed to do. I jumped in with both feet and haven't looked back since. I left a stable career to build Cradled, and it's the decision I'm most certain I've ever made.
My second postpartum was different. I knew what I was walking into, I had the training, I had the perspective. And I did something I hadn't done the first time. I asked for help. I hired a postpartum doula. I called family and asked them to come spend the day. When anyone offered to do something, I told them exactly what I needed instead of saying I was fine. I let go of any pride about proving I could handle it myself and genuinely leaned into every resource I had. It was still hard. But it was a completely different kind of hard. The kind where you feel held instead of alone. That experience is part of why I do this work the way I do. I'm not here to swoop in and take over. I'm here to be one of the people you actually let in.
What I bring to your home
My background is a little unusual for a postpartum doula, and I think that's a good thing. I have a Master's in Counseling, which means the emotional side of this work isn't an afterthought for me. I understand what it feels like to be in survival mode and not have the words for it. I know how to hold space for the hard stuff without making it bigger than it needs to be, and without brushing past it either.
I'm also a nationally registered paramedic and CPR instructor, which means I stay calm when things feel anything but. I've been in high-stakes situations. I know what actually requires attention and what just needs a steady presence. The clinical training and the counseling background together are what let me show up to your home and genuinely read what you need, not run a standard script.
As a certified child passenger safety technician, I'll walk you through car seat safety in a way that actually makes sense, so you leave that conversation feeling confident rather than just nodding along. I've also worked with families navigating twins and triplets, which has a way of teaching you to think on your feet and let go of the idea that anything goes exactly to plan.
What the first visit actually looks like
I take my shoes off at the door. I ask where I can wash my hands. And then I ask how you're doing. And I mean it. I've learned that the first answer is almost always "great." I understand that. But if we've built enough of a connection, I'll gently let you know that you don't have to say great. That I know pregnancy and new parenthood are hard, and I'm genuinely asking. Sometimes I get the real answer right away. Sometimes it takes a few visits. Either way, I'm not going anywhere.
Outside of work
I live in Hampton with my husband, our two kids, and two dogs. We used to have chickens and I'm still not over it. I love being out in the world and I love being home in equal measure. I'm the kind of person who will happily spend a weekend exploring somewhere new and then spend the next one doing absolutely nothing, and feel good about both.
Schedule a Free ConsultHow I show up prepared.
DONA International Certified Postpartum Doula
This is the gold standard certification for postpartum doulas. It means I've completed formal training, a written exam, and documented client hours under DONA's standards of practice.
M.Ed. in Counseling
A master's degree in counseling means I understand the emotional landscape of new parenthood, including postpartum anxiety and depression, and know when to refer families to clinical support.
Nationally Registered Paramedic
Years working as a paramedic gave me a clinical grounding that makes me calm and competent in situations other doulas may not be trained for.
American Heart Association CPR Instructor
I'm not just CPR certified. I teach it. I can walk your family through infant CPR while I'm with you if that would give you peace of mind.
UC San Diego Lactation Educator / IBCLC Preparation
This training prepares me to support latch, positioning, supply, and the emotional experience of feeding, with the evidence base behind it.
Postpartum University Nutrition Certified
I'm trained in the specific nutritional needs of postpartum recovery: what supports healing, milk production, and energy in the weeks after birth.
Certified Child Passenger Safety Technician (CPST)
I can check your car seat installation and show you how to use it correctly before you leave the hospital. One less thing to worry about.
Care without conditions.
What I bring to your door is something harder to put into a certificate: the ability to walk into a room and read it. To know when you need someone to take the baby, when you need someone to just sit with you. What you need on a Tuesday morning may be entirely different from what you needed on Sunday afternoon. I understand that.
I hold space without filling it unnecessarily. I offer information without overwhelming you. And I keep the atmosphere in your home light, steady, and warm, because that steadiness passes from me to you to your baby.
Presence Over Protocol
Every family receives my genuine attention, not a checklist. I respond to you, not to a script.
Honored, Not Instructed
You are the authority on your family. My role is to support, inform, and hold, never to direct or judge.
Nourished in Every Way
Physical recovery, emotional wellbeing, and practical support all belong together. I treat them that way.
Sanctuary, Not Service
A visit from me should feel like a breath. That's the standard I hold for every home I enter.