Meet Kat
CERTIFIED Postpartum Doula
Kat truly believes that each family deserve a safe space to process with a caring, non-judgmental listener, and as a kind and gentle caregiver, she knows how to soothe and comfort tiny babies, and tackle an array of practical things while she spends time with each family. Clients say she is a joy to be around, and when she is serving you she delights to do all the little things that help you feel pampered and extra special while you heal, bond and connect with those you love after baby arrives. As a previous professional nanny, much of her experience has centered around infant care and Kat is now able to use her holistic postpartum doula skills to also help care for birthing parents as well.
More About Kat
When someone recommends a doula for the team, we listen. Also when that recommendation comes from a past client, a former doula, and mom who loves doula care, we listen intently. This is how we got to know Kat, and once we met her in her CAPPA training, we understood why. Kat is an old soul in a young and earnest package.
Getting to support several families during her postpartum doula certification process, Kat found so much joy in helping a family to successfully support an infant switching from exclusively breastfeeding to formula and bottles so parents could go back to work, teaching new parents how to babywear confidently, and getting to help with a lot of laundry and tidying to keep the homes peaceful and organized. While passionate about helping parents to achieve their unique feeding goals, her experience with formula preparation and support, breast pump setup as well as helping to introduce a bottle and integrate bottle and breast, has helped to become super practical in her approach to helping parents achieve their goals.
Kat loves supporting and helping in any form needed by postpartum moms—especially feeding, comforting, sleeping, and all the questions a new parent ask when a baby is so fresh and seems so fragile. Her favorite way to help families is by getting to teach them about their newborns and help build confidence in their knowledge, especially new soothing techniques that have worked with her during her shifts with babies.
Kat says this about her work:
While I am often focused on baby so parents can rest, I also love taking care of mommas, in any way they need. I love to help clean/tidy up, boil bottles and sterilize, do laundry, and do a bit of meal prep. I love making soup- I would say this is what I am best at! I also like baking, protein muffins that are easy to keep in the freezer and just warm up.
Kat offers daytime support, overnight care and also the delightful Sunrise Doula service. If you haven’t considered sunrise doula care, it is a combo of daytime and overnights, with the doula arriving at 5 or 6 am to start care after the baby handoff.
Typically the doula sends parents back to bed, providing baby care while also starting daytime chores like emptying the dishwasher, making a hot breakfast, starting the laundry, often while babywearing. After a parent-led baby feeding, Kat sends them off to the shower for some self care, gets baby ready for the day, and makes sure mom has a warm meal before she leaves her shift. New Dads love that they can get in an early morning run, check in with work, or grab a bit more sleep after a long night. If parents are newly recovering, Kat offers sitz baths, preparing bedside tables, and belly binding techniques. After the sunrise shift, moms are left with many of their chores done, feeling rested, well fed, and ready for a day with baby. Only a few of our doulas offer this shift, and we have seen the benefits to starting the day with someone taking amazing care of parents and baby, so be sure to ask us about this offering with Kat.
Here are two recent client reviews:
“Kat was absolutely wonderful and made me feel really comfortable. It was obvious by the way she held my 2 month old that she has lots of experience with babies. Kat held him, wore him in a baby carrier, and played with him. Since I exclusively breastfed, she helped with getting him to take a bottle and sent me a list of tips. She was great!””
“Kat was an amazing help during a difficult transition. She communicated well and always brought a sweet spirit of kindness and peace with her. She checked in and was willing to help with whatever I needed. The time she spent with my little preemie freed me up to take care of myself. She was very gentle with him and gave him a lot of tender loving care.”
Kat lives in SW Portland with her 1-year-old golden retriever, Booker, near her parents and older brother. In her off time she creates pottery at a studio in Lake Oswego, reads and writes poetry, and of course loves taking Booker on long hikes to wear him out. She visits the local parks and especially the gorge and enjoys the community where she lives where Booker has many furry friends.