Laura McCarthy Postpartum Doula in Pittsburgh, PA

Working with Laura was such a beautiful exhale for our entire family. We felt so held by her during this big transition with our family. Her energy is so grounding and loving which is what every postpartum person needs. As a mama, I felt very seen, heard, and encouraged by Laura in how to nurture my child, my breastfeeding journey, and how to nurture myself. I had a really tough pregnancy and to come home after birth and have my needs met in ways I never had to ask was truly healing. I'd recommend her to anyone!

— Julie & Ray

We received Laura's babywearing education class as a babyshower gift from a work friend as first-time parents. We communicated with Laura prior to our birth and then afterward and she came to our house to help demonstrate a few different kinds of carriers and babywearing techniques we were interested in trying. I shared with her that I was still recovering from a c-section which she took into account as she showed us how to use the different carriers and advised us on how the type of carriers we used might change overtime. Both my husband and I tried out the wraps and structured carriers to see what we each liked best using weighted dolls and then we finished by trying it out with our baby who had just woken up from his nap. This was such an incredible babyshower gift! I received a gifted wrap shortly after from a friend and have been using the wrap technique every day around the house and for walks in the neighborhood. It's wonderful to be hands-free and our son loves it and often falls asleep as I'm walking around doing chores or finally sitting down to eat my lunch. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who is curious about babywearing. My husband really loved the structured carriers, our son just has to gain a little more weight until he can use those, but the session was great because we also got to see and receive resources on some different brands. We didn't know much about any of this before our session so having brand names to look for and the advice of what to find used versus new was much appreciated. Laura presented the information very thoughtfully, she was flexible and adaptable as our baby and cat were each doing their thing while she was here and she did a great job of demonstrating and then having us try afterward. I would recommend this to anyone interested in babywearing! It's been a game-changer for us.

— Rachel Vinciguerra

Laura is truly wonderful. My husband and I had a baby wearing session with Laura and she's watched our baby. Laura's great with babies. It was like our son looked at her and immediately knew she's a 'baby person.' He loved her right away and she was really quick to figure out the things he liked. I felt completely comfortable with her watching him knowing that she clearly knows newborns well. The baby wearing session was incredibly helpful too. We didn't know it at the time we had the session, but our guy was going to become colicky a couple of weeks later. We wore him even more than we had expected we would because it was one of the only things that reliably calmed him down and put him to sleep. We were so happy we knew how to wear him comfortably and securely during that stage.

— Jesica Sharp

Laura was such a welcome presence in our home after the birth of our baby. She is calming and reassuring and this a huge help for us as first time parents. She immediately dove in with helping around the house, which relieved our general sense of overwhelm.

— Keren Gilboa

Laura is an amazing doula, so nourturing, nonjudgmental, and just the kind of presence you need postpartum. We had Laura come by for a few visits after the birth of our second child and she did everything from fold laundry, demonstrate the coziest wrap techniques, validate the hormonal fluctuations and resulting emotional lability involved with having just had a baby, offer suggestions for soothing our baby we had never before used or considered, change our bedsheets, offer insight into the two-kid dynamic, make comfort food for our toddler mid-tantrum (calming her down with hot dogs - yesss), and give me permission to take a short walk and a long nap! Postpartum time is a vulnerable time. My spouse and I felt especially protective of our space after our baby was born. We trust few people to look after our kids and do not feel comfortable with just anyone in our house. Laura felt like part of the family immediately. She is respectful and empathetic. She is a social worker. She is cool and fun to talk to. She will not ask a ton of questions of you, but will read the room and help however she sees necessary, which is so great when you are exhausted and can't think straight and you can't "manage" another person or thing. I fully recommend Laura for postpartum doula work. You may not know you need her until you are in the thick of it, and you will be SO glad you gave yourself the gift of her care.

— Lesley

My husband and I hired Laura as a postpartum doula after the birth of our first baby this spring. She came for a handful of days during our baby’s first few weeks and from her first visit we called her our “baby fairy godmother!” Laura always brought a gentle, warm, and experienced energy during her visits. She is so intuitive and always seemed to know what would be the most helpful before we even asked. She prepared wonderful food for us, did laundry, changed diapers, held and comforted our baby so we could nap, and answered about one million questions that we didn’t know we would have about baby care. She also taught my husband how to wear our baby in the wrap carrier, and then a couple of weeks later once I was ready to start wearing our baby he was able to teach me how to do it. Laura really helped us to feel more comfortable and confident as new parents and I am so grateful for everything that she did to help us get off on such a good foot in those early days. I enthusiastically recommend Laura as a postpartum doula and I hope to have her back if we have another baby in the future!

— Molly Z.

I cannot recommend Laura highly enough as a postpartum doula! From the moment she stepped into our home, her gentle and reassuring presence made a world of difference. She provided invaluable guidance, empowering us to trust our instincts and encouraging us every step of the way. My husband and I both see Laura as a role model for the kind of parents that we aspire to be. Her warmth and wisdom shone through as she taught us practical skills, including babywearing. We feel that babywearing was hugely beneficial in helping our baby develop core strength and head control early on, but more importantly became a special bonding experience for my husband and daughter. Even now, at six months old, he continues to babywear, creating precious moments together. Navigating the early days of breastfeeding was challenging, but with her support, I was able to find success with breastfeeding in a way that worked for me. Beyond the practical advice, Laura created a safe space for us to recharge. She was always there to answer our questions, no matter how small, and made us feel confident in our parenting choices. Her encouragement to listen to our intuition was invaluable, helping us grow into the parents we wanted to be. I am so grateful for my experience working with Laura. I will never forget it! Thank you, Laura, for your unwavering support and guidance during this transformative time. You have truly been a blessing in our lives!

— Brynn