Why I became an NCS
My Personal Story
(TW: Birth trauma/Infant loss)
I was born by emergency c-section 13 weeks too early, along with a twin brother—at 1 pound and a few ounces. Though we were both extremely fragile, my brother had more complications and unfortunately did not make it past a few weeks.
This was the first birth story I’d ever heard, and would hear again and again from the perspective of my grandparents, aunts, and of course, my mother.
In my sophomore year of high school, I decided I was going to be a neonatologist so I could help other NICU families like mine. Yet, after one health science class, I decided medicine was not the path for me.
The following year I took the class where you get to take a pretend baby home—for the second time. The fact that I was excited to wake up with the “baby” in the middle of the night, should’ve been a clear sign that I was going to end up where I am now.
I then took a teaching internship, working with kindergarteners the first semester and third graders the second. I really loved the littles, but I also learned I probably didn’t want to be a public school teacher either. Fast forward a few years later, around 18 or 19 I was like most of us at that age (or let’s be honest..at several points in our lives). Trying to figure out where I was meant to be or what my calling was. I always knew that I wanted my career to have a sense of purpose—I just didn’t know what.
After a long week of monotonous department store work, I met with a cousin for lunch. She noticed me smiling at a baby at the table across us, and the baby intently peeking back. My cousin said, “Lauren, you’re like a magnet for kids. Why don’t you work with them?” That question was a huge lightbulb moment and the beginning of my child-focused career.
The Journey Begins
In 2019, after a few child development semesters at City College I started working as a Montessori daycare teacher. It was an incredible learning experience, and I loved getting to know so many unique parents and children. I was constantly getting this gut feeling, or bursts of excitement that translated into “this is where you belong”. Though this was the case for a while, after years of juggling several children at a time, I started to wish I could pour more directly into each family.
This led me becoming a private provider in early 2023. I found an incredible family with two sweet boys and started gaining my footing as a nanny. I loved the flexibility to plan our day and give personalized attention to each child’s needs.
During this time, I decided to continue my education and came across the term Newborn Care Specialist. I had no idea what it was at the time, but after learning more I took the certification course, and my excitement grew. Before I knew it, when I wasn’t with my regular nanny family I was getting all the experience I could in newborn positions.
What The Future Holds
I plan to continue working with families as an NCS and soon-to-be postpartum doula. NCS work has shown me how new parents are equally as in need of care as their babies, and I am considering adding postpartum cooking and recovery support to my services. I am especially interested in learning to support preemie and NICU families who face unique challenges like my own family did.
Bridging the gap in an area where so many parents go unheard is why I do this. We shower pregnant people with love and items, and then when the baby is here we expect them to bounce back and get back to work. I hope to serve as a reminder that the birth and postpartum experience is sacred and deserves love, compassion, time to adjust, and well-intentioned guidance.
