Hello! My name is Lauren, and I am a Physician Assistant specialized in integrative medicine and women’s health.
Although I was trained in the Western model of disease > treatment, I became interested to push my training and knowledge beyond this simple paradigm. I have been in practice for 8 years and have treated a wide variety of chronic health conditions. I have experience in topics including holistic nutrition, lifestyle medicine, functional medicine, mind- body medicine, and herbalism; all of which I incorporate into a holistic - mind, body, spirit, root cause approach to my care. After healing myself of Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, chronic IBS and hormonal imbalances, I became incredibly passionate to share this information with other women.
I’ve witnessed countless times how transformational it can be when we find our voice, our power, and our vitality by healing & nourishing our physical bodies.
After having my first child in 2022, I experienced a complete shift in my mind and body. I found that again, I had to rely on my own studies to support my health, nutrition, and hormones throughout the pregnancy and postpartum journey. Since then, I have been on a quest to help other women find their way through hormonal imbalance, fertility, pregnancy, and postpartum with ease and clarity. Unfortunately, women’s health issues are too often normalized and downplayed by providers. If you’re frustrated by the age-old “you’re fine!" or “your labs look normal”, trust me when I say you are not alone.
I will serve as your guide and mentor to provide you with the tools you need to fully nourish, find balance, and restore vitality. I truly believe the body has an innate ability to heal (and thrive!) when it has the right tools to do so.
I firmly believe we need to mother the mother - and that when we do so, our entire family system and our communities at large can be healthier and happier.
I’m honored to walk this journey with you.
Certifications & Training
Bachelor of Science Degree - Stonehill College
Master of Physician Assistant Studies - MCPHS, Boston
Specialized in Integrative Medicine - South Carolina Center for Integrative Medicine
Certified in Lifestyle Medicine - American College of Lifestyle Medicine
Herbalism Apprenticeship - Hannah Morano, Sweet Birch Herbals
INNATE Postpartum Certified Provider - Rachelle Garcia Seliga, INNATE Traditions
+ a forever student of life & the divine intelligence of female physiology
About Postpartum
The postpartum period or the 4th Trimester. This important period of time is known by many names around the world: Ansei in Japan, La Cuarentena in Latin America, Zuo Yuezi in China, Samchilil in Korea, Pantang in Malaysia among many others. Regardless of what it is called, cultures around the world recognize the importance of the postpartum period; a time of rest, healing, and even reinvigoration and strength when new mothers are given the time and care they need.
While most of us are no longer born into communities that provide sacred wisdom, traditions & support during the postpartum period, it remains our birthright. The wisdom of our ancestors lies dormant within the walls of our bodies, and a rekindling of their loving traditional practices has the potential to not only rejuvenate the bodies and souls of new mothers, but also to positively affect generations to come.
The 5 Essentials of the Postpartum time:
An extended period of rest
For 40 weeks, a woman’s body has gradually adapted and transformed to accommodate her budding offspring. Upon the birth of that offspring, it is only logical, and extremely necessary, that the woman be given time to rest and allow her body to recover. This can be a difficult thing to achieve without postpartum care, as so much pressure is placed on women to continue “doing it all” for their families, homes, and often careers soon after giving birth.
Nutrient dense foods
Throughout a woman’s pregnancy and postpartum period, the body prioritizes the nourishment of the newborn over that of the mother. While important biologically and for the survival of our species, this fact can leave postpartum women feeling depleted and lacking in the nourishment vital to their healing, strength, and spirit. INNATE postpartum care ensures that the mother’s nourishment is prioritized along the nourishment of her newborn, not left to chance or the well-meaning (but at times nutrient-light) generosity of others. Traditional, nutrient-dense foods are essential.
Warming treatments
It has been said in Traditional Chinese Medicine that after birth a woman’s body can feel a bit like a house with all of the windows open. While this sensation isn’t universal, the need for body warmth in the postpartum period is. Treatments such as moxibustion, warm herbal oils, vaginal steaming, castor oil packs, as well as warm in temperature foods and drinks are an essential way to restore vitality of the pelvic organs.
Bodywork
The right body work can jump-start recovery, heal psychological and physical trauma, and reinvigorate the body and spirit of a woman during the postpartum period. Body work such as belly binding and abdominal and uterine massage can gently move the uterus back into place as well as activate the lymphatic system. Other treatments, such as warm oil massage or craniosacral therapy, can restore the balance of the autonomic nervous system and coax the body away from the sympathetic and parasympathetic responses that can be triggered by birth. This is not a luxury but a necessity.
Community
While western society emphasizes individualism and independence above all, community remains an essential need of postpartum women. Feelings of isolation, helplessness and uncertainty are far too common and can be (mostly) alleviated by having knowledgeable and loving care during the postpartum period.
Acknowledgements
I acknowledge that many traditional teachings and practices on postpartum care and natural medicine originate from Indigenous cultures around the world.
I acknowledge that I am a settler on the land of the Pocumtuc and Nipmuc peoples.
I honor the wisdom of the indigenous peoples and their ancestors.
