Laura Pascoe - Doula, Childbirth Educator, and Couples Support Specialist

03/10/2026

Sharing this for folks in or near New London, NH area! A new Fourth Trimester Group for parents in the first year after birth. Do you have other local (Upper Valley of VT/NH) groups you love? Share them in the comments!

03/05/2026

Your voice is needed! Jennie Marchant, a wonderful labor + delivery nurse at DHMC who is now training to become a nurse midwife (score for all of us!) is doing a community survey to better understand the perspectives of parents in the Upper Valley regarding maternity healthcare access and options in our area. Please take a few moments to share your input!

My name is Jennie Marchant and I've been a labor & delivery nurse in the Upper Valley for the past decade, and I've given birth to my three babies in this community. I'm currently enrolled at Frontier Nursing University to complete my Master's Degree and become a CNM (certified nurse-midwife), hopin...

03/02/2026

I’ve been quiet here because I’m busy doing the work I love — supporting birth clients, providing trainings in Vermont schools on gender inclusivity and boys’ mental health, and I’m set to start another Evidence Based Birth childbirth education series this week ! (Plus my kids have been on February break, and it’s been a blast (mostly 😬) spending more time with them.)

And behind the scenes, I’m still learning. Always curious, always looking to expand my toolkit.

I’m always asking: What do the families I support need most? 💞

So:

I’m now officially a Certified Parental Leave Coach through the Center for Parental Leave Leadership (!!)

And I’ve begun an apprenticeship with the world-renowned Pam England on Birth Story Medicine.

Grateful for these opportunities, and excited to additional ways to support those in Vermont, New Hampshire, and beyond! 💗💗

If you’re interested in learning more about what parental leave coaching looks like or how it might support you, DM me! And if you have a birth story you might want to share and process, please DM or email me! I’ll be taking practice clients in the coming months 💗

02/14/2026

We’re not big Valentine’s Day people…I have some complicated feelings about this day, but this year, with our kids being very excited about it, I’m leaning in to the parts of it that feeling meaningful to me:

- practicing love everyday, and using today as a reminder to savor that.

- hearing “I love you” from my kids - one of the most beautiful sounds ever

- having the time and space to actually have a real conversation with my husband John (we’re talking full sentences people!!!) thanks to my dad taking the kids for the night.

- the love of friendship. Shout out to my best friend who shares complicated feelings about Valentine’s Day and it was yet another thing we bonded over and I just LOVE her and her family.

- to the love and support I get to see shared with the couples I work with.

And it’s the foundation of everything we build — in birth, in partnership, in families, in community. And a reminder, in this moment of so much hate and violence and fear, that love is stronger than hate — and that’s a lesson we can teach—and SHOW—our kids.

💗💗💗

02/10/2026

Have you or someone you know experienced pregnancy or infant loss? Having a community to connect with can make all the difference -- there are more friends in this club than you might think. In April there is an 8-week Upper Valley E-Motion Movement Community being launched in partnership with Empty Arms VT to support individuals and families in the Upper Valley who have experienced pregnancy or infant loss (within the first year of infancy).

No one should grieve alone. This is peer-led care. People who get it because we’ve lived it. Join the Woodstock/Upper Valley Movement Community.

02/03/2026

One of the many things I love about being a doula is connecting with people from so many walks of life.

This book was written by a past client and dear friend— — and I truly cannot recommend it highly enough!! 👏

The fact that she wrote it while caring for a tiny baby makes it even more kickass. 💪💪

Before I Forget is thoughtful, funny, compelling, and just so well written. As someone who took on the caretaking role for a dying parent, it especially hit home for me. It had me both laughing out loud and crying! 💞

If you’re looking for a great read, this is it. Go get this book. 📚

01/28/2026

For those feeling the weight of the question “Why am I having a child in the midst of all the darkness and chaos?” I see you.

I see you in your low moments, your moments of doubt and fear; i see your love and hope in the other.

Parenting is a deeply transformative and I would argue political act — because loving fiercely, and doing our own work to be the best, most loving version of ourselves in the midst of such heaviness is an act of resistance.

And it gives us, if we let it, endless motivation to do what we can to make this world a better place.

But for now, dear ones — know you are not alone, and all the feelings you have are valid, simply because they are ❤️

01/23/2026

What a postpartum visit can look like 🤍

I may be quieter on here for the moment, but I’m busy as ever doing what I love.

Today’s postpartum visit with a lovely client included:

• a gentle massage

• talking through sleep questions and the transition of her partner going back to work

• problem-solving around a few things coming up in the next weeks

• changing baby, playing with him for a bit, and then taking him out for a walk in the wrap (this walk!) so she could have quiet time alone, in her own home, to do some yoga. YUM.

When I came back, she looked at me and said: “I didn’t realize how much I needed that.”

We finished by tag-teaming baby’s bath, then I made sure she was set up with water and a snack before settling in for another feed.

Postpartum care isn’t about doing one big thing.
And it shouldn’t be a luxury.
But it should feel supportive, grounding, and like you’re not in it alone.

If you’re looking for birth or postpartum support—for yourself or someone you love—my DMs are open 🤍

12/21/2025

Final Week of Our Yuletide Tradition: Joy + Light ✨

I have learned that JOY isn’t about constant happiness or pretending things are easy.

It’s about learning what sustainable joy feels like—and building—as weird as it may sound—the tolerance to let it exist without bracing for loss.

And light?
Light is only brilliant because there is darkness.

This feels especially true in pregnancy, birth, and early parenthood—seasons where joy often lives right alongside uncertainty, fear, anxiety, hyper vigilance, or grief.

One finding I can’t stop thinking about: some of the most joyful societies aren’t the wealthiest. Research on wealth-adjusted life satisfaction shows that joy tracks less with control or money, and more with meaning, connection, agency, and everyday moments of enjoyment.

That mirrors what matters most in birth and parenting too.

Joy isn’t naïve, nor is it ever the whole story.
Light isn’t denial (but it can be if we aren’t careful)
They’re practices.

I’m taking a short social media break to spend more quality, uninterrupted time with my family and will be back in January.

If you’re pregnant or preparing for parenthood and want support rooted in evidence, agency, and partnership, check out my website (link in bio) for ways I can support you.

What helps you notice joy right now? ✨

12/16/2025

Week 3 of our Yuletide Tradition: Curiosity + Magic 🪄

Sharing this tradition to show the magic of love-centered rituals—and that you don’t need church (or mosque or synagogue… though rock it if that’s your jam) to instill and live out your values.

This week we also lost John’s Great Uncle Vernon—105 years, sharp to the end, and deeply loved.

After talking about curiosity and magic, the kids asked if we could go outside, look at the lights, and sing Silent Night to honor him.
So we did ❤️

Also had an awesome magic show from our dear friend and one of the kid’s godparents () -they’ve been practicing ever since 😬. So special to have Tara join the fun and bring such joy, even from so far away 💫

If you’re pregnant and wanting support putting your values into action as you prepare for birth and parenting, DM me.

What makes this season magic for you? Comment below! ⬇️

12/15/2025

What does a gender-inclusive early learning environment look like, feel like? Find out here!

Please share and distribute widely to any early childhood educators looking for an engaging and interactive workshop on making a space that welcomes all children as their whole selves. So excited to have this opportunity through VTHEC (and another training for educators of grades 3-12 coming soon too!)

This workshop equips educators of young students with practical tools and strategies to challenge limiting gender norms, support gender diversity, and create classrooms where equity and inclusivity are the liberating default.

12/11/2025

I love when my kids jump in to help without being asked. It’s not always, but this time Dex knew that once the driveway was shoveled, we could go sledding 🛷❄️

In other words: he knew his “why”, and that was enough to power him through.

A lot of the families I work with have a goal of an unmedicated birth. And for some, the “why” behind that goal hasn’t been fully explored yet — and every person’s why is different. Humans are beautifully diverse, and that’s one of the things I love most about them!

In our sessions, we spend time getting clear on your reasons and values. Not to judge them, but to make sure they’re grounded in self-compassion — and to help you stay steady when birth gets intense or takes an unexpected turn. Knowing your why makes motivation easier, and pivoting easier too.

If you’re pregnant and looking for birth prep that supports your mind, body, and whole self, feel free to DM me — I’d love to help you get ready in a way that actually feels like you.

What’s a “why” that’s guiding you right now?