MEET LAUREN
MEET LAUREN
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Lauren Thompson, MHS, CLC, PMH-C
Lauren Thompson, MHS, CLC, PMH-C
Postpartum Doula, Certified Lactation Counselor, Certified Perinatal Mental Health Specialist
Lauren is a postpartum doula and lactation counselor who holds a master's degree from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. There, she researched perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, lactation, and community-based models of care. She co-founded a local nonprofit, Community After Birth, to close gaps in postpartum support in Maryland and raise doula funds for families unable to financially access that care.
Most important to her, she is mom to 3 wonderful kiddos. She came to this work after a frustrating and painful pregnancy and postpartum experience with her firstborn when she was a young parent. She struggled with several breastfeeding issues as well as bouts of postpartum depression, anxiety, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. She wishes she had known what a postpartum doula was then!
After birthing her first two children within an OB/GYN-led hospital system, she decided to have a Midwife-attended home birth with her third. Each birth and postpartum experience taught her something new, and she welcomes all families to her doula practice, regardless of their choice of medical care or arrival to parenting.
When she's not busy researching and working with families welcoming new babes, she loves being outside in nature, singing in the car with the windows down, crocheting, and reading.
🏳️🌈 🏳️⚧️ Humans and families of all types welcome here
Training & Certifications
Masters of Health Science,
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Certified Postpartum Doula,
Childbirth and Postpartum Professional Association
Basic Life Support,
American Heart Association
Certified Lactation Counselor,
The Academy of Lactation Policy & Practice
Perinatal Mental Health Certification,
Postpartum Support International
C L C S U P P O R T
C L C S U P P O R T
What is a Certified Lactation Counselor?
“The Certified Lactation Counselor® (CLC®) is a clinical, professional lactation care provider who has demonstrated the necessary skills, knowledge, and abilities to provide clinical breastfeeding support and management to families who are thinking about breastfeeding or who have questions or problems during the course of breastfeeding/lactation.
CLCs are individuals who have successfully completed a minimum of 95 hours of training based upon the footprint of the World Health Organization/UNICEF Breastfeeding Counseling Training Course and a Job Task Analysis; have passed a criterion-referenced examination administered by the Academy of Lactation Policy and Practice (ALPP); and have demonstrated the clinical competencies and skills required to provide safe, evidence-based counseling for pregnant, lactating, and breastfeeding families”
Latest Research & Media Features
February 2026
What you Need to Know About Breastfeeding and Parent Mental Health
Anxiety and Depression Association of America
by Lauren N. Thompson MHS, PMH-C, CLC
"Breastfeeding has important health benefits for babies and their parents. When it’s going well, breastfeeding can positively impact a parent’s mental health by lowering rates of postpartum depression, increasing confidence, and facilitating bonding between parent and baby. However, as many of us who have breastfed before know, it does not always go well.
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