About Dover Doula & Our Postpartum Doula Team
Led by founder Darcy Sauers, our team has supported hundreds of Seacoast families since 2010.
Since 2010, Dover Doula has been caring for families across the New Hampshire and Maine Seacoast through one of life's biggest transitions: bringing a new baby home.
What began as one doula's mission to make sure no parent faces those early weeks feeling overwhelmed and alone has grown into a team of certified, experienced postpartum doulas serving families from Dover and Portsmouth to York and Kittery.
We believe the weeks after a baby arrives, often called the fourth trimester, deserve just as much care and attention as the pregnancy that came before. That's why we come to your home with physical, emotional, and evidence-based support shaped entirely around your family. No single parenting style, no judgment, just steady, compassionate help so you can rest, recover, and fall in love with your new baby.
For hundreds of Seacoast families since 2010, that support has made all the difference. We'd be honored to do the same for yours.
Meet Darcy Sauers, Founder
PCD(DONA), CLC
Darcy Sauers is a postpartum doula certified by DONA International, a Certified Lactation Counselor, and the founder of Dover Doula. Since 2010, she has helped hundreds of Seacoast families through the tender first weeks of new parenthood. She's also a certified Prenatal Yoga and Yoga Birth Method instructor, and she lives in Dover with her three grown children.
Her passion is the twelve weeks after a baby's birth, an amazing and transformational time in the life of the baby, the parents, and the whole family. As your postpartum doula, Darcy is there to support you through it.
Read more of Darcy's story here →
My path to becoming a postpartum doula began the moment the nurses handed me my first baby and said, "OK, time to go home now!" I felt a wave of panic rush through me. I thought, "But I have no idea what I'm doing! And don't you realize how special this baby is?"
Now, after three babies of my own and the training and certification to become a postpartum doula and lactation counselor, I'm committed to helping other new parents through the first twelve postpartum weeks. My job is to take the stress and worry out of becoming a new parent so that you can rest, relax, and focus on loving and bonding with your new and amazing baby.
Since 2010, I've helped hundreds of families in the Seacoast area, and I'd love to help yours too. I'm also proud to have built a team of certified, experienced, and compassionate postpartum doulas, so there's always the right support for your family.
Warmly,
Darcy
Meet Erika Gagnon,
RN, IBCLC, PCD(DONA)
Erika is a registered nurse and International Board Certified Lactation Consultant trained by DONA International. She spent two years on labor and delivery at The Elliot in Manchester, followed by nine years at Dover's Garrison Women's Health Center, before being drawn to supporting families in a non-medical way. A mom of four, she knows firsthand how beautiful and challenging the fourth trimester can be.
Click here to read more of Erika's story →
I was a bit blindsided by my own insecurity as a new mom. I thought I'd be a pro. That feeling opened my eyes to how important continued support is after a baby arrives. The fourth trimester can be beautiful, transformational, challenging, exhausting, scary, and empowering, often all at once. A focus of mine is recognizing those hard moments and helping families through them with up-to-date information and compassionate care. And sleep, because who doesn't want more sleep?
I'm a mom of four and live in Rollinsford with my husband, four children, and a small menagerie of cats, chickens, and pigs. When I'm not shuttling kids between school and activities, I love knitting, sewing, cooking, baking, and antiquing. I've become a new mom four times over, and I can tell you there's beauty in each phase, even if you have to squint to see it.
Ashley Hartman, PCD(DONA)
Ashley is a postpartum doula trained by DONA International, with a psychology degree focused on child development and training in perinatal mental health. She offers calm, nonjudgmental care that centers you, guided by her mantra: assess, don't obsess.
Click here to read more of Ashley's story →
I had my three children in three different states, always far from family, so I know firsthand how critical the postpartum period is. I strive to be a steady, nonjudgmental guide who holds space for your questions, your feelings, and your needs. You've got this, and I've got you.
Niki S.
Niki is a certified birth and postpartum doula and childbirth educator who believes every family deserves respectful, trauma-informed, evidence-based care. After years as a nanny, she felt called to support families through the perinatal period.
Click here to read more of Niki's story →
Pregnancy, birth, and postpartum are some of the most vulnerable and expansive times in a person's life, and I feel honored to support each family I work with. When I'm not working, you'll find me with my rescue dog, skiing with my husband, or on the trapeze and split silks.
Jillian Hollis, CLC, CPD, NCS
Jillian is a Certified Postpartum Doula, Certified Lactation Counselor, and Newborn Care Specialist who has supported families for nearly two decades. She's also trained as an Infant Sleep Coach, a Miscarriage & Infant Loss Doula, and a Mindful Birth educator.
Click here to read more of Jillian's story →
My passion is the tender early weeks when families grow, bond, and settle into new rhythms. I meet every family with warmth, clarity, and nonjudgmental support through feeding, sleep, and those first big adjustments.
Cara Hoell, PCD(DONA), NCS
Cara provides overnight and postpartum care and loves working with newborns and families, including twins and triplets. She brings an open, nonjudgmental ear and heart to every family.
Click here to read more of Cara's story →
I know bringing a newborn home can feel overwhelming, and I'm there to help ease that transition. I live in Portsmouth with my wife, teenage son, and dog, and I love reading, dancing, and games with friends and family.
Emily M.
Emily has been a Certified Postpartum Doula for ten years and holds degrees in Health Services Management and Child Development. Helping mothers and fathers through this crucial time is an honor for her.
Click here to read more of Emily's story →
I became a doula after a moms group led by one supported me with my first daughter, and I've loved every minute since. When I'm not working, I play softball, ski, and cheer my kids on at soccer and horseback riding.
Kourtney V., M.Ed.
Kourtney brings a Master's in Counseling and years as a nationally registered paramedic, CPR instructor, and child passenger safety technician. She offers a strong clinical foundation and a calm, capable presence in your home.
Click here to read more of Kourtney's story →
A mom of two myself, I'm personally navigating baby-wearing, sleep regressions, and feeding challenges, and that lived experience shapes the grounded care I bring to every family.
Tegan Goodridge, PCD(DONA)
Tegan is a postpartum doula, Integrative Nutrition Health Coach, and mother of four grown children. Her role is to help Mom adjust in body, mind, and spirit during the first three months after birth.
Click here to read more of Tegan's story →
I've cared for children my whole life, from babysitting to running an in-home daycare to a kindergarten classroom. In other words, I've been a doula far longer than I've been certified, and I look forward to continuing that work with you.
Morgan Chase
Morgan is a Full Spectrum Doula based in Rochester, NH, with a particular passion for supporting families facing postpartum mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs), having experienced them herself. She helps every parent recognize the signs, so no one navigates that season alone.
Jaynie Fruh, PCD(DONA), CPSM
Jaynie is a certified postpartum doula and CPSM-certified sleep consultant. As a mama of four littles herself, she knows motherhood is beautiful, and that it can also be exhausting in those first few months.
Day or night, we're here for you
Whether you need a steady hand during the day or full support through the night, we'll build care around your family's needs. Explore the option that fits you best.