Second Nature Childbirth and Lactation

I facilitate in the process of developing a comfortable and healthy breastfeeding relationship. I also work with those who choose not to feed at the chest. I named my practice  Second Nature  because clients reach out when something just doesn't feel right. It is my goal, that through compassion and education, parents are able to become comfortable with the process as if it's second nature.   

I have worked with over 3,500 Families in both private practice and at the lactation clinic I founded at Cary Pediatrics. My holistic approach is based on the most up to date evidence based information,  and in the belief that empowerment comes through education and compassionate care.  I am a  Lamaze Childbirth Educator and International Board Certified Lactation Consultant.

Karissa in the News

• WRAL Coverage of Virtual Consults
• Podcast with Dr. Hope Seidel 
• COVID-19 Coverage, WRAL Contributor
• Go Ask Mom Spotlight 

I believe that each person has the right to choose where and how they healthfully birth and nourish their baby, and that these choices should be respected and supported. I am proud to serve all Families. My practice is steeped in compassion, and founded on evidence based information. This  means that I collaborate with my clients on their care plans after a comprehensive assessment. I build confidence with hands on learning techniques, and fortify information with research. I meet parents where they are in their journey- and every journey is unique- so I follow their lead in how a consult will be structured. No two consults or classes are ever the same! 

I love what I do. With the help of my family, I have built my career around supporting Women. I owned The Diapering Doula, a cloth diaper shop that offered a variety of programs and services to Triangle Families. The space I built was home to  community outreach programs including: La Leche League, International Cesarean Awareness Network, Postpartum Depression Support Groups, New Moms Networking, VBAC and Homebirth Education Panels, and more. In July of 2013, I forwarded my business to Community Workforce Solutions, a local non profit, so that I could focus on my work in the Perinatal Period as well as spend more time with my first born Nursling. 

As we began to grow our own family, my drive for supporting Mothers and Partners grew stronger. I became a Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educator. I chose Lamaze because I feel that one can more effectively advocate for one's self when empowered with evidence based information. My classes have always been as educational as they are entertaining! 

Breastfeeding and Lactation support is my passion. I founded a lactation clinic at Cary Pediatrics where I continue to offer education and consultation. My private practice, Second Nature Lactation, allows me to visit Families in their homes throughout the Triangle, as well as in my Apex office and through Telehealth. This is a very rewarding aspect of private practice. Being a Lactation Consultant is special because I am given the honor of working with people at their most vulnerable. I take this very seriously, and do everything in my power to provide compassion and clarity in the midst of what is sometimes chaos. 

I have lived throughout the country as well as Canada and Hungary. I received my BA in Sociology and Anthropology from McGill University in Montreal, Quebec.  I love to travel.  My husband and I have two children, and after living in so many places we revel in putting down roots here in Wake County were we have lived since 2007.