Today we’d like to introduce you to Erica Paulson.
Hi Erica, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I’ve always been drawn to the quiet strength of women, especially during pregnancy and birth. What began nearly twenty years ago as a calling to support families as a doula has evolved into a lifelong mission to reimagine how we care for mothers. Through thousands of births, I’ve learned that wellness in childbirth requires more than clinical safety. It requires presence, compassion, and advocacy.
My own experiences as a mother showed me how easily women can feel unheard or rushed within traditional medical systems. Even the most skilled care can feel incomplete without emotional connection. I founded Nurture to bridge that gap, creating a place where medical science and holistic support meet, and where families are guided through pregnancy, birth, and postpartum with confidence and care.
At Nurture, we’ve built a community that includes doulas, hypnobirthing educators, massage therapists, yoga instructors, and ultrasound specialists, all working together under one roof. By blending evidence-based practices with emotional support, we help families feel seen, prepared, and empowered through every stage of their journey.
Collaboration is at the heart of what we do. I’ve partnered with hospitals and OB-GYNs to promote doula-friendly practices, showing how true partnership between medical providers and birth support professionals leads to better communication, stronger advocacy, and healthier outcomes.
To me, birth is where science and soul meet. Science provides the tools for safety; soul brings the compassion that transforms the experience. My hope is that the future of maternal care continues moving toward integration, where clinical expertise and emotional wellness exist side by side, creating care that honors both the body and the heart.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road, but it’s been an incredibly meaningful one. Building Nurture meant introducing a model of care that didn’t fully exist yet, so there were moments of uncertainty, financial hurdles, and the challenge of earning trust within a traditional healthcare system. Early on, not everyone understood the value of integrating holistic and medical care, but I believed in the vision and kept showing up for it. Over time, relationships and results spoke louder than words. Each obstacle along the way has taught me something new about patience, persistence, and staying grounded in purpose. I’ve learned that meaningful change rarely happens quickly, but it’s always worth pursuing.
As you know, we’re big fans of Nurture. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
I founded Nurture with a vision to redefine motherhood, not as a checklist of appointments and protocols, but as a deeply human journey full of transformation, support, and possibility. At Nurture, we bring together a broad spectrum of services, including elective 3D/4D ultrasounds and SneakPeek DNA gender testing, as well as massage therapy, prenatal yoga, hypnobirthing education, doula support, postpartum care, physical therapy, and community play groups, all in one integrated space.
One of the things that sets us apart is our “Birth With Ease” philosophy. It’s about helping families align mind, body, and environment so that birth and motherhood aren’t endured, but embraced. We use evidence-based techniques and supportive modalities to help clients feel calmer and more empowered.
Because every person’s path is unique, we offer both group and private hypnobirthing classes, doula training, and individual hypnotherapy sessions. We also support fertility journeys, prenatal care, and postpartum wellness as part of the continuum. We believe that emotional support, education, and community are as vital as clinical safety. We take care to create a welcoming and nurturing environment where clients feel safe asking questions, expressing their fears, and being seen as whole individuals, not just as patients.
Because many families also feel disconnected from care between hospital visits, we aim to bridge those gaps. At Nurture, clients don’t go it alone. They have consistent support, resources, and guidance through every stage, especially in those in-between moments.
Another core part of our mission is advocacy and integration. We work to partner with medical providers and hospitals, train staff in doula-friendly practices, and show how holistic care and clinical care can complement, not conflict with each other.
As Nurture grows, my hope is that this model becomes more accessible and normalized, so that every mother, even in highly clinical settings, can access both high-quality medical care and emotional, holistic support. That’s the future I’m building.
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
Over the next decade, I believe we’ll see maternal care move toward much greater integration between medical and holistic models. The demand for personalized, whole-person support is growing. Families are asking for care that honors both their physical health and emotional well-being. Hospitals are beginning to recognize the value of collaboration with doulas and perinatal specialists, and I think that trend will only continue to expand.
We’ll also see a stronger emphasis on preventive and mental health support in the perinatal space, including education around advocacy, stress management, and postpartum recovery. More providers are realizing that continuity of care, before, during, and after birth, has a profound impact on outcomes. I expect to see more partnerships between medical systems and community-based wellness centers like Nurture, working together to close those gaps.
Ultimately, the future of maternal health is collaborative. It’s not about choosing between science and holistic care. It’s about weaving them together to create a system that’s both compassionate and effective. My hope is that, within the next 5–10 years, models like ours will become the norm, not the exception.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.welcometonurture.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nurturecincy/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nurturecincy
