What We Do
The Gentle Fourth provides professional, RN-led in-home postpartum and newborn support designed to help you rest, recover, and feel confident in the early weeks with your baby.
Our Services
Every service is tailored to your family’s unique needs and delivered with the calm, experienced presence of a registered nurse.
Daytime
Postpartum Support
Hands-on guidance in your home to support maternal recovery, newborn care, emotional adjustment, and building confidence as new parents.
Overnight
Newborn Care
Rest while your baby receives attentive, professional support through the night. We handle feeds, soothing, and monitoring so you can truly sleep.
Feeding
Guidance
Evidence-based support for breastfeeding, bottle feeding, or combination feeding — with practical help and steady reassurance.
Maternal Recovery Support
Compassionate care for physical healing, C-section recovery, emotional well-being, and the transition from hospital to home.
Gentle Sleep Shaping
Age-appropriate sleep foundations that support healthy rhythms without pressure or rigid training methods.
New Parent Education
Gentle, confidence-building guidance for new parents as they learn to care for their baby. The Gentle Fourth provides hands-on education in feeding, bathing, soothing, safe sleep, diapering, and understanding newborn cues—helping families feel calm, capable, and supported as they settle into life with their new baby
Dedicated Breastfeeding Education & Counseling
As a Certified Breastfeeding Counselor, I offer breastfeeding education and counseling as a dedicated service — available to any family, whether or not you’re enrolled in a postpartum or newborn care journey with The Gentle Fourth. Wherever you are in your feeding experience, you don’t have to figure it out alone.
Support includes:
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Prenatal Breastfeeding Education — preparing you for a confident start before baby arrives
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Postpartum Breastfeeding Counseling — one-on-one support for latch, milk supply, engorgement, and early feeding challenges
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Pumping & Milk Storage Guidance — building a pumping routine, understanding output, and safe storage practices
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Combination Feeding Support — navigating breast and bottle feeding together without guilt or confusion
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Return-to-Work Feeding Planning — creating a realistic plan that fits your schedule and your goals
*All breastfeeding services are provided in the comfort of your home
Why Choose RN-Led Postpartum Support?
Not all postpartum care carries the same level of training.
The Gentle Fourth is led by a Registered Nurse with 28 years of experience in Labor & Delivery and Pediatrics, bringing hospital-level knowledge into the comfort of your home. During the fourth trimester — when recovery is tender and newborns are adjusting to life outside the womb — credentials matter.
This is not babysitting.
This is clinically informed, evidence-based postpartum and newborn care.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Credentials Behind Your Care
Shawna holds advanced clinical certifications including: • NRP (Neonatal Resuscitation Program) • ACLS (Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support) • BLS (Basic Life Support) • Formal Lactation Training These certifications reflect preparation for real-life maternal and newborn scenarios — not just routine care, but readiness if something unexpected arises.
What RN-Led Care Provides That Others Cannot
Clinical Judgment
Years in Labor & Delivery and Pediatrics mean subtle changes in maternal recovery or newborn behavior are recognized early — often before they become larger concerns. If you’ve been searching for a postpartum doula in Harrisburg, you may simply be looking for calm, trusted support during the fourth trimester. The Gentle Fourth provides that gentle, in-home care — guided by nearly three decades of nursing experience in maternal and newborn health.
Feeding Support Backed by Training
Lactation education combined with pediatric nursing experience provides practical, evidence-based feeding guidance without pressure or conflicting advice.
Calm in Critical Moments
NRP and advanced life support certifications mean you are supported by someone trained to respond — not react — in high-stakes situations.
Professional Accountability
Registered Nurses operate under licensure, ethical standards, and continuing education requirements. That level of accountability offers a depth of safety families can feel.
The fourth trimester is tender and transformative. You deserve support that feels both steady and gentle — care rooted in experience, guided by training, and delivered with calm reassurance.
Who This Support is For
The Gentle Fourth is for families who want to feel steady, supported, and confident in the early weeks with their baby. This care may be especially meaningful for:
- First-time parents navigating the unknowns of the fourth trimester
- Families bringing home a NICU graduate who desire experienced, watchful support
- Mothers recovering from a C-section or complex birth
- Parents welcoming twins or multiples
- Those experiencing heightened anxiety or fear around newborn care
- Families without nearby relatives or consistent support
- Professionals who need real rest before returning to work
- Anyone who wants RN-level reassurance in their home
You Don’t Have to Do This Alone
The early weeks with your baby can feel beautiful and overwhelming all at once. Questions surface. Sleep is limited. Recovery takes time.
Support during this season is not a luxury — it is care.
If you are longing for steady guidance, experienced hands, and a calm presence in your home, The Gentle Fourth is here. With nearly three decades of nursing experience and advanced certifications in maternal and newborn care, you can rest knowing you and your baby are supported with both warmth and expertise.
You deserve to feel confident.
You deserve to feel rested.
You deserve to feel cared for.