Meet Ellen Roeser

Founder of the NSN Initiative Certification

A woman holding a baby on her lap.

Ellen's extensive experience as a mother, grandmother, and professional in the field of newborn and family care led her to recognize a significant gap in the availability of trusted, fully vetted care providers. This realization inspired her to establish North Star Newborns, a company synonymous with excellence in the industry. Building on this success, Ellen has launched the NSN Initiative Certification, a comprehensive certification program for postpartum doulas and newborn care specialists. This initiative aims to elevate the standards of care by providing a reliable benchmark for quality, ensuring that care providers are highly skilled and families can trust in their expertise. By creating this certification, Ellen is enhancing the professional development of caregivers and offering families peace of mind in choosing the best care for their newborns.

Our Vision

Since North Star Newborns' launch in 2016, the demand for certified PPD and NCS professionals has increased, driven by companies offering postpartum benefits with required valid certification and the increase in families searching for a postpartum doula or newborn care specialist. We have identified a critical gap in the Newborn Care Specialist and Postpartum Doula industry: the need for a comprehensive, reliable, and affordable certification process. Leveraging our extensive experience in postpartum and newborn care, we are committed to establishing a high standard for our certification that ensures caregivers are well-equipped and thoroughly vetted to provide exceptional support for families during this crucial time. Our approach aims to combine accessibility with quality, empowering caregivers with the skills and credentials they need to excel in their roles as well as a resource for families to find trustworthy, high-quality care. Look for the NSN Star!

Key Features of Our Certification Process

Freedom of Choice

  • The PPD and NCS Certification allows freedom of choice in education/experience for those seeking to become certified as a PPD, and NCS, or both.

Inclusive Certification

  • Allows experienced postpartum doulas and newborn care specialists to become certified without barriers creating a more diverse PPD and NCS workforce.

Thoroughness

  • Meets and exceeds the certification requirements of benefit companies that provide corporate benefits to their employees.

Expansive Candidate Pool that is Easily Recognized by Families

  • Families searching for care are not constrained by a limited pool of candidates, ensuring they find the right fit for their unique needs.

Required CPR Certification

  • Our certification process emphasizes and values CPR certification, prioritizing the safety and well-being of infants.

Improved Outcomes

  • Opens the door and encourages more people to choose to become a postpartum doula or a newborn care specialist, which leads to better outcomes for families that utilize this care.