Babylist Health Advisory Board

Dr. Seran Kim

Dr. Seran Kim is a board-certified Emergency Physician, with a BA in Integrative Biology from University of California, at Berkeley, an MS in Biological Sciences from Stanford University and an MD from Chicago Medical School. She did her residency at University of Southern California/Los Angeles County Hospital, Department of Emergency Medicine, from 2007-2010. Dr. Kim is one of the doctors who helped develop the Babylist First Aid Kit.

Dr. Kim is also a cancer survivor and mom to three rambunctious boys. When not working, she can be found hiking, reading or embarrassing her kids with her hip-hop dancing. She has a weakness for milk chocolate and succulent plants that don’t need regular watering. She cannot live without GooGone and her power drill. She is adamant about helmets and seatbelts—and coffee. She believes the key to parenting survival is surrounding yourself with other families and raising kids as a village.

Krupa Playforth, M.D.

Krupa Playforth, M.D., is a board-certified pediatrician and mother based in Northern Virginia. She has special interests in healthcare education for parents and in infant/child nutrition.

After learning from personal experience that real parenting is more chaotic, more confusing and far more nuanced than one might think, Dr. Playforth created ThePediatricianMom, a truly helpful resource where she discusses the most common questions pediatricians receive from parents, among other things. In today's connected, Internet-dependent world, it’s easy to become overwhelmed by information overload. The goal of ThePediatricianMom is to help you find some peace, answers and hopefully confidence to trust your parenting style.

For regular gems of parenting wisdom—and much more—follow @thepediatricianmom on Instagram.

Jessica Kaffer, Psy.D

Jessica Kaffer, Psy.D., is a licensed clinical psychologist and a certified perinatal mental health specialist based in the Phoenix area. She has more than 12 years of experience in conducting psychological evaluations and providing psychotherapeutic interventions. Her initial training and focus included treating survivors of trauma and supporting individuals with general mental health issues. Dr. Kaffer has also enjoyed supervising doctoral students and has taught multiple graduate level courses.

After becoming a mother and personally experiencing the lack of resources available for expecting mothers and those in postpartum, Dr. Kaffer shifted her clinical focus and fully immersed herself in treating and advocating for women in every stage of motherhood. She provides virtual psychotherapy sessions in multiple states, as well as in-office visits for local Arizona residents. It is her hope that through education and appropriate treatment, a community of happy and well-supported mothers will be born!

Learn more about Dr. Kaffer on her website, DocMomPsyD.com, or follow her on Instagram @DocMomPsyD.

Anna King, L.C.S.W.

Anna King, L.C.S.W., PMH-C (she/her), is a licensed clinical social worker and certified perinatal mental health specialist who uses an integrative, trauma-informed approach in her work grounded in reproductive and transformative justice.

She is currently a part-time psychotherapist with ARC Counseling and Wellness and a third-year Ph.D. student in the integral and transpersonal psychology program at the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS). Her research interests include spiritual activism, the highly sensitive person (HSP) trait, birth and postpartum tradition and the transition to parenthood as a rite of passage.

Anna also serves as Clinical Training Specialist with Maternal Mental Health NOW, where she curates training events and curriculum and facilitates live and online training to educate providers on perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs).

Prior to joining the MMH-NOW team, Anna served as a full-time social worker in the emergency department and eventually found her home when she transitioned to serving in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and birth center of Emanate Health. She developed a passion for supporting the unique needs of parents in their transition through pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum. Throughout her experiences, Anna has realized the significant barriers to care for birthing people, especially for Black, indigenous and people of color (BIPOC) and queer, trans, and gender diverse individuals. Her work centers on the liberation of marginalized groups in reproductive spaces.

Most importantly, Anna is a mother to a mirthful and inquisitive four-year-old who teaches her more about the gift of presence with each day.

Rachel Nicks, C.P.T.

Rachel Nicks, C.P.T., is a certified personal trainer and founding MIRROR instructor with a specialty in pre- and post-natal fitness. Her passion for movement began at age two, when she started gymnastics, and continued to grow through her teens and into adulthood.

After graduating from The Juilliard School with a BFA in drama, Rachel began a dedicated Hatha yoga practice. Her curiosity about the philosophy led her to take a 500-hour Hatha yoga training. When she began teaching, it unlocked Pandora’s box!

Rachel continued to train in a variety of disciplines to meet the needs of all of her students. Craving more education to support her pregnant and postpartum students, she not only became certified in pre- and post-natal fitness, but also became a certified doula and lactation counselor.

In 2021, Rachel founded Birth Queen, a resource that provides Black women and birthing people with education and support and trains and implements Black birth workers into the field to help tackle the Black maternal health crisis. Learn more by following @birthqueen on Instagram.

Rachel was born and raised in Oakland, California, and now resides in Harlem, New York, with her husband and two beautiful sons.

Marcy Crouch, D.P.T.

Marcy Crouch, D.P.T., received her doctorate in physical therapy from the University of Southern California in 2010. She then completed a women’s health residency program in Dallas, Texas, and obtained her WCS, which identifies her as a board-certified clinical specialist in women’s health physical therapy.

Dr. Crouch has taught pregnancy and sexual health courses in her community, continuing education courses for PTs nationally and internationally, as well as courses at the university level. She has worked in private practice and hospital outpatient clinics in Texas, California and Oregon, and is now based in Alabama. No matter her location, Dr. Crouch remains dedicated to having candid and powerful conversations about women’s health and how we need to do better.

After owning a successful clinic for more than a decade, Dr. Crouch decided to create programs designed for mothers and birthing persons everywhere. She is the founder of The DT Method™, an online program that is the new standard for birth prep and recovery. She is changing the way people are preparing for their births and elevating postpartum care for all.

Dr. Crouch is the mother to two amazing boys and has firsthand experience of pregnancy, birth and the postpartum period. She loves a good glass of wine, horses and belly laughs, and drives a minivan shamelessly.

Connect with Dr. Crouch on Instagram @thedowntheredoc and subscribe to her YouTube channel to learn more than you want to know about vaginas, motherhood and everything in between.

Lauren Manaker, R.D.N.

Lauren Manaker, R.D.N., is an award-winning registered dietitian, certified lactation educator-counselor and book author. With a special focus on fertility, pregnancy and postnatal nutrition, she aims to support people wherever they are on their journey with practical, evidence-based tips.

Lauren has held leadership roles with the Women’s Health Dietetic Practice Group of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and has been featured in many media outlets, including US News and World Report, Scary Mommy, Women's Health, CNN and many more. Most recently, she authored her latest cookbook, The First Time Mom's Pregnancy Cookbook.

As a consultant for healthy food and supplement brands, Lauren has helped create prenatal supplements and many products that support the lactation journey

When she’s not working, Lauren is likely on the water, enjoying all that her home state of South Carolina has to offer with her young daughter, husband and rescue pup.

Follow Lauren on Instagram @laurenlovesnutrition for truly helpful advice on healthy eating before, during and after pregnancy.

Laura Scott, M.D.

Laura Scott, M.D., is a board-certified dermatologist who specializes in adult and pediatric dermatology, with a very special interest in taking care of babies and moms.

Dr. Scott serves as the associate director of the Skin of Color Division at the University of Miami and treats both medical dermatologic and cosmetic skin concerns. She has served as an expert dermatologist consultant for national and international brands and has been a featured expert in various print magazines and digital media outlets.

Dr. Scott graduated from Harvard Medical School, where she not only discovered her passion for dermatology, but also became a mom and launched her website laurascottandco.com.

When she’s not taking care of patients or consulting, you can find Dr. Scott soaking up time with her husband and four daughters. Follow Dr. Scott on Instagram @laurascottandco for skincare tips, products recs and much more.

Nathan Fox, M.D.

Nathan Fox, M.D., is a board-certified OB-GYN with a specialty in maternal fetal medicine (aka high-risk pregnancies). He completed medical school and residency at Mount Sinai School of Medicine and his fellowship at Weill Cornell Medical College, both located in New York City.

Dr. Fox is actively engaged in patient care and clinical research and is currently a professor of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive science at Mount Sinai and a managing partner at Maternal Fetal Medicine Associates and Carnegie Imaging for Women in New York City. Dr. Fox is also the creator and host of the Healthful Woman podcast and the High Risk Birth Stories podcast, each of which drops new, free episodes weekly.

When not practicing medicine, you can find Dr. Fox running, swimming, practicing hot vinyasa yoga, walking his dogs or embarrassing his wife and four children.

Christine Sterling, M.D.

Christine Sterling, M.D., is a board-certified OB-GYN and founder of Sterling Parents, a membership that provides the heartfelt support, expert advice and timeless wisdom people deserve as they grow their families.

Dr. Sterling’s passion for supporting parents was born along with her daughter, when she discovered firsthand how little support western medicine offers to those moving through the life-altering transition into parenthood. She put her medical and neuroscience degrees, life-long meditation practice, and discussions with hundreds of parents and parenting experts to work in creating her signature Body, Mind and Heart model of care.

Dr. Sterling obtained her bachelor’s degree in neuroscience from the University of Southern California, graduating summa cum laude. She then continued at USC for her medical degree and residency training. In 2019, she made the difficult but necessary decision to leave her medical practice to focus on creating Sterling Parents.

She spends her days making helpful, relatable Reels for her Instagram audience, chatting with members of Sterling Parents over Zoom and chasing after her vivacious kiddos as they attempt to injure themselves. To learn more about Dr. Sterling and her unique approach to supporting parents, follow her on Instagram @drsterlingobgyn.