Meet Raleigh Mom, Kathryn Dunn

Oct 21, 2019 | Meet A Mom

We’re thrilled to introduce you to the latest mom in our Meet-A-Mom feature, Kathryn Dunn. Kathryn is the owner of the Nurtured Nest, providing educational sessions and helpful resources to new families. Classes launch November 3 and include topics such as preparing the nest, feeding, and introducing baby to the family dog – to name a few. Be sure to sign up for your spot now!

Where are you from originally and how long have you lived in town?

Roanoke, Virginia is where I was born and raised. I moved to Raleigh in 2010 to be closer to my brother’s family, my nephew was one at the time. I soon met my husband and we moved to Holly Springs in 2016 after the birth of our first daughter. 

Children and Ages?

2 girls, 3 and 1

One thing people would be surprised to know about you…

I ride horses. I have ridden since I was a young child and I have been around horses at every phase of my life. Right now I am leasing a horse (Elton) and riding at Pepperwood Farm in Fuquay. Before I had my girls I competed in Eventing and I hope to get back to it in the near future.

Anyone special you’d like to thank for helping you through parenthood?

Of course! My awesome husband, who would do anything for me. My girls are very lucky to have such a hands-on Dad who adores them both. Marriage after children is hard but I’m glad that I’m doing life with him. We are also very lucky to have both sets of parents close by to help us with our girls. In addition I have several close friends that I have gone through pregnancy with. Not sure what I would do without a supportive group that can relate to all things kid, husband, house, career. I know I am lucky to have this support system  and even with them, becoming a parent was no walk in the park. 

Favorite things to do with your kids?

My youngest just turned one so we honestly don’t get out too terribly much (we often are trapped by nap schedules). We do love trips to Womble Park and playing at Waverly Place after dinner at Gonza.

Are you involved in a business venture, a local organization, a creative endeavor, or in the corporate world?

I recently founded the Nurtured Nest. I am an educator by trade, mama by grace, and connector of people by nature. After experiencing the ups (sweet babies! mama friends!) and downs (tongue tie, breastfeeding challenges, postpartum anxiety) of early motherhood, I felt a nudge to share the resources I’d collected along my journey. So I gathered a team of local experts, channeled my background and passion for education, and the Nurtured Nest was born.

The idea behind TNN isn’t that there aren’t great resources in the Triangle for all things pregnancy, baby, and child, it’s that they are all over the place and it take a lot of efforts from parents and caregivers to find the trusted source. Wouldn’t a network of trusted sources and folks walking the same walk be a nice add to our community? Wouldn’t it be great to refocus all the time I spend with Dr. Google and turn to area experts instead? TNN’s goal is to offer efficacious education in a choose your own adventure format. You can choose the topics that are important to you. And the education doesn’t have to be just for moms. It can be for all the folks involved in a child’s life — Dads, Moms, Grandparents, Nannies…

The more I shared my vision I realized the deficit in the Triangle of a trusted source of education and guidance for parents and caregivers; a place you can seek guidance when expecting your first and a place to turn to when the teen years approach. The Nurtured Nest began where it all begins–with pregnancy through toddlerhood as our focus. With time, we will add classes to support parents and caregivers in all phases of nurturing their nest, all the way through the teen years.

What does this community mean to you/How has this community been instrumental in getting you to where you are now?

When we first moved to Holly Springs, I felt a bit disconnected. I had lived much closer to downtown Raleigh before and I also had a 6 month old who I stayed home with. It was winter, I was isolated, and I was missing my normal. Since then I have come to know Holly Springs as the small town that it is. We are more established in our neighborhood and have met so many other families with children close in age. We have become involved at Woodhaven Preschool and met lots of other young families there. Realizing folks just like us were all around and along with the new growth in our town has really made me realize how lucky we are to be in this community. We love it so much that we have convinced my cousin and his young family to move a street over from us. They close in late October. 🙂