I was fortunate to grow up with parents who were very positive about birth. As a child, my earliest recollections of birthing women came from experiences I shared with my mom -- tagging along with her as she assisted women in the days following their births. There was a lot of mother-to-mother support in the community. I was struck by how peaceful they looked and how connected they were to their newborns. Those experiences in my young life have stayed with me, and they set me on the path for a well rounded childbirth education class, and a birth team that would empower me through my pregnancies and births.
Certified through CAPPA, I have been a childbirth educator since 1981. I also enjoyed being a doula for 14 years -- a wonderful time of learning just how unique each labor really is. In teaching for 40 years, over 6,000 couples have taken this series. The passion for educating couples about the amazing process of childbirth has never dimmed!
Personally, my own 4 birth experiences were amazing. Of course they required hard work, but I felt supported, nurtured, and empowered. What made all the difference was surrounding myself with the right support team, and learning to surrender to the powerful process of labor.
My firstborn is now a married man with two children of his own. It was truly a gift to watch these precious little ones come into the world, watching their parents work together, not in a dynamic of fear and resistance, but in a dynamic of trust -- working with baby and with her body to bring about their children's births. In December '12, my daughter birthed twin girls! I watched with pride as she patiently worked with these sweet little girls to help them learn to breastfeed... sometimes tandemly. What a journey it has been for both her and her husband!
Check out my Refresher page as I do teach a one-time class that helps couples review and get ready for their second or third birth. Some of my previous teaching opportunities have been -- providing prenatal nutrition classes for a birth center; giving presentations to various support groups and colleges in the area.
To learn more about CAPPA's philosophy click here