Independent Childbirth Educator, Lactation Support, Babywearing Instructor. I am an ICEA certified, independent childbirth educator. This means that no facility (hospital or other business) is paying me. I have the freedom to give you evidence-based information without censorship that sometimes occurs from institutions that may dictate what is (or is not) taught. My classes incorporate the 6 Healthy Birth Practices as recommended by the World Health Organization. Some of the topics to be covered in a childbirth class series are
* nutrition & preventing PIH (pregnancy induced hypertension) & gestational diabetes
* body mechanics & baby's position
* stages of labor
* positions for labor
* positions for pushing
* medications and birth interventions--pros and cons, including Bag O' Interventions "Show and Tell"
* If you choose an epidural, how to avoid a cesarean.
* mothers' rights
* what to expect at your place of birth locally
* informed consent or refusal; bait-and-switch
* birth plans
* support system for labor, birth, and postpartum
* relaxation and coping techniques for labor
* "real"/active labor vs. "false"/prelabor
* local resources for birth & postpartum support
* preterm labor signs/ warning signs
* breastfeeding
* Kangaroo care
* attachment parenting
* babywearing
* and much more
I also offer free breastfeeding support for all graduates of my birth classes (group or private). This can be in-person support at your house or mine (depending on distance), by phone, or by e-mail/IM. I can tailor private classes for you in your own home, based on your needs, including topics such as newborn care, refresher for 2nd (or more) time mom, weighing VBAC vs. repeat cesarean, classes for moms on bedrest, breastfeeding, babywearing, baby sign language, family-centered cesareans, natural family planning, placenta encapsulation, and more. My specialties are normal, physiological birth; positions and coping techniques for unmedicated birth; homebirth; and waterbirth. I'm a retired La Leche League Leader with over 10 years' experience breastfeeding my 5 children, including nursing during pregnancy and tandem nursing. I've overcome mastitis, thrush, nursing strikes, and more plugged ducts than I can count. I offer peer breastfeeding support and counseling to my clients. I have 5 children here and 1 in heaven. Baby #1 was an unmedicated hospital birth in 2002, but I tore badly and later learned that the whole debacle was utterly preventable. Thus I sought homebirths with midwives for my subsequent births in 2004, 2006, 2008, and 2011. We lost a baby in 2007 (missed miscarriage at 15 weeks resulting in D&C--I'd opt out of that if I had it to do over again).
