The more important question is why wouldn’t you take childbirth classes? We spend time researching and educating ourselves about any number of other less-significant decisions; and yet many people go into perhaps the most major life event—having a baby—undereducated and underprepared. Childbirth shouldn’t be underestimated. Becoming knowledgeable and equipped to navigate the experience, which can be unpredictable, is crucial for a positive emotional experience!

Most importantly, I view childbirth as a powerful, profound, sacred and holy experience—one that can be worshipful and filled with joy, despite its intensity. It is in the struggle of childbirth that Mom is her most vulnerable and raw self, and I believe it’s incredibly important that Mom and her preferences be at the center of her care.

I want nothing more for my couples than to be active participants in their labor and birth experience; to be the deciders when at a crossroads of decision-making; to maintain trust in the process yet flexibility with the experience; and to walk away from the birth of their child having had a positive and empowering emotional experience. That said, Healthy Mom, Healthy Baby—Baby Out, Everything Okay—is the highest priority, and I encourage my clients to maintain this perspective.

No! I work with first-time parents but also with parents who have already experienced birth and postpartum. These couples are often hoping to improve their birth experience, even redeem a negative or traumatic birth experience. They’re aware that greater knowledge and preparation can help toward this end.

I like to serve couples who value education, are interested in a low intervention birth and who intend to deliver in a hospital setting or birth center affiliated with a hospital.

Because my classes these days are offered via a virtual platform (thanks, COVID-19!), I can serve anyone anywhere in the world! In fact, I have worked with couples in NC, SC, NY, MO, IL, VA, AL, GA, KY, CA, even AK and as far away at the Middle East!

For couples in the Raleigh/Durham/Hillsborough/Chapel Hill area, I have resumed offering in-person instruction, limited in size and conducted safely. Please contact me for more information and to decide if you feel more comfortable with virtual or in-person instruction; I am happy to serve you either way!

I actually love working one-on-one with couples as it affords the opportunity for me to customize the course content to fit your individual concerns/needs/questions.

If your preference is to be part of a group, it will depend on if there are other couples expecting around the same time are interested in forming a class. If a group class forms, we collectively decide the day of the week and time of day to meet (either virtually or in-person). I limit my class size to 4 couples.

Yes! Over the years, I have worked with many medical professionals, including M.D.s, R.N.s, even some labor & delivery nurses! All returned feedback that they greatly benefitted from going through the “Journey To Confidence” course, giving them an appreciation that birth is a natural, normal, trustworthy physiological process, not necessarily “a medical event.” Meanwhile, I, as an instructor, am always appreciative to learn from my students, medical professionals or not!

There are many wonderful childbirth courses out there to consider, and often it’s a matter of figuring out fit for your family. Classes offered at your hospital or clinic are generally more like a “crash course” than the journey I like to take couples on in my course. Sometimes, but not always, hospital-based classes include information about the policies and procedures offered at that birthplace but not necessarily all the options that the laboring mother has. On average, they attract 12+ couples, whereas my classes are much more intimate, either one-on-one or limited to 4 couples at a time. (I know this because, in addition to my private practice, I also happen to serve as a perinatal instructor at one of the major hospitals in the Raleigh/Durham area!)

As an ICEA Certified Childbirth Educator (ICCE), I include a wide variety of evidence-based information and resources in my private instruction. If given the opportunity, I also love to incorporate my Christian faith into my instruction and to pray for and with my clients. After all, it doesn’t take much in pregnancy and childbirth to admit that we are not in control. I love pointing people to Christ, who can be trusted for care over His creation. While my appreciation of the process of pregnancy and childbirth is largely informed by my personal faith, I am also happy to work with couples of varying faith backgrounds if we mutually determine we’re a good fit.

My 5-week “Journey To Confidence” course is just that: a journey. Together, we explore our hopes and fears, birth in our current culture, the normal process and stages of labor and birth, natural comfort measures and coping skills, pharmacologic options for managing pain, when birth doesn’t go as expected, medical procedures, cesarean delivery, partner preparation, birth plans, baby procedures and practices, bonding, postpartum recovery and adjustment and more.

I utilize the “Understanding Birth” curriculum (workbook and web app) offered by InJoy Health Education and also provide evidence-based information on a wide variety of topics. I equip couples to ask informed questions of their healthcare providers at prenatal appointments.

In addition to my childbirth prep classes, I also offer a class on breastfeeding basics.

Perhaps! Because I am a certified instructor and doula, many insurance plans/FSAs cover the cost of my services. I would simply need to provide you a detailed invoice for documentation, which you, as the client, would submit. Please keep this in mind and inquire with your insurance/FSA!

Yes, I am an ICEA Certified Birth Doula (ICBD) and have attended/supported many labors and births, some of which were textbook, many of which were not.

To be clear, though, I consider myself primarily a childbirth educator, meaning I work on the front-end of the journey of childbirth, educating my clients about what to expect and ensuring they are equipped and confident. That said, on a few occasions per year, I provide individualized informational, physical, emotional and practical doula support to Mom The Hero clients before, during and immediately after labor and delivery. Because I reserve offering doula support to only 4 or 5 clients per year, please don’t be shy about speaking up if you are interested!

For clients I am not able to serve but who are interested in being supported by a doula, I can refer you to many wonderful doulas about whose care and support I am very confident.

For couples in the Raleigh/Durham/Hillsborough/Chapel Hill area, I have resumed offering in-person instruction, limited in size and conducted safely. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, my classes are also offered virtually via Zoom to anyone anywhere in the world! To date, I have worked with couples in a dozen states as well as halfway across the globe!

Please contact me for more information and to decide if you feel more comfortable with in-person or virtual instruction; I am happy to serve you either way!

The best time to take a childbirth course is in your second trimester or early third trimester, but I am open to working with couples at any point in their pregnancy.

New courses open every month! At present, there are:

• 3 spots available in a group class that will meet July/August, for couples with September/October EDDs. Class will meet Monday evenings 7-9 p.m. in Durham, NC.
• 4 spots available in a group class that will meet September/October for November/December EDDs. Class scheduling TBD.

Meanwhile, I serve couples virtually or one-on-one on a rolling basis.

If you’re expecting and interested, I would love to connect with you!