First and foremost, it is important to help build the mother’s confidence in her body and ability to birth. A woman’s confidence is enhanced or hindered by those around her.
Author: Prenatal Yoga Center
(Director of the Prenatal Yoga Center, Prenatal & Postnatal)
Debra is a graduate of the Boston Conservatory of Music with a degree in Musical Theater. She has spent most of her life performing and was introduced to yoga through a choreographer in 1997. After several years as a yoga student, she decided to continue her education and became certified as a Bikram Yoga instructor. In 2001 Debra headed out to Seattle to study with renowned prenatal yoga teacher Colette Crawford, R.N., at the Seattle Holistic Center. Debra has received certification for Vinyasa Yoga from Shiva Rea as well as completed the OM Yoga advanced teacher training with Cyndi Lee in 2004. Debra has also studied the Maternal Fitness Method with Julie Tupler. Debra currently studies with Cyndi Lee, Genevieve Kapular, and Carrie Owerko.
After being witness to several "typical" hospital births, Debra felt it was important to move beyond the yoga room and be present in the birthing room. In 2003, Debra attended her first birth as a DONA certified labor support doula. In that short period of time, Debra has attended about 100 births. She is continuously in awe of the beauty and brilliance of birth.
In 2006, Debra received her certification as a LamazeĀ® Certified Childbirth Educator. In September of 2007, Debra completed a Midwife Assistant Program with Ina May Gaskin, Pamela Hunt and many of the other Farm Midwives at The Farm Midwifery Center in Tennessee. Most recently, Debra had the incredible experience of helping one of her clients give birth on the bathroom floor. Luckily, the EMS arrived seconds before the baby did!
Drawing on her experience as a prenatal yoga teacher, labor support doula and childbirth educator, Debra looks to establish a safe and effective class for pregnancy and beyond.
Debra is the proud (and tired) mother of new baby boy, Shay.
The Importance of Breathing During Labor
As a Lamaze teacher, I am often asked about the usefulness of that seemingly ancient breathing technique. How should one breathe for labor?