Birth is a process of initiation.
I’m honored to be teaching this class alongside Ana Ruiz, Licensed Midwife behind Gentle Womb Birth. Together, we bring a heart-centered and evidence-informed approach to this work. I also draw from my experience as a certified birth doula, Ayurvedic practitioner, and Birthing from Within mentor to support you in preparing not just physically and mentally—but spiritually.
In addition to practical preparation, I teach the inner journey that unfolds as you cross the threshold into motherhood. This rite of passage is often missing from traditional hospital-based education, where the focus tends to remain on procedures and protocols. In our class, we make space for both: the clinical understanding and the sacred unfolding.
Whether you are planning a home birth or a hospital birth, this experience will help prepare you to walk through birth as a transformative initiation—grounded, informed, and deeply connected to your inner knowing.
What You’ll Learn
Holistic prenatal and postpartum self-care practices from Ayurveda and other traditional medicine systems
Comfort measures for birth, labor physiology, and common medical interventions
Nutrition, low-risk strategies, and planning for unmedicated birth
Flexibility, resilience, and coping skills to reduce vulnerability to birth trauma
How to detach your sense of self-worth from medical outcomes
Staying connected with yourself, your baby, and your partner throughout the birth journey
Sample Syllabus
Week 1: Conscious Pregnancy
Prenatal Nutrition
Holistic remedies for Pregnancy Discomfort
Movement and Breathwork for Pregnancy
Introduction to Pain Coping Framework
Mindful engagement and journaling
Week 2: Birth Physiology and Pain Coping
Stages of Labor
What is physiologic labor and how can we support it?
Deepening our Pain Coping Tools
Details of Laborland
Comfort Measures and Daddy Doula training
Birth Art Process
Week 3: Provider Tools, Interventions, and Advocacy
Intro to OB and Midwife tools aka “interventions”
Advocacy and how to be savvy in the birth space
Understanding different models of care
Role playing activities
Week 4: Postpartum Return, The Sacred Window and Breastfeeding Basics
Immediate Postpartum
Understanding and choosing wisely: Newborn Procedures
The Sacred Window: Holistic Postpartum Recovery
Lactation Education
The Magic of Breastfeeding: How to manage expectations and understand your new roles as a breastfeeding family
Digital Resources Provided:
Perinatal Herbal Guide
Breastfeeding Guide
Postpartum Recovery Guide
Book Requirement:
Birthing from Within: An Extra-Ordinary Guide to Childbirth Preparation by Pam England and Jon Horowitz
Cancellation policy
Cancellations made 7 or more days prior to the start date are eligible for a refund. Cancellations made after this window will be refunded 60% of the class price. Once the series has begun, no refunds will be issued. In certain circumstances, credit toward a future offering may be granted at our discretion.
Thank you for honoring the preparation and energetic space held for each gathering.