Real women. Real options. Real birth.

Safe, Powerful, Effective, Healthy, Natural: BIRTH

“It’s not a mindset that women are seeking natural childbirth…Women come here because they’ve heard we are going to treat them with respect and give them safe care.” ~ Jennifer Dohrn, midwife, Born In The USA

We provide support and resources for birth consumers. We raise public awareness of preferred childbirth preparation classes which promote healthy birth information and birth advocacy for mothers and their babies. We welcome childbirth educators from all walks. Not every birth educator comes from a birth education only organization. Women need to know that there are wonderful midwives, doulas and formerly certified birth educators who have taken their hands on birth experiences and created a truly independent birth curriculum. In addition some of our childbirth educators are also trained and certified in other fields of care that are especially healthy in pregnancy and birth.

The Association of Independent Childbirth Educators was formed in 2005 and grew from an initiative to bring together childbirth educators from all certifying backgrounds for the common goal of promoting normal childbirth at the grass roots level. It is our belief that every woman, and her family, must be recognized as being an individual with her own unique expectations for her baby. It is our belief, therefore, that all birth educators or information providers must be supported in their ability to create a more personable environment for the woman to learn about birth, her body and her birth options. Our goal is to provide a variety of birth information options for families without compromising the value of credible, evidence based birth education.

We are a supporting organization promoting credible independent continuing education. We believe that childbirth educators are individuals with individual personalities and will teach with a personal perspective because mothers and their families need real birth, not stats. We believe in their ability to be proactive, finding current information and ensuring birth is a joyful time for every couple. They must be supported as they seek to acquire credible information then share it with families in all settings including their formal certified settings. Today, there are many ways of promoting birth information beyond the recent traditional formal childbirth educator style. There are doulas – formal and traditional – who are asked to provide birth consumerism and physiology education. There are midwives who teach childbirth education both in a group setting and as a public outreach. There are individual women who provide birth information in the traditional form of birth circles.

Independent Childbirth exists to support all healthy birth educators regardless of certifying organizational background. They are individuals with their own unique outreach gifts. We encourage educators to be confident as they guide mothers and families through dialogue to explore for themselves what they need and to make their own informed choices. We firmly believe that economics should not stand in the way of a mother finding positive birth support. We are continually inspired to create a wider awareness of healthy birth via support of birth educators in their endeavors to balance the medical model of birth education.

Independent childbirth education makes a difference in birth outcomes!  We know birth!  Contact us at births*at*comcast*dot*net.

Independent adjective; from Oxford and Merriam Webster 1. (employment): Not depending on another person for one’s opinion or livelihood ~ income or resources 2. (self governing; individual): not requiring or relying on something else : not contingent <an independent conclusion.

Find an expert Independent Childbirth certified birth educator near you. We love the research and we love birth! We facilitate happy, healthy, empowering birth experiences!
* indicates that this childbirth educator is also an experienced labor support provider (doula)!

Arizona
Erin Davison*  ~ website Sierra Vista  (321) 223-9473

California
Jeanne Anderson*  ~ website Ventura County  (805) 427-1393
Helen Loucado* ~ website Ventura (805) 643-4354
Jennifer Padrta* ~ website Dana Point  (949) 496-9355
Sheridan Ripley* ~ website Lake Forest  (949) 292-3710
Patricia Ross* ~ website San Francisco  (415)  387-1126
Dorene Vaughn ~ website Palmdale / Antelope Valley  (661) 273-4956

Colorado
Candace McCollett* ~ website Colorado Springs / Pikes Peak  (719)  213-3740
Desirre Andrews* ~ website Colorado Springs  (719) 331-1292

Connecticut
Dale Bernucca*  ~ website Kensington / New Britain  (860) 384-3202
Julie Johnson ~ New Haven County  (203) 877-9536
Melissa Renkert* ~ Canton / Litchfield County  (860) 542-5483

Florida
Rose Mary Danforth * ~ Jacksonville  (904)  200-6926

Idaho

Gretchen Vetter ~ website; also on facebook; Boise (208) 333-1485

Kentucky
Guinever Van Campen* ~ website Lexington  (859) 277-6346

Maine
Evelyn Conrad*  ~ website Penobscot & Hancock Counties  (207) 945-9804
Christina Kennedy*  ~ website Central Maine (207) 512-2627

Minnesota
Ruth Trode* ~ Hudson  (877) 721-4193

Mississippi
Kathy Petersen ~ North Mississippi  (662) 587-6245

Missouri
Kelly Hibner* ~ website Clinton / Sedalia (660) 653-0152
Molly Remer* ~ website Rolla  (573) 435-0139
Louise Delaney* ~ website Kansas City (816) 820-3958

New Hampshire
Jenny Everett King*  ~  website Londonderry/Manchester/Nashua  (603) 434-3456

North Carolina
Nicole Deelah* ~ High Point and Surrounding Areas (615) 504-1509

Pennsylvania
Lasi Leavy* ~ website Berks and Surrounding Counties  (610)  451-0786
Danielle Malik* ~ website Reading / Lancaster  (610) 507-9863                                    
Jenn Reidy*  ~  website Lehigh Valley  (610) 844-6223

Texas
Olivia Sporinsky* ~ website Fort Hood/Killeen and surrounding  (719) 964-9028

Utah
Kirsten Barksdale Utah County  (801) 224-5767
Laura Lund ~ website Provo (810) 494-1555

Wisconsin
Julie Elliott ~ website Kenosha / Milwaukee  (847) 258-7233

INTERNATIONAL
Australia
NSW – Leonie Guilfoyle* 02-69251294

Mexico
Guadalajara – Joni Nichols ~ website o por teléfono (33)3656-8222