Listen in as Michelle gets to chat with Barbara Decker, one of the pioneers in the childbirth education movement. With a half-century of experience, Barbara shares her journey, including being one of the firsts to certify as a Lamaze instructor (before it was even called Lamaze) and certify as a doula with Penny Simpkin. Barbara is a long time HypnoBirthing® Instructor and expert in prenatal bonding. In this first half of their 2-part conversation, she provides a simple breathing technique to help calm and settle our nervous system. Something we, and our babies, can all use during these stressful times.
"When the mother is included in the decision making, the end result is not traumatization after the birth. It can prevent having an effect on the mother as long as she's part of that decision making. ...It's vital. And then our mothers are not going to have the challenges. We don't want mothers going to the birth, to the labor room, in fear that they are gonna have to do battle. We want them to know that they are going to be treated with respect."—Barbara Decker
About Barbara Decker:
Barbara has been a childbirth educator for over 48 years. She’s a doula, a HypnoBirthing ®Practitioner, PALS supporter and Mentor, PALS Northwest Hospital Ambassador, and an avid supporter of APPPAH (Association of Pre and Perinatal Psychology and Health) as membership and Mentor for the PPNE (Prenatal and Perinatal Educator Certification Program) course.
What brought Barbara to the field of Prenatal and Perinatal Psychology was the knowledge she received after reading The Secret Life of the Unborn Child by Thomas Verny. That was almost 11 years ago and since that time has received certificates as a Prenatal Bonding Facilitator with B.O.N.D. The Greatest Pregnancy Ever.com program, trained for two and a half years, with Dr. Gerhard Schroth in the Prenatal Bonding (BA) Program (Only 12 trained to facilitate in the US.), and was one of the first graduates of the APPPAH PPNE Program. Her passion for educating parents on the importance of the preconception/gestational period led her to write a new paradigm in childbirth education - EmpoweringPregnancy.com. She has lectured throughout the United States, in India, and in Mexico on the need to teach these classes. It is imperative that we educate our birthing families on the intelligence of the baby growing in the womb. Our babies need to feel loved during the pregnancy, mothers need to manage their stressors in a safe way, and this program offers the tools to build a healthy relationship for the whole family.
