It’s been a while since I’ve posted on my blog, ( I’m in the midst of a massive rewrite of my program for the launch of a huge new project I’m working on with my good friend and business partner Kaisa of Post-Natal Bodyfix and a big name sponsor who I cannot name yet for legal reasons), and honestly between my life as a single mum, my face to face clients and rewriting 3 educational programmes I just don’t have the time right now to blog very often.

So it takes a pretty big thing to drive me to my wordpress pad. Now I’m not slating Babyfit – I subscribe to them and I like a lot of their stuff – particularly their healthy reflections, but they do come out with a lot of crap at the same time! I couldn’t believe it when I saw the title of the email sitting in my inbox ” Crunches on a ball are safe during pregnancy”.

The article basically says that becausethe torso is elevated (i.e. you’re not lying on the lfoor as in a traditional crunch) that the crunch is a safe pregnancy exercise. What this author and prenatal fitness trainer has neglected to think about is what the action will actually DO to a pregnant body!

Crunches use the superficial muscles, abdominus rectus. This is your six pack and down the middle of the sixpack is a fascia called the linea alba which seperates the two halves. During pregnancy your hormones allow this fascia to become stretchy to allow for growth of your baby. The fascia becomes very thin and it is super easy to split the abdominal seperation (diastasis). Any crunch or oblique type movement during pregnancy puts additional pressure on the linea alba and will increase the diastasis even further.

So doing any sort of crunch during pregnancy is going to leave you with a huge gap between your abdominal muscles that takes a lot of hard work to repair!

So, if it’s abdominal exercises you are after, stick to deep core work, like the exercises you will find in my video below:

If you are hitting the beach in the next few weeks here’s a short and simple pregnancy workout you can do in your hotel room or on the beach.

This is part one of the Beach Pregnancy Workout Video. I would advise doing this set of pregnancy exercises between two and four times over to give you a great little pregnancy workout that takes no time at all and will fit in perfectly with your busy schedule of sunbathing, reading and relaxing!

Imagine being pregnant during the 1900’s where pregnant mothers were prescribed months of “lying in” where all movement and stimulation of any kind was completely restricted to protect the baby. Sounds like your worst nightmare right? But it still happens for a lot of women who have some kind of serious complication associated with pregnancy. However, thanks to my good friend Darline Turner-Lee, bedrest doesn’t need to be so restrictive…

“Bouncing Back” After Bed Rest

By Darline Turner-Lee

Okay, by a show of hands, how many of you plan to go on bed rest during your pregnancy? No, seriously, how many of you have even considered that you could have complications during your pregnancy? Even though I can’t really see you, I doubt that there are many hands aimed skyward.

It’s not something that many of us think about. Most of us, unless we have a known medical problem or some sort of anomaly in our family history, assume that we will get pregnant (naturally and unassisted of course), become cheerfully round and subsequently deliver a healthy baby. Thankfully this is true in the majority of cases. However, every year in the United States approximately 750,000 women are prescribed bed rest during their pregnancies. For some women, this is simply a reduction in daily activities and sitting with feet elevated. For other women this is exactly like what it sounds like; confinement to their beds arising only to go to the bathroom. In more severe cases, this confinement may be in the hospital and may even be without bathroom privileges (Bed pans anyone?). So although I don’t want to rain on anyone’s pregnancy parade, I am here to offer 6 tips for successfully surviving bed rest and safely bouncing back into normal life once it’s over.

1. Have a candid discussion with your obstetrician or midwife. Learn exactly why they want you to go on bed rest, how long they expect you to be on bed rest and what they hope to accomplish for you and your baby while you are on bed rest. This may sound crazy, but I have spoken with women who have been prescribed bed rest, didn’t really understand why it was important and ended up not adhering to the prescription. It may be okay for you to get up to the bathroom, but not to stand and make yourself lunch. It may be alright for you to sit in a recliner, but not to lay flat in bed. Get the specifics of what is safe and what is not. If you are unsure, ask. Lack of compliance puts you and your baby at risk. Know the facts.
2. Give yourself support. It is important to give your body adequate support, especially your hips, neck and back. If you are to lie on your side while on bed rest, place a pillow between your knees to level your hips and relieve pressure on your low back. You may want to put a pillow behind your low back for support as well. I highly recommend getting a neck pillow, one of those pillows shaped like a dumb bell to relieve neck and shoulder strain. You may just want to get a body pillow that provides this type of prenatal support.
3. Accept Help. This is not the time to be “superwoman or a martyr”. Bed rest is serious business and is highly deserving of serious support. Enlist the help of your spouse or partner as well as older children at home with household duties. Parents, in-laws, extended family, neighbors and church members are also fantastic resources.

You may also want to consider hiring a doula. Doulas are trained birth coaches who support a woman and her family before, during and after childbirth. Depending on the services she offers, your doula may be willing to help with ante partum care for you and your household, coach and support you through labor and delivery and then help with the post partum transition. To find a doula in your area, check your local birth directories or DONA International. (http://www.dona.org)

1. A Healthy Diet. Pregnant women on prescribed bed rest need to eat a diet rich in fresh fruits and vegetables, lean proteins and plant proteins and whole grains. Like their counterparts with uncomplicated pregnancies, these essential elements will help ensure adequate but not excessive weight gain while keeping blood sugar levels steady. Processed foods and sugary snacks create peaks and valleys in blood sugars putting mama at increased risk of excessive weight gain as well as the development of gestational diabetes. Despite being on bed rest (and possibly having to use a bed pan) women on bed rest must drink plenty of water to ensure proper hydration, digestion and fluid production for the developing baby.
2. Exercise. “But wait, I’m on bed rest!” you may be saying. Daily movement is essential for women on bed rest. Immobility for as little as 2 weeks results in loss of muscle strength, loss of muscle mass and muscle tone. NASA studies done on female astronauts found that with 60 days of inactivity, women astronauts lost up to 25% of the muscle mass in their legs and 1/3 to nearly ½ of their muscle strength. They found that women who engaged in 40-50 minutes of aerobic exercise and 20 minutes of strength training 2-3 times a week did not experience these losses.  Ask your OB or Midwife to recommend some stretches and exercises that you can do while on bed rest.
3. Ease back into your life. Prescribed bed rest not only changes a woman’s pregnancy journey but her post partum recovery as well. If women have spent more than 2 weeks in bed prior to delivery these new mamas are going to require additional assistance caring for themselves and their new babies-especially if they had a c-section delivery.

In the first couple of weeks post partum, women should focus on resting and regaining their strength and establishing nursing. While bed rest is not necessarily required, avoiding excessive, jerky or fast movement is advised. Women should gradually increase their time out of bed, walking first around their homes and then progressing to short walks outside. They should not try to speed walk, power walk or take on the duties of caring for the household before 6 weeks post partum and definitely not before they have clearance from their OB or midwife. A gradual re-entry back into full activity will prevent a woman from muscle or soft tissue injury which could “bounce” her right back into bed.

Darline Turner-Lee is the owner and founder of Mamas on Bedrest & Beyond, providing information, support and resources to pregnant women on prescribed bed rest. She produced an exercise DVD specifically for women on bed rest called Bedrest Fitness and thru May 31, 2010 it is available at 10% off the retail price and with free shipping. Be sure to select “9MonthClub” as your referral source. For more details, visit www.mamasonbedrest.com/shop.

Interval training is probably the best form of cardio exercise for pregnancy. First off it is short, sweet and simple so you know your workout will be over with in just 20 minutes.

Because the intervals allow time for recovery every 60 seconds or so, it is much safer than long steady state aerobic work as you will literally be resting every 60 seconds or so.

And finally, interval training is much more effective at burning fat, so you will find it much easier to stay in great pregnancy shape than if you were to do 3 hours of long boring cardio workouts in the gym. Anyway, less chat, more action – here’s your pregnancy workout video:

We all know that calcium is a vital mineral during pregnancy, but what most of us are told is that the best way to supplement your pregnancy diet is with milk and dairy products.

What we are not told is that although dairy is high in calcium, most of this is not actually bio-available. In plain English that means that the human body cannot extract an absorb the calcium contained in dairy… I explain this in more detail in the video…

I’d love your comments!

Don't want this? Then do this =>

How do you fancy wearing disposable incontinence knickers after you have given birth? Not a very appealing thought is it?!

But unless you remember to do your pelvic floors daily as part of your pregnancy exercise routine, leaking, incontinence and in serious cases, prolapse could be the ugly and harsh reality after giving birth…

Most pregnant women I know forget to do their pelvic floor exercises regularly but I have found that educating pregnant women and giving them a better visual understanding of what is actually going on down there, helps make that association become real. This is turn helps them to remember to do their pregnancy exercises much more frequently!

Watch the video and let me know what you think

There are thousands of women going through the heartache of trying desperately for a baby without success every day. It can be soul destroying when you have done all you can to change your diet, increase your health through regular exercise and destress your body and mind through regulating sleep and meditation. But there maybe something you have not thought of so far and that is the effect that external environmental pollutants may have on your hormones.

This article was kindly written for The 9 Month Club by Iva Keene, who is a leading fertility expert.

Endocrine Disruptors (*endocrine means hormones)

A lot of environmental pollutants act as endocrine disruptors (EDs).They are outside agents which interfere with the synthesis, secretion, transport, binding, activation or elimination of natural hormones in the body, responsible for reproduction.

These substances qualify as EDs: pesticides, heavy metals, plasticizers, organic solvents, drugs, gamma and X-rays.

Exposure to EDs during pregnancy can lead to disrupted development of the baby, in particular the baby’s reproductive system. Exposure to EDs in-utero has been associated with testicular cancer in men and vaginal cancer in women later in life.

Phthalates

Phthalates are chemicals used as lubricants, solvents, stabilizers and plasticizers. They give plastic it’s flexibility. They are predominantly found in children’s toys, blood storage bags, cosmetics, perfumes, food packaging and medications. Phthalates can be inhaled in polluted air, absorbed through the skin, ingested with food and water. Phthalate knows as DEHP is one of the most abundantly used phthalates. It has been shown to create a havoc with your hormones. It decreases lutenizing hormone (LH), increases follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), delays ovulation and impairs steroid hormone production (testosterone, estrogen and progesterone).

Bisphenol A

Another ED to worry about is Bisphenol A. It’s found in the interior coating of tins (tuna tins, baked beans and other tinned fruit and vegetables, tin tomatoes etc…), milk containers (tetra-pac), baby formula bottles, re-usable water bottles and dental materials. Bisphenol A leaches into the food and water during heating (bottle sterilization) and after prolonged storage – which most of the tinned products and bottle water are. Bisphenol binds to your estrogen receptors and exerts stronger effect on the body than your natural estrogen.

A study found that out of 2,517 people 93% tested positive for bisphenol A in the urine. Women had significantly higher levels than men, followed by children who had the highest levels.

Another study found that women who underwent IVF and tested positive for bisphenol A, had much lower IVF success rates than women who tested negative.

Women with quantifiable levels of bisphenol A are also more likely to suffer from recurrent miscarriages and have an abnormal immune reaction to the developing embryo.

Organochloride Compounds

Are another nasty ED people get in touch with through consumption of contaminated animal products (eggs, meat, fish and dairy), water and breast milk. They are found in pesticides, and can be transported through the air to the nearest lake, sea, creek, ocean etc… If you eat non organically grown fruit and vegetables, eggs, dairy and milk, than your primary source of corganochloride compounds will be your diet. Studies have found that animal products contain more pesticides that non-organically grown fruit and vegetables. Organochloride compounds, in particular DDT and DDE have been associated with:

• Miscarriages

• Male and female infertility

• Birth defects

• Poor sperm quality

• Decreased ovulation

• Impaired implantation

• Hormonal imbalances

Glycol Ether

Is used for surface coating, printing inks, cleaning solutions, cosmetics, water-based paint and agrochemicals. Glycol Ether can negatively impact sperm motility (sperm’s ability to swim).

Organic Solvents

Impact female fertility more than male fertility. At high risk of exposure to organic solvents are people who work with clothing, textile, paint, plastic, health care workers and laboratory workers. Organic solvents increase time to pregnancy, risk of miscarriage and pose a risk of major malformations in the baby.

Heavy Metals

Particularly toxic for men are lead, mercury, cadmium, cobalt, chromium and boron as they can lead to testicular damage, impaired sperm production, and hormonal imbalances. At high risk of exposure to heavy metals are people who work with metals, welders, ore smelters, ammunition manufacturers, artists, painters and industry workers.

In women exposure to lead can lead to spontaneous abortions, miscarriages, severe birth deformities and reduced fertility.

15 Strategies to Address Infertility Induced By Endocrine Disruptors

1. Stop buying food in tins and plastic containers.

2. Don’t store your food in plastic containers.

3. Don’t use aluminum and plastic foils.

4. Don’t drink unfiltered tap water. I personally use and recommend the Aquasana drinking water system .

5. Don’t shower in unfiltered tap water, use this shower filter.

6. Drink water out of glass bottles, not plastic bottles.

7. Never ever put hot contents into a plastic water bottle.

8. Buy organic food including meat, dairy, eggs, fruit and vegetables.

9. Stop using commercial cleaning products.

10. Stop using commercial body care products (use natural organic alternatives only).

11. Stop using commercial cosmetics, perfume and nail polish.

12. Increase your intake of garlic, zinc, selenium, magnesium, broccoli and vitamin C.

13. Do a detox and if necessary have a chelation therapy.

14. If you work in one of the above mentioned industries (plastics, metal, lab, dentistry, paint etc…) get yourself tested for heavy metals, bisphenol A, organic solvents and organochloride compounds. If the tests are positive speak to your employer and ask to be given a different role where you won’t be coming into contact with EDs during chelation therapy and preconception time (pregnancy and breast feeding for women). Your employer needs to protect the workers and it’s their OHS (occupational health and safety) duty to comply. Raise the issue with your HR and OHS department if your boss won’t help you. If your company won’t help you go higher up in the chain and raise the issue with worker’s unions and the press. It’s likely that you are not the only one affected by this problem and you will find support.

15. Tell others; share this information with your family, friends and colleagues at work.

This article introduced 15 of the ways you can remove endocrine disruptors from your environment and give yourself a fertility boost.

© 2009 Iva Keene and Natural Fertility Prescription

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this text with it: Prominent Fertility Naturopath Iva Keene publishes the ‘Ultimate Fertility’ ezine  with tips to get you pregnant ASAP. Get you FREE Fertility Tips now at www.Natural-Fertility-Prescription.com

Hey Ladies,

Now I know that you all know that the most important pregnancy exercise ever is pelvic floor work, but at the risk of repeating what you’ve already been told a thousand times over, I’m going to say it again!

Strengthening your pelvic floor as part of your daily pregnancy exercise routine is vitally important to prevent prolapse and major surgery later on in life. You will also find that if you don’t do your pelvic floor exercises daily that you will have a much harder time in labour and your recovery will be longer slower and much less effective.

But I also know that no matter how many times I say these things it is inevitable that you will forget to do them – I did and I should know better, right?!

So I am hoping this pregnancy exercise video will help. You see I think one of the main reasons women forget/neglect their pelvic floor is because they just don’t understand it well enough. So here is an introduction that will help you visualise exactly what is going on down there and hopefully encourage you into doing your pelvic floors more regularly!

(Leave me your comments and let me know what you think!)

If you have been dedicated to your pregnancy exercise routine and making every effort to look after your pregnancy health then the last thing you will want to do after giving birth is sit on your butt, doing nothing but breastfeeding, changing nappies and mopping up sick for the next 6-10 weeks.

Not only will your strength and fitness deteriorate rapidly you will also become much more prone to back injury, uterine incontinence and it will take you a lot longer to recover from the trauma of labour and get your pre-baby body back. Add to that the fact that a sluggish body will add to the extreme fatigue you will be suffering from sleep deprivation and I promise you, that 6-10 weeks will feel like a lifetime sentence!

Now I have to add in here, the 6-10 week probation period is there for a reason. This is the time it takes for the uterus to shrink back to normal, your C-section to heal, your milk to come in, and your hormones to balance out again. So any exercise you do within this cautionary period must be approved by a postnatal exercise professional.

One of the leading gurus in postnatal recovery is my good friend Kaisa Tuominen. She has studied with the leading physiotherapists in postnatal recovery and has incorporated a revolutionary method into her postnatal recovery program called FLAT (because it gives you flat postnatal abs quicker than you ever thought possible!)

The FLAT method is an underground method used by the leading physiotherapists and medical specialists in helping postnatal women recover from prolapse after birth. This one technique is so effective at recruiting the core muscles and activating the pelvic floor that it far surpasses the traditional Kegels.

In fact this postnatal exercise method recruits 95% more muscle fibres than a Kegel, so the potential to help postnatal women recover in rapid time after birth is something we have never seen before!

Now as always, I road test every program that I promote on here (and to be honest this only the second program other than my own that has got my seal of approval), and I can tell you from my own personal experience that this is da bomb! The program goes at a very gentle pace and starts with just a couple of minutes each day of some very simple rehabilitation exercises that you can do whilst breastfeeding.

Now whilst I can’t reveal the technique here, I can direct you to her program! You can get your 18 week postnatal recovery program at http://www.post-natalrecovery.com. It also comes with a full 60 day money back guarantee for your peace of mind and complete satisfaction, so if you don’t like it, you’ve got nothing to lose!

And personally, I wouldn’t wait till you’ve had your baby to get the program. The exercises start from the day you give birth, so to get the most out of it and have the fastes and easiest recovery possible get your copy now, so you know what to do in the recovery room to get yourself back on track!

Click here for your copy

There are many issues that can arise during pregnancy, but these issues do not always need to become a problem. Often times, when symptoms or other problems come up during pregnancy, it is our body’s way of communicating with us that something is out of balance and needs to be addressed. One very common issue that affects millions of mothers is Group B Strep infection, or GBS. It is so common that doctors routinely screen for this bacteria during pregnancy at around the 36th or 37th week of pregnancy.

What is Group B Strep?

GBS is a common, naturally occurring bacteria normally found in the intestinal tract. Approximately 40% of the population carry this bacterium and most are unaware because it is generally asymptomatic.
In normally healthy individuals who do have GBS, the good, beneficial bacteria in their intestines keeps the GBS at bay and prevent it from overgrowing and spreading. However, when a person lacks the high numbers of healthy bacteria in the gut, and the concentration of GBS in the intestinal tract is allowed to flourish, then GBS can colonize outside of the intestines and travel to and affect the vagina, bladder and occasionally the uterus. It is in this situation that a pregnant mother would test positive for GBS.

How do you Test for and Treat GBS?

Currently in the United States, the standard protocol is to test all pregnant women at 36 or 37 weeks for GBS by swabbing first the vaginal canal and then the anus using the same swab. If she tests positive she will receive IV antibiotic treatment every four hours during labor. The reason that testing and treating GBS is so important is because if the baby is exposed to and infected by GBS, the situation can become life threatening. About one in every 2000 babies born every year is infected with GBS, and a very small percentage of these babies develop a significant illness or die from it if left untreated. Babies that are at a higher risk of being infected and developing complications from GBS include pre-term and low birth-weight babies, and babies whose mothers experienced prolonged labor. Other risk factors for GBS infection include mothers who previously had a child infected with GBS, those whose bag of waters were ruptured for more than 12 hours before the birth of the baby, gestational diabetes, and an increased number of vaginal exams during labor.

There is concern regarding such widespread use of antibiotics for GBS in labor. According to one Cochrane Review study, “antibiotics can have harmful effects such as severe maternal allergic reactions, increase in drug-resistant organisms and exposure of newborn infants to resistant bacteria, and postnatal maternal and neonatal yeast infections.” The threat of drug-resistant organisms itself is of tremendous concern; if every mother who tests positive to GBS is given the same antibiotic treatment during labor, and this practice is carried on from generation to generation, the possibility of GBS developing a resistance to these antibiotics is very likely. We have seen this happen already with MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus), whose prevalence and deadly consequences has already made an impact on the overuse of antibiotics for every day colds and coughs. On top of all this, IV antibiotic treatment severely reduces the number of healthy bacteria in the body and gut which can be extremely difficult for mom and baby to re-colonize. This is the underlying reason why both mother and baby are then highly susceptible to developing yeast infections and thrush after undergoing the standard antibiotic treatment for GBS, which can lead to multiple problems with breastfeeding and overall immune health in the baby. The baby relies on the mother’s supply of healthy bacteria to seed its own healthy floral colonies, and if the mother’s has been wiped out, then the baby is left with little or no good bacteria to keep out the bad. For these reasons, supplementing both mother and baby with multiple strains of beneficial bacteria, or probiotics, after antibiotic use in labor is highly recommended.

What Can be Done Naturally?

There are other, more beneficial and natural ways to approach the treatment of Group B Strep in pregnancy. They are not currently accepted by the medical community and no testing of efficacy has been done.

1. Look for evidence of GBS earlier on in pregnancy.

Specific signs to look for earlier on in pregnancy can point to a possible overgrowth of GBS and lead to early diagnosis, which also creates the option of using more natural treatments. When found earlier, there is more time for a woman to incorporate changes to her lifestyle and pregnancy nutrition to promote an overabundance of healthy flora which will decrease or eliminate her concentrations of GBS and other harmful bacteria.

Extensive urinary screenings throughout pregnancy can be used to detect overgrowth of GBS and other harmful bacteria such as E Coli. It is important to keep in mind as well that if a woman experiences any urinary tract infections during her pregnancy, GBS could be the culprit. A urinalysis with culture and sensitivity can determine whether or not a woman has a GBS related UTI. If it is positive, that woman knows that she may have a problem with GBS come birth time, and she can begin to implement other methods to decrease her concentrations of GBS and create a healthier balance within her system.

2. Eat foods that increase the amounts of good bacteria in your body and gut (prebiotics) as well as foods high in good bacteria (probiotics) within your pregnancy diet

Prebiotics are foods that trigger the growth and increase the amount of good bacteria in the intestines. As mentioned before, the more beneficial bacteria a person has, the harder it is for the bad bacteria to flourish and take over. Dietary fibers found in most fruits and vegetables are great prebiotics; asparagus, garlic, leek, onion, artichoke are just a few with high prebiotic power. Fermented foods such as yogurt, miso, kefir, and sauerkraut are great sources of probiotics, and consuming them regularly can help replenish the healthy flora in the gut.
Also, an alkalinizing diet produces a better environment for healthy bacteria to grow, and inhibits the growth of invading bacteria. Therefore, eating foods that produce more acidity in the body, such as sugar, starchy carbs, and alcohol, should be avoided.

The pregnancy elimination diet is the best way to achieve healthy balance within your body and ensure that you are filling your baby’s nutritional needs.

3. Take a multi-strain probiotic supplement.

Be sure that the supplement you choose contains several different strains of healthy bacteria, including Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus. Natren is a well-known brand and a favorite among practitioners, and they also have probiotics specifically for babies, and some that are diary and soy free for those with allergies. Jarrow is a less expensive brand that can be found in most health food stores.

For women who have already been diagnosed with GBS, or who might be dealing with current or chronic yeast infections, a probiotic suppository for the vagina might also be a good idea. Feme Cleanse is one brand that is available in health food stores. Apple Cider Vinegar flushes or Tea Tree Oil can also be used in these cases.

3. Try Homeopathy, Herbs, and other natural therapies.

Certain Herbs and Homeopathic remedies can help in the treatment of GBS and other infections caused by an imbalance of the body’s natural flora. The homeopathic remedy Streptococcinium is used specifically for GBS.

4. Manage your stress.

Stress and other emotional factors can also create a more acidic and welcoming environment for the overgrowth of bad bacteria and GBS. Find the causes of your stress and other negative emotions, and make the time to properly address them. Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) can be a great way to get to the root cause of and to correct the patterns of a person’s stress. Other ways to cope or help with stress include a targeted holistic pregnancy fitness plan.

5. Treat your partner.

If you have done everything you can to manage your GBS, but nothing seems to help, consider treating your partner. There is a chance that he is also infected and can re-introduce the bacteria into your system.

6. Garlic kills the Strep Bacterium

This last point is my own addition to Jens article. A colleague of mine, (Kaisa Tuominen, author of Postnatal Body Fix has recently informed me of a method to kill the Strep bacterium that has been in use by her midwife for 25 years. In this time she has yet to have even one patient test positive for Strep.

Garlic is known to kill the bacterium in the vagina. Using a piece of sterile gauze, wrap a garlic bulb and insert it into the vagina and leave the tail of the gauze hanging down for easy removal. Leave in place for 3 days before the Strep test (changing for a fresh bulb each day). The garlic will kill the Strep bacterium.  Sounds strange but in 25 years it has never failed to work!

The information in this article was provided in an interview with Gerri Ryan, L.M., C.P.M., FACCE, Co-Executive Director/Chief Operating Officer of the Nizhoni Institute of Midwifery. Gerri is a licensed and certified professional midwife, is certified as a doula, and is a nationally recognized doula trainer. She has co-chaired several national health conferences and was one of the first doulas for the Hearts and Hands program at the University of California at San Diego. Gerri currently teaches midwifery students, supervises academic faculty and clinical instructors, and has the primary responsibility for marketing, recruitment, and human resources management for the Nizhoni Institute.