Patrick M. Houser

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Patrick M. Houser

It was his first son’s very difficult birth in 1976 which revealed to him the need to understand birth more fully. Patrick and his then wife went on to create the first documented waterbirth in the USA in 1980 with the birth of their second son, born into Patrick’s hands.

Patrick has been a counseling/coaching/personal development practitioner and educator over a period of 25 years and has supported numerous births as a “dude-la” (male doula). In 2006 he co-founded Fathers-To-Be and began educating men about the possibilities available to them through early, conscious parenting. In 2007 he published his first book, Fathers-To-Be Handbook, in UK and USA editions.

In 2008 he began holding Study Days/Workshops for birthcare and early parenting professionals. He discovered this to be a missing link in their professional training as to how to include and welcome fathers into early family life. This includes hospitals, midwifery schools, conferences and freelance workshops.

Dr. Pieyell Banik

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Dr. Pieyell Banik

Dr. Banik received her undergraduate degree at Trinity University in San Antonio, TX. She earned her Doctor of Osteopathy (D.O.) from Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine at the University of North Texas Health Science Center in Fort Worth, TX in 2009. She completed her family medicine residency at San Jacinto Methodist Family Medicine Residency in Baytown, TX in 2012 and became board certified in family medicine that year. Dr. Banik went on to specialize and complete a residency in neuromusculoskeletal medicine/osteopathic manipulative medicine (NMM/OMM) at Florida Hospital East Orlando Plus One Residency in 2013 and earned her second board certification in NMM/OMM. She is fully licensed to practice medicine in the state of Texas and is committed to lifelong learning. Dr. Banik recently opened her own practice in the Montrose/River Oaks area.

For more than a decade, Dr. Banik spent 20,000 hours training, studying, and applying advanced anatomy and physiology on her patients, looking to find the heath within the human body. She helps pregnant (and postpartum) mothers aged 24+ to be able to move easier, live with less pain even if they have lost hope, and have the best shot of a natural delivery. PLUS, she helps parents have peace of mind for their infants by NATURALLY encouraging the body to heal itself: addressing plagiocephaly, torticollis, reflux, colic, constipation, difficulty breastfeeding, etc. – all from ONE physician.

Dawn Koufakis-Basel

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Dawn Koufakis-Basel

A Certified Life Coach focusing on the struggles of women. A native of New Orleans who began her second life in Houston after living and working in Micronesia and Greece. Dawn has worked with women in prison in the area of parenting, divorce support for women in her Divorce Survival 101 classes, and recently working with women in the areas of life/love and workplace boundaries. Dawn has a new book coming out at the end of summer entitled Drawing the Line, Setting Boundaries as Women. She resides in N. Houston with her husband who co-facilitates a regular “Divorce Care” program at their long-time church, Cypress Creek Christian Church.

Jackie Griggs, RN, CNM

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Jackie Griggs, RN, CNM

Jackie Griggs, RN, CNM, has been involved in women’s health care since 1979, when she became a nurse. She has worked in hospitals, clinics, home and birth center settings. She attended UTMB at Galveston for her Master’s degree in Nursing, and graduated in 2001. She is the mom of five sons, three of which were born at home with midwives. Her main office is in the Heights on W 20th street at Midwife in the Heights. She also own Birth Center of Beaumont, and practices there as well.

Dr. Sarita Bennett

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Dr. Sarita Bennett

MANA Vice President responding to ACOG

Dr. Sarita Bennett is an Osteopathic Family Practice Physician who has practiced classical midwifery for 35+ years. She shares and teaches a deep understanding of physiology and the need to look at systems to determine where best to use her approach to healing dysfunction. Sarita believes that it is time to shift from the “power over” culture of our institutions into a “power within” dynamic if we are to find true balance and sustainability. She currently provides home birth and birth center midwifery care, teaches future midwives and serves the midwifery profession as the Vice President of the Midwives Alliance of North America.

Vanessa Sims

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Vanessa Sims

Vanessa Sims, born in Honduras, raised in England, married to David for four years after meeting and falling in love in London. She has worked as a hair and makeup artist in Houston for five years, and is a hair and makeup artist for Houston Ballet and Houston Grand Opera. They have two beautiful children: Evie, born by c-section, will be four in June, and Wyatt, born at home in a bathtub, is now 11 weeks.

David was born in San Antonio but grew up all over the world, graduated from Texas A&M and earned a master’s degree from Rice. He has been in the energy industry since 2001 and now works for an investment company.