Lorissa Eichenberger

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Lorissa Eichenberger

Lorissa Eichenberger, MFT, PMH-C, associate director of The Center for Postpartum Family Health, talks about traumatic birth and supporting the mental wellness of mothers and their families. How does a mother know she needs help? How does she know she has experienced a traumatic birth? What are some of the obstacles our society tell us about mothering? And much more.

Lorissa Eichenberger received her master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from the University of Houston-Clear Lake in 2010. A self-described “birth nerd,” she began her journey into motherhood in 2008 with the birth of her first of four children. As new parents without family locally, it was a struggle for her and her husband to find resources for mental health support following a traumatic birth. So, Lorissa joined local birth/breastfeeding groups, and she subsequently attended trainings for doula and lactation support to further enhance her professional capacity as a therapist. Lorissa then chose to specialize her practice and focus her passion by supporting the mental wellness of mothers and their families in the Greater Houston area. Lorissa is a member of the International Cesarean Awareness Network (ICAN), the Houston Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (HAMFT), and the Texas Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (TAMFT). She is recognized by Postpartum Support International as a Certified Perinatal Mental Health Specialist (PMH-C) with advanced training and experience working with perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs). She periodically speaks with local moms’ groups and presents at international conferences each year on PMADs.

Rebecca L. Dekker, PhD

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Rebecca L. Dekker, PhD

Rebecca L. Dekker, PhD, RN, LCCE, is the founder and CEO of Evidence Based Birth®, and author of the bestselling book, Babies Are Not Pizzas: They’re Born, Not Delivered.

Dr. Dekker received her Master of Science in Nursing and her Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing from the University of Kentucky. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Dr. Dekker has built a strong reputation in maternal and infant health circles for her pioneering work as the founder of Evidence Based Birth. The mission of EBB is to raise the quality of childbirth care globally, by putting accurate, evidence based research into the hands of families and communities, so they can make informed, empowered choices.

Dr. Dekker serves as a peer reviewer for maternal health research journals, volunteers on the advisory boards for Improving Birth and DONA International, and has presented to a number of leading organizations in the childbirth field, including the American College of Nurse Midwives, the March of Dimes, the American Association of Birth Centers, Lamaze, and DONA International. Dr. Dekker is also a board-certified adult clinical nurse specialist (ACNS-BC), an advanced practice registered nurse (APRN), and a Lamaze-Certified Childbirth Educator (LCCE).

In May 2012, Dr. Dekker realized that it was very difficult for the average person to find information about evidence-based maternity care. Realizing that she had the research and writing skills to meet this need, Dr. Dekker coined the term “Evidence Based Birth®” and founded www.evidencebasedbirth.com.

Christy Salinas, Prenatal Classes in Spanish

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Christy Salinas, Prenatal Classes in Spanish

Christy Salinas is the Program Director of Blessed Beginnings Life Center at Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston. She received her Master of Arts in Humanities with a Certificate in Women’s Studies from the University of Houston-Clear Lake, and is a graduate of the Hispanic Alliance for Career Enhancement (HACE) Leadership Academy. She also serves on the Houston Improvement Project (HIP) Board. Her main efforts are to collaborate with schools, pregnancy centers and other community partners to educate, empower and provide material assistance to families in need.

Addiction Series: Judy Bou Kheir

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Addiction Series: Judy Bou Kheir

Judy Bou Kheir is the founder and Executive Director of KARE, Katy Area Recovery Education. KARE is providing help connecting teens and their families all around our area to resources in our community, as well as facilitating sober social events for teens.

Dr. Whitley Jagnanan

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Dr. Whitley Jagnanan on the immune system and protecting yourself from flu and colds – nutritional and other ways to prevent illness in your house.

Dr. Whitley Jagnanan is a family wellness chiropractor in Houston. Her office, Vital Family Chiropractic, is located in the Heights where she serves many women and children through family chiropractic care. She is Webster-certified through the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association. She also has advanced craniosacral therapy training with Dynamic Body Balancing with a special focus in tongue tie and plagiocephaly (flat head syndrome). Dr. Whitley is also a BIRTHFIT Regional Director and is dedicated to helping mom through the motherhood transition by using fitness, nutrition, connection and mindset. She helps moms prenatally and during their postpartum period with a variety of conditions such as diastasis recti, pelvic floor dysfunction and reestablishing their postpartum body. Her office hosts postpartum and prenatal classes for BIRTHFIT, breastfeeding meetups and childbirth education.

Savannah Woods

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Savannah Woods

Birth story: first baby in the hospital and second baby in birthing center

Savannah Woods is a 36-year-old stay-at-home mom of a 4-year-old beautiful little girl and a 7-week-old handsome, big and strong boy! All the stay-at-home moms out there know what she means when she says how incredibly boring and yet wildly interesting life is!

Sarah Godwin

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Sarah Godwin

Sarah Godwin created and has owned and operated the Pure Parenting Shop in the Heights, Houston’s only natural parenting store, for over five years. Through the shop she helps new caregivers find the parenting supplies and products that will help them on their adventure in parenting. Sarah cloth-diapered her own children as well as ran a diaper service in Erie, PA for two years. She teaches Cloth Diapering 101 at her store and offers private consults through her shop. She is also a Certified Babywearing Educator and offers a variety of carriers at the shop, as well as fittings and consultations to help new caregivers find the best carrier for their needs.