Blossoming Bellies

Brittany's path led her through many experiences before focusing her work on the need for respect and humility in the amazing power, instinct, and normalcy of birth. Completing high school after her junior year with distinguished honors and a focus in visual art and writing , Brittany went on to study Literature at Temple University, graduating cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and certificates in both writing and honors. She maintains membership with Phi Beta Kappa, a national academic honor society. Throughout college, Brittany worked for Trio Upward Bound, a national organization that prepares inner city high school students for college. In her role as tutor and counselor, she gained experience in dealing with several different ages from ninth through twelfth grade, understanding of differences in learning pace and ability, and comfort in leading group discussions and projects. Brittany went on to substitute teach for pre-school through eighth grade at Frankford Friends School, strengthening her abilities in areas including the facilitation of group activities, the development of all aspects of the person - physical, academic, spiritual, emotional, and social, and the mentoring of children of all different ages and backgrounds. In addition to her education career, Brittany has completed a mentorship training program which focuses on peaceful solutions to conflict through listening, reflection, and understanding and the development of counseling skills. She attended a Birth Works three day workshop where she gained skills and techniques helpful in facilitating childbirth classes and providing labor assistance. She has also completed birth doula training by both DONA International and Birth Arts International. Brittany is a Birth WorksTM certified childbirth educator, a DONA certified birth doula, a certified breastfeeding counselor with Nursing Mothers Alliance, and a Certified Lactation Counselor through the Academy of Lactation Policy and Practice. She has also completed birth doula training with Birth Arts International. She also holds a Rebozo certification from Wise Birth Choices, L.L.C. Brittany continuously furthers her knowledge through regular attendance and facilitation at conferences, workshops, and lectures, in addition to her home studies, and her facilitation of workshops for clinical and non-clinical birth professionals. In an effort to make maternity care options available to all birthing people, Brittany volunteered her time in putting together the Philadelphia Guide to a Healthy Birth with Choices in Childbirth. Although the Philadelphia Guide is no longer in print, The National Guide is available online at www.choicesinchildbirth.org. Brittany has also been a frequent contributor to the Birth Works quarterly newsletter and wrote monthly for the e-newsletter, "Empowerment for Healthy Living," when it was published. She continues writing for the Birth Works blog. Brittany has been a guest speaker on several pregnancy, postpartum, and health-related topics at businesses around the Philadelphia area, including Martindale's Natural Market in Delaware County, Shanti Yoga Shala and Nest, both in Center City Philadelphia, and the Expectant Parents Boot Camp at The Please Touch Museum. In the spring of 2011, Brittany organized and facilitated a free community screening of the documentary, "Food, Inc." She worked with the non-profit organization WomenCare organizing an event featuring world-renowned midwife Ina May Gaskin in May 2011. Blossoming Bellies has also been featured in the July 2011 issue of herbalist Susan Weed's ezine "Wise Woman Herbal Healing with Susun Weed." In May of 2014, Brittany had the honor of being the only childbirth educator and doula serving as a panelist at the Birth Works "Ask The Experts" event held in Cherry Hill, NJ where she discussed birth options and answered community members' birth-related questions aside several distinguished birth professionals, including obstetricians, academics, pediatricians, and midwives, from the greater Philadelphia area. She was also honored to be a presenter at ICAN's (International Cesarean Awareness Network) meeting on birth education options in the Philadelphia area in January of 2015. Brittany is also the creator of two dynamic workshops focused on understanding the pelvis, the baby's movements and positioning as they descend and rotate, and preventing and working through complications that arise from malpositioning, "Creating Space: Pelvic Dynamics, Fetal Positioning, and Use of the Rebozo" for birth professionals and "Moving Through Labor" for expectant parents. She has had the honor of facilitating her workshop, "Creating Space," for obstetrical, midwifery, and nursing groups around the country. She is a guest speaker at the University of Pennsylvania for their student midwifery program and a frequent speaker at international conferences including the Birth Works International Conference in October of 2016, the ICPA Freedom for Family Wellness Summit in March of 2018, the Evidence Based Birth Conference in September of 2019, the Midwifery Forward 2020 conference, the ICEA 2020 Virtual Conference, and the Utah Doula Association Virtual Mini-Conference in 2020. She also facilitates pelvic dynamics and fetal positioning workshops for Maternity Care Coalition and PALS. She continues to facilitate workshops for conferences and private practices around the country. Blossoming Bellies began with Brittany teaching classes in her home in South Philadelphia. She still occasionally teaches classes in the coziness of her home but, after spending time teaching classes at South Philadelphia Community Acupuncture, The Nesting House on vibrant East Passyunk Avenue, and the community space Lilypad, she now teaches at the BOK building aside Justin Ohm of Ohm Chiropractic. She has also branched out to serving other areas of the city, including Mt. Airy, Fairmount, West Philly, Fishtown, and Center City. Brittany was a Birth Works facilitator at the Maternal Wellness Center in Mt. Airy and continued teaching Birth Works classes in Mt. Airy at The Nesting House (former location of the Maternal Wellness Center) and at each of their additional locations in South Philly, West Philly, and Collingswood, for several years. Her South Philadelphia series classes are now held at the BOK building in South Philadelphia, where she shares space with Dr. Justin Ohm, of Ohm Chiropractic . She brought group Birth Works classes to the Fairmount section of Philadelphia, facilitating workshops at Still Waters Holistic Health Therapies from 2010 through 2019 and to the Fishtown section of the city, teaching at City Sprouts until their close in November 2016 and at Minnow Lane on Frankford Ave through 2020. Brittany's Homebirth Preparation Class can be found at Ohm Chiropractic in South Philadelphia. Her prenatal Breastfeeding and Chestfeeding 101 classes and Infant Care classes are offered in Brewerytown at Kith + Kin and in South Philly at BOK. Check out an interview with Brittany about her philosophies and classes at Philly Baby Bump. Brittany also helps mentor and guide new doulas as they begin their journey into the birth world. Doulas often observe her classes to fulfill their certification requirements and Brittany facilitates workshops specifically for doulas and birth professionals looking to expand their knowledge and skills. In addition, she offers a full doula mentorship course for those looking for one-on-one guidance, resources, and referrals as they enter in to the greater birth community. For more information about doula mentoring and one-on-one options available, please contact Brittany. Blossoming Bellies has been recognized by CBS Philly as one of the Top Childbirth Classes in Philly and is the winner of the 2016 Love Awards for Best Lactation Consultant, the 2017 Love Awards for Best Prenatal Classes, and the 2018, 2019, and 2020 Love Awards for Best Childbirth Preparation Classes. She is also a contributor to the blog A Child Grows and the blog We Bloom in Philly and has written several feature articles for the Birth Works newsletter. Brittany is a contributor to the international best-selling book "Baby Got VBAC: An Inspiring Collection of Wisdom for Better Births After a Cesarean," writing a chapter covering the importance of movement and guidelines for using it in all births, with a focus on vaginal birth after cesarean. In addition, she is a sought-after presenter on pelvic dynamics, fetal positioning, preventing malpositioning in labor, and working through positioning issues that can lead to stalls in labor, facilitating workshops at the Birth Works International Conference, the Freedom for Family Wellness Summit hosted by the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association, the Evidence Based Birth Conference, and the Midwifery Forward 2020 conference as well as for midwifery and obstetrical practices, labor and delivery nurses, and midwifery students around the country. She also has collaborated with East Eagle Yoga to develop and facilitate a prenatal yoga teacher training program full of the bodily knowledge, movement awareness, and empathetic practice that is crucial to the role of a prenatal yoga instructor. Brittany also developed and facilitated the online ICEA training for birth professionals on anatomy and reproductive structure. You can check out interviews with Brittany on a few national podcasts. She was honored to be a featured guest on episode #161 of the well known podcast, The VBAC Link, where she talks all about pelvic dynamics and autonomy in birth. Check it out at The VBAC Link! She will also be featured on the Vagina Talks podcast in February 2021. ​ Providing expecting families with information, resources, a listening ear, and love and support is at the core of Brittany's goals. In helping parents to recognize their strength as humans, role models, and advocates for the needs and wishes of themselves and their children, Brittany assists families in creating birth and parenting experiences of which they feel positive, confident, and informed. Her approach to birth and parenting focuses on building awareness of one's intuition and combining it with learned knowledge in a way that is respectful of the needs and abilities of each individual.