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.
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