SPEAKER BIOS:
Faith Bontrager, RN, BSN:
BSN:
Faith has formally served families as a doula since 2000 but has been involved with
birth and birthing issues for much longer. She is currently working on a research
project concerning social support for women who miscarry. She has been a believer
since age 4. Her desire for herself and for us as a group is that we would we would see
God as He is, and worship Him in spirit and in truth.
CallahanCallahan-Shearer, M.A., Christy:
Christy is a writer, educator and Certified Prenatal Coach who nurtures parents and
birth professionals. A graduate of Fuller Theological Seminary and the Institute for Life
Coach Training's Foundational Course, Christy began her study of birth psychology in
2002 at Santa Barbara Graduate Institute. With a passion for gently welcoming babies
into the womb and the world, she birthed her sons Lucas (Aug. '99) and Nathan
(Sept. '06) at home. Christy and her husband Aaron recently re-located to Atlanta,
Georgia.
Hillman, Renata:
Renata is a Christian traditional Midwife who is married to Andy (32 years). She
is Mother to Ashley (29) who was a typical hospital birth. She is mother to a tiny
miscarried girl and mother to Emery (eternally 18) who was born drug free in a
hospital. She is also mother to April (22) who was born at home. She is
Grandmother and Midwife to Kimberlyn (age 2). She is a certified childbirth
educator, certified labor assistant, certified monitrice and traditional midwife
since 1981. She has opened her life and calling to apprentices since 1988 and she
has had over 30 apprentices, many have realized midwifery wasn't truly their
calling, some have gone on to serve in other areas of birth and at least 6 have
gone on to become primary care midwives. She has made the decision that it is
not her calling to make midwives, that is God's call. Her obligation is to share with the ladies what God has
provided to her through paths, births and experiences.
Holman, Marisol:
Marisol is a wife and mother of three fabulous children, who along with her husband own
an operate BirthWith-Sol.com. She is part of the Home4Birth Midwifery practice in Indiana
with Brandi Wood and Wantina Brooks. Marisol and Gary have continued to grow their
business and are now the largest distributor of fine quality Rebozos within the US.
Huntley, Alicia:
(Coming soon)
Keeslar CPM, Ireena:
Ireena started working in a free standing birth center as a nurse in 1997, and after becoming
a CPM began to work as a midwife doing home births. She has been practicing as a midwife
since 2001. She lives in a small Indiana town with her husband Scott (27 years) and 2
children still at home. They farm for themselves and have 4 grandchildren (2 born into
Ireena's hands)! She enjoys gardening, drawing and painting, sewing, photography and
mission work.
Luyten CPM, Lori:
Lori and her husband Mark have been married since 1985 and have four
home-schooled children. The oldest graduated June 06. She is a CPM and LM
and has been in private practice in Southern California since 2000. Barbara
Harper encouraged Lori to have her fourth child in water and the experience
changed her forever. She has attended several advanced water birth trainings
in Germany with Cornelia Enning and has attended over 250 water births.
Merrit, RN, Franny:
Franny is a pastor's wife and mother of three. She has taught childbirth classes since
1998. She is currently employed at St Vincent Frankfort Hospital as a Registered
Nurse in obstetrics and leads Gently Led, a Christ centered childbirth education
ministry. Franny is also pursuing her master's in nursing and certification as a Nurse
Midwife at the Frontier School of Midwifery and Family Nursing.
Parker CCE, Shonda:
Shonda's work with birthing women began in 1989 when she and a friend founded VBAC
of Tarrant County, Inc. in Fort Worth, Texas to provide education in birth choice for
women. She taught childbirth classes, provided herbal medicine consulting services for
midwives, and birthed seven babies as she wrote her books, Naturally Healthy Pregnancy,
Mommy Diagnostics and Naturally Healthy Woman and developed pregnancy safe
formulas for TriLight Herbs. While she oversees the NH Family Herbal Study Course,
speaks at various midwifery and women's events across the country, and tinkers with
improving her Intimate Solutions formulas, she now works hard at learning to sit still
occasionally.
Peckman, Betty:
Betty and her husband Jim (married for 53 years.) have 3 married children, 12 grandchildren, 4 great
grandchildren..Betty got her nursing education in Chicago and caught her 1st baby as a student nurse. From
there the seed was planted to become a midwife. . Betty's first two children were born in the hospital, with
short labors. With her 2nd baby, although they did not desire it, pain medicine was given (as it was
routine) and the resulting problems to their newborn caused him to be out of their arms for 48 hours.
When pregnant for their 3rd child they searched for a midwife (not wanting to repeat the previous
situation) but were unsuccessful in their hunt.
Betty began praying for wisdom and having daily quiet time with the Lord which was the beginning of her
midwifery education and the foundations for her book Christian Midwifery. Betty began sharing what the
Lord had taught her with women's church groups in the area. One of the attendants asked Betty to be part
of her home birth 2 years later, for the same family, Betty began her midwifery career.
Richards, Doran:
Doran is the founder and sole owner of Blessing God's Way and co-author of the book A
Celebration of Pregnancy!. She is a wife and mother to 5 blessings thus far-praising the
LORD for them always! She homeschools and is very active in her church and community.
She assists midwives in births from time to time and enjoys serving women and their families
in this capacity. She is a long time student midwife, studying independently at the moment,
waiting patiently for the season of life to pursue midwifery at a more vigorous pace. She
holds positions on the boards of Cascade Christian Childbirth Association as well as
International Christian Childbirth Coalition. She also teaches and speaks at conferences for
women of all ages on their three cycles of life: Maidenhood, Maternity & Menopause.
SpradlinSpradlin-Ramos, BS, LMT, BA, Enyeda:
Enyeda was born in Managua, Nicaragua. She became interested in birth since she was
nine, after observing a midwife resolve a prolonged second stage by simply having the
mother blow into a bottle three times. Enyeda has been involved in childbirth,
breastfeeding and homeschooling for the last 21 years and has attended homebirths for
the last 13 years
Trent, - A.S., B.A., CLE, CMA, CPT, MHA (cand)/MD (3rd year), Roxanne:
Roxanne is in the Midwives College of Utah Masters of Midwifery
degree program, and preparing to enter her 3rd year of medical
training to become a physician, (MD). She wrote the NARM exam in
2002, is a Certified Lactation Educator, CLE (CAPPA), a Certified
Medical Assistant (CMA), and a Red Cross Instructor in several
categories. Additionally, she also holds certification as a Certified
Phlebotomy Technician (CPT). She is in the process of developing
coursework for clinical midwifery seminars to be offered to the
Midwest midwifery community. She adores her 3 daughters~ her hearts
delight and joy from Jesus. Thank you Jesus!
Tritten, Jan:
Jan is the founder of Midwifery Today. She became a midwife in 1977 after the wonderful
homebirth of her daughter. Her mission is to make loving midwifery care the norm for
birthing women and their babies in this country and around the world.
Vanderlaan, Jennifer:
Jennifer is a childbirth educator, and a doula. She has been a trainer of
childbirth educators, and is a founder of Cascade Christian Childbirth
Association. She has authored two books about Christian Childbirth, and
building a publishing company for Christian childbirth titles. She also received
degrees in physiology and psychology from Michigan State University. She is
creator of Birthing Naturally website - an online, complete resource for
pregnancy and childbirth.