Brenda Parrish,
DEM, CLC, CCCE, CD(DONA)

How can I help make your birth a safer, more satisfying experience?

• My goal with BirthWise classes is to inform you about your birth choices and the pros and cons to every medical intervention concerning birth, instruct you in the birth process to remove fear, empower you with methods to cope naturally, give you the most up-to-date information about evidence based maternity care, educate you about breastfeeding, and help you to make informed choices that will reduce your risk for cesarean birth.

• My goal as a doula is to work with you and your family prior to labor to teach coping and comfort measures and to support you during labor and birth with specific techniques. Using a doula has been shown to significantly reduce medical interventions and cesarean rates.

• My goal as a lactation counselor is to reach every mother possible and instruct and support her to make breastfeeding successful. This is accomplished through our childbirth classes, private consultation and the monthly support group meetings.

• My goal as a traditional midwife is to provide information and consultation during the prenatal months that will help you to have a natural, healthy pregnancy and birth. I can assist you in learning more about the role of nutrition, abstaining from harmful prenatal influences, maternal and fetal health and development, and alternative remedies. I maintain a lending library for clients and encourage you to become a learner and a more informed consumer of maternity care and practices. Midwifery care assists low-risk mothers by approaching pregnancy and birth as a normal event.

I maintain memberships in these professional organizations:

• CAPPA: Childbirth and Postpartum Professional Association
• Christian Midwives International
• The Georgia Midwifery Association
• Healthy Children's Certified Lactation program
• The South GA Breastfeeding Coalition
• The Georgia Breastfeeding Coalition
• Operation Special Delivery (provides a volunteer doula for wives of deployed soldiers)

I also keep current certifications in these courses:

• Basic Life Support for Healthcare Providers (CPR)
• NRP (Neonatal Resuscitation Program)

I received clinical training at:

• Darton College Nursing Department
• The Farm Midwifery Center
• Workshops held by the Georgia Midwifery Association
• Casa de Nacimiento Birth Clinic, El Paso, TX
• Apprenticeship under Certified Professional Midwives
• DONA professional workshops
• CAPPA professional workshops
• Workshops held by Christian Midwives International

Didactic Education received from:

• Ancient Arts Midwifery Institute (3 year distance learning school)
• Self-study
• Various workshops
• Darton College of Nursing