TRISH BECKMAN, CNM brings to her class many years of experience and wisdom from attending over 700 births in the past ten years. Her experience includes births at home, hospital and birth centers.

She considers natural childbirth to be her specialty and taught a similar class series in Chicago Il. She was associated with New Dawn Midwifery from 2003-2005. She presently attends births at Catawba Valley Medical Center in Hickory NC.

LAURA BEAGLE, CD/LMBT brings to her class experience and wisdom from attending many births in Asheville as a doula. She has attended births at all three local hospitals as well as homebirths. She is familiar with many of the local OB providers and the policies and procedures at the different hospitals. Her pregnancy massage practice has given her many hours of connection with pregnant women as they journey through pregnancy.

Laura brings the very practical knowledge of massage techniques for each stage of labor. She is a certified member of the International Childbirth Education Association, and she is a certified doula through DONA International. She has over 64 hours of training in bodywork for the childbearing year and is a certified prenatal and postpartum massage therapist.

JO ROBERTS, RN lives in Haywood County and is eager to serve clients in nearby counties. Jo offers an excellent “bag of tricks” for the laboring woman, with a large selection of soothing CDs, a birth ball, a birthing stool and photography skills (if desired). Jo is cheerful and friendly and offers a quality prenatal component, which includes teaching and listening skills. She offers continuous, calm, skillful labor support – emphasizing quiet reassurance and enhancement of the natural abilities of the laboring woman. Jo is eager to help parents have the type of birth experience they want.

The mother of a grown daughter, Jo grew up in Cullowhee, NC. She is a UNC-CH graduate with a BS in Nursing. She has had over 20 years experience in public health nursing. Jo is currently certified through Doulas of North America (DONA). She also has training with CAPPA in postpartum support.