PARENT MEETING PANELISTS
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Andrea is a descendant of a long line of birth workers, and that wisdom has unconsciously guided her throughout her life, most importantly now as a doula. For the last 6 years, she has worked as a Full Spectrum Doula, supporting families through fertility, pregnancy, birth, and postpartum.
Prior to committing to birthwork full-time, she managed and innovated Diversity Equity and Inclusion spaces within tech organizations, like Samsung STA, Publicis, Twilio, and NextGen America, for over a decade. Having worked across a wide range of issues related to DEIB, her extensive experience gives her the dexterity to continue to serve underrepresented communities and change agents within birthing spaces.
In addition to Nurture & Flow, she co-founded and manages the non-profit Birth Ruckus - bridging the gap in disparities in maternal care for Black and Brown birthing people and education for aspiring doulas. Her work is dedicated to elevating the voices and experiences of marginalized communities while affirming her role as a liberator and activist.
Aryel Sawdey is a homeschooling Mother of two, Certified Breastfeeding Specialist, Doula & passionate birth worker. She believes not everyone is born with a “village” but peer support is essential and is always looking to help build her client's village and show the power of community support. Empowering each and every birthing person and bringing informed consent and non bias into the birth room is her number one goal.
Taylor is an expert in postpartum depression and trauma recovery who challenges her clients by digging deep and confronting narratives to increase intuitive awareness and mental clarity. She uses only the highest caliber therapeutic practices that encourage the evolution of inner wisdom and inspiration for growth.
Taylor earned her PhD in Forensic Psychology and MA in Philosophy from Walden University. Her strong background in psychology, crime, and trauma have empowered her to help birthing folks heal from feeling out of control, intrusive thoughts, depression, and feeling alone.
Experiencing postpartum depression herself, Taylor is able to fully understand and capture the essence of a postpartum mother, her mental health, and her strive to feel whole again.
Dr. Soliman is a Pediatrician, neonatology consultant with 19 years’ experience, a Clinical Nutrition physician and an IBCLC since 2008. A board member of the MILCC (Monetary Investment for Lactation Consultant Certification). An Associate Alumni, Harvard Medical School.
A volunteering member at ILCA (International Lactation Consultants Association) in several modules (conference committee, study, research and publications and webinar task modules) since 2018 and currently and was selected on the 1th of January 2020 to serve as a member of the Equity Advisor Team member of the International Lactation Consultants Association for the year 2019/2020
She is also an instructor and trainer at the Egyptian Board of Pediatrics and a member of the committee of the Egyptian Board (Managerial position).
December 2022 was selected among the team of the Infant Feeding Equity Summit committee of BreastfeedLA.
December 2022 was selected to participate in the Doulas and Perinatal Community Health Workers in Medicaid Learning Series.
October 2022 finished the basic and advanced family planning training course provided by the Egyptian Ministry of Health and population.
In September 2022, was selected by the United Nations to participate in their training course "Fundamentals of Entrepreneurship, Innovation, and Public Health" and the “Leadership, Strategy, and Innovation in Public Health course”
In July 2022, she was nominated for the USLCA award winner reward, that is assigned for excellency in the field of breastfeeding medicine and practice.
An “IBCLC & ILCA Award Winner” for the year 2021, this is an award to the most effective lactation consultant in their community and worldwide supporting maternal and child health.
In December 2021, she has been selected as one of four leaders responsible for the Non-Profit Management Technical Assistance series of the United States Breastfeeding Committee (USBC), responsible for providing training and technical assistance to the breastfeeding network of state, territorial, local, tribal, and cultural coalitions, the U.S. Breastfeeding Committee (USBC) committee and healthcare providers.
October 2021, I have been selected as a member of the GOLD Neonatal Professional Advisory Committee “PAC” responsible for planning the Neonatal Gold 2022 Conference.
Periodically participating as an instructor and trainer in the training program “Training of trainers for baby friendly hospital initiatives” (TOT for BFHI), under coverage of UNICEF and WHO and Alazhar University Hospitals- Faculty of medicine” which is held in a continuous manner to the medical university students to step up with breastfeeding medicine education and lactation practice among freshly graduated medical students and post graduates.
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Ashley started her professional career as a physical therapist and developed her passion for pelvic health and birth after the birth of her two children. She saw the immense gap of care occurring for the birthing individual as the transcended from pregnancy to postpartum and lack of proactive care to prevent unnecessary discomfort and trauma in these phases.
Her mission is to help create a more comprehensive care model to support people throughout the journey of bringing a child into the world and help people feel empowered and prepared throughout this time period.
Shari is a 20-year Occupational Therapist who has always been passionate to help people to live better lives. Since she was a kid I knew it was all she ever wanted to do.
When she became a mom, this passion deepened both for postpartum people and young aspiring athletes. Shari has firsthand experience of the toll pregnancy can take on a person's body. Fusing traditional corrective exercises, pelvic floor therapy, and Pilates, Shari overcame a Diastisis Recti and chronic pelvic floor weakness. Her program Core Rehab was born from the combining of all of her professional and personal experiences and passion to help other people rehabilitate from childbirth.