new owner:
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Hello!
I am thrilled to be continuing this amazing childbirth education course that Amanda and Tim Gunderson began in 2012 for the Chippewa Valley! My husband and I live in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, with my our three children -- Evan (12), Rachel (9), and Micah (6). I have been in breastfeeding support for many years and am so grateful for the strong birth community in this area. My private lactation practice is Mama Bear Lactation Care, and I invite you to visit my own page to learn more about my services. Read on for more about me and how I came to take on "Confident Birth & Beyond" as a service. |
BACKGROUND ON THE MERGER
Started by local parents Amanda and Tim Gunderson in 2012, Confident Birth classes have helped prepare approximately 100 local families for their birthing experiences over the first eight years that they have been in existence!
The heart and hands of Mama Bear Lactation Care belong to Jennifer Hafele, also a long-time member of Eau Claire’s birth community. Jennifer has been a volunteer leader with La Leche League—Eau Claire since 2011, Certified Lactation Counselor since 2017, and International Board Certified Lactation Consultant since 2019. She opened her private lactation consulting practice in Fall 2019. Adapting her home-visiting practice, Jennifer expanded her offerings in 2020 to include virtual consults, online prenatal breastfeeding classes, and a free weekly online support group.
Confident Birth (CB) was pleased to merge with Eau-Claire based Mama Bear Lactation Care (MBLC) mid-2020. This website is in progress to reflect that change.
With Amanda transitioning out for family reasons, she asked if Jennifer was interested in taking over and running the CB series. Former teachers, both are passionate about providing great resources to new parents and empowering them with evidence-based information. Jennifer, who holds a Masters’ Degree in Education, felt strongly that these classes should continue, particularly during the pandemic. Deciding to merge MBLC with CB, she asked Amanda to teach her the ins and outs of the interactive series and co-teach it one more time with her in November 2020.
Going forward, the next “Confident Birth & Beyond” course series will be in February 2021, with more to come throughout the year. Jennifer has invited experienced and beloved local birth/postpartum doula Rhonda Gearing to co-teach with her in Amanda’s place. They are excited to continue supporting birthing and nursing families through this course!