Contact : karen@inharmonybirth.com + 610.710.1042

 

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I am Karen Zamperini. A wife, mother, and birth supporter.

When I got pregnant with my first child, I was living in Egypt. I went back to the US to find a doctor and a doula for my birth. Why doula? Years before having a child was even remotely on my radar screen, I heard Ricki Lake talk about doulas. It seemed like an obvious choice, especially since my husband would be coming from Egypt and might miss the birth. I had a cesarean birth due to persistent breech presentation and my doula was amazing support before, during and after.

I learned so much overcoming my own breastfeeding challenges, that I began to help others through breastfeeding support groups and online. I even took my son to Washington, DC for a Breastfeeding rally and to Ohio for a breastfeeding blog community picnic.

While preparing for my VBAC, I found Hypnobabies. There was no teacher in my area, so I did the Home Study. My birth was so amazing, that I began helping others in person and online to prepare for VBACs. I always recommended Hypnobabies. The first person I encouraged was my doula's next client after me. I always think of her in June, the month of her VBAC. A friend asked me to doula for her VBAC and so I began doula work and there was no turning back!

I was so inspired by my experiences that I flew with my entire family from Korea to St. Louis, MO so I could attend instructor training and bring Hypnobabies to the English-speaking expat community in Korea. In fact, my daughter celebrated her 2nd birthday at the training.

After returning to Korea and completing certification, I began teaching in Korea. We moved shortly after my first class finished and I landed on the Main Line. Here, I was lucky enough to be able to take the live class. Even though, I was already an instructor and had already had a great Hypnobabies birth, taking the class as a student was a great experience. My husband and I had time to focus on just baby#3, and we were able to devote the time to preparing for her birth. My daughter was another fast, easy (though early) Hypnobabies VBAC and when she was just 7 weeks old, I began teaching Hypnobabies.

I love to help families on the journey through birth to parenthood. Witnessing them bloom into confident parents is truly inspiring. I love to "pay forward", all of the support and encouragement I have received and I learn so much from the families I serve as well. I thank all of the families who have honored me by allowing me into their sacred space. I love what I do! (If you find my business partner, Nancy and I together, we are probably talking about birth, breastfeeding or hypnosis in some way)!

I feel the Mother Roasting, postpartum support and ceremonies honoring the transition to parenthood provide the missing piece, especially in the US where postpartum support is sorely lacking. Pampering and honoring the postpartum Mama and respecting her transition can make such a difference in her experience of the "4th Trimester", first year and beyond. Witnessing and celebrating these transitions in our busy lives allows us to appreciate the now and just be.

I currently offer Mother Roasting Postpartum Ceremonies and Services, hypnotherapy, Hypnobabies Childbirth Hypnosis classes, Eat*Sleep*Love Class (For Breastfeeding, Infant Sleep and Thriving in the Postpartum Period) and placenta preparations on the Main Line and Philadelphia areas. I will soon offer Prenatal Yoga classes as well. Hypnobabies classes are currently taught in Philadelphia, PA and on the Main Line in Wayne, PA.

My qualifications and training:

Certified Hypnotherapist (CH) through the National Guild of Hypnotists
Hypnobabies Childbirth Hypnosis Instructor (HCHI) through Hypnobabies®
Birth and Postpartum Doula training through Childbirth International
Certified Breastfeeding Counselor through Childbirth International
Certified Art of Sacred Postpartum Mother Roaster through Sacred Pregnancy
Placenta Encapsulation Specialist (PES) through PBi
Yoga Instructor (200 Hour) in Raja Yoga through Magic Pond Yoga
Prenatal Yoga Instructor through Blooma
Spinning Babies Workshop with Gail Tully
Rebozo Training with Gena Kirby
Neonatal Resucitation Training with Karen Strange
Biological Nurturing, Laid-Back Breastfeeding Training with Dr. Suzanne Colson
Processing Perinatal Grief with Hearthside Perinatal & Bereavement Care
Passion for Birth Lamaze Seminar with Ann Tumblin
Midwifery 101 with Gloria LeMay (Explored topics in Midwifery from an Introductory Perspective. I am not qualified to be a midwife)
Birth Doula Training (Focus on Birth in Korea) with Lisa Fincaryk of Birthing in Korea
Friedman's Curve and Failure to Progress with Rebecca Dekker of Evidence Based Birth

 

**Karen is also a Certified Sacred Pregnancy Mini Retreat Instructor.