About BirthWays

My name is Karen Kilson. I'm a happily married mother of three grown children, gramma to three gorgeous granddaughters, and live in western Connecticut in Sandy Hook. I maintain membership and certification as a birth doula with DONA International (Doulas of North America), membership and certification as a childbirth educator with CAPPA (Childbirth and Postpartum Professional Association), and membership with Lamaze International. BirthWays is the name of my practice in supporting women, and I have been lovingly doing so for a number of years.

In 1996 I trained as a birth doula with DONA International and became part of a local hospital-based doula program, working on and within the program for six years. Prenatal contact and preparation wasn't possible in that setting, and I felt a need for that component in my work. I left the hospital program in 2002 to practice on my own, offering the full scope of birth doula services--and fully appreciating the important added benefit of prenatal contact and preparation for the women I serve. Birth work is my "calling" and my passion.

As a doula I enthusiastically and capably assist birthing women using methods such as Lamaze, Bradley and Hypnobirthing; Yet I've also discovered there is a niche for birth education classes that aren't limited to one brand of teaching or to one organization's guidelines. In 2005 I trained and became a certified childbirth educator with CAPPA and authored a curriculum called "Choices In Birthing". "Choices In Birthing" is a series of richly informative, evidence-based classes, containing wisdom from the method classes--as well as current research, and experience based in the "real world" of birth as it is currently encountered. Please take some time to view the other pages of this website for more information on doula support and childbirth education.

The name "BirthWays" was carefully chosen to represent that as women are different, so are their birthing needs. There are many "ways" to birth. We need to recognize each woman's needs and respect her wishes while seeing that she has the knowledge necessary to make informed choices. BirthWays' butterfly logo was also specifically chosen to represent the growth of a woman in her journey, her unique metamorphosis during labor and birth, and the freedom she can experience as she realizes her own empowerment. I wish this much for you, and promise to show you how to find the birth experience you seek, even need, to have.

Welcome Baby

http://www.WelcomeBaby.com