Speaker Sessions

Today’s expecting parents have access to more information, products, and advice than ever before, yet many still feel overwhelmed and underprepared when pregnancy, birth, postpartum, and parenthood arrive. Why? Because most of the focus is on preparing for the baby instead of preparing the people becoming parents. In this engaging and practical session, pregnancy expert, baby planner, doula, and educator Nina Spears shares what she has learned after supporting more than 800 families in person, thousands virtually, and attending over 350 births. Parents will discover how to prepare physically, mentally, emotionally, relationally, and practically for one of life’s biggest transitions. They’ll leave with simple, actionable steps to help them feel more informed, supported, organized, and confident throughout pregnancy, birth, postpartum, and the transition into parenthood.

What is informed consent and who actually gives informed consent?  It’s up to the provider to give you information and options and it’s up to the client to give informed consent. What are your rights in all birth settings and how do protocols and guidelines affect your rights and decisions? Jaelin Stickles draws from her experience as a Doctor of Nursing Practice and midwife to share insights parents need as they prepare for their births and future medical decision-making.

Join this panel of experienced independent childbirth educators to discuss various approaches to preparing for your birth. There will be a panel discussion, followed by Q & A, as time allows.

Acompáñanos en una sesión informativa y de apoyo, diseñada para ayudar a las familias a comprender los cambios emocionales que experimentan las mujeres durante el embarazo y después del parto. Exploraremos formas prácticas de cuidar la salud mental de la madre, reconocer las señales que indican que puede necesitar apoyo adicional y aprender cómo los miembros de la familia pueden desempeñar un papel fundamental en la creación de un entorno saludable y acogedor para la madre y el bebé.

Dr. Akinwande will discuss the importance of pelvic health during pregnancy and postpartum.

Join Debbie Hull, labor doula and childbirth educator trainer, as she discusses your birth team members and their roles. What does a midwife do that an OB doesn’t? How do parents know if they need an OB or a midwife or both? Why would an expecting family need a doula if they already have a midwife or an OB? And how do they even begin to plan for their birth? With over 27 years as a labor doula and childbirth educator in the Houston area and 10 years training new birth professionals around the country, Debbie brings a wealth of information and experience helping families plan, and plan to plan, their births.

Join these educators for a look at alternative approaches to schooling your children. There will be a panel discussion, followed by Q and A, as time allows.

Watching someone you love struggle with addiction can leave you feeling helpless, frustrated, and unsure how to help. This session offers a compassionate look at the nature of addiction—how it affects the brain, behavior, and relationships—and why simple willpower isn’t enough to “just stop.” We’ll explore practical tools for supporting a loved one in active addiction, along with common approaches that often backfire, even when well-intentioned. Central to this presentation are the 3 C’s of Codependency: you didn’t cause it, you can’t control it, and you can’t cure it. Understanding these truths can bring relief to families exhausted from trying to fix what isn’t theirs to fix. Walk away with clarity, compassion, and concrete next steps for yourself and your family.

Curious how chiropractic care fits into pregnancy and early childhood? Dr. Long breaks down what prenatal and pediatric chiropractic actually is—including the Webster Technique, a gentle approach performed on mothers to support pelvic balance during pregnancy. We’ll cover what this care can help with, from pregnancy discomfort to common infant concerns, what the research does and doesn’t support, and how to know if it’s right for you and your family.

Most childbirth preparation focuses on the birth of the baby—but a mother is being born, too. In this engaging, evidence-informed presentation, clinical psychologist and perinatal mental health specialist Dr. Lauren Pasqua introduces matrescence: the physical, neurological, emotional, relational, and identity transition into motherhood.

The midwives on our panel represent hospital, home, and birth center births. Join them for their discussion of their practices and Q and A, as time permits.

A presentation of resources and information to support families in making informed decisions regarding vaccination. 

Please join Holly Milkowski an evidence-based discussion about the nuanced, at times emotional topic of circumcision. Whether you’re brand new to this information or have done plenty of research already, all are welcome as she provides a fact-focused and compassion-forward approach to your education. If you’re undecided about circumcision, curious about the pros and cons, or unclear about proper care of an intact (uncircumcised) baby, this presentation is especially for you!

We all came to this profoundly rewarding and challenging work of parenting carrying our own backpack of emotions, history, and expectations of how parenting would be. Many of us were surprised by how things actually turned out. It’s normal to feel overwhelmed, frustrated, and confused — yet we’re often even more surprised by how we react to those feelings. In this no-blame, no-shame session, Kirsten helps parents understand where these unexpected reactions come from, and offer solid tools to identify triggers and shift gears in the moment. You’ll also learn how to build peer support for yourself — support that helps heal patterns that may have run in your family for generations. Walk away feeling more confident parenting in a conscious way — the way YOU want to — responding rather than reacting.

Meet our panel, composed of both labor and postpartum doulas, and learn how doulas can help smooth the process of having your baby and beginning life at home with your baby. The panel discussion will be followed by Q and A, as time permits.

Suzanne Juel spoke with parents about family traditions and found that most already know they want their children to grow up with meaningful traditions and a strong sense of connection. The harder part is figuring out what they actually want that to look like. It’s especially difficult when you’re in the middle of having a baby and adjusting to everything that comes with becoming a family. In this session, You’ll talk about how to intentionally build the traditions you want your children to grow up with, including holidays, everyday routines, family rituals, and simple things you return to year after year. We’ll also talk about what happens when partners grew up with very different traditions or have different ideas about what matters. This isn’t about adding more things to your already-full life. It’s about deciding what matters to your family and creating traditions that are realistic enough to actually keep.