MY JOURNEY
My mother says that I slipped into the world. I am the fourth of her five children. She didn't know she was in labor; she just felt funny that day. She met her doctor at the hospital where he was doing his rounds, and after a quick look he told the staff to prep her for birth. This was 1964. My mother fought the hospital staff, struggling to refuse the numbing drugs that were forced upon her. They didn't listen, and out I slid as her world went blurry. Later she asked the doctor why they insisted on drugs, and he said "because you didn't take the natural childbirth class". (For her fifth, she took the class…and had a natural birth).
My husband Elie and I met in Israel when I was 19, a student at Hebrew University. We have owned a leather craft business for over twenty years in upstate New York. Together we worked as artisans as we raised our two daughters, Talya and Shira.
My first birth ended up as a surprise breech and an unplanned c-section. My second was a planned VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean). I had natural birth, at home, with a midwife.
I guess I haven't changed much over the years. I still have a soft gentle presence, and feel a passion to help women experience birth fully, gently and joyously.
As my daughters grew and became more independent, I felt ready to branch out on my own and follow my dream of working with women and their life cycles. I wanted to share the understandings I had realized through my own births. I felt that childbirth education was my calling.
Education and Experience:
1988 Received Bachelor's degree in anthropology and sociology Western Connecticut State University
1988 Trained in Bradley Technique of husband coached childbirth
1989 and 1991 Gave birth to Talya and Shira
1996 Attended first birth as a doula for a friend
1996 Trained in intuitive energetic healing with Fiona Whitmore, received master healer certification from Healix Institute now based in Ojai, California.
1999-2006 Taught workshops: moving meditation /drum making/ craft
2006 Trained in Lamaze with Judith Lothian author of "The Official Lamaze Guide" became Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educator
2006 Teaching Childbirth Education and Providing Doula Services
2006-2007 Became a Certified HypnoBirthing® Practitioner
We moved to Israel in July 2006 and settled in Tel-Aviv. Since that time I have enjoyed working with pregnant and birthing women, guiding and supporting them at homebirths and hospital births, in English and in Hebrew, as well as teaching HypnoBirthing® to Birth Professionals.
2007 Assissted at the first HypnoBirth of a family that I trained, along with homebirth midwife Ilana Shemesh
2007 Trained and received neonatal resuscitation certification AAP/AHA
2007 Trained in doula arts with Debra Pascali Bonero (producer and director of the film "Orgasmic Birth")
2008 Became certified doula with DONA (Doulas of North America) International
2008 Joined staff at Baby Teva (aromatherapy for pregnancy, birth, and the newborn)
2009 Created Pashut Laledet: Israeli Center for Relaxed Childbirth Education by HypnoBirthing® with partners Sharon Peled and Rebecca Rosenstein
Keeping Busy....
2015 Volunteered at Community Clinic for Women
2016 my partnership Pashut Laledet has translated HypnoBirthing the Mongan Method to Hebrew!
2017-2021 Currently teaching HypnoBirthing® Practitioner Trainings. Sign up for a class today!
Now Online!
And offering all of the services listed on this site
2013 Became faculty member of HypnoBirthing® Instutute International
2014 Trainer of birth professionals in HypnoBirthing® techniques
2014 Trainer of midwives in guided imagery
2014 Formed doula group
2014 Became a certified Hypnotist - NGH
2019 Practitioner Trainings in Beijing, China and Kerem Maharal, Israel
2020 and 2021 trainings available on zoom.
2021-22 Started 2 new projects Mind Body Birthkeepers and Mechanisms of Balance
Check us out!
2023-25 Co-managing Mercaz Pashut Laledet - HypnoBirthing courses along with my daughter Talya Aji
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