We are proud to present the following 2012 faculty members for the International Academy of Baby Planners Professionals Baby Planner Certification Program.
Mary Oscategui
Mary Oscategui, CBP [IABPP], is the Founder, CEO, and President of the International Maternity Institute (IMI) and International Academy of Baby Planner Professionals (IABPP). She is an international business consultant and educator who specializes in maternal health, fitness, and going green. Her career in the baby planning industry began with her company TheBabyPlanner.com. She is also the founder of Physical Awakening.com, a holistic integrative approach offering the services of yoga, meditation, pilates, fitness, and nutrition. .
She is the author of “The Baby Planner Profession: What You Need To Know! The Ultimate Guide and Resource for Baby Planner Professionals,” which provides those interested in a baby planning career with all the tools and support necessary to get started in the new industry of baby planning. Her latest book, “Green Body Green Birth”, is due to release at the end of 2011.
Mary enjoys empowering, educating, and supporting expectant and new parents to know all their options so that they may confidently make the best decisions for themselves and their baby in the most objective, healthy, safe way.
Mary has worked in the health and fitness industry for 16 years and has a multitude of prestigious certifications. She is a writer, speaker, educator, coach, certified yoga and pilates instructor, certified personal trainer, holistic nutrition consultant, going green consultant, greenproofer, and birthing options advocate. She introduced a new approach to the baby planning industry by focusing on the needs of her clients through parental education and emotional support and established the first and only certification program in the baby planning industry .
Mary advises and coaches baby planner professionals offering a wealth of knowledge and support. Her enthusiasm, inspiration, creativity, and knowledge has helped launch many baby planner start-up businesses in 20 countries around the world. She enjoys helping business owners meet their challenges with clear and direct solutions.
Additionally Mary continues to coach and train her clients through the modalities of yoga, pilates, personal training, mom and baby health, holistic nutrition, and weight management. Mary’s past experience includes managing a Group Exercise and Fitness Department for an upscale health club, and her own fitness and yoga company, Physical Awakening. She has also coordinated and arranged a variety of operations, including developing a highly successful special programming and events department, where she doubled her revenue within six months of starting. To learn more about Mary and her personal services visit: http://www.thebabyplanner.com and http://www.physicalawakening.com .
Emily Schaffer
Emily Schaffer received her B.A. in Holistic Health with an emphasis on the Spanish Language and Women’s Studies at Prescott College in Arizona and continued her education to become a certified Postpartum Doula through Doulas of North America. She is a certified Lactation Educator through Evergreen Hospital and a certified Baby Planner through International Academy of Baby Planner Professionals (IABPP). She holds a credential as a Happiest Baby on the Block instructor and Hug Your Baby Educator. Emily is a member of DONA International, La Leche League, Marin, San Francisco and East Bay doula groups. She is very active in the Marin parenting community and holds an Advisory Board position at The Parents Center, San Rafael, CA & International Academy of Baby Planner Professionals. She has worked professionally as a nanny, personal assistant and household manager for over 18 years.
Emily currently works as a Certified Postpartum Doula, Lactation Educator, Baby Planner and infant sleep specialist. She is committed to help with transition into parenthood with physical and emotional support and education so that new mothers and fathers are better equipped to make informed decisions. Emily offers private consultations on baby planning, newborn care, breastfeeding & lactation advice, newborn sleep solutions, nursery preparation and nanny training. In addition she also teaches many workshops on Happiest Baby on the Block, Baby Wearing, Hiring a Caregiver and Meet the Doula. Emily currently lives in her native town of Mill Valley, CA.
Saray Hill
Saray Hill is an IBCLC (International Board Certified Lactation Consultant), a Lactation Educator and Breastfeeding Peer Counselor, as well as a mom and wife residing in Los Angeles, CA. Born in Ecuador, she is fluent in both Spanish and English. Saray holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from the Universidad Católica Santiago de Guayaquil in Ecuador and completed the Lactation Consultant Training Program at the University of California San Diego-Extension. Mom/ entrepreneur Saray is the President of her own company, Mother’s Utopia Lactation Services, where she offers support to expectant and new parents on their journey of parenthood in person, online (Skype), in group or private lactation consultations and classes such as: breastfeeding, baby care, returning to work and breastfeeding, selecting the best breast pump for you and much more.
Saray is the Lactation Specialist for St. John’s Partnership for Families in Santa Monica, CA and previously worked as a Breastfeeding Peer Counselor for BELLAS (Breastfeeding Encouragement Learning Liaison and Support) in Charlotte, NC and WIC (Women Infants and Children) in Los Angeles, CA. These positions put her in contact with families of different backgrounds/ethnicities, socioeconomical and educational levels, with individual and specific needs. She is the founder of El Club de Lactancia en Twitter, the first Spanish speaking breastfeeding support group in social media, where moms from all over the world support one another on their motherhood and breastfeeding journeys. She is also one of the breastfeeding experts at Sixty Second Parent.
Saray believes that empowering parents means giving them evidence based information to help them make their own educated decisions when it comes to feeding and raising their children, along with compassionate and emotional support.
Saray Hill, BS, IBCLC, RLC
Michelle La Rowe
Michelle LaRowe is the 2004 International Nanny Association (INA) Nanny of the Year and is the author of the Nanny to the Rescue! parenting series, Working Mom’s 411: How to Manage Kids, Career and Home and a Mom’s Ultimate Book of Lists: 100+ Lists to Save You Time, Money and Sanity.
Michelle is an INA Credentialed Nanny, holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in chemistry, a certificate in pastoral studies and has spent more than 15 years as a professional nanny and parenting consultant. Michelle is an active member of the nanny community and serves as the Executive Director of the International Nanny Association, a 500+ member non-profit association dedicated to improving the quality of in-home child care.
Michelle is regularly called on by the media as a “nanny expert” and has appeared on television (700 Club, NECN, FOX), has been featured in print (USA Today, The Boston Globe, Better Homes and Gardens)and is a regular columnist for several magazines including FamiliesOnlineMagazine, TWINS Magazine and Today’s Pentecostal Evangel. Her writing has been featured in The Experts’ Guide to the Baby Years, on modernmom.com and in several national publications. Michelle is a national speaker and has spoken to moms groups across the country on various parenting topics and on the
importance of choosing quality child care..Michelle resides in Hyannis, Massachusetts with her husband Jeff and daughter Abigail.
You can learn more about Michelle by visiting her website:
http://www.michellelarowe.com.
Dr Rama Ronen
Dr. Rama Ronen, Ph.D (PSY #23043) is a licensed psychologist and has extensive experience working with individuals, families and children of all ages. She is exceptionally well trained in Cognitive Behavioral Psychotherapy and also incorporates Dialectical Behavioral principles in her practice. Rama works with expectant, new, and experienced mothers, providing support and helping develop useful skills during this transition time. She can also provide home visits if necessary. In addition, she also has many years of experience working with emotionally and behaviorally challenged children, depression, anxiety, loss and grief.
Dr. Rama Ronen has three areas of specialty:
Prenatal and Postpartum Support
Parenting Consultation
Child Psychotherapy
Dr. Ronen’s non-judgmental approach helps clients to identify, express and gain clarity about the challenges they face. She guides them to learn and apply creative, effective skills in a supportive and validating environment.
Dr. Ronen offers expertise on bereavement, and specifically on exploring the role of the continuing bond to the deceased and coping with the death of a loved one. She has extended her focuses to the impact of pet loss.
Dr. Ronen earned her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Pacific Graduate School of Psychology, which is fully accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA). Dr. Ronen is bilingual and offers services in both English and Hebrew.