Meet Ires.
Ires has been attending births since 2011. Her philosophy on supporting families during this major life transition stems from her own birth experiences, as well as witnessing hundreds of women giving birth. For the last 16 years, she has taught a well-attended weekly prenatal yoga class and childbirth education class in Maplewood, NJ. She honors the uniqueness of each family she is serving and aims to educate, inspire, support, and love the women she serves.
She believes in these core values:
“We must take radical responsibility for our own health and healing. Birth is sacred and holy. Birth should be led by the mother -- she is the sole authority over her body and the child growing inside her.”
“Birth is an initiation process that prepares us for motherhood. Mothers should be revered, cared for, and loved throughout the entire perinatal period.”
“Mothers should not be coerced, lied to, or shamed, and they should not be made to feel fearful of childbirth.”
Ires has spent the last 16 years exploring and learning about the many aspects of birth. She is a certified birth doula CD(DONA), a trained postpartum doula, a certified lactation counselor, a Body, Ready, Method® professional, a graduate of the Radical Birth Keeper School, a Certified Hatha and prenatal yoga Instructor, and a childbirth educator. She has taken advanced doula trainings and courses including acupressure for pregnancy and birth and Spinning Babies®. She has traveled to Bali, India, The Farm in Tennessee, studying with wise elders. Her hope and dream for every mother is that she emerges from her pregnancy and birth journey more confident, resilient, joyous, and deeply connected to her baby.
A Wise Woman and Mother. Walking alongside you on your powerful journey.
Birth is a healing journey.
My personal healing journey began in my mid-20s. I was born in Brooklyn in 1973. My parents and grandparents had recently immigrated to the US and had to work long hours to make ends meet. They dealt with a lot of stress, both from generational trauma as well as living and succeeding in a new country. They never stopped working and pushing forward.
When I was a senior in college, these stresses caught up to me, and I knew I had to learn how to relax, live a healthy life, and feel good in my own body. I kept my mind open to many holistic modalities. I was drawn to yoga, dance, and martial arts. Thus began my holistic healing journey.
I had many health struggles around my menstrual cycle and was learning about nutrition and food as medicine. I experimented with different ways of eating, from macrobiotic to vegan diets. I am grateful that I landed on eating a nutrient-dense, “sapien-diet" focused on knowing the sources of my food and, connecting with farmers for pasture-raised meats, raw milk and kefir, seasonal fruit and vegetables, raw honey, bone broths and kombucha. Meanwhile, my home apothecary is filled with herbs and homeopathy. I’ve used acupuncture, massage, somatic therapy, and chiropractic care for support in my healing process. I understood the importance of investing in myself because I truly believe you either pay now or pay later.
I was patient with my healing process and understood how the psycho-spiritual-emotional- and mental are all deeply intertwined. Healing, resolving conflicts, and forming healthy relationships are integral to our healing.
Birth is revealing. One of my mentors, Yolanda Norris Clark, says,“Your birth is a reflection of your inner and outer world and all the choices you make for yourself.” When I was pregnant with my son in 2004, my intuition told me that a natural birth was what is normal and what I would strive for.
