Welcome to The Birthing Family^SM Center Site
formerly the Birth and Bonding Family Center^SM

 We are now in the next phase of developing our online site to offer quality information.

Just as when we were a brick and mortar store front all programs will focus on sensitive approaches for each member of the nucleus birthing family during pregnancy, birth, through the first year post birth. Our approach will continue to be from the perspective of giving new pregnant and birthing parents a sense of the natural rhythms for gestating and birthing their child into the world, along with the exploration of the wise use of medical interventions when truly needed.

Important Topics:

• 
  The Homeopathic Childbirth Manual
  Hannah Betty Idarius
  hannahbettyidarius.com
• 
  Wise Woman Herbal for the Childbearing Year
  by Susan Weed
  Available at Amazon.com
• 
  Water Birth: A Midwife’s Perspective
  by Susanna Napierala
  Available at Amazon.com
• 
  Please Don’t Cut the Baby
  by Marilyn Fayre Milos with Judy Kirkwood
  Available at Amazon.com
• 
  This Penis Business: A Memoir
  by Georganne Chapin
  Available at Amazon.com
• 
  The Primal Wound: Understanding the Adopted Child
  by Nancy Verrier
  Available at Amazon.com
• 
  Coming Home to Self
  both books exploring adoption by Nancy Verrier a mother of a biological child and an adopted child.
  Available at Amazon.com
• 
  The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding: Completely Revised and Updated 8th Edition
  Available at Amazon.com
• 
  At A Loss
  Donna Rothert
  donnarothert.com

We are proud to offer “The Elder Speaks Series.^SM”

This series will consist of essays and links to Elder Professionals who have specialized in serving the birthing family from preconception, pregnancy, through the first year post birth… as well as some of the challenging parenting choices for the first 10 years.

We are proud that many of our certified trainees are continuing to serve the birthing family for over 25 years. A number of these certified Doulas will be contributing to the Elder Speaks Series. 

Elder Speaks Series^SM

“A New Look at Our Ages Old Human Innate Parenting Skills”
by Sharon Ledbetter A Social Psychologist

“Should Children be Vaccinated against COVID-19?”
by Peggy O’Mara, independent journalist and editor and publisher of Mothering magazine for over 30 years.

The thread of evolution and purpose this site officially began in 1988 when the Birth and Bonding Family Center^SM center was first opened in the home of the director SharonLedbetter, then moving to a store front in 1993.

In 1990 the 5 day Birth Support Doula Practitioner training was initiated by women wanting to learn the integrative pre and peri psychology and  physiology approach.

In the 70 trainings that followed this initial training, over 500 women, and a few men, attended the interactive trainings that were intentionally kept to no more than 12 attendees per training to assure effective personal interactive multidimensional learning. Many nurses attended our program to complete their required California Continuing Education Units .

In 1993 with the volunteer and financial assistance of the early trainees, the center moved from the residence location into a storefront in Albany CA.

In the years following the center services expanded to successfully serve thousands of families during all stages of pre-pregnancy, pregnancy, birth, immediate post birth – and through the first few years to follow.

The Center’s drop in hours were 10 to 5 Monday through Saturday.

The center became a trusted community location for families to drop in for an informational conversation, research a topic in our extensive book and video lending library, find a reliable referral, use the restrooms, breastfeed, change a diaper etc. when out and about.

There was always a comfortable chair & a cup of hot herbal tea available for all visitors, and a Birth Support Doula Practitioner available to provide one on one emotional and practical informative conversations. The phone was answered by a live person 99% of the time.

The drop-in services included an extensive Video and Book Lending Library and referral binders to sensitive midwives – doctors – birth support doula practitioners- lactation specialist – homeopaths – various body and massage practitioners.

Monthly La Leche League Breast Feeding Support Groups

Our Birth Support Doula Practitioners volunteered at our local community hospital providing on call 24/7 support services for mothers giving birth alone.

We also collected gently used items for families in the the WIC program.

No purchase was required to receive these services.

Our educational programs included:

• Child Birth Preparation Classes for first Births
• Refresher Classes for Subsequent Births
• Support Groups for Pregnant and New Mothers

An Array of Workshops Including:

• Breast Feeding
• Parenting the Amazing Newborn
• Infant Massage
• Infant Development and Interactive Skills
•  Monthly La Leche League Breast Feeding Support Group

We offered a Small Retail Store stocked with quality essential products for the new family.

The Center provided educational events and gatherings to provide access to many leading birth professionals.

Over the years our informational events included:

• Barbara Findeisen a founding member of the Association for Prenatal and Perinatal Psychology and Health
• Dr. Klaus, Phillis Klaus, Dr. Kennell, introducing their book Mothering the Mother
• Phillis Klaus and Penny Simpkin introducing the newly forming Dona Organization.
• Elizabeth Nobel author of Essential Exercises for the Child Bearing Year
• Susan Napierala, author of Water Birth a Midwife’s Perspective
• Ina May Gaskin, author of Spiritual Midwifery

These services continued to evolve until the center closed in 2003.

About Sharon Ledbetter, the Founder and director of the Birth and Bonding Family Center and now the Birthing Family^SM site.

She is a mother and a grandmother. Her path of study through an in-depth personal exploration of pre and perinatal psychology led her into academic studies, earning her BA, and MA in social psychology with a focus in pre and perinatal psychology. Along with these studies she completed Childbirth Educator, Labor Coach, Pastoral Councilor and Reiki Practitioner certification programs.

Through the integration of these studies encompassing programs emerged to support the transforming emotional and physical transition for each family member – the new parents traveling through the journey of gestating and giving birth and for the child being born.

Upon closing the center, along with spending more time with family and friends, Sharon has continues to provide counsel for birthing families. She is currently in the editing stages of completing the Birthing Family^SM book series that shares all she has learned from the many new families she has had the privilege of working with.

You may contact us at birthingfamily@earthlink.net

If you would like notification of “The Family Birth Series” publication or when a new Elder Speaks Essay is posted please fill in the following form.

We will not share your contact information.