Katie Immel lives in Orrville, Ohio in Wayne County with her husband and three all-naturally-born children. Katie has always been passionate about natural birth. Attending births and teaching classes has only served to fuel that passion. She has been attending births as a doula since 2007 and teaching Bradley Method® childbirth classes since 2004. Katie believes that women's bodies are amazing, beautiful creations, perfectly designed by God for having babies. She is grateful for the availability of medical technology when it is necessary for the safety of mother or baby, but research shows that in the United States, medical interventions are highly overused due to fear, misconceptions, misunderstanding, and a lack of information. That is why Katie feels that it is critical that parents become fully informed about all aspects of birth and make the healthiest, safest choices for themselves and their babies. Her hope is that she can help with that!	Shannon Crites lives with her husband and four children in North Canton, Ohio in Stark County. Shannon had a variety of experiences with her own children, from epidural with pitocin and forceps to a natural waterbirth at home. Shannon is a registered nurse who has worked in obstetrics since 2005. She has also been attending births as a doula since 2005. As a nurse, Shannon has seen many dreams of an unmedicated, uninterrupted birth lost or given up on due to lack of continuous support. She feels strongly that every birth team needs someone whose sole purpose is to be by the couple's side encouraging and empowering them to birth naturally and to help make informed decisions at the crossroads encountered in a hospital birth. This is why Shannon became a doula. Birth is amazing, but it is also the hardest work most women will do in their lives. To have the support of someone who is not motivated by fear and is absolutely one hundred percent sure that you can do it (and reminds you of that!) is invaluable.
Shannon and Katie both love to share their birth stories, so feel free to ask!