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Janelle R. Ribbe, SBD, LCCE
Janelle is the owner and Executive Director of The Birth Years. She has served women and families for fifteen years as a professional birth assistant, childbirth educator, lactation educator, and midwife assistant. In addition to her Bachelor’s degree, she has done extensive research on depression, anxiety, trauma, and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Janelle began birth work with her labor assistant certification through ALACE (now ToLabor), and continued with ALACE for training as a childbirth educator. She studied lactation education at Evergreen Hospital in Kirkland, WA, the first hospital in the United States to receive the “Baby Friendly” designation from the World Health Organization. Her training as a midwife assistant began with a workshop under Ina May Gaskin and the midwives of The Farm in Summertown, TN, and she has worked with several midwives over the years. In February of 2014, she completed certification as a Stillbirthday Birth and Bereavement Doula® to support families prior to, during, and after a birth – in any trimester and in any outcome. As a Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educator, Janelle teaches with Carilion Clinic's perinatal education department, as well as independently through The Birth Years. She continues to provide professional support services to growing families. Janelle enjoys the unique position of working between clients and primary care providers to bridge gaps and to facilitate communication, understanding, and respect. |
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Charlene DiCesare, LMT
The Birth Years is pleased to welcome Charlene to our Team! As a mother, professional, and birth advocate, Charlene has spent years serving women and supporting family wellness. She is a Licensed Massage Therapist through the Virginia Board of Nursing, with a focus on pregnancy and women's health. She is currently in the certification process as a Stillbirthday Birth and Bereavement Doula and as a postpartum support specialist. We are excited for you to meet her and learn more about her work and on-going professional development. |
Team Fun Facts
We work hard and we take our work seriously, but we're also real people enjoying our lives and families.
Here's a little glimpse of the lighter side:
* We have been known (with long hours and some caffeine!) to sing and dance with laboring mamas: when it helps, we're willing!
* Janelle, in particular, has a taste for French food, so we've had multiple staff meetings at a local cafe (thank you, Our Daily Bread!).
*Chocolate is always appropriate ... always!
* We can randomly quote classic movies and animation, ranging from Pinky And The Brain to Gone With The Wind.
*Everything seems to connect back to birth! Whether it's coming from formal continuing education, research in other fields, or an apparently random concept from a song or commercial, we love finding bits of wisdom to develop personally and better serve our birthing families.
Here's a little glimpse of the lighter side:
* We have been known (with long hours and some caffeine!) to sing and dance with laboring mamas: when it helps, we're willing!
* Janelle, in particular, has a taste for French food, so we've had multiple staff meetings at a local cafe (thank you, Our Daily Bread!).
*Chocolate is always appropriate ... always!
* We can randomly quote classic movies and animation, ranging from Pinky And The Brain to Gone With The Wind.
*Everything seems to connect back to birth! Whether it's coming from formal continuing education, research in other fields, or an apparently random concept from a song or commercial, we love finding bits of wisdom to develop personally and better serve our birthing families.