Top 3 disruptors for fertility, and are natural births safe with Maral Shabak

Knowledge Bomb: Dr. G talks about the top 3 disruptors for fertility. If you are planning on having a child, these are the top interventions to address. 

Guest segment: Maral and Allison of the Tourmaline Collective join to educate us on midwifery. They teach us what a midwife is, how they work with the parents, and dispel any myths on this process. Is a natural birth safe? What does a holistic approach to pregnancy look like? How do we support the parents pre-conception and post-partum. All these and more in this special segment. 

Maral Shabak Bio:

Maral began her Midwifery career in 2014 when she was accepted into Nizhoni Institute of Midwifery. Leading up to finding her path, she earned B.A. degrees in Anthropology and Women’s Studies. Her experience at the University of California, Irvine taught her that we must use our specific skills to bring forth positive change. Maral was born in Iran and moved to the U.S. at the age of 6. Going through such a large transition from one culture to another taught her that we must be open and flexible in order to move forward; we cannot hold tightly onto traditions simply because we haven’t been exposed to another way. Maral’s goal is to bridge the gap between M.D.s and Midwives so that we may blend our cultures and select practices that are truly optimal. She firmly believes that if we can provide choice, confidence, and peace at the moment of birth for families, we can ensure a future full of those same qualities.

Allison Tartari Bio:

Allison found her way to midwifery care through the pregnancy and birth of her fourth child. She knew she wanted to help support women during pregnancy, and avoid the unnecessary interventions she encountered with her other children. She became passionate about educating families on other, safer options for birth. She became a D.O.N.A trained doula and followed that path for 8 years, attending many births in and out of the hospital setting. It became clear to her that most people are not aware that they have rights, that they can say “No” to a doctor or nurse. She had to share this knowledge and decided to become a midwife. She applied and was accepted to the Nizhoni Institute of Midwifery in 2014. During her doula career and experience as a student midwife she learned that consistency in care provides better outcomes, which is a major component our system is lacking. Out of this passion for holistic, integrative healthcare Tourmaline Birth and Wellness Center was born.

Allison, Josie and Maral, Licensed Midwives came together to create Tourmaline Birth and Wellness Collective. As midwives they saw a need for collaborative holistic care for the growing families that they serve. As three different generations of midwives they are committed to serving families at each and every stage. Whether it be preconception, family planning, pregnancy, postpartum, miscarriage or well women care. One of our goals at Tourmaline is to improve maternal mortality rates in the United States. The United States was recently labeled one of the most dangerous places to give birth in the developed world, with more than 60% of pregnancy-related deaths in the US being preventable. Tourmaline's partnership with Thrive Wellness Collective a 501c3 expands midwifery access and education to everyone, regardless of economic status to improve birth outcomes and lifelong wellness one family at a time.

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