Laine Podell–Camino MA, CLE, CIIM, is the owner of A Mother’s Haven. She has Masters Degrees in Parent-Infant Education, and Deaf Education. She has studied and taught Early Childhood Development and Education since 1991. Prior to opening A Mother’s Haven, she was with Los Angeles Unified School District educating parents of young children for more than a decade. She worked with families of hearing-impaired infants in the areas of parenting, child development and language development in group and one–to–one settings. Additionally, Laine has been an Adjunct Professor at California State University in Northridge, teaching Early Childhood Special Education and Deaf Education graduate students for the Special Education Department.
Laine became a Certified Lactation Educator through UCLA after experiencing her own challenges to breastfeed her son, Zachary. Zachary had been given many bottles during his brief stay in the NICU and was not latching on to the breast properly. Laine struggled with nipple pain, overabundant milk supply, and chronically blocked milk ducts. Having learned prenatally about all the health benefits of breastfeeding, Laine was committed to breastfeed Zachary. However, after consultations with a few different Lactation Consultants, where she felt rushed or not listened to, and five weeks of struggling she was ready to give up. By sheer coincidence (or divine intervention), she was referred to a support group with Terry Gass, RN, IBCLC. Terry provided a guidance, instruction and support in a calming and encouraging manner, and the other mothers offered support and encouragement. It is only because of the support and encouragement she received that she perservered through a challenging start to nurse for over two years. Laine's goal is to provide non-judgemental and supportive guidance and support to women, who are experiencing difficulties or feelings of uncertainty as they learn to breastfeed their babies.
Laine is a presenter for the SIGN with your BABY Network. American Sign Language, which she has been studying since 1987, is her second language,. She watched many deaf and hearing children of deaf friends begin to communicate at a very early age and always knew she would share ASL with her own children. She has been using ASL with Zachary since he was very young. After experiencing first hand, with Zachary, the power of his early communication, she became compelled to share it with her friends and other parents and began teaching Sign Language for Baby classes.
Laine is also a Certified Instructor of Infant Massage. Laine has been sharing Massage with Zachary since he was two–months–old, when she was trained to teach Infant Massage to other parents. When he was an infant, the strokes for gas and colic were essential to relieve his distress and the massage time helped Laine to begin to trust herself and her instincts as a mother. Now, the daily massage that she shares with Zachary provides a quiet, focused time for them to connect at the end of a busy day. She is passionate about sharing this bond-deepening experience with other parents through Infant Massage and Communication classes.
Laine has recently had the honor and life-expanding experience of being Certified in The Khalsa Way: Kundalini Prenatal Yoga, with Gurmukh Kaur Khalsa, Sada Sat Kaur Khalsa, and Davi Kaur Khalsa (and many other wonderful teachers) of Golden Bridge Yoga. Laine has been practicing various styles of yoga on and off for many years. It wasn’t until finding Kundalini Yoga while she was pregnant did she feel the real meaning of Yoga– “to yoke or union” body, mind and soul. Prenatal Kundalini Yoga helped Laine to prepare her whole being for her labor and she is thrilled and honored to share this ancient technology, brought to the U.S. by Yogi Bhajan, with other pregnant women!
Laine has been working with parents of young children for many years. In that time, and reinforced since becoming a mother herself, Laine has always believed that there is no one right answer for issues related to parenting and child-rearing and that parenting is an on-going learning process. Laine believes strongly in the importance of encouraging parents to help their babies develop secure attachments. She practices many aspects of Attachment Parenting and advocates responding to a baby’s cues in regards to parental expectations, feedings, weaning, nap and bed-time schedules, and sleeping through the night, etc.
Laine holds that as each child and family are different, so are their approaches to and beliefs about child–rearing. While her parenting styles may differ with someone she is working with, she is always supportive and makes sure that parents have the knowledge they need about various philosophies and strategies so they can make educated decisions based on what is appropriate developmentally and physiologically for their baby, as well what works best for their particular child and family.
Laine has personally experienced, and sees on a daily basis, the real need pregnant women and new mothers have for warm and nurturing support. It is for this reason that she started A Mother’s Haven. She looks forward to meeting and supporting each mother, father, couple that comes in to A Mother’s Haven.
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Leslye Adelman, LCCE, IBCLC, CLC, has a B.S. In Physical Therapy and an M.S. in Special Education. Leslye had a wonderfully memorable birth experience and a not so wonderful (but extremely unforgettable) breastfeeding experience. Her experience led back to school where she trained at UCLA as a Childbirth Educator and a Lactation Consultant. Today, as the mom of 3 adult children, and with more than 20 years experience in the field of pregnancy, labor, postpartum and parenting, she has a breadth of education and expertise to offer.
Leslye is teaching A Mother’s Haven’s Prepared Childbirth, Feeding Your Infant classes, facilitates a Nursing Mother’s Support Group, and is available for private Lactation Consults. She has been teaching group and private classes in childbirth and breastfeeding preparation, parenting education, coaching women through labor, counseling breastfeeding moms and running parenting programs. Leslye has always considered it a privilege to have maintained contact with anyone she has taught or assisted. Leslye is here to answer a breastfeeding question, to help refresh before a subsequent birth or even to offer advice on parenting skills as the children grow. She looks forward to getting to know and assisting parents with pre and post childbirth needs. Leslye wants parents to remember that we bring babies into this world with no instructions and the world of parenting is a lifetime of learning. Love, care and commitment and a little help from the people at A Mother’s Haven, will make becoming a parent a wonderful time for you.
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Terry Gass R.N., IBCLC, CLE is a Registered Nurse and a International Board Certified Lactation Consultant. Terry has been an enormous asset in getting a Mother’s Haven off the ground, with her unending support and involvement. Her career has been spent specializing in maternal and child health. In addition to her role at A Mother’s Haven, Terry currently is a Lactation Consultant at Providence St. Joseph’s and Holy Cross Hospitals, where she is supporting, and educating new parents in the area of prenatal and postpartum lactation. Prior to that Terry spent 15 years in a pediatricians office. She is the mother of 3 adult children who were all successfully breastfed while she continued her career.
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Andrea Lilienfeld has been practicing yoga for 11 years beginning with the teachings of B.K.S. Iyengar, as well as studying various forms of yoga such as: Vinyasa; Sivananda; Kundalini. For the past five years, she has been studying Anusara Yoga in addition to attending numerous workshops with senior teachers in all styles of yoga, including three Anusara Teacher Trainings, the first in 1999 with John Friend, its founder. Andrea is a recent graduate of the Anusara Teacher Training & Advanced Studies Program at City Yoga, L.A., and recently attended the weeklong Anusara Teacher Training Intensive in L.A., in November 2002. Her background is in modern dance at the University of Utah and as a dancer has studied body mechanics, movement – kinesiology and anatomy. She has studied Shiatsu massage and has participated in many healing and therapeutic modalities such as Reiki, energy balancing, reflexology, massage, bodywork and polarity balancing, as well as the study of herbal remedies, homeopathy and Ayurveda. To Andrea, Anusara Yoga is the ultimate Joyful Expression of Body, Mind and Spirit and as a new grandmother, is thrilled at the opportunity of introducing new mothers and their babies to the benefits of yoga at A Mother’s Haven. She is also currently teaching mixed-level yoga classes at The Yoga Loft, in Woodland Hills.
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Richard Pass, R.N., B.S., is the Save A Little Life Program and Couse Director. He has been a health educator for many years and had several decades of acute care experience, including ER experience at Cedars Sinai. Since, 1988, as a Certified Instructor with the American Heart Association. Richard has trained many parents and care providers in the Los Angeles and surrounding communities.
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Synthia Praglin M.A., J.D., CIMI. Synthia began teaching Parenting & Infant Massage classes after the birth of her son Jake four years ago. She found it was the perfect fit for her child development background and her own experiences of being mom. Her professional background includes 15 years of experience in the fields of social services and law with at–risk children and their families. Syntia was certified by International Association of Infant Massage Instructors and is believes strongly that massage is a valuable way to promote bonding and communication between parents and their children.
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Alisha Tamburri CCHT, Masters N.L.P has been teaching HypnoBirthing® The Mongan Method of Childbirth Education at A Mother’s Haven since they opened. Alisha is a clinical hypnotherapist, childbirth educator, birth doula, domestic violence counselor and HypnoFertility Therapist. Her Peaceful, Calm & Relaxed CD has gained in popularity to assist with stress relief, sleep deprivation and rejuvenation. It is endorsed and sold by the HypnoBirthing Institute.
Alisha has over two decades of experience as a hypnotherapist helping people overcome medical, personal, career and relationship issues. Her practice has transformed the lives of children, teens and adults from all walks of life, including medical professionals, athletes, executives and celebrities.
Alisha is passionate about helping pregnant couples prepare for a peaceful pregnancy and fearless childbirth. Her HypnoBirthing classes are taught in a fun and safe environment. Alisha herself experienced two drug and pain free births using hypnosis.
Alisha’s involvement in HypnoBirthing has been featured in numerous publications and TV shows. Recently she was interviewed on Good Day LA, and Fox 11 News. Her daughters and grandson have been raised using hypnosis techniques. Alisha is working toward her Master’s Degree.
View Alisha on Fox 11 News and two HypnoBirths on Dateline NBC at www.hypnobirthingca.com
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