Melissa Schnurr, PhD, CD(DONA), CCE(ACBE)
Photo by Nicole Crusinberry Photography
I've been married to my supportive husband since 2006 and we live in the Des Moines, IA area with our two daughters, the first born in 2010 and the second in 2014. I am an early childhood consultant for the State of Iowa, DONA certified birth doula, certified prenatal and baby & me yoga teacher, and certified childbirth educator. I have been intrigued with the pregnancy and birth process since I was a child, which blossomed into a passion when I began training to become a certified doula in 2010. After the birth of my first daughter, the passion to educate and support people during pregnancy and birth grew even stronger. This passion, combined with my personal yoga practice and career as an educator, led me to also pursue prenatal yoga and baby & me yoga teacher certification and childbirth education certification where my experiences come together to empower, strengthen, and educate pregnant people.
My priority around birth is to provide unbiased, evidence-based information to birthing people and families so they can make informed decisions about their care before, during, and after birth. I believe that if birthing people are making their own informed decisions, even if their birth is nothing like they had planned, it will be remembered positively because they were empowered in the experience. I focus on building relationships with birthing people and their partners and on supporting them emotionally during this exciting transition in life.
"A woman, as long as she lives, will remember how she was made to feel at her birth." -Anna Verwaal
**Contact Melissa via email or text/phone.
My priority around birth is to provide unbiased, evidence-based information to birthing people and families so they can make informed decisions about their care before, during, and after birth. I believe that if birthing people are making their own informed decisions, even if their birth is nothing like they had planned, it will be remembered positively because they were empowered in the experience. I focus on building relationships with birthing people and their partners and on supporting them emotionally during this exciting transition in life.
"A woman, as long as she lives, will remember how she was made to feel at her birth." -Anna Verwaal
**Contact Melissa via email or text/phone.