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Kristen spangler, certified Birth boot camp instructor
serving my community since 2014
Hi! I'm Kristen Spangler and I am SO excited to bring Birth Boot Camp to Peoria and surrounding areas. I am many things - first, I am a wife to my loving and encouraging husband, and mother to my 3 amazing children. Parker, 8 , is an energetic, high-spirited, rough and tumble boy, Leila, 5, a sassy sweetheart who just lights up my life, and our newest addition, Stella, 2! I wear many hats in addition to being a wife and mom. I am a work at home mom: I am a former elementary school teacher turned natural birth enthusiast, and I have channeled that into becoming a childbirth educator, and also a toxin free & wellness lifestyle educator. My husband is a chiropractor at Superior Physical Medicine - an integrative medical and holistic healing center in Peoria. We are both passionate about helping people and changing lives.
Before my husband and I were married, I had no real knowledge of natural birth. He, however, learned a great deal about how amazing the body is and how natural birth is, in chiropractic school. On our journey as a couple (going on 14 years), and through loads of research, I developed a love for alternative medicine, and the body’s ability to heal itself and do what it was designed to do.
When we talked about starting a family, I knew I wanted to be cared for in the midwifery model of care. During my first pregnancy, my midwife was extremely helpful and attentive. Regrettably, we didn't take any childbirth classes - I now know what we missed out on. I felt comfortable in our natural birth choice and trusted my body. Our son was born at home, a peaceful water birth, with our midwife present. It was an amazing experience, but after getting more immersed in the natural birth community, I knew it could have been better had we been more educated. When I got pregnant with my first daughter, I had gained much more knowledge about natural birth. We stumbled upon Birth Boot Camp, and decided it would be a great fit for us. We LOVED the classes (especially my husband). Throughout the class my husband and I learned so much more than we would have imagined and felt even more confident in our natural birth choice for baby #2. The classes thoroughly prepared us for our second, yet much desired natural birth. My entire pregnancy was very enjoyable and ended with a beautiful home water birth with an incredibly supportive birth team there - a midwife, midwife's assistant, doula, and photographer. The birth of baby #3 was a whirlwind - using my knowledge as a birth educator, as well as help from my (same) birth team, labor started and she was Earthside in less than 3 hours! Yes, it was short, very intense, but AMAZING! I am thankful I had the knowledge of how to cope with a short and intense labor!
In less than 5 years, I went from being an elementary school teacher to a work at home mom who loves everything about pregnancy, birth, babies, breastfeeding, gentle parenting, and am always wanting to learn more! I fully trust that a woman's body is capable of doing what it has been divinely designed to do. This is why I have chosen to be a Birth Boot Camp Instructor. I want to help you have an amazing birth by giving you the tools and resources necessary to make the best decisions for you and your baby. You have been blessed you with this beautiful pregnancy. You deserve to have an amazing birth!
