A few words from Mary Duke, LCCE:

“I’m always looking for ways to show expectant parents what Lamaze is and how beneficial it is. I’ve realized over the years, nothing I can do gets through to parents-to-be better than hearing it from moms and dads who were in their shoes. I called on Cody and Katie to share their experiences with you and they were excited at the opportunity. Instead of them writing together I asked them to each write from their own perspective.”

“Ah, Lamaze class! The boring, obligatory weeknight chore that your wife insists on you attending so that all the girls can practice breathing funny and you can stand awkwardly like a clown holding a giant inflatable ball. These were my thoughts, when my wife told me about Mary’s Lamaze class, and I never like to admit I’m wrong, but here we go.

Mary made me feel a way I never expected to feel in a Lamaze program. Included. Welcomed. Essential. This program empowered me with the realization that fathers play such an important role in the pregnancy as well as labor and delivery. She equipped me with all of the information I needed to support my wife through the entire process. When our beautiful son was born, I held my head high, proud that WE had worked to build this family.

Trust me when I say, I didn’t even know how much I didn’t know before Lamaze. Thank you so much, Mary for preparing me to be the best Dad I could be.” - Cody Tennison

“I can’t imagine giving birth without Mary’s Lamaze classes! After attending the first class I was shocked at how much I didn’t know. Each subsequent class did the same.

We wanted a natural home birth, while others in our class wanted various forms of hospital births and we all benefited from learning about birthing tips and techniques for our own birth plans. I am positive that the information my husband and I learned during this course played a key role in our natural home birth. I was more aware of what was happening and it put me in control of my emotions and mental state during labor.

My husband and I looked forward to Lamaze every week and were sad after attending the last class. We are still in contact with the other students in our class as well as Mary. This is such a wonderful resource for parents in our community and absolutely worth every penny! I would absolutely recommend (and strongly suggest) this course to any mother-to-be!” - Katie Tennison