A short Bio about me and Birthing Basics, LLC
Professional Background & Training; Lisa-Marie Cook:
- BSN, Bachelors of Science in Nursing, The University of Texas-Austin
- RNC-OB, Advanced Certification in Inpatient Obstetrics, National Certification Corporation
- C-EFM, Certification in Electronic Fetal Monitoring, National Certification Corporation
- Advanced Fetal Monitoring Instructor, AWHONN
- Intermediate Fetal Monitoring Instructor, AWHONN
- ICCE, Internationally Certified Childbirth Educator, International Childbirth Education Association
- CD, Certified Doula, Prepared Childbirth Educators, Inc.
- Legal Expert Witness
Lisa has been a nurse for over 34-years in Austin, Texas, and the greater Metropolitan Washington, DC area. For the past 23 years, she works at the George Washington University Hospital as a Labor and Delivery nurse and teaches physiologic birth and high-risk obstetrics to new nurses. Lisa teaches AWHONN Intermediate and Advanced FHM to nurses, physicians, and midwives at GWUH and is thrilled to offer the Advanced course online.
Lisa’s work at INOVA Fairfax, INOVA Alexandria, and George Washington University Hospital (GWUH) have provided many opportunities to work with midwife-attended natural childbirths and physician-attended high-risk births. Her years of expertise and teaching Fetal Monitoring gave her the foundation and credibility necessary as an expert witness in her field.
In 2008, Dr. Susanne Bathgate, a Maternal-Fetal Medicine Specialist at GWUH, asked:
“Lisa, do you know of anyone who might be able to teach a class for this one patient that I have on bed rest? She wants to take a childbirth class, but there’s no way that she’ll be able to do a 6-week series.”
This high-risk patient on bedrest was Lisa’s first student. She recognized the need to provide Childbirth Education to the high-risk family whose unique medical needs may not be addressed in other childbirth class settings. Lisa’s Certification in Inpatient Obstetrics gives her the ability to discuss specific health challenges and how it impacts their birth.
Lisa’s work with Marilyn Hildreth provides workshops to promote physiologic birth. Information for physiologic birth gives her students the tools they need for unmedicated natural childbirth. Over the last twelve years, she taught current evidence-based childbirth education to parents to help them achieve a beautiful birth experience even with a high-risk pregnancy. Lisa is a Certified Childbirth Instructor through the International Childbirth Education Association (ICEA). ICEA’s Family-Centered Philosophy recognizes birth as a life event rather than a medical procedure. Lisa’s classes respect the woman’s individuality and sense of autonomy, recognizing the importance of information to help women achieve their own goals for the best possible health outcome for all family members.