Welcome to Friday’s Featured Female!

Friday's Featured Female, #FFF

 

This weekly series features inspirational stories from admirable women.  IMHO, it’s always good to be reminded of how strength, determination, hard work, heart and ingenuity can impact the quality of one’s life and I’m proud that these women will allow me to share their stories here.

 

Today’s Friday’s Featured Female is Karen Stoteraux , founder of the resource center and community space for expectant parents and families of the San Gabriel Valley, CA (and beyond) called The Family Room, opening Oct 2014.

Karen Stoteraux, The Family Room

Karen and her family.

Soooo have you met Karen?

 

When Karen was expecting her first daughter, being a part of local community resource center to help transition through the unchartered territory of pregnancy and new parenthood was invaluable.  After moving from the East Coast to the West Coast and becoming pregnant with twin daughters, Karen searched for an expectant and new parent resource center in her neighborhood but couldn’t find one…so she created her own.

 

The Family Room, Parenting Resource Center

 

The Family Room‘s mission is to educate expectant and new parents while helping them build a community to share experiences.  Karen has gathered prenatal and postnatal experts to lead classes and workshops in order to provide information and activities new and expectant parents need to navigate every stage of the parental spectrum from Before Baby (all classes are for 2 people), After Baby, Exercise, Workshops and beyond with a Parent Education Series.

I love that Karen, a PR professional, wife and mother of 3 had a clear vision of a business and the determination to create something that would exist to serve others.  Pregnancy and early parenting were some of the scariest times that I can remember.  Between the (unsolicited) advice, books, physical, mental and emotional demands of pregnancy, infancy and toddlerhood, without the Spring 2007 Park Slope Parents Group in Brooklyn, I’m not sure Jay and I would have ever survived the first year of parenthood.

Having experts to explain the plethora of information available about the myths and truths of pre-pregnancy, pregnancy, childbirth options, breastfeeding (or not), gear, exercise, nutrition and parenting philosophies and practices and a place to share those experiences is something every new parent needs.

Karen’s also a smart lady because she knows that there is no “one size fits all” approach to pregnancy, childbirth and child rearing, and has gathered a team of experts with varying philosophies and skill sets at The Family Room.  You can learn more about The Family Room Educators (click link) or read more about them below:

 

Kate Zachary, CD (DONA), ICCE – Doula for Childbirth Prep

Kate Zachary, Doula, The Family Room

 

Katie Duberg – Birth Doula for Newborn Care

Katie Duberg, The Family Room

 

Jessica Claire – IBCLC for Breastfeeding Support

Jessica Claire, Lactation Consultant

Robin Starkey Harpster, MA for Marriage and Family Therapy

Robin Harpster, Marriage and Family Therapy

Sara Howard, LM, CPM for Midwifery

Sara Howard, Midwife

Jenn Johnson, For Exercise

Jenn Johnson, fitforexpecting, fitness, exercise for moms

Linda Barker, MA for Early Childhood Development

Linda Barker, Child Development

….and me!

Melissa Burton, RD, CDE

 

I’m thrilled to announce

that I will be joining The Family Room Educators

for classes, workshops and consults regarding Prenatal and Postpartum Nutrition

(fully kicking off my private practice to serve my dream population)

 

If you’re in the San Gabriel Valley area of Southern California, come and meet Karen and her amazing team of Educators at:

The Family Room Open House

The Family Room, Parenting Resource Center

The Family Room, San Marino, New and Expectant Family Education, Resource, Community

2318 Huntington Drive, San Marino, CA 91108

on Sunday, Sept 28th

10am – 4pm

 

Individual classes, class packages and consults with Educators are available for purchase online.

The exclusive Friends and Family Promo Code: FRIENDS will give you 30% OFF until 10/10/14.

To learn more about The Family Room and their offerings:

 

If you’re a parent, what was the best and worst class, book or piece of advice you received?  

If you’re not a parent, what kind of prenatal or expectant parent class would you want to take?