Dr. Vijaya Krishnan DPT, MS, LCCE, FACCE
Dr. Vijaya Krishnan is a practicing midwife, co-founder and Director of Healthy Mother Wellness & Care and the leading official Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educator (LCCE) in India. The LCCE certification is awarded by Lamaze International, the world’s leading organization that supports, promotes and protects Natural Childbirth. At the Lamaze International conference in September 2011 in Dallas, Texas, Dr. Vijaya was inducted as a Fellow of the Academy of Certified Childbirth Educators (FACCE) in recognition of the tremendous work she is doing to bring about positive, sustainable change in birth practices in India.
Dr. Vijaya has a doctorate in Physical Therapy and Physical Therapy Education and conducts pregnancy and wellness programs for mothers-to-be and new moms, building upon her specialization in body mechanics, fitness, and Women’s Health. She has helped hundreds of women gain confidence in their bodies’ ability to give birth naturally. At the Healthy Mother Birthing Center, The Sanctum, Dr. Vijaya and her staff provide continuous labor support and care to laboring mothers, ensuring a cherished childbirth experience for them. She has been a source of trusted support for many mothers who want a VBAC (those who have had a previous c-section delivery and wanted to give subsequent birth naturally). Dr. Vijaya has helped many new mothers during immediate post-partum, teaching them correct techniques of breastfeeding their babies, self-care, and newborn care, ensuring smooth transition to new motherhood. Dr. Vijaya has been practicing for 19 years, out of which 14 have been in the USA.
In addition to being a Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educator (LCCE), Dr. Vijaya is an ABPTS (American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties) certified Clinical Specialist. Dr. Vijaya has designed the Healthy Mother Lamaze Teacher Training Course and Workshop, designed to help aspiring Lamaze teachers gain the knowledge and capability to impart childbirth education in the Indian context. Dr. Vijaya is also an Adjunct Faculty in the Perinatal Program of the College of Health Sciences, Douglas College, Vancouver, Canada.
Dr. Vijaya’s Credentials:
- Official Certified Lamaze Childbirth Educator (LCCE)
- Fellow of the Academy of Certified Childbirth Educators (FACCE)
- Doctorate in Physical Therapy and PT Education from University of Massachesetts, USA
- Advanced Masters Degree in Physical Therapy from University of Massachusetts, USA
- Chapter Leader, ICAN of Hyderabad (International Cesarean Awareness Network)
- DONA Certification in progress
Krishnan Sakotai, Director
Krishnan Sakotai is a co-founder and Director of Healthy Mother Wellness & Care. He has more than 25 years diversified experience in Capital Markets, Sales and Corporate Strategy. He spent 15 years in the US investment industry with leading firms such as Mellon Asset Management, Putnam Investments and Wellington Management.
After returning to India in 2003, Krishnan joined Zensar Technologies in Pune as the head of its financial services practice. Subsequently, he set up the specialist Knowledge Process Outsourcing business of the Karvy group in Hyderabad. Most recently, Krishnan was the COO of Epitome Global Services, Mumbai, a leading financial services outsourcing firm that works with global hedge funds, funds of hedge funds, and fund administrators.
While in India, Krishnan was a key member of the marketing team at OMC Computers, the predecessor firm of Infotech Enterprises. He was instrumental in establishing OMC’s leadership position in many key markets of southern India. Subsequently, Krishnan was a member of the team that set up the Technical Systems Division, the CAD/CAM business division of Wipro, in collaboration withs Sun Microsystems.
Crystal Pope, CPM
Ms. Pope is a specialist in the Midwifery Model of Care and is a Certified Professional Midwife (CPM), having been accredited by the North American Registry of Midwives, a worldwide certifying body that sets standards for practice of scientific, medically proven and evidence based midwifery care to women and newborns.
Crystal has nine years experience and specialization in Midwifery and Natural Births, Home Births and VBACs. She has interned at The Farm, the legendary birth center set up by Ina May Gaskin in the US. She has experience in delivering breech babies, twins and has helped many mothers to have water births. Crystal is an expert knitter and likes to watch movies in her spare time, though she has not yet been able to figure out the secret of Bollywood super heroes.
Dr. Jayanthi L.Reddy, M.D., D.N.B., D.G.O, Ob/Gyn
Dr. Jayanthi Reddy is the proprietor of JJ Hospital in Kalyan Nagar. She has 21 years of clinical experience and has been an Asst. Professor for the past 5 years at Osmania Medical College, Hyderabad. She is currently a senior faculty member at SVS Medical College, Mahboobnagar, Andhra Pradesh. Dr. Jayanthi is an expert in high-risk pregnancies and runs infertility, menopause and adolescent clinics in Hyderabad.
Dr. Udaya Renugunta, LCCE
Dr. Udaya is a Physiotherapist with specialist training in childbirth education is a Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educator. She has 3 years experience in working in OB/Gyn settings and has conducted prenatal and postnatal counseling sessions for expectant mothers and new moms. Dr. Udaya conducts Healthy Mother Lamaze classes in Bangalore and provides childbirth education, and counseling and support to mothers in the Bangalore region.
Robin Hayter, LCCE and Doula in Training
Robin Hayter realized her passion for natural childbirth and breastfeeding though her personal experiences. Unnecessary medical intervention during her first birth led her to seek out a more natural second birth, with the support of a doula. She realized how amazing and strong this made her feel, and wants to share this knowledge with others, so that they may also have a satisfying birth, and early bonding experience. She is interested in promotion of wellness for the pregnant mother as well as the newborn, through Lamaze, yoga, breastfeeding and early parenting. Robin leads the Healthy Mother Breastfeeding Network, a support network for pregnant and new moms aimed at promoting breastfeeding and is part of Healthy Mother’s newest batch of officially certified Lamaze Childbirth Educators.