Welcome to the personal web site of
AUDREY & SHANE GURETSE AAHCC

My husband and I have been blessed with 3 beautiful children and wonderful natural birth experiences.  We chose Certified Nurse Midwives (CNM) for hospital births all three times.  We read up and practiced Bradley Method® techniques on our own the first time around with our daughter, as there weren't any nearby instructors and 2 years later, took classes from my friend who had taken the course after hearing me talk about the method and became an instructor.  I labored in a warm jetted tub for part of labor with the first two.  With our third, we were able to have an actual waterbirth (different hospital - all 3 births in NJ before moving back to VA).  Waterbirth was an amazing experience!  It was a wonderful labor and the midwife let me catch the baby myself (pictured above).  What an empowering, joyful way to give birth!  That's what gave me such a passion to start teaching too. 

I've always been interested in the subject and had a lot of biology background, etc.  My parents have also always been enthusiastic advocates of natural birth and breastfeeding.  Being a Bradley® trained Doula also helps me to relate real-life experiences other than my own to my students.  We love empowering and educating couples so they can have wonderful birth experiences as we've been blessed to have. 

Classes meet in our home in NorthEast Roanoke very convenient to highays 460 and 81, so students from as far as Blacksburg and Lynchburg are able to reach us in an hour.  Most couples find that it is well worth it, as I did when driving that distance to my instructor.

We usually have classes on Friday evenings, though occasionally we offer a different evening or Sat. classes.  We charge $300 for the 12-week series, as that is a typical rate for this type of class.   Payment intallment arrangements can be worked out if needed as well.  The class fee includes a student workbook loaded with info., many handouts and some freebies and access to my lending library.  Also included with class costs are early-bird info and refreshers until the birth if you finish ahead of your due date.  We register students with a $50 deposit to hold their place and purchase workbooks (class is considered full with 6 couples per series for personal attention). 

Given that cesareans carry risks and are far too common today, our classes are a tremendous value because it's a good way to greatly reduce the chances of that becoming necessary.  This can save thousands of dollars in medical bills (avoiding a c/s), and the cost of our class is likely the same or less than the copay you might have just from an epidural in a typical hospital birth today.   Our classes empower you to have the safest, healthiest and most satisfying birth experience possible for you and your baby. 

Many couples who have taken Bradley Method® classes say that they are not scared about their upcoming birth, unlike most women/couples who do not take a good childbirth preparation class.  We cover so many details, you will leave feeling much more confident in your ability to give birth.  Great for those planning hospital or homebirths.

We cover pregnancy, birth and your choices, new baby care/postpartum & breastfeeding.  We practice exercises & cover nutrition in depth to have a healthy pregnancy, birth and baby.  We practice relaxation, have labor rehearsals and watch videos at most classes as well and have games some weeks.  We encourage you to contact us if you're unsure about classes, sometimes we let prospective students sit in on a current class just to see what it's like before committing to it.

You may email me or call me at 540-206-2390 with further questions or to enroll in a class.

Our newest class started Friday, Aug. 6th and we'll meet Friday nights from 6:30-8:30.  Contact me if you wish to join this class, even if we're a couple weeks into it, if you're due before mid-December.