About Me and Philosophy

Hello! My name is Maria Stevens, CD, HCHD. 
During the process of preparing for my first child's birth, I became very interested in pregnancy, labor, and birth choices. I am an advocate for evidence-based birth practices that support your natural ability to grow a baby and give birth to him/her. I'm also an advocate for women freely choosing the best path to birth for themselves. After the birth of my second child, I decided to formally pursue becoming a certified doula. I am certified through Childbirth International. I'm also a certified Hypnobabies® Hypno-Doula and am specially trained in how to support a woman using any hypnosis method for childbirth. I have a degree in education and taught for four years before choosing to stay home to care for my kids.

My desire to teach childbirth education stemmed from my own educational experiences, my two very different but both wonderful births, and my belief that preparedness can improve your birth experience. State College is a town that values education, and pregnancy and birth should be no exception!


I believe that every woman should have access to a class that will educate, inform, prepare, inspire, and excite. I believe in making informed decisions, completely aware of benefits and risks, and hope to empower you to take an active role in your birth. My childbirth classes are shaped around my philosophy of birth. I believe birth is a normal (if extraordinary!) event in the life of a family. Birth is something women are made to do, and while complications can happen, most women will have a healthy and safe birth when given the proper environment and support.

I have experience with the Bradley method, Hypnobabies, Hypnobirthing the Mongan method, and Birthing from Within either through my own births or the births of clients. My classes combine skills and techniques from these diverse methods so you can find the right fit for you.

My goal is to help educate parents in birth and to help create the best possible birth experience within each birth situation as goals and circumstances differ. I encourage each family to stay healthy, low risk, and well educated so that they may make thoughtful, safe and satisfying evidence based decisions regarding their prenatal care.
I hope to be a guide for you through your pregnancy and to give you a solid foundation from which to make the choices that will be best for your unique needs and desires.  Please contact me to speak more!

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