Members of the BIRTH Fair Leadership Team share what you can expect at the 22nd Annual BIRTH Fair.

Joining us on this week’s show:

Christine Diaz — Sponsor & Vendor Coordinator
Monisha Holley-Cherry — Community Outreach Coordinator
Natalie Guzman — Community & Spanish-Speaking Outreach Coordinator + Healing Arts Room Coordinator
Kiwasi Apeh — Volunteer Coordinator
Shay Wallace — Family Area Coordinator
JacQue Colson-Smith — Afua Hassan Midwifery Scholarship Raffle + Swag Bag Coordinator
Dr. Randy Holmes — Logistics Coordinator

We’ll give you a behind-the-scenes look at what we’ve been working on and why we’re so excited to welcome the Houston community back to BIRTH Fair!

BIRTH Fair will be held Saturday, October 3, 2026

10:30 AM – 4:00 PM

United Way of Greater Houston
50 Waugh Drive, Houston, TX 77007

BIRTH Fair Leadership Team

Our guest this week is our beloved co-host of Whole Mother Show – Debbie Hull who is a community Doula and a Cappa Leader and she is the BIRTH Fair Speaker Coordinator. She will tell us about the speakers for BIRTH Fair this year and more!!

Debbie Hull began learning about birth in 1996 after the birth of her first baby and has been serving Houston area families as a labor doula and childbirth educator since 1999. She was at the meetings way back when BIRTH was named and is very proud to have served in some capacity at every BIRTH Fair since the beginning. This year, she is the speaker coordinator and in her spare time attends births, teaches childbirth classes, and trains new childbirth educators and doulas for certification. Debbie is most proud to be the mother of two amazing formerly breastfed and homeschooled adults, the youngest of whom has been on a 25+ year nursing strike. When she is not working on her feelings about that, Debbie enjoys travel, movies, reading, and game nights, even when she looses

BIRTH Fair will be held Saturday, October 3, 2026

10:30 AM – 4:00 PM

United Way of Greater Houston
50 Waugh Drive, Houston, TX 77007

Debbie Hull, BIRTH Fair

Kirsten Nottleson, Parent and Teacher Educator/Consultant and Certified Hand in Hand Parenting Instructor. She will share with us the powerful Hand in Hand theory and techniques for healing and listening with ourselves and children no matter what their age. She will also share her upcoming classes (see below) and she will be speaking at BIRTH Fair from 2:00-2:50 pm and she will have a booth where you can talk with her in person.

BIRTH Fair will be held Saturday, October 3, 2026

10:30 AM – 4:00 PM

United Way of Greater Houston
50 Waugh Drive, Houston, TX 77007

Kirsten Nottleson, Hand in Hand Parenting

Whole Mother welcomes Moni Tang, M.A., Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in Texas and Oregon, LMFT Supervisor in Texas, and Certified Perinatal Mental Health Professional (PMH-C) to introduce the Houston Moms Collective and discuss ways parents can set themselves up for success in their postpartum period.

Moni Tang, M.A.

Suzanne Juel, International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, and founder of Bayou City Breastfeeding and a speaker at the 22nd Annual BIRTH Fair on October 3, 2026. She is also author of a new book – Family Traditions Workbook: A Parenting Workbook for Building Family Rituals, Rhythms, and Meaningful Connection”

22nd Annual BIRTH Fair
Saturday, October 3, 2026
10:30 AM – 4:00 PM
United Way of Greater Houston
50 Waugh Drive, Houston, TX 77007

Suzanne Juel, Bayou City Breastfeeding

Kathleen Vande Giessen has been a Certified Nurse Midwife for nearly three decades, indicating her expertise in providing healthcare and support to pregnant women during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period.

· Masters in Nursing 1995: Obtaining a Master’s degree in Nursing demonstrates a high level of education and specialization in the field of midwifery.

· Registered Nurse for 25 years: With 25 years of experience as a Registered Nurse, Kathleen likely gained a strong foundation in healthcare before specializing in midwifery.

· Worked as a staff midwife at Baylor College of Medicine for 4 years: Her work at Baylor College of Medicine indicates a dedication to providing midwifery care in a hospital setting.

· Started a Midwifery service at a small community hospital for 6 years: Her experience in starting a midwifery service at a small community hospital demonstrates her leadership and commitment to expanding midwifery care to underserved areas.

· Started a free-standing Midwifery service at North Houston Birth Center in 2005: Establishing a free-standing midwifery service suggests her entrepreneurial spirit and a commitment to providing women with alternative birthing options.

· Continues with full scope Midwifery: Kathleen Vandegiessen’s dedication to full-scope midwifery means she provides a wide range of healthcare services to expectant mothers, from prenatal care to delivery and postpartum care.

Her extensive experience, education, and career achievements suggest a passion for women’s healthcare and a significant contribution to the field of midwifery

22nd Annual BIRTH Fair
Saturday, October 3, 2026
10:30 AM – 4:00 PM
United Way of Greater Houston
50 Waugh Drive, Houston, TX 77007

Kathy Vandegiessen, CNM, North Houston Birth Center

This week, I’ll be joined by Rosana Moreno Rodriguez with We Care Ultrasounds. She will tell us about her mobile ultrasound company and the types of ultrasounds they provide.

Rosana Moreno Rodriguez, We Care Ultrasounds

Catrice Harris, Melina Laverde, Shannon Wallace, Debbie Hull, Natalie Guzman, and Jackie Griggs join for a conversation about the upcoming 22nd Annual BIRTH Fair.

We talk about the value of BIRTH – Bringing Information and Resources to Houston – and what you can look forward to at this year’s BIRTH Fair.

22nd Annual BIRTH Fair
Saturday, October 3, 2026
10:30 AM – 4:00 PM
United Way of Greater Houston
50 Waugh Drive, Houston, TX 77007

22nd Annual BIRTH Fair

Valerie Zabinski of To Heal is to Love, a CranioSacral Therapist who is passionate about supporting women and families through every stage of the childbearing journey—from preconception and pregnancy to postpartum healing and beyond.

Her work is rooted in the belief that the body has an incredible capacity to heal when given the right support. Through gentle, hands-on therapies, Valerie helps clients release tension, improve pelvic and whole-body balance, support fertility, prepare for birth, recover after birth, and reconnect with themselves during life’s many transitions.

As a mother herself, Valerie understands that pregnancy, birth, and motherhood are deeply transformative experiences that deserve compassionate, individualized care. She is passionate about creating spaces where women feel seen, heard, and empowered to trust the wisdom of their own bodies.

Valerie is honored to serve on the leadership team for this year’s Birth Fair, a beloved community event on October 3, 2026, that has connected families with local birth professionals and resources for more than two decades. She is excited to help continue its tradition of educating, supporting, and celebrating growing families in our community.

Valerie Zabinski, CranioSacral Therapy

Monisha Holley-Cherry is founder of Her H.A.V.E.N. Birthwork and a full-spectrum birthworker dedicated to supporting families through fertility, pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. She is passionate about helping parents make informed decisions, rebuild the village of support, and experience birth and postpartum with confidence, dignity, and compassionate care. She will tell us how Her H.A.V.E.N offers birth support in our community and what that advocacy looks like during labor, plus information on traditions and cultural ceremonies.

Monisha Holley-Cherry, founder of Her H.A.V.E.N. Birthwork