Disruptor: a company/person that changes the traditional way an industry operates, especially in a new and effective way:

In 2006 Tracy Donegan’s innovative, science based GentleBirth classes began challenging the traditional childbirth education approach. Today GentleBirth remains one of the leading birth preparation classes combining knowledge and the experiential practices of mindfulness to support parents preparing for a positive birth - as defined by parents.

In recent years Tracy began to question the effectiveness of standard breastfeeding education. It became clear that parents were not being prepared with evidence based information and parents who struggled had no resources to support their mental health. Tracy believes that a truly compassionate, comprehensive approach to breastfeeding preparation is to also provide parents with emotional regulation skills if a mom stopped breastfeeding before she wanted to.

Given the low rates of breastfeeding in the developed world there are huge numbers of women who feel abandoned by a system that kept telling them ‘breast is best’ but offered no practical coping skills to protect both mom and baby’s mental health. (A partner’s mental health isn’t even considered). The lip service continues and moms and babies are suffering because of it - mentally and physically.