Throughout most of my life, I have been interested in physical fitness and preventative health. I began teaching aerobic classes at a young age of 17. I became certified through the American Council on Exercise as a Group Fitness instructor, and over the years, took extra courses in prenatal and postpartum exercise to gain enough experience to hold Specialty Recognition through ACE in Pre/Postnatal Exercise. Throughout college, I took classes in both physical and health education, finally deciding to complete my college education with a Bachelor of Science degree in Human Development. This left the doors open for me to explore different career options.
After returning home from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, I began working for Stanford Hospital and Clinics as an administrative assistant. My office was located next door to Stanford’s Perinatal Education Department. I spoke with the education coordinator about all of the exciting classes they had to offer and decided I wanted to become a childbirth educator. I went through another 18 months of education based out of California State University, Long Beach along with student teaching and birth observations and passed the National exam to become a Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educator.
Instantly, I began teaching Childbirth Classes for Stanford Health Services and eventually took over teaching a wide spectrum of classes: support groups for new moms, for working moms, and for new dads; prenatal aerobic and yoga classes and postpartum exercise classes for moms and their infants. The popularity of this exercise class gave me the inspiration to create StrollerJam™, an aerobic exercise class for moms and their baby/toddler.
After moving to Pleasanton, CA in 2000, I was delighted to land a couple jobs at two local hospitals, once again, facilitating new mother support groups and teaching my prenatal and postpartum exercise classes to women throughout the community. As much as my students thank me for all the support I have given them, I must say that I learned a lot from these wonderful women, not having any children of my own yet. In fact, I realized that to have a baby was to launch into an entire new career, one in which you will have the most demanding boss ever, with no scheduled breaks and many sleepless nights. Yet, a career that most women would never trade in once “hired”.
In September 2002, my husband and I became pregnant with our first child. Experiencing pregnancy, childbirth and parenting first-hand was the ultimate education experience, one that would only enhance my teaching skills. After giving birth to my first son in 2003 and my second son in 2005, I cut back drastically on my teaching. I am currently still teaching evening prenatal yoga classes and on occasion, I will teach private or semi-private childbirth classes.
Pregnancy and childbirth is a true miracle. It is also a time of change. I am honored to be able to help women through this transition. I am grateful to have such an awesome job in which I meet so many wonderful women and so many precious new little lives. Thank you to all of my students, as you have given me as much as I have given you.
Nancy Larson B.S., ACE-certified Group Fitness Instructor, LCCE, certified Whole Birth yoga instructor, HypnoBirthing® Practitioner, Doula, Mother