As a Birth and Family Wellness Educator, I frequently get asked:

"Laurel, why do you provide your classes and consults online instead of in-person?"

Let's face it, in-person is more fun. It feels more natural and more connected. And after years of Covid-related shutdowns, quarantines, and social distancing we are all craving more normalcy and in-person interactions.

Many of us work on computers for most of the day and may be in virtual meetings for much of that time. The thought of getting on another Zoom call or checking in to an educational FB group probably isn't that appealing. I get it.

But here's the thing.

I work with pregnant mothers and families with infants and young children.

These are some of our most vulnerable populations. Their risk of getting sick and having severe complications is far higher than the average population. That's a fact that I can't ignore.

On top of that, many of them already have health conditions that make them even more at risk for serious problems if they get sick from common illnesses.

I'm a mom of three young kids, all of whom are now in school full-time.

My kids are exposed to A LOT of germs. As a result, I am exposed to a lot of germs. #momlife

In a single week, we received reports from their schools about spiking cases of: