Kim Martino-Sexton has been Delivering Calm & Confident parents to newborn families since 1998. Having taught more than 1,000 expectant couples and coached hundreds of families after birth (or “newborn families,” as she calls them), Kim Martino-Sexton’s uncommon blend of humor, candor, and sensitivity sets her apart as a thought leader in childbirth education and newborn family life. Employing 21 years of experience as a professional educator, doula, and perinatal mental health peer specialist Kim connects with new and expectant parents at each individual’s respective place on the road to and through parenthood.
Kim’s fascination with birthing babies and families began as a result of her own childbirth class participation during her first pregnancy. “I’ll never forget how powerful I felt when I understood I was allowed to say “No” to my medical providers,” she relates. “Suddenly, I realized I am the ultimate authority over my own body, and that birth professionals are consultants whose advice I am free to accept or dismiss.” In 1997, inspired by her new found maternal power, she left her previous role as a college administrator to embark on a career in birth support. After attaining certification as a Bradley method childbirth educator, she became trained as a birth and postpartum doula through Doulas of North America (DONA). Her own experience with perinatal mood and anxiety drew her to PMAD Peer Support with Mother to Mother. During the course of her training and early birth work, Kim observed that expecting family courses did not adequately prepare parents for the “now what” moments once they leave the hospital. In response to this deficit, Kim expanded her services to include class instruction and in-person support for the critical early weeks. Now known as the Newborn Family Coach, Kim approaches childbirth as the Beginning of the newborn family journey and supports parents as they adjust to the realities of newborn family life.
Widely regarded within the St. Louis birth community as a gifted instructor, Kim creates a classroom haven of confidence, safety, and knowledge which participants take with them to whichever birth setting they choose. Having supported parents in-person through a vast array of birth experiences, she is recognized as an authority on the many stages and facets of childbirth and parenting. In addition to a lively sense of humor, Kim possesses a unique capacity for identifying root concerns and providing compassionate guidance.
Propelled by a deep commitment to demystify pregnancy and postpartum mental illness, Kim has spent the last several years working as the Postpartum Resource Coordinator overseeing the MOMS Line. The MOMS Line provides peer telephone and peer-led support groups for all women in the St. Louis area experiencing any form of Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders. She recently teamed up with the leading PMAD and Birth Trauma therapist in St. Louis, Elizabeth Stallone Lowder, to train birth and postpartum providers on the Heartland Protocol. Elizabeth and Kim work closely with many providers to raise awareness and breakdown barriers to support services for perinatal women and their families.
