Laine Podell Camino MA, CLE, CIIM, is the owner of A Mother’s Haven. She has Masters Degrees in Parent-Infant Education, and Deaf Education. She has studied and taught Early Childhood Development and Education since 1991. Prior to opening A Mother’s Haven, she was with Los Angeles Unified School District educating parents of young children for more than a decade. She worked with families of hearing-impaired infants in the areas of parenting, child development and language development in group and one to one settings. Additionally, Laine has been an Adjunct Professor at California State University in Northridge, teaching Early Childhood Special Education and Deaf Education graduate students for the Special Education Department.

Laine became a Certified Lactation Educator through UCLA after experiencing her own challenges to breastfeed her son, Zachary. Zachary had been given many bottles during his brief stay in the NICU and was not latching on to the breast properly. Laine struggled with nipple pain, overabundant milk supply, and chronically blocked milk ducts. Having learned prenatally about all the health benefits of breastfeeding, Laine was committed to breastfeed Zachary. However, after consultations with a few different Lactation Consultants, where she felt rushed or not listened to, and five weeks of struggling she was ready to give up. By sheer coincidence (or divine intervention), she was referred to a support group with Terry Gass, RN, IBCLC. Terry provided a guidance, instruction and support in a calming and encouraging manner, and the other mothers offered support and encouragement. It is only because of the support and encouragement she received that she perservered through a challenging start to nurse for over two years. Laine's goal is to provide non-judgemental and supportive guidance and support to women, who are experiencing difficulties or feelings of uncertainty as they learn to breastfeed their babies.

Laine is a presenter for the SIGN with your BABY Network. American Sign Language, which she has been studying since 1987, is her second language,. She watched many deaf and hearing children of deaf friends begin to communicate at a very early age and always knew she would share ASL with her own children. She has been using ASL with Zachary since he was very young. After experiencing first hand, with Zachary, the power of his early communication, she became compelled to share it with her friends and other parents and began teaching Sign Language for Baby classes.

Laine is also a Certified Instructor of Infant Massage. Laine has been sharing Massage with Zachary since he was two months old, when she was trained to teach Infant Massage to other parents. When he was an infant, the strokes for gas and colic were essential to relieve his distress and the massage time helped Laine to begin to trust herself and her instincts as a mother. Now, the daily massage that she shares with Zachary provides a quiet, focused time for them to connect at the end of a busy day. She is passionate about sharing this bond-deepening experience with other parents through Infant Massage and Communication classes.

Laine has recently had the honor and life-expanding experience of being Certified in The Khalsa Way: Kundalini Prenatal Yoga, with Gurmukh Kaur Khalsa, Sada Sat Kaur Khalsa, and Davi Kaur Khalsa (and many other wonderful teachers) of Golden Bridge Yoga. Laine has been practicing various styles of yoga on and off for many years. It wasn’t until finding Kundalini Yoga while she was pregnant did she feel the real meaning of Yoga to yoke or union body, mind and soul. Prenatal Kundalini Yoga helped Laine to prepare her whole being for her labor and she is thrilled and honored to share this ancient technology, brought to the U.S. by Yogi Bhajan, with other pregnant women!

Laine has been working with parents of young children for many years. In that time, and reinforced since becoming a mother herself, Laine has always believed that there is no one right answer for issues related to parenting and child-rearing and that parenting is an on-going learning process. Laine believes strongly in the importance of encouraging parents to help their babies develop secure attachments. She practices many aspects of Attachment Parenting and advocates responding to a baby’s cues in regards to parental expectations, feedings, weaning, nap and bed-time schedules, and sleeping through the night, etc.

Laine holds that as each child and family are different, so are their approaches to and beliefs about child rearing. While her parenting styles may differ with someone she is working with, she is always supportive and makes sure that parents have the knowledge they need about various philosophies and strategies so they can make educated decisions based on what is appropriate developmentally and physiologically for their baby, as well what works best for their particular child and family.

Laine has personally experienced, and sees on a daily basis, the real need pregnant women and new mothers have for warm and nurturing support. It is for this reason that she started A Mother’s Haven. She looks forward to meeting and supporting each mother, father, couple that comes in to A Mother’s Haven.