Profile

Karen Palumbo, MEd, AdvCD/BDT(DONA)

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Bio

Karen has worked with families during pregnancy, labor, birth, and the postpartum period since 1988 in both the class and hospital setting, and has extensive experience in curriculum development. She has been a Certified Breastfeeding Educator since 1998, a Certified Childbirth Educator since 1990, a DONA Certified Birth Doula since 2001, a DONA Birth Doula Trainer since 2007, and a DONA Advanced Certified Doula since 2015.
 
Karen received an Associate of Science degree in Alcohol and Substance Abuse Counseling from OSU-Oklahoma City in 1996, a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from University of Central Oklahoma in 1998, and a Master of Education in Adult Education from University of Central Oklahoma in 2003.  Karen's 2014 publication, Early Childhood Nutrition in an American Indian Community: Educational Strategy for Obesity Prevention, depicts her study through OU Health Sciences Center of a set of educational interventions with Native American families in Southwest Oklahoma about breastfeeding and toddler feeding practices.
 
Karen belongs to the Doula Association of Central Oklahoma (DACO) where she has served as President, Vice President and Secretary. She is currently serving as Southwestern Regional Director for DONA International. She is also a member of the Oklahoma Lactation Consultant Association and Daughters of the American Revolution. Karen has participated in COBA, Coalition of Oklahoma Breastfeeding Advocates, since 2002, and assisted with both the development of COBA’s Model Hospital Policy and its recent revision. She served as Secretary from 2012 to 2017, and was instrumental in COBA's drafting of Bylaws and achievement of 501(c)(3) status in 2014.
 
Karen lives in Warr Acres, OK with her husband of 45 years. She enjoys spending time with him, their 3 sons and their wives, and their two treasured grandchildren.