Sherri, The Zen Doula

03/02/2026

There’s so much quiet pressure in early parenthood to fix yourself, fix your baby, fix the experience.
But here’s the truth most new parents aren’t told:

You are not broken.

Your baby isn’t doing anything to you.

Your body isn’t behind.

And needing support doesn’t mean you’re failing.

Postpartum is not a problem to solve-it’s a season to be held through.
If even one of these slides made your shoulders drop a little... that matters. That’s your nervous system recognizing safety.

* You’re allowed to soften here.

Which slide felt like a deep exhale?

Comment below.

02/28/2026

Denmark is officially moving away from the cry it out method after a nationwide study revealed it was still being taught in most municipalities. More than 700 psychologists signed a unified statement urging immediate discontinuation of the practice. They emphasized that prolonged crying without comfort elevates cortisol and affects how the infant brain forms emotional and stress regulation pathways. This national push reflects growing scientific awareness of early neural sensitivity.
Researchers highlight that when babies cry alone, their stress signals rise sharply. Without caregiver response, the brain begins wiring for self protection rather than trust. These early patterns influence later attachment styles emotional stability and even learning behavior. Denmark’s decision aligns with decades of neuroscience showing that infants depend on caregiver regulation to build healthy neural circuits.
Despite this, the cry it out approach continues to be recommended in parts of the U.S. where outdated models of infant independence remain common. Scientists argue that babies do not learn self soothing through isolation. Instead they learn through repeated experiences of comfort which stabilize heart rate breathing and emotional processing. This helps form long term resilience.
Denmark’s shift highlights a global conversation about infant well being. The science is clear. Responding to a baby’s distress supports healthier development than leaving them to cry alone.

02/26/2026

One of the greatest honors of my work as a doula is witnessing families step into a new chapter — and being invited to walk beside them as they do.

Birth work is never just about the day a baby arrives. It’s about relationships. It’s about trust. It’s about creating space where families feel supported, confident, and deeply cared for.

I’m often blessed with kind words from mothers and fathers, but every so often, I form a connection with a grandmother that feels especially meaningful. There is something so powerful about being embraced by the matriarch of a family — it speaks to legacy, love, and generational trust.

This week, I received the most thoughtful handwritten note from one of those very special grandmothers. Her words were such a gift to my heart.

Serving families in this season of life is sacred work. I never take lightly the privilege of being welcomed into such intimate moments.

I truly love the families I serve — and I deeply love the work I’ve been called to do. 🤍

⸻

Dearest Sherri,

A lifetime of thank yous is almost enough to express my gratitude. The care you are so generously giving to Baby Leila, Sara and Alex is truly a gift.
You are wise, experienced, and loving and combined you are actually raising a family, the Leila, Sara, and Alex family.
Know that you will be thought of and spoken of with the highest regard always and in all ways.
May God bless you and keep you and shine light upon you and grant you peace.
Meditating on you I elected three “angel” cards however the fourth one pushed out and insisted on joining the other three.

🎯Intention.
🪽Freedom.
🤸🏽‍♀️ Flexibility.
✊🏾Sister hood & Bother hood

With the love of motherhood, grandmotherhood and so on and so on and so on…

❤️
Grandma Leslie
xoxo

02/25/2026

Check this out Austin peeps! 🎉

Bright Beginnings is hosting a community baby shower this Saturday at our Austin office. This is a great time to make connections, stock up on essentials, and learn about community resources.

We hope to see you there! Registration is required: tinyurl.com/39a972wu

02/14/2026

Happy Valentine’s Day from Sherri, the Zen Doula. 💞

Trusting all of my clients past present and future remember this…
You deserve to love yourself! 🧖🏽‍♀️ 🧘🏽‍♀️🛀🏿🍃🌸☀️😴🛌

02/13/2026

🧠 ❤️‍🩹

A faster treatment for postpartum depression is entering clinical trials at the University of Texas at Austin. Read More: https://www.kxan.com/news/science/this-new-postpartum-depression-treatment-could-work-in-2-6-days-without-medication/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook_KXAN_News

02/13/2026

Very important work…. 🤍🕊️

A children’s TV writer became a death doula and wrote a book about what grief needs from us.

Writer and filmmaker Darnell Lamont Walker has released his debut book, “Never Can Say Goodbye: The Life of a Death Doula and the Art of a Peaceful End,” with the goal of reducing stigma around death and grief in the Black community.

As a death doula, Walker provides emotional and physical support to clients and families in their final stages. He traces the work back to 1994 in Charlottesville, when he helped care for a cousin with HIV/AIDS after relatives disowned him.

Walker sat by his cousin’s side, sharing memories and jokes. He realized being compassionate and present can help people find closure at the end of their lives.

Read the full story at the link in the comments.

🖋️: Christopher A. Daniel / AJC
📸: Kristen Finn / Courtesy of Darnell Lamont Walker | Jason Kayser / HarperOne

02/08/2026

❤️

A 2025 study published in AJOG adds powerful, up-to-date data showing associations between doula care and improved maternal and newborn outcomes.

Key Maternal Outcomes:

More vaginal births after cesarean (VBAC): For every 100 patients who received doula care, there were 15 to 34 additional VBACs compared with those without doula care.

Higher postpartum follow-up attendance: 5 to 6 more per 100 received postpartum office visits.

Key Neonatal / Infant Outcomes

Increased exclusive breastfeeding rates: Babies whose families had doula support were more likely to breastfeed exclusively.

Fewer preterm births (and early preterm births): Doula-supported births showed a reduction in preterm birth rates.

In short, the study links doula care with improvements in birth outcomes — across birth mode (more VBACs), infant health (less prematurity), and early infant care (breastfeeding, postpartum follow-up).

Read more: https://internationaldoulainstitute.com/2025/11/evidence-for-doulas-new-ajog-study-finds-doulas-improve-outcomes/

02/04/2026

What a QUEEN!!! 👑 💫💞

To kick off Black History Month, we at LER honor Dr. Kimarie Bugg — the first African American IBCLC in the United States.

✨Dr. Bugg is Co-Founder and long-time senior leader of Reaching Our Sisters Everywhere (ROSE), a national nonprofit advancing breastfeeding equity.

✨She also serves as Community Engagement Director for Communities and Hospitals Advancing Maternity Practices (CHAMPS), a program supporting hospitals nationwide to achieve Baby-Friendly designation — an evidence-based framework shown to strengthen facility-based breastfeeding support and reduce racial inequities in care.

Thank you, Dr. Bugg, for your unwavering dedication to ensuring all babies have access to the very best start in life — and for paving the way for current and future Black lactation consultants to fulfill their goal of supporting breastfeeding families!

Do you know a Black lactation consultant making a difference for families and their community? Tag them in the comments to show your thanks! ⬇️

02/03/2026

The origin of the black midwife….

“Granny Midwives,” were African-American women in the rural South who, from slavery through the mid-20th century, served as primary birth attendants, family counselors, breastfeeding consultants, postpartum doulas, nutritionists,  advocates and community caregivers. Many were descendants of enslaved West African women trained in midwifery, and provided services to both Black and White families in areas lacking access to physicians. Their skills and knowledge were invaluable and laid the foundation for modern day midwifery. In the early 20th century, the medical establishment would introduce regulations and licensing. The grannies who could not comply with state law, went from being well respected to persecuted and were forced out of practice.Their decline in the 1950s coincided with increased racial disparities in maternal health outcomes. 

Written by Derek Moseley

01/24/2026

Happy FRIYAAYYYYY from the Mama Sana Vibrant Woman Doula Team! 🎉 🫶🏽❤️
🙏🏽 Hoping none of our participants go into labor during this STORM this weekend! 🥶❄️⛈️ 🌀☃️⚡️ Stay safe everyone!