The Village Sprout

04/24/2022

・・・
I said what I said.

Stop 🛑 saying a healthy baby is all that matters. It’s not. A healthy mama and baby are the most important things, but they aren’t the ONLY important things. How your birth goes… MATTERS. Go into your birth prepared with quality education, a doula you mesh with, and a squeaky wheel.

06/27/2021

05/29/2021

・・・
Join .inc and Jenn Barry Tuesday on Instagram live!

05/07/2021

I didnt know what a great impact Gayle would make on my life when we first met... but it didn’t take long for our lives to mold together... she is the type of person that you just want to be around... she has a such a gentle, motherly touch that just melts away pain and worry. I am so grateful for her presence at my 3rd and 4th births and so happy she came into my life when she did. Happy International Midwives Day !

10/09/2020

Are you a pumping parent? How do you get through sessions?
・・・
In the morning, it's a nut house at the Barry's. My 4 year old is contemplating on the cupcake shirt or the apple shirt but the cupcake shirt is not the best because it has a strawberry on it and she doesn't like strawberries. My 2 year old is decorating the bathroom sink with my cheap eyeliner and my 6 month old is babbling on in his jumper seat. All this while I'm frantically making breakfast for everyone... This one wants a waffle and that one hates waffles and wants butter and bread. But the butter has to cover the whole piece of bread so I have to go back and get more butter. Forget that I also have to remember to brush my own teeth and wear clothes, ideally, because I have to be at work by 9.
This is my life. And I love every minute. Even when we are all about to walk out the door and my 4 year old breaks down about the shoes she's wearing.
I live for these moments right here. The moments that release an overwhelming amount of oxytocin, setting the tone for the day. Calming me, muscle by muscle. I just dropped the girls off at the 'castle' daycare and now I'm about to drop off my little man next door. Not before topping him off for the day. We might be in the back seat of my minivan but it feels like we're on top of the world. When I'm pumping in two hours in this very spot, I'm going to remember sitting here earlier with this delicious bambino and it's going to make the milk flow. 💜

09/17/2020

Today, I watched one bad ass mama birth her baby into her own hands as her bad ass husband gave his unwavering support, as they welcomed their 2nd baby into the world.

It was the last birth I will attend for the foreseeable future.... and I couldn’t have ended my time as birth doula any sweeter with a family that I adore and love... who I watched bloom through their first and second pregnancies... and go on to have beautiful births.

I adore what I do. I truly do. Supporting a family during the most intimate moment of their lives is an honor that I hold deep in my heart and I will miss with an aching that I know will not go away. With my husband’s new job and full time work as a mama, teacher, chef, wife... I have to take a step back.

I will continue to serve the community as CEO of Birth & Beyond Resources, currently working on getting evidence based birth education to the communities as well as connecting more doulas with birthing people nationwide through our educator and doula training. It is what will fill my soul’s cup while I take a step back from doula work.

To all of the families that I’ve had the honor to join, THANK YOU. You have changed my life. You have shown me true love, badassery, vulnerability, trust, surrender, strength, and so much more. For this, I am forever grateful.

09/15/2020

Can you find the cake I made for my husband when I was 6 days postpartum?
Postpartum is HARD and although we should be giving ourselves time and grace for 40 days after birth, for many of us... life just keeps on and so do we.
What kind of responsibilities did you have to keep up with even though you were newly postpartum?

08/30/2020

Hi, let’s talk about birth 🥰

08/18/2020

・・・
Become a Childbirth Educator & Doula through a completely virtual, interactive, FUN training! You can START TODAY and support births in less than a month!
Enrollment is OPEN!
Full & partial scholarships available for volunteers, board members, POC, LGBTQIA+, as well as those needing financial support.

06/29/2020

This might be my most favorite picture. Photo cred