Education:

Bachelors of Science in Communication, The University of Miami, Majors in Communication Studies and International Studies with a minor in Environmental Issues

Certificate, Nonprofit Business Administration, Wake Forest University

Newborn Mothers Postpartum Education and Care Professional

ServSafe Certified (Food Handling)

My name is Gretchen Neely, and I am a Certified Postpartum Education and Care Professional through Newborn Mothers.

A glimpse of my story…

I had two amazingly quick, easy, and comfortable births using childbirth hypnosis, which led me down the path of learning all things birth. What I eventually realized is that I had put an incredible amount of time and energy into learning about how to have amazing births, but with what I would deem little preparation for what was going to happen after the arrival of the babies. I faced challenges that I now know could have been avoided or made easier had I put just as much effort into my postpartum planning and care. I adore helping new moms and families navigate their new identities with grace, rest, and listening ears.

I am a CREATIVE. I love to sing, write, and dream about what postpartum should be. Postpartum is the first forty days after birth and beyone, and I aim to allow mothers the freedom to take a break (not just to go to the grocery store). She should be treated like royalty.

One of my majors in university was International Studies, so naturally when I learned about the care that mothers receive outside our country, I was intrigued. My cohorts in training were floored to learn that we only get three months, if we’re lucky, to keep our positions at work. Their mouths were open. They had no clue! Women in many other countries are expected to rest and breastfeed while they recover from birth and bond with the baby, especially during the first forty days. My work is to take part in changing the postpartum narrative here the States.

I have had the privilege of being a full-time working mom outside the home, a full-time SAHM, AND a homeschooler. I tell people we’ve done the private school thing, the public-school thing, the homeschool thing, and the public-school thing again. Life changes! I work from a strengths-based approach and enjoy helping individuals thrive as they are. I also have personal and professional experience working with autistic kids and people with neurodivergence. I get it.

In my free time, you can find my husband and I (and sometimes my children) on the greenways, perhaps on our bikes, and then at Trader Joes while I look for items for my latest cooking adventure. My children are 15 and 10 now and I love every moment I have with them as the time flies by and families sometimes get complicated. I am also a worship leader, so you can find me on YouTube on a stage if you look hard enough.

Keep your eyes on my blog, Mom Confetti, about all things pregnancy, postpartum, and beyond. It all deserves celebration!