Birth Wisdom: Faculty

Wendy Spry, CPSS, CD (DONA), CLA

Certified Perinatal Support Specialist, Certified Doula/Labor Assistant, Lactation Educator, Childbirth Educator and Student Midwife

Wendy began working with families in 1992 when she was pregnant with her first child. All her friends and acquaintances began asking her to come to their births because she had such a calming presence. After her own pregnancy ended at 32 weeks with a very long labor, a cesarean section, and a one month stay in the NICU for her son Tyler, she focused her energy on helping women with the breastfeeding relationship. She became a La Leche League Leader and went on to become a Lactation educator.

In 1995 she gave birth to her daughter. Madeline was born vaginally in the hospital after a very precipitous labor. She and her husband had two doulas supporting them through their labor and saw first hand the difference professional labor support can make, especially in the fastest of births. Just a few months after the her daughter’s birth Wendy attended a Professional Labor Assistant workshop sponsored by The Association of Labor Assistants and Childbirth Educators (ALACE) and quickly became certified. Later that same year she attended a weekend workshop with Polly Perez sponsored by Doulas of North America (DONA) and certified with them as well.

For many years she and her partner Cyndi Daily-Gross operated “Labor of Love Certified Childbirth Assistants” offering professional birth assistance to families in Orange County, California. They became very well known for their balanced approach to pregnancy and the birth process. Care providers appreciated their knowledge and expertise with both medical and alternative therapies. They were regularly referred by doctors, midwives and nurses alike.

In 2001 Wendy delivered her third child at home, underwater with a midwife and her family and friends present. She even had many of her Birth Wisdom students in attendance to witness her homebirth VBAC.

Currently Wendy is a student midwife at the Midwives College of Utah pursuing licensure as a Certified Professional Midwife. It is her intention to go on the mission field and care for families in third world countries. She also teaches childbirth, breastfeeding, sibling preparation and VBAC classes and attends births as a CPSS.