Gwendolyn Bright

Painter, poet, and mama to Matilde Zadie (born at UVA) and Gideon Apollo (born at home), Gwen is a California native full-spectrum doula trained at Natural Resources and by the Bay Area Doula Project in San Francisco. She has a strong commitment to reproductive justice and an insatiable need to plug into storytelling of all kinds. She is the founder of Bright Birthing and has attended many births in and out of hospital since 2010 (close to 90 at last count).

Along with a BA in literature and religion and work toward a Masters in traditional Chinese medicine, Gwen's additional studies have included Jane Austin's Prenatal Yoga Teacher training; Essentials of Prenatal Massage with Dominique Clothiaux; Trauma to Triumph with Nurture in Richmond; and Penny Simkin's When Survivors Give Birth. In 2018 Gwen completed postpartum doula training with Cynthia Jordan-Fisher and Dianne Bearinger of Month 10 and Nearby Baby. Most recently Gwen has completed coursework through San Francisco Zen Center in chronic pain and chronic illness, and is studying with Yolonda Coles Jones in a program called Design Your Family’s Education Reality.

Gwen is working on a second collection of poetry, homeschooling her kiddos, and looking forward to supporting out of hospital birth again.