by Brita Johnson, PCD

It was just under three years ago that Bridgetown Baby’s Nurturing Circle for Growing Families came into being, as a project of our team’s passion to provide a safe, accessible forum for parents and expectant parents to connect and grow together.

It’s been a journey across varied territory - meeting twice a month, meeting weekly, meeting in NE Portland, meeting in downtown Portland, meeting online. We didn’t know, when we started, just how the group would evolve, and the Nurturing Circle has proven to be an enduringly sweet gathering place for our postpartum doulas, lactation consultants and the families who come week after week.

I’ve had the honor of facilitating the group since the beginning - and in a way, it’s hard to believe that we’ve been gathering for almost three years. Perhaps it’s because of the “lost year” phenomenon brought on by COVID - but truly the group has flourished during these long months of the pandemic. When the lockdown happened last March, we pivoted to meeting virtually - and while there’s nothing like being together in person, meeting online has made it easier than ever for parents to step in to this opportunity to connect.

If you’ve never been to a Nurturing Circle, we hope you’ll join us! In the meantime, here’s a bit of background - and news on our most recent evolution:

What is the Nurturing Circle?

The Nurturing Circle for Growing Families (Nurturing Circle for short) is a gathering place for parents and kiddos, from the prenatal period through toddlerhood. It provides an opportunity for parents and expectant parents to connect with each other and with Bridgetown Baby’s postpartum doula and feeding support team for conversation, stories, tears, laughter and shared resources.

How does the Nurturing Circle work?

Log on, listen in, share what’s present for you! Bridgetown Baby postpartum doulas facilitate a “circle discussion” in which each person has the opportunity to share a joy, a challenge, and any questions they have. The conversation is rich with empathy, suggestions from the group and from the Bridgetown Baby team, and lots of opportunities to see babies (and their parents) grow over time. We recruit monthly speakers on topics of interest to families, and send weekly reminder/follow-up emails with a list of resources from the previous week’s meeting and the invite information for upcoming meetings.

The Nurturing Circle is growing!

While we’ve met once weekly for the two years, we’re delighted to be incorporating a second weekly Nurturing Circle gathering! Naps and appointments happen, and sometimes whatever’s going on in a week - with sleep, feeding or family dynamics - benefits from two opportunities to connect. Starting this month, you can join us on

• Tuesdays, 10:30am-12pm with Brita: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89955084644

• Thursdays, 1:00-2:30pm with Jess and Annie: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81428396086

There’s no pressure to come every week or to come on time, just come when you can.

What’s next for the Nurturing Circle?

We are excited to start meeting in person on a quarterly basis, starting on September 25th. [NOTE: our planned September gathering has sadly been postponed due to the surge in COVID 19 cases and the virulence of the Delta variant. Stay tuned for future gatherings!]

We look forward to seeing some of you soon - and feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions, would like to suggest a topic or a presenter, or have any other ideas to share!