Our Story
The Umbilical CARD is the card that “delivers,” literally.
What started out as a handmade birth announcement for a newborn daughter (in 1990) has since created a life all its own. This 4”x 6” greeting card, The Umbilical CARD, opens to “deliver” a surprise every time: a paper baby dangles from a plastic umbilical cord tucked inside the card. It always brings a smile! People everywhere who love birth and babies (nurses, midwives, doulas, OB’s) really LOVE this card! They are sold internationally too, all blank inside – you can write in your own language.
Special features can be custom-ordered too. Mothers and babies come in peach and brown skin tones. Multiple births (twins and triplets) are available upon request. Baby girls wear satin bows in their hair; baby boys sport satin bow ties. Optional humorous breastfeeding sticker allows newborn to latch-on to mom’s breast. Colorful cotton fabrics accent a variety of whimsical designs.
Our Accolades
Every year the Greeting Card Association (GCA) holds an international awards ceremony in NYC called the “Louie Awards” (named for Louis Prang, inventor of the greeting card). It is a gala affair, similar to the Oscars, only for the greeting card world. The Umbilical CARD has been a Louie Award Finalist (nominated four times: in 1994, 2002, 2003, 2005) for “Greeting Card of the Year.”
Meet the Mother-Daughter Team
Lauren
Creator & Designer
Designer, Lauren Barrett, created the Umbilical Card to announce the birth of her daughter, Katelyn, in 1990. Having worked as an OB nurse, she wanted to have the BEST design to celebrate her last baby (a girl, after two sons, aged 4 & 6). She no longer works as an RN in labor and delivery, but continued her education. When Katelyn left for college in 2008, Lauren left for grad school. First a Masters degree from Pepperdine University, then a PhD in Clinical Psychology from Pacifica University. She completed a pre-doc internship at Glendale Adventist and post-doc fellowship at the Wright Institute in Los Angeles. Currently she is enrolled as a second-year student in the Child and Adolescent Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy (CAPP) program at the New Center for Psychoanalysis in LA, and has a private practice in Woodland Hills.
Katelyn
Tech Support & Daughter Support
Daughter, Katelyn Barrett, who once inspired the Umbilical Card now continues to be inspired by her mother's creativity and passion to make the world a better place. After graduating from UC Berkeley with a B.A. in history, she spent a year living in Athens, Greece as part of a teaching fellowship. Between teaching English and learning Greek, she managed some spare time to continue traveling and playing Ultimate Frisbee. Five years after graduating from Cal, she's back in the Bay Area working for an educational non-profit. Whether she is working as a teacher, a publisher, or a grants analyst, oddly enough, her childhood experiences at lactation conferences have helped her more than once on the job!