We are beyond thankful to have had Erika as our birth doula, and I cannot say enough about how wonderful she is! E. Ganyo
"My partner Kristina and I are so grateful to have worked with Erika as both our birth and postpartum doula. From the beginning of our partnership (which is the best way to describe our doula-client relationship), Erika completely centered our needs and concerns for our pregnancy/birth and helped us to craft a plan that aligned with our vision. Erika’s style was absolutely affirming, empathetic and non-judgmental (which I can’t say about all the practitioners we worked with over the course of our pregnancy)." S. Goldman
I am currently booked for the remainder of 2019 through April 2020
Birth is amazing. It’s powerful and life-changing. It’s powerful and intense. It changes you forever. You are not only giving birth to a baby, but you are giving birth to the new you, the you who crosses over to parent, mother.
I’ve had the opportunity to witness this transition for almost 60 families and every single one teaches me something I didn’t know before. It is my honor to hold and support and love you during your birth.
I offer birth doula plans to fit various needs and budgets. I aim to provide my services to everyone, and in applicable situations will offer sliding scale payment.
All Birth Packages Include the Following Services:
Free no-pressure consultation
I will do a complimentary consultation either in your home or other location where we can discuss your needs and what you are looking for in a doula. We will take this time to get to know one another and I will answer any questions that you may have. After the initial consultation, I encourage parents to think about what they are looking for in a doula and determine if I am the best fit. After we decide that we’re a good match, we will move forward with my services.
Once you chose to hire me, we will discuss and sign my Doula Contract. At that time, I ask for half of the doula fee so that I can block off time on my calendar and will no longer be available to other clients.
The remainder of the fee is due at the time of our last prenatal visit. Payment plans are available and encouraged for folks who would like to use them.
Prenatal Visits
Our prenatal appointments are dedicated times for us to get to know one another. Inviting someone into your birth space is an act of deep trust and intimacy. During prenatal appointments, we will spend at least an hour, up to two hours, with one another. During this time I'll be learning about you, your family and your wishes for your birth, just as you'll be learning about me.
My prenatal appointments have been described by former clients as "part labor and birth prep and part therapy sessions." Please note, I am NOT a therapist. With that being said, I will encourage you to be as honest and open as possible. We will talk about sensitive and intimate things and I will encourage you and your partner to go deep and to think about and process a variety of emotions. I challenge you to think and re-think about labor, birth, postpartum and parenthood in a variety of ways in hopes that you feel strong, empowered and confident in your labor, birth and postpartum choices.
Labor Support
When you reach 39 weeks of pregnancy I will go on-call for your family. This means that my phone is always on and with me and that I am within a 50-mile radius of where you plan to give birth.
Once labor begins we will connect by phone to begin to put the strategies and techniques we've discussed in our prenatal appointments to use. When I join you, and you are in active labor, I will remain with you supporting you and your family until the birth of your baby. I will stay with you after the baby is born for up to two hours, or when you are ready for alone time as a family.
For families who are having induction births, we will come up with a plan for support during the first stages of induction and I will join you in the hospital for active labor, birth and two hours postpartum.
For families giving birth via cesarean, I will join you at the hospital and if permitted, will join you in the OR for your belly birth.
Throughout this time I will provide you continuous support so that your emotional and physical needs are met, and will help facilitate communication between you and the medical team.
Phone and Email Support
During our time together I am always available to you for phone and text message chats and via email. For families who request additional prenatal appointments, this can be arranged at a rate of $150 per session.
Back-Up Doula
It is my intention and goal to be with you during your entire birthing process, but there are sometimes extenuating circumstances that make this impossible. In this rare circumstance, my back up doula will accompany and support you through your birth.
If possible, my back up doula will join me at one prenatal appointment so that you will be acquainted with her. If this is not possible, I always encourage my clients to meet with my back up doula to make sure that you're a good fit.
Postbirth Visits
Within one week after you give birth I will come to check on your new family. This initial visit is quite short, usually lasting no longer than a half-hour. While I'm not a medical provider, I do like to make sure that you, as a person who has just given birth, is healing well. (Did you know that most people won't see their medical provider until 6 weeks postpartum?) I also check in with baby to make sure that they're feeding well. I'll answer any questions you have about your birth or baby care.
Between weeks 2-3 I'll come back for a slightly longer visit. During this time I like to check in with how you're healing emotionally as well as physically. During this time I also like to assure you that your Postpartum Plan is intact and to provide resources for PMAD and other postpartum concerns around parenting, new baby care, and sleep.
After the in-home visits I will check in with you via phone at the end of the Fourth Trimester and again at six months.
Lending Library
My lending library is quite extensive and includes titles such like “Pregnancy, Childbirth and the Newborn”, “The Birth Partner”, “The Fourth Trimester”, and more.
Books are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Books not returned will be charged at the cover cost.
Special Circumstances
I believe that every person should have the emotional, physical and psychological support of a doula no matter their financial situation and am happy to offer reduced-rated labor-only support on a sliding scale of $800-1000 for parents who need it. I am also open for barter and trade for birth doula packages.
Birth Package One
$1800
2 Prenatal Visits
1 Postbirth Visit (up to one hour)
Birth Package Two
$2500
3 Prenatal Visits
2 Postbirth Visits (up to one hour)
1 Postpartum Visit (4 hours)
2 One-Hour Prenatal Yoga Sessions
Birth Package Three
$4000
3 Prenatal Visits
2 Postpbirth visits (up to one hour)
2 Postpartum visits (4 hours each)
2 One-Hour Prenatal Yoga Sessions
1 Hour-Long Postpartum Yoga Session.
Whole Body Pregnancy
$6500
ARE YOU READY TO GO DEEP?
WHOLE BODY PREGNANCY IS DESIGNED AS UNIQUE, 6-MONTH PREGNANCY AND POSTPARTUM EXPERIENCE CATERED TO YOUR INDIVIDUAL NEEDS. THIS IS A DEEP-DIVE INTO THE PHYSICAL, EMOTIONAL, SPIRITUAL ASPECTS OF PREGNANCY, LABOR, POSTPARTUM AND NEW PARENTHOOD.
Tailor-made Childbirth Education Class for you and your partner (4 hours)
5-6 in-depth prenatal appointments designed to challenge, uplift and empower you
4 prenatal yoga sessions
Birth doula support for your labor and birth
Recipes and Meal Ideas to nourish your pregnant body.
Once your baby is born you'll receive:
4, 4-hour postpartum doula visits
2 overnight postpartum doula appointments to help you get some much-needed sleep
Food to nourish and sustain your postpartum body
Rituals for honoring your birth and your postpartum period
Space to reflect and write your birth story
We'll finish our time together with 2 postpartum yoga sessions and a closing the bones ceremony to mark the end of our time together. You’ll also receive an herbal blend for a sitz bath or postpartum steam as well as recipes to continue this practice.
Travel Fee - $150 for clients North of Downtown Seattle and South of Lacey.
All Doula Fees and Services are payable in cash, check, Paypal (add additional $15 Paypal service fee), Google Wallet, Zelle and Venmo.
Help Make Doula Services Available for All
Are you in the financial situation to help a marginalized family receive doula services? Are you a former client who would like to pay it forward? Please reach out to me about ways in which you can help!
all prices and packages are effective January 2020