It always feels great to get reviewed on my Birth Doula services! In the last month I've received two new reviews! You can check them out over on DoulaMatch or read them below!

I have openings for June and July Births so be sure to send me an email to schedule your consultation!

"Erika is one of those most competent, kind, emphatic and capable doulas I have ever met. She transformed every fear and anxiety we had into a reassuring, comforting thought to take with us into the birth. She visited with us in our home a couple times before the actual birth and always brought books, visuals and great stories. At the actual birth, she was unflappable and focused the entire time. I have no idea how but she never seemed to get tired or stressed! She was a great support for BOTH of us too - for my wife who was birthing our child and to myself as the birth partner. She was right there with us reminding us to drink water, eat a snack or take a break to breath. And she happily took photos at our request after our daughter was born. There is no one quite like Erika - her humor, her warmth, her energy are unlike any other doula out there. My wife and I both would recommend her without any reservations."

"Erika made me feel so supported and confident about my labor and birth. The birth plan she helped my partner and I craft, as well as discussions about what happens if things don't go according to plan, helped us make decisions easily during labor.
I would definitely hire her again and would recommend her services to anyone looking for an amazing birthing experience with a caring and competent doula."

The following snippet comes from a January 12th article about doulas from the Seattle Times. While I find some aspects of the piece problematic, particularly the assumption that doulas are women and that only women give birth, it does a great job at shedding a bit of light on the racial and ethnic disparities faced by people of color and the babies of those people.


"A week into my son’s life, he wouldn’t stop crying. I can still see his scarlet face and hear the alarm in his voice. Exhausted and new to motherhood, I was flummoxed and near panic myself.

Then my doula rang the bell. A no-nonsense woman, she swooped Malcolm up, whispered in his ear and massaged his little body. Identifying that he was hysterically hungry, she fed him a few fingers of formula — calming him down long enough to nurse.

She also asked me how I was doing and listened when I admitted: “Not great.” She was a lifeline in the chaos, and I still think of her with deep gratitude.

A person* is a woman who is trained to assist women during childbirth as well as in the pre- and postnatal period. It’s a tradition with roots around the world but a practice that has been resurrected in the U.S. as research increasingly shows doulas reduce C-section births and encourage successful breast-feeding."

Read the rest of the article here.

I'm the kind of doula who believes that every pregnant person deserves to have a doula at their birth.

I believe this because we live in a world where millions of people will be losing their health coverage soon. A world where clinics aimed at providing people with care, like Planned Parenthood, are being defunded by Congress. A world where maternal death rates for black women far exceed those of any other ethnic group. A world where LGBTQ people's families are discredited and people's gender identity can be denied.

I'm also a business woman who makes my living by assisting people in all aspects of their pregnancy. As I continue additional training and certification I do it with the realization that the more I am educated the better I will be able to assist pregnant people and their families.

Perhaps you've not read the recent Buzzfeed and subsequent NY Magazine articles about the business side of doula-ing,  if you have and it left a bad taste in your mouth about who doulas are or who I am as a doula I hope you know that my goals are always centered around the families I serve, my family, and self care. It is this balance that drives me to continue my education and fuels my determination to make my doula services accessible for all families.

This means that I charge my full birth package price of $900 to my families providing payment options for those who need it. It also means that I have, and will continue, to provide birth doula services to families who cannot afford my full price. There is so much evidence out there that supports the necessity of doula work and I, personally, can't and won't let some very bad press change my passion and desire to provide this necessary service.

I am grateful to my strong circle of doula educators that have touched my life from the kick-ass group of Women of Color who trained me in Brooklyn to the dynamic instructors at Bastyr in Seattle.
​
If you're in the South Puget Sound and have questions or concerns about how a doula works, please do not hesitate to reach out to me and I'll do my best to answer your questions or point you to a birth professional with more experience.


​