Erin's doula & birth services

11/10/2021

Being a doula has been one of the biggest joys of my life. Earlier this year I got to be there to welcome this sweet girl. It was my third birth with the Strasburger family. A week later I was praying for this sweet baby to live. Heart surgery and lots of prayer later, she is growing and doing beautifully. I love you all so much, Stephanie. Thank you for not only allowing me to be your doula, but also for being my friend.

10/25/2021

Planning a hospital birth, this is the class for you. It’s comprehensive and you’ll leave feeling confident in all your choices!

10/25/2021

❤️❤️❤️

“When pregnant, the cells of the baby migrate into the mothers bloodstream and then circle back into the baby, it’s called “fetal-maternal microchimerism”.⁠

For 41 weeks, the cells circulate and merge backwards and forwards, and after the baby is born, many of these cells stay in the mother’s body, leaving a permanent imprint in the mothers tissues, bones, brain, and skin, and often stay there for decades. Every single child a mother has afterwards will leave a similar imprint on her body, too.

Even if a pregnancy doesn't go to full term or if you have an abortion, these cells still migrate into your bloodstream.

Research has shown that if a mother's heart is injured, fetal cells will rush to the site of the injury and change into different types of cells that specialize in mending the heart.

The baby helps repair the mother, while the mother builds the baby.

How cool is that?

This is often why certain illnesses vanish while pregnant.

It’s incredible how mothers bodies protect the baby at all costs, and the baby protects & rebuilds the mother back - so that the baby can develop safely and survive.

Think about crazy cravings for a moment. What was the mother deficient in that the baby made them crave?

Studies have also shown cells from a fetus in a mothers brain 18 years after she gave birth. How amazing is that?”

If you’re a mom you know how you can intuitively feel your child even when they are not there….Well, now there is scientific proof that moms carry them for years and years even after they have given birth to them.

I find this to be so very beautiful.

10/25/2021

I’ve always said that growing a baby and becoming a mother literally changes your dna. You feel like a different person. This is so very beautiful

“When pregnant, the cells of the baby migrate into the mothers bloodstream and then circle back into the baby, it’s called “fetal-maternal microchimerism”.⁠

For 41 weeks, the cells circulate and merge backwards and forwards, and after the baby is born, many of these cells stay in the mother’s body, leaving a permanent imprint in the mothers tissues, bones, brain, and skin, and often stay there for decades. Every single child a mother has afterwards will leave a similar imprint on her body, too.

Even if a pregnancy doesn't go to full term or if you have an abortion, these cells still migrate into your bloodstream.

Research has shown that if a mother's heart is injured, fetal cells will rush to the site of the injury and change into different types of cells that specialize in mending the heart.

The baby helps repair the mother, while the mother builds the baby.

How cool is that?

This is often why certain illnesses vanish while pregnant.

It’s incredible how mothers bodies protect the baby at all costs, and the baby protects & rebuilds the mother back - so that the baby can develop safely and survive.

Think about crazy cravings for a moment. What was the mother deficient in that the baby made them crave?

Studies have also shown cells from a fetus in a mothers brain 18 years after she gave birth. How amazing is that?”

If you’re a mom you know how you can intuitively feel your child even when they are not there….Well, now there is scientific proof that moms carry them for years and years even after they have given birth to them.

I find this to be so very beautiful.

09/22/2021

The more you know

15 Cool Facts About Breastfeeding

1. Human milk boosts a baby’s immune system big time—helping baby fight viral, bacterial, and parasitic infections, including:
Respiratory tract infections
Ear infections
Bacterial meningitis
Pneumonia
Urinary tract infections
Infant diarrhea
Common colds and flus

2. Breastfeeding can actually reduce baby’s risk of disease later in life, including:
Type I and II diabetes
Hodgkin’s disease
Leukemia
Obesity
High blood pressure
High cholesterol levels
Crohn’s disease
Ulcerative colitis
Asthma
Eczema

3. Breastfeeding reduces mama’s risk of ovarian and breast cancer, heart disease, and osteoporosis. The longer she breastfeeds, the higher the benefit. In fact, a woman who breastfeeds for 8 years has nearly a 0% risk of breast cancer.

Get this—breastfeeding a baby girl actually reduces her lifetime risk of breast cancer by 25%.

4. Breastfeeding saves a family approximately $2 to 4 thousand dollars annually (compared to cost of formula).

5. Breastfeeding helps mama heal faster in the postpartum, helping her uterus return to pre-pregnancy size faster and lowering overall postpartum blood loss.

6. Breastfeeding can help mama return to her pre-baby weight. It takes 1000 calories a day on average to produce breast milk. Women are advised to consume an extra 500 calories a day, and the body dips into reserves it built up in pregnancy to make the rest (it’s important to consume those extra calories or the body actually goes into “starvation mode” and holds onto the reserves).

7. Producing breast milk consumes 25% of the body’s energy; the brain only uses 20% by comparison.

8. On average, babies remove 67% of the milk mama has available—they eat until fullness, not until the breast is emptied.

9. Almost 75% of all moms produce more milk in their right breast, whether they are right- or left- handed.

10. Mama’s body is constantly making the perfect milk for baby. Milk changes its nutritional profile as baby grows (milk made for a 3 month old is different than for a 9 month old). Milk can even change day to day—for example, water content may increase during times of hot weather and baby-sickness to provide extra hydration.

11. Human milk contains substances that promote sleep and calmness in babies (who doesn’t love that?) Breastfeeding also calms mama and helps her bond to baby.

12. Breastfed infants are at lower risk for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)

13. Mama’s breasts can detect even a one degree fluctuation in baby’s body temperature and adjust accordingly to heat up or cool down baby as needed. This is one reason skin-to-skin contact in the early days is so crucial.

14. Breastfeeding reduces baby’s risk of cavities later on and may lower the chance they will need braces as kids.

15. Breastfeeding mamas sleep on average 45 minutes more a night, compared to those who formula feed.

http://healthfoundationsbirthcenter.com/2013/11/19/15-cool-facts-about-breastfeeding/

Photo- Woman nursing two babies, Alaska.
Date: [ca. 1903-1908]
Photographer/Illustrator: Lomen Brothers, Nome, Alaska / Dobbs, B.B.

07/03/2020

Georgia families deserve to have the support they need during this time. Please support giving doulas non visitor status, so that we can support the clients we have built relationships with ***script credit Happy Day Doula

06/12/2020

This is so good!! These are definitely important conversations to have with your partner!

06/02/2020

This blog is a direct view into my heart.
Women giving birth right now do not have enough support.
My heart breaks each time I hear a story that leaves them feeling crushed.
https://erinsdoulacare.com/2020/06/02/birth-covid-a-doulas-perspective-in-middle-ga-part-2/

Fair warning. This blog was born out of the frustration of the effect that Covid-19 is having on our maternal system. Let me start by saying that I do believe that drs. and midwives are trying. I i…

05/29/2020

Ties make all the difference.

Ties are real.

They can have a real and significant impact on infant feeding via bottle or breast.

These photos were taken 12 days apart showing the before and after impact of a lip and tongue tie revision.

This sweet girl was only in the .6th percentile for weight despite breastfeeding and bottle feeding donor milk.

Her doctor discounted her mother Jordan’s concerns and ignorantly told Jordan that her milk wasn’t good enough for her baby and formula was the solution since essentially her milk was lacking nutritional value.

Jordan knew this didn’t sound right and so she sought out a Lactation consultant.

Her sweet girl was finally diagnosed with a tongue tie and lip tie by the Lactation consultant, after her ties were totally missed by her doctor.
She was able to get the ties released soon after and gained nearly 2 pounds in 12 days!

Her mother Jordan said “I noticed an immediate difference in her. After 24 hours she had even started to plump up in the face!”

There are so many stories out there of so called “breastfeeding starvation” when these families are actually victims of the pervasive breastfeeding ignorance of health care providers.
These are not failures of breastfeeding or mothers but instead a failure of the health care providers.

Doctors aren’t trained in Lactation and many are failing their patients as a result.

Placing the blame on mothers and pretending that they’re ignorant or “brainwashed” in to breastfeeding at the detriment of their babies, is wrong!

This little girl did not have to go through this. The providers who saw her should have caught these issues before they caused problems.

The solution to these issues is to train health care providers in Lactation and/or have them refer out to Lactation specialists when there are issues!

This little girl is back to exclusively breastfeeding since her tie revision and is gaining weight beautifully.

Did your baby have any ties?
Who finally discovered their ties?

05/27/2020

After a long break from blogging, i am at it again. Love you all!
https://erinsdoulacare.com/blog/

Because Every Birth Story Matters

05/20/2020

Mothers in GA deserve to have a licensed professional wherever they choose to give birth.

Please donate to Legislative fund! We have a due date quickly approaching to make our next lobbyist payment and we need your help! We understand times are hard so do what you can, donate, share this fundraiser, reach out to us to find out other ways to help etc! Please know we appreciate each and every one of you!
https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-ga-homebirth-midwives?utm_source=customer&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_campaign=p_cf+share-flow-1

05/10/2020

Happy Mother’s Day to all the amazing moms out there!

05/01/2020

GA needs to do the same.

04/29/2020

The Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) enshrines the right of birthing people to receive stabilizing medical treatment—defined as the birth of the baby and the placenta—regardless of hospital policy. Yet hospitals routinely violate this law to deny care or coerce medical interven...

04/25/2020

IF you need a doula.....😂😂

04/15/2020

This is beautiful

One month ago, I was 38 weeks pregnant, full of anxiety, anger and fear. Hospital protocols were changing daily. Visitors were banned. Laboring women could only have one person with them. This isn't what I pictured delivering my third baby would look like.

Two weeks later, my husband and I walked into labor and delivery and were handed masks. We were told to wear those any time any one entered our room. The nurses were always masked, as was the doctor. This was my third baby and the whole process was so different than the other two.

During my first two deliveries we had guests in and out while I labored and more guests after delivery. There were no masks. No scary protocols. It was a celebration and everyone was invited.

This time, it was just my husband and I. The room was quiet. No chaos of visitors. The conversations were just him and I. Just the two of us for the first time in six and a half years.

I'm just going to say it: delivering during the pandemic was a blessing in disguise.

We delivered with quiet hallways in a quiet room filled with just the three of us. We welcomed this baby with no expectations of people rushing in during skin-to-skin. We established nursing without having to wear an awkward nursing cover.

It was just us and our little guy. It was perfect.

Twenty-four hours later we returned home. Due to social distancing, there were no visitors and no school. There was no early morning school drop offs or mid-day school pick ups. There was no "panic cleaning" for visitors. There was no schedule and low expectations.

Our girls have been able to bond with their little brother all day, everyday. Having no schedule with a newborn has been dreamy. We are all sleeping, nursing, and bonding with no interruptions. There's no pressure to get out of the house. There's no reason to try to squeeze into pre-pregnancy clothes.

If you are a pregnant momma set to deliver during all the chaos of the world right now, rest easy. Take a deep breath. While this is probably not how you imagined your delivery, find the blessing through this mess.

Enjoy this break from real life, snuggle up with your newborn and enjoy every last minute of the newborn stage. Too soon, that teeny tiny baby won't be teeny tiny anymore.

To read more from Stephanie: https://knoxvillemoms.com/author/slancaster/

03/26/2020

Good information

If you are experiencing symptoms associated to the COVID-19 compared them to the other common conditions and call your healthcare provider. Don't rush to any hospital/doctor office/urgent care. CALL BEFORE!

As of now, due to the shortage of testing and the fast spread of COVID-19 testing is been done on most vulnerable populations and the people responsible for their care and safety. This includes: elderly, those with chronic, underlying health conditions, those who live in a long-term care facility like an assisted living facility or nursing home, and those serving on the front lines as a healthcare worker, first responder, long-term care facility staffer, or law enforcement.

If you are having symptoms increase your Vitamin C and D intake, rest, hydrate, and self quarantine. Avoid any ibuprofen, take acetaminophen for pain and fever.

If you are nursing continue to do so. Both the World Health Organization and Center for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that you continue to breastfeed your baby/toddler even if you are suspected or confirmed to be infected. They are already exposed and will benefit the most from direct breastfeeding.

If you feel you are running out of breath or any other life-threatening symptoms call 911.

MOST IMPORTANT: STAY HOME!!! LETS PROTECT THE MOST VULNERABLE POPULATIONS!!