Erin Yonke, Doula

05/11/2025

Happy Mother’s Day to all the amazing moms I know! Thank you to all the moms who have helped, guided, and inspired me, and thank you to all the moms I have had the joy of supporting.

The work we do in our homes and in our families is the most important work we do, and this belief is what fuels my desire to help other moms find their strength as they transition to this beautiful role. I hope you all feel treasured today! 💕

Image credit: The Little Rose Shop

12/31/2024

What an absolutely amazing year this has been. This work is life changing and I am honored to have been at the side of so many powerful women in 2024, and to see their families blossom. Thankful and excited for 2025. ❤️

07/20/2023

If you only have time to read one book to prepare for your postpartum period, this is a great one to pick!

This book is thorough but not too lengthy. It’s accessible and down-to-earth. I think it strikes a great balance between what is ideal and what is practical, and emphasizes mom’s mental and emotional well-being. Birth is SUCH an enormous accomplishment…but don’t forget: it’s not the finish line. Use this time to prepare for your recovery, mamas. You need it! ❤️

07/11/2023

In case no one has told you lately: you’re the best! ❤️

07/07/2023

What does a postpartum doula DO? This is a FAQ, and the answer is: "What do you need?"

The days, weeks, and months after you have your baby are among the most joyful and the most challenging you will ever experience. Every new parent responds to the fatigue, the emotions, and the physical changes after birth differently--but we all need support and help to make sure our basic needs are getting met.

Postpartum doulas are there to help make this transition easier for you and your family, so that you can move forward with confidence and look back with joy.

07/05/2023

I was recently reminded of all the benefits that come with laboring and/or giving birth in water. ❤️

Using water for pain relief is a fantastic natural option for before—or instead of—getting an epidural. Babies who are born in water experience a more gentle transition into the world, too.

Of my own 7 babies, two were born into water, but I used baths and showers as a comfort measure during ALL of my labors.😊💙💙 Have you used water during your labor or birth?

07/02/2023

Did you know that melatonin (a natural sleep hormone in our bodies) works with oxytocin (the love hormone responsible for labor contractions) to facilitate and promote coordinated and forceful contractions in late pregnancy necessary for birth?

This is thought to be why labor often begins in the middle of the night, and it is also (in part) why keeping your birth environment soft and soothing helps promote a healthy, natural progression of labor and delivery.

07/01/2023

06/28/2023

I gotta tell you all something. Sometimes when I tell people that I have seven kids and I’m a doula, I think there’s an underlying assumption that I must have really loved being pregnant and giving birth, or that I must have been super confident in my experiences.

I cherish each one of my birth stories--but you guys. The truth is that I was terrified of birth. Every. Single. Time. Even though I was giving birth in the environment of my choice. Even though my providers honored all of my wishes. Even though I had done it before and knew I was capable. I was scared.

For a long time, I thought it was the pain that scared me--and maybe that’s true to an extent. Birth is physically intense. But when my scheduled c-section rolled around, I expected to get some relief from the anxiety since I wasn’t managing any pain…but found the night before delivery to be very much the same as early labor.

🌸Because the hard part of birth isn’t ALL physical.

🌸It’s the enormity of the experience.

🌸It’s a deep awareness of the life-giving and life-changing power of birth, and knowing that this event will change your life and your family forever. ❤️

🌸It’s unleashing a love more powerful than anything on this earth.

We tend to get wrapped up in the physical aspects of birth: hospital, home, epidurals, inductions, and surgeries, and that is absolutely necessary and I am here for it! But I’m also here to say that this isn’t the whole picture. Women need empowering physical support to give birth to their babies, but we also need support and wisdom that will allow us to connect to that deeper part of ourselves. We need people who recognize the power in us even we have a hard time seeing it ourselves.

If you are struggling or have struggled in the past with anxiety about birth, you are not alone! 🌷 I would love to hear from you! Drop a comment or a DM.

And hey, if you want to talk more about how a doula can help you prepare for birth, don’t hesitate to reach out! I can be reached by DM or head over to www.doulaerinyonke.com to set up a consult with me!

06/27/2023

The First 40 Days is a book about rest and nourishment for new moms during the first forty days after giving birth. It offers a lot of really interesting insight into cultural practices throughout the world and the reasons they were developed.

I liked this book because:
-It makes implementing a more traditional postpartum period doable and doesn’t require any super exotic ingredients or supplies
-It gives moms much-needed permission to rest as much as possible through the postpartum period
-Encourages families to ask for help

I didn’t like:

-Even though this book contains doable and simple-to-implement ideas, I think it could be a source of guilt and anxiety if you are a new mom who is struggling to just get some protein and veggies in each day. I see you, mama. Nutrition is important, but SO 👏🏻IS 👏🏻YOUR 👏🏻MENTAL 👏🏻HEALTH👏🏻. Take what you find valuable from this book, and leave the rest.

-Heng Ou recommends pumping and dumping breastmilk in the first 40 days if you want to enjoy a small glass of wine. 👎🏻 This just isn’t true or necessary, and can we please stop making breastfeeding harder than it needs to be?

At the time of writing this, the ebook version of The First Forty Days is available on KindleUnlimited. If you buy the audiobook on Audible, you can listen to the first chapters while you’re folding laundry, and it comes with a .pdf of all the recipes.

Have you read this book? Have you tried the recipes? How did it impact your postpartum experience?

06/26/2023

Doulas are generally defined as non-medical sources of physical, emotional, and informational support.

But this type of non-medical support DOES make an impact on the medical side of things! Women who are attended by doulas report less pain, reducing the use of pain medication by 10%. Their labors were shortened by 41 minutes on average, and the risk of c-section was reduced by 25-39%.

Not only that, their babies benefit, too! APGAR scores at 5 minutes are less likely to be low by 38%.

If you want to talk more about the benefits of having a doula, shoot me a DM. ❤️

06/24/2023

There is a lot of power in normalizing things in our lives and the lives of those around us. After all, as C.S. Lewis said, “Friendship is born at the moment when one man says to another “What! You too? I thought that no one but myself…”

It’s a messy thing to be a human, and to be a parent especially. When we are in the thick of the mess and fatigue that comes with the early days (weeks…years…) of parenthood, it DOES help to know that we’re not the only one who feels this way!

But we need more than that, too. As humans, we were never designed to walk this road alone. From an anthropological standpoint, women and mothers have always attended one another throughout childbearing--both for birth and through the postpartum period. From ancient cultures to modern times, there has always been a recognition of the transformative power of birth and the need for nurturing care for the new mother. We, as humans, have always known that we need more than just normalizing of one another’s experience--we need radical, true help and assistance in our journeys.

✨The word doula finds its origins in ancient Greece, meaning “a woman who serves.” Doulas have been a constant presence across cultures and communities, offering support to expectant mothers and their families. They provide a comforting presence, empowering women to trust their bodies and make informed decisions throughout their journey into motherhood.

In recent decades, doula care has made a resurgence. This is a testament to the incredible impact it has on birthing experiences. Numerous studies have highlighted the benefits of doula support, showing lower rates of interventions, increased satisfaction, and improved breastfeeding outcomes. 🙌🏻

This is why I chose to become a doula: to normalize the childbearing experience, while helping moms feel their very best. 💞

🌷 Birth is sacred. ❤ Did you have a doula? ARE you a doula? Are you expecting and considering hiring one? I’d love to hear your stories in the comments.