Thrive Mama is a birth doula providing excellent service to women and their families in Northern Vir
Thriva Mama is a labor doula serving the women of Northern Virginia.
06/03/2020
I'm so happy to announce that I now offer Lamaze Childbirth Education!!! 🎉I have class dates available in April, May, and June. If you have a baby on the way (or know someone who does) check out the full class description and register today!
Ready for a 1-day Lamaze childbirth education class that will inform, empower, and prepare you for birth? Join us in a relaxed group setting where you’ll learn the essential basics of pregnancy, labor, birth, postpartum, breastfeeding, and newborn care.
Ready for a 1-day Lamaze childbirth education class that will inform, empower, and prepare you for birth? Join us in a relaxed group setting where you’ll learn the essential basics of pregnancy, labor, birth, postpartum, breastfeeding, and newborn care.
12/02/2020
If you have ever considered having your birth professionally photographed, or if you are actively searching for a birth photographer, this is an amazing opportunity! 🌟
Always remember every detail of your baby's birth day | Professional Birth Photography allows you to feel beautiful and powerful without forgetting a single moment.
What drives women in America to have babies at home rather than in a hospital or birth center?
20/08/2019
For real though!! 😂
19/08/2019
"Breastmilk produced at night actually promotes better long-term sleep! Who knew?" 🌠🌜😴
Wouldn’t parenting be a ton easier if babies didn’t wake up to breastfeed in the middle of the night? ?Well, there are a few reasons why these cute beings wake up when they do. And understanding why it happens can help bring some peace of mind—and make those nighttime wakings a little easier t...
31/05/2019
Some food for thought as we navigate parenthood and motherhood and loving our babies!
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"When we ignore a baby’s communication, they learn that their needs don’t matter. Babies who learn this lesson early in life are predisposed to experiencing insecure attachment, which can lead to a myriad of negative mental and emotional outcomes."
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"Babies can’t understand that we’re intentionally choosing not to respond to cries because an author recommended to leave them to cry for X number of minutes, so that they can learn to self soothe. From a baby’s perspective all they know is that they’re communicating a need and nobody is coming."
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For more info on normal infant sleep habits, I recommend the group Biologically Normal Infant Sleep!
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Do you feel pressured to sleep train your baby so they will learn to "self soothe"? In this post I'll explain why self soothing is nothing more than a myth.
14/05/2019
Baby will come when baby is ready! 🌻🌸🌹🌷🌼
“DUE DATES: Did you know that doctors still calculate expected date of delivery using a method formulated at the start of the 19th century. The method is known as Naegele’s rule; You take the first day of a expectant persons last menstrual period, add a year, subtract three months, and add seven days. How confusing is that! Naegele’s rule is based on the assumption that the birth person has a 28-day menstrual cycle, with ovulation on day 14, but cycles range anywhere between 21 and 35 days. These issues might help explain why Naegele’s rule isn’t very accurate and, therefore, why due dates aren’t, either. Babies simply do not care about due dates, and turn up when they feel like it and when they are perfectly ripe: the motivation for being born is something that, as yet, scientists cannot fully explain. Some babies will be ‘early’, some ‘on time’ and some ‘late’, in fact, only about 4% of babies arrive on their actual due date, and research has shown that the length of pregnancy can vary by up to five weeks. So, like in Uganda, instead of having a due date, have a due month”
🌿✨ Art by -
Words by .hill from Positive Birth 📚
02/05/2019
I couldn't agree more! Let's support all the mamas in our life - you are amazing!! 🌻
"Is he sleeping through the night?" "Is she a 'good' baby?" These are the loud lies of infant (& toddler) sleep. Read more to help the quiet truths rumble.
04/04/2019
Amazing!!! 🌟💖
10cm visual! Just perfect.
24/03/2019
Love this illustrative reminder to let those babies come when they are ready 🍊
The concept of a 'due' date is something that is very abstract in many cultures. If, like in Uganda, you count a pregnancy by the moons, you end up having a 'due month' and baby comes when she is perfectly ripe without causing mama lots of anxiety.
The very talented artist who created this beautiful illustration is Itaiana Battoni - Desenho Artístico.
22/02/2019
I love supporting mamas and families as they bring new life into the world. Congratulations to Sara and Alex on the beautiful home birth of their daughter, Isabella! 💕
Happy birthday to the sweet little snow-angel, Isabella Mary! “Ella” was born into her mother’s hands in a gentle waterbirth at home in Arlington, 02-21-19 at 2:07am. Pictured here with big sister Autumn (also a LH&H baby), parents Sara and Alex, and Moe the super dog 😍😍
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doula // ‘doo-lah’ : a person trained to provide advice, information, emotional support, and physical comfort to a mother before, during, and just after childbirth.
My name is Erika and I am a certified birth doula and the owner of Thrive Mama, LLC. I am trained to provide expecting mamas with emotional and physical support during labor and birth. I believe that women supporting women is a beautiful thing, and it is my goal to help women to thrive during the amazing and challenging time of pregnancy and birth. My hope is that your birth story is one that you will cherish for years to come.
Pregnancy and birth are powerful events in the life of a woman and her family. Research has shown that a woman will remember the birth of her child in intimate detail for the rest of her life. This memory is shaped dramatically by the emotional state of the woman during her time of labor, delivery, and postpartum. As a doula, I seek to protect this special time by guarding and supporting the emotions of each woman as she experiences her body working toward the exhilarating goal of bringing new life into the world.
I believe that women's bodies are created with the innate ability to not only endure the process of pregnancy, but to also successfully and effectively cope with the challenging moments of labor and delivery. Too often, we are told a sensationalized view of pregnancy and labor as something that is negative, painful, and fearful. It is time for us to re-frame the fear and mystery surrounding pregnancy and labor. It is time for women to be educated, encouraged, supported, and respected as they make informed decisions for their own birth experience. As a doula, my passion is in helping women recognize and celebrate the beautiful, intimate, and enjoyable moments of labor as a precious new baby is welcomed into the world.
It is an honor for me to be a small part of each woman's journey, and I hope that each one will feel empowered to achieve her best birth experience.
