Erica the Doula, LLC

18/12/2025

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1Pvv1hhBou/

04/12/2025

In between working with my wonderful clients, I volunteer at Red Cross blood drives once a month- it's a great way to give back and help donors feel welcomed and answer their questions about donation. I walked in today to these TOTALLY ADORABLE Pac-Man socks to give our donors. This is a great time to schedule an appointment at redcross.org or on the Red Cross Blood Donor app if you are loving these even half as much as I am!

17/11/2025

I believe my children called the same emergency line...

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1Cs9zKH1Qm/

Rescue 9-1-1, Toddler Edition

15/11/2025

It's always an exciting day to visit my postpartum clients in the hospital after baby arrives! I realized a couple of years into my doula career that I needed to prioritize an early visit to find out how their birth unfolded, see how recovery and breastfeeding are going, and open the lines of communication, so I always offer this hospital drop-in for free.

04/11/2025

OMG every single one of these is perfect. Iykyk.

01/09/2025

Start a holiday tradition.

I have 3 kids, so this gets me well into the day after Labor Day!

14/08/2025

I used to be so good at sleeping in...

22/07/2025

This is great reporting on a lot of people's experiences with Zurzuvae, the promising new Rx for postpartum depression. I've gifted this article so you can read it for free. It's so encouraging to have a better option for the 1 in 8 moms affected by mood disorders in the childbearing year. Did you know this is the *most common complication* of childbirth?

Some women’s symptoms improved quickly after taking the pill, but depression persisted in others. Doctors are trying to learn which patients benefit, and why some don’t.

10/07/2025

So interesting to dive into the history of the word "doula"!

Have you ever wondered where the word doula comes from?💡

Its roots trace back to ancient Greece, where it originally meant “a woman who serves.

Though the word has ancient origins, it was historically not applied to what we now recognize as the doula role! In the 1970s, medical anthropologist Dana Raphael popularized the term to describe someone who supports mothers through breastfeeding and postpartum recovery. Since then, the definition has expanded to include birth doulas, postpartum doulas, full-spectrum doulas, and even end-of-life doulas, each offering non-medical, emotional, physical, and informational support during some of life’s most transformative moments.💪🏽

It’s important to acknowledge that this term was historically associated with servitude and, at times, slavery. In modern Greek, the word still literally translates to “slave.” While the term today has been redefined to reflect care, support, and strength, it’s worth acknowledging the complexity of its roots and it reminds us to be thoughtful about the words we use and their histories.

Additionally, the doula’s role today is deeply modern: centering the person, holding space, advocating for dignity, walking alongside families with compassion and purpose, and practiced as a profession rather than a social expectation.🙏🏽

We also recognize that not all doulas are women! We have many wonderful men who work as doulas.

Know someone who could learn from this? Share it with a friend and help spread the word about what doulas really do. You can also read more about it here from our Greek DONA trainer Maria Andreoulaki: https://bit.ly/4kuPrkR

03/06/2025

What songs did you sing? With our first, I can remember my husband singing with me in the car: "ABC," "I've Been Working on the Railroad," and a particularly impressive duet of "Do Re Mi" from The Sound of Music that I loved and that kept us from going crazy in the car.

A new study from Yale University finds that singing to babies improves their overall mood. NPR wants to know what songs our listeners sing to their babies.

19/05/2025

This play looks incredible! Process your parenting journey while supporting local theater- Win-win!

Yes And Theatrical Co. presents story-driven theatre and theatrical events for the Richmond community. Visit us on Instagram . The story starts here.

01/05/2025

Welcome to International Doula Month! I'm so blessed to have such a wonderful doula community in RVA, and I absolutely love the important work I do with families every month, not just in May! 64 families and counting... And I remember every parent, every baby, and every older sibling. ❤️

🌍✨ Welcome to International Doula Month 2025! ✨🌍

This May, we’re celebrating the extraordinary impact of doulas with our theme: Doulas Make the Difference: Birth, Baby, and Beyond.

From the first contraction to the first steps—and every moment in between—doulas are there. This theme honors the profound ways doulas support families through pregnancy, birth, postpartum, and the parenting journey. Their presence brings knowledge, comfort, and strength that goes beyond the birth room—reaching across borders, cultures, and into the future of every family they support.

Throughout the month, we’ll spotlight their impact with weekly subthemes that explore the many roles doulas play, share stories from the field, and offer resources to empower our global community. We’ve also created a special International Doula Month Social Media Toolkit which we will share shortly to help you celebrate, advocate, and spread the word to your communities online.

Whether you’re a doula, a parent, or a supporter of birth justice, there’s something here for you. Let’s show the world how —not just at birth, or baby, but beyond.💜🌌