Monika and Em

3/26/2021

We took the CBE with Erika and were just blown away with how deep and thorough her teaching is. We feel so much more ready for our big adventure after three days of learning from her. Erika is as easy to ask questions of as she is good at telling you all the things you'd never thought to ask. We spent an entire day of the class on postpartum care; it was amazing! We could not have been happier with our class time. Thank you, Erika!!!

Yemi

3/3/2021

I audited Whole Body Pregnancy’s BIPOC Childbirth Education Course as a doula. It was a virtual series led by Erika that met virtually for 11.5 hours over 3 days. The class centered people of color and it covered a wide range of topics. Erika discussed body image, reproductive anatomy, labor stages, childbirth, birth plans, pain management, comfort measures, labor positions, postpartum care, and newborn care. Erika provided the group with evidence-based and culturally relevant information while also facilitating rich conversation between attendees to create an affirming environment.Although virtual, the class was rather intimate and participants were encouraged to share their knowledge and ask questions about all topics. I appreciated Erika for also taking the time to go over often-overlooked topics and for creating such a safe space. 

Georgia

2/24/2021

Erika is incredible!! I wish I could take the class every week because the way that she talks about labor, birth, and postpartum makes me feel so empowered and strong. I appreciate how real and authentic she is and I could feel how much she cared about each couple's journey. I will recommend Erika to every pregnant person I know and am unbelievably grateful to have experienced her birthing class!

Christina Butcher

8/12/2020

Erika's Virtual BIPOC Childbirth Preparation Class was the most beneficial pre-birth experiences/resource I came across. The space she cultivates for BIPOC, her message and voice, her approach to childbirth ... it was all incredible! My partner and I felt so much more at ease after taking this class than we would have otherwise. And we felt extremely empowered to ask for what we want and need when dealing with the medical community during our upcoming birth experience. I cannot recommend Erika and her work enough. 

Liza

6/29/2020

I'm so grateful I found Erika's Childbirth Education Class!!! I really appreciated the holistic approach of the class, covering everything from stages of labor and pain management to preparing relationships for new baby to an especially fantastic consideration of planning for the post partum period. Erika is a talented facilitator, and I appreciated the guests she brought to the class and the way she was able to foster a sense of community among the participants even while meeting remotely. I found the class informative, grounding and nourishing, and I definitely feel more prepared for birth and early parenthood after taking it.

Kristen Campbell

6/29/2020

My wife and I took Erika's virtual LGBTQ+ Childbirth class and were so impressed with her ability to teach, empower, and build community, even over Zoom. She is clearly a very knowledgeable and experienced doula but is also a gifted educator, advocate, and caretaker. We are grateful for the experience of her class and feel much more ready to have another baby. Our only disappointment is that we don't live on the West Coast, because we would have loved to have her as our doula!

Krystal P.

6/24/2020

My wife and I are so glad that we found Erika's Childbirth Preparation Course and she was able to facilitate it online during the pandemic. It was a relief to enter into a birthing class environment that was not only LGBTQ-friendly, but LGBTQ-inclusive in language, practice, and participation. 

Erika is a warm and well-resourced teacher/doula that helped these first-time parents. We had ample time to review the material and ask questions. And her holistic view of the physical, mental, and spiritual health of the baby as well as the parents. 

After this three-part series, my wife and I feel more informed about the range of options throughout the birthing process as well as how to better advocate for our needs and preferences.

I recommend Erika absolutely and believe that the material she covered should be more commonly discussed.

Natasha Ho

6/23/2020

Erika was an amazing doula and friend during our time together. I used her postpartum service for my first baby and I’m so happy I did. She cared for our family with love and warmth, and made my road to recovery so much easier. From preparing meals, to giving me the time and space I needed for self-care, to making sure I felt confident taking care of my little ones needs. I’m really grateful we had the joy of having her in our home and helping surround our love if with even more love. She was very competent and trustworthy, and also able to provide great recommendations when my needs fell outside her expertise. We highly recommend her!

Marisa

5/12/2020

Erika hosted our Childbirthing class. We loved working with her! My partner and I feel so much more prepared than we did before taking the class. 

We did 3 virtual sessions with her, and even across the video chats we felt her warmth, care, and extensive knowledge come through. She also sent tons of resources before, during, and after the courses. I know we can reach out to her anytime. 

Erika takes the time to get to know you, and asks the important questions that you might not even know you have! We highly recommend her childbirth classes- and if we lived closer and I could hire her as a postpardum doula I would. 

Catherine Roth

3/24/2020

I wholeheartedly recommend working with Erika - she was such an incredible help to my family and generally just a wonderful person. She came for both daytime and overnight care. 

Most helpful things she did for us:
1. Having someone I felt I could trust to hold my baby while I took a nap/spent time with my older kid (who was 2 at the time). With both kids, I had some postpartum anxiety and had very conflicted feelings (especially guilt) about taking a moment for myself without holding my baby. Erika was incredibly compassionate and a great listener. We would talk through what I was feeling, why I was feeling it, and make a plan from there. I knew that my baby was getting tremendous care and love with Erika, and that made all the difference.

2. Overnights. If you can swing it, DO IT. Similar to the above, I was very nervous about overnights but from my previous experience with my first kid, I knew that having a few long stretches of sleep could make all the difference in the world. And it did! I got a few good nights of sleep when Erika did a few overnights for us and it was the greatest. 

3. Meal prepping/laundry folding: she did both. So helpful during that period. 

I seriously think she’s the best. She’s very professional, kind, funny, has great interpersonal skills, and is a loving, calming force and very attentive with babies.

Adria Buchanan

2/1/2020

A few things about Erika:
1)   She is a great cook
2)   She genuinely cares about your well-being in recovery
3)   She provides helpful information and community connections
 
I found Erika through an online search and after meeting her in person thought, “yep, this is who I want to help me transition into this next phase of my mind, body and life.” I really appreciated, especially being new to the area, that Erika was kind, considerate and a friendly person that I looked forward to welcoming into my home.
      She was someone I could connect with and who was concerned about ME, at a time when literally everything revolved around baby. This was powerful in helping me keep it together and be able to check-in with myself about what I needed, in part, because someone else was asking.
       In addition to helping me and my husband think about how we would make all the new pieces fit together, Erika was also great about referring lactation consultants right when I thought I would give up, and now 6 months later, breastfeeding is a breeze. She also connected us with a local family wellness center that has become a safe haven for playtimes out of the house and I’ve made connections with other new moms that Erika has introduced me to.
      All this is to say that she was the anchor I needed, and I am so grateful for the intentionality with which she held space for me and my family on this new journey. Thank you so much Erika!!

Gerene Fox

10/27/2018

I’m embarrassed to admit that it has taken me almost 14 months to write this review! Erika played such a large role in our pregnancy and postpartum care that I have found it so hard to find the words to convey just how grateful we are. She is absolutely a professional. That is one of the pieces of our care that I was most impressed with. She showed up when and where she said she would. She was proactive about offering support and didn’t wait for us to know what we needed.

Our daughter came 6 weeks early and spent two weeks in the NICU. As many people have already stated, Erika was fabulous for our labor, birth, and early postpartum care. We had intended a home birth which meant we had absolutely no idea what to expect in the hospital. I feel so grateful that we had her to help us navigate that first two weeks.

For me it was our postpartum care where Erika really shined. Our actual labor and birth was pretty straightforward, and if you had asked me a few days afterwards, I would have told that I had it all under control. Ha! Postpartum hormones are no joke, and I spent the next six months a weeping mess of my normal self. I can say with out a doubt that hiring Erika for postpartum doula support was a driving factor in helping me find a way through a rather dark early early postpartum time. I regularly tell people that having a postpartum doula was like having a best friend come over who is ridiculously helpful, asks all the right questions, and knew how to interact with a newborn in a way that never made me feel stressed out. In between our visits she would follow up by email, text, and phone calls in a way that felt supportive and genuine, but not intrusive. If you are at all considering hiring a postpartum doula, and would wholeheartedly recommend it. Friends and family are wonderful, but it sure is nice to have someone who’s there truly for no other purpose than to support you during this transition.

Nicole Minkoff

10/27/2018

First, if you’re trying to decide whether or not to have a doula - I think they can be great for everyone and I wish they were standard and covered by insurance because of how much doulas can help. My husband wasn’t sure what a doula did or why we would want one, but was happy to go for it since I was interested. After a few prenatal meetings with Erika, he was so glad, both for the help she gave us in preparing for birth, and knowing the level of support we would both have while going through this intense and new experience for both of us, especially knowing that we would be meeting whatever midwife was on call at the hospital, not necessarily someone we knew. In addition to planning the birth we wanted, Erika guided us in preparing for possibilities in case things changed.

My water broke about 3 weeks before my due date and my labor was very quick - just under 7 hours from my water breaking to holding my baby in my arms. In the end, our midwife was not delivering other babies that night and was able to spend lots of time with us (though we didn’t know her in advance) and things went smoothly and we didn’t need help advocating, and it was short enough that my husband didn’t need to be relieved to take a break or anything. But I still am so so glad we had Erika with us. Times of the labor were so intense that it was great to have two people helping, and also my husband was able to see Erika’s calm and happy face and know that things were going okay, even if I was in pain. I’m generally an anxious person but I felt safe and calm and a big part of that was because Erika was there. At the time of birth, Erika took some photos I’ll always treasure and stayed with me while my husband went with my son to be checked out about some things.

If we give birth again, we absolutely hope Erika will be available to be part of the birthing team again.

Alli Ewing

9/22/2018

Erika was our doula for the birth of our first baby, in July of 2018. We hired Erika early on in our pregnancy, as we were prepairing to move from Kentucky to Tacoma, Washington close to our due date. Erika was flexible for our meetings, and met with us over Google Hangouts before we moved. She was instrumental in supporting us during the transition by offering ideas and suggestions from her experiences, in everything from finding an acupuncturist, a pediatrician, a lactation consultant, and more. Since we didn’t know anyone in the area and didn’t have a midwife when we arrived, to have such a trusting relationship with Erika was so comforting.  She helped open up our conversation about pregnancy and birth beyond what was happening physically. She also helped us navigate the emotional side of transitioning into parenthood as well by encouraging us to discuss our hopes and fears. She was easy to communicate with, positive, and seemed like an old friend from the beginning.

Erika was supportive and communicative as our due date neared, checking in with us about physical symptoms, and asking us to keep her posted with any changes. When we went into labor, Erika was in touch by phone early on, and met us at the hospital soon after we got there. She was an incredible support not only to me as the mother, but to my husband as well. Erika was encouraging to both of us, and I really appreciated her experience when I would change laboring positions and she would let me know how it may change the sensations in my body. She helped me stay present with my breath, and fed me ice chips!

Erika followed up with us after the birth to see how we were navigating postpartum, and continued to offer resources as needed.

I can still hear Erika’s calm and comforting voice from birth reminding me to take slow, deep breaths as we navigate our early months as parents. I highly recommend working with Erika during this incredible time!

Anna Markee

9/10/2018

Erika is amazing!! We hired her for both our birth doula and post-partum doula. The pre-meetings really helped me feel comfortable with her in labor. My labor lasted 48 hours and I had a very positive experience. I think Erika's work with us ahead of time helped me prepare and plan to meet my needs in labor. Looking back, labor is a blur but in all of my memories, she is right there with me, encouraging me, providing counter pressure on my back, giving me water, helping me into positions, and just being present. She was helpful at patiently giving me suggestions even when I was tired and probably a bit difficult. I truly have no idea how she did this for so long. I think she has special powers. I felt completely comfortable being in whatever state I was in with her.

After our baby was born, I was on my own after just two weeks and had a very difficult time. We were fortunate that Erika was available to help as a post-partum doula. She would provide whatever I needed that day, whether it was practical support, taking care of the baby so I could nap, or just being a kind adult to talk to. I recomend her very highly and would of course seek her services again in the future.

Jennifer Palmisano

5/21/2018

Erika is a huge asset to have on your birth support team. She coached us on how to advocate successfully for myself, my baby, and our preferred birth plan whilst also being realistic about our options in a hospital birth. She helped us ask all the right questions and navigate treatment decisions and delivery options before and after I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes. When another client's birth was likely to coincide with ours, Erika quickly put contingencies in place and made sure we were all comfortable with her back-up doula (who was exceptional as well). Our birth plan was followed and communicated with the hospital staff throughout our care. We created a birth plan that was flexible, but clear about our preferences. Ultimately, we were able to follow our birth plan and have a natural child birth that followed my body's direction (and gave birth standing up!). We reaffirmed my trust and confidence in my body. After our birth, both Erika and her backup were attentive to our needs and checked in on us. She recommended options and provided natural rememdies for postpartum care and coping. I strongly recommend doulas and Erika in particular.

Emily Ganyo

1/18/2018

We are beyond thankful to have had Erika as our birth doula, and I cannot say enough about how wonderful she is! She is everything you could want and more - joyful, passionate, kind, thoughtful and beyond knowledgable. My partner and I were both working stressful, demanding jobs and running after a busy 2 year old during pregnancy and our prenatal visits with Erika always brought a sense of calm and joy, allowing us to re-foucs on our family and feel totally confidant in what was to come. During labor and delivery Erika made me feel like a complete goddess. Her words of encouragement through every contraction, knowledge of what to do (i.e. go to the hospital, now!) and complete calm during a labor that progressed fairly quickly were more than I could have ever asked for. She advocated for us with hospital staff, coached me through excruciating back labor, held my hand, and was integral to one of the most amazing, positive moments of my life. She is the best, and we are so lucky to have found her.

Sarah Goldman

12/22/2017

My partner Kristina and I are so grateful to have worked with Erika as both our birth and postpartum doula. From the beginning of our partnership, Erika completely centered our needs and concerns for our pregnancy/birth and helped us to craft a plan that aligned with our vision. Erika’s style was absolutely affirming, empathetic and non-judgmental. At the same time, we found it refreshing that Erika was able to balance her supportive disposition with honest feedback derived from her expertise and extensive experience. We always felt that Erika communicated with us directly and was able to support her advocacy with a variety of resources and practices that we could apply on our own. During labor, Erika provided incredible support to both me as well as my partner and it was beyond comforting to have someone we trusted so deeply during such an intense time. However, I really can’t say enough about Erika’s advocacy after labor when our baby had to be hospitalized for a week due to a serious case of jaundice. Erika came back to the hospital two days after delivery to help us transition to the pediatrics unit and provided us with amazing care when we were feeling emotionally and physically depleted. Erika continued to follow up with us for the rest of the week and her positive words gave us the strength to get through that difficult time. After being released from the hospital we were so lucky that Erika was able to continue her work with us as a postpartum doula. Our fourth trimester was full of challenges and Erika, once again, followed our lead and provided targeted support based on our greatest needs (as well as tons of love for our little one). I can say with utmost confidence that we couldn’t have done this “new parenting thing” without Erika. I wholeheartedly recommend Erika to anyone who is considering a doula and will, without hesitation, be asking her to joins us if/when we have a future pregnancy.

Angela Pahlow

12/21/2017

My wife, Annie, and I hired Erika as our birth doula and she was INCREDIBLE to work with. We would not have made it through our son's birth without her. At 42 weeks pregnant, we were told that our son had a rare birth defect where his intestines were outside of his abdomen and would require emergency surgery after birth. We were terrified! Erika kept a calm, positive demeanor and was quick thinking in her advocacy for us in the hospital. She knew exactly what questions to ask the nurses when we were too overwhelmed to think clearly. Labor with our son was long, intense, and traumatic, but throughout it all, Erika was encouraging and supportive. She was with us the whole way, from the Tuesday when I was admitted to the hospital to the Saturday that same week when our son was finally born. She not only supported me as I went through the most intense pain that I could even fathom,  but was also a huge support to my wife who was dealing with watching me labor and extreme sleep deprivation from so much time at the hospital. Thankfully, our son ended up being born healthy without the defect they believed he had and Erika was with us throughout the whirlwind of emotions we experienced. After his birth, she made several visits to our home, and genuinely cared about how we and our son were doing. Hiring Erika was the single smartest move we made during my pregnancy and if we have a second child, we will definitely hire her again.  And we will certainly be recommending her to any friends who are pregnant because she is great!!

Amberkiah Pomeroy

10/18/2017

Our experience working with Erika was absolutely incredible.  From our initial meeting, I knew she had to be our person, and that day I cancelled all of our remaining Doula interviews.  We were impressed with her ability to connect with our family, her expertise, attention to details (especially providing me with a much needed snack after labor), and her overall positive attitude.  I was initially on the fence when deciding to move forward with a Doula and I am so thankful that Erika was part of our team.  With Erika's help, I was able to fulfill my birth plan and my husband reported afterwards that his experience during labor was much less stressful than he had imagined.  I highly recommend Erika Davis to be your Doula, you will not be disappointed!  Thank You Erika!

Summer Acharya

10/17/2017

Erika was simply amazing! We knew we wanted a doula to help and support us through the birth of our first child, and we are so lucky to have found Erika to coach us through a natural hospital birth. When we first met with Erika, we could tell she was going to patient yet knowledgeable and straightforward as well as contribute to a light-hearted and calm atmosphere...exactly what we were hoping for when thinking about the big day. She did an initial intake/interview meeting with us and answered all our questions, and then I believe we had three meetings in our home before labor and delivery to go over our vision and preferences. She also taught us several breathing and coping exercises that included partner support that helped us clarify the kind of support I would need during labor.

While I thought I was mostly hiring a doula to be an advocate in case the hospital staff suggested interventions I wasn't comfortable with, I very quickly found out (at the beginning of a 19-hour labor) that Erika's most important role was to closely observe and coach me through the pain of every passing contraction. It's possible that I would have made it through the hours of painful contractions without her---but I wouldn't want to! She helped me keep breathing, focus my energy and anxiety productively and--very important--stay hydrated! For those who are worried that a doula might "replace" the role of their partner--fear not with Erika! She made sure that my partner was as involved as we both wanted him to be, and was great at suggesting exercises or positions to help me though and to keep us stable through the exhaustion of the long labor.

Erika is warm, easy-going and intuitive. She was a MAJOR part of the most important moment of our lives, and we can't thank or recommend her enough for all that she did to help us achieve the birth we wanted!

Ari Rosen

1/23/2017

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.

Molly Payne

1/10/2017

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.

Lucey Cummins

7/14/2014

Erika is amazing! My husband and I were lucky enough to have Erika as our doula for the birth of our son in October 2013. Erika came to our home for our prenatal visits which really helped us estabish a relationship with her prior to the birth. She was excellent in asking all the questions I didn't even know I would want answers to, and this helped us craft our birth vision, which was such a daunting task before Erika made it so effortless. She was always empathic, informative, and objective during this planning process. My husband and I never felt judged for our decisions, or for our lack of knowledge. Erika was always albe to explain the benefirs and risks about any decision we were trying to make. After taking our chidbrith education class, my husband and I really wanted to work together as a team, and made it clear that he was my primary birth coach. Erika was wonderful at respecting this boundary and letting my husband and I work together. But she was right there when we needed additional support or when my husband needed a break. I felt totally comfortbale having Erika there during the most intimate time of my life. She helped me get through labor pains, provided comic relief and reassurance when things went differently from my birth vision, and she coached me through pushing like I was an olympic athlete. She encouraged me to breastfeed my son when he was first placed on my chest, (this was part of my birth vision, but I was so worn-out after delivery I woulnd't have remembered to do it) and this estabished an effortless feeding relastionship between by baby and me from that moment on.  Erika was an advocate for us with the medical team, and a buffer with my over-anxious mother. She continued to check in with us postpartum and continued to be an unconditional voice of love, care, and knowledge. We were blessed to have Erika at our birth and I consider her a member of the family and a gaurdian angle to our son. I would reccommend her to anyone!

Gabrielle Birkner

7/14/2014

Erika is a bright, warm, spiritual and uniquely non-judgemental presence. She worked with my husband and me, from the first trimester through the birth. I can't think of anyone (besides my husband) I would want with me during this important milestone. I'd hire her again in a second. If you have any other questions about Erika, please don't hesitate to contact me. My number is 847-372-5019.