Erica the Doula, LLC

02/12/2026

Love this post from LLLI!

https://www.facebook.com/share/17qtEThrvT/

History is being made every day. In honor of Black History Month, join us as we spotlight a few modern day Black Breastfeeding History Makers.

In October of 2010, U.S. Surgeon General Regina Benjamin MD, MBA released the Call to Action to Support Breastfeeding. The Call to Action describes in detail how different people and organizations can contribute to the health of mothers and their children. Benjamin stated that “Rarely are we given the chance to make such a profound and lasting difference in the lives of so many. I am confident that this Call to Action will spark countless imaginative, effective, and mutually supportive endeavors that improve support for breastfeeding mothers and children in our nation.”


[Image: formal portrait of Regina Benjamin. Text: Black Breastfeeding History Maker US Surgeon General Regina Benjamin MD MBA]

01/23/2026

I often get questions about this from clients- I once offered to house someone's frozen milk for them when they had a power outage, but they kept their freezer shut and the milk survived totally frozen!

With a major winter storm potentially affecting dozens of states, we recognize the concerns many have about stored milk.

Updated to add: A stand alone freezer will maintain temperature for 48 hours in a power outage if unopened. A freezer compartment within a fridge will maintain temperature for 24 hours if unopened.

[Image Description] Photo of a wintery scene. Text on top reads, "Power outage? Worried about your frozen milk? Try to keep the freezer door completely shut while power is out. Once power is restored, check to see if there are any ice crystals that remain in the bags. If there are any frozen ice crystals at all, it may be refrozen." The La Leche League USA logo is below the text.

12/24/2025

Haha! Happy holidays to all of you, whether or not you still have milk in your freezer! 😄

Sorry Santa 🤣🤷‍♀️

12/18/2025

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

12/04/2025

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!

11/17/2025

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

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

Rescue 9-1-1, Toddler Edition

11/15/2025

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.

11/04/2025

OMG every single one of these is perfect. Iykyk.

09/01/2025

Start a holiday tradition.

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

08/14/2025

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

07/22/2025

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.

07/10/2025

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