Discussing, understanding and documenting what sort of birth Jess and I wanted was critical in helping me prepare for potential unknowns. Imagining the birth process from start to finish also helped- and actually practicing things like active birth exercises in our...

Dear Erika, At the beginning of 2009 we spoke to my psychiatrist about the possibility of me having a child. After he outlined all the complications due to my bi-polar, epilepsy and medications I had as good as accepted I’d never be a mother. When I discovered in...

Erika was called and arrived at a critical point; Alex and her support team were exhausted and the institution was starting to move closer and closer to taking complete control of the birth. After months of research and excited planning for the complete unknown of the...

The birth of Marlene After a long labour Marlene was born naturally at 1.45am on the 7th of March at Angliss Family Birth Centre, Upper Ferntree Gully. I was surrounded by a magnificent birthing team that supported me throughout the labour, which comprised of my...

I gave birth to our little boy at home, with no interventions, no drugs, no stress. I laboured the way that felt right for me, and birthed in the position that came naturally. My husband caught his own son, and it is an experience that we will never forget in a...

My contractions were getting stronger. Erika rang the hospital and then drove me in her car. I chose the back seat. About half way to the hospital my waters broke (fortunately I was sitting on a towel). When I told her, Erika said just what I needed to hear: that’s...

I'm so proud of the steps we took, including hiring our wonderful doula Erika, and the preparation we put in which helped create the most intense, incredible, memorable, rewarding and magical 24 hours of our lives. Our Birth Story Going into this, we didn't even know...

Effie - "When I found out I was pregnant, my biggest fear was having to go into hospital to give birth. Hospitals gave me fierce anxiety as my pastexperiences of them had always been negative. I wasn'tconvinced that hospital was my only option, so I took to Dr Google...

“Erika helped prepare us for the birth of our son in a very short period of time, and with our 3 year old ‘helping out’ with costumes too!! This delightful couple were happy to have their daughter join in on some birth preparations massage techniques I was showing the...

Not only were Erika's teachings and advice a useful tool during labour and birth, I was able to apply a lot of them to my life in general (as well as the relationship with my husband and son), and it allowed me to enjoy my little family and appreciate what I had all...

Hi Erika, I just want to say it was the hardest thing I've ever done but I'm so proud of myself that I kept going. The birth centre midwife was amazing. She had me doing the flights of stairs at 4am with contractions every 2 min (I wasn't happy at this point at all)...

I was so determined to birth my baby naturally so I knew I had to do my research and get outside support that wasn't affiliated with the hospital. I had heard of doulas but didn't know much about them. It soon became very clear... Reflecting on our VBAC journey with...

"We felt comfortable immediately after meeting Erika, she has a great sense of humour and is passionate about her role as Doula. On the day she was nothing short of miraculous, she spent as much time on her knees as I did birthing our son!!! Having her there helped me...

Erika was key in helping me through my concerns with my first birth, and giving me great information in the form of a VBAC workshop to know I could have a VBAC at home. Our Last minute change from hospital to home for VBAC Nicole and Daniel shared with me some of...

Amanda's first birth was quick and intense.... Thank you for helping me get the birth experience I wanted!!!  I really noticed the things you had not only taught me, but also Alec, and it helped so much!  I also feel like I recovered emotionally so much better because...

The female body is an amazing thing. And our mind is an amazing instrument. With my body producing natural pain relief, I was able to manage the labour pain through vocalization and breathing. I was in the zone, like I was on drugs, natural drugs produced by my body....

What important parts of myself did I discover during my birth? That I am stronger than I like to think I am!!!! Greta shares some reflections about her preparation and experience of birthing her baby boy at 36 weeks gestation at the Royal Women's Hospital. I felt a...

Thank you again Erika. You really made my labour an unforgettable experience and crazily enough a good memory! Thank you Penny - you are an awesome birthing woman….. and a quick one at that! Lucky we didn't leave your home any later than we did. But you knew what you...

I am on such a high still from completed my VBAC. It has been a very healing experience. I'm so glad that I trusted my body and gave it a go. Thank you for helping empower us and helping me to experience the amazing feeling of giving birth 🙂 Hi Erika, we just wanted...

1. During your pregnancy and birth what new skills/aspects about yourself have you learnt? I learnt that with the right support and preparation, I could be strong, resilient and achieve what I wanted during the birth of my second son.vaginal birth after caesarean...

I was at an amazing water birth at Monash medical centre the other day which has left me high and singing the praises of this new mother and father. What made this birth just that bit extra special or different is the engagement that the birthing mother had with her...

So what does doula support really look like at a birth? Michelle and David attended my Birthready 2 day workshop and also booked me as their doula.  They gave heartfelt feedback about their experience with me (prenatally and during labour), which may help you better...