Erika Elliott Doula | Personal blog

Erika Elliott Doula

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25.01.2022 Love Trust Support Strength Together... #doula #birthdoula #postpartumdoula #partnersupport #connection #bliss

25.01.2022 and this time last year ....... happy first birthday sweet Miss T I have no doubt you have your family tied around your very little finger, ... Biggest love to you, sweet mumma, as you celebrate today xxxx

25.01.2022 The First Stretch - born under water and lifted to the surface in the hands of his beautiful mother How strong, healing, loving and creative those hands will be x

24.01.2022 Love Love Love

24.01.2022 Five days old, and totally blissed out. Remember those days?

24.01.2022 So much focus is on the birth. As a birth Doula, I get that. Its big and powerful and needs attention, introspection and then a massive dose of surrender to the unknown. Then there is postpartum. This post from @mypuredelivery pretty much sums it up.... New mothers need just as much, actually more, care and attention during this delicate and overwhelming time of transition. Look out for her. Pregnant women, please make this an important part of your planning xxx See more

23.01.2022 W R A P P E D - both mum and her baby, swaddled, comforted and supported as they move through the sacred window we know as postpartum #doula #ayurdoula #postpartum #support #nutrition #massage #bellywraps #rest #swaddle

23.01.2022 When you find beautiful blooms on your doorstep accompanied by such heartfelt words, celebrating one year since this family became three. The thing that touched me the most is their experience was positively impacted by the support of a Doula, and how they said it should be mandatory to have this kind of support, not just an option. This year has brought such heartbreak to us birth workers, knowing that because of the fear Covid-19 has brought to many, this extra layer of support is not even an option at all if you play by the rules. Pregnant women, You have the right to extra support and those rules are made to be questioned #grateful #thankyou #onetoday #lovemyjob @ Sydney, Australia

23.01.2022 Not long now beauties - I can feel it in my bones. While nothing has been confirmed, opening up birth support to two people has begun around the state. Naturally the biggest hospitals in the largest city will take their time, meanwhile Im scratching around like a mother hen, bursting with doula love to be able to support couples right through to the actual birth. So here I am, waiting and trusting, just like in labour I have availability for doula support from September... 2020. Reach out anytime. With deep respect and love xx See more

23.01.2022 So ask her: ask for her consent, ask her if she has any concerns or questions, ask her if she understands, ask her if she is comfortable, ask her if she is ok Quote @milli.hill

22.01.2022 Then there were three Day Three postpartum, her empty womb space continues to be warmed, massaged and wrapped while her belly is filled with nutrient dense, easy to digest, breastmilk supporting meals and drinks. No need to think about what to eat or when to make it! Its so satisfying supporting families for their 42 Days Postpartum in this ancient way

22.01.2022 ‘Half lotus birth’ - waiting for the placenta to be born before clamping and cutting the cord. Benefits? Slows this final process down and allows for full placental transfusion to Bub. No one can take your baby away if they’re still attached to their placenta. ... It’s wonderful to see Bub and their ‘womb mate’ connected on the outside. Is another way to take it all in, this miracle of birth and all its facets. Love Love As always, shared with permission. This one’s for you @philthemidwife x

21.01.2022 Not seen every day but seriously, arent we all amazing creatures?. #Repost @wildheartphotoandfilm with @get_repost Isn't it just incredible how babies bodies are formed perfectly for birth? The fontanelles you can so clearly see on this sweet babes head allows the bony plates of their not yet sutured skull to shift during birth to allow their head to pass through the birth canal. Everything is normally back to it's normal placement within 3-5 days. Fontanelles are nor...mally closed by 24 months. #doula #doulatog #jacksonville #jacksonvilledoula #saintaugustine #saintaugustinemom #jacksonvillephotographer #saintaugustinephotographer #jacksonvillenewbornphotographer #saintaugustinenewbornphotographer #justborn #documentaryphotographer #jacksonvillebirthphotographer #floridabirthphotographer #fldoula

21.01.2022 The Family Bed : So many divine, heart opening moments happen in this space. Here at just a few days old, sweet little home birthed bubba is being fed expressed breastmilk thanks to his big sister, and mum, while dad changes his nappy. T E A M. W O R K #family #homebirth #doula

21.01.2022 All of these just so good ..... artwork AND text. Enjoy the journey xx #Repost @drdaniellearabena with @get_repost 1/4... I am a strong advocate for breastfeeding (BF) and the positive impacts it can have for the whole family. Studying my sub-speciality in medicine called Neuroprotective Development Care we are very focused on optimising the BF experience for everyone in the family. Even though we think BF is natural thus should be easy, often this isnt the case. Perceived poor BF contributes to a lot of stress within the family unit. In the postpartum period we really do need the village support to help reduce stress and stop everyone getting dialled up when approaching BF ( If you are having trouble please visit the Possums Clinic website and there are a lot of free information and support for families) and I cannot recommend enough - a good postpartum doula if family cant help out. Studies show BF helps with the childrens brain, cognitive, and socio-emotional development and in the person BF influences mood, stress and overall care. Lactation is characteristic of all mammalian species. It is the result of evolutionary forces shaping an optimal nutrient delivery system, involved in supplying all essential nutrients in the adequate amounts from mothers to their offspring. In children, BF improves cognitive performance likely linked to the fatty acids contained in breastmilk helping to coat neurons by growing myelin a protective and conductive sheath. Heightened empathy and ability to regulate emotional responses are seen in breastfed children is possibly connected to the stimulation of the oxytocin and the hormones known role in promoting love feelings and positive behaviours, while reducing stress and avoidance behaviour. In mothers, breastfeeding can reduce physiological and overall stress, facilitates positive outlook and improves maternal sensitivity and care. Again, the oxytocin system likely plays an important role in explaining the effects on maternal psychology and behaviour. The next post explores oxytocin and other hormonal interplay and how breast milk is made. Artwork: @djarnda ( my favourite piece) #breastfeeding #worldbreastfeedingw

20.01.2022 Surfacing Stunning image by our beloved @jerushasutton When parents are given the time and space to support their babes while they transition from one world to another

19.01.2022 Belly wraps & baby feet This is the ninth wrap out of twelve for this beautiful new mum. I am witnessing a huge change in her postpartum body as her muscles are supported while they gain tone and strength and her womb continues to heal. It’s also a treat to see how this little guy is growing and changing, even from one visit to the next. This week, he began to smile ... If you have recently had a baby or are pregnant, and are wondering about womb, abdominal and back support, I’d love to share with you the benefits of Ayurvedic warm oil belly massage and wrapping. DM me for more deets xx

18.01.2022 Heres to all the beautiful, kind, brave, strong & loving fathers who are showing up for their families Its an honour to witness you being so present at the births of your babies & into parenthood.

18.01.2022 En Caul - when a baby is born within their intact sac - like a complete universe emerging. I have been lucky enough to witness this a number of times but apparently it only occurs 1 in every 80,000 births or so (where the membranes havent spontaneously ruptured or been ruptured by caregivers ). This rare & beautiful birth is also called a veiled birth. Amazing pic @jak.photography

17.01.2022 Meet Gaia ~ this darling girl came into the world so quickly on Sunday night, I missed her birth! Babies come when babies come and the power of Mother Nature and womens bodys never cease to amaze me. It was so sweet to visit today and nurture her beautiful mumma with Ayurvedic meals and milks, and of course, a warm oil belly massage and wrap to hold her womb space

17.01.2022 Four weeks post partum - regular belly massages and wraps help support a new mother both physically and emotionally as she continues on her journey away from pregnancy and birth and into the daily demands of motherhood. I believe its still so important to honour and nurture women in this sacred window of time. Not only are they continuing to heal and recover from what has passed but they are also feeling into their new mother selves, which can require kind of the same loving encouragement and guidance they required in labour & birth. Company, massage, milky elixirs and wrapping ~ seriously one of my favourite ways to be of service outside of the energy of labour and birth

16.01.2022 #Repost @drdaniellearabena with @get_repost Let down- does not let us down ( yes I did that haha) expect when you arrive your husbands work party, a new time mother & you have a sudden let down as baby is hungry after a long drive, & with a few abstract milk splotches on your shirt then you go to sit somewhere quietly to BF & the baby then does the biggest bowel motion in the world & you cannot move for fear of getting baby poo on a very expensive looking doona cover ( &... your husband cannot hear you calling out & mobiles were not a thing then - 20 odd years ago- anyway I digress) The let down or milk ejection reflex is governed mainly Oxytocin. Oxytocin has called the love hormone & is produced more quickly than prolactin. It helps the milk that is already in the breast flow for the current feed. Oxytocin starts working when a mother responds to the babies cues of nearing a feed and when the baby is suckling. The letdown reflex is a physiological process called a positive feedback look, where something is stimulated& it feeds back to the brain to allow more of the same to happen ( simply put) So in this instance, when the baby attaches to breast & starts suckling, sensory nerve fibres in the aerola trigger a nerve & hormonal reflex allowing milk to be excreted from the lactocytes ( cells that make breast milk) into the aveoli (found in lobules). There are little muscle cells around the alveoli that oxytocin stimulates to squeeze the milk from the aveoli into the ducts and sinuses ready to discharge through the little nipple pores. This whole process can take less than one minute!! The reflex becomes conditioned to the mother's sensations /feelings, such as touching, smelling or seeing her baby, or hearing her baby cry, or thinking lovingly about them. Continued in comments #breastfeeding #worldbreastfeedingweek #worldbreastfeedingweek2020

16.01.2022 Checking all of his fingers and toes Brand New Love Bubble

16.01.2022 L A N D E D That moment when you scoop your babe up onto your belly for the very first time and sink back into the arms of your loving man GOLD ... #birth #birthonyourterms #support #youdidit #dreambirthsquad

15.01.2022 That moment no words can match it @deboraghelman

14.01.2022 #Repost @drdaniellearabena with @get_repost 2/4 The pituitary hormone prolactin is instrumental in the establishment and maintenance of breast milk supply (Pro meaning for, lactin Lactation). It also helps bring in the maternal micronutrients for breast milk. From fifth week of pregnancy, the level of circulating prolactin begins to increase, rising to approximately 1020 times the pre-pregnancy concentration. This will help prepare the breasts to begin breast milk pr...oduction. So, if the circulating prolactin is high why arent we producing mature breast milk during pregnancy? Because the high levels of oestrogen and progesterone made by the placenta stops the prolactin from making a lot of milk! Towards the end of pregnancy, we can see these hormones stabilise allowing the production of colostrum. After delivery of the baby and placenta the oestrogen and progesterone drop allowing prolactin to step into its spotlight signalling the milk-making glands to change in your breasts to make breast milk (lactogenesis.) In the first few days after the birth of your baby, prolactin (and not what I thought of as the titty fairy who blessed me not once but thrice) is responsible for the tremendous surge in your milk supply that can cause breast engorgement during the transition from colostrum to transitional breast milk. Prolactin is the primary hormone responsible for continuation of BF with prolactin at its highest about 30 minutes after the beginning of the feed, allowing it to get everything ready for the milk and the next feed. During the first few weeks, the more a baby suckles and stimulates the nipple, the more prolactin is produced, and the more milk is produced. So, you can see how amazing our breasts are! See my next post for how we get down with the letdown reflex. (yes, I just did that hahha) Artwork: @djarnda See more

14.01.2022 Medicine #Repost @drdaniellearabena with @get_repost 4/4... Now we have the physiology down and we can understand how amazing our physiology is, I would ask you to also think of BF in terms of energy. Having a baby, and when parents are supported and confident and not stressed can be a time of great intuition and dreaming. As with all my work I have to humbly acknowledge the alchemy of magick and medicine within our bodies and without. The energetics and the physicality of us, what connects and governs us. For many years I spoken snake energy in our womb, in our endometrium, the whole life, death, birth and rebirth magick contained within, and the need to understand our menstrual ecology and internal landscape but we also need to acknowledge the energetics of our breasts and how beautiful and amazing they are. As they are so outward and visible, they can become an hypersexualised or even villainised through some archaic throw back to Victorian Era and Witch trials ( FFS the offense at BF in public) There is a WHOLE workshop I am planning around the magick of breasts. Quite often the love felt during breastfeeding is also allowing the baby to be bathed in energy from the heart centre, and also to receive energy via the minor energy centres in the nipples. When BF the breast milk composition changes at each feed to allow the optimal nourishment and protection its alchemy. From an energetic viewpoint and thinking about Dr. Masaru Emotos work with water molecules, we found that molecules could change with words, images and music. Now given one of the major constituents of breast milk is water, you can actively think about changing the energetics of breast milk whilst feeding literally imbue breast milk with love. breastfeeding allows the giving and receiving of hormones, protective factors, breastmilk, expansion of heart chakra energy and accessing the Divine. #breastfeeding #worldbreastfeedingweek #worldbreastfeedingweek2020 #doula #love #breasts #magick #witch #witchesofinstagram See more

14.01.2022 When everyone wants in on the belly massage I’m loving visiting this little clan twice a week for warm oil belly massage & wraps, lovely chats, laughs and lots of baby cuddles. Feel like some extra TLC for your postpartum recovery?... I’m only a message away .... See more

13.01.2022 When their little hand sneaks out alongside their head It happens

13.01.2022 Making eyes with this darling guy was the perfect end to my week. #leo

12.01.2022 Placenta capsules, cord keepsake, placenta prints, placenta smoothie and golden milk all heading to hospital now, to a freshly birthed new mum and her bub. Her tinctures will be ready to support her in six weeks, usually when the capsules are running low. #doula #doulasupport #postpartum #sacredwindow #ayurdoula #placentaencapsulation #placentasmoothie #goldenmilk #placentaprints Want to learn more?... Reach out, anytime x See more

12.01.2022 Spring has sprung This is one of my favourite seasons, along with Autumn (the two bookend seasons to Summer & Winter). Birth workers know this is one of the busiest seasons for us as so many new babies choose to come in at this time. I birthed in Spring. What season did your baby come into your world?

11.01.2022 Happy Saturday loves Planting this powerful seed here for all the beautiful mums waiting for labour and birth. Youve got this repost @lbreggy

11.01.2022 All of this, beauties, as well as nutritious warming food, warm baths and oily belly massages and wrapping Be good to yourself #Repost @mysticalmotherhood with @get_repost ... Advice from María Sabina, Mexican healer and poet - Heal yourself with the light of the sun and the rays of the moon. With the sound of the river and the waterfall. With the swaying of the sea and the fluttering of birds. Heal yourself with mint, neem, and eucalyptus. Sweeten with lavender, rosemary, and chamomile. Hug yourself with the cocoa bean and a hint of cinnamon. Put love in tea instead of sugar and drink it looking at the stars. Heal yourself with the kisses that the wind gives you and the hugs of the rain. Stand strong with your bare feet on the ground and with everything that comes from it. Be smarter every day by listening to your intuition, looking at the world with your forehead. Jump, dance, sing, so that you live happier. Heal yourself, with beautiful love, and always remember ... you are the medicine. " See more

10.01.2022 When goodbyes contain so much The relationships I witness and forge with the couples I support are the juice within the veins of my work. Always grateful to be welcomed into the homes of Sydney’s families

10.01.2022 And just like that, he is here Only a few hours before, the whole family were swimming at a local beach. Birth: sometimes it just happens on a lazy Sunday afternoon

09.01.2022 W R A P P E D - both mum and her baby, swaddled, comforted and supported in their sacred window we call postpartum

09.01.2022 Like @badassbirthphotography who took this awesome shot last year, I too have missed witnessing and capturing births through my lens this year! Even though I have supported double digit births, guess how many I actually got to witness? This year brought a very weird tilt to our axis.... As hospitals open up to extra support more and more here, I cannot wait to once again witness and capture the miracle, beauty and strength that is birth Bring on the rest of 2020’s babies #Repost @badassbirthphotography with @get_repost This was my most-liked photograph from last year. Resharing this because I really miss photographing births. Thanks to COVID-19 I haven't been able to attend any hospital births recently. I have only photographed the odd private-midwife-led home birth. I have been keeping busy doing lots of parenthood, motherhood and breastfeeding sessions. I will be sharing more on the grid soon. I am still booking births by the way. I'm so thankful for those who have put their trust in me and booked me anyway despite all the COVID fears. I am slowly booking up for Feb/March 2021. Please do message me if you are interested in having your birth photographed as I can only book 2-3 a month. I can explain my COVID refund policy in detail. Fingers crossed it won't be long before I'm allowed to attend births again. The world is abundant xx Corneli #birthphotograph #birthphotographer #motherhood #parenthood #positivebirth #birthbecomesher #birthbecomesyou #birthbecomes #freebirth #homebirth #birthpool #midwife #doula #birthwitoutfear #positivebirth #birth_photography #hospitalbirth #justborn #baby #placenta #birthstories #visualartist #photography #pregnant #pregnancy

09.01.2022 V E R N I X : the creamy white coating that protects an unborn babys skin from the amniotic fluid, keeping it chap & wrinkle free, delivering soft & scrumptious baby skin at birth. Was you baby born with lots of vernix?

08.01.2022 Waiting to be called out to a labour, and my Shakthi mat, eye pillow & yoga nidra are my go tos to ensure Im as well rested as I can be for them #sundaybirths #twoinarow #love

08.01.2022 TENS machine for labour. Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation: providing a drug free kind of pain relief. Can be a useful tool to have in your birth basket. Endorsed by many midwives, doulas and childbirth educators because:... * electrical pulses lessen pain signals from reaching your brain * those pulses stimulate your brain to release natural, feel good endorphins which help you to relax into your experience * it helps you to feel in control of something and can reduce anxiety * offers distraction from labour, giving you something else to focus on, like massage, music, scent, heat and water do Did you use a TENS during labour, or are you planning to? What other tools do you have in your birth basket? # doula #birthdoula #birthpreparation #birthmentor #birthsupport #birthbasket #birthtips #tensmachine #labour #birth #drugfreebirth

08.01.2022 A new kind of door list ~ today was my first time supporting a hospital birth since April (thank you home birth, for being an alternative option for women to change to during these restrictive times). Supporting this divine couple as they brought their baby in, on a sunny Sunday afternoon, was pure bliss We will be sharing their 42 day Ayurvedic postpartum journey , so stay tuned.

05.01.2022 When you get to use your own babys sling during your postpartum visits 5 Stars

05.01.2022 Getting ready for another week of postnatal visits, washing and rolling new belly wraps to warm & support new mothers, both physically and emotionally. These regular massages and wraps are part of my Ayurvedic Postpartum Doula package, or can be purchased as a belly love package on their own or paired with healing, milky elixirs. You will receive all of this during your postnatal sessions if I am also your birth doula Mothering the Mother MotherBirth

05.01.2022 We would love your input xx

05.01.2022 Eye masks ~ the kind of mask that can really support a labouring woman to dive deeper into her inner world, and find her way to her baby

05.01.2022 When final visits bring laughter and joy The relationships I witness and forge with the couples I support are the juice within the veins of my work. Always grateful to be welcomed into these heightened experiences in the homes of Sydney’s families

04.01.2022 Lots of wind? Belly time brings comfort to those little new digestive systems, and even some extended sleep for bub, pictured here on my lap, releasing all that excess vata

04.01.2022 I am waiting the call to attend a home birth as I write this, so the timing couldnt be better. #Repost @midwifejohunter with @get_repost What a gorgeous shot by @kate_randall_photography. #Repost @kate_randall_photography with @get_repost... Dont underestimate the power of a carefully chosen birth team Choosing the right people that you connect with, that can hold space for you, support you, love you and empower you throughout your birthing journey is so very important. Please dont skim over this part of your birth plan. Your birth team can be detrimental to the way you bring your baby earth side. This birth team that I was apart of was magical, all of our energys came together perfectly to fully support this goddess and her baby - - - #katerandallphotography #birthteam #birthsupport #bluemountainsbirthphotographer #birthphotographer #birth #exposingbirth #homebirth #birthplan #homebirth #birthphotography #waterbirth #homebirthaftercesarean #hvbac See more

04.01.2022 When I make my milky elixirs for new mothers, I always add some extra powders to help boost them through their day. What are some of your favourites and how do you use them? #ayurveda #ayurdoula #warmingelixirs #healing #love #medicinalmushrooms #ashwagandha #maca

03.01.2022 Two generations of men - bonding two weeks agoThey say a boy learns how to love through his relationship with his mother. But a boy learns how to become a man by watching his greatest role model - his father. Dads everywhere enjoy your day.

02.01.2022 Final week of belly wrapping for this beautiful new mum. Its been so good to care for her as she finds her way with her twin babies, especially this week as her partner resumes work. Wrapping a postpartum belly helps bring the abdominal muscles back together and can make a big difference six weeks postpartum if a woman experienced diastasis recti. Ayurvedic traditions suggest warm oil massage and belly wrapping to help disperse excess Vata, which creates the cold, windy ...sensation felt in the empty womb space. Wrapping heals, warms and grounds a new mum and helps support her organs to find their way back into place. Interested? Reach out for more info on my Ayurvedic postpartum packages xx

01.01.2022 Heaven is ..... #worldbreastfeedingweek

01.01.2022 When beautiful gifts arrive in the mail on a dreary Monday 5 Stars