Erica Shane Childbirth ~ NYC Labor and Postpartum Doula

We loved Erica being a part of our birthing experience. She was calm, warm, and gentle during the labor. She fed me ice cubes, massaged me, and helped me focus and keep calm. Before and after the birth she was there for us too. She also gave me the best lentil soup as my first meal postpartum, which was a treat. She is knowledgeable and the real deal.

Erica was my doula – both birthing and postpartum – for the birth of my second baby. After a grueling first birth experience, I prepared for my second labor with much anxiety and the search for the right support became a big priority. After speaking with numerous doulas, I knew Erica was the one.

In preparation for labor and delivery, Erica and I had multiple touch points. She was incredibly helpful in providing practical suggestions as I progressed in my pregnancy and as I prepared for birth. Listening and observing comes natural to Erica – in visiting me at home, she was eager to integrate my husband and my older child to our conversations and making sure that they knew how best to support wife/mommy.

Erica has a deep rolodex of resources including prenatal massage and baby nurses. She was always available to speak, email or text and I never felt she was un-available to me or in a rush to hang up the phone or leave our meeting. She truly has a presence of a friend and that’s exactly what I needed.
Erica was also more than just support. She provided context to the topics I discussed with my doctors at my prenatal appointments and helped me draft a birth plan that was more than just a wish list. During labor, Erica was the ultimate advocate and support for me and my husband. She provided comfort measures for me. She explained what was going on in layman’s terms, which I very much appreciated even though I had gone through labor before. She politely but firmly reminded my doctors and hospital staff of my wishes without offending them.

For post-partum, Erica’s visits really centered around making sure mommy was recovering. She did so in tangible ways by bringing delicious and wholesome food, providing lactation help and giving me massages. Also, she quietly impressed upon people at home (visitors, family, help) to be sensitive to the needs of the mother too, during a time when it’s so easy to focus solely on the cute little newborn. Most importantly, during our conversations, I was not only able to process my second birth but also bring closure to the challenges of my first birth.

Erica really is a born-nurturer. And I’m so glad that she was there for my birthing experience.