Meet Kerrisa Birth Stories Doula Support

Life Portraits Beloved Services Blog

Meet Kerrisa Birth Stories Doula Support

Life Portraits Beloved Services Blog

The 1 in 4 Project: Katie

Katie's story is the last for the 1 in 4 Project.

1 in 4 ProjectKerrisa WilliamsNovember 3, 2017Comment

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The 1 in 4 Project: Final Video+Free Downloads

1 in 4 ProjectKerrisa WilliamsNovember 11, 20172 Comments

The 1 in 4 Project: Kerrisa

1 in 4 ProjectKerrisa WilliamsNovember 2, 2017

find me on instagram | @kerrisajoelle

My beloved mother departed from this world Saturday, February 16th. All my time and energies were devoted to her those final weeks, and have been devoted to processing, honoring grief, and rest since. I’m thankful for understanding clients and the ability to step away from work during this time. Posting to Instagram or Facebook seem pretty trivial these days, but perhaps in a few weeks my eagerness to take up space in this digital world will return. ❤️ #cancersucks

Touch is the first language we speak.
#lynchburgbirthphotographer #birthphotography #birthbecomesher #birthwithoutfear #lynchburgdoula #birthdoula #kerrisajoelle

The placenta. Tree of life. Baby’s life line. It is truly such an amazing organ (did you know that it is considered a body organ?).
In fact, it’s the only organ the body disposes of when it’s job is finished, and the only organ that we can regrow when needed (i.e. in subsequent pregnancies). Many many cultures revere the placenta as sacred and have ritual practices centering around it. .
This placenta is my daughter’s. It is small because she was born at 29 weeks. It also has been frozen for several months and then thawed so it appears a bit dried out. You can also see a slight yellow tinge especially on the cord - this is from the infection I developed by the time of delivery.
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Did you see you placenta after birth? If you are interested, most providers (or doulas!) are more than happy to explain all the different parts while you inspect it! You can also take it home with you! Many people encapsulate it, make placenta prints, or bury it where they plant a tree. If you are interested in prints and/or encapsulation but do not want to do it yourself (and are local to me) check out @revivepostpartum .
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#placenta #lynchburgdoula #letsdoulathis #kerrisajoelle

I finally got my placenta and made a million different prints today! Now to decide which to hang and where.
Because I had developed chorioamnionitis by the time I delivered, I did not encapsulate my placenta so I had the freedom to use any type of paint or other medium. I ended up trying watercolors, acrylics, and even ink! I like the watercolors the best!
#placentaprint #placenta

Who can guess what I’m doing today?!?

“Birth plans” are starting to evolve in many different ways - for example there are now visual Birth plans that use images to convey your preferences (@motherboardbirth). There is also a different approach referred to as Birth Principles. But the root of each is the same - to get you thinking about your desires and to educate you in your options (because if you don’t know what they are you don’t have any!). A doula can help you learn about all the options available to you and encourage you to explore each of these. Did you make a birth plan? What form/approach did you use? Did the process of creating it help you explore your options and desires?

#letsdoulathis #lynchburgdoula #kerrisajoelle #doula #birthdoula #doulalife

“If I’m thinking correctly,” said Pooh, “a new baby is probably, undoubtedly, the grandest gift that could ever be.” #birthphotography #lynchburgbirthphotographer #kerrisajoelle

Channeling presence today. Taking the time to step back and truly be here in this day, this moment.

And then my soul saw you and it kind of went “Oh there you are. I’ve been looking for you.” ❤️ #lynchburgbirthphotographer #birthbecomesher #birthphotography #birthwithoutfear #letsdoulathis #lynchburgdoula #kerrisajoelle

Inhale. Exhale. Just breathe. It seems like something so crucial to our survival would be given more attention in day to day life, but the reality is, it’s so autonomous we rarely give it any thought. But it is the ONE autonomous body function that we actually have control over. Breathwork or mindful breathing has profound effects on the body and mind which is why it is utilized so much in labor. As is true of many labor coping mechanisms, those benefits carry over into life in general.
Whenever I am stressed and overwhelmed my first response is now to breathe. Just breathe.
#letsdoulathis #selfcare #lynchburgdoula #ilovewhatidoula #breathe

Contact

kerrisa@kerrisajoelle.com
434-238-3340

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434-238-3340 kerrisa@kerrisajoelle.com

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Kerrisa Joelle | Doula | Birth Photographer | Serving all of Central Virginia including Lynchburg, Charlottesville, and Roanoke