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

Today is the first day of World Breastfeeding Week. Some of you know that I recently had to wean my daughter much earlier than I wanted to in order to prepare for treatment for thyroid cancer and it was so incredibly hard on me emotionally. The pain I felt (am still feeling) over this is not atypical - in fact it is so common there is a term for it - breastfeeding grief. Breastfeeding grief is essentially grieving the loss of what you envisioned and hoped breastfeeding would look like. That can mean many different things. Maybe you struggle with low supply and have to supplement. Maybe your baby never latched and you are (were) an exclusive pumper. Maybe you (like me) had to wean much earlier than you wanted or planned to. Maybe you were never able to breastfeed at all. Maybe World Breastfeeding Week is triggering and painful for you because of your experience, because you are grieving this loss.
I want you to know I see you.
I want you to know your feelings are valid.
I want you to know that this is not too small a loss for you to be grieving, too insignificant to be termed grief.
I want you to know that it’s ok to both celebrate and grieve this week (and any other time).
I want you to know this does not define your worth.
I want you to know this does not make you less of a mother.
And I want you to know you are not alone.

Normalize breastfeeding, and also normalize breastfeeding grief. Support breastfeeding mothers, and also support mothers experiencing breastfeeding grief.
#worldbreastfeedingweek #breastfeedinggrief

I’m happy to announce I am offering one day of minishoots at the beautiful Cloverlea Farm as a fundraiser for a special local family.
Priscilla is a sweet and spunky 2 year old with Pyruvate Carboxylase deficiency. This is a genetic condition that causes lactic acid to build up which results in organ damage. It is a very rare and life threatening disorder. Priscilla is officially on the liver transplant list and they are anxiously awaiting the call that they have a donor. This fundraiser is to help offset costs surrounding her transplant and care afterwards (travel, lodging, food, etc). All proceeds will go straight to the family.
If you would like to follow Priscilla’s journey or learn more about her and other ways to support the family go here 👉 https://www.facebook.com/Priscillas-Purpose-689357158192396/

To sign up for minishoots go here 👉 www.kerrisajoelle.com/minishoots

Questions? Feel free to email me at kerrisa@kerrisajoelle.com

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.

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