Erika Allison, Trained Childbirth Educator

My husband and I had our first child in the spring of 2023. When I became pregnant with our son, I wanted to be as educated as possible for pregnancy and birth. I read books, asked questions and attended Birth Matter’s courses.

After an incredible birth experience, I decided to pursue helping families become well-educated and prepared for their own birth experiences and I began to obtain my certification as a Childbirth Educator with Childbirth International. My goal as an educator is to help others experience an empowering birth as I did!

In 2007 I completed my degree at Purdue University and tied the knot with my sweetheart, Jamie. We began our family together in 2008 and now there are six of us. It was through the transformative processes of marriage, motherhood, and friendship that I grew a deep love to come alongside families in a similar stage of life. Since 2012 I have been providing services to birthing families as a certified birth doula, first through DONA International then through Birth Arts International. I am currently taking a break from doula work to pursue a degree in nursing.

When I am not spending time with other families, I am busy making moments with my own. As a family we love to spend time outside, with friends, and watching a good movie or playing games.

I first became truly passionate about women’s health and childbirth when one of my older sister became pregnant with her first child while I was in high school. During that pregnancy, I realized that holistic health and well-being, along with education and empowerment of women, was a deeply rooted passion. I received my degree in Social Work from Manchester University in 2012 and upon graduating obtained a job working with pregnant or parenting teen moms in Chicago. After moving back to Fort Wayne, I attended a Dona International birth doula training in June 2018 and Lamaze International Childbirth Educator training later that fall. I started serving as a Birth Doula that same year as well as working for a local home birth midwife as a Birth Assistant for the next 4 years. In 2022, I took a step back from the unpredictable oncall life and started teaching Childbirth Education for Birth Matters.

I received my Bachelors Degree from New York University in Spanish and my Masters Degree from Columbia University in Spanish Education.

I am certified as a childbirth educator through the CEA/MNY, as a Baby Sign Language Specialist through Kindersigns and was certified as a birth doula through DONA International.

I am a certified birth doula passionate about supporting families during one of life’s most transformative experiences. My journey began in 2011 when I first trained through DONA International, igniting my passion for empowering women during pregnancy and childbirth. Eager to deepen her knowledge, I later transitioned to Birth Arts International, where I completed my certification and honed my skills in providing compassionate, evidence-based support.

In addition to my doula work, I also support my community through placenta encapsulation, helping new mothers with postpartum recovery. After over a decade of supporting families as a doula, I am excited to embark on my next chapter by becoming a student midwife in the fall of 2024, furthering my commitment to holistic care in maternal health.

As the proud wife of my high school sweetheart, I balance my professional life with raising five wonderful children. Each day is an adventure filled with laughter, love, and the beautiful chaos of family life. I believe in the power of connection and am honored to help others navigate their unique birth stories, creating a supportive environment for families during such a pivotal time.

A passion for birth was awakened in me after experiencing the power and transcendence of birth for myself. I realized that education and support made birth a peaceful and empowering experience, and felt called to provide compassionate care to families as they prepare for their own birth experiences. I have been blessed to support expecting families in many ways. I began my doula training in 2019, received my doula certification from Childbirth International in 2021, and joined the Birth Matters team in 2022. I have walked alongside many families during this incredible journey, learning from each of them and growing with each new experience.

My husband and I have three beautiful and boisterous children, and when not caring for expecting families you can find me romping through the woods with them, or getting lost in a good book.

With a Bachelors Degree in Marketing, I began working in product management for a local business and enjoyed all of the challenges and teamwork that were involved. After finding out I was pregnant, I experienced immense joy. Woven within the joy was the slowly emerging reality that I was going to actually have to give birth. Crazy, right? I was faced with either continuing through pregnancy in fear, or educating myself on both the physiology of birth and my options. I chose education and have never looked back.

I am blessed with three children that changed my life forever, as children always do. The joys and challenges of birth and postpartum drew me into restructuring my career to be involved with this transforming time. I now own Fort Wayne Doulas, a postpartum doula service, and enjoy teaching Birth Matters' Childbirth Education and Newborn Care classes serving families from pregnancy through postpartum.

I am a board-certified lactation consultant (IBCLC) as well as a trained childbirth educator and postpartum doula through ProDoula. I look forward to serving you in this journey of a lifetime!

Instructors