Days after giving birth to my firstborn, Cami, nearly five years ago in the beginning of a bitter New York winter, I ventured out with her in the stroller for the first time alone, determined to make it to the corner cafe and back without either of us completely losing it. Not even ten steps out the door, an older woman brushed passed me, clearly aware of the brand-new-mom tears that were now streaming down my face, and under her breath, she smugly whispered just loud enough for me to hear, "It's about to get even harder, honey." To this day, I still resent that comment and her condescending delivery, and I still recall those intense feelings of loneliness and isolation—feelings that eventually developed into full-fledged, debilitating postpartum depression. Despite a loving and supportive family, an experienced therapist, and a medication plan to help bring me to the surface for air, those early dark days were missing something I now see as crucial: a sisterhood of fellow mothers and the voice and leadership of someone who builds community, educates, and advocates for those entering this new and grueling and joyful and complicated stage of life.

Fast forward a few years, add in a cross-country move to Los Angeles, a second pregnancy, and enter Erica Chidi-Cohen: one of LA's most reputable champions of prenatal and postpartum wellness, and the antidote to my fears of enduring PPD yet again. After meeting Erica while newly pregnant in a city I still knew little about, I left our first conversation with a feeling of intense connection and newfound confidence, as well as a feeling of lamentation: I only wished I had known her on the east coast while undergoing that disorienting shift into first-time motherhood.

Erica is a rare breed of human that has surely touched the lives of thousands, yet makes you feel as though you've been her one and only priority from day one. She wears her enthusiasm in her radiant smile and easy laugh, and she has a wealth of knowledge and resources when it comes to maternal health and well-being. In addition, she's changing the landscape of parenthood in a major way by opening the doors of LOOM, a brick-and-mortar hub for all things related to birth, child-rearing, and the journey that precedes them. Erica's new venture is what every city needs: a safe haven for parents—and parents-to-be; a place that facilitates camaraderie, encourages discourse and condemns judgment, and addresses head-on both the hardships and beauty of what it really means to birth and raise another human.

Needless to say, Erica is forging a path that is so desperately needed, as society is just now starting to understand the immense importance of "mothering the mother." Erica's work is crucial, her dedication is genuine, and I consider myself privileged to call her a friend. The opportunity to capture her in the photographs that follow was a chance for me to show a bit of the Erica spirit that has helped carry me through the birth of my newest daughter and will undoubtedly continue to do so as I become an active participant in the LOOM community. Thank you, Erica, for your support, your light, and your unconditional love—it's about to get even better, honey.

– Nicki Sebastian, our dear DÔEN Collective friend, and amazing photographer

Erica Chidi Cohen is a Doula, Co-founder of LOOM, and Author of the book Nurture: A Modern Guide to Pregnancy, Birth, Early Motherhood - and Trusting Yourself and Your Body