As many moms-to-be do, I became interested in birth during my first pregnancy. My husband and I recognized a need for extra support so we had a doula to support us during the birth of our daughter. After her wonderful birth, I became engrossed in the world of childbirth. I knew that I wanted to assist other women with their birth choices. I've supported many families as a birth doula and postpartum doula in the Eastern Iowa area since becoming a doula in 2003. I continue to take classes to satisfy my appetite for learning about pregnancy and birth. I've completed the Lamaze Childbirth Educator Certification to better prepare expectant families for their birth experience. I would like to help you achieve your birthing goals and assist you in getting the most of out your birth experience.

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From a recent client - "Tammy was our doula for the birth of our fourth child. My previous 2 births were scheduled cesearans and the recoveries were miserable. So this time around we were going to push for the VBAC (Vaginal Birth After Cesearan) with the doctor. We did our research and it showed that the use of a doula could decrease the need for a cesearan birth. When we met with Tammy we were nervous and not sure what to expect but she put us at ease with the first visit. We soon discovered that the baby was breech. Tammy was able to make referrals to an acupuncturist to assist with turning the baby to a head-down position. I am happy to say that after 2 treatments of acupuncture the baby stayed head down. Unfortunately, the baby again flipped to breech at 39 weeks and we did not get the opportunity to attempt to VBAC. I knew going in that all the cards would have to fall into place for the VBAC attempt to work. I ended up with a 3rd c-section but everyone was healthy and that is what mattered the most. Tammy was a great help to us during the pregnancy in her suggestions for positioning assistance to keep the baby from being breech. We attended her Lamaze classes and learned more then than we had in the previous hospital-based classes we had taken. She helped to calm my anxieties regarding the upcoming delivery. I was very nervous and scared the day of the c-section because of my previous poor recoveries but Tammy helped keep everything in perspective and helped us make the most of the opportunities we had. The postpartum home visit and yummy meal Tammy provided were a very nice touch. I wish I could give Tammy's doula services to all my sisters and girlfriends for their pregnancies and births."

Postpartum doulas help new and growing families get off to a good start with information, knowledge, compassion, comfort, confidence, and assistance in the home after baby arrives. A postpartum doula provides reassurance, support, and the belief that parents can and will be successful in nurturing their family including the newborn. Her support and information extend to all family members equally in her role of nurturing the family. A postpartum doula's role is always changing to meet the needs of the specific family she is working with. The doula is a teacher and a source of information. She will provide reliable, evidenced-based information on maternal care, infant feeding and care, as well as ideas for integrating a baby into the family. She offers practical support with meal preparation and light household organization. The postpartum doula has a thorough knowledge of services, products, and professionals available in her community and offers quality referrals when they are needed. BabyMatters has a doula registry with doulas to recommend for the postpartum period. Doulas offer a free interview to interested clients.

Join us for Meet the Doulas, an informal time to learn more about our area doulas and how they can support the birth experience you want to have.