central florida birth doula support
congrats on your pregnancy!
it’s a privilege to be considered as an addition to your birth team! i have been a doula for eight years and in that time have developed a deep love for working with folks who trust birth and trust their bodies, because i trust birth and trust your bodies. i believe in the wisdom and power of birth, and i am excited to work with folks who want to experience that power and autonomy. because of the beliefs i hold about birth i am mostly hired by folks who are having their babies at home, but i am excited to work with any families who trust birth and trust their bodies, or who want the support on their journey towards trusting birth and their bodies, regardless of where they birth.
being a doula (birth keeper or birth worker) is to be a witness of birth and a steward of ancient wisdom. Doulas are not new or a luxury. wise women have been attending births for as long as people have been giving birth. this is a traditional role i am privileged to play.
i am an herbalist, a placenta specialist, and a holistic reproduction and and sexual health educator and i use all of that wisdom to support people in their pregnancies and births! i’m also the cochair of the central florida birth network and can support you in building the rest of your birth team! i would love to connect with you about supporting you in your birth!
blessings on you!
“i do not care what kind of birth you have… a homebirth, scheduled cesarean, epidural hospital birth, or if you birth alone in the woods next to a baby deer. i care that you had options, that you were supported in your choices, and that you were respected.” — january harshe
what do you get when you hire me as your doula?
A doula should know you deeply so that they can support you in this intimate time and space. To that end your investment for doula services gets you much more time than the basic doula package. everyone who invites me into their birth story receives the following:
monthly prenatal visits
Each of my doula clients receive at least three prenatals, most have five to six. we have so many to ensure we can get to know each other well. we can meet in your home, my office, a providers office, or a walking trail. I'd love to share a meal with you, or go for a walk in a nearby park, or get a cup of tea. These visits can be as formal or informal as you'd like.
we’ll work together to build your birth team or to choose your birthing location if you need that support. we’ll go through childbirth education, the anatomy and physiology of birth, lactation education to prepare you for reaching your nursing goals, the practice of breathing techniques and comfort measures, and the creation of your birth plan.
a fifty page prenatal workbook that we’ll walk through during your prenatal visits
unlimited availability via call, text, or email throughout your pregnancy
on-call from thirty-eight weeks gestation
continuous labor support
we’ll decide together when i should come to you in early to active labor and stay until you’re settled in with your baby. I believe that birth happens on its own schedule and so I do not impose an hourly limit or fee if a birth "goes long."
throughout your labor we’'ll use the comfort measures and pain management techniques we practiced during our prenatals, i’ll advocate for your birth choices and provide any education and space if interventions are offered, and maintain a continuity of care if a transfer is needed.
postpartum support for as long as you need it
Included in your investment you will receive eight hours of postpartum doula support. You have the option of adding more hours if you’d like them. As a Certified Lactation Counselor, I offer lactation support as needed to my clients before and after baby comes. I believe that my role as your doula does not end once baby comes. Please call, text, or email me with the same comfort and freedom that you did before baby came, no matter how long it's been since you've given birth.
click here to connect with me about your birth.
the evidence for doulas
studies show that when a woman or birthing person is accompanied by a trained and professional doula throughout their childbearing year they are more likely to have positive birth outcomes including:
40% decrease in the risks of surgical births
60% less epidural requests
50% reduction of use of pitocin
10% decrease in the use of any medications for pain relief
25% shorter birthing times on average
15% increase in the likelihood of a spontaneous vaginal birth
38% decrease in the baby’s risk of a low five minute Apgar score
31% decrease in the instance of birth trauma and in the risk of being dissatisfied with the birth experience
“Of all the ways birth outcomes could be improved, continuous labor support seems like one of the most important and basic needs for birthing people. Providing labor support to birthing people is both risk-free and highly effective. Evidence shows that continuous support can decrease the risk of Cesarean, the use of medications for pain relief, and the risk of a low five minute Apgar score. Labor support also increases satisfaction and the chance of a spontaneous vaginal birth. Continuous support may also shorten labor and decrease the use of Pitocin. Although continuous support can also be offered by birth partners, midwives, nurses, or even some physicians, research has shown that with some outcomes, doulas have a stronger effect than other types of support persons. As such, doulas should be viewed by both parents and providers as a valuable, evidence-based member of the birth care team.” — the evidence based birth website
An important note on my role as your doula and circumcision: My greatest desire is to be a helpful, and trusted addition to your birthing team. Part of my role as your doula is to respect your body’s innate intelligence and help you advocate for compassionate, individualized, evidence based care. I believe that your baby's body will be born exactly as it should be and that his bodily autonomy should be respected. It's for these reasons that I cannot ethically doula for families who plan on circumcising their child. If you would like more information on keeping your child intact, please visit Your Whole Baby.
what my birth doula clients are saying
Tamara was a vital member of our birth team. She was calm, reassuring and flexible... all super important when it comes to birth! Thank you, Tamara, for coming into our lives! You will forever be part of the most beautiful day of my life!
-lisa p
My labor was 27 hours of excruciating back labor and she was there the whole time. right there with me, supporting me, comforting me, talking to me, helping my husband, and them trading off for naps. She was an angel. Throughout our pregnancy Tamara became more than our doula... she is our dearest friend. It meant the world to have her there by my side as I roared my little boy earth-side in our apartment bathtub. It meant the world to me to have such a strong support and someone who did so well to take care of me in my most difficult hours. She is a godsend. If you are looking for a fierce, loyal, strong, loving, patient, knowledgable, kind and over all lovely person to be by your side and focused on you during your birth, please, please, PLEASE hire Tamara. You will not ever second guess or regret it. She is genuine and the best birth worker I've come to know. PLUS, have you seen the herbal products this wonderful lady makes?? I recommend them to everyone I know! Hire Tamara as your doula, and definitely buy her products! You will not be sorry!!!
-vix l
tamara is a person you want at your birth and in your life in general. she has a gift for knowing how to help you through each situation. during our prenatal visits she was very friendly and optimistic and helped assuage my fears with her knowledge and resources. at my actual birth her calm voice cut through the labor pain reminding me to take deep breaths and that i was strong enough to do this. my husband was also very glad she was there as he found himself clueless about how to help me, or even interact with me during labor.
my first pregnancy was high risk twins delivered by emergency c-section at 37 weeks (no doula), and then a baby in nicu for 6 weeks. the entire time i felt like i had no control over anything. this time around i wanted a calm, normal birth. for me this primary included a vbac (vaginal birth after cesarean), and a doula who could help me navigate what my options were during delivery. i feel that the birth i had this time, with tamara as my doula, has completely redeemed that first birth experience. tamara helped me get more information in the prenatal phase, allowing me to feel more in control of my own pregnancy. i got my vbac and was able to hold my newborn immediately after she was born without her being whisked away. tamara was a great support to me and to my husband during this whole process.
-tori n