Julie-Ann Herklots

12/6/2024

Shannon-Tara went above and beyond the call of duty in supporting us physically and emotionally during and after the birth of our first baby.

In our prenatal classes, Shannon-Tara was informative and helpful, answering all of our questions, and clearly demonstrating her vast wealth of experience. She was always available to call or text at any time, and was always very quick to reply.

In labour, Shannon-Tara supported both of us throughout. She was there from the start through to the delivery of our daughter, and was as hands-on as we needed her to be; getting ice cloths, water, tea, juice, talking to the nurses and helping us to know what was happening at each stage of labour. 

After we got discharged from hospital, we had some unexpected challenges, and had to go into the ER for our baby. Shannon-Tara came to be with us when we asked her to, and stayed with us for hours into the wee hours of the morning, until she knew we were going to be ok.

A couple days later, we needed to go back to ER, this time for myself, and once again, Shannon-Tara came to be with us at the drop of a hat.

This isn't just a job to Shannon-Tara, she treats this as her calling. We felt supported, cared for, and loved throughout. We would whole-heartedly recommend Shannon-Tara to anyone looking for a supportive, caring, and experienced doula for their upcoming birth. 

Katie

5/27/2024

Shannon-Tara was a perfect fit for us as first time parents. She helped us feel at ease, reduced our anxieties, and was flexible to accommodate our out-of-town work schedules to complete her prenatal class materials at our home. On the day of our delivery, Shannon-Tara was available by phone and text and guided us during our labour at home. She met us promptly at the hospital for delivery and was attentive and supportive as she coached us through labour. She compassionately explained what was happening in the delivery room and helped us make informed decisions during labour. Shannon-Tara is caring and felt like family in her follow-up care at our home after our daughter was born. I would recommend Shannon-Tara to anyone seeking a doula for their birth and we would be honoured to have her attend any furture births. 

Luisa Hein

4/10/2024

When I came across Shannon-Tara's doula profile as a newly pregnant first-time mom, I strongly suspected that she would be the perfect doula for my husband and I. Upon meeting, we immediately clicked and the warm, knowledgeable energy that she brought to our first meeting exceeded our expectations and confirmed our decision to hire her.  From our initial meeting to after the birth of our son, she was a positive, experienced person for us to turn to during this entire journey. 

Throughout my pregnancy, Shannon-Tara met with us multiple times in the comfort of our home to explain many aspects of the birthing and breastfeeding process. At each visit, she took the time to present us with a variety of information and walk us through many possible scenarios and outcomes. She always gave us her full attention and answered any questions that we had, including those that came up between visits via text/call. 

When the time came for our son to be born, Shannon-Tara met us in the hospital for what seemed like it would be a relatively typical birth. However, a last-minute complication nearly changed the trajectory of the entire experience. Fortunately, at the suggestion of Shannon-Tara to try a position change while the rest of the hospital team regrouped, we were able to change the position of my baby enough to avoid an emergency c-section. While Shannon-Tara's support throughout the entire birthing process was extremely helpful, this in-the-moment suggestion resulted in the best possible outcome for my son and me, for which we are so grateful. 

As new parents, we had many questions and uncertainties when we arrived home with our new baby. Shannon-Tara visited us shortly after returning home and, after, was never more than a text or call away in the early days, as well as later on. 

If you're considering hiring a doula, Shannon-Tara is a truly fantastic choice! 

Ellie Bernardo

2/29/2024

Having a doula is a gift that every soon-to-be parent should have the pleasure of experiencing. I recently became a first-time mom and hadn't even considered a doula until my midwife had suggested it and I am SO happy that she did.

How does one pick a doula we wondered? We went on doulafinder.com and started reading testimonials... Shannon-Tara's sounded wonderful. We decided to get together for a meet and greet, and expected to likely meet with a few doulas to ensure we had the right fit.  Minutes into meeting with her my partner and I knew we didn't need to look any further. When we left the interview we agreed that she was it. There was an undeniable sense of warmth and calm when we were with her. We felt so comfortable, heard and understood. Her love for what she does was evident, and nothing short of admirable.

As a person who is pretty high anxiety I was often feeling overwhelmed with the onslaught of information during pregnancy.  It can be a struggled navigating what to do and what not to do in preparation for the main event.  The idea of having a person there for me pre, during and post labor that was strictly there for me felt very comforting. I underestimated how special a role Shannon-Tara would play in my birthing experience. Having her present was an absolute game changer each step of the way. There really aren’t the right words to express how appreciative and grateful we are for her.

My partner also felt so seen and guided with how to assist me during the big day.  Shannon-Tara would provide him with a nudge or quiet word to let him know it was time for him to help or to step back.  It gave us both balace and allowed him to feel assured he was doing everything he could in that moment.

We can't thank her enough for what she did for us and if there is another baby in our future, Shannon-Tara will most certainly be there!! <3

Tatiana

8/29/2022

Shannon-Tara was such a blessing throughout the pregnancy and birth of our daughter. She was such a reassurance and library of knowledge and experience that put both my husband and myself at ease. She was available whenever we needed and was more than accommodating and thoughtful throughout the whole process. Our pregnancy and birth story would have been very different without her care and support. 

Kelly Delp

6/3/2022

My husband and I had our first baby in 2021 and chose to work with Shannon-Tara. From first contact, Shannon-Tara was responsive, sensitive, and professional. She was so knowledgeable about not only birth, but about our local hospital policies and procedures as well as what to expect postpartum. Her classes during our pregnancy were immensely helpful in preparing our family for the birth and arrival home of our baby. 
Our birth experience did not go as planned (whose does?) but Shannon-Tara was supportive and responsive throughout. She was at the hospital at a moment's notice and from the moment she arrived she took over and helped us have a wonderful birth experience. After baby was out, Shannon-Tara remained present with me (the mom) and provided incredible support. 

Shannon-Tara's sensitivity, knowledge, and flexibility made both me and my husband feel prepared and cared for. 

Dana B

4/26/2017

Hiring Shannon-Tara as our doula played an integral part in creating the birth that my husband and I both hoped for. She was knowledgeable, calm, and supportive to us both and provided us with tools and strategies to use before, during and after the birth of our son. She helped me feel confident and in control during the entire process, which was extremely empowering. I would happily hire Shannon-Tara to be my doula again!

Miranda Holly

3/28/2017

My husband wasn't on board with hiring a doula for our first child, as he didn't understand their role, and assumed the midwife would play a bigger part during labour.  After meeting Shannon-Tara, he was totally on board!!  She was understanding and compassionate, as well as professional and educated.  She went out of her way to explain things, and answer our questions.

My birth was pre-term, and we debated calling Shannon-Tara right away.  But we are glad we did!  If it wasn't for Shannon-Tara, we would have been in labour and delivery alone, with only nurses checking in every 15mins!  She took control of the situation when I was 9cm, and requested the nurses call the Dr and Midwife back.  And even while I had to wait 45mins for everyone to show up before delivering, she was calm, kept me and my husband focused, and reassured us.

She stayed with us after the baby's birth and helped with breastfeeding, as well as returning the next day to ensure we were doing ok in the NICU.  She was able to answer questions in the days following via text messages.  She also was vital in helping me recover PPD by explaining all the things my body was going through, and that it was totally normal!

I am currently pregnant again and would hire Shannon-Tara in a heartbeat, except we moved 12 hours away!!  We have another doula for this birth planned, as I felt she was the greatest comfort during labour for both my husband and I.

sheena dionne-irwin

3/27/2017

Shannon-Tara was an amazing doula. She connected with us right away and created a comfortable and open environment. She helped us through our first pregnancy and if I hadn't moved, no questions asked I would have begged her to be there for my second as well. Shannon-Tara is compassionate, empathetic and very professional. I went through an induced birth with 20+ hours of labour and ended up with an emergency c-section, which was my biggest fear but my partner and I talked everything through with Shannon-Tara and I went in feeling completely calm. We then had some complications to deal with and also had major latch issues. Shannon-Tara made sure I knew she was there to give me support, guidance, educated answers and suggestions without swaying me any one way. We will forever be grateful for our amazing experience with Shannon-Tara. I would recommend her to anyone in any birthing situation!

Elsa Wellwood

10/10/2016

From the very beginning when my husband and I first met Shannon-Tara near the end of my first trimester, we immediately had a good vibe about her and could easily tell that she was very experienced, professional, knowledgeable and had a wonderful passion for her work as a doula.

As my pregnancy progressed, Shannon-Tara met with us regularily and was a wonderful source of information and support throughout.  Shannon-Tara took the time to get to know the fine details and philosophy of our birthing wishes.  She went well above and beyond our expectations, taking the initiative to join us while we took a series of hypnobirthing classes which further demonstrated her total dedication and commitment to ensuring that our birthing wishes were respected and upheld and that we were all on the same page going into the birth of our baby girl.

Once in labour, Shannon-Tara was present as a steady and calm voice of reassurance, love, and compassion.  She assisted both my husband and I tirelessly by helping me to feel comfortable, nourished and hydrated as well as providing moral support to my husband and I while we ventured through our labour as a solid team.  Post-partum, she visited us in the hospital and at home and provided support and assistance with breast-feeding as well as some invaluable tips to assist us in our transition to parenthood.

We would recommend Shannon-Tara with the highest of regard to anyone who is looking for that special person to support them during such an important transition in their lives.  It was truly an honour for us to work with her and we would hire her again in a heartbeat!

Love from Elsa, Chad and Naomi

Bria Young

9/20/2016

Shannon-Tara was great. She gave us lots of suggestions for dealing with early labour and back labour. Her help with breathing made contractions significantly easier. Being able to call on her in the middle on the night to come to our home was invaluable. We ended up having a c-section, and Shannon-Tara was there to support us before and after.