There are so many wonderful things that I want to say about Tara, that I don't know where to begin. I had a lot of fear as I was preparing to give birth for the first time. I had suffered a miscarriage in November of 2019, which left me with a lot of pregnancy-related anxiety, on top of my normal anxiety that I usually cope with. I was afraid of the pain of child birth; I was afraid because I didn't know what to expect; I was afraid up until the day my son was born that the doctor was going to tell me that there was something horribly wrong, and I had somehow lost my baby again. Tara was so compassionate, and helped me get through my fears. I truly believe that I was able to have a vaginal birth because I had Tara there to support me. From the time she got to the hospital, until the moment my son was born, I had absolutely no fear about what was happening. Her childbirth class had prepared me so well, and while it's impossible to truly be "ready" to become a parent for the first time, it helped that I knew what the next steps might be. My pregnancy was considered high risk, both because of my age and the fact that I was diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes; Tara was there to help me navigate all of the difficulties that entailed. I was originally scheduled to be induced, but I ended up going into labor on my own at 38+6, and my son was born at exactly 39 weeks. Things that Tara had recommended to me to help make labor easier, I believe, contributed to the fact that even though I was giving birth for the first time, I went into labor on my own without any assistance. (I ate my dates reigiously!) Tara was able to sit for my epidural with me, which helped the process go as smoothly as I could have hoped. One of my friends is pregnant with her first child, and I have told her so many times how supportive and comforting Tara was to me throughout my entire labor. I know for sure that when my husband and I have our second child, we will want Tara with us again!