Mike Amy C-T

9/11/2017

Tisha is an experienced, caring, professional doula. We chose to work with her after interviewing several doulas and were very pleased with our decision! We would absolutely hire her again if given the opportunity with a second pregnancy. We were seeking a doula that would serve as a second support person in labor and delivery. It was important to us as mom and dad to be the primary focus of support for one another, with our doula adding an extra layer of support. Tisha honored this dynamic and exceeded our expectations with respect to helping us prepare for 'the big day' with communicarion-based coaching to assist us in developing a birth wish list that fit our own needs and desires. She always listened to our wishes and provided objective feedback to help inform our decisions. Our interactions at these prenatal visits helped us feel more confident and prepared going into it. We felt that Tisha provided a strong and calming presence throughout the whole process. After our son's birth, Tisha's postpartum visit was incredibly helpful in getting some initial 'first time parent' questions answered. She also made herself available by phone and text afterwards for follow up. We would not hesitate to recommend Tisha to anyone looking for a fantastic labor doula!

Erika Stanley

8/28/2017

When I was matched with Tisha by the folks at Portland Doula Love I got really excited about working with her even before we met. She sounded like an excellent doula with many more years experience than we initially were looking for. And most importantly, she had all the traits and qualities I was hoping for - warmth and candor, affirming of queer parents, a great sense of humor, and loves to dance. When we met for the first time to interview it became clear she wasn't just a good practitioner match for me, it was a huge YES! My time working with her proved my instincts were spot on.

What I experienced in her care was generosity, groundedness, extraordinary stamina (my labor was longer than average), great connection and an unwavering commitment to my birth process (even as it veered well outside my hoped for plan). We also felt her lovingkindness and respect throughout - for myself, my wife and our baby. With Tisha I felt deeply supported and she played a huge part in my wellbeing during my labor and delivery. Even the hard stuff felt doable with her by our side. She helped us navigate difficult choices with clear information and obvious care. I felt at ease in her presence and appreciated all the ways she worked hard to make sure we had the understanding, tools and support we needed, before, during and after our daughter's birth. What a terrific experience! We are so grateful for her and recommend her highly.

Sharleen Young

8/27/2017

Some great advice once given to me: if you don't know what you're doing, and you really want it done right, hire a professional. Well, going through our first pregnancy, after a few years of struggling to get pregnant and having to go through IVF, we wound up taking that very approach and looked for a doula to help make labor and delivery as easy as possible. After a couple interviews, I knew Tisha was the person for us. Tisha is energetic, kind and very caring, and is a terrific advocate for you during that time when you're a little less than coherent in the hospital. Without her help, labor probably would have gone at least twice as long, as she knew just how to position my body to help the labor along naturally. She was tremendously helpful in anticipating the needs of my body when I couldn't vocalize them, and was there for physical, mental & emotional support.

If you're going through your first pregnancy, what Tisha brings to the experience is immensely invaluable. No matter how many preparation classes you and your partner go through, there's nothing that can really prepare you for being in the thick of it. It makes sense to have the support of someone who has been to all types of births, and who has been there to support many different women through this experience. In addition to the big show, Tisha also does pre-delivery visits to the house to go over your birth preferences and to ensure you have all the truly necessary things to bring home a newborn, and does a postpartum visit after you're settled in at home to ensure that all went well. This was also very helpful, as it pointed us to some things we hadn't really thought of to get before the baby was here.

Abby Scott

8/22/2017

I worked with Tisha in November of 2016 for the birth of my son.  Before the birth she made herself available to us and helped us feel prepared.  We made plans for my birth and then of course from the start nothing went as expected.  Tisha was so great the whole time.  I had a very long labor- about 24 hours and she was right there with me the whol time, providing physical and emotional support, encouraging me, talking to the hospital staff on my behalf to ensure that we could stick with my plan as much as possible even with the unexpected turn of events.

I was in good hands.  My husband and I really felt comfortable with Tisha.  She is very knowledgable about the birth process , she had incredible stamina to stick with me through a very long labor, she knew how to advocate for me to hospital staff while keeping good relations with everyone.  And then afterwards she encapsulated my placenta!  She also came and checked in with me after my son's birth.

I highly recommend Tisha West for your birth experience.