Devon Gates

10/26/2024

I decided to contact NDS because this was my first child, and I was anxious/wanted more support throughout the birthing process. Kathie was a godsend! Her warm presence is similar to motherly comfort, and you can sense that she genuinely cares. She was incredibly knowledgeable about a multitude of things, and was always available if I had a question or concern. During the birth, she was helpful with my boundaries and what I was able to decline even when there was pressure from the medical staff. I had an incredible birth experience due to her suggesting a pelvic floor specialist, among other things to prepare. I highly recommend her to ease your nerves, she was wonderful. My husband and I are very happy we utilized NDS and Kathie. Additionally, NDS offers a private birth class, which we very much appreciated and this helped prepare me also. We appreciate NDS and the doulas!

Holly Fischer

10/20/2024

We had the absolute pleasure of having Kathie as our doula for the birth of our baby on October 13, 2024, and we can’t recommend her highly enough! From the beginning, Kathie was a wealth of information, helping us feel empowered to make the best choices for our birth. My husband and I often found ourselves wondering what we would have done without her support and knowledge.

She was always there to answer our questions, no matter how big or small, and having her as a resource during the pregnancy was priceless. When we got to the hospital, she really became our advocate, ensuring our wishes were prioritized. Her guidance on labor positions helped me feel more comfortable and moved things along smoothly.

What really stood out was Kathie's calming presence. Even though we’d only known her for a few months, she felt like family in that room. We can't thank her enough for everything she did for us. She was worth every bit of the investment, and we definitely plan to have her as our doula for our next birth. Thank you, Kathie, for being such an amazing part of our journey!

Ryen Calderon

10/18/2024

There is so much about pregnancy and birth that is out of your control. But, choosing a birth team is one thing you can, and there's no doubt that having Kathie on our team was one of the best decisions we made. From the prenatal education, to the hands on practice, to the labor support, and even in the postpartum stage- Kathie was incredible. As a first time I had a lot of questions and Kathie did a great job answering them and sending me resources on topics to help me make the best informed decisions. In the end, we had the birth of our dreams, and we know that a huge part of that was because we had such a great birth team! Both my husband and I agree that we wouldn't have the story we do without her. 

Georgia H

7/25/2024

I literally can not recommend Kathie enough. I had some personal challenges come up during my pregnancy and she was THERE for me in every way, up to and during the birth. Hiring Kathie is like getting an all around support person who is also an expert with pregnancy and birth. My birth went about as well as I could have hoped, totally natural, at the birth center at ascension st Thomas. I didn't even know what I needed because it was my first baby but Kathie was prepped with playlists, a theragun, and the right words and encouragement at the right time. She also trained up my partner so he was empowered to support me as well. She guided me through positions and gently explained what to expect at every turn. Giving birth is scary because you feel like you're dying, but with the right encouragement and a calm steady guide it's also an incredible experience. Kathie provides that in spades. 

Blake Chaffin

7/25/2024

I will never forget Kathie Sonner and all the love she brought into my life with her Doula skills/talent/experience.  I can’t possibly sing high enough praises for the value she brought to the delivery room when my daughter was born.  Kathie is truly an angel and I would be happy to share my experience with anyone that is considering making the investment in securing her services in the future.  I am so grateful that I had an advocate in the room for myself, my daughter, and my daughters’ mother.  We did not want to be pushed around by the medical system and being educated and supported by Kathie was what really gave us confidence that we could fully experience a natural birth, god-willing.  We would not change a thing about how it went and I would wish everyone in the world the experience I was fortunate to have that day, with Kathie.  I will be forever grateful and if you’re reading this about to have your first child, I am so excited for you and may God continue to bless you!

Shelby Tuttle

5/1/2024

As a first time mom, I interviewed several doulas before finding Kathie. I know everyone's personalities and preferences are different, but even over FaceTime, Kathie immediately made me feel comfortable and understood. We quickly decided as a family that she was our best choice!

Kathie was available anytime I had questions (I was a first time mom, so I had lots), and never made me feel like I was a burden. She made her suggestions and gave me the resources to do my own research for what I wanted my birth to be like. No matter my decisions, she always expressed that she was there to advocate for our family, and to trust my gut. We met twice before our birth to figure out our birth plan and talk through different scenarios. 

The day of our birth, Kathie was available to us 24/7. Once we decided to leave for the hospital, my contractions started to get really intense. When we first arrived, I looked at my husband and tried to back out of my original plan and opt for an epidural, but he conviced me to wait for Kathie to arrive. Once she walked in the room, she immediately helped me get into the best postions to ease the intensity of contractions and move my baby girl through the birth canal. She made sure I was comfortable and that her and my husband were working together to help me. We labored together through the night and she was there every step of the way. Not only did she know the best positions physically for my body, but Kathie's caring and loving intuition knew just the right times to offer me affirmations and help me through the most difficult contractions. Once I got to the pushing phase, I was able to deliver our girl in just three contractions. I have no doubt that Kathie's expertise in positioning and soothing me helped my labor go so quickly and smoothly! As a first time mom, there is no way my husband and I could have navigated our way through a natural birth without Kathie - she was truly our superhero that day! 

Becky M.

3/28/2024

Postpartum Doula Services

I had the honor of having Kathie as my postpartum doula and WOW, she is truly incredible. She arrived ready and willing to do anything this new mama needed, whether it was do my laundry, cook me food, care for my baby, or talk me through my birth and postpartum journey. Kathie has the most caring soul and brought such a peaceful energy to my household. As a new mom who had barely put down her baby, I asked Kathie to care for my baby while I got a few things done around the house. It was so sweet to see Kathie take care of her. She got lots of love, play, sunshine, exercises, and naps. I was so grateful to have somebody care so lovingly for my baby while I tied up some loose ends that I had put off since having my baby. Not only that, but whenever I had my baby to feed her, Kathie would immediately start folding my laundry or clearing my dishwasher, all while we had the best conversations. Every mama needs a postpartum doula like Kathie!

Yvonne

3/23/2024

We can’t recommend Kathie enough. From our first consultation with her, Kathie was so helpful in confirming our desired plans for what we wanted in our natural birth.

Kathie was instrumental in providing my husband and I with the resources and insight for a smoother labor and delivery. We would not have had the birth we did without the confidence she gave me and the knowledge the gave my husband. Kathie was such a support in strengthening my mental state so I was able to go into labor with confidence and delivery with peace.

I’m certain my labor and delivery would not have been as quick nor as smooth without Kathie. We are so thankful and indebted to her and will 100% have her by our side for any future pregnancies.

Stacie

3/16/2024

Hiring Kathie as our Doula was the best decision we made, we can't recommend her enough! It was great having Kathie, someone from the outside, providing us with unconditional advice, wisdom and resources during the pregnancy. She was non-judgmental and supportive of the decisions my husband and I made for ourselves and baby for the birth plan. During labor, she was instrumental in providing me comfort during contractions, providing my husband support to help me, and guiding me in making decisions in real time to help my labor. NDS & Kathie continued to be a huge resource for us postpartum as well. It's evident Kathie loves her clients (parents and babies). Couldn't have done it without her and we've even referred a few friends to Kathie and NDS. 

Madison McWilliams

3/10/2024

I am extremely grateful that I was able to use Kathie's doula services for my first pregnancy and home birth. My husband, mom and I all agree that Kathie brings such a warm, loving presence into the pregnancy and birthing space. We all clicked with her quickly. If you are more natural-minded, Kathie is a wonderful resource for education about various decisions that all mothers need to make in preparation for birth and parenting. 
As soon as Kathie entered my home while I was in labor, she was hands on to help reduce my pain by providing massage, suggesting great positions changes/movements, and gently giving me much encouragement. For many hours she stayed hands on with me, working on my hips and back to reduce pain. Even in the midst of labor, I was impressed by her physical endurance. She encouraged both my mom and husband to massage me also, so they could assist in my pain reduction as well. Both of them could not say enough about how thankful they were for her help during my labor. Kathie also was able to gently get my baby to latch on both breasts after the birth. My son ended up needing to go to the NICU that night, and while everyone was getting ready to go, and I was unable to sit up, Kathie calmly and gently dressing my baby for the first time. It was so reassuring to see him in such loving, gentle hands.

The takeaway- I highly recommend Kathie as a doula for your upcoming pregnancy/birth. We will definitely be using her services again in the future :) 

Kelly Hodges

2/6/2024

Kathie is a fantastic doula! She was invaluable throughout my pregnancy by sharing resources to prepare myself for labor, helping my husband and I create our birth plan, and guiding us in making decisions at the end of my pregnancy. My birth went so smoothly in large part because of Kathie’s presence. She provided encouragement in the challenging moments, suggestions that allowed labor to progress, communicated vital aspects of our birth plan to our care team, and gave us her perspective when we were making medical decisions. As a result of Kathie being part of our birth team, I felt confident in the decisions I made each step of the way in both my pregnancy and birth. I look forward to working with her for more births and highly recommend her!

Melissa

12/13/2023

Having Kathie as my doula was a much needed extra support for my family during our second birth. I found it challenging to separate out from my first little one and Kathie was incredibly helpful in being on top of meeting, checking in with my needs and desires, and connecting me with avenues she sensed I might appreciate or benefit from. She helped me in bridging a bit of a gap.

When I found myself unclear on how to proceed or needing support or reassurance in the choices I was making, Kathie was reassuring and helped me to find a bit of ground in myself and confidence in my choices.

During labor and birth I found this same thread of reassurance and grounding which helped me to stay with myself and my experience. When things showed up during labor that I felt a rub against, Kathie was able to share with me more details in what felt like an unbiased way which helped me to make the decisions that were right for us. She was also very helpful in keeping me hydrated and asking my body to continue progressing through labor by using her extensive tools and knowledge. 

Kathie came to us with much sweetness, grace, and patience. We are grateful to have her as a part in our adventure.

George

11/30/2023

Kathie was incredibly helpful for both my wife and myself. She was able to help comfort and support my wife as I prepared other things for our home birth such as the birth tub. She was great at suggesting different positions for my wife and helped the labor feel more smooth overall. I'd highly suggest her to family and friends. 

Abby B

11/30/2023

At 35 weeks I had not secured a doula yet and was tempted to just go without, but I'm so glad we found Kathie! Her proximity and availability was very reassuring as we were anticipating a quick labor. Kathie's techniques were able to provide much needed relief and support. She was a calming, unobtrusive presence for my second HBAC. Thank you Kathie!

Annie Dabir

11/12/2023

Kathie was the greatest addition to our birth experience. We initially clicked because our values were so aligned, and I knew her point of view would serve me well during our birth. My labor ended up being very long and traumatic, and I don't know how I would've done it without Kathie!

She was the first to arrive and didn't leave even when my labor slowed down. She stayed awake with me in the middle of the night so my husband could have a few hours of sleep. She forced me to eat and drink during the extra long labor so I could keep going on no sleep. She fed me her snacks, and made sure my husband was fed as well. During my contractions, she was the only one who could help me manage. Her magic touch and extensive knowledge helped me survive the pain! She tried every technique under the sun and made sure I kept moving. I don't know what I would've done without her, and I can't wait to use her again. Thank you Kathie!

Charles Whitten

11/8/2023

Kathie was absolutely amazing! This was our first birth, and from beginning to end Kathie was supportive, knowledgeable, available and dedicated. She was an adamant advocator of our birth plan and we owe her immensely for the outcome of our birth. Her calming presence in the room was irreplaceable. My partner and I both felt so empowered and confident having her by our side. Kathie carries with her a palpable confidence that can only come from real experience, and she's got just that! I think that, in real terms - being completely honest; the birth as it was would not and could not have happened without her. Suffice it to say, if and when we choose to have another baby, Kathie will be our first call. She's more than a doula; she's a mother, a teacher, a confidant and now, a friend.

Tommi Jo Tillman

10/16/2023

I am truly grateful to have had such great help and amazing support from Kathie! At just three weeks before giving birth, I decided that I did not want to get an epidural and wanted my birthing experience to be as natural and peaceful as it could possibly be, but didn't know what steps I needed to take in order for that to happen. A few days after making that decision, I was guided to Kathie. Choosing her to be my doula was the best decision I could have ever made. She was so comforting and supportive and helped make my visualization of what I wanted my birthing experience to be like, come true! My whole experience was just beyond magical, all because of the help of Kathie and the love and support that she showed me! I would highly recommend Kathie for anyone wanting a doula experience! 

-Tommi Jo

Morgan dilworth

10/10/2023

I am so thankful for Kathie and her knowledge, comfort, and support to welcome our baby girl into this world! She is a wealth of information and plays a strong comforting role during a very raw and precious time. Kathie always went the extra mile to make sure I was supported- she even loved on my dog as her own and allowed him to be apart of the experience which was important to me! Kathie will forever be a beautiful part of our girls story and entrance into this world and we are very grateful. 

Chad

10/10/2023

Let's start with.. Kathie is an amazing doula and we highly recommend. She was a calming and helpful presence to our labor team. Throughout the labor process she helped protect the atmosphere my wife wanted and was able to give  actionable advice and massage techniques to support her. As a new dad, I truly appreciated how Kathie helped me better support my wife during such a vulnerable time. 

Kathie was not only an asset during labor, but also before and after labor. She provided us with great tips and helped us find a common lanaguage for us all to talk through each stage of the process. 

Thank you, Kathie! 

Anna

9/28/2023

We are so grateful for Kathie's help during the birth of our daughter! I met with Kathie for a lovely walk in the park to get to know her and to discuss what working with her would be like. I was excited to book with her, and after my husband and I both met with her to make our birth plan, he was excited to have her with us as well. I knew I wanted an epidural, so I originally thought I wouldn't "need" a doula since I wasn't going fully natural, but Kathie still played a big role in ensuring that my husband and I felt prepared and covered during (and leading up to) birth. Kathie has a calming presence, is knowledgeable, and truly is there to support the birth you envision. 

Kristi

9/23/2023

Kathie was such a helpful person to have as a part of our support team for pregnancy, birth, and postpartum! She took the time to answer any concerns or exciting things I had to share or ask about. She was very kind and considerate taking everything into consideration and giving her whole heart into getting to know me and my family. Kathie was willing to bend over backwards for my needs and help in anyway she could. She was sensitive to all of my issues and needs and anxieties! She never pushed anything on us and was very supportive in anything we decided was best for us! She is so sweet and I would love to have her as my doula again in the future! 

Taylor Salazar

8/31/2023

Kathie is an amazing doula. She helped me through a natural birth process and up to the point that a c-section was required. She was there for me every step of the way with information and attention. She advocated for me when a male hospital worker was making insensitive comments while I was being checked in and just made sure I had everything I needed. She is very knowledgeable in countering pain and helped make the process more bareable. You cannot go wrong with Kathie at your side! 10/10 I will have her help me again.

Jana Weaver

3/20/2023

Kathie was amazing with my daughter during her first delivery. The support she gave my daughter was well above and beyond what I could ever imagine. We live in Spring Hill and she delivered at Maury Regional. Kathie was there within 30 minutes of us calling her. The minute she walked through the door she had this calming energy about her that I could definitely sense. I feel she brought the calmness and strength out in my daughter that helped her face the unkown of child birth. The encouragment and guidance Kathie gave my daughter enabled her to experience an amazing and magicial all natural (No epidural) labor and delivery and we are so grateful to have had her there with us. 

Michelle Villa

12/9/2022

I have been wanting to write this testimonial about my experience with Kathie Sonner for a while now. She has been an important part of my birth story and my support postpartum. I am so grateful for all her support and knowledge through this process. On the day I went into labor she was so available, ready with support and had such a calming presence. She really helped me with her encouragement and helping me stay present and focused. She has been there to lift me up and help me build my confidence as a new mom. She has helped me to advocate for myself and baby. Postpartum she has been there for us through some hard times. I am so thankful I got to experience having her as my doula.