darlene

8/16/2024

she was so informative and made me and my daughter so relax. loved how she made me comfortable and wanted to get to know us.  my daughter delivery was not as planned. but step by step she stayed by our side ...would highly recommend her and would not have experienced that without her help 

Joni Lucarelli

5/31/2024

Over the last sixteen years, in addition to attending over 300 births in her own doula practice, Taba has backed me up nearly twenty times! My clients have always adored her and felt lovingly and skillfully supported, which is why I have felt so confident in calling her in, time and time again.

Bianca

4/9/2024

My husband and I were expecting our first child in April 2024. We have a friend who was scheduled to be our doula but she had another client due a week before our birth out of town. On the chance that she wasn't going to be available, Taba stepped in to be our backup. We had an interview with Taba and she was very bubbly, lots of energy and definitely had the experience we were hoping for. The night came when I started contracting and Taba was readily available via the phone to answer my questions. When things really started to progress, she made her way over to our place (at 2am) and immediately jumped into some coping techniques (rubbing my back, counterpressure, etc). Well, baby girl decided she was going to make a very fast entrance so things progressed very quickly. Within the hour, my water had broke and it was time to push. What was scheduled to be a hospital delivery ended up being a home birth! Taba took control of the situation, had my husband call for an ambulance and proceeded to offer support as I was pushing. Baby girl came out in maybe 6 pushes and Taba was right there to catch her all while on the phone with EMS and rubbing my husband's back as he completely lost his lunch. She caught baby girl, immediately got some towels to dry her off and warm her up and then helped the fire department understand the events that had taken place in the 45 minutes this all transpired. She was such a huge help cleaning up the bathroom and made her way to the hospital to check on me, baby and husband. None of us could have planned for the events taking place so quickly, but I'm glad Taba was there because there was never a moment where things felt out of control. 

Sara Lindsay

2/18/2017

It was my first pregnancy and labor when I hired Taba to be my doula. She had helped my sister through her first labor and highly recommended her. Taba was so amazing! I had an almost 36 hour labor.... 3..6..and she was there for every minute of it even when she probably didn't need to be. She came right away after my water broke because I was so nervous. She labored with me 12 hours at home then another over 20 at the hospital! She was so helpful and crucial to helping me, not only physically, but mentally through my labor. She was vital in helping me feel comfortable with the decisions I needed to make. She worked hard to help me with my natural birth and also eased my mind and heart when I couldnt go any longer without the epidural. She was a godsend to my husband who felt helpless. She showed him things he could do and also took care of him while I couldnt and made sure he was taking care of himself too. She also knew when to step back and let him and I have some space. This is not even to mention the countless hours and meet ups spent before the birth making me feel comfortable and after the birth coming to my house to help us through the most difficult and scary breastfeeding experience. She was and is worth every dollar you will spend! Please don't hesitate when thinking about Taba. she is the best and will do the best job to help get you a positive experience in one of the most difficult moments of your life! Thanks Taba!

Diane Boghrat

1/23/2017

I'm so grateful to Taba for her assistance with the birth of my son. She was very knowledgeable and made us feel at ease in the months and weeks leading up to labor. When complications arose in the last few weeks of my pregnancy and we were deciding whether or not to induce, she offered so much guidance to us about what our options were and really helped us make an informed decision. She made me feel more confident in my decision to hold off on induction until full-term and when we did finally decide to induce when we felt it was necessary she supported our decision. She was right there with us the entire labor (first on the phone and then in-person) and offered my husband some much needed relief when things were slow to progress, staying with me in the hospital while my husband went home to rest. She was very attentive the entire time (37 hours of labor), offering humor, a shoulder to cry on and guidance throughout. She also managed our relationship with the nurses, giving them goodies and making sure we were seen to as quickly as possible when needed. After we came home from the hospital she came by to help me with my self-care and offered breastfeeding support and tips which I sincerely appreciated. I'm so happy we made the decision to hire Taba to assist with the entire process. As first time parents, we had no idea what to expect and she made the entire process, which turned out to be scary toward the end, much more manageable and a little less scary.

Brianne Grant

12/2/2014

Taba made all the difference in the world during my labor, from start to finish! For my first baby I had no idea what to expect but she made sure that I felt comfortable with all the birthing choices I needed to make, helping to educate me on the pros and cons of each. While that in itself was a huge help, having her there while I labored was irreplaceable! She had techniques and moves to help ease the pain of each contraction.... which was enough reason to hire her! Throughout the entire long and laborous (pun intended!) process she radiated positive energy and confidence. I was able to completely focus on breathing/pushing knowing full well that she was on top of the hospital staffing carrying out my birthing wishes. Additionally Taba took photos during the process and put together a video montage that literally brought me to tears! I would highly recommend hiring Taba as your doula, for not only is she extremely dependable, intelligent and caring, but she has your best interest in mind the entire time... even if that means her sleeping on the hospitial lounge floor until needed!

Shannon Stephen

4/8/2014

We had a wonderful experience with Taba as our doula! We had a very, very long birth and it was so great to have her there to help support both myself and my husband through the grueling process. She was a trooper!! It was also super helpful to have her to help us understand our options beyond what the hospital staff gave us. I also loved all of the photos, video and birth story that she captured during our journey. Something that we will cherish and have to remember the wonderful birth of our son for years to come!!

Ibeth E

1/31/2014

After interviewing a couple of doula's I knew I had a special connection with Taba.  She is instantly warm and friendly. Birth is a very intimate event and it was important to me to find the right person to be in my inner circle.  She makes you feel like you've known her your entire life.  She is extremely knowledgable and knew how to work the room of nurses and doctors. Thanks to Taba I had the birth that I had wished for!

Jaime McKown

4/13/2012

Our daughter was born December 24, 2011. She is the blessing and miracle that my husband and I have been trying for. After the lost of my third baby in 2010 I was extremely scared and nervous about the new pregnancy. Taba was there for me always, whenever I had a question (even if it was something small). She gave me the support during my pregnancy and the strength and confindence I needed during the birth. My daughter's birth was so easy and I couldn't have asked for a better one. From the time we got to the hospital she was right there assuring me everything would be alright and after 7 hours of natural labor our beautiful Emilie Grace was born. I could not thank Taba enough for what she need to help bring our angel into our lives and I hope that she will be around for a while to deliver our next blessing.

Kate Steele

2/3/2012

Nearly 20 months after the birth of our son, I am still so overwhelmed by our Taba experience that I am finding it difficult to write a review that can easily turn the indescribable asset she was to our birth into a mere synopsis. We could have done it without her, but it wouldn't have been nearly as stress-free, supported, magical, and loving as it was with her by our side. It was our first baby, and it was not an easy labor, but Taba was a constant calming balm, a highly knowledgeable and educated support team member, a physical therapist (and contortionist!) in all her hands-on pain management techniques, a pinch-hitter for my husband when he needed a breather (but also a completely unobtrusive cheerleader when he wanted to be #1 right-hand-man to me), a skilled mediator between us and our hospital staff (the entire staff commented afterwards that she was the best, most respectful doula they'd ever worked with and they wished all of them worked so seamlessly with hospital staff), and a bonus photojournalist when we didn't even realize she was snapping (the fact that she captured--on video--the moment my son was born--and the moment my husband realized it was a boy (!) rather than the girl we all expected, was such a wonderful surprise, and will be a cherished memento for all our lives). She was accessible at all times leading up to the birth...generous in her face to face time during our pre-birth interviews/meetings...and truly flexible and non-judgemental in supporting us in whatever we wanted for our birth plan (even when it changed mid-labor). She is clearly truly passionate about her job and about keeping herself educated and informed on all up-to-date research and literature.  If you're pregnant and thinking of using a doula, call her. NOW.

Kari Rahni

11/28/2011

 After my dream and plan of having a homebirth were no longer an option at 38 weeks, I knew I needed a doula to support me through a "natural" hospital birth. Taba was recomended by my midwife who described her as the sweetest person ever, but with an inner "pitbull" when the situation called for it. I literally met her 24 hours before I was to go into the hospital to be induced but her warmth and passion made me feel so comfortable that I felt like she had been with me all along. After my "dream and plan" of a "natural birth" was no longer an option and I was to have a c-section, Taba comforted me with a great snuggle and a briliant observation and question, "Do you want me to help you with your make-up"? I don't share this because she thought I needed it but she knew, in the short amount of time knowing me, that I still wanted to look my best for all the pictures (yes, I have a shallow side too). Her absolute love of research not only helped while in the hospital but she continued to share articles about my condition and information on future births options. As a postpardum doula Taba was amazing! Because my milk had not come in yet, I was not having the easiest time breastfeedig. This was not something I was going to give up. Fortunately this is another thing Taba is passionate about. She made house calls to encourage me, make sure the latch was correct, showed me different positions, brought me a breastfeeding pillow, and even let me borrow a breastpump. She also set up "mommy meet ups" to get her new mamas started with a support system. She is the toal package. She not  only has complete passion for what she does but she backs it up with knowlege (and if she doesn't know something, you better believe she will research it until she does). I am so truely greatful that Taba came into our lives. I consider her a friend. We love you Taba joon!  

Gizem Karaali

11/5/2011

Taba was our doula for the birth of our daughter, way back in January 2009. She was amazingly helpful to me as a first-time mom-to-be. She was fun, and well informed, and enthusiastic about anything about babies and pregnancy. She quickly gained the trust and respect of my husband, which was absolutely essentail to us being an effective team during the birth. I had taken Bradley classes but was also toying with the idea of a hypnobabies birth. Taba was enthusiastic and supportive through the whole discovery / learning process. I think she was one of the major reasons why our daughter came to this world without any medication in a regular hospital birthing suite. We managed to use tools and ideas from both methoods and overall I think it went much much better than anything I could have imagined.

When trying to figure out breastfeeding Taba was again essential. Our daughter and I were rather bad at it initially, and went through quite a few of the standard difficulties, which, of course at the time, for me were anything but standard. To this day I still claim that figuring out the breastfeeding was the hardest thing I have done, but with Taba, we have managed to figure things out, and my baby and I enjoyed a loving nursing relationship that lasted over two years! 

I was totally absolutely heart broken that she moved away; if you are an east coaster mommy-to-be, you are so lucky! She is a little earthy, a little hippie, totally cool, absolutely enthusiastic, but also all around amazingly well educated and informed about the whole proess (and much much more). She knows her stuff, but also makes sure the mother-to-be makes all the decisions right for her. Of course she is not the medical member of your birth team, but I would definitely trust her with my life and that of my unborn child. Wait, I already did! And I am proud of what came out of all of it. 

Erin Reagan

11/4/2011

Taba ROCKS! I cannot say enough about what a wonderful experience we had with the birth of our second daughter and it’s 100% due to having Taba as our doula. This being my second birth, I knew what to expect for the birthing experience but really needed that extra support the second time around. My first birth was without a doula and while my husband and my mom were both supportive, I just felt I needed someone a little more knowledgeable the second time around. Someone who was 100% there for my needs and knew exactly what I wanted out of the experience. I found Taba through an on-line doula search and as soon as I found her profile I knew she was the one. We met with her and it was sealed for me. Daddy was not quite as sold on the idea of a doula…since we’d been through it before he didn’t see the need until the actual birth and now fully understands why she was there. He even told me afterward that he felt so much more comfortable for the second birth because she was there to guide him.

We met with Taba 3 times before my induction going over every aspect of how I wanted my birth to go…as naturally as possible. She was also there at the hospital every step of the way through a long drawn out 3-day induction, including a 45-minute text conversation at 3AM (!!!) calming me down when I wanted to go home that first night. I really cannot say enough about how wonderful she is and what amazing support she was. I believe without her support, I most likely would have ended up with a c-section due to needless doctor intervention. She knows what to tell you when dealing with the dr’s and she also knows how to butter up the nurses!!!

If you’re looking for a doula - you will never regret choosing Taba. I know I’m one sad mama knowing she is no longer in California for any of our future births. Best of luck on your choice!

Gina Loyonnet

10/12/2011

Before I became pregnant, I was set on getting an epidural and minizing my labor pain as much as possible. I was scared, insecure and uneducated about pregnancy, labor, breastfeeding and parenting. Then when I became pregnant, I started to read books, do research, talk to other moms, and realized, I wanted to be the best mother I can be. I ended up choosing natural labor and I was committed to breastfeeding. Taba was key to my learning - she provided internet links to medical articles, videos, websites, and provided unbiased opinions on the whole process. When I went into labor, I wasn't sure if I could do it naturally, but she helped me every step of the way, with massages, stretches, lunges, rocking, hip squeezes, etc. She brought all kinds of head & back massagers, balls, and other coping items to help me through. She taught my husband how to support me and helped him understand what I was going through. I could not have given natural birth to my son without Taba. We actually stayed at my home and arrived at the hospital at 9 cm dilation! What I remember most is her sense of humor. She has the funniest sense of humor. She helped us with breastfeeding at late hours of the night and made us laugh uncontrollably. Taba is one of the most beautiful human beings I know. She is so caring, extremely generous with her love & her time, and she is so committed and passionate about her role as a doula. I had a really hard time with breastfeeding, suffering mastitis and thrush. But with her guidance & support, I breastfed until my son was 15 months. The bonding with my child during nursing is one of the most precious relationships ever - I had no idea. It was worth all the struggle & pain. I owe such a positive experience to Taba. She is the angel in our lives.

Josette Olivera-Sanson

10/11/2011

Our daughter is 14 months now and we still can’t get over our experience. Taba's an amazing individual with such incredible energy and spirit. A first-rate doula. She’s extremely passionate about what she does and has so much fun with it. Taba was a critical factor in helping my husband and I achieve the natural birth we hoped to have. Of course, you can’t control what happens in any birth and we were very fortunate to have had a complication free labor and delivery. But I truly think that a number of possible unwanted scenarios were avoided because of Taba’s knowledge, advice and support. In addition to her obvious knowledge and professionalism, Taba’s sassy, fun and REAL personality was exactly what sealed the deal. Since it was our first child, meeting with her before the birth gave us a grip on what to anticipate, as well as discuss the various ways we could work effectively together as a “birth team.”  For my husband, it was invaluable for him to have someone who not only supported me in what I needed, but who also guided him in ways that allowed him to be more involved and supportive way beyond verbal encouragement. I could go on about the blessing and source of great strength Taba was for us-from cheerfully showing up at our house at 3:30am, loaded with her “bag of tricks”; laughing with us until I couldn’t physically laugh anymore; her CONTINUED calm and sunny disposition that keep me going as I was losing my head in the thick of it all; her surprise slideshow that captured the moments we never knew she captured, which had us in tears all over again; being the breastfeeding support champ of the world, showing up the same day I called (more than once) and spending hours with me in order to physically help me work through breastfeeding issues; to her continual, happy-to-help support when I called in need. We're so thankful to her for everything she’s done for us. 

Gemma Fowler

9/5/2011

Taba was our doula for the birth of our son in September 2009.  She was/is  very knowledgable about all the aspects of pregnancy and birth, and was able to answer all my questions and ease all my (crazy at times) fears.  She made me and my husband feel at ease always, and was a wonderful support for my husband on "D-Day".  She labored with us at home for many hours, helped me know when it was time to make the 45 minute trek to the hospital, and then continued to help us at the hospital.  She and her partner at the time took beautiful photos of the birth of our son, which is an irreplaceable gift.  She also write out our birth story for us, and it was filled with info I didn't even remember!  Having Taba there allowed me to have the med free, all natural birth that I so desperately wanted.  She was an incredible resource, and we might not have been able to do it without her.

Kiva Hewett

9/4/2011

We hired Taba for the birth of my second child. The decision came late, at about 34 weeks, when I discovered that my group of OBs was one with a high intervention rate. The whole thing started with me crying in my doc’s office because he said I HAD to get an IV. (Don’t laugh, I have a huge phobia.)
I found myself e-mailing and calling several other doctors, midwives, birthing centers and doulas. I was too far along to switch doctors, the prospect of a birth center or homebirth was out due to our financial situation. The responses I got from doulas and midwives were all pretty generic if at all.
One stood out, tho. It was caring and specific to my concerns. Taba was so helpful over the next couple of weeks just sending me information via e-mail so I would not feel bullied by my doctors. We hadn’t even hired her yet. When we met, her fun and easy going personality was so comfortable for us. She had fantastic glow all around her. When she left The Man said he loved her, and he doesn’t like anybody. I knew she was who I wanted with us during the birth.
She was still just as awesome after we hired her. She was so present and available for all the quirky things that came up with us; The Man found himself unable to board a plane for a business trip; issues with his mother to vent about; my thing about needles and my determination to have a natural birth.
When it was TIME, Taba was amazing. She knew all the doula tricks and having someone there who is just there for YOU is the best! (even if you go with another doula, but I suggest Taba) She showed The Man how to do the doula tricks, too.
After Sage was born, Taba came shining yet again. She called to check on me while I was still in the hospital, I mentioned a latch issue and 10 minutes later she was there to help. Oh, and the PICTURES, they were the biggest surprise. She took the most beautiful photos of my labor and delivery… THANK YOU TABA.

Elisa Van

8/23/2011

 Taba was our doula for the birth of our little boy who is now 15 months old.  She is AMAZING! We met with Taba several times before giving birth and she was available to answer questions 24/7. Taba knows so much about the birthing process it's wonderful! She is like a walking encyclopedia and it was great to have Taba with us to answer questions and to help ease labor pain at the hospital- plus she brought cookies for the nurses!  After giving birth, Taba spent 45 minutes making sure my little boy was latching on to my breast and feeding properly. She also came to the hospital the next day to see how breastfeeding was going and to see how I was feeling. From the beginning of my pregnancy to post-partum  and beyond, Taba was there for all of my questions and concerns. We had a great pregnancy and labor  and we loved that Taba was a part of it all. 

Laura M

8/20/2011

Taba supported us for our second birth, when I was attempting a VBAC.  She was very knowledgeable about the various situations and procedures that might come up during the birth, and discussed them at length with me.  She was also great about including my husband, who was a pretty big doula doubter. 

When the big day came, Taba supported me by phone as I labored at home, and stayed with us during the long hours at the hospital.  She was always warm and supportive and worked well with the hospital team.  Although I ended up having a repeat c-section, I truly feel that Taba's support helped me to labor as much as possible, and I made the best attempt that I could to have a VBAC.

Taba was also there to help us remember one of the biggest days of our lives.  With my first birth, I was hazy on what actually took place.  Taba took detailed notes and precious pictures of the whole process (per our discussions of what I wanted photographed).  She put together a beautiful slide show that still makes me cry every time I watch it. 

Taba also followed up with me after the birth to help with lactation.  She fulfilled all of my doula expectations and more!

erin curry

8/17/2011

Having Taba as our doula was one of the best decisions my husband and I made for our son. We are first-time parents and we really didn't know what to expect. Thank goodness we had Taba because no one could've better helped us welcome our son into our lives.

From the moment we met Taba we KNEW she was right for us. Being new and unexperienced parents my husband and I had tons of questions and Taba always took the time to answer them. She was always available when we needed her. However, I think what made us feel truly confident in our decision to choose Taba was all the time and energy she took with us before we went onto labor. With some doulas you don't hear from them or really see them until your giving birth. That wasn't the case with Taba. She really spent time getting to know us and really understanding what it was we wanted to get out of this experience. When the moment finally came we didn't feel like we were bareing it all and sharing this beautiful moment with a stranger; it felt like we were being guided by a friend. Taba made sure we enjoyed our son's birth exactly how we envisioned it. What's more is she spent a lot of time with our family after his birth making sure we all were doing well and that I was breastfeeding successfully.

To write something explaining the impact Taba had on making our son's birth the most happy and special day of our lives is difficult. It's challenging to describe all the love and support she gave us before, during, and after his birth making our experience perfect. I guess the best way to describe it is to say that if you do not use Taba as your doula you are not giving you and your family the best birth experience possible.

Please feel free to contact me if you'd like to discuss my birthing experience with Taba in further detail.

Xoxo,

Ali, Erin, and Baby Luca

Iyko Day

8/17/2011

Claire Abbott

8/16/2011

 When we started interviewing doulas, my husband was skeptical about finding someone who was on the same wavelength as us. We knew Taba was perfect from the moment we met her. She leads with her sense of humor and follows with a personal, informed approach to supporting one through the process of having a baby. She was our advocate throughout the entire process which was invaluable for first-time parents like us. When we were told that we'd have to induce 11 days early due to low fluids, my husband was coming off an all-nighter at work and hadn't slept for 24 hours. Taba arrived soon after I was admitted and gave him the opportunity to sleep while I progressed from 3 to 7 centimeters (that alone was worth it!). We felt like we had a friend with us--a very informed friend who was willing to take on an entire nursing staff and old-school doctor in order to postpone the petocin, AND convince the nurses to give me jello even after the doctor had said "no more food." She managed to be there when we needed her yet never intrusive... an amazing balance. And she took some amazing pictures that I love to this day and gave us a blow-by-blow "birth story" afterwards with details I never would have remembered! After our son was born, I appreciated every phone call over the next couple months, whether it was about breastfeeding or lack of sleep or simply "how's it going?" I'm sad that she's leaving CA since we would definitely have called her for #2 (there's no reason to think doulas are only good the first time around!). Thank you Taba!

Julia Wolfson

8/16/2011

Taba was an amazing doula. From the day we first met, she totally understood my concerns about giving birth in a hospital but wanting to give birth totally naturally with as little interventions as possible. She counseled me through the last couple months of my pregnancy, and when the final week came, she was in touch with me almost daily. When my water finally broke (at 9:00pm on my due date) she was in touch and ready to drive over to be with me as soon as I wanted. I made it through the first few hours on my own, but when we called her around 3:30am, she was up and on her way. We labored together at home until 7:30 in the morning. She was incredibly soothing, reassuring, and helpful giving me massages, getting me into different positions and assuring me that everything I was feeling was normal and ok. n the end, after almost 24 hours of labor (including 3 hours of pushing) all with no epidural, I needed a c-section. Taba continued to be supportive and help me come to terms with this outcome. When I gave birth to my son (9lbs 1oz and 22.5 inches) at 9:00pm, Taba was right there waiting for me to help me breast feed for the first time. 

Her followup care really goes above and beyond. The day I came home from the hospital Taba helped me learn to breastfeed now that my milk had come in. She showed me how to pump. She also was in touch with me many times over the next few weeks as I had questions and minor issues that came up. She was incredibly emotionally supportive and a fountain of information over the next six months as well- even putting me in touch with other new moms. 

Taba's manner was very factual and informative, but also supportive and understanding. She wasn't too "hippy-dippy" or "touchy-feely" like some other doulas I met with. I trusted her completely, and I am incredibly grateful for all her post-partem support as well. She is an incredible person and doula, and I can't recommend her highly enough.

Devin Buries

8/15/2011

Devin (Bethany's husband) said:

When my wife first suggested a doula I balked at the idea, I’m a medic and have delivered babies before and didn’t see why we needed another person. And then I met Taba and in that first meeting she was able to answer all our concerns, gave us incredibly useful information about our legal rights when interacting with Doctors, and even figured out the baby’s position in his Mama’s tummy!

During the birth I told my wife I never wanted us to have a baby without Taba again! Taba is kind and smart, she doesn’t hold back when she has solid information and research relevant to a problem and yet she is never condescending or pushy in the slightest. She is continually researching and building connections in her areas of expertise and is a fascinating wealth of information about everything to do with babies and birth and beyond.

Bethany

8/15/2011

I was Taba’s 6th birth, with a host of medical issues and problems with the baby, from thrombophilia to excessive bleeding to threatened miscarriage, CPCs and intra-uterine hematomas. Taba took it all on her stride and we were impressed with the depth of research she did into the relevant issues and their impact on my birth plan. Having her attend the birth made it a much safer and meaningful experience for all involved, including my son, who is now completely healthy :D
She gave me back the power and control that had been stripped away by aggressive and obnoxious medical personnel. Taba is the perfect blend of support and tough love. She knows exactly how to handle all kinds of people, and keep the panic, and unnecessary medicos, at bay.

Her extensive knowledge beyond the birth process has also been invaluable to us and we put her advice into practice regarding feeding and sleeping on a daily basis. I also appreciated her gentleness when I needed it, and firmness when I needed that. I am SO SO glad I avoided and epidural and pitocin and it was all down to Taba. And yet when I was despairing she was never judgmental. I dread to think where I would be without her friendship, I thank God for her. I didn’t notice so much at the time, but she kept a record of the events of the birth and then sent it to me afterward and I was immensely grateful to have it, and the photos too. One last note: don’t miss her playdates/nurse-ins, they are a great source of camaraderie and support!

SarahLynn & Jeremy Zavoral

8/4/2011

 We loved having Taba as our doula! Her personality is so spunky and energetic, which made us always feel comfortable around her. She was completely supportive about what WE wanted in our birth. She did not try to force any of her opinions on us. When we asked about certain birthing techniques or procedures, she would help educate us with facts, research, and past experience. 

One thing that I loved about Taba was her willingness to research anything birth related for us. If I wanted to know about chord blood, prenatal vitamins, or epidurals, she would spend the time sifting through articles to find credible research on the issues and procedures. If there was a controversal issue like circumcision, she would find information from both sides of the argument for us. This saved us hours of time and helped us make positive decisions for our family.

Taba was amazing during the birth. She helped me communicate with the nurses without stepping on their toes or creating arguments. She showed my husband how to help me. She had a suitcase full of tools to help me deal with contractions, including a rolling pin that she used to massage me for several hours. Taba was encouraging throughout the whole birth process AND she took amazing photos and videos of the birth. She also wrote down significant things that happened during the birth.  

Also, Taba is a lactation educator, and this was very valuable to me after the baby came. Taba spent an entire evening with me helping me with engorgement and getting my baby to latch on. She showed me how to use a pump correctly, how to help my milk let down, and ways to help our baby eat better. This was so helpful because even my mom wasn't able to help me with these things. I'm so glad that Taba was there when I needed her!

If you want a doula that is energetic, supportive, organized, knowledgable, and someone that can be a close friend, then you should get Taba!

Alex H.

7/8/2011