Danielle Dawley

10/15/2016

Tess is fabulous!!! I highly recommend her. This is the second birth we had the pleasure of having Tess assist us with. And with her help, we were able to enjoy a drug-free birth again. They say every labor is different, and that was true for us. Baby's position made it more difficult this time with more back pain during contractions. Tess suggested ways I could ease the pain and encourage the baby to move into a better birthing position. She provided aromatherapy and walked the halls of the hospital with us to keep labor progressing. She was proactive in coordinating care with the nurses and doctors and made sure our preferences were heard. Her experience and knowledge were so helpful in educating us when questions arose enabling us to make well-informed decisions that led to the outcomes we desired. She freed up my husband to focus on comforting me. Her confidence, warmth and humor are a perfect mix for the unique situation of childbirth. Overall, Tess's involvement led to a faster, less-stressful and more comfortable labor.

Marie Storm

8/19/2016

Wow... Where do I even begin?  Tess is such a delight!  From the moment I met her I knew she would be an amazing support during birth.  I interviewed multiple doulas and Tess stood out with her sweet & patient spirit.  That remained true through the entire process.  I honestly don't think I would've been able to give birth naturally with out her encouraging words!  She knew just what to say right when I needed it.  Plus her reflexology & aromatherapy tools were a lovely part of the process.  I would HIGHLY recommend her to any friends & family!  I had multiple friends who recommended Tess and I'm so thankful they did !!

Betsy Evers

8/18/2016

Tess was with us for the birth of our first child and it was never an option for her to NOT join us again when we got pregnant with our second child.  Tess was there every step of the way and was helpful and compassionate when I had some complications.  She even came and sat with me at the hospital one evening when I was there for observation! :)  Tess is personable and friendly.  She will be honest, but compassionate.  Labor and delivery were VERY different for my second (a fraction of the time), and Tess was there to talk me through my questions and concerns.  If we decide to go for baby #3, I know Tess will be right there with us along the way!

Betsy Evers

8/18/2016

We hired Tess prior to the birth of our first child.  She joined us around the time I went on bedrest.  Tess was always available and answered any questions we had.  She was very kind, compassionate, and patient with us as we went through the remainder of the pregnancy.  Labor and delivery were long and stressful.  We wouldn't have made it through without Tess!  She was there beside me the whole way continuing to guide and reassure.  I would highly recommend Tess as a doula!

Tina Kappes

2/8/2014

If you are here looking for a doula: stop looking - you have just found the best.

Tess helped us with te delivery of your son Ian in 11.

I ( modern day tree hugger hippie) was planning on a all natural birth.

Well that did not happen and I ended up with a c section after 38 hours of induced labor.

but don't let this scare you - while it was not what I was looking for in my birth I can look back and I have not one single doubt and would do it all over again. This is due to Tess.

i was admitted at 40+6 with high bp. I did not want to be induced but it happend anyway. I called Tess from my Obgyn office and she was at the hospital within 30 min - she realized how freaked out I was. During the process Tess was by my and my husband side- she had time I explains things to us more so than the nurses,helped me understand the medical desicion a we made, had feed back for me, help me manouver around, tried different position etc. She was wonderful, she has a good sense of humor and having her by our side made the north process so much more relaxed and less scary. ( the unkown is scary to me and for me it was a great relief to have someone there just for me that had done this process numerous times)

i ended up with a sections Thursday night at 2 am and was admitted at 6 pm on Tuesday night- Tess was by our side the entire time. While I can not even give you testimony about the actual delivery / push part ( which is her strongest side) I can only highly speak of Tess.

Stop ip searching and rest assured she is the best baby investment you will have ever done !! email me if you have any specific questions : tinaintheusa@gmail.com

Kimberly Storvik

1/28/2014

Tess was absolutely amazing - she exceeded my expectations in every way. She truly wanted to get to know me and what I wanted my birth experience to be like. She did not push her opinions, but she did make me aware of the decisions I would need to make when my son entered the world. Tess shared her expertise to help me make these decisions when appropriate, and also encouraged me to speak with my OB and pediatrician about decisions that I should have their input for.

I found Tess's presence to be relaxing and encouraging during my labor and delivery. Between Tess and my husband, I had the best possible support team. Tess kept me aware of questions that my HCPs would be asking before they asked so I had time to think (ie, do you want them to break your water this early?) and shared pros and cons with me. She provided me with aromatherapy that helped to relax me and was very knowledgable about ways to help me with my drug-free delivery. That said, Tess was supportive of any decision I would have made, including the use of pain medication, because she knew my wishes for my birth experience so well.

I highly recommend using Tess as your birth doula. If we choose to have more children, you can bet I will be calling her again!

Angie Tyler

1/28/2014

Tess was a wonderful match for our family and we were truly blessed to have her be a part of our daughter's birth!  She was open and listened to what we wanted as an experience for our birth and used a variety of methods to make sure that the experience was what we wanted, such as aromatherapy and other relaxation techniques.  This was our third child, but first without the assistance of pain medication and I am positive I could not have accomplished that without the strength and focus that Tess helped my husband and I achieve.  She worked with my husband to help him know what to do to comfort me as well, so I was lucky that I had them both there by my side, encouraging me to be strong and that I could do it - even at my lowest moment when I thought I couldn't.  If I had to do it again, comparing the experience of my other births with pain medication and this birth with Tess at our side, I would hands down choose to work with Tess again, no question.

Christy McCrary

9/1/2009

My husband and I had our first child in April and were blessed to have Tess assist us. We were sure we wanted to have her the day we met.! My labor was 35 hours long and with her help, I was able to have my dream birth experience of avoiding a c- section, pain meds, and no epidural. She was constantly providing encouragement, offering suggestions, and hands on techniques to myself as well as to my husband to allow him to assist me. One of the worst worries that we had about  having a doula (ANY doula ) was that they would replace the husband. Tess did a great job at dispelling what I later realized was a common thought  and involved my husband is almost everything she did. 

Tess was great in advocating my desires to everyone present at the birth and supporting me with my decisions. She was assertive in making my desires known and asking questions (in order for me to make informed decisions) that were often swept under the rug at the hospital.

It has been 4 months since my son's birth and we still keep in contact. She seems to really love what she does.  I would highly reccommend her!!