Testimonial for Tammy Knox Sandel

I knew I wanted a natural birth. Part of this stemmed from wanting as little risk to our son as possible, but part was out of sheer stubbornness and the desire to prove to everyone that I could do it naturally. I also knew I wanted to have a doula. We asked our midwife who she recommended, and Tammy was her immediate response. We met with her a short time after, and I knew instantly that she was the one for us. She’s a warm, friendly, loving, and energetic person that I feel privileged to have gotten to know. I consider her a great friend now. Words can’t completely express how wonderful I feel about the bond I formed with her (after all, we shared one of the most incredible moments of a couple’s life with her – the birth of our child!). One of the greatest things was that Tammy had really gotten to know me and was even in-tune with me enough to know the timing of my labor. If we hadn’t had her, I would have been at the hospital much sooner, and would have spent the night horribly uncomfortable there. Instead, I labored in the comfort of my own home overnight, with my pillows, my blankets, and even my refrigerator at my disposal. Tammy’s positive energy kept me moving forward, and gave me an extra push (no pun intended!) when I felt like I didn’t want to labor any more. She had an awesome working relationship with our midwife! I could tell that they had been together for a number of deliveries, which was really great. They knew how each other operated, and they worked together in great harmony. My absolute favorite thing about having Tammy there was that there was someone there to help my husband. He would say that his favorite part was that there was someone there to care about his wife when everyone else was focused on the baby. He’s a biology teacher, so the workings of human reproduction are not unknown to him, but it’s different when it’s someone you care about deeply.

-Julie Newcamp

April 13, 2012