I think about the birth of my daughter all of the time. I look back and couldn’t be happier with the way it went, everything happened just as I had hoped. It was a completely natural homebirth, but it was more than that. I felt genuinely cared for; I felt like my needs were met and my wants were listened to.

I wanted a birth with as little medical intervention as possible, but there was no way that my husband and I could have done it on our own. Tammy taught me how to handle a contraction and aided me in finding the strength within my self to face my contractions. Yet what I truly loved about Tammy was the calm empowering manner in which she supported me when I didn't know how to continue. My husband was there to give me physical support (he rubbed my back and let me lean on him) and Tammy was there to give me emotional support. She taught me how to labor and reassured me that everything was proceeding well. She has such a gentle spirit about her, which truly put me at ease in her presence.

When I look back on the birth of my daughter and I think about what it meant to me to have Tammy's support it occurs to me that this is exactly what Doulas are for - giving you the birth that you always wanted to have. Labor may only be one day of your life but it is a day that you will remember for the rest of your life and Tammy has given me just that. She has given me the ability to look back on my first labor experience with such joy as well as such a strong sense of confidence and self worth that can only be gained from conquering one of my biggest fears.

Thank you Tammy Uva for taking the birth of my baby, something I was so nervous and scared about and helping me turn it into something beautiful. Tammy is an incredibly gifted, strong, patient, amazing, kindhearted woman and I would recommend her above anyone.

Morgan

Dear Expectant Mother,
As I write this letter I’m watching my son Malakai, born just five days ago, sleep peacefully. It’s been a tiring but also reflective week as I celebrate in my heart the fact that he’s finally arrived. As I replay the day of his birth in my mind I’m thankful for so many things---a significant one being Tammy’s role that day as our doula.

Having given birth naturally twice now, I know what an important role hiring a doula is in the preparation process. As I interviewed women I often found myself at a loss for how to really make the decision. It seemed that I was just waiting to get a “sense” about someone, which can be challenging from just one meeting or phone call. Interacting with Tammy these past several months and having her participate in such a significant family event has made who she is more real to us than during our first meeting at a nearby Starbucks. As I think about how grateful I am for who Tammy is as an individual, it occurs to me that having had talked to other women who had previously hired her would have given me much more of a sense of who she was—her capabilities as a doula, her personal strengths as a birth assistant, and her love for being a part of women’s lives. As a result, I had it on my heart to write this unsolicited letter on Tammy’s behalf for her to use with prospective clients. I hope it’ll help you see why she’s a great consideration for your own birth as well as help you make the best decision for yourself as you interview women.

Looking back over our months with Tammy, I’m thankful for so many of the ways she faithfully helped prepare us for the day of our son’s arrival. Being new to Hawaii and not having given birth in a hospital setting the first time, I identified specific needs I had for the role of my doula. Tammy was great at really hearing those needs and addressing them in our preparation times. She had never assisted a woman giving birth at Castle Medical Center but was willing to talk to other doulas who had so she was prepared for her time with me there. She remembered things my husband and I said in our first interaction, details about the birth of our eldest and things we felt unsure about, and planned our appointment times around those. More than anything else I really appreciated how available she was emotionally. She came with me personally to one of my prenatal visits to meet our midwife, was great at checking in with me after my appointments when I was overdue, and was always available by cell phone---even when I called her in the middle of the night with a health question. She also made all of her resources (books, birthing balls, etc) available at any time. Even on the day of my delivery, when I was still unsure if it was “the” day, she was willing to be with me from very early on instead of wanting to wait until I was sure I was in labor. Just hearing her say, “I’m leaving my house now!” gave me so much comfort as we wrestled with wondering when we should leave for the hospital.

Looking back at how my son’s “birth” day unfolded I was so blessed to have Tammy be a part of it. She did a great job of really discovering her unique role during my laboring time. My mother wasn’t able to be present and I saw Tammy really take on the surrogate, nurturing mother role that I needed but hadn’t really articulated even to myself. She did a great job of encouraging my husband to be my primary comforter even when he felt unsure of how to help me. She gave great feedback about my thoughts and feelings as I wrestled with decisions like having my water broken or waiting for it break on its own. She was also such a source of positive encouragement as each contraction got harder and longer. Finally, she did a great job at really partnering with my midwife through the whole process. In the end I really felt like our team of four (me, my husband, my midwife, and Tammy) had delivered my son—the credit was not mine alone.

I know that as you make your decision about which doula to hire, the Lord will provide for you in an amazing way just as He provided for me. If Tammy is who you choose, I know you’ll be blessed by her in so many of the same ways I was, as well as in ways that are unique to you. I’m confident she’d do a great job at meeting the needs of any expectant mother and playing a unique role at any woman’s birth---otherwise I wouldn’t be writing this letter!

Sincerely,
Amy

Dear Expecting Parent,
I’m writing to highly recommend the doula services of Tammy Uva. My husband and I hired Tammy as our doula in Summer 2008, and looking back, I cannot imagine the birth of our daughter without Tammy’s supportive presence. Tammy was key in making our experience of pregnancy, labor, and childbirth as healthy and positive as possible.

During the last months of pregnancy, Tammy gave us the information and moral support that we needed to prepare for the birth of our child. She helped us make difficult decisions about our choice of hospital and doctor or midwife. Tammy never pressured us one way or another; rather, she shared her knowledge and experience with us so that we could make the best choices for ourselves. Tammy’s goal was to help us create the experience that we wanted, and she succeeded in doing that.

Tammy was always there for us, ready to answer our questions and offer the physical and emotional support that we needed. It was so reassuring to know that we could call her whenever we had any concerns about the pregnancy, and we felt confident about labor because we knew that Tammy would be there to help us through it. I believe that it’s not enough for a couple to labor on their own; they need the guidance and encouragement of someone who understands the labor process. Tammy filled that role for us, and with her help I would gladly do it all over again.

Our goal was to have a vaginal delivery without pain medication, and Tammy was instrumental in helping us achieve that goal. I was not absolutely opposed to pain medication – I would ask for it if I felt it was necessary – but in the end I didn’t need it because I had the physical and emotional support I needed to see me through. During labor, Tammy gave me empowering words of encouragement, and she helped me physically by positioning me and applying counter-pressure on my lower back. Tammy never left my side, and her efforts helped me cope with the most difficult contractions. Thanks to Tammy, I was not afraid; I knew I could handle labor with her support.

Hiring Tammy as our doula was one of the best decisions we made during pregnancy. I am so grateful to Tammy for her wisdom, experience, encouragement, and confidence in us. She is a true advocate and guide for expecting parents.

Sincerely,
Kelly

To Whom It May Concern,
I would like to express my deep appreciation and gratitude to Tammy Uva for her excellent Doula services during my pregnancy, labor, birth and postnatal. I was able to have an at home water birth which I believe would not have been so successful with out Tammy’s experience to help guide me through. I was in Labor for about 12 hours ---going all night until finally my little girl arrived at 5:30am. Never leaving my side, Tammy was there from the moment I called on the phone until the joyful ending moments of finally holding my baby in my arms.

It was by far one of the most difficult physical marathons I have ever endured. Tammy’s confidence that I could make it through labor radiated through her eyes and body language. She knew how to coach, massage, apply comfortable laboring positions, and of course how to handle all the other people present. Tammy was an essential player to the birthing of my baby making it a truly magical experience and memory. I will definitely be using Tammy again for the birth of my next child and I also highly recommend not just “her” but all her wisdom, knowledge and experience to anyone considering Doula services

Jennifer