As my husband and I were preparing to welcome our first little boy into the world, we knew we wanted to enlist a doula on our team. After meeting with Tamara Cramer, we knew she was the perfect fit to our birth team.  Our childbirth classes leading up to the big day were informative and empowering. I felt confident knowing ways to prepare for delivery, gaining a thorough understanding of the process, what to expect, and the ins and outs of possible interventions. Possibly even more important for me, it was a great time to build trust and get to know Tamara more.   When I started having contractions, Tamara was readily available on the phone to talk us through what was happening and what to expect. Tamara came to our house with a calm, confident energy that instantly put us at ease and allowed us to labor at home longer than we would have alone.   Once at the hospital, Tamara worked seamlessly with my midwife, husband, and nurses.  Trusting my support team allowed me to tune into my own body more and not worry about what was happening around me. The extra support she provided took some pressure off my husband and allowed him to be more fully present with me. When I hit walls of frustration and self doubt, Tamara was integral in helping us relax and refocus. She was creative and responsive to help me through the various stages of labor and the different challenges each stage presented.   Tamara’s care didn’t stop once our little man was born. She helped him get latched within hours of birth and made us both feel more confident as new parents. She followed up with an in home lactation consultation, where again, her calm, confident energy put us at ease as we were navigating the new territories of breastfeeding. I am certain her help and expertise in those precious moments not only helped us have such an amazing birth experience, but also set us on a path for a positive breastfeeding experience.   Enlisting Tamara on our birth team was one of the best decisions and investments we made in preparing for our little one. I am so thankful to have had Tamara by our side for such an important time in our lives!