With U Projects - Glen Ellyn, Illinois

Star X.

We attended the birth prep class with Tara. This class was informative, and we enjoyed the hands-on birth position examples to ease labor.

However, it could have been more informative if we had been provided with copies of the slides and if handouts had been given at the beginning of class. For future classes, I would suggest providing people with a copy of the slides presented and handouts at the beginning of class. I am a visual learner and prefer paper handouts for learning and for reference in the future. With only 2 hours of class time as new parents or first-time mothers, it isn't easy to absorb all the information in one class; providing educational paper handouts and copies of slides for note-taking would have improved the class.

Overall, good class. We would recommend it to new parents.

chaka W.

Not only have I had the pleasure of knowing Tara as a colleague and friend over the past 8 years, but I have also been able to witness first hand how wonderful of a doula she is at my own birth as a surrogate. Once I found out we were pregnant, I knew I wanted her there for support. We ended up changing providers a week before our scheduled induction and Tara was essential in steering us in the direction of a provider that met our needs and was able to take us under our circumstances. Not only did my husband and I feel supported, my intended parents were grateful for all her updates, explanation of what was happening and feeling included during the birth. Even as a birth doula myself, I found it very helpful to have her there giving suggestions for different laboring positions and words of encouragement. She was also able to get some pretty amazing photos that I’ll forever cherish. It was such an amazing birth and I couldn’t have imagined it without Tara!

Beth A. W.

I am very grateful to have had Tara with me as a doula for 2 of my births. They were very different births, but she was able to provide me with individualized support throughout each birth. Not only did she support me mentally and physically, but she also reassured me in the decisions that I made. I would highly recommend Tara as a birth educator, doula or anything else that comes her way. She is very knowledgeable with research based information and shares it in a caring and reassuring way. If I would ever have a 6th baby, I would definitely want her on my birth team again!

Marek M.

David Van Dyke made great contribution to our community in Bratislava this year, doing a whole day parenting seminar for the network of our schools.

One of the participants said: "It's easy to say: “just be a good parent”. But it's harder for us parents to put that into practice. I was happy to meet an authentic human being, a parent and a psychotherapist, Dr. David van Dyke, who sees parenting as a journey, even with the obstacles and our parenting failures. He gave us hope, not just advice, and a proven track record, not only in his therapeutic practice, but his own parenting experience. We were able to directly exchange experiences ourselves with other parents during the workshop and share the difficulties we perceive in parenting. David guided us on how we as parents process this and gave guidance on what can we do better from now on. Also as a professional child psychologist, David’s therapeutic practice inspired me. It is difficult sometimes to discern between various approaches and directions in modern family therapy, but he was able to unite theory with the practice. His experience of many years has been translated into practical parenting guidance, so needed in this challenging time full of anxiety, stress and various burdens." (Maria, a child psychologist and therapist)

Haley S.

Tara was incredible. We were so privileged and honored to have met her and had her support through my birth. At first I wasn’t certain about having a doula, but after one conversation with Tara I was absolutely sure that she was going to be a part of my birth story. In the weeks leading up to my birth, I was struggling with painful Braxton hicks and a lot of discomfort. Tara talked me through it so that I got lots of rest and was mentally ready going into labor. During the labor she was an absolute lifesaver, and we truly consider her as a part of our family. She was so attentive to both me and my husband’s needs, and she talked me through everything. 200/10 would recommend Tara for support, she is amazing.

Melissa T.

My husband and I happened across Tara’s name when searching for a Doula to bring our first born earthside. We met Tara at a neutral place to interview her and see if she was a good fit. We instantly knew she was perfect to support us during the remainder of our pregnancy and birth. She answered all of my questions, provided great advice and never made me feel like I had no clue what I was doing 🤣. The night of my first born’s birth, she was available for support as I labored at home. She took detailed notes of the timeline of events throughout my laboring stages. Once we knew it was time, Tara met us at the hospital. She was comforting, encouraging and truly the voice of reason. She talked me through each stage of labor and delivery and was a huge help to my husband who clearly had no idea what to do (love ya Tim, but it’s true)! After my son was born, she supported us during our first latch! She visited our home about a week later to make sure we were good, help guide us through those early stages and dropped off the most thoughtful gift: the timeline of events of the night we brought our son into this world and a digital photo album with pictures from labor/delivery that I absolutely treasure!

When we got pregnant with my daughter, we undoubtedly chose Tara to support us again. She provided excellent care, support and encouragement throughout my daughter’s birth and listened to all of my wishes that I had based on my son’s birth. Even though our OBGYN team was great, Tara was our best advocate throughout our births to make sure my birthing plan was followed.

We are so grateful to have found Tara and I absolutely recommend her to any of my mama friends who are looking for doula support. Without her, I don’t think I could have had the courage to bring my babies into this world without medicated support.

Rita L.

From the moment we heard about Tara, we knew we needed her in our life. She is our birth angel. Tara spent 36 hours straight helping us empower ourselves and protecting the space to help us do so. She provided everything we needed in every single moment leading up to, during, and after the birth of our son. She spent hours upon hours not just supporting me during childbirth but also my husband. From powerful silence to nuanced suggestions, to meaningful conversation and positive affirmations, she inspired us to make the most informed decisions to safely bring our beautiful baby boy into the world. We are forever thankful for her ongoing friendship, and helping us ensure that the most difficult journey of our lives still feels the most beautiful. She was put on this earth to be a doula.

Hannah H.

My husband and I attended a childbirth class with Tara recently. The information and the printed guidebook she provided were instrumental in preparing us for the labor and delivery of our son. The descriptions of the process of labor, possible interventions, and comfort measures were incredibly helpful in preparing us for the event. Being informed about what to expect and what decisions we may encounter gave us peace and confidence as we went through labor. My husband mentioned he found the partner recommendations from the guidebook and class to be very helpful as well.

Tara is clearly passionate about her work and takes time to prepare her students for childbirth. The class and resources were instrumental in making our first birth experience a positive one amidst the intensity of it. I strongly recommend her and the class to anyone looking for childbirth classes or support. This class was the best thing my husband and I did to prepare for our son's birth.