Everyone needs someone to listen.

Tamara has been where you are and understands the importance of support after baby.  Whether you need to vent and need someone listen or just need some company because you are in the house while it feels like all the other adults in the world are doing fun things, Tamara is there for what you need. 

Stabilize Hormones After Birth

During the pregnancy the placenta produces stress fighting hormones. Once the placenta is no longer present, it can take months for the brain and body to level out the hormones. During this time, the instability can cause depressive symptoms.

By ingesting the placenta after birth, the mother is reintroducing these vital hormones to her body, until her brain signals its own production and can level it out on its own.

Question at 2am?  Ask!

Gain confidence & peace of mind throughout your pregnancy and up to 6 weeks postpartum.

Call Tamara anytime day or night for a listening ear and guidance.  Tamara is on call for you 24/7 regardless what stage you are in pregnancy.  Your confidence and having answers you need all help make for a smoother birth experience.

Put your feet up a bit!

Whether you need someone to swap out a load from the washer to the dryer, clean some dishes, help make a meal or just pick up the house.  Tamara knows the importance of resting after baby is born and that is hard when you are constantly looking at things that need to be done.

Energy to do what you need to do.

The placenta is packed full of iron, which is the most important element in building and maintaining the body's blood supply. Replenishing this much blood, rich in iron, after birth is a major task to take on. Having low iron may result in fatigue, lack of concentration, depression, and other symptoms.

It is estimated that up to 50% of US citizens have some form of low iron or anemia. Having low iron often results in lower hormone levels, fatigue, lack of concentration and depressive symptoms. In studies, women with postpartum depression given iron supplements improved greatly.

Talk, Discuss, Plan

Review your expectations, answer questions or just sit and listen for a while to all that is going on - all while helping to prepare your family for the birth and life after bringing home baby!  Tamara will meet you at home or wherever is most convenient for you.  Tamara has never turned down a meeting request for Starbucks and will make any excuse to get her hands on a Double Chocolate Chip Frappuccino.

Have your own chauffer!

Whether you need a ride to your postpartum follow up or baby's well check or a grocery run, Tamara can be your personal Uber for a little while and include some great conversation.

Got Milk?

The reason placenta pills are thought to help with production of breast milk is because the placenta is packed with valuable nutrients and hormones that have been linked to increasing milk supply, including:

• Estrogen, progesterone and testosterone, all hormones that aid in the development of the mammary glands and help to prepare the breasts for lactation.
• Prolactin, which is the key hormone that is responsible for the production of breast milk.

Let's write YOUR story together!

Tamara will assist you in creating a customized birth plan that fits your family's needs.  Regardless if you are having a home birth or delivering at a hospital, going natural or having an epidural; you have choices.  Tamara is here to make sure you are aware of your options.

Have a "me" moment...

Whether you need some assistance with breast or bottle feeding, giving your baby a bath, or even holding your baby so you can take a nap or shower and change out of your three-day old pajamas, Tamara has your back. 

80% of mothers experience it in the first days and weeks after giving birth.  Because it is so common, nothing is typically done about it until it worsens into a diagnosis of postpartum depression, at which time anti-depressants may be prescribed. 

However, anti-depressants are passed to the baby through breastmilk, and mothers who do not want to expose their babies to these medications are often faced with the decision to either stop breastfeeding or struggle with depression. 

Placenta Encapsulation may assist you with the "baby blues" without having to pass anti-depressants to your baby.

Instructions Included

Tamara knows the importance of being prepared for the big day.   Included in your package is an in home, private childbirth class.

While each class is different and catered to your needs, you can review our childbirth class page to see what is typically included.

Baby techniques from the mom of 7!

Sometimes you need a little assistance figuring out the best ways to soothe your baby, because let's face it, every baby different.  Tamara can help you with different soothing techniques and help you determine what your baby loves. 

The placenta holds many nutrients that can still be used to benefit you after birth as your body heals.

• Stem Cells and Growth Factors
• Iron – essential for oxygen absorption in the cells
• vitamins B6 – aids in the making of antibodies
• Vitamin E – for healing damaged skin cells
• Oxytocin hormone – essential for facilitating birth and breastfeeding
• Corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) – responsible for reducing stress levels
• Cytokins – Fibroblasts that trigger cell metabolism healing and replacing damaged cells and tissue
• Oxytocin- The feel good or love hormone. Creates feelings of bonding, pain relief, happiness and elation.
• Cortisone- This hormone unlocks energy stored in the body and combats stress. (cortisol)
• Interferon- This hormones stimulates the immune system to fight off infections while the mother is healing from birth.
• Prostaglandins- Acts as an anti-inflammatory.
• Hemoglobin- Replenishes iron, stimulates iron production in blood.
• Urokinase inhibiting factor and factor XIII- Lessens bleeding and promotes faster healing.
• Prolactin- Stimulates healthy mammary function and milk production.

Your birth is NOT on the clock

It's your birthday, and you're the star. Tamara understands that a labor can last for a long time, which is why Stork Helpers doesn't charge per hour. There are no added fees for a longer labor — whether your birth experience is 1 hour or 42 hours, you can be sure that Tamara will be there for you. Tamara will be in the room with you from start to finish and I promise to be by your side until you and baby are resting safely in your postpartum room.

Finding Comfort in Labor

"Comfort" and the word labor don't often go together, but a big part of a doula's job beyond education is proving emotional, mental and physical support.  Being comfortable is important as it can help you labor faster.

Tamara can assist you with walking through labor, different positions based on baby's position and where you feel pain, using a birth ball or peanut ball, or labor/birth in a tub.  

Make your labor as comfortable as possible - you do not need to labor on your back in a hospital bed. 

Everyone needs someone to listen.

Tamara has been where you are and understands the importance of support after baby.  Whether you need to vent and need someone listen or just need some company because you are in the house while it feels like all the other adults in the world are doing fun things, Tamara is there for what you need. 

I'm not a professional, but...

My job is to support you where I can and I am by no means a professional photographer.   That said, if you are looking for cute candid pictures, I am your girl.   I will try to take some pictures where I can, when I can.  I have been known to take a couple upwards of one hundred, all depending on what is going on in the moment.

If you are looking for a professional photographer, I highly recommend Panzeca & Co. or Krystal Franke Photography.  In fact, you will find many of their images across the website.  Other photographers can be found on our business directory as well.

Add Tinctures for $25/bottle

Placenta tincture is the most effective way to preserve your placenta for long term use.  The tincture process preserves some of your placenta in high quality drinking grade alcohol.  After six weeks of curing, your tincture will gain its potency.

It can assist with hormonal changes and boost the immune system during times of transition, assist with menstrual cycles, menopause and even thyroid issues.

Get some more sleep...

Whether it's one shift or three, Tamara will take care of the baby during evening so you can get some rest.  While the demands of a new baby are plentiful, your body also demands that you need to rest so you can be present for your baby too.  Tamara is happy to help take some of the load off at night so you can wake up feeling refreshed to chase your kids when the sun comes up.

After birth is just as important...

1 postpartum visit with you at your home to see how everyone is doing post birth.  This visit usually lasts an hour or longer based on what your needs are.  Tamara is here to help you with whatever you might need - hold the baby, let you take a brief nap or shower, help switch a load in the laundry or just sit and talk. Since Tamara never goes anywhere empty handed, she comes with a homecooked meal to give you the night off from cooking or having to order another meal from the drive thru.

Tamara understands how difficult the first few weeks and months of having a newborn can be.  You and your family are learning what is going to be the "new normal" for a while. That is what Tamara will call/text you each week for the first 8 weeks postpartum to check on you.  You can call/text her anytime as well, but she will follow up with you if she hasn't heard from you to make sure mama is being taken care of too!

Add a Salve for $25/bottle

Placenta salve is a topical way to enjoy the benefits of placenta. The placenta is extremely rich in stem cells, T-cells, vitamins, hormones and nutrients. It has fantastic anti-inflammatory properties. Your placenta is infused in a safe, all purpose herbal salve.

The salve can be used for, chaffing, perineal tears, hemorrhoids, your c-section scar after 2 weeks of healing, burns, eczema, sun burn and other skin irritations. For topical use ONLY- Not meant for ingestion.

Whats that smell?

Wet, stinky, smelly or all the way up the back - Tamara will take care of any diaper changes (and required bathing) that come up during the night.

Homebirth - your covered!

I love home births and wish I had done them for myself.   If you are planning on a homebirth, I will do everything that you are reading, plus a home visit with you and your midwife as we plan for the big day.  This typically consits meeting the midwife at your home for a walk through so we all know what the setup will be for the birth.   It also allows your midwife and I to meet so we are not meeting for the first time while you are giving birth.

Looking for a midwife?  There are some great midwifes in the area from Northern Kentucky to Dayton.  Check out our business directory for a list of midwives that I know, trust and love!

Placenta Print / Canvas
$20 / $40

A handcrafted print of your placenta is a magnificent way to remember your pregnancy and birth journey.

Your placenta is hand printed onto Fine Artist's Paper or a canvas using your choice of either the natural coloring of the placenta or confectionary coloring.

The Baby Whisperer!

Sometimes baby just doesn't want to sleep at night.   Tamara comes with over 20 years of parenting experience to her own 7 children.   While you rest, Tamara will spend the night with your baby, using all the techniques she acquired over the years to keep your baby as content as possible.

Sometimes labor doesn't go as planned, but you are still supported.  Tamara has had two ceseareans and understands the concerns you may have.   Support doesn't stop here, Tamara will continue to be by your side and can guide you through the process from the birth perspective of what is going to happen, but also from the mom side knowing what it feels like.  

If your cesarean is planned, Tamara will arrive when you are ready for her prior to the cesarean section, be with you in the operating room if you don't have other support or be with your family in the waiting room and be with you after the surgery. 

A big part of the day is providing emotional support, and answering questions about what is going on or how things will be going for both you and any waiting family. Tamara will stay until after you are in your recovery room which is generally 1-2 hours post birth even helping to bring your stuff from one room to another as you transition from a birth suite to a postpartum room.

Unwavering Support

Absolutely, I have continued to provide support to all my moms during COVID-19 and will continue everywhere that I am allowed.

There are hospitals, mostly across Cincinnati at this time, that will not allow me to provide in person support.  

There are still options:

• Birth at a hospital that allows doulas - currently all hospitals in Dayton allow doulas, as well as Atrium and Christ Hospitals in Cincinnati.   
• I have seen many families choose to have a home birth during this time, so they can have their partner, family and friends. 
• I can provide labor support at home until you are ready to go to the hospital and then continue to provide virtual support.
• I can provide virtual support if you are at a hospital that doesn't allow visitors.  

For up the most up to date information on COVID-19, check here.

Safety is important!

You can trust that your placenta is in good hands. You'll know there is zero risk of cross-contamination. Tamara is certified in safe food handling protocols and in bloodborne pathogen prevention protocols. You can rest easy, knowing that your capsules contain only your pure placenta.

Tamara is certified bereavement doula through Sufficient Grace Ministries, and as such is here to support you in the birth of your baby-in any trimester, in any outcome.  Tamara provides bereavement support at no charge to families across the Tri-State as needed.

Tamara will help you consider all your options in the welcoming and farewell time with your baby. Tamara also provides continued support support in the postpartum period as your process your loss and begin the journey to healing.Tamara creates a unique connection with each family aimed at creating the experience you desire for your birth, as she understands that your story matters.

For more information on bereavement support, contact Tamara.

Do your research.

Research suggests there is limited risk of ingestion by the postpartum person. Occasionally people have experienced jitteriness or dizziness after taking the pills and proper care needs to be taken prior to encapsulation to store the placenta properly to ensure safety. If you observe any negative effects, you should discontinue and consult your provider about whether continuing is the right choice for you.

A doula empowers you to confidently make the choices you need to throughout your pregnancy and birth. A doula acts as a "birth coach" - an unbiased friend and supporter, who does not judge your choices, but simply helps you to be aware of your options.

To learn more about what a doula does and the differences between a doula and your midwife/obgyn, click here.

Learn more...

Have more questions about placenta encapsulation, contact Tamara to set up a consult or check out the frequently asked questions page.