Hello, I'm Takiesha Smith, and I believe the best doulas are students of human nature, intuitive to the needs of others. My goal as a doula is to ensure everyone on your birth team is supportive and united around your agenda and needs for birth. I am dedicated to your physical and emotional wellness, the physiological needs of your labor, and your dignity and respect. By forging strong relationships with all members of your birth team, I center care around you in a collaborative and compassionate way. Packages Offered I offer a range of packages to suit your needs, from "Just the Birth" for those seeking support during labor to "Comprehensive Birth" for those wanting extensive prenatal, birth, and postpartum support. Additionally, my "Everything But the Birth" education package provides thorough prenatal and postpartum education without labor support. Each package includes personalized care, access to evidence-based resources, and continuous support to ensure you feel empowered and confident throughout your journey. I would love to connect with you to see if I would be a good fit for your birth team. Feel free to reach out with any questions or to schedule a consultation.
BS Education (2000)
DONA (2022)
ALPP (2023)
CHCW (2021)
English
Please look at my website for more information on packages and prices. acaringdoula.com or https://app.doulado.co/book?eyJpZCI6IjE4OCJ9=_
We had an amazing experience with Takiesha - she was so helpful in listening to our birth plan/desires, providing guidance, educational materials, advice as we navigated our journey in becoming first-time parents. We couldn’t have done it without her! She was a great advocate for us and helpful as we had to make decisions at the hospital. She has a depth and breadth of knowledge and experience that helped us in so many ways. I would absolutely work with her again and highly recommend her!
- natalia rodriguez
Choosing to bring TaKiesha on as part of my birth team was the best decision I made! She was a great listener and knew my birth preferences and goals. She had multiple ideas, solutions, and gadgets to help with each step of labor and was a calming presence in the room. When I had a decision to make about next steps, she provided a clear, educated response that gave me the info I needed to make an informed decision. I can't say enough great things about her services and would want her on my team again!
- Bailey Lindamood
Takiesha and I got together by Zoom and she gave the best advice for an upcoming client. She was very encouraging and I am very thankful for her expertise. I am new to the doula community, but I already love it!
- Brittany Donovan
If I could give 1000 stars I would. TaKiesha is absolutely PHENOMENAL. Her care, concern and compassion made for an incredible birth. She’s a very talented person and supports her clients with a level of care I find so inspiring and special, if you need a doula, I would hire her immediately! Best birth experience I could have asked for. Incredible coach and support!
- Diamyn Rembert
Takiesha was such a godsend for the birth of our second baby. She helped us prep and develop our birth plans, provided wonderful guidance during labor, and postpartum showed up above and beyond reason to support our transition to breastfeeding and at home. I can’t say enough wonderful things about her and highly recommend her services!! Forever grateful!
- Brittany Lindsay
TaKiesha stood by me through the best, hardest and scariest parts of my birth. She supported me in all my decisions and helped me to feel like the most safe and supported person in the room. She was very attentive to me throughout my whole pregnancy and postpartum time. She was always just a call or text away with a listening ear and ready to help and support me. TaKiesha truly embodies her role as a doula.
- Jacqui Goodling
TaKiesha was amazing throughout our time together. She empowered me and made me feel like I was in control of my birth story. She is so knowledgeable and comforting, I am so glad we had her there with us.
- Katiana Montenegro
10/10, would recommend TaKiesha to anyone going through the childbirth process. She was always there to answer any questions along the way and helped us navigate it all as first time parents. During the labor and delivery process Takiesha was a rock to rely on for both me and my wife and I could not imagine the experience without her constant support. Genuinely a kind soul that cares about you and your baby. Best money we spent throughout all of pregnancy.
- Jake H
TaKiesha was the only person on my medical team who didn't let me down. This was my first pregnancy and I did not know what to expect. TaKiesha provided an abundance of information to help my husband and me throughout my pregnancy and to prepare me for labor. But it was during the postpartum period that TaKiesha was really fantastic. I sustained a pretty severe tear during labor and our son was in the NICU with health complications for 3 weeks. During that time, my OB and another OB in her practice were very condescending towards me, under-prescribed my pain medication, and did not listen when I expressed concerns about my pain and my health. TaKiesha continued to listen to me in regards to my pain. She made sure to consistently contact me to check on my healing, as well as my son's health. She reached out to her contacts to help me better understand how to advocate for my needs. She encouraged me to advocate for myself. She talked to my mom on the phone to make sure my mom knew how to best support me. She even came to the NICU. And even after her contract with us ended and our son came home, she continued to check in and help us get the resources we needed. TaKiesha is AMAZING and a Godsend. If we decide to have another baby, TaKiesha will be our go-to doula. Thank you, TaKiesha, for everything!
- Kelsey Johnson Lyons
TaKiesha went above and beyond to aid my labor and delivery. I felt truly blessed to have her be a part of my birth team and my birth experience . She provided excellent physical and emotional support for both me and my partner. I was was reassured by her encouragement and all the information she shared on newborn and postpartum care. I highly recommend her for anyone seeking doula support!
- Beni F.
I had an absolutely fantastic experience working with TaKiesha. Her knowledge and expertise was unmatched. She advocated for me during my VBAC and helped me get the birth experience I was looking for. I felt fully supported and informed the entire time I could not recommend her enough!
- Shayla Sanders
TaKiesha is an amazing doula. My first birth was not a great experience for me so I decided to try a doula. Not only did TaKiesha support me but she also provided me with tools and knowledge to advocate for myself. I knew during the interview that TaKiesha was the doula for me. She was firm yet gentle and that combination gave me great confidence in her abilities and mine. She was extremely thorough and reliable. She answered all of my questions and helped me navigate touchy subjects with my midwives. She is personable and has great life experiences to draw from and share in any given situation. I highly recommend her services and thank her for helping me to have the birth experience I hoped for!
- Robyn Jordan
My husband and I don’t really have very many friends or family nearby to help us during our first pregnancy, so we decided to seek out a doula to help us through the process. TaKiesha was the perfect doula for us. She helped me through my entire pregnancy from the start, teaching me all sorts of things that I didn’t know about pregnancy, to when I was postpartum, she was still teaching me new things about babies. She was the peace of mind that I needed during delivery & delivery. She was a strong advocate that pushed for myself and my baby to get the best care possible during labor and delivery. I can say without a doubt that I wouldn’t have wanted to go through the whole process without her guidance. Everything she does comes from evidence based research, and she really knows what she’s doing! I felt that with her help I was fully educated and as mentally prepared as I possibly could have been going into labor. I can’t thank her enough!
- Amy Richardson
I cannot put accurately into words how great of an impact TaKiesha had in my pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. My husband and I chose TaKiesha as our doula after meeting a couple doulas. What immediately stood out to us was her commitment to not only educate and support the mother but also her commitment to helping the father understand their role in the birth process. We had a 27hr unmedicated vaginal birth to a 9lbs baby boy and I couldn’t have don’t it without her. She stuck with us through it all and helped us stick to our birth plan. TaKiesha is an amazing doula and we will rave about her for the rest of our lives as well as promote her services to anyone looking for a doula. - Mason and Jules
- Julianne Gleason
TL:DR- my water broke at 1221am, my active labor started at 120am, and my son was born at 224am. Takiesha is a Rockstar and the reason I did not gain assault and destruction of property charges during my labor and delivery <3. 3 months postpartum and I still sing her praises. Unless I was dethroned, I hold her record for her fastest birth. My active labor was less than an hour, unmedicated, and this was my first kid. She advocated for my needs with my treatment team and adapted to the rapid changes in my labor like a champ. I was pissed, I was in pain, and like she warned me- no one was my friend. I cussed everyone out- left, right, and center. I thrashed about and threw things. My mom and husband were terrified of me and the situation, but once Takiesha arrived, she took control and helped us all through it all. She kept my husband busy massaging me and my mom retrieved the things I threw. She gave me the combs to squeeze and would not stop finding ways to get me to stop holding my breath. At one point, she even grabbed my rists and got right in my face to get me to focus on my breathing. Take it from me and breath, holding your breath does not help the pain lol. She noticed I started pushing before the 7+ nurses in the room did. I was mad at the nurses for not being able to get me any pain meds and not moving as quickly as I wanted them too and my son apparently had places to be and I was not willing to do anything to slow him down lbvs. Takiesha advocated for me to get them to take my labor seriously and get ready to catch. The nurses did not want to believe that I went from 4cm to 10cm in less than 30 minutes and Takiesha would not allow them to minimize my pain! Once I made it to the delivery room I put all my last bit of trust and energy into Takiesha, got on my hands and knees as she instructed, and pushed my baby boy out in 7 minutes. I had over 10 staff members in the room because of how fast everything was happening but Takiesha was truly the only one I needed to coach me along. She helped my son latch so quickly and effortlessly after he popped out. She kept both my husband and my mom from passing out too while massaging my back while I pushed. The at-home follow-up care was amazing too. She's just so supportive and wonderful. She knows what she's doing and knows how to explain everything in a approachable non-judgmental way that left me feeling confident and ready for every stage of labor, delivery, and breastfeeding. When it's time for baby #2, she will be my doula.
- Elaun “Launi” Bell-Norris
TaKiesha is the absolute best! She was there for me and my husband prior to, during, and after labor. She took the time to properly educate us on all of our options and advocated for me the entire time I was in the hospital. I had many complications and TaKiesha was amazing and encouraging every step of the way!
- Melanie E
TaKiesha is AMAZING! I believe all first time moms definitely need a doula and she is excellent. After experiencing my first birth with a doula, I am not going back. She was helpful and a calming presence. She definitely was a huge part of making the birth of our daughter so successful. All births are different and all are unpredictable, but she was able to educate us and help us through any unexpected ups and downs. If I could give more than 5 stars, I definitely would. If you are considering a doula, DO IT! If you are looking at who to hire, look no further than TaKiesha.
- Katie Sinzinger
I was thrilled with the caring service that TaKeisha provided for my daughter before, during and after delivery. My daughter could not have made a better choice. She originally had not planned to have a doula during delivery. Her labor and delivery turned out to be complicated and TaKeisha was there to help her through the process and help her make the best choices for her. I will forever be grateful.
- ann eich
To say TaKiesha was our rock during our unexpectedly traumatic birth would be a complete understatement. I truly don’t know how my husband or myself would have gotten through it without her. She is the definition of a patient and family advocate and is relentless in her dedication to her craft. She did everything in her power to be able to facilitate the birth we wanted, even when it didn’t go how we planned. She went above and beyond to ensure we were cared for physically and emotionally, and made us feel safe during a very hectic time. If you are looking for a doula who is highly educated, experienced, compassionate, and assertive, TaKiesha is the only way to go. We can never thank her enough! -Caitlin and Jordan
- Jordan Rowe
I had a wonderful lactation experience with TaKiesha. The coaching and support she provided was phenomenal. She helped manage my expectations about breastfeeding, and taught me how to properly use all of my pump equipment. Her bottle recommendations for my little girl were spot on. She has continued to provide excellent support as I returned to work and needed some assistance with maintaining my supply. With her support I am confident that I'll reach all my breastfeeding goals.
- Twin Mom
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