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I hired Kimberly after interviewing with a couple of other doulas and felt she was the right match for my family.She made herself very available to me in the weeks leading up to the birth, and I even harassed her a few times through the pregnancy with minor questions which she was quick to answer with an educated response.  I felt very at ease with her and many times she calmed my nerves.We had discussed my fears about going natural and she made it clear that she was NOT a Natural- Nazi, however she does appreciate a natural birth. She was extremely supportive during my labor and used some breathing and relaxation techniques which worked wonderful for me. I made it to 5 cm and then felt like I should get the epidural, so I did, and I actually layed in Kimberly's arms practically as they did it. I dilated quick to 10 cm. My daughters shoulder got stuck during delivery (known as shoulder dystocia) and things got crazy, the medical staff wanted her out very very quick , everyone was screaming at me, and all I could do was look at Kimberly's calm face, gently telling me to push and that I was doing great. She was amazing.  My daughters shoulder did not need to be broken and she was 100% healthy.  Kimberly stayed after the labor and got her happily onto the breast.  Her job was complete and I was beyond satisfied with her performance.  I also hired her for postpartum work. She is magnificent when it comes to the calming touch.  So many times I was at wits end, Kimberly would hold the baby and within minutes, she was soundly asleep in the arms of  "her best friend" (the name I have dubbed Kimberly with since Sydney loves her so much).

--Monica C.

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I'm so grateful I found you, I feel very lucky! Hopefully other clients will maintain their positive attitude and be just as grateful for your help as I am! :-)

-- H.M.S.

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A very sweet email I received back after helping a mama find a Pregnancy/Infant Loss Support group for her area (across the country):

The lists are so long! I am SURE we will find something. Thank you so much for all of your help and effort. It makes me feel so good that a stranger would put even the smallest bit of effort in to help us find help. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.
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Breastfeeding support email I received:

Hey I just wanted to say thank you so much for helping me and journey with our feeding, and also for all the advice you gave me!!! You are a blessing!!! Thank You!!

-- Journey's mom

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Childbirth Classes:

Thank you for teaching the class! we had a great time and learned a lot. I think the class was a great empowering tool for the husbands, so they don't feel so helpless when we actually go into labor.

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I met Kimberly through her work with ICAN when I joined the local organization. I quickly realized that she not only knows a ton about VBAC - she has an innate ability to empower and support women. I knew that if I got pregnant again she would be my doula. Two times I got pregnant and planned on using her as my birth doula and lost the baby. Both times Kimberly helped me and supported me through the losses. When I got pregnant again after my losses Kimberly was amazing at supporting me and helping me process the fears I had from both the losses and the traumatic first both I experienced with my son. She was always available when I would have random freakouts (and I had plenty). I was on a mission for VBAC and she was my biggest supporter. She cheered me on during my pregnancy and offered suggestions from chiropractor care to healthy foods when different issues arose. When I actually went into labor I was in denial. Kimberly realized I was in labor long before I did. If it had not been for her I honestly don't think I would have made it to the hospital. As it happened I arrived at the hospital right before pushing and Kimberly was the calming, grounding presence I needed for what turned out to be a long pushing phase. My husband was so glad to have her at the birth- he enjoyed having the company and her calming presence as well. Their encouragement helped me continue on while exhausted and have the amazing, empowering, natural VBAC that I so wanted. The birth of our daughter was perfect. I am so thankful for Kimberly's help and support during pregnancy and at her birth. Having her believe in me and my body's ability to give birth after cesarean and losses was invaluable. I highly recommend Kimberly to any mom and am so happy we chose her!

--Erin P.

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"Just like family!"

Kym and my backup doula, Toni, were so wonderful during my birthing experience that I labored for twenty eight hours with very little medication and delivered my beautiful baby girl without any medical interventions. The great majority of my labor was spent outside the hospital napping, soaking in the bathtub, and wandering around Wal-mart as Kym had instructed me to do. My husband timed my contractions and when they started coming between three and five minutes apart we headed for the hospital.


I would have delivered in the birthing center instead of the hospital but I had a complication during my pregnancy so I wanted the baby to be able to have the medical care she would need if something wasn't right. Kym came to the hospital when we were given a room and she helped to make sure that we were as comfortable as possible. Kym talked me through having to get up and move around even though I didn't want to did a fabulous job of preparing me mentally for the labor experience. We attended the child birth education classes that she offered and Kym helped us get ready for bringing the baby home by showing us the things we might need to put on our baby registry.


In short I could not have asked for a better birthing experience than the one I had with Kym as my doula. She was so reassuring, comforting, and motivating that I was confident that I could deliver my child according to my birth plan. She helped ensure that we had the best possible birthing experience in a hospital.

--Cindy M.

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"Awesome"

This was our first pregnancy, and I was scared to death! My husband and I hired Kim when I was about 34 weeks pregnant. She was wonderful, and I am so very glad we hired her! She is very professional and I think she knows just about everything when it comes to pregnancy and delivery. She was tremendously supportive when I was pregnant and was there to answer all of my questions. We took her childbirth class and loved it! Kim is also very supportive of how the mother prefers to labor- with or without medication. I knew upfront that I would probably want medication, and she was supportive of my decision.


When I went into labor, Kim was there to help me figure out if it was Practice Labor, or the real thing. She came to our house at 6 in the morning and helped me with breathing techniques and labor positions... and she knew when it was time for me to go to the hospital. There, she helped decipher what the hospital staff said and even let me know when they tried to sneak Pitocin on me. (They made my husband and Kim leave the room when they gave me the epidural... and they managed to sneak Pitocin in anyway.) She was excellent with my husband, and gave him ideas on how he can help support me.
The hospital I went to was horrible, and the doctor was very cavalier and rushed me through the delivery which resulted in some problems... I was not happy with my birth experience at the hospital at all, but only due to how the doctor treated me and my baby- but thank goodness we had Kim there!! It would have been just horrible if I had to go through this without her help. I HIGHLY recommend Kim, especially for those planning a hospital birth. Thanks so much, Kim!!

--Jennifer and Paul K.

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Kim is a great doula.  Her relief techniques are fantastic.  I attended her birth classes when my wife was pregnant with my first daughter, and learned a lot about the birthing process.  Her class was as entertaining as it was informative.  It was very informal, and she made every effort to make us feel welcome, and comfortable.  Her attendance at the birth of my daughter was also a great help.  It was nice to have someone there who wasn't a doctor, and who's main focus was the comfort of my wife, not necessarily just the wellbeing of the child.  Her help in the delivery room was invaluable. 

--S.M.

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I don't know what we would have done without Kimberly and her services. She saved mine and my husbands sanity and gave us unbiased advice whenever we needed it. She helped tremendously with postpartum care and we won't hesitate to hire her again when we have more children. Thank you SO SO much Kimberly!

~~S.T.

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Kimberly was the best support person I could have asked for. She stayed calm and comforting thru my labor/birth even when I hit transition. When I thought that I could no longer make it, she cheered me on and told me that I could. Kimberly made me feel so strong. She was a huge support system even for my husband and daughter. My husband told me after my son's birth that he wouldn't have know what to do without her, because he didn't know how to help/comfort me. I know that if my husband and I decide to have more children that I will definitely need Kimberly again. She helped me have the birth that I wanted.

~~Victoria

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Oh my goodness...where to start...my husband and I cannot say enough wonderful things about Kimberly who was our doula for our first baby. We loved our prenatal meetings with her leading up to Julia's birth. She was great with calmly guiding us through the myriad of questions we had as frazzled, soon to be new parents, such as creating a holistic minded yet realistic birth plan. Kimberly has an amazing reputation and relationship with many physicians in town. Our doctor Dr. Leonard Brabson and his staff at Women's Health Specialists absolutely love working with her.

Kimberly's Comfort Measures class was by far the most helpful and enjoyable of all the classes we took to prepare for parenthood. From Hypno-birthing to our hospital's child care preparation classes, her Comfort Measures course was the most informative, hands on and holistic while also being relaxed and a way to meet other soon-to-be parents. She put everyone at ease with the intention of "You've got this." It gave us more tools to go into our birthing experience with a little more confidence and knowledge.

There was a huge February ice storm that day that our daughter was born. Kimberly braved the snow and ice to be there for us. We ended having to have an emergency C-section. Kimberly was an amazing support especially for my husband who was not at first allowed to be in the OR. Kimberly was able to talk us through everything that was about to happen and be our advocate to the parts of our birth plan that we were still able to implement. She was our anchor. She stayed with us to help during the first few hours after Julia was born. She also checked on us a few days later; she was able to help while I got my first shower after baby. Which was awesome.



She is compassionate, knowledgeable, and was a treasure to work with. We hope to have another baby and wpuls be honored to have her a part of our birth experience again.


~~J.M.


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I have nothing but good things to say about my experience with Kimberly. I'll forever be grateful for her.

I think I was 6 or 7 months pregnant at the time. It was my first pregnancy & we were in a bit of an unusual situation where my partner & I were temporarily in a long-distance relationship. He always intended to try & be there for the birth but there was never a guarantee. Feeling somewhat alone & definitely anxious, I sought out options for hiring a doula. I read great things about Kimberly online & when I met her in person I knew she was something special. She was so positive, so flexible & very professional. She takes her work very seriously but is also a lot of fun. During my pregnancy, she helped my partner & me understand the different stages of giving birth & she was always available for follow up questions any time. whenever I sent her a text, email or phone call - she always got right back to me. I was very impressed with the way she obviously stayed current with all the up-to-date science & medicine around pregnancy & birth (which is an ever-changing area).

I went in to labor early & my partner missed the delivery, despite rushing as fast as he could. it was just Kimberly & me. I would have been lost without her. She advocated for me at every step w/ all the hospital staff during the whole process. She encouraged me & coached me through every step.

I only found out later that she'd gotten a troubling text from her husband after we arrived at the hospital. He'd been in a serious car accident & was badly injured. She never let on. She stayed focused on me until my baby was resting safely in my arms. Only then did she say she needed to run because her husband was being treated at another hospital. That should tell you everything you need to know about her. She's the best!


~~E.H

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I am a Registered Nurse (L&D) as well as a Doula. I have had the pleasure of working with Kimberly and have known of her expertise since 2000. Kimberly is an amazing childbirth assistant and doula. She is compassionate and caring and provides education as well as is a valuable resource for any expectant family. Any family that selects her to assist in their childbirth needs, will have selected one of the best!!!

~~Katrina Kepf, RN.


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Having Kimberly present at the birth of our son was a true blessing!  With her guidance and support I was able to have a succesful VBAC even while struggling with gestational hypertension and having to be induced.  She was an excellent source of information and a fantastic resource both before and during the birth.  She truly cared about me and my family and our birthing experience.  My labor was long - close to 30 hours and she was there the entire time!  My husband was so grateful that there was another set of eyes and hands to help keep me comfortable as they took shifts so that I was never alone.  She made sure that I understand any and all interventions that were suggested and worked so very well with my midwives and doctor to make sure that every step we took kept my overall goal of a VBAC in mind.  My husband and I will have her on speed dial the next time we learn we are pregnant.  We recommend her highly!


~~E.R.


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Heather

My primary reason for hiring a doula was to have a consistent person during this major life experience who knew ME--my personality, my desires, my fears--and who would advocate on my behalf to whichever doctor ended up at my delivery. This was a preliminary, precautionary measure on my behalf that ended up being exactly what we needed due to the circumstances of my delivery. The hospital at which I delivered unfortunately presented itself as being much more conducive for natural childbirth than it actually was. As a result, my husband and I encountered continual pushback on our efforts to deliver naturally from the doctor on call and nurses. If we had not had Kimberly, I know we would have undoubtedly caved to their recommendations. We did not have the knowledge to distinguish what was presented as fact as merely an option, so having Kimberly in the role of counselor during those moments of consultation and decision-making was truly priceless. I also didn't want to fight unnecessary battles, and Kimberly was able to help us determine when to follow their lead and when to hold firm to our plans. My husband and I owe our natural delivery to Kimberly. Because I was not progressing as quickly as needed, I ended up receiving increasing levels of Pitocin prior to my delivery (18 hours after my water broke). She was absolutely incredible, steadfast and comforting in her efforts to help me find ways to manage the ever-increasing pain and helping my husband know how best to assist me through every stage. Kimberly was an amazing teacher, advocate, and counselor whose wisdom we could trust during my pregnancy, delivery, and in the first, scary weeks of parenthood. The financial investment you will make in hiring Kimberly as your doula will not even come close to comparing to the investment of time, knowledge, and care she will put into your experience of bringing a child into this world. Kimberly is the best in the business!


~~H.C
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Knoxville Doula

Knoxville, TN