We can't thank you enough for your role in D's arrival. Your insight, knowledge and gentle demeanor were invaluable! You guided us through many decisions that ultimately resulted in a healthy baby and mama. You have a gift for your craft! -Seattle Family, 2010
Thank you so much for your support during (our daughter's) birth. If it weren't for you, we wouldn't have been able to have an unmedicated birth, as we had desired. You were AMAZING!! - Seattle Family, 2009
We are just so grateful for your and for all that you have done to support our family. For your loving spirit. For your wisdom and gentle guidance. Thanks for being there for us and for just being you. Both our birth experiences were so positive and we are thankful for your hand in it. - Seattle Family, 2009
Your character and demeanor are spot-on for a doula, and I would recommend you in a second for any pregnant buddies. Thanks for everything! - Seattle Family, 2009
Kim was a fantastic, invaluable resource to me and my husband...beyond our wildest dreams. She provided emotional support and helpful information all through our 2nd and 3rd trimesters and during some very tricky aspects of the delivery. With Kim at our side we felt we would be able to handle whatever circumstances came our way, and we ultimately did! We are so grateful to Kim for all her help in bringing our beautiful baby boy into the world. - Seattle Family, 2008
Thank you so much for the invaluable service that you provided us as our doula. The encouragement, comfort, and words of wisdom that you gave us will never be forgotten. If we are someday blessed with another child, you will be one of the first people we share our good news with and your services will be requested once again! - Kirkland Family, 2008
Kim was excellent in her mannerisms and very accurate with her information. She was supportive in all ways, emotional and physical. I could tell she had developed a great relationship with M & D, very involved, hands-on & helpful to me as the labor nurse. I would love to work with Kim anytime...by far the best doula I have worked with ever! - Overlake Hospital Labor and Delivery Nurse, 2008.
It was great to have Kim present for the version, c-section and postpartum period. I know J & T felt empowered and reassured by her presence! - 2008 Group Health Physician
We wanted to thank you so much for your help and support during the labor of our son. It truly was a life changing experience. Thank you for being a part of it and contributing your knowledge to us.
– Seattle Family, 2007
I can’t tell you how much I appreciated you at our birth. I know it would have been a less enjoyable experience without you. You gave me the confidence to go on when I had my moments of doubt. Your calm demeanor and “take charge” but not “take over” presence was exactly what I was hoping you would add to our experience. You were totally professional yet loving..truly the best. I have been able to share my story with several people and it makes me so proud that I was able to have a natural childbirth experience..thank you for helping me find my inner wonder woman! - Vancouver Mother, 2004
We’re so glad you were there with us as we welcomed little M to the world! Thanks again for your great support and the great photos. – Mercer Island Family, 2004
Thanks for all of your help and support throughout my pregnancy. I’m really looking forward to the whole birth experience…mostly because of the comfort of knowing you’ll be there.
– Seattle Mother, 2004
I keep remembering how wonderful your support was for S and me in July 2001 when J was born. It was a difficult birth, and I don’t know how I could have done it without you and your encouragement and belief that I could do it! I’ve been looking at photos of J’s birth and re-read your notes – WOW! I can’t believe I’ll be going through it again soon! I so much appreciate your contributions to my transition to motherhood, especially your presence and the notes you wrote. Thank you so very much!
- Cardiff, Wales Mother, 2003.
I have no idea where to start! Thank you for joining us in bringing L into the world. It was a pleasure and a source of great reassurance having you with us! I keep thanking my lucky starts that you chose to become a doula and I marvel at your generous heart. Sticking with us, even through this difficult point in our lives was the greatest gift we could have received from anyone.
Our deepest thanks to you. – Seattle Family, 2002.
Many thanks for all your support before, during and after K’s birth. You really helped make the whole experience special.
– Mercer Island Family, 2001
Thanks again for a wonderful class! I was dreading going, but you made class interesting and fun. You kept me engaged throughout. - February, 2009
Your class was so deep down good for us. We are so glad we found you. - February, 2009
Kim was great -- An enthusiastic and engaging instructor. I appreciated especially her efforts to make all viewpoints welcome and to provide extra information depending on the questions that came up in class (the web links and extra videos).
Excellent program! The classes provided much need-to-know information.
This class was wonderful! Kim is an excellent instructor with great resources. Thanks!
All information was helpful, useful & practical. We feel much better prepared, and well informed on all issues.
I loved this class. It has been a godsend for both of us. Watching and talking through birth videos, being able to ask questions throughout the class was really wonderful. Being around and hearing other expectant parents was really eye-opening, even more so for my partner.
Kim is very friendly and receptive to questions and always enthusiastic.
I really enjoyed this class and learned a lot. I felt I walked away with pertinent, usable info without feeling overwhelmed.
I thought the selection of topics covered in class and the time allotted to each were very appropriate, especially as there was a textbook to supplement and clarify, whose pertinent page numbers were cited for review. The multimodality (written, verbal, hands-on) coverage of pain coping techniques was particularly helpful, and I can't remember whether we practiced them in every subsequent class, but I would suggest that. great thorough coverage of stages of labor: keep the roadmap, the different paths, what the phases "look like," what is happening physiologically/biologically. great inclusion of visuals-- videos, pictures, objects, etc-- these were all very useful for desensitizing us for what we may encounter/experience/observe.
Kim was an excellent, excellent instructor, and we found ourselves discussing her strengths after every class. --She balanced great knowledgeability of the topics with a natural ability to engage us for close to 4 hours! --Her vibrant, unself-conscious personality helped us be less self-conscious in the classroom setting about getting into the world of labor, birth, mother-partner dynamics and communication, so that we did not waste time still getting comfortable. --As mentioned previously, her multi-modality teaching style helped in having the information reach everyone. So, having verbal and written (text and wipe-off board) info, pictures, videos and tactile/kinesthetic input, but also instances where (e.g.) she spontaneously acted out what the laboring mother looked like in a particular point in the process. --She respectfully answered all students' questions and concerns, while indicating with current evidence) the relevant importance of a given concern. I believe she was effective in answering the ongoing question in many people's minds of "How much time do I need to spend thinking about this (particular issue) ?" Other effective teaching techniques included posing questions to the class to get us thinking before she hand-delivered the information, quiz-show/discussion formats, thinking out loud as if she were the laboring woman/partner (role play, providing a script for us to tap into/recognize later)... We think she's spot on!
Kim was energetic, fun, knowledgeable and welcoming. We all felt comfortable asking questions and being ourselves in class. We missed her for the section that she wasn't there.
I think the most helpful parts were about the "what to expect" regarding the stages of labor, how one can deal with the pain, ways that your partner can help and be an active support, and just the encouragement that there isn't "one perfect way" - everyone is different and we were offered lots of different techniques and encouragement.
Very caring and informative. I trusted her opinions and she was good at showing what was opinion versus scientific studied information.
Kim was interesting, engaging, and knowledgeable. She struck a very good balance between staying on task/topic and being open to questions and dialogue. Kim did seem a bit biased toward low-intervention pain management (which I also tend to favor), but it may have made others who don't agree feel uncomfortable asking questions about epidurals, pain meds, etc.
I thought Kim was a great instructor - she is knowledgeable and seemed to be able to tailor her style to the different levels of understanding and knowledge. I also feel like she did a great job of being open and responsive to the different choices that couples were making re: pain medication, circumcision, etc.
She is very knowledgeable, well-organized, and obviously has had a lot of experience in the field of childbirth! She is very kind, has a sense of humor, and is very reassuring.
Very good at remaining as objective and unbiased as possible, allowing each couple to make their own assessment and decisions.
Using her own personal experiences and the experiences she has gone through with others, she was able to focus on what was an important issue with each discussion. She's perfect!
Kim was very fun to learn from. She was engaging and knowledgeable.
Class was great! Very informative great pace, easy to follow, never felt anyone was judged. Very impressed!
The classes were really great. I felt like Kim was extremely well-informed and up-to-date on any and all topics in class. She also was very enthusiastic, funny, and made class enjoyable and very comfortable.
The classes were VERY helpful and gave us a lot of info and answered many questions.
We LOVED this class. Excellent instruction, videos, discussion.
The room was a bit small - setting on the floor and being able to see instructor difficult.
Very helpful. Thank you!
Good to see a variety of births on video. This class was a great resource for the both of us!
More hands-on practices
Very Helpful!
Kim is Great!
Make it longer.
Very helpful and fun!
Thanks so much for lending us your videotapes and books. They helped us pass the time and we learned more than we thought we would. Sorry to miss the rest of the classes - You’re great instructor! -- Mother on Bed rest, 2005
Thanks for all of your help and support throughout my pregnancy. Classes were great and I'm looking forward to the whole birth experience.
Thanks for all the moral support and great advice over the last several weeks. Your opinions always helped us clarify what we were thinking or offered another viewpoint.