Tashina Benning

Tashina is just amazing. Her knowledge, intelligence and ability to articulate information that her clients and students need to know make her a top notch doula and childbirth educator. We are fortunate to have her working in our community!

I learned about Tashina through the sacramento ICAN group on FB and liked her before I met her, just based on her contributions and participation in the group. She provided great support for me in pregnancy and labor and birth. Always very present and attentive and genuine and knowledgeable. She believed in me and was very encouraging knowing I wanted a VBAC and after hearing my the story of my first birth. I would hire her again in the future and recommend her to other mamas no doubt.
She’s very passionate and dedicated to what she does and she does it very well. It is overwhelming to me how many people in Sacramento and surrounding cities know her and have been her clients and recommend her and love her, and after being her client I totally get it. :)
If you decide to meet with her and see if she’s right for you, I’m sure you’ll get it, too!

I knew I loved Tashina from the second we had our first phone conversation. My husband and I interviewed her and there was no question in my mind I wanted her at my Vbac. Her presence is calming. Her touch is loving and reassuring. Her voice is strong and her mind is so very knowledgable and wise. I could not labor and deliver my sweet angel baby without her and I will not labor and deliver another one in the future without her. She has become one of the first people I go to when needing advice or seeking evidence based, reliable and the most recent research and information. She is a woman, mother, and friend I admire in every single way. It is women like Tashina that you want by your side, especially during labor. She embodies everything mighty about a tribe of women, empowered to help each other during pregnancy, in labor and all aspects of motherhood thereafter.

After deciding that I wanted to have a VBAC, I knew that I would need an advocate and great support person for my labor and delivery. My husband and I knew that in order for me to have the best chance at a successful VBAC I would need a doula. We interviewed a few doulas but we knew that the doula we chose would need to click with both of us. I wanted my husband to feel completely comfortable with who we chose. Tashina was not only very easy to talk with but she is so experienced and knowledgable. My husband and I agreed that she was the one. Tashina made me feel encouraged that I could achieve my goal. She gave me the tools that I needed to be successful. I followed her advice and took everything she said to heart. I am glad that I did because I know that with the tools she gave me and the empowerment I felt, I was equipped to have my baby the way I wanted. I had a beautiful successful VBAC and the exact experience that I wanted with the birth of my daughter. Tashina is a wonderful doula and I have already referred her to other mamas.

I have had the privilege of working with Tashina as a fellow birth worker– which means I have seen her through multiple births and know several of her (very happy) clients personally. I’ve had the privilege to share clients with her, to be with her on interviews, to see her in action (at a birth) and also to communicate with her clients after the fact for a variety of reasons. I cannot say enough good things about Tashina!
She is professional. She is competent. She is responsive. She is also just a FUN lady– someone you instantly want to be girlfriends with. She is highly educated in the field of birth work. She knows her craft well and she educates her clients fully. She is compassionate and passionate about the work she does. She is empowering and attends every birth with a «can-​do» energy that is contagious. She has way of bringing out the best in her clients– helping them get in touch with their most strong and powerful selves. Her presence in birth is steadying, and confidence-​inspiring. She is direct and one of the best communicators I have ever met!
Her work clearly comes from a deep well of passion and it shows. She is very in-​demand, so in my book, you are lucky to get her! I recommend her without any hesitation.

I’ve had the pleasure of knowing Tashina for many years, so when my husband and I found out we were expecting our first child and entertained the idea of an unmedicated birth, I knew I wanted to have her as our doula.
The same thing that drew me to Tashina as a doula are also what makes her a great person and friend; she’s compassionate and nurturing and thoughtful. She’s also so knowledgeable and passionate about all things pregnancy and baby-​related, and as we discussed our birth plan, she did a wonderful job of really hearing our concerns and addressing any fears or reservations we had with evidence-​based information. Most importantly, she gave me the confidence I needed to persevere through labor and delivery.
Tashina was also so accommodating with our hectic schedules and always accessible. She was quick to respond to any and all questions and gave me tons of great material to use to prepare. During my labor she was such a calming and reassuring presence at times that could’ve otherwise turned hectic. She did an excellent job anticipating our needs and dealing with the hospital staff, and I truly think having her as our doula enabled us to achieve the birth we were hoping for.
She continues to be an invaluable resource as I navigate through these first months of motherhood, and I’m so grateful for her! I really can’t say enough good things or stress how highly I recommend her for anyone considering or looking for a doula. She’s the best!

Tashina came highly recommended by a friend when I decided at the 11^th hour of my pregnancy that I wanted to go for a VBA2C. I knew that the best chance of success for me was to have a natural, unmedicated labor. After my initial phone conversation with Tashina (which was several hours!) I was completely confident that she could provide the exact support I needed.
We had just over a week to work together before I went into labor with my third, but in this time Tashina spent so much time supporting me and making me feel confident. If I had any fears, they always seemed to disappear after our talks. Tashina has a genuine loving and caring personality which makes her a very nurturing and supportive doula. I wish she had been present for my previous 2 births as I know they would have turned out differently.
I can’t recommend her enough!

Tashina was fantastic! From the pre-​baby meetings through the birth process and up to the post-​baby visit, she was always very professional, friendly, knowledgeable and good spirited. Having a baby can be a scary thought, but with Tashina’s expertise and calm energy, it turned out to be such a wonderful experience.
She was such a huge help to both me and my husband through the whole process, I couldn’t imagine doing it without her.
Thank you so much Tashina! We look forward to number two with you someday!

I am so grateful to have gotten to know Tashina during my first pregnancy! My midwife recommended her to me when I was looking for a natural childbirth education class for me and my partner and I am so glad we signed up for her Birth Bootcamp class. Over the course of the 10 weeks, Tashina prepared us for what to expect during labor and gave us tools to use for me to cope with the pain and my husband to help me through. As an instructor, Tashina uses both her own wealth of experience and also supports all her lessons with respected sources of evidence. Tashina is truly an advocate for women getting the type of birth you want. She knows the best hospitals and care providers and is familiar with home birth and midwives too. So, no matter where you plan to deliver, if you sign up for her class or hire her as a doula you will be so well taken care of before, during and after your birth. She is always accessible by phone and email, and went above and beyond her role as a birth class educator to support me during my pregnancy. When I was almost two weeks over due she counseled me and provided such loving support as I struggled with frustration and stress. My husband also really appreciated having her as a resource for me to call. She is respectful of the relationship between partners and can provide additional support to both mom and partner when necessary. I cannot say enough wonderful things about Tashina.

Tashina is one of the most fabulous ladies I have ever met. She is incredibly intelligent and her birth boot camp was very informative and fun. She is very articulate and well spoken. She is super motivating and makes women feel so empowered, like there’s nothing you cannot accomplish.

I cannot say enough good things about Tashina and how thankful we are that we hired her to be our doula. She is a wealth of information and an amazing advocate for women who desire a natural, unmediated labor and delivery. As an expecting mother who was determined to have a VBAC, I realized that hiring a doula and having someone knowledgable, positive and supportive would be extremely valuable. After meeting with Tashina, I continued to interview doulas from both ends of the experience and price spectrum. However, after each interview, my husband and I kept coming back to Tashina. What stood out the most was not only the way she answered my questions and our immediate connection, but also how she responded to my my husband’s questions and concerns. I wanted to make sure he was comfortable with the person we were hiring for our labor and delivery. His main concern was that he wouldn’t be as involved if we had a doula. She reassure him that his role would be just as important with or without her, but she would be there to assist him in making me more comfortable.
Leading up to my labor and delivery she was always available by phone, text, or email. She cheered me on and reassured me when I had concerns about having the ability to deliver naturally. When I passed my EDD she reassured me that I had plenty of time to achieve my VBAC. Much of her information came from the ACOG website and I love how she is such a strong supporter of evidence based medicine.
Despite all of our planning and preparation, I ended up having a precipitous labor that lasted just about 2 hours & 15 minutes from start to delivery. Unfortunately Tashina arrived about five minutes after I delivered my daughter, unexpectedly, in my bedroom. Although she was not physically there her words of support and guidance were with us the entire time. In the 911 audio you can even hear my husband reference some of Tashina’s advice. It’s awesome the listen to the audio and hear him say, ‘remember what Tashina said.‘
If there was another baby in our future, I have no doubt Tashina would be our doula.

At first, I was unsure if I wanted or needed a doula knowing that I had a hard time committing to a natural child birth. It wasn’t until 6 months into my pregnancy that I decided to look further into what a doula had to offer and after interviewing a handful of doulas, we knew Tashina was the one to support us through this life changing event. Seeing that my husband and I are two very busy people, she catered to our crazy schedule making the most out of the limited time we had to mentally prepare us as best she could prior to the arrival of our little one. Her nurturing personality and wealth of knowledge about child birth, and everything that surrounds it, was just what we needed to breathe a sigh of relief knowing we had someone on our team looking out for our best interests. I have to say… at first, my husband was skeptical of what a doula had to offer us. After having now gone through a successful natural childbirth, we both know there is no price you can put on Tashina’s abilities and the emotional support she provided when we needed her the most. She knew so much more than we could have ever expected. Her insight helped us gain perspective and prepared us for the big day, which happened to be almost 3 weeks early. What I valued most was the way in which she approached every situation with ease and calmness when we arrived at the hospital. She’s a pro and the real deal. We are eternally grateful to have her as our doula and now friend.

When my husband and I were interviewing doulas, we were incredibly impressed with Tashina. She was extremely knowledgeable and helpful about all things natural childbirth. We could also tell that she was a very positive and supportive person. She was an amazing doula! We had great prenatal visits where she answered all our questions, coached and encouraged us. Because of Tashina, my husband and I were extremely prepared. She encouraged us to take the birth bootcamp classes. We took the online course — however, if we had to do it again, we would take the classes from Tashina. Another great thing about Tashina is that she is totally on top of things and responsive to our questions and with providing additional helpful information and resources. During the labor and delivery process at the hospital, she was a fantastic help and advocate for us, especially when hospital folks were pushing interventions. Naturally, Tashina was also a blessing postparturm. She recommended a great lactation consultant who helped me to breastfeed, after less than helpful consultants at the hospital. She also continued (and continues) to answer my random questions about infants/​childcare. Tashina is a wonderful person and an outstanding doula. I highly recommend her!

I started my pregnancy in my ob office telling them I was terrified of labor and I didn’t want to feel a thing. I ended my pregnancy with a natural birth and the most incredible experience in the world. I had friends saying things like, «women gave birth without drugs since the beginning of time» and «I’ll try to have a natural birth but who knows.» So I started thinking maybe, just maybe, it was something I too could experience. One friend suggested I hire a doula and recommended Tashina. That ended up being the single most important thing I did. At that point, I wasn’t even confident that I «could handle» (for lack of better words) a natural birth. Hiring Tashina was the turning point. She helped me sign up for a birth class, recommended documentaries and fabulous books and spent so much time (seriously A LOT of time) talking with me (phone, text, facebook, emails). She helped me with every step. Tashine always had research and articles to back up the information she was giving me. She would give me advice but also allowed me the room to make my own choices. The birth of my son is the best experiance I have ever had and I really owe much of it to Tashina and the support she provided me AND my husband. Tashina has also been extremely supportive in the time after my son was born. She has helped connect me to different supportive groups and resources and checks in with me to make sure things are going well with the little one. I highly recommend Tashina to any family and I cannot thank her enough!

If you want a natural birth, a Doula is the best investment you will ever make. I am so happy that we found Tashina. We knew immediately she was the perfect Doula for us. Besides the fact that she came highly recommended to us, we just loved her attitude and approach to birth. Choosing the right Doula is a huge decision since that person will be present for one of the most important days of your life. I cannot imagine our labor and delivery without her! Our birth was such an amazing experience because we had Tashina to support us through the labor process. There was such a comfort knowing that she was there for us with the common goal of achieving a natural birth.

My husband wasn’t 100% convinced we needed a Doula when we decided to have a natural birth, but once we met Tashina he felt much more comfortable with the decision. But if you were to ask him now he would go on for 10 minutes about how it was the BEST decision it was to hire her. He tells everyone how much he loves Tashina, but most of all how valuable she was in helping us through what can be a kind of a scary experience. She does not in any way interrupt the support from your husband or birth partner she only enhances how they support you through the process. It is priceless to have someone to call that is so caring and knowledgeable when a question arises. When we had some issues breastfeeding in the beginning she recommended an amazing Lactation Consultant that came to our house the next day. We feel we had the best team possible and I know that is why we were successful in natural child birth and breastfeeding!
We thoroughly enjoyed our prenatal visits with her and we were excited to see her after our birth for our postpartum visit. I really cannot say enough about her as a person and as a professional. I would also highly recommend her birth preparation classes!

Choosing Tashina to partner with as our Doula and taking Birth Bootcamp classes was the best decision we have ever made! Before I found out I was pregnant, you could have mentioned the words natural labor and I would have thought you were either crazy or my hero because there was no way in hell I would subscribe to that. Well, I was dead wrong. My journey started once I found out I was pregnant.
At the recommendation of a few friends, I started watching the Business of Being Born series with my husband. It completely changed our way of thinking and it was then we opened ourselves up to the possibility of having a natural birth. I was on a natural birth high for the first month or two and as my pregnancy got further along, I started to panic and, quite honestly, tried to convince myself that a medicated birth wasn’t so bad. Now, I had the luxury of seeing and talking to Tashina more than most would as she happens to be family. At family functions, we would talk about babies and birth and I would say I’m going to TRY for a natural but there would be no guarantees. I remember her adamantly telling me there is no TRY. You either do or don’t. I’m pretty sure I went home that night in a panic like S**T…OK…I really have to commit to this if I want it. So began another marathon weekend of Business of Being Born:) It so happened around that time that Tashina also received her certification to teach Birth Bootcamp and I decided from there; I am really doing this (cue another panic moment!!).
James and I started our Bootcamp series shortly after that and the classes were held live, at our home. We partnered with another couple who lives fairly close by and were open to extending class time and fitting a few in at once based on my due date. Tashina was absolutely great about extending our class time to make sure we covered all the material, every week. From class #1 on, I SO looked forward to our Sundays together! I couldn’t wait to meet up again and keep myself motivated and staying on track with my goals. I read my training manual every day and did (almost) all of my homework. While taking classes, I also immersed myself in quite a few books that came highly recommended by Tashina. All wonderful reads!
I think it was Class #2 or #3 that we asked Tashina if she would join us on our big day. I knew her caring nature and expertise were exactly what we needed in that room to welcome our beautiful baby girl. To sum it up, it was truly the MOST amazing day of my life and I am so glad I trusted in myself and Tashina to prepare me for that day.

We were introduced to the idea of a doula and were unsure at first, but knew we needed «something extra» for the experience we were looking for. From our very first conversation, we knew that Tashina was «the one» for our family. She fit right into our home and really understood who we were, what we wanted for our birth and why we were looking for a doula. All I have to say is that she has the thumbs of a champion! But really, she knew exactly what we needed to get through the birth and understood us thoroughly throughout the entire process. Tashina has really become a close friend and we’re so happy to have her in our lives.