Welcome to Due Care Doula. My name is Tara Hughes. I work as a perinatal* doula in the Saratoga Springs region, supporting births and families all the way from Glens Falls and NY Capital Region. I am a parent, practicing artist and freestyle gardener. I grew up in NYC and moved to upstate in 2009. We have lived in rural Washington county as well as downtown Saratoga. I have a deep love for NY state and all its people, including the newbies, wherever they may hail from. I take great pride in our state and love working to improve its maternal health system, one birth at a time. 

My journey into birth work began after the birth of my first child in 2016. I often refer to this experience as the best and hardest time I was astounded by the disparity of education, preparation, and namely support provided around birth and even more so postpartum. I became a passionate student and advocate of birth, and postpartum experiences in my corner of the world and the larger diaspora. 

I continued to see that in conventional medical births, there is a gaping hole in the cultural support and medical care a mother receives during birth as well as after the arrival of their newborn. And frankly, the effect is alarming. The work started with the births of my two children, followed by passionately supporting my family and friends in their birth and postpartum experiences and captively listening to every birth story I could hear. At a certain point it became clear to me birthwork was the work I was always meant to do. I went on to pursue formal training and have devoted myself to birthwork. I completed my postpartum and lactation educator training with Jodi Congdon through CAPPA and rounding out my birth doula training with Debra Pascali Bonaro through DONA.  I continue to stay motivated and inspired by every client I work with, continuing education courses, as well as a growing community of birthworkers who continue to share their own expertise, wisdom and knowledge, To which I am most grateful.

My practice is named Due Care Doula because it is my firm belief that everyone deserves and benefits from professional perinatal doula support. And it should be considered, not an indulgence or optional, but rather the standard “due care”.

If you're interested in more information or have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out. I would love to hear from you. Best of luck!

*(Perinatal is the time from when you become pregnant up to a year after giving birth)

-Infant/Child/Adult CPR certified 

-Have NPI# for insurances offering reimbursement