This review is many years forth coming... I cannot recommend or say enough wonderful things about…read moreDacia. She is the sole reason I was able to breast feed my first son through many, many difficulties- bad patch, painful plugged ducts, sore nipples, over supply and big let down. I had already seen FOUR lactation consultants when Dacia arrived at my house, and I was in desperate need of help. She was patient, kind and well informed and helped me through the many, very difficult times. She was readily available by phone or email. Without her help. I definitely would have given up on breastfeeding. While I was pregnant with my second son last year, I reached out to Dacia again because I did not want a repeat of the traumatic breast feeding experience I had with my first. She called me back immediately and spoke to me for a long time (without charge!) and sent me some useful information to prepare for breast feeding. She was available to come to my house, if needed, and even sent me a text when my son was born offering her help. Luckily, my second was a natural at nursing and I did not need her help. However, I was so happy to know she was there if I needed her. If you need a lactation consultant, call Dacia. She will do everything to try and help you through the many possible difficulties of breast feeding. She is such a wonderful person and resource to have by your side!

Dacia is a very sweet person, even though she was on maternity leave herself. She called back and…read moregave a phone consultation with some very important insight into the situation. Her advice put to rest some of the unknown fear of a new born parents. If she can provide such great support and advise over the phone without looking at the setting, I am very confident she can do wonders if she sees in person. Thank you Dacia.

Sarah provided me with compassionate and expert support in my journey feeding my kiddo. I greatly…read moreappreciated her warm, non-judgmental approach and her wise advice. She was able to meet with me on short notice, followed up via text to check in on me after our first appointment, and has fielded several questions via email, even while she was traveling. I am very grateful for her support and would highly recommend her!

At 5 days postpartum, I was feeling incredibly stressed and overwhelmed, but Sarah came to our home…read moreimmediately to help. She spent several hours with my husband and me, teaching us everything from the basics of breastfeeding and milk supply to the specifics of breast anatomy. Her calm demeanor was exactly what we needed; she completely eased my anxiety and gave us the confidence we were lacking. This was truly the most helpful support we've received since coming home from the hospital. If you are looking for an expert who is both knowledgeable and deeply compassionate, look no further.

I truly couldn't have accomplished my VBAC goals without the incredible support of the Stork and…read moreSprout birth doula team. From the very first moment I needed them through labor and all the way until I was settled into the maternity floor with my new little boy, they were there every step of the way. Their calm presence, deep knowledge, encouragement, and advocacy made all the difference during such an intense and meaningful experience. I felt supported, empowered, and never alone. I am beyond grateful for their care and dedication and would wholeheartedly recommend Stork and Sprout to anyone preparing for birth--especially those pursuing a VBAC.

As a new parent, the postpartum period is challenging enough without having to deal with the stress…read moreand disappointment of a difficult agency. While Stork and Sprout does have some excellent doulas on its team who provided great support and coaching, my experience with the agency's leadership was overwhelmingly negative. We had a particularly difficult time with Brittany. She demonstrated a pattern of manipulation, gaslighting, and lying, both to us and, from what I understand, to her own employees. Our contract promised consistent coverage, but the scheduling was erratic and communication was poor. We were left to wonder many nights if we would have support, and for several weeks, we only received 1 to 2 days of support instead of the 6 to 7 we paid for. When we requested a refund for the services not provided, Brittany refused and even fought our bank with out-of-context emails and more lies. She claims she "offered a refund" but is even today refusing to honor it as she says in the response. The lack of professionalism extended to some of the staff as well; one sick doula was sent to our home and intentionally caused our newborn physical pain. Brittany treated us like we were the difficult ones and responded with empathy-less chatGPT emails to manage the situation. We were also led to believe we would have one primary doula with a backup, but over the course of our service, we had seven different doulas come to our home. This complete lack of continuity made an already difficult period even more stressful. Based on my experience, I would advise new parents to skip Stork and Sprout and work directly with an independent doula. You will not only save the 30-40% extra fee the agency charges for scheduling, but you will also avoid the toxic and difficult management. This experience is unacceptable for a service that costs tens of thousands of dollars and demands payment upfront months ahead of providing the service. We were not able to switch easily due to the inflexible Carrot reimbursement process through the employer.

I sought help from Kelly as a last resort after a month of baby struggling to get back to birth…read moreweight. I was prescribed triple feeding which was totally unsustainable. She helped tremendously and gave us so much confidence as parents. She was so patient and knowledgeable, and professional. We got the latch down and were able to drop the triple feeding routine. Here we are almost a year later still nursing and growing right on track!

Kelly is the best lactation consultant any mama could ask for!!! A week into my breast feeding…read morejourney with my first baby I was ready to give up. (We saw a horrible lactation consultant at Kaiser who made me feel like I was starving my baby and tried to move us to formula immediately.) Thankfully we found Kelly on Yelp and she was able to see us the next day. She listened to my concerns/frustrations with breastfeeding, then watched me nurse my baby and gave such compassionate guidance. She gave me so much confidence!!! Fast forward to today, my baby girl is 9 months old and I am still exclusively breastfeeding!!! Breastfeeding is so much harder than anyone ever told me it was going to be. My recommendation for any first time mama would be to make an appointment with Kelly and get all the support you didn't even know you would need, it makes a world of a difference!

Serena truly is a gem of an IBCLC! Not only is she kind, patient, and understanding but she is also…read moresomeone who guides gently and uses positive language which is immensely helpful for someone like me who is dealing with a low milk supply. She helped me with my first baby 8 years ago and I knew I had to reach out to her asap when I found out that I was pregnant with my 2nd. I knew my breastfeeding journey needed to be established right away and it required Serena and her knowledge of low milk supply. She did a house call about a week postpartum and did a weighted feed and assessed baby for ties which he does have. She was able to ease my mind and helped guide me on what to do and how to get my supply up. I've been able to message her with my many questions and she has been so responsive and so kind. She has made the journey great so far despite me not making a full supply (I make about half of baby's needs). If you want an amazing ibclc who wants to see you and baby succeed then look no further!

It is no wonder Serena has 5 star ratings. Our 8 wk old baby started showing slow weight gain and…read moreas a first time parent, I was so worried and overwhelmed. From our first call, Serena was kind, thorough and asked all the right questions. She made time to come over within days, immediately pinpointed the issue, and created a clear feeding plan that gave me so much relief. She even reached out to our pediatrician right after and they called me the same day to schedule a weight check by end of the week! Serena's care doesn't stop at your session -- she checks in often and is always available by text, making me feel completely supported and never alone. She's warm, friendly, non-judgmental and turned a scary situation into something manageable. We're still working with her but I couldn't wait to share. Even though we're not out of the woods yet, I feel a million times better knowing Serena is by our side. If you're considering working with her, don't hesitate -- she's a gem!

It's rare that I'd describe a retail store as "life changing" but this little shop was. In my raw,…read morepostpartum days after an emergency c section and a ten day stay in a hospital, I was breastfeeding and desperate for clothes I didn't feel terrible in and that I could breastfeed easily in. I stopped here and not only did they provide a cozy, private place for me to breastfeed with a helpful Breast Friend pillow, they also had changing tables and a scale for me to use, which brought me peace of mind. Then the nice young lady working there (after giving me space and privacy to nurse) helped me find nursing bras that I love (bravado, sadly being discontinued) and I even found some great nursing shirts that I wear every day. Please support this wonderful women owned shop!

Healthy Horizons is a great place to get lactation help and they have such cute clothing as well…read more.... have to remember to stop here for the next baby shower! I am writing this review because Sheila Janakos doesn't just help new parents in her store/lactation support center but she is also a generous soul who helps the community. I have been on the board of a nonprofit for 32 years now called Nursing Mothers Counsel which provides free lactation support via phone with volunteers trained in lactation and counseling support. We are a great back up source for parents who may not need the expert support that Sheila and her IBCLC staff provide, or who are in need of support after business hours. We are so grateful to Healthy Horizons for donating 4 Medela Symphony Pumps to NMC for use as grant rentals for low income families we serve. This substantial donation will certainly help many low income families in the Bay Area and Santa Cruz County. Sheila has remained an affiliate member of our small non-profit and supported NMC with donations throughout her many years associated with our organization. Thank you so much Sheila and Healthy Horizons for your generosity and support!

Hiring Lenore as our doula was one of the best decisions we made. She was consistently warm,…read moregenuinely caring, and incredibly responsive. Her professionalism and organization were impressive, yet she remained completely approachable throughout. Lenore empowered me to create the birth plan I wanted and provided resources to help me feel prepared. She walked alongside us through important decisions and connected us to wonderful providers, including a pelvic floor therapist. During labor, her support both at home and at the hospital was critically helpful. I'm so grateful for my beautiful birthing experience! It was also reassuring that she was a known and respected presence at the hospital. My partner was initially uncertain about hiring a doula, but now says without hesitation that it was one of our best decisions. I cannot recommend Lenore highly enough.

If you are looking to hire a doula, look no further. Lenore is absolutely incredible at what she…read moredoes, and choosing to have her on my birthing team was one of the best decisions I've made. I honestly couldn't imagine going through the birthing journey without her. She provided so much insight, support, and value throughout every step of the way. During the prenatal sessions, she was intentional about getting to know my partner and I, as well as my birthing preferences. When the unexpected happened, she was there to offer me a fresh perspective and the right questions to ask. Lastly, when it came to giving birth, she knew exactly what to say, exactly what support I needed, and kept me feeling embodied and empowered throughout the entire experience. I can confidently say that I would never have been able to achieve my desired birth without her.

I cannot recommend Marilou at Doulas by the Bay highly enough. She was our postpartum night doula…read morefor the first few weeks after our son was born, and she was incredible. As new parents, the sleep deprivation is real, but knowing she was there allowed us to finally get the much-needed rest we required to function. Beyond just being a set of expert hands, she became a trusted guide for us and taught us invaluable newborn care tips that we still use daily. We trusted her implicitly with our baby from night one which was critical for us as anxious new parents. Marilou's calm, professional, and warm presence made us feel so at ease during a very vulnerable time. We truly loved our time with her and are so grateful for the care she provided. If you are looking for a doula who is knowledgeable, nurturing, and completely trustworthy, Marilou is amazing!

We had an incredible experience with Sally for our son from when he was 1-3 months. She was…read moreconsistently punctual, professional, and incredibly kind. Beyond just helping with night feeds, she took the initiative with bottles and laundry, which was a huge help to our family. We felt completely at ease knowing our little one was in such caring hands. In addition, she helped with sleep training. Additionally, the office staff was a pleasure to work with. They were extremely professional and maintained a quick turnaround time on all our requests and paperwork. We highly recommend this team for anyone looking for top-tier newborn care!

Prior to this experience, I did not know a doula was available to new expecting parents…read more Janae was well trained, professional and available to any questions we had. She provided continuous physical, emotional, and informational support to us before, during, and shortly after childbirth to ensure a safe, empowering experience. Janae offered comfort techniques, advocacy, and guidance, which was very important to us. Janae's services also included postpartum support. I highly recommend her services to new expecting parents. She brought me and my wife comfort, confidence, a safe place for birthing our beautiful daughter. We couldnt of had such a wonderful experience without her. We are so Grateful and thankful to of had her by our side. Thanks Janae, we adore you!!!

Janae was such a calming and guiding presence through my pregnancy and labor/delivery! My husband…read moreand I are first time parents, and I knew I wanted a doula to guide us through the pregnancy/delivery/postpartum, and help advocate for me in the delivery room if needed. From the moment I met Janae I felt at ease and in good hands! She has been so kind and knowledgeable throughout this journey, directly giving us the tools and information we needed to prepare. This saved us some of the mental energy and stress that comes with the overwhelming amount of information you can get during pregnancy. She was also responsive, especially during the last few weeks of my pregnancy (when I was overdue and almost induced) and into my initial contractions at home. I also want to note that Janae was very COVID conscious, continuing to mask every time we met and in the delivery room, which was important to us and greatly appreciated! My labor and delivery ended up happening very quickly, but having Janae there throughout (whether on the phone or in person in the delivery room) brought me and my husband comfort that all was going to be ok even when things felt overwhelming (and painful!). I really enjoyed having her there to chat with and guide me through different positions as I got my epidural, rested, and waited to dilate. I especially appreciated her support in the immediate postpartum, where I was able to text her as I struggled with breastfeeding, and at our postpartum home visit where she continued to offer emotional support as I adjust to feeding my newborn and other issues. I could go on and on about how much I enjoyed working with Janae - I highly recommend her and will definitely want her by my side if we have more kids in the future!

I owe my entire breastfeeding relationship to Amrit! I nursed my oldest for 2.5 years and needed…read morevirtually no help. Things were much different once I had my son. She taught me so much and I could NOT have learned the things I did had I not met with her! She was able to help me latch my son on in the office and we have been thriving since our visit! Ahe was told she can not accept patients with my insurance, and yet, she saw us anyway!!!! I am so grateful and genuinely believe we would have failed without her help and over 40 years of experience! She is unable to see other women with my insurance (I have state funded mediCal) unless they are a Bayside patient. However, if you have private insurance you can contact Bayside in Berkeley and make an appt. There's a $37.50 copay for the visit.

I cannot say enough wonderful things about Amrit! She guided me through my entire feeding journey…read morewith my second baby without any judgement. More importantly, she was compassionate and practical which can be VERY hard to find in the lactation world. She attentively asked me my goals for feeding this time around and then helped me make a game-plan at each step. Ultimately, I was unable/chose to stop nursing and pumping. While I personally felt so disappointed in myself for that, Amrit was nothing but supporting and loving. She supported me in any decision I made to keep my baby happy and fed and for that i'm forever grateful. She also helped me figure out how to get on a pumping schedule (when I needed to) and eventually how to wean without getting mastitis. Although my feeding journey eventually did not include breastfeeding, I'm so so happy I found Amrit to help me navigate all the things that come along with feeding a newborn. I felt like I was always in wonderful and capable hands and would recommend her to every new mom who needs some support. Breastfeeding is HARD and Amrit never made me feel guilty or bad. She simply supported me and helped me find something that worked for me and my family. Thank you again Amrit for all of your love and support with baby Ryan!