Maggie Kler is a phenomenal lactation consultant and postpartum guide, and I recommend her without…read morereservation to anyone navigating breastfeeding, whether things are going smoothly or you're struggling to meet your goals. With my firstborn, I lived in fear for the first month that she wasn't getting enough milk. Maggie helped me measure my current transfer, improve my technique, and understand the bigger picture of my baby's development. And my baby's weight corrected exactly as Maggie predicted! Every visit with Maggie was immensely helpful, regardless if there was a specific problem or a checkin, because she uniquely helped me one connect the dots between my baby's birth, status updates from pediatrician visits, and the round-the-clock grind of newborn feeding. Maggie was such an indispensable part of that experience that I reached out to her again during my second pregnancy. This time, she helped me troubleshoot my second baby's lower appetite and different positioning issues, and reassured me that breastfeeding was working even when my baby simply chose to eat less. Seven months postpartum, her read on the situation has proven completely accurate. Maggie combines deep expertise with a mother's empathy (something well intentioned pediatricians can't always offer!) plus a real understanding of what breastfeeding can and can't control. No one made me feel more supported in the hardest moments of postpartum recovery.

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!

Lisa has helped me tremendously. She provides relevant info to the specific problem. She helped…read moreme write a birthplan, which Kaiser sort of followed. Breastfeeding was a disaster, from my low milk supply, baby being tongue tied, mastitis, the wrong size flanges for the breast pump that Kaiser gave me. Lisa helped me with homeopathic remedies, support, and information about medications that others have found useful (she does not prescribe or give specific medication dosing advice for prescribed medications). I don't know that I will be able to breastfeed, but it isn't for lack of trying, and Lisa made me feel better, that I have done everything humanly possible and if I can't it's not because I didn't give it my all. I highly recommend using her service. She is responsive, kind, reassuring, and just a lovely person who wants you and your baby to be healthy and strong. She loves babies and respects mamas. What could be better?

If you are wanting to hire a doula or have extra support, definitely hire Lisa. When my husband…read moreand I found out we were pregnant, I knew I wanted to have a doula assist with the birth. I also knew that I wanted to have a natural birth and that doulas could be a great assistance in reaching this goal. I spent a lot of time emailing doulas, a lot of them. Lisa was only one of a couple I heard back from. She responded promptly and was willing to work around our busy/late night schedule to set up an interview. Once we interviewed, I knew that I wanted to hire her. My husband was more apprehensive and had difficulty spending the money when he felt he would be helpful and not need a doula. However, he knew how much it meant to me and went with it. Throughout the pregnancy, we received so much useful information from Lisa. Any questions I had, she was always available to answer them. Towards the end of my pregnancy I had high blood pressure and my doctor wanted to induce me because of concerns regarding my blood pressure. I knew that it would be very difficult to have a natural birth with being induced but felt confident that given the support, I would be able to do it. I ended up having three different types of inducement measures, cervidil, a balloon, and pitocin. My labor was incredibly difficult, with a recommendation of an epidural discussed twice and a c-section discussed once. Lisa saved me from having to have any of this done. She suggested two specific positions to utilize while having contractions that are never done in hospitals. My doctor worked with Lisa and was willing to have Lisa try them with me. These positions saved me from having a c-section and made my goal of having a natural birth possible. She was not only available and there for me during my pregnancy and labor & delivery but afterwards as well. I have asked so many questions regarding breastfeeding and other things and she has always been available for me. She responds promptly to me and is constantly checking in on me (my baby was born 8 days ago). I cannot say enough positive things about Lisa. Hire her as your doula, it will be the best decision you can make. Following the delivery, my somewhat skeptical husband prior to labor and delivery said that it was worth all of the money we spent. He said hiring Lisa was one of the best decisions we made during this process. That, to me, says it all. Hire Lisa.

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!

I recently had the pleasure of working with Rebecca as a lactation consultant, referred to me by my…read moremidwife. Rebecca made a fantastic first impression with her quick email replies. Maybe she could sense my desperation? Either way, we quickly set up an in-home visit (an invaluable bonus of not having to leave the house with a 2 week old baby). She not only had a very reasonable rate, but even offered a sliding scale. After struggling with breastfeeding in any and every way possible (latching, positioning, etc.), Rebecca's help was extremely welcomed. She was calm, confident, reassuring, caring and knowledgeable. We worked together for over 2 hours at that session, calling it quits at the baby's discretion. Although I don't have a "miracle worker" story about how everything was magically fixed and we lived happily ever after, I do have a happy ending the breastfeeding saga. It took a few more weeks (and a few more tricks) for me to really apply everything that Rebecca taught me in that session, but now my baby and I are pros, and I really do owe much of the success to Rebecca's help. I would highly recommend her services as a lactation consultant to anyone!

Rebecca Plum is an extremely talented, composed, and compassionate Midwife. I worked with Rebecca…read morewhile she was the primary Midwife for my doula clients, and from the very beginning I was impressed with the quality and the individually tailored care that she provided. I was first exposed to her work ethic and birth philosophy during our homebirth -team meeting. This is a time for everyone who is planning on attending the birth to gather and discuss the women's birth vision, discuss roles and prepare for various scenarios that might unfold. Rebecca smoothly moderated the session so that everyone knew what was expected of them which allowed us to all see ourselves as a team working to provide this couple with the love, respect and care that they deserved. What really stood out to me was Rebecca's deeply intuitive nature and her ability to address under currents and subtle signals, bring them into the conversation and positively harness all the unknowns and natural anxieties that can accompany birth. While being ever professional and remarkably prepared, she sparked an excitement in the air and made it down right fun. During the birth Rebecca continued to be the ever calm, smooth and joyful presence. As a doula, I have been a part of many birth teams and seen many provider's styles. Rebecca's style is at the core about trusting the birthing woman, the natural birth process, and giving the woman space to trust herself. She imbued the birth space with laughter and a true love for her work and the family that she served. It was contagious. Knowledge, experience, choice, and laughter- not a bad combination for a midwife!

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.

Viji is truly one of a kind. Every mother deserves someone like her by their side during their…read morebirth journey. After a traumatic first pregnancy and postpartum preeclampsia, I was considered high-risk during my second pregnancy as well. Around 32 weeks, I started seeing elevated blood pressure readings along with severe white coat syndrome. I was anxious and searching for support, and that's when I found Viji. Even before our first consultation, I had a strong feeling that she was God-sent -- a true blessing -- and that feeling only grew stronger with time. Viji stepped in with so much calm, confidence, and care. She took everything upon herself and made sure I was prepared in every possible way -- physically, mentally, and emotionally. She guided me through provider decisions, helped me find the right midwifery care, and thoughtfully connected me with an exceptional midwife, Lin Lee, who aligned perfectly with my needs. Because of Viji's discernment and support in building the right team around me, my entire experience was completely different from my first pregnancy. The birth itself felt smooth and empowering -- no tears, no episiotomy, and my blood pressure remained well controlled throughout. What truly sets Viji apart is how deeply she cares and how holistic her approach is. She took the time to understand my full medical history and personal background, worked to get to the root of my previous complications, and helped me navigate provider complexities with clarity and confidence. She also combined her Jyotish knowledge to help identify the most supportive and auspicious timing for my induction, which brought me an incredible sense of peace and trust going into labor. During labor, Viji was there through it all. She supported me with Ayurvedic care, calming massages, constant reassurance, and gentle guidance. She made sure I was comfortable, grounded, and never felt alone. She even stayed with me through the entire night -- watching over me, advocating for me, and helping me make important decisions when I was exhausted and vulnerable. Because of Viji, my second birth experience became healing, empowering, and beautiful. She didn't just help me prepare for birth -- she helped me heal from my past experience and trust my body again. I will always be grateful for her presence, her wisdom, and the love she brought into one of the most important moments of my life. I thank God every day for leading me to her at exactly the right time.

I have been working with Viji since 2023 and can confidently say that the work I've done with her…read morehas been truly transformative... far beyond anything I ever expected. I first came to Viji as a very anxious and overwhelmed mother, desperately trying to stay afloat in the struggles of parenthood. At the time, I had no idea what I was getting into, but I just knew I needed help. From day one, Viji completely blew me away with her depth of knowledge, insight, and intuition. Beyond that, she is incredibly caring and consistently goes above and beyond to support her clients. Through our work together, I've gained a deeper understanding of my inner makeup, which has empowered me to take greater control of my life and has profoundly impacted how I show up as a mother and wife. My mind was truly blown when she began incorporating Ayurveda and Jyotish (Vedic Astrology) to help explain what I was experiencing physically, emotionally, and energetically, and to guide how I move through my life. I have also integrated therapeutic bodywork and the Safe & Sound Protocol (SSP) into my work with Viji, which has only deepened the healing process. The way she thoughtfully weaves together her diverse offerings is incredible and deeply supportive. She is truly a one-stop shop for healing on every level. I am deeply grateful for the care, insight, and dedication she has brought to my journey. Viji is absolutely amazing, and I cannot recommend her highly enough. My only regret is not starting this work with her sooner.

Stacey was our night doula for 8 weeks after we brought home our first baby…read more Having Stacey there to help us navigate the first few nights and weeks of newborn life was invaluable, she was able to give us advice and support for feeding, fussiness, extending sleep lengths, etc. The nights that Stacey was with us allowed my husband and I to truly rest, knowing our baby was under expert care. At first, we only booked Stacey for 6 weeks, but her experience and advice was so valuable that we extended for an additional 2 weeks, and we have no regrets! We'll miss having Stacey's help and guidance, but we feel so much more prepared for the next phase of parenthood after having her help.

Stacey was our night doula for our second child and a real game changer. We would count down the…read moredays before her next visit! She was really flexible in working with our schedules and provided such loving care to our baby girl. It's a big deal to have a stranger in your home with a newborn, and we always felt at ease with Stacey. I just wish I could replicate the long stretches of sleep she got with our baby haha.

We were incredibly lucky to have Andrea Berkey as our postpartum doula for six weeks, starting the…read moreweek our baby boy was born. As first-time parents, those early days felt overwhelming, and Andrea's calm presence and support made a world of difference. She has an amazing depth of knowledge about newborns and patiently taught us the basics--burping, de-gassing, bathing, and feeling confident handling our extra-small newborn. As a new mom, I was especially grateful for her help with feeding. She walked me through different feeding positions and helped me get fully set up and comfortable with pumping. Andrea was incredibly gentle and patient with our baby, often lulling him to sleep and holding him for long stretches. Knowing he was in such caring hands gave us so much peace of mind and allowed us to truly rest and recover. She consistently went above and beyond--staying an extra hour on her first day to accompany us to our baby's first pediatrician visit, keeping our baby's dresser organized, always refilling the water in our bottle cleaner before leaving, and sharing age-appropriate activities along with helpful tools and resources. We are really thankful for her little acts of thoughtfulness. She was always flexible and adapted her approach to what worked best for our family. Because of Andrea, we were able to enjoy the first weeks of parenthood without feeling constantly overwhelmed. We are so grateful for her support and cannot recommend her highly enough to any family looking for a knowledgeable, compassionate, and thoughtful support system!

Andrea is a wealth of knowledge about newborns and postpartum: nursing and latching,…read more mastitis prevention and management, baby weight gain, wake and sleep patterns, identifying types of baby cries, burping tricks, pumping, bottle and syringe feeding, baby quiet alert state, integrating older siblings, rhythms and strategies for getting through the nights, setting boundaries with overzealous friends and family, and just generally getting your sea legs with a new baby no matter how seasoned a parent you are. Some of this info, tips and tricks seem to be lost over the years and generations but she has honed it and is holding the flame alive for us. She is a sought out favorite of other doulas and midwives themselves. I'm not sure there is a bigger recommendation than that! I initially thought the most helpful move would have been having a night doula but I actually benefited much more from Andrea's support and education during the days - which turned out to make the nights so much more manageable and less mysteriously hard. This was not intuitive to me but I'm now an absolute believer in daytime doula support. She delivers all of this learning with a cheerful and steady calm I've rarely encountered and I look up to so much as a mother. I feel so lucky to have gotten to spend some time with her - she is unforgettable and her impact on my parenting is forever. I hope to pass on everything I learned from her to others.

I absolutely love Blossom Birth & Family! Carolina is amazing, and you can truly feel how much…read moreheart she puts into creating a welcoming, supportive space for growing families. Blossom offers such a wide range of classes, resources, and support for pregnancy, postpartum, babies, and beyond, and I especially appreciate how inclusive and community-focused they are. They also do an incredible job partnering with other wonderful local organizations and providers, including FIT4MOM SVC, New Mom School, The Healthy Pelvis, and so many others. It really feels like they believe in building a village around families rather than trying to do it all alone. We are so lucky to have Blossom Birth & Family in our community. I can't recommend Carolina and the entire Blossom team enough!

Carolina is the BEST EVER!! Extremely grateful to her for giving me support during postpartum. We (…read moreme and my baby ) go to her mommy and baby yoga and we love it. Even though my baby is crawling now, Carolina encourages us to attend her sessions. She is extremely attentive to both mine and my baby's needs. My little one loves her and feels extremely calm in her sessions. Her wisdom and advice has helped me recover from postpartum issues. She's prompt to respond to questions and has high quality resources to offer. Highly recommend. Grateful to her for everything she has been doing for us.

We had an outstanding experience with DOULAS by the BAY. They matched us with Mary Ann Cherie…read moreWolowski, who was with our family for the first eight weeks after our baby was born. She started right on the day after delivery while we were still at the hospital. This was incredibly helpful because it allowed my partner to focus on caring for our toddler while I recovered from my C-section and bonded with our newborn. Mary Ann was exceptional in every aspect of newborn and postpartum care. With her background as RN and an experienced nanny, she confidently took charge from day one. She handled everything--from swaddling and keeping the baby on a feeding schedule to making sure I stayed on track with pumping. She always had my pump parts cleaned, sterilized, and ready to use, which made those early weeks so much easier. She also gave me invaluable breastfeeding support. Thanks to her guidance, I established a full milk supply within just three days of my C-section, and I'm still successfully breastfeeding. She also referred us to an amazing lactation consultant who was an absolute game changer. Mary Ann was meticulous about everything baby-related and followed best practices in every detail. Her logging and tracking were incredibly thorough, giving us complete peace of mind. She was professional, respectful, organized, and kept everything spotless. The greatest gift she gave our family was rest. There were moments when it almost felt unreal how much recovery time my partner and I were able to get because we trusted her completely. She would even bring me a glass of iced water wherever I was--a small act of kindness that made a huge difference in my recovery. Because she took care of so much, I was able to focus on postpartum healing and even carve out time for simple self-care, like getting a haircut. Although her primary responsibility was caring for our newborn, she also formed a wonderful bond with our toddler and always made him feel included. She consistently went above and beyond by helping keep our home clean, making countless trips up and down the stairs without ever complaining, and never leaving before everything was tidied up--even if it meant staying a little past the end of her shift. We're incredibly grateful to Doulas by the Bay for matching us with someone who fit our family so perfectly. The agency made the process smooth, and Mary Ann exceeded every expectation we had. We wholeheartedly recommend Doulas by the Bay to any family looking for expert postpartum support. They gave us the gift of rest, confidence, and a much smoother transition into life as a family of four.

I reached out to find a birth doula and the initial meeting giving an overview of how they work was…read moreclear and straightforward. Doulas through this company are employees (not independent providers) and they stress that this is really good for always having a backup. We were then matched with 2 doula candidates and the scheduling process was easy and professional. However, we ultimately felt that these candidates were not properly trained or vetted. We never received any materials such as CVs for the doulas. The first doula said right away that she had never been a birth doula before and we would be her first birth. Her only experience was that she had been a night doula before. I was shocked that she had never even shadowed another birth doula as part of her training as a company employee. Bless her heart for being honest, but I did not want to pay to be her guinea pig. After this, I requested an additional candidate, but I was told the other one should be great. The second doula was also not a good fit. She kept emphasizing that at previous births hospital staff did not believe she was a birth doula (and thought she was just a family friend). It became clear why. I asked about her qualifications and she said she's working on her bachelor's degree even though she already has a master's degree. I thought this was strange and asked some follow up questions and ultimately could not determine what degree she had (maybe an associate's degree) or didn't have (definitely did not already have a master's). I also asked some basic medical questions about pain control and epidurals and she was not able to answer them. Ultimately we were able to find a wonderful birth doula through another matching company - experienced and with a real master's degree (in public health).