I have only wonderful things to say about Stork & Sprout! As our Postpartum Doula, Jordan was…read moreabsolutely amazing--kind, thoughtful, and incredibly supportive. She brought such a calm and positive energy into our home, and her flexibility and attentiveness made a world of difference for us. I especially appreciated how responsive she was--always replying to my texts quickly and with care. I'll always be grateful to both Britany and Jordan for supporting me during one of the most special--and chaotic--moments of our lives.

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 can't recommend Lydia-Carlie enough!! She's the entire package. I received a pain management…read moremassage from her. As someone who lives with chronic pain, finding relief is challenging. Lydia-Carlie truly has a magic touch. My pain was markedly improved after my massage - and she made me feel empowered the entire time, checking in with me and making sure I felt comfortable and at ease. Also, her knowledge of anatomy is next level!!! She has a better understanding of human anatomy than anyone I have ever received a massage from. Besides her massage skills, she's an all around caring and delightful human being. She's doing her work from a deep sense of purpose and you feel that. What a gift to us all that she has chosen to work in this field.

I was fortunate enough to get 2 prenatal massages from Lydia-Carlie. Both times, she throughly…read moreasked me about my concerned areas and was able to instantly make me feel better by addressing those concerns during the massages. She made the room super comfortable and spent the right amount of time checking in on me throughout my massages. I will definitely be coming back postpartum!

TLDR: Liat is incredible. If there's one thing I would recommend to help you through your labor,…read moreit's having her by your side. She was the best decision we could have made. My husband and I went back and forth for months about whether we wanted to include a doula in our birth experience. After a lot of discussion, we decided to hire one for two reasons: first, we wanted someone who could help us advocate for ourselves in the hospital so we could stay as close to our birth plan as possible. Second, we wanted someone who could physically support me throughout labor. Liat is truly one of the most incredible human beings I've ever met. She became such an essential part of my birth experience that, looking back, I genuinely don't think I could have done it without her. To make a very long story short, I chose to be induced at 41 weeks after a lot of pressure and fear mongering from my doctors due to elevated amniotic fluid levels. I labored at the hospital until my contractions reached a certain intensity, and then Liat joined us. The moment she arrived, she jumped right in--rubbing my back, talking me through each contraction, and bringing such a calming presence into the room. For the next seven hours, she coached both my husband and me through contractions that were every 2-3 minutes apart. She constantly adjusted my laboring positions to help my baby descend and was incredibly attentive to the fetal monitor. Anytime my baby's heart rate dipped during a contraction, she immediately repositioned me to help him tolerate labor better. Those seven hours somehow flew by. I labored on the birth ball, in the bed, in the bathroom, and even did lunges at one point! Liat was always thinking one step ahead, using every tool and technique she had to help labor progress naturally. Eventually, I reached a point where I decided to get an epidural. I was exhausted, in pain, and my baby was having a harder time tolerating the contractions, with his heart rate decelerating during each one. After the epidural, my labor was paused to help baby, and I was able to rest for about an hour. When I woke up, the nurses wanted to talk about interventions (even the possibility of a C-section) because my labor "wasn't progressing"--despite the fact that they had just given me medication to stop my contractions. Liat immediately stepped in and advocated for us. She calmly explained that labor couldn't progress without contractions and suggested restarting the Pitocin, giving it time to work, and then reassessing before making any decisions. Sure enough, labor picked back up beautifully. A few hours later, I was fully dilated and effaced, but my baby's station was still a little high. Liat spent what felt like hours gently rocking my hips and helping my baby naturally move farther down into my pelvis until it was finally time to push. She stayed by my side every step of the way until our son was born later that afternoon. If you're on the fence about hiring a doula, I cannot recommend Liat enough. She advocated for me every step of the way, helped me navigate unexpected twists in my labor, and supported both me and my husband physically and emotionally throughout the entire experience. Her knowledge, calm confidence, and compassion made all the difference. A few weeks after our son was born, Liat came to visit us at home, and it honestly felt like having family over. Liat, we are endlessly grateful for everything you did to help bring our son safely into this world. We love you, and we can't wait to have you by our side again when it's time to welcome our next baby. Love, The Zimmerman Family

I had the most wonderfully redemptive unmedicated VBAC a few weeks ago, and it is difficult to…read moreoverstate how critical of a role Liat played in making that happen. My first birth had gone much differently than I had hoped (preterm labor that led to immediate C-section due to breech positioning). I had come to terms with that experience, but I was surprised to find in my second pregnancy that it would be difficult to escape those "labels" from my first pregnancy, making it harder to be given a fair shot at having a vaginal birth. Thankfully, I found Liat whose passion for VBACs is infectious and whose no-nonsense approach is grounding. In our conversations before the birth, my husband and I both appreciated the balance of her approach - she strongly believes in the benefits of physiologic birth, but she also recognizes there is a time and place for medical intervention. My primary hope for this birth was that I wouldn't undergo any interventions that I wasn't convinced I needed, and she was a trustworthy sounding board throughout the entire pregnancy and delivery to ensure that was the case. This time around, my baby decided to stay inside long past the due date, so I agreed with my provider that it would be a good idea to induce. This was pretty disappointing for me, but Liat was wonderful at helping me stay in a good headspace in those final days, checking in frequently via texts and calls. When it came time for delivery, she was every bit as exceptional as all her other reviews describe. When she arrived at the hospital, she took one look at me and knew exactly how to change my environment to help me relax. Sure enough, labor accelerated rapidly after she arrived. She massaged my back through every single contraction. She knew exactly what to say to keep my mind present and focused. When she was talking me through my contractions, they were noticeably more efficient. At one point, I almost wanted to give up and she knew exactly how to keep me going. And sooner than I could have dared hope, my baby arrived. I'm pretty sure I professed my love for Liat minutes after giving birth :) And just as she had been for the entire pregnancy and labor, she was a constant comfort and encouragement to us in the minutes, days, and weeks after the delivery as well. Liat takes absolutely no BS, but is also the warmest and most compassionate woman you've ever met. She's exactly who you want at your birth. I know I want her at my next one!

Writing as the dad: hiring Mari made all the difference. She helped me understand my role in the…read moreprocess - what to do, when to step in, when to step back - which turned out to be huge during some critical decision moments. I came out of it more connected to my wife and our daughter than I ever expected. Warm, knowledgeable, never pushes an agenda. Highly recommend.

Mari is an incredible resource, and I'm so grateful to have had her support throughout my pregnancy…read moreand birth journey. I truly don't know if I would have had the outcome I hoped for without her guidance and encouragement. She is incredibly passionate and knowledgeable about the birthing process and she makes sure you feel informed and equipped to make decisions that feel right for you along the way. She's also warm, personable, and genuinely caring. You can tell she truly wants to help and support you throughout the experience. I really appreciated how much information she shared without ever making the process feel overwhelming. Her massages were also wonderful and helped alleviate so much of the discomfort I was experiencing during pregnancy. I would absolutely recommend Mari to anyone looking to demystify the birthing process, feel more confident in their choices, and have a knowledgeable, compassionate and supportive person in their corner throughout the journey.

My husband I are so grateful we found Marilou at fairly last min notice, she brought such a…read morewonderful, calming energy to our house to help with our 6 week old. Our daughter immediately took to Lu, as did our toddler, who loved to stop in to the nursery and say hi. Marilou helped us figure out bath time, feeding, and tummy issues, all with a super gentle approach that put both me and the baby at ease. While she was here I was able to truly rest, a rarity in those early PP weeks. I would highly recommend Marilou to anyone!! I teared up when she left!

My wife and I had Jordan from Doulas by the Bay help care for our newborn overnight from 11 p.m. to…read more7 a.m., and she quickly earned our trust. Jordan is young, eager, and incredibly attentive. Throughout every overnight shift, she remained awake and alert, always ready when our daughter needed her. Most importantly, she cared for our baby with the same patience and gentleness we would ourselves, which gave us tremendous peace of mind as new parents. Her reliability was equally impressive. She was consistently punctual, arriving between 10:58 and 11:00 p.m., and was always respectful and ready to help. Trusting someone with your newborn is no small thing. Jordan made that trust easy. I would confidently recommend both Jordan and Doulas by the Bay to my closest friends and family, and we'd happily welcome her back into our home. Thank you, Jordan, for taking such wonderful care of our little girl!

Have you ever met someone and thought to yourself, dang, that human was born to do this kind of…read morework and has a real gifting for it? That was my thought about Lauren after meeting her for the first time (she taught our 6 week birth prep course). This woman was in her element. She cared, she was knowledgeable, and and she lit up the room. To our pleasant surprise and an epic answer to prayer, she ended up being our doula and what a gift she was in that space for us too. Lauren knew when to say or do something and the art of not saying or doing. We ended up having a dream birth and I'm not sure I would have been able to do it without her support. She was a part of the dream birth. She came along and partnered with me and my husband in a way that complemented and strengthened. Lauren helped me to trust myself and my body. There are no guarantees with birth. I don't love Lauren because I had a dream birth; I love her because of who she is and am so grateful she was with us and for us in the tender, sacred space of birth. No doula is for everyone, but if something about her resonates with you, book a call to see if there's a match.

Lauren is incredible! She helped me bring both of my babies into the world and I couldn't imagine…read morethe birth experience without her. She brought such a truly compassionate, intuitive, calming, and empowering presence to the experiences, and navigated all of the twists and turns with us. She felt like part of the family, and made us feel so held throughout the entire process from prenatal to postpartum. I couldn't recommend Lauren more highly. I almost want to have another baby just to be able to work with her again! If you're considering hiring her, DO IT! She's the absolute best.

I found Lauren through the Evidence Based Birth website. I was so grateful to have a doula who was…read moreup to date on the research and would help support us in pushing against some unnecessary hospital conventions while still being generally pro-medicine. Lauren was very responsive and helpful throughout our pregnancy. We had great prenatal visits and texted and emailed about some concerns that arose. Lauren always replied promptly with great insight and calm. She was just the same way on the day I gave birth. I texted her early in the day that I was feeling contractions but I thought they might be Braxton Hicks. She suggested I focus on other things and time again in a few hours. Later that night it became clear I was going into labor. I waited a bit too long before asking Lauren to come - I had just started to feel the urge to push when she arrived. But I knew I was in safe hands. She drove me to the hospital while my husband grabbed our bag. Along the way she bent over so I could lean on her through the contractions. I gave birth to our beautiful baby girl 40 minutes after we arrived at the hospital. Lauren cooled my face with a cold towel and massaged me through the contractions. She also took lovely photos just after the birth. An hour later, I turned up my husband and said, "I could do that again." It was no doubt thanks in part to Lauren's emotional and physical support. She stayed another 2-3 hours after the birth as well to make sure we were all settled. Lauren has also been helping a new doula Emily train. Emily attended our birth as well and it was helpful to have her extra set of hands!

I sent an inquiry about availability and setting up a consultation for being my birth doula BUT…read moreShe's not accepting clients right now due to being a recent mom. I appreciated her prompt response to inform me.

Mama to Mama is a labor and postpartum doula service by Chris Pritchard (B.S. R.N., Doula,…read moreCertified Lactation Educator, Childbirth Educator). I first met Chris Pritchard when i was looking for a Duola. Chris was not available during the time that i was due (which was ok because i found an awesome Duola named Reise Tanner)- but when we spoke i felt an instant connection so a week after i gave birth I decided to use her postpartum duola services in addition to the support i was already getting from my Duola. [because you can never have enough support!!] Although i was a confident first time mother, like many others i needed a little bit of extra support with nursing and Chris provided outstanding lactation advice that ensured that i had a successful nursing experience with my daughter. Chris shared with me tips on everything from infant massage to making me feel calm that what the doctors where worried about the baby's bilirubin levels that it was just a normal level- prescribing continuous nursing and sunlight as opposed to medical intervention. To this day, Chris is a calming and influential guide in my mothering journey and i love her for that! If you are looking for birth services in SF or the Pennisula, i highly recommend Chris Prichard.

This review is long overdue but I cannot describe accurately in words how instrumentals Alicia was…read morefor the birth of our daughter. She was our first and I was set on an unmedicated vaginal birth, however, our little one was breach and I was experiencing preeclampsia and needed to make a lot of decisions quickly. Alicia was a fountain of resources as we tried to find the best and safest way to birth our daughter. Even though I ended up with a cesarean I am confident and content because I was a fully informed and active participant. I would have never been able to navigate the birthing process with so much self-advocacy without Alicia. She provided evidence-based research, a kind and warm demeanor and so many intangible benefits. The classes, the home visits, the whole process made us feel cared for and I am so grateful to have had her as a guide. I would recommend her 1000% and if we hadn't moved away from the Bay Area I would have loved to have her at any future birth we may be fortunate enough to have.

This review is a bummer to write, but after reading other reviews about communication delays and…read moreissues on the administrative end, it's clear i'm not the only one experiencing this issue and something needs to be seriously addressed. Alicia herself is wonderful, and we used her for placenta encapsulation in 2019. We had an overall good experience, so as we are nearing the birth of our 3rd baby, I reached back out to Alicia as a return client looking for placenta encapsulation again. It took 4 days to get an initial response to my email. Julia (Alicia's assistant) reached out to let me know Alicia is on maternity leave and had a few clarification questions to get the ball rolling with another doula. Unfortunately, I never heard from Julia or anyone else again. I've since left a voicemail and 4 follow-up emails with no response. If Born Doulas is too busy to accept me as a client, I would have appreciated hearing that upfront vs. just ghosting me, especially as a returning client. These types of customer service issues are just unacceptable, and if you are looking for a doula or placenta encapsulation company during the very delicate time of pregnancy and delivery, I recommend looking elsewhere and finding a company that cares about communication.

We found Veronica through BAND with our first daughter, and she made such an impression that when…read morewe learned we were expecting our second, we didn't even hesitate. We texted "Auntie V," as she's now known in our house, right away to secure her before anyone else could! We were overjoyed when she said yes. Having Veronica back felt like welcoming family home. She stepped in on day one as if she'd never left: calm, confident, and full of love for our new baby girl. There was no learning curve. She already knew us, our routines, and how we like to track feedings and diapers, so we could skip the getting-to-know-you phase and simply lean on her from the very first night. A second baby brings its own challenges, and this time we had a toddler to care for too. Knowing our newborn was in Auntie V's hands overnight meant we could actually sleep, and that rest made all the difference. We had the energy and patience to be present for our older daughter during a big transition, and to enjoy those early weeks instead of just surviving them. What we love most about Veronica is her rare combination of deep expertise and genuine warmth. She's a wealth of knowledge on everything from soothing and sleep to feeding and development, and she shares it in a way that builds your confidence rather than making you feel dependent. Just as important, she truly cares. You can see it in how she holds the baby, how she checks in on the parents, and how she celebrates every little milestone with you. Veronica isn't just our night doula; she's part of our family. We'd recommend her to anyone without a second thought, and we feel incredibly lucky to have had her by our side twice.

Janet L. was incredibly warm, kind, and compassionate when she helped us over the first couple of…read moremonths of our daughter's life! She blended into our new family seamlessly and was so helpful as we got used to life as a family of three. My husband had some tricky tech requests and she was super willing to work with us to get all the systems set up. She was beyond accomodating and was able to either wake me right before a feed or just handle the night feeds with pumped milk, depending on the night/timing. She was wonderful and helped us so much - would recommend her to anyone looking for a night doula!