Oh my god. Your search is over. Hire this amazing human being NOW. We hired Elizabeth for our first pregnancy and we regret nothing. We were already taking classes and knew I needed more support than just my already sleep deprived partner. She was phenomenal! Her calm, cool demeanor was something we needed when we didn't know what to do. I had BAD hip pain that I was having trouble managing on my own. After calling Elizabeth over, she knew exactly where to add pressure on my hips to relieve some of the pain before we hit the hospital. She suggested how to adjust the TENS unit patches to help manage such pain before heading over to the hospital. She even knudged when to go to the hospital. She was with us for all the decisions at the hospital (i.e. took the initiative to ask the anesthesiologist what to do when my epidural fell out. Originally the anesthesiologist gave us options but we wanted to know his recommendation). She even snapped the best birth photos! She kindly moved our stuff from the delivery room to the post partum unit. She truly listens to your concerns and wants the best for you and your family. I can sense the love and care from her. Elizabeth was wonderful and I truly believe with her help, we had a great delivery. Highly recommended :) Fyi Elizabeth had a similar structure to most Doulas in the area: 2 prenatal zoom visits, labor and delivery support, and 1 post natal visit. read more

Doula Elizabeth - Doulas Near Me

Hiring a doula for one of the most intimate moments of your life is a hard task, and I couldn't be happier that I found doula Elizabeth. She brings years of birthing experience, so much knowledge, and a warm calm personality to the delivery room. Her prenatal visits helped calm any nerves I had, and she was so helpful in setting expectations and birth plans. During labor she was immensely helpful- suggesting positions, keeping me hydrated, a hand to hold, applying warm compresses, and checking in with the medical team. She always knew what to do! Her help also allowed my partner to be present in the birth experience by not having to worry as much as we welcomed our first baby. I hoped to have an intervention free birth in hospital, which isn't necessarily the easiest thing to have, and with doula Elizabeth's help I was able to achieve that. Welcoming my baby in a happy, calm, peaceful environment was such an amazingly wonderful experience. If you're looking for a wonderfully caring and super knowledgeable doula- look no further. Doula Elizabeth is amazing! read more

Elizabeth was the best possible doula we could have hoped for to help support us through the birth of our first child. We were introduced via a recommendation from one of our friends, and we couldn't be more grateful! From her deep well of experience to her practical and calming demeanor, she made not just the birth, but the months leading up to it far more relaxing. I'd highly recommend hiring her to support your family! read more

Elizabeth is exactly the kind of support we needed to bring our first baby boy into the world in May 2019 and we cannot recommend her enough! We first met her at the Meet the Doula event hosted by Natural Resources. She was direct but with humor when describing her philosophy in the group to a room full of expecting parents. We immediately liked her demeanor and wanted to work with her. The sense of comfort and trust continued to grow during subsequent prenatal in-home visits and communications. She was always a calming and warm presence but also remained clear about her areas of expertise vs items we should seek medical guidance the entire time, which we appreciated. I had a very long labor process after going in for induction at 42 weeks. Elizabeth gave us the space to go through the early part ourselves and joined later on and at night to provide my husband with some relief. I had back labor the entire time because of the baby's position and Elizabeth's back massages was essential in getting me through those medically induced contractions. She also put me in the bath and continued to massage and comfort me the whole night and I was actually able to fall asleep in the tub and rest a little. After 2 and half days, I went into an unplanned c-section as my water had broken the previous day. Elizabeth insisted on getting into the operating room with us as soon as they would let her. With our permission, she took pictures of the first moments when we met our baby boy when taking photos was the last thing we would have been able to do ourselves. Those images will remain a treasurer for the rest of our lives. She checked in on us when we were in the recovery room and after we got home and showed us how to wear the baby in the moby wrap. It was such a privilege to be able to work with her and we can't be more grateful. read more

If you are wondering whether or not to get a birthing doula... DO IT! And it doesn't get better than Elizabeth. My husband was on the fence, but the moment she first came over to our place she immediately made us feel at ease. She strikes the perfect balance between professional and personal, and has a very soothing & maternal vibe. Having her was incredibly valuable - worth every penny! Here are the main reasons I would recommend her: (1) Experience: It was so comforting to work with someone who has SO much experience. I believe she has attended 100+ births, so she has seen it all! She also had a ton of experience working with Kaiser in San Francisco, so she was able to tell us all about the facility and the hospital staff before the big day. She was also super helpful in advising us when we should go to the hospital once I was in labor. (2) Prenatal Care: Elizabeth came to our house for two prenatal visits that were around 1-2 hours each. She spend time going over what to expect throughout the entire labor and birthing process, and answering ALL of our questions. She also helped to build our birth plan, and provided recommendations for the best local prenatal services when asked (acupuncture, body services, etc.). (3) Advocate at hospital: Elizabeth had memorized our birth plan, and helped communicate to the hospital staff when we were otherwise occupied ;). There were a few controversial wishes on our birth plan that she stood up for us on when we were challenged by the staff. (4) Hands-on: She was very hands-on during labor, which was paramount for me. I had horrible back labor because my little one was sunny-side up, and Elizabeth applied a hot compress and pressure to my back during every contraction while my husband held me from the front. Also (SORRY IF TMI), she provided a compress for my perineum during pushing to help prevent tearing...which BTW I did not tear at all! She always asked me before touching me, which I appreciated because I know some women don't like to be touched during labor. In my case, it was a Godsend! I will 100% be using Elizabeth's services again for my second child, and highly recommend her to anyone! read more

You could not ask for a better doula than Elizabeth! We interviewed a few doulas & went with Elizabeth because of her calm energy & wealth of experience, both as a working doula & a mother. It was great to meet with her before the birth to get to know each other. She had advice & info that was not in our birthing classes we took at the hospital. She helped us make the decision of when to go to the hospital. Once we were at the hospital, she had great communication & came to meet us in the middle of the night (even after attending another birth earlier that day). She really helped my husband & I make it through some stressful moments during the birth. I really can't express how meaningful her presence was to us as a family. To top it all off she took some beautiful photos at the birth (with our permission, of course!) that we will treasure always. There are so many difficult decisions when it comes to being pregnant & having a baby, but this is an easy one! Hire Elizabeth & you won't be disappointed! If we plan to have another baby, I will definitely want to work with Elizabeth again! read more

Elizabeth was our Doula an she was amazing. We had an unexpected early induction birth at a hospital that could never have been predicted that lasted 3 days, where she was our effective advocate for the type of birth we wanted. When things got tricky, she wasn't phased, there is no bodily fluid that frightens her, and on top of this, she is great with babies! She also took some fascinating pictures of the birth process that were good to look at afterwards and had recommendations for prenatal massage, placenta encapsulators and postpartum doulas. read more

Elizabeth is so wonderful, she has such a calming presence and a lot of experience. We were referred to Elizabeth by another friend that delivered just a few months before us. Honestly, I wasn't even into the idea of a doula, but after being told that "it's like having an (knowledgeable) advocate on your side while you're sitting in the hospital for hours during labor", that was enough for it to make sense. When we met her, we really liked her demeanor, she was very genuine and attentive, and we didn't need to meet anyone else to know she was the one. We met with her a few more times before the delivery of Henry in July 2016. She was informative and professional, each and every time. She is also very down to earth and easy going, which was important to us. On the fateful night, Elizabeth was there to respond to my every text and help my partner deal with me while the contractions escalated. She rushed to our home and accompanied us to the hospital, and was there very step of the way as I very quickly delivered Henry. She was very helpful and calming for my partner as he waited while I underwent an emergency procedure post-delivery, I am very glad he didn't have to just sit there with the baby freaking out! We highly recommend Elizabeth and would be more than happy to hop on a call or even meet you for coffee to answer any questions you might have. read more

So if you are like me, your first question about a doula was "what is a doula?" This was followed immediately by, "do I need a doula?" Here is the best way I've found to answer these questions: imagine yourself at a world class modern art museum. And let's assume that you don't have an advanced degree in art history. Sure, you can wander around the museum, look pensively at things glued to other things and get something out of it. But most likely, you'd come away knowing that there was a lot more you could have gotten out of that experience if only some expert was there to be your guide and answer your questions on demand. Well, consider a doula your docent who guides you through something far more complicated and stressful than the works of Andy Warhol. What any individual doula offers may vary, but typically there are a few pre-birth home visits to talk you through the birth process, see how you're doing, and answer your questions. Then on game day, they'll come to your home and do everything they can to make you comfortable, allowing you to spend a bit more time in your comfy home environment instead of in the less comfy hospital environment. Finally at the hospital, the doula is there to answer your questions, provide another set of hands, help you execute your birth plan and generally make the experience better. Elizabeth excelled in all of these areas. She was a calming, reassuring, positive presence before, during and after the birth of our son. I can't point to any single thing she did that made her so helpful, but she was just this general force for good making everything about this hectic day just a little less hectic. Speaking selfishly, I think an under-appreciated role of the doula is keeping dads-to-be grounded and sane. At some point, nature, doctors and the mom-to-be are going to be doing their thing and dads are left trying desperately to be helpful but not always knowing how to go about that. Elizabeth was invaluable in guiding me on what would be useful, answering my stupid questions, giving me someone to talk to when I was stressed but didn't want to show my wife that I was stressed and maybe most importantly, telling me to eat something, a surprisingly easy thing to forget to do. I get the sense that she's also excellent at reading her clients and will become whatever doula you need her to be. If you're on the more liberal end of the birth process spectrum, she'll help you with that. If you're like us and are mostly going to follow the default hospital playbook but want a little extra help, she's got you covered there, too. So do you *need* a doula? No, you don't. But will one, and Elizabeth in particular, make your birth experience better? I can pretty much guarantee it. read more

I find myself at a loss to accurately yet succinctly explain how invaluable Elizabeth was during the labor and delivery of our first child. I believe her presence helped my wife to have as close to a natural birth as was possible given a number of complications throughout. After interviewing four or five doulas, we knew Elizabeth was the perfect choice. She has it all: calming disposition, insane amount of knowledge, tons of experience (both as a doula and mom to 7! kids), an understanding of the policies and politics of most of the SF hospitals, and a firm belief that there is no "perfect" delivery that all women must ascribe to have. During the labor and delivery, Elizabeth was amazing, focusing the majority of her time and attention on my wife but also making time to encourage and help me too. I'm pretty sure I would have been a dehydrated, physically exhausted, and/or completely crazy without her assistance and kind words. Also, she took a bunch of amazing photos throughout we'll cherish for decades. I wouldn't say (like some other reviewers) that we got exactly the birth we wanted, but without her I have no idea how different (and frankly, bad) it could have gone. Like I said before, Elizabeth's help was invaluable and I'm so happy she was our doula. read more

Elizabeth's Doula Service was the best investment we could have made for giving birth to our lovely son. From the first moment we met Elizabeth we fell in love with her due to her calm and confident personality. Together with her my husband and I prepared our birthing plan, she gave us plenty of information and prepared us perfectly for our labor. Furthermore, she gave us different books that matched with our birthing plan and lent us her Elle Tens to get familiar with it. At 41 and 4 days, our care provider recommended to induce labor due to a low amniotic fluid. From this moment on, we were non stop in contact with Elizabeth via phone or text. She responded fast and guided us by asking the right questions. When it became serious, she joined us in the hospital. There she completely advocated for us and our birth plan. She helped me in coping with the pain, continuously suggested new positions and teamed up perfectly with my husband. Elizabeth brought a rocking chair in the best moment, a soup when I was running out of energy and always encouraged me to follow my birth plan even when I wanted to give up. After 48 hours of contractions we have been able to deliver our baby unmedicated, without any further complications and without a c-section - all thanks to Elizabeth. My husband was not a big fan of getting a doula in the beginning of our labor and had to be convinced first. Now, going through pregnancy and specifically through labor with Elizabeth, my husband is the biggest advocate of doulas. He says, he would never want to go into a labor without doula support. He often felt helpless in the hospital and Elizabeth's knowledge helped him a lot to stay calm, positive and confident in what we were doing. Me and my husband highly recommend working with Elizabeth! She is amazing. read more

It's rare to be able to buy confidence, but Elizabeth provided that for me and my wife. As other reviewers have mentioned, Elizabeth has an uncanny knack for spotting needs or anxiety and addressing them thoughtfully and effortlessly. We got exactly the birth we wanted and she really helped to make that happen. Our prenatal visits with Elizabeth were really helpful but laid back. She provided very well-structured information (e.g. birth plans, what to expect at the hospital, etc.) that made us feel more prepared. Those visits were relaxed, however, drinking a glass of wine and informally getting answers to all our questions. We interviewed other doulas but chose Elizabeth because she has lots of experience with clients and her own children. She's practical and offers opinions from her experience but is not ideological. She also never seemed to offer her personal opinion until we asked for it, instead she focused on knowing what we wanted first or what our real worries were. read more

We feel so lucky to have worked with Elizabeth from our initial meeting to her at-home visit after the birth. She is calm, confident, thoughtful, and always one step ahead. She made us feel supported and more confident in our decisions throughout the process. During my long labor, she was there every step of the way, from helping us decide when was the right time to head to the hospital to tough decisions during labor. She helped us talk through every decision without judgment. My husband was very grateful for Elizabeth's thoughtful guidance so that he could better help and support me during labor. It's also obvious that the hospital staff knew her and respected her. Her services were worth every penny. Thank you, Elizabeth! read more

Elizabeth is an incredibly experienced, genuine, kind, and calming doula. My husband and I truly connected with her when we met. The main reasons I'd highly recommend Elizabeth as a doula: 1) Communication style: Elizabeth felt like part of our family from the beginning. She's an active, empathetic listener. While her vast experience includes attending many (many!) births and having children of her own, it never felt like she had an "agenda." She gave sound advice without judgment and always centered her recommendations on the preferences we expressed. And of course, she replies speedily to emails and texts. 2) Lifelong learning: As we were considering other doulas, we felt that there were some who were dogmatic -- convinced that their approach to helping with labor/delivery was the one "right" way. Elizabeth is open-minded and curious and told us that she learns new things from every birth. We appreciated that about her. As it turned out, the birth of our baby coincided with Elizabeth being at another birth, so she couldn't attend my labor/delivery. However, her substitute Vincenza Petrilli was fantastic. Check out my review of Vincenza here: https://www.yelp.com/biz/vincenza-petrilli-san-francisco?hrid=bvWJLLYYf-HOHklXWH-fLg&utm_campaign=www_review_share_popup&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=(direct) Even though she didn't have to, Elizabeth still came by for a postpartum visit to check on us and our baby. We are looking forward to keeping in touch with her. read more

Elizabeth is an amazing woman and an exceptional doula--I can't recommend her highly enough! We met with Elizabeth a couple of times before the birth of our daughter. She always made it clear to me and my husband that she was there to support our wishes and to help us have the birth that we wanted, with no agenda of her own. She is non-judgemental and answered even our most basic questions with earnest professionalism. We had gone to birthing classes at Kaiser, but I found Elizabeth's insider experience much more helpful in setting my expectations. She laid out the possible outcomes plainly and let us know where we had wiggle room in dealing with hospital policies. We found Elizabeth to be a confident and informed advocate for birthing families. She is assertive while still being sensitive and respectful to all parties, and I felt confident in letting her speak for me while I stayed focused on labor. Elizabeth radiates a calm strength that I found inspirational even prior to my birthing experience. I was grateful for that energy during labor and delivery and think she somehow managed to transfer some of it to me! Elizabeth made me feel completely safe and cared for while also letting me do my own thing. She made helpful suggestions gently and provided hands-on pain relief when necessary. It always felt easy to trust her instincts given her manner and wealth of experience. I'm not sure how she does it all, but she also took AMAZING photos of the birth while still attending to me. I was initially undecided about the prospect of a photo shoot at the intense moment of delivery, but now I am SO grateful to have her beautiful snaps of my newborn. If you're on the fence at all, just say yes! Thank you for everything, Elizabeth! read more

Elizabeth was amazing and an essential part of our extremely positive experience with the birth of our first child. Meeting with her in advance helped us all get to know each other, and also helped my husband and me get in tune with our feelings towards birth and different procedures that might come up. Just knowing she would be on hand during the labor eased both of our anxieties. During the labor itself, she was a calm coach who's attention and support let me feel confident focusing only on getting through my contractions. Ie, I wasn't worrying about timing contractions or when to leave for the hospital, or what to bring. And at the hospital she anticipated all my needs - bringing me juice and cold compresses to help keep my energy up. She also stayed with us after the birth to help ease into the hospital and enjoy the moment. Having never considered a Doula until a few months prior to giving birth, I am a total convert, and have Elizabeth to thank for that. I recommend her & Doulas in general to all my friends! read more

My husband and I hired Elizabeth to be the birth doula for our first child born in June 2018. At first my husband wasn't sure whether we needed a doula, but upon meeting Elizabeth and hearing about the support she provided, he was sold. :) For us, the great value of having Elizabeth be part of our delivery was the wealth of experience she brought with her. She's attended so many different deliveries that she could reassure us about what is normal and what choices we had throughout the process. This made us both feel much more confident about the experience going into it. During the delivery, which was incredibly long and ended in an unexpected c-section, Elizabeth helped us stay sane and focused. I believe she was especially helpful for my husband and providing him moral support (I was a bit busy!) and encouragement when things didn't go according to plan. For that, both of us are grateful! We really appreciated having Elizabeth there with us throughout the process, and we would highly recommend her to anyone looking for a good birth doula! read more

There is a reason Elizabeth has so many five stars here on Yelp: she is as good as it gets! We are eternally grateful to her for being on our team for our daughter's birth & fully supporting us in having a successful VBAC. We liked Elizabeth immediately because she is warm, relaxed, down-to-earth, has a lifetime of experience & is no-nonsense... just the way you want someone during a birth! Most of our prenatal sessions involved chatting, getting to know one another, & talking about how we would potentially like to do our second birth differently. Elizabeth was sweet & enthusiastic about us having a VBAC & we felt tremendously supported. The night we went into labor, Elizabeth brought it! She was at the hospital when we arrived & was by our side throughout, soothing me, massaging me, chatting with me for hours (when I finally got an epidural & my husband tried to sleep), & being an overall smart & savvy advocate for us at the hospital. Oh! And when it came time to birth the baby, Elizabeth turned into a photographer & captured the entire birth. In the end, with her support, we had the birth we dreamed of. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts, Elizabeth. I write this review one-handed with a baby on my lap because you are awesome. read more

Doula Elizabeth - Elizabeth & Adeline - Doulas Near Me

It's hard to find the words to express our love and appreciation for Elizabeth. She was our doula for 45+ hours of labor, she held us both as we navigated the complexity of a birth that went in a number of unexpected directions. Through the highs and the lows (and there were many, of both) Elizabeth's depth of experience and expertise, her compassion, love and sturdiness made us feel safe, supported and relaxed. She'll be a member of our family forever. We simply cannot imagine having gone through birth without her. She's easily, without a doubt the best decision we made in our pregnancy and childbirth journey. read more

My wife and I hired Elizabeth to assist with the birth of our first child. Not knowing what to expect-both from the pregnancy/birth process or from working with a doula- we were beyond pleased with our decision to select her. From our initial meeting, it was clear that Elizabeth is special-grounded, practical, respectful of our wishes and informed to the gills, we didn't ever feel we were working with someone looking to force an approach on us, even when our wishes involved traditional, hospital-style decisions. Having been a mother multiple times herself, Elizabeth made my wife and I both immediately feel comfortable and at ease. Throughout all of our prenatal meetings, her experience and support gave us a tremendous amount of confidence heading into the birth. We'd later need all the confidence we could get. My wife's labor did not go as expected. Luckily both she and our wonderful daughter emerged happy and healthy, but the complications and difficulty she experienced were trying to say the least. Despite the complications, my wife was able to stick as close to our birth plan as possible- minimal interventions, minimal drugs and most thankfully, no cesarean. I am 100% certain this would not have been the case without Elizabeth's help. Both leading up to and during the delivery, Elizabeth's support, compassion, knowledge, encouragement...and humor when needed...were a godsend. She provided a continual reminder of my wife's strength and allowed us to maintain a calm focus throughout. Elizabeth helped us actually enjoy and cherish our daughters arrival when it easily could have included a lot of fear and stress. In the end, my wife is immeasurably happy with her decision to stick to her plan, I am amazed at her fortitude and courage, and we have Elizabeth to thank in large part. Since our baby girl's arrival, Elizabeth has visited several times, well outside of her contractual obligations, to check on my wife's recovery and spend time with the little lady. Though we hired her as a doula, we've now made a good friend who shared the most special experience my wife and I have gone through. I would recommend Elizabeth to anyone and everyone looking for a doula. read more

What else can I say ? It seems like all those wonderful reviews cover beautifully how incredible Elizabeth is. She is... Maybe the fact that she has had 7 kids make her the most compassionate Doula in the world ... Elizabeth is so great that I want her to move in with us and live with us :) Not only she truly helped my pretty wife have a wonderful birth but she also made sure that the future dad was getting his share of support and action. She was keeping an eye on me at all times while providing top notch support to my gorgeous wife. My fantastic wife had a small issue while having contractions and Elizabeth was able to pinpoint the issue and showed great resourcefulness to solve the issue and make my foxy wife feel better. My stunning wife, little baby and I owe a lot to Elizabeth. She has made the birth of our cutie little girl the most amazing experience in our life. She did such a good job that my beautiful wife who has always wanted one baby said 3 minutes after the birth, " I want 2 more now" Make yourself a favor, make your birth the experience it should be, hire Elizabeth. Thank you Elizabeth. Thank you. read more

Writing a review for Elizabeth feels like writing a review for a family member... I really can't imagine my birth experience without Elizabeth. I originally wanted a doula to offer support and advocacy in the delivery room, and Elizabeth far exceeded those wishes, and in ways I had not foreseen. Having an expert by your side during that incredible day is priceless, and there is really no one more fit for the role than Elizabeth. I personally promise that you will be so thankful that she was a part of your experience, but because every birth is so different and unpredictable, probably in a way you least expect. read more

Elizabeth was incredibly helpful before, during and after the birth of our first child. We had a TON of questions and Elizabeth was patient and informed, and importantly, when asked for it she would share her opinion, which we found really refreshing. She shared books, recommended and attended classes, told us what gear we *really* needed, and generally prepared us for a super positive birthing experience. And during labor she was amazing. We don't feel we would have had the birth experience we really wanted without her and we will most certainly want and need her help for preparation and delivery of our future kids. I cannot recommend her more highly. Get Elizabeth on your team and you'll be set up to have the birth experience you truly want! read more

Hiring Elizabeth as my doula was one of the best decisions I could have made during my pregnancy. I wanted a labor experience that was peaceful, natural, and transformative. Elizabeth provided that and more. Firstly, she helped me create an informed and no-nonsense birth plan by giving clear and informed answers to all of our questions. She specifically talked my partner and I through procedural/medical treatments and aftercare all without pressure or judgment. She was very familiar with UCSF too. Her breadth of experience and rapport with medical staff cannot be beat. Elizabeth also took a lot of the worry and stress off of my partner and I during labor. (She even ordered breakfast and made me a milkshake after I gave birth). Her calm demeanor throughout the experience created space to focus on the moments that truly mattered to our family. She helped us feel safe, happy, and loved. Most importantly, I could not have had the sacred experience that I did without her. Her confidence, reassurance, and guidance made it possible for me to keep working when I was afraid I wouldn't make it to the end. I recommend Elizabeth to anyone looking for a doula and would hire her for all of my future births. read more

My husband and I hired Elizabeth through a friends recommendation. We were not disappointed. Although we had hoped for a natural birth, our son was breech and so we had to have a C-section. Elizabeth was with us throughout the entire process, providing empathic support and information for how to flip the baby, etc. She is kind and gentle and has a good sense of humor which does wonders when you are stressed out. She was with us in the delivery room and after wards. She took pictures, helped with breastfeeding, and paid us a visit postpartum. She really listens. I cant say enough good things about Elizabeth. She knows her stuff, has lots of experience, and great resources. Most of all, she is supportive of what ever you want and is there to care for you, your partner, and your baby. Thank you Elizabeth! read more

Elizabeth is the best! This is a once in a lifetime experience and I am so glad we were able to go through it with Elizabeth. We knew within the first 5 minutes of meeting her, she was perfect. She was so helpful, thoughtful and caring throughout the entire process. I could go on and on. I can't say enough amazing things about her. Thank you Elizabeth for coming into our lives. read more

Elizabeth is amazing! She had a good sense of how and when to intervene while being respectful of our space. I felt at ease knowing she was there to guide us and support us. She empowered me in so many ways and comforted me when I needed it most. She stayed with us over night at the hospital with barely any rest and took care of things before we even thought of them. I highly recommend working with Elizabeth! read more

Doula Elizabeth - Doulas Near Me

If I could give Elizabeth more than 5 stars I would. I work in the birthing profession and know so many excellent doulas it was hard to choose, but when it came time for my own birth I choose her for my own personal reasons. For one she has had lots of children herself in both hospital and home settings. Elizabeth does not overstep her boundaries and offer medical advice, she can tell you what her experience with birthing mommas has been, but makes it clear it is no way her advocating a particular procedure or plan of care. She is non judgmental. I wanted someone who would respect my own birth plan without trying to direct it based on their own personal bias. She is kind and has a wonderful presence in the room. She holds space quietly when you need peace, but is always there listening and ready to act. At one point I asked everyone to coach me through pushing and to yell at me to push for motivation and she participated (former athletes might understand this desire.) Then later on I wanted silence with only my midwife cuing me gently and she listened. When I NEEDED Gatorade, she got it so my husband could stay with me. When my husband wanted to step out to see family she was there. She never left me to go home to sleep even though my 22hr labor started at 11pm and she was just coming off another birth. Throughout 5 hrs of pushing she offered great suggestions, like changing positions when things would plateau/stall. (Thx to The Lotus Method for giving me the physical strength to endure this.) She was there for my husband during the moments where he was afraid things weren't going well. Elizabeth was there with a comforting hand and willing to provide manual support as needed, except it turned out I was the type who didn't like being touched and she respected that. I don't know how to say this next part without TMI so the faint of heart stop reading now... I felt too much pressure on my perineum and anus with pushing. I needed constant manual support. She was there with a gloved hand providing it. I firmly believe this played a role in me not suffering hemorrhoids or having a perineal tear - of course I did my own prep (thx to Annemarie at Miracle PT and WellPelvis.com) but Elizabeth did not bat an eyelash at this request. She also took amazing photos that make me cry every time I look at them. I have no idea how she did it all, but she did. After it was all done she made me milkshake and made sure I felt comfortable with the baby before she left us. Her follow visit in my home was great. We spoke about my current challenges offering recommendations/support people who could help. She earnestly wanted to know what she could do better. My only recommendation: teach others so that your style and experience can be present at so many more births than you can physically. Thank you to her one million times over. I'm sure I'm leaving things out as I type this at 4:26 am feeding my baby and for that I apologize because she deserves every positive accolade I can give her. read more

We were so thankful to have Elizabeth by our side during the birth of our baby. I cannot imagine having gone through this without her and would highly recommend her to any expecting parents. She was such a great asset - just knowing she was there made me feel exponentially better, especially as we navigated the twists and turns of a challenging birth. She helped prepare us for the birth, knew exactly where to push on my wife's hips, even brought candles for the shower. I really liked her style of communication - she was calm, super well-informed and helpful without being pushy. Having been through this many times herself, she also has a ton of experience. read more

My sweet baby girl is 6 months old and Elizabeth was such a wonderful help in getting her here. When my husband and I were interviewing doulas, we were questionable after meeting each one. But when we met Elizabeth, as soon as she walked out the door we looked at each other and simultaneously said, "Yes!" She was onboard with what we envisioned and hoped our birth experience would be and was very knowledgeable and willing to be a guide in any decisions we would need to make during the birth process. Well, my labor experience was VERY long! My water broke at midnight on Thursday and 45 hours later my baby arrived. But it was the most amazing experience I've ever had and everything was pretty much calm and serene the whole time. I owe so much of that to Elizabeth helping to set the mood and tone in the delivery room... talking to the hospital staff, drawing me a bath with flameless candles and music (I spent a lot of time in there!), making sure my husband was taken care of and well rested and guiding him in ways to participate in my labor, interacting with my family who was in the waiting room and keeping them informed on my progress, and being my rock and someone that I could ask any questions to and respecting my wants and needs throughout. And she was a super trooper for sticking it out with me for almost 2 days! Elizabeth also stepped in as an amazing postpartum doula for us when my mom broke her foot and couldn't be there to help us out for the first few weeks we had the baby home. She was very flexible with her schedule and was there whenever we needed her. She taught us a lot about how to handle having a baby at home and that life with a newborn was doable! We were scared and tired and she was the peace we needed. I had some troubles breastfeeding also during the first week and she contacted lactation consultants that she knew and really worked with me to try to get my little one to latch so I could successfully breastfeed. By week two we were going at it like pros! All in all, we worked with Elizabeth for about 3 weeks from birth to postpartum. When she said we were ready to be on our own, I was proud she saw that in us but was sad to be without her. I felt like she became a part of our family and got to know us during our most vulnerable time. I would so love to have Elizabeth as our doula again when we decide to give baby #2 a try! read more

Elizabeth was the doula for our home birth with our first son. Elizabeth was actually our back-up doula, but I couldn't imagine having someone else at the birth now. I went into labor at 11:00pm and Elizabeth came around 2:00am. She showed up at our house with an amazing balance of energy and calm. I remember her walking into the room and immediately making suggestions and taking over -- in the best way possible. Within minutes I had fresh water to drink and a heating pad on my back (I had very painful back labor). My husband and I were so glad to have someone there who understood the process and could help us along this labor journey. Although much of the labor is a bit of a blur, Elizabeth was by my side for the next 8.5 hours talking me through the labor process. She had incredible physical stamina to continue supporting me through back labor (which required her to be in interesting positions to massage my back). When the contractions got very intense, I remember her whispering in my ear to help me manage the pain and keep calm and focused. I don't remember asking Elizabeth for anything ... she just made things appear that I needed. Once the midwives arrived and took over the show, she was still an integral part of the birth team. After the birth, she made me delicious food, helped tidy up the house and do whatever would serve the birth team, my husband and our new little family. To be honest, when we were considering hiring a doula, I wasn't exactly sure what her role would be. Now I know that doulas are a coach, a caretaker, a motivator, a friend, and there to think of everything you need before you need it. She was an integral part of my birth team and I would highly recommend her to anyone considering a doula for a home (or a hospital) birth. read more

I can't say enough wonderful things about Elizabeth. Our primary doula -- Vincenza Petrilli (also amazingly wonderful) -- was out of town, so Elizabeth was our doula for our epic 48 hour adventure. Her experience with the medical staff at St. Lukes, her calm demeanor, and her attention to details that made both my husband and I feel cared for and supported were invaluable. It wasn't the birth experience that we had hoped for, but Elizabeth helped make it as pleasant and positive as possible throughout. I can't recommend her highly enough! read more

We LOVED and APPRECIATED our work with Elizabeth. She was exactly what we wanted, needed, and expected from a Doula. She was always professional in every sense of the word. She was supportive and informative at times when my husband and I needed it the most. We were concerned about a few things after finding out that we could not have a home birth and were going to be forced to give birth in a hospital. Elizabeth was able to very quickly ease our tension about the western approach to childbirth. We knew what they were going to do to our baby as soon as he was born, how to say NO to things we did not want for our baby, and because I was induced, she was able to walk us through the process, meds to choose, worst case scenarios, and she gave us an all around comfort about what we were going to be up against. Unfortunately, because my induction was a last minute push and I was three weeks early, she wasn't in the delivery room. BUT, she gave us the tools we needed to support each other in the delivery room, how to give up control to a greater power, and gave us a confidence that we could do this! She loves what she does and she cares about her clients. Elizabeth has found her true calling in life. She has passion, confidence, a level headed approach to your unchartered or chartered territory!! :-) This was my first and I can honestly say that I am SO GLAD we contacted her before I had to go in. Hospital staff are (for the most part) great, but they do things a certain way. They are used to doing it that way. And, unless you know better, you won't know what they are doing half the time. Elizabeth told us things that only a Doula would 1. Know, and 2. Know better. Believe me, we wouldn't have known a couple of things if it were not for Elizabeth's experience. I even brought up a few interactions I had with staff previous to my induction and Elizabeth was able to explain WHY they probably said what they said and how to deal with it emotionally. Anyway, if you are looking for someone knowledgeable, accountable, trust worthy, and friendly, you have found who you are looking for with Elizabeth. read more

My wife and I had an incredible birth experience thanks in large part to our good fortune in finding Elizabeth. My wife wanted to have a natural birth (if possible/safe) in a hospital environment in case there were complications... We ended up at UCSF, and since Elizabeth was both a known and trusted commodity there, the nursing staff left us alone for almost the entire labor. Elizabeth was a calming and helpful and human presence from day one and helped alleviate our jitters and anxieties while preparing us for the things that were most challenging. Our postpartum visit with Elizabeth was also really sweet and helpful... We worked on getting a good latch, figured out how to use the more exotic baby carriers, and reflected on the birth and parenting in general. All in all, we absolutely love Elizabeth and wouldn't have changed a thing about our experience with her. read more

Basically, we concur with what all the other five-star reviews have said. The depth of Elizabeth's experience was staggering, which enabled her to walk us through everything that was to come, every step of the way. She not only let us know what to expect, but was invaluable each time we needed to make a decision, and she never made us feel like there was a "wrong" answer re: how we wanted the birth process to unfold. We were scheduled for induction, and were nervous about it, but she supported us throughout the entire 36-hour process. (She has tremendous stamina.) Though it wasn't the natural hospital birth we we'd envisioned, Elizabeth's calm wisdom and guidance gave us confidence and left us feeling like we'd made the best choices for our circumstances. Not only would we recommend her to anyone, she frankly makes us wonder why anyone would want to deliver a baby without someone like her. read more

I couldn't have done it without her! Elizabeth was such a great support for us. She was by our side the whole way. I wanted to try to have a natural child birth and Elizabeth was very supportive and encouraging. She was just as supportive and encouraging when my feelings changed hours into labor and I wanted to go with an epideral. She was informative and helpful right from our first visit through the moment we held baby Nicholas in our arms. While at the hospital, she looked me in the eyes and told me, I could do it, I could do it, over and over again when I didn't think I could. She rubbed my back for hours, she snuck me a few ice chips when I HAD to have one. She reassured and stayed with my husband when I was rushed off for a c-section. Priceless! I thought that I was an especially good candidate for a Doula since we don't have family in town and we weren't sure my mom would make for the labor. After working with Elizabeth I can say that whether you have your mom, siblings, friends or all of the above, I would still want Elizabeth with you for this journey. I wondered if we had made the right decision investing in a Doula (the cost etc) and the answer is absolutely! Thank you for everything! Warm Regards, Amy, Andy & Nicholas read more

This is a long-overdue review for Elizabeth, who was our doula for the birth of our son in August 2016. We weren't sure if we wanted to have a doula, but when we met Elizabeth, we were quickly calmed by her presence, knowledge, kindness, and open-mindedness. I had worried that a doula may pressure us to make certain decisions (we probably skew a little bit more towards medication and intervention than many people who use a doula), but Elizabeth was completely dedicated to us having the birth that we wanted, while being practical and offering advice at the same time. She was always responsive, and we felt that we had an advocate on our side leading up to a pretty unknown and intimidating process. She was super familiar with UCSF, where I gave birth, which was a huge comfort given that we largely had no familiarity with the providers there and were not sure what to expect. During what turned out to be a pretty long labor and delivery process, Elizabeth was really essential. She was calming, but no-nonsense with the staff when we needed her to be. One of the most valuable moments came when there was a bit of a conflict between what we (and the nurse) wanted to do and what the doctor wanted us to do. Elizabeth took so much of the stress out of that situation, went to bat for us in a calm yet strong way, and helped the labor to proceed in a way that we were comfortable with. She remained present and available throughout the process, but also gave us our space and time when we were in calmer moments waiting for things to happen. She was also a fantastic cheerleader during the pushing process! When at times it felt like the doctor was just telling me to do better, she was an encouraging voice telling me I was doing great - which is exactly what I needed. She also helped give my husband guidance in how he could give me support, for which he was very grateful. In addition, when our son was born he was pretty quickly admitted to the NICU where he stayed for almost a week for some blood sugar problems. Though this ultimately turned out to be a relatively non-serious problem, having your first baby go straight to the NICU, combined with being sleep-deprived and in the physical and emotional aftermath of childbirth, this was obviously a really stressful and confusing time. Elizabeth went FAR above and beyond, staying with us for a lot longer than the birth itself so she could make sure we were all okay. Though I remember it as a bit of a blur, we won't forget what Elizabeth did for us to make a hard situation a little bit better. She also came back to visit us when things had stabilized a bit, which was really lovely. If you are looking for a doula who is caring, loving, and completely on your side, Elizabeth is the person for you. We could not recommend her more or be more grateful for her during a tough couple of days! read more

Elizabeth was a fantastic doula. My wife and I had a baby boy a few weeks ago (our first), and hiring Elizabeth was one of the best decisions we made. She's incredibly knowledgeable, caring, supportive, open-minded -- everything we were looking for in a doula. My wife ended up having a long and difficult labor, and having Elizabeth there during the process made it much less stressful than it would otherwise have been. We give her our highest possible recommendation. read more

In a nutshell, if you need a doula, Elizabeth should be on the top of your list of professionals to interview/consider. Elizabeth assisted us with the birth of our first child, and should we have a second one we will definitely be contacting her for services. If you are looking for a doula who brings expertise in the field, personal experience (7 kids of her own); a calm, grounded and warm demeanor, and the full respect of hospital staff (one of the delivery team doctors checked in with me post-birth and personally complimented Elizabeth on her services, saying "our staff loves to work with her"), then she may be the doula for you. We are forever grateful to her for her support and guidance both pre-birth, during and afterward. Without her services, I'm not sure we would have achieved our goal of having a "natural, hospital birth" as we did. read more

Elizabeth was an amazing doula for the birth of our first child, Nora, last July! We were so impressed with her in the preparation leading up to the birth - she thoroughly answered questions, offered information and advice when requested but was extremely respectful about our vision for how the birth should go. During the event, she was unobtrusive but ever-present to provide comfort to me (with a well-placed warm pack - or was it ice? on my back during labor, helping me in and out of the tub, cups of ice, and probably a lot more that I can't remember), and was an incredible support to my husband and mother, allowing them to focus on providing me with the emotional support I needed. Now, my birth didn't go according to "vision", and at key moments she ask the questions that allowed me to consider how we were proceeding - I appreciated that she kept the vision as I was readjusting mine. She was fantastic and well worth the investment, I can't recommend her more highly! read more