Could not recommend more!…read more I had been co-sleeping with my 2yo daughter, experiencing choppy naps, and dealing with a very late bedtime (10pm ish) for many months before asking for Joan's help. I just wasn't sure where to start, and how to push through the challenges I knew were inevitable. Joan made a plan and guided me through every step. It wasn't easy but Joan had prepared me for that. I didn't feel uncertain about what we were doing. Along with her experience and wisdom in all things sleep, Joan has such a calm and reassuring demeanor, so you feel incredibly supported through the whole experience. We caught up twice a week on zoom to check in Joan uses a gentle approach which I loved. It took about 4 weeks for my daughter to get to the point where I can put her in the crib 100% awake and she takes herself off to sleep without assistance. The first 5 days/nights were pretty intense, but it's amazing how quickly my little one was able to learn how to sleep by herself, and now at a reasonable hour! Thank you for everything, Joan! Couldn't have done it without you :)

Joan is amazing to work with! So thorough and empathetic. Her strategies are amazing and they work!…read moreShe helped me with my third child, which I thought I had sleep figured out by baby number 3 but he was always so crabby and come to find out I had his sleep schedule all off. Joan held my hand throughout the whole transitioning process and made it all possible. I highly recommend Joan and her services.

My husband and I recently attended Stacie's childbirth education class. As a birth doula myself, I…read moreknow the importance of being educated and informed going into labor. Her class was so helpful for my husband and I to attend together! Especially for him not knowing a lot about birth, he learned so much from Stacie's hands on activities! And he was an even better supporter and birth partner during my labor because of it. Stacie is kind, sincere and very knowledgeable about all things labor and birth! I would highly recommend any expecting parents take her classes!

Stacie's class was hands down the most helpful, all-inclusive resource I had in preparing for the…read morebirth of my daughter. I took the class with my mom and best friend, who were attending the birth as well. It was the best decision I made, since it not only prepared me more for the experience of labor and delivery, it prepared my mom and best friend in such a way that they felt confident and comfortable stepping in to help during labor. Stacie's class gave my mom confidence to be a huge source of physical and emotional support for me, knowing how to encourage me and when to stay quiet. Because of this class, my best friend also now knew what to expect and was able to document the birth and to run and get things as we needed them. The most helpful part of the class for me as a laboring mom was the visuals of dilation and the stages and phases of labor. Visualizing where I was and how far I had left to go kept me encouraged along the way, realizing the longest and perhaps hardest part of labor was "getting that cervix out of the way" and knowing that once that was done, my daughter was not far away. Partly because of Stacie's class, I can say the birth of my daughter was done naturally, and is a beautiful memory I will look back on my entire life. I am incredibly grateful for having taken Stacie's class, and would recommend it to anyone (considering natural birth or not) in a heartbeat. We learned so much, and were ready and prepared for the biggest, most difficult, most rewarding day of my life.

I've gone back and forth about writing this review, as a bad review for a small company is not…read moreinsignificant. But after many many months I am still disappointed and angry with my experience. I also learned from my midwife that my experience is not unique and happens to many women who hire Dutchess of Doula. 1. I hired Joytonia under the impression that she was my doula and that she would attend my birth unless some extenuating circumstance came up. This is what she told me. She decided to book a vacation hundreds of miles away on my due date. She told me, "don't worry, your baby won't come on time anyway, I'll be back in time." Well, she wasn't. She sent a doula I had never met to attend my birth. This doula was kind and attentive, but a complete stranger. According to my very experienced midwife, "Joytonia never attends births". My experience, apparently, is not unique. 2. As another reviewer mentioned, the birth class is not worth your time. You read from a packet the whole time and receive outdated, inaccurate nutritional advice. You could get the same quality education from your hospital. 3. Other than my first meeting with her, Joytonia was never on time or, usually, rescheduled the meeting day of. So my husband would take time off work to be at our meetings, only to be told Joytonia couldn't make it and we would have to reschedule. I know birth workers have unpredictable schedules (with babies coming at unpredictable times), but missing our meetings because of attending a birth was never her reason. Her excuse was usually that she double-booked or was too far away to make it to the meeting. 4. I don't care about this one really, but the package included a gift for baby and we never received anything. 5. For a pro in favor of Dutchess of Doula, the price (at the time I paid) was lower than any other local doula. So if you don't mind having a stranger attend your birth, maybe this could work for you. But I would never pay $1000 again for this service. Pay slightly more for someone who cares enough to not go on vacation during your birth. Take a hint from the misspelled name (it's "duchess", no "t"), this is an unprofessional operation.

First off let me start by saying these ladies are so PHENOMENAL! I was referred to by a friend and…read morethe ladies did it disappoint. I was a gestational surrogate in my last trimester, and after some research I decided that having a doula was going to be in my best interest. That way my husband could stay home with our children and I would still have someone for support. Unfortunately, I gave birth during the COVID-19 pandemic. On the bright side I had Joytonia there through it all physically and Brandy via video call (and she stayed on the call from beginning to end; a total of 8 hours). These ladies make you feel more like family than a client. After having two of my very own children I figured I knew all about child birth. BUT after taking one of the child birth classes I realized I had knew what society showed. I was always a pro-epidural person. Before meeting Joytonia I had it dead set that I was going to have an epidural just like I did with my own kids. After taking the child birth class and meeting/hearing previous clients' birthing stories I came to realization that going natural is something that our bodies are built for. I also learned that I did not need to get an IV, which is something that I thought was necessary. Needless to say, I learned so much from; meditation, breathing techniques, birthing positions, and oh those God given massages! Overall, I would recommend the ladies 10 fold. I swear I'm so ready to get pregnant again just to "work" with the ladies again! Nothing better than people that are passionate about what they do. Side note: I gave birth all natural, and Joytonia handled my mouthy stubbornness with a grain of salt.

Brea was my birth doula, and I am so thankful for her support! Thanks to her amazing support and…read morecomfort measures, I was able to deliver my baby without an epidural ( that was my goal as a first time mom). She was there from start to end never left me unattended. If you're looking for someone to help make sure your birth goes as planned (within limits ofcorse) I would highly recommend Brea!

Brea was our birth doula and she was an incredibly important part of our birth experience…read more This was my first pregnancy. I don't have much family locally, so it was just me and my partner. I've also got a history of some anxiety, among other things. As the weeks ticked down closer to my due date, my worry and fear about the actual process of having a baby was ratcheting through the roof. I knew I didn't want to be 'alone' in the delivery room with an ob/gyn I'd never met before and my partner, who is wonderful and lovely but totally inexperienced in childbirth. I knew about doulas and I knew that they provided support for birthing moms, but I also had a stereotype in my mind of someone who would just be whispering woo-woo affirmations at me and telling me that science isn't real. I was also nervous beforehand that I'd be throwing money at something that wasn't really going to help me, my partner, or my baby. I'm sure that stereotype doula exists somewhere (sorry!) but Brea isn't it. And I didn't waste a single cent. Brea's rates include multiple prenatal visits as well as a postpartum visit, plus the entire on-call time and delivery. For all the time that you get with her, it is well worth her quoted rates. I can't afford to pay her double or triple what I did, but I would. Seriously. Brea has a ton of information and skills at her disposal. --She's certified as a doula and she's very professional and direct in how she delivers information about prenatal care, mental/emotional preparation, physical exercises, medical terminology, and the birth experience itself. --She'll walk you through the pros and cons of pretty much every decision about labor & delivery that you could possibly have to make, but ultimately, the decision for how to proceed is yours. --She is educated in Spinning Babies techniques and rebozo work. --She uses everything from guided meditations to aromatherapy to massage to TENS to get you relaxed (whatever that looks like for you). --She has a contact in town for pretty much everything you could want as a pre- or post-natal person (prenatal massage therapist, chiropractors, acupuncture, baby-wearing guru, women's health physical therapist, postpartum depression group support, mental health professionals, --etc.) --She's very responsive via email, phone call, and text even when she's not officially 'on call' for your birth. --She can read the room and tailor her knowledge to fit your needs. If your partner (like mine) is both very quiet and very unsure about what to do with their laboring wife, she will show and tell them how to support the laboring partner and then hold space for them to do so. Most importantly, once you have had a conversation with her about how you envision your birth and the goals you've set, she will support you wholeheartedly in achieving that. She seems to have a positive relationship with several of the medical professionals that she's worked with at Salem Health Hospital and while I was there, I felt like she was working seamlessly with them and with my partner to support me. My brain went to a dark, dark place during the later stages of labor. Brea was there for the whole time helping me refocus and helping my partner help me cope. Because I had an advocate with me in the room, I was able to stick to my original birth plan and ended up with a pretty short labor for a first-timer and a very health, happy baby afterwards. Hire her. You won't regret it.

Best doctors experience i have ever had! i was extremely nervous to get my nexplanon removed but…read moreKatee was fantastic!! Joked with me the whole time and the entire operation was completely painless. Will 100% be going back to her for all my womanly needs

I have know Katee for several years. At first she was a doula. Then she was a doula working towards…read moreher Nursing degree. Then she was a L&D nurse working towards her midwifery degree. We joked that I could be her preceptor for midwifery school way back when she started nursing school and I was finishing up my Midwifery degree. AND that is exactly what happened. Katee is a smart, compassionate, and amazing midwife. I have seen her in action and her patients always love the care that they receive from her. After she left my practice as a student, my patients would ask where she went. They were sad that she was no longer with but so happy for her to be finishing up her schooling and getting hired into her current practice.

I'm really surprised how few people take advantage Of Doula Services. This service was amazing for…read moremy wife and I. I had no idea what was going on and literally didn't know how to support my wife during her pregnancy other then rushing to get her food and paying bills. Breyonna was very informative and sweet I felt so much better as a man supporting my wife through all of this. So confident I might have another! Lol not really I really miss getting sleep. Reasonably priced, Worth the money, and the time.

From the owner: Maya Bee's is a Birth and Postpartum Doula business supporting mothers and families. Maya Bee's…read moreaims to create safe spaces for mothers to share their concerns and wishes about their pregnancy, birth and postpartum experience. Maya Bee's was founded to take a holistic approach toward pregnancy, labor and the postpartum period within Fresno’s diverse population to promote healthy outcomes for mom and baby through informational, emotional, and physical support.

I am so grateful to YELP for pointing me in the direction of Melissa's birthing classes! We had…read moreconflicts with several other birth class dates in the area and she offers private classes that can be scheduled at your time. These are a little bit more expensive, but not a huge inconvenience and well worth it. I started communication with Melissa by completing the interest form on her website, and just a little bit later I got a text message from her saying that we can schedule at my convenience and asking if I have any questions. We were able to hold a date and time with a deposit and we got everything set up over text and through PayPal. We even had a time conflict about a week prior and she was willing to work with us and host the class in the evening from 6pm-9:30pm. The classes are held at her home, and she has a whiteboard, tv and a comfy sitting area. She let me recline in the chair too, which was nice and relaxing. She made sure we were comfortable and offered us snacks, coffee and water. There is a book and videos that goes along with the class, and while we didn't get through the whole book, she does a nice job of pointing out the big stuff and will gladly go over or review what your preferences are. Melissa used to work at Clovis Community and so if you are planning to deliver there, she has the unique experience of knowing the process/protocols. My husband and I left feeling very informed and supported. We did not feel overwhelmed because everything was explained so nicely and at a pace that worked for our understanding. I highly recommend you using Melissa for a birth class! She also let us know about offering lactation classes with her too. This is something we are highly considering! We even have an Infant CPR set up with her in the next week and we are looking forward to it.

I've read all the baby books and figured the class would be more helpful for my husband. Boy was I…read moresurprised! I definitely learned a few things and Melissa was wonderful at answering all my questions. My husband definitely feels more confident being the support person I'll need during L&D. I recommend taking her class, it's educational and helpful. Sign up early enough, I waited until the last minute and I'm lucky I made it right before my due date.

COVID-19 (Nineteen review challenge) Locally owned…read morebusinesses only. Review #3: I hired Fresno Birth and Baby after I had a great interview with them a couple months prior to my daughter's birth. I met with Megan and Melissa and I warmed right up to them immediately. Truth be told, I didn't even meet up with other doulas. They were recommended by my OB, so I figured they were the best (because my OB is the best). We had two prenatal visits at our house with three separate doulas - two came together at each visit. I felt comfortable with all three, and it felt great knowing I had a whole knowledgeable and supportive team by my side. We had a text chain that I had access to 24/7, and I knew I might only have one attend my birth, or all three, depending on how things turned out. Long birth story short, Melissa P was the only doula who came for my short birth. And honestly, I wouldn't have had such an amazing and short birth without her presence. My husband was amazing of course, but I knew I needed a doula and Melissa was definitely the one for the job. She had such a calming presence and I could not have done it without her. She remembered the details of my birth plan when no one else did (myself included), and we stuck to it. I am devastated that under current hospital rules at Clovis Community, CRMC, and St. Agnes, only one visitor is allowed during birth. Like I have said before, I needed Melissa there, just as much as I needed my husband. Anyway, I've given their contact info to my friends and hope that business will boom for them when these rules have been lifted. These women are the best!

From the owner: As doulas, we are educated & experienced guides through pregnancy, childbirth and early parenthood…read more We arrange individualized preparation for your unique birth. We know that you will make the best choices for your family based off of your own needs and desires and we will do our best to make sure those expectations are honored by everyone surrounding your birth. We provide hands-on continuous support through your labor and birth. We utilize proven comfort techniques nd continuous encouragement for a safer and more satisfying birth experience. We present you with evidence-based information, and act as a living resource to help you understand your body, your birth, your baby and your choices.

Sara is amazing! She helped with the birth of my second child, and she made the entire experience…read moreso much better. I appreciate how she listened to what I wanted, and helped me talk through choices, and respected my wishes. She brought her expertise, but followed my lead. She was a wonderful partner to have in labor, and I appreciate all the support she provided me - and my husband - so much! Sara has such a kind heart and pleasant, calming presence. I highly recommend Sara's services as a doula!

Sara is very kind, patient and knowledgeable in field of pregnancy and newborns. Highly recommend…read moreher to all pre/post partum families