I could not imagine my first birth without Becca! From the very first phone call, I felt an instant…read moreconnection with her--she's such a kind, caring soul and a true expert in her field. One of the things that impressed me most was how seamlessly she read the dynamic between me and my husband. She always knew when to step in with support and when to step back and give us space. That balance was invaluable during such an emotional, vulnerable time. When my birth plan didn't go the way I had envisioned, Becca's expert advice and calm presence gave me so much security in the decisions I had to make. She helped me feel grounded, informed, and confident every step of the way and encouraged me to listen to my instinct and body. Another aspect of her support that you simply can't put a price on is how connected she is at Kaiser. She knew nearly every midwife and nurse, and because of her strong relationships there, I felt reassured that the care I was receiving was exactly what I needed. Her presence gave me an extra layer of trust in the whole process. Becca communicated beautifully, supported us with such compassion, and helped make my first birth experience one that I will cherish forever. I can't recommend her enough--if you're considering a doula, Becca is truly one of a kind! Thank you so much Becca!

Becca was a god send during the first couple of months as a first time mom. After a hard emergency…read morec-section she took care of me and my baby with love, compassion and care. I would absolutely recommend Becca. Becca, if you read this we miss you, and so does Hannah :)

I cannot recommend born wild enough- Sophia Lea Carissa and Eva are all amazing people and helped…read moreme have the birth I always dreamed of. They were there for me for all the highs and lows of pregnancy and postpartum and truly support all your desires and choices you make. Now I'm almost 4 months postpartum and I know if I needed them they are only a phone call away. They were always going above and beyond to be there for our family and we cannot thank them enough for being there for us not only during the moments of the birth of our beautiful daughter but also the whole pregnancy and postpartum. Don't hesitate to call them if you want to feel loved and supported in your birth!

Everything I could've hoped for and more! I couldn't recommend Born Wild Midwifery enough. From our…read morefirst visit as a first time mom at 9 weeks pregnant to our final visit at 6 weeks postpartum, I felt loved, cared for, and supported by everyone on the team. Under the care of Born Wild, I had my dream home birth and felt empowered and incredibly safe and calm from start to finish. The time, attention, and individual care during pregnancy and especially through the first 6 weeks postpartum are above and beyond what you'd receive in any other setting. Will absolutely be returning to their care for any future pregnancies, and can't wait to do so.

As a first time mom, I can honestly say that I don't know what I would have done without Meleah! In…read morethe months leading up to my due date, Meleah helped me build my birth plan; she provided reading material that discussed the pros and cons of each decision I needed to make and then went through them with me, answering any questions I had, so I could make informed decisions. She even covered contingencies that I hadn't even considered. She also worked with us on techniques for coping with labor pains and guided us through what to expect once I was in labor. When my induction did not go as planned and I completely lost trust in my doctor (who made some very questionable recommendations), I was SO grateful that I had Meleah by my side every step of the way to make sure I understood my options and help me advocate for myself. She was then with me during my c-section, narrating what was happening and snapping pictures when my son was delivered. Then, when he was taken to the NICU for a brief period after delivery, she stayed with me, keeping me calm and relaying any news from my husband who went with our baby. It was definitely not the birth we had planned, but I feel so fortunate that Meleah was there guiding us through it. She also went above and beyond after the birth and was an immense support to us during our first days home with a newborn. She gave us helpful tips on breastfeeding, swaddling, and baby wearing, and helped us locate additional postpartum support when we found we needed it. She really cares about her clients and is amazing with babies! You can tell that she has found her calling and really enjoys what she does.

We were incredibly lucky to have Meleah support the birth of our second baby. We found our way to…read moreher while I was pregnant and I was immediately drawn to her calm, supportive, and focused presence. I understood the pivotal role doulas play from my first birth, and felt at ease going into the experience again knowing Meleah would be at my side. During labor, Meleah was a constant source of strength and support -- from providing caring, spot-on advice during early labor, to coaching me through the tougher later stages. And during a quick delivery, she helped safely and securely catch my baby (!), and for that I'll be eternally beyond grateful. Meleah is the epitome of someone who is doing exactly what she was meant to do. Her passion for her work and sincere care for mothers & babies is evident in everything she does. I would recommend her without hesitation -- anyone would be very fortunate to have her on their birth team. Thank you, Meleah, for everything!!

She is just awesome. She helped me bring our second son to the world and was an amazing support for…read moreme and my husband. She helped us to take the right decisions, she was there for us every step of the way. I was induced and she was there for the 16 hours of early labor, being great company and making the hospital room feel like home. She was there when it got harder, supporting and caring for me and my husband, she stayed with us until our baby was born. She was also there for the postpartum with a great massage. We had the birth we wanted thanks to Laurie, we warmly recommend her.

Laurie gave me the strength, support, wisdom, and courage to get through my first childbirth. I…read morecan't say enough about her. She has a gift and her support was priceless.

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.

It was such a gift to work with Arielle in what turned out to be a 36-hour VBAC! She arrived at my…read morehouse around the 8th hour of labor and coached me through each contraction. When we transitioned to the hospital, she helped me make decisions and navigate the questions and scenarios that the medical team was proposing. She brought candles and essential oils to the hospital for a calmer experience and guided me through Spinning Babies techniques and accupressure to encourage the baby to turn to a more optimal position for birth. She gave me confidence and coached my partner to be a supportive birth partner. It was a long labor, but I did it! I can't say enough good things about Arielle! Arielle also provided postpartum support and came to our home to teach us meal prep and mindfulness techniques to help encourage postpartum healing. I cannot recommend her enough! Hire Arielle to be your doula!

Arielle is the best Doula ! I was looking for a French-speaking doula, and I found a pearl. She is…read moreattentive, professional, gentle, humble ... and above all, the best gift she gave to me is to have done everything possible to make 200% of the daddy's place! I highly recommend her! Thank you Arielle for bringing your gentleness and professionalism to my 3rd home birth experience. Now, because of you, my 2nd home birth trauma is healed!

Words cannot describe the amazement that is Lisa Flato! My wife and I hired Lisa as our doula for…read morethe birth of our twins this year. After interviewing multiple doulas, we knew immediately that she was the one. Lisa is kind and gentle. Her calm and loving presence is inspiring. She provided us with great information and resources pre-labor. Lisa was prepared and knowledgeable at the hospital. I was so relieved to have her there with us. We are so grateful to have Lisa in our lives and look forward to her being present for the next birth. Thank you, Lisa!

I cannot possibly say enough good things about Lisa Flato! She was our doula, and a primary reason…read morewhy our birth went so smoothly and felt so beautiful and easy. She has changed our lives--as doula, as a yoga instructor and now as a loving friend. I had not considered hiring a doula before I met Lisa. I took her fabulous prenatal yoga classes (at Pomegranate Prenatal Yoga in San Anselmo, a business I highly recommend!) during my pregnancy. She holds an incredibly supportive space. Her prenatal yoga classes felt so natural--she prepared our bodies for childbirth and supported us so much in pregnancy. It comes so naturally to her. Her intuition is so keen; she is incredibly aware of what an individual or a group needs or is yearning for in the moment. When I heard she was a doula, I immediately knew I had to have her at my birth. We had not really considered having a doula before that--my husband and I wanted a very intimate birth experience; it felt like something only we should share. We did not invite even our very close family members to the experience. But we knew immediately when we met Lisa that her incredible wisdom, love, experience with birth and immense support would make our birth experience a wonderful one. Prior to the birth, she met with us at our house several times. We discussed our birth plan, we asked questions, we practiced some positions and breathing techniques that could help us during the birth experience. I love many many things about Lisa. But here are some highlights: -She is a calming supportive presence. I breathe a sigh of relief when with her. This was vital during the birth. -She is full of love and light. Her joy is infectious. She is fun to be around. -She knows so much about birth, pregnancy and postpartum. If you have a question, she has many resources she can point you towards. -She believes in you. -She brings out my best self. Somehow, effortlessly, when I am around her, I feel like a better person for it. -She has time for you. She sees you, truly as you are. She does not project her own desires/needs/goals onto your meetings or your experience. -Her intention is to support what you want from your birth. She does not push for it to go one way or another. Rather, she asks what you want and she puts her energy behind that. (This seems unusual and so lovely, as some others in the birth world might feel there is a "right" approach and push you towards that.) She is a person of such high integrity, and also she can hone in on someone else's needs and desires and get fully behind them. I would highly recommend Lisa--both as doula and as yoga instructor--to anyone. Feel free to message me here on Yelp to ask any questions. If we are lucky enough to have another baby, I know I'll be asking Lisa if she can be my doula again. :)

We had the best experience with Maureen, one of the many talented doulas at Brilliant Births. We…read moreopted for a private Laboring together class, and it exceeded every expectation. Maureen guided us with so much knowledge, warmth and patience. She gave us practical tools, hands on techniques, and the confidence we needed as we prepare for our baby. We both walked out feeling way more prepared. If you're looking for someone who empowers, educates and genuinely cares, Maureen is incredible. We're so grateful!

My partner and I recently completed the Hypnobirthing three week course at Brilliant Births. We had…read morean absolutely incredible experience, for many reasons--The information we learned was invaluable, but also the instructors' teaching styles and depth of personal experience they offered was appreciated, comforting, and helpful. They clearly have a deep well of wisdom and experience-based expertise to share. We started our class with Keira and absolutely loved her--originally we were a bit bummed to know we would have a different instructor for our last day of the course. However, it turned out that Heidi was equitably wonderful and all things lovely-- instead of only one great instructor and guide, we ended up with two...which leads me to believe you'll be in skilled hands with anyone you interact with at BB. We will definitely be returning to take advantage of their other offerings!

Made an appointment, got multiple confirmation emails, including an hour before the appointment…read more She never showed. I also emailed her two days before to try to get a response since I assumed the confirmation emails might be automated. She never responded. Phone number listed on Kaiser goes straight to voicemail. Unprofessional - can't imagine trusting this person with anything

Davon is just the BEST person you could ever have as your Doula! My husband and I are extremely…read morehappy for choosing her and will definitely recommend her services for everyone we know. Since our first interview, we felt a deeply connection with her and we chose her because of her KNOWLEDGE, EXPERIENCE, NATURAL APPROACH to pregnancy and childbirth and, most importantly, because we just felt that she understood us and would support us in the way we needed. This is my second baby and I've had a very traumatic experience with my first kid birth, so I wanted to have someone by my side who I could trust and who would help me to trust myself and my body to have a positive birth experience. My husband was a little reluctant to hire a doula, but after meeting her he was already feeling supported and more confident in the birth process. During the pregnancy she was always making herself available for questions and/or concerns and sharing resources to help us navigate through the different stages of this process. She also has an amazing Childbirth Course, that helped us to prepare for the big day. During the prenatal visits, we had an amazing time together, just like friends hanging out. She would spend enough time talking to us about everything we needed; she was never rushing out and would listen to us carefully. Davon is so KIND and she made us feel so comfortable from the very start. She is also very knowledgeable and would help us with our questions, doubts and insecurities. The whole time she was showing her trust in me and my body to go through the birth. On the birth day, she was available right away when we contact her. She arrived at the Birth Center at the same time we did and was there for the whole time. We arrived there at 2am and my baby was born at 7:30am. She never left my side and stayed there until the first hours of postpartum were over, making sure we were both fine. During labor, she always knew what to do and what to say to help me cope. She had many comfort measures for me during my painful contractions. Although I was almost giving up and asking for medication, she never got discouraged or let me feel that I couldn't do it. Her positive affirmations, calmness and confidence were definitely the reason I was able to go all the way through with the unmedicated birth, even when I thought I couldn't do it anymore. I couldn't have done without her!!! She also has an amazing back up doula (Tanara), who we met virtually and then in person at our last prenatal appointment. This made us feel even more comfortable because we knew that if Davon couldn't make it to the big day for any reason, we still would have someone we trusted to support us over there. She also encapsulated my placenta. She took care of everything in the birth center and brought the capsules to my home on our postpartum appointment. She also made a cute keepsake out of my dehydrated cord, which was a special touch. Davon is like family to us know! We are extremely grateful that she came into our lives and will never forget this experience.

There truly aren't enough words to describe how incredible my postpartum experience was because of…read moreKavita. As a third-time mom, I knew we wanted night support, but I still felt a bit apprehensive and nervous...having someone else watch my baby while I was sleeping is daunting! However, from my very first conversation with her, I knew she was the perfect fit for our family. Kavita brought an immediate sense of peace, calm, and trust into our home. With a 4 and 2 year old to care for as well, her presence made such a huge difference. Because of the support she gave me (and the sleep I was actually able to get!), I felt like I could actually function and keep up with all three kids. She has such a gentle, intuitive way about her--she not only cared for our son with so much love and expertise, but also supported me in a way that made me feel truly seen and cared for. I'm endlessly grateful for the role she played in such a special time in our lives. If you're looking for a postpartum doula, look no further. I cannot recommend her enough--she's literally an angel!

Kavita is an incredible Doula. As a first time dad, I felt like Kavita had so much knowledge and…read moreexperience to give me. I had so much confidence in her care and attention for my son. I had many questions about best practices and products to use for the different stages of his development. My home felt peaceful with her calm and reassuring presence as she worked. Kavita is always looking for ways to improve her care and services that are unique to your child as an individual. I can't recommend her enough! Angel+life saver!