As a first-time mom, I met with Kim for a prenatal virtual consultation, which helped me feel much…read moremore prepared going into delivery, and she's since come to our home twice to support us through the challenges of breastfeeding. When our son struggled with staying awake at the breast and we found ourselves triple feeding, she was knowledgeable, encouraging, and never made us feel overwhelmed or judged. Every recommendation she made was thoughtful, evidence-based, and individualized for mom and baby. She identified areas of tension that could be affecting my son's feeding and referred us to both a pediatric chiropractor and a pediatric dentist to evaluate oral ties, helping us look beyond just the symptoms. Having someone come to our home during those exhausting newborn weeks has been invaluable. She takes the time to answer every question, explains the "why" behind her recommendations, and truly cares about helping both baby and parents succeed. If you're looking for a compassionate, knowledgeable lactation consultant who provides individualized support, we wholeheartedly recommend her.

I reached out to Kim after a friend recommended her for latching issues. I'd been struggling with a…read morelow milk supply and latching difficulties, and I am so glad I made that appointment. ​Kim is incredibly knowledgeable and filled in the gaps that my doctors and nurses missed. Thanks to her: ​No more pain: She properly measured me and found the correct flange size and shield (I was way off on my own!). ​Better output: I'm finally emptying completely and she recommended a much better pump. ​Whether you are actively struggling with breastfeeding or just want to make sure you're on the right track, go see Kim! She will give you information you didn't even know you needed!

Sara is the absolute best! Her calming presence helped us as new parents tremendously. We gained so…read moremuch confidence as she helped us navigate the first month with our baby girl. We also got precious sleep while she was with us which enabled us to take on the next day refreshed. The main reason why I was able to get good sleep as a new mom was because I trusted Sara with my baby. She is also hands down the reason why my breastfeeding journey has been so successful. She always answered our questions with grace and patience. We learned so much from her and she made us feel very comfortable. Having a postpartum doula was a great choice for us, but hiring Sara was what made the experience magical!

Sara was a breath of fresh air. I'm a first time mom and needed some extra help making sure our…read morelittle one was on the right track. We had Sara come for the night to get extra sleep. We got extra sleep as well as a ton of extra tips. Sara came to our house and we talked about our little ones formula we had been giving him. She could tell he needed to be on a more specialized formula and that if I wanted to could try to relactate. We did both! Our little one is doing so much better. Sara was so sweet and kind. She also didn't mind our pup running around the house. She gave us so many tips. Even ones that were better then what our pediatrician had recommended. I highly recommend hiring Sara, you'll get more then just a good night sleep but tons of info. She's super knowledgeable.

I sought help from Kelly as a last resort after a month of baby struggling to get back to birth…read moreweight. I was prescribed triple feeding which was totally unsustainable. She helped tremendously and gave us so much confidence as parents. She was so patient and knowledgeable, and professional. We got the latch down and were able to drop the triple feeding routine. Here we are almost a year later still nursing and growing right on track!

Kelly is the best lactation consultant any mama could ask for!!! A week into my breast feeding…read morejourney with my first baby I was ready to give up. (We saw a horrible lactation consultant at Kaiser who made me feel like I was starving my baby and tried to move us to formula immediately.) Thankfully we found Kelly on Yelp and she was able to see us the next day. She listened to my concerns/frustrations with breastfeeding, then watched me nurse my baby and gave such compassionate guidance. She gave me so much confidence!!! Fast forward to today, my baby girl is 9 months old and I am still exclusively breastfeeding!!! Breastfeeding is so much harder than anyone ever told me it was going to be. My recommendation for any first time mama would be to make an appointment with Kelly and get all the support you didn't even know you would need, it makes a world of a difference!

I have never seen a birth go as smoothly this did. I believe that to be all due to Dymon's amazing…read moreservices as doula. As a mom, we tend to lean towards being more emotional when our babies give birth. In our case, Dymon was able to keep us all calm and on task without any stress or tension. She is very knowledgeable in her craft and a strong advocate for her mothers and babies. She made the mother felt heard and that her plan was adhered to. I would recommend her a thousand times over. Thank you, Dymon, for all you did to assist with a healthy delivery of my grand-princess!

Dymon is amazing! She has knowledge beyond her age and is always helpful! She's very resourceful…read moreand has many tips for your breast feeding journey.

Update I thought I would update my review since it's been 3…read moreyears. Since then we have been blessed to have Charlee as our midwife two more times. In total she has been our midwife for three of our births! Which is honestly amazing! As you can imagine I cannot speak more highly of Charlee! She is the best at what she does! Every birth I have had her in she has been so wonderful and so supportive! My pregnancies are always something I look forward to and one of the big reasons is because of her care. I always look forward to my kids being included into our appointments. They get so excited every time she comes over she is practically family at this point! charlee is so patient with my kids and includes them into the experience, allowing them to help with hearing the baby's heart and checking my blood pressure. It truly has made my pregnancies all the more sweet getting to experience it in this intimate way with my kids and having all these memories with them. I have had hospital care before and to me this is totally different! In the best possible way! It's so individual and includes my family into the process. The appointments are longer allowing ample time to ask questions and go over any concerns. She gets to see how the pregnancy is progressing. I love the fact that she lets me make true informed decisions for me and my baby. She always goes over everything and if I understand the risks and benefits of any decision that I make. I always feel heard and seen. During my labors I've always felt so taken care of. I rely so much on her experience and knowledge and trust she is looking out for my best interest as well as the baby. There have been so many times she has seen things that I hadn't really thought of. Whether that be taking things and doing things to ease pregnancy symptoms to things to do during birth. Postpartum care is just top notch! The fact that she comes to check on me and the baby. I don't have to get out of my bed or leave the comfort of my home. I get to just snuggle my baby and be in newborn bliss while she checks us over. I'm just so thankful for her loving care! If I am blessed to get pregnant again no doubt I will again ask her to be my midwife. No one I trust more and couldn't imagine doing it without her!

I chose to hire Charlee as my midwife for my first pregnancy because when I spoke with her she said…read moreshe had over 10 years of experience and has done 200 births. As a first-time mom, those credentials gave me confidence that I was putting myself and my baby in experienced hands. During one of our visits, she was prepping me for delivery day. She not to reach out to her in the middle of the night unless my contractions were at a 3-1-1 pattern because she wanted to be rested for me during the day. The day came for baby to arrive. Around 9pm on a Saturday I started having contractions. At 2am on Sunday, my contractions became very intense contractions. They were coming every 2-3 minutes and lasting 6-8 minutes long, my husband and I were tracking them with a contraction app. The contractions felt pretty intense. We sent Charlee screenshots of the contraction patterns and reached out for guidance, but a she told us I was not ready yet because I was not at a "3-1-1" pattern, but that if I think the baby is coming, to let her know. How do I know if the baby is coming in not? I've never had a baby before. As a first-time mom, I had no way of knowing whether my labor was progressing normally and it was going to get more intense than what it was, or whether my baby was coming. That's exactly why I hired an experienced midwife to help me make those decisions. I was alone in my living room for hours, my water broke and gushing out (it definitely was not a trickle like they say it would be), feeling like I was on a rollercoaster. By around 6:30 that morning, my doula arrived, saw the amount of pain I was in, looked at my contraction pattern, and immediately called Charlee, telling her "you need to get here now". Charlee arrived about an hour later. By then, my contractions had already slowed down considerably. During the day Charlee commented that she wondered why my contractions had slowed down, which surprised me because I expected someone with her level of experience to have insight into what was happening. While I was laboring in the birthing pool, I also overheard Charlee talking with my doula about wanting to pivot careers into being a motivational coach instead of continuing to attend births. Whether or not she ultimately chooses another career is her decision, but hearing that conversation while I was in active labor made me worry because in my field of business, that is what people say when they aren't getting much business. This was not something I expected or wanted to hear during one of the most vulnerable moments of my life. Unfortunately, this was only the beginning of an experience that ultimately left me feeling unsupported and questioning the care I received. The baby was stuck in my canal the whole day. We could feel her head. At 6:30pm, I got transfer to the hospital. We ultimately had to do an emergency vacuum delivery. My body was not contracting, and it was not ready for a baby to come out. I ended up with a permanent spine injury, along with other injuries post delivery that were still having trouble diagnosing. I had to go back to the ER by ambulance 2 days after come home from the hospital. I was in a wheelchair for 2-3 weeks, graduated to a walker, then cain, and now I have on going treatment 9 months post delivery. Which all could have been prevented, if my baby came out when I my body was contracting at 2am in the morning. Charlee charges you $9,500 for her services, but split it up in four sections. She said because I delivered at the hospital, she would not submit me for reimbursement for the delivery costs, since I did not deliver at home. If Charlee could not do her job and deliver my baby, then why can't I get refunded for her not doing her job? I don't know how you can take someone's money like that and sleep at night. I do not recommend Charlee as a good choice for a midwife, do not trust this person with your life!

Sarah provided me with compassionate and expert support in my journey feeding my kiddo. I greatly…read moreappreciated her warm, non-judgmental approach and her wise advice. She was able to meet with me on short notice, followed up via text to check in on me after our first appointment, and has fielded several questions via email, even while she was traveling. I am very grateful for her support and would highly recommend her!

At 5 days postpartum, I was feeling incredibly stressed and overwhelmed, but Sarah came to our home…read moreimmediately to help. She spent several hours with my husband and me, teaching us everything from the basics of breastfeeding and milk supply to the specifics of breast anatomy. Her calm demeanor was exactly what we needed; she completely eased my anxiety and gave us the confidence we were lacking. This was truly the most helpful support we've received since coming home from the hospital. If you are looking for an expert who is both knowledgeable and deeply compassionate, look no further.

Crystal is the doula you need around!!! She's kind, straight forward, honest and understanding!…read moreShe's very supportive of YOUR journey and what you make of it. She's quick with her products and valued my placenta as she encapsulated it. Something so special to me she also cherished, as she handles with care and made a beautiful keepsake ! So in love with the experience and recommend 10000%

CryCi The Doula was the perfect addition to my birthing team. From the moment I knew I was…read morepregnant, I knew I wanted a doula. I wanted someone that would be able to advocate for my husband and I during one of the most transformative times in our lives. CryCi was calm, patient, nurturing, and supportive throughout my pregnancy, delivery, and postpartum care. I also used CryCi's placenta encapsulation service. By far one of the best decisions. I believe the capsules truly made a difference in my physical and emotional healing after my c-section. I would highly recommend CryCi to any birthing person! Five stars for sure. You'll be in great hands.

Christine is such a great doula and I highly recommend her…read more We hired Christine for the birth of our second child. I didn't have a doula for my first birth and I knew I wanted some support the second time around. Even though she was out of the country when we first contacted her, she was super responsive and was a great communicator throughout the entire process. Christine met us at our home to discuss the details, such as our birth plan and an overview of her services. She was very knowledgable and professional and helped with all of the birth related questions we had. She constantly checked in to see how I was feeling and eased my mind during the weeks before my labor. On the big day I kept her informed by text as to my progress. I wasn't convinced I was in true labor and didn't call her to join us until much later. When I knew we would be staying, my husband and I decided to have her join us when we were checked into a room (the triage space was so tiny there was barely any space for even my husband). Unfortunately it was such a busy night we ended up in triage for 5 hours! They kept telling us it would only be another 30 minutes...another hour, etc. as the time ticked away. By the time we did get a room and asked her to come, I got an epidural. She drove all the way to Alta Bates in the middle of the night. I think it was around 3 or 4am. When she arrived she took charge by calming me down, talking to the nurses, and answering questions the nurses would not explain. She massaged my hands and helped me turn from side to side/change positions. When it came to the pushing part she helped me gather my strength and even held my leg back as I pushed. After the birth she assisted with communicating our wishes like delayed cord cutting and immediate skin to skin contact, no eye medicine, etc. She stayed for several hours after helping me with breast feeding positions, my baby's latch, and getting me anything I needed (like water and food). Most importantly, my husband and I were able to bond with our baby together since Christine took care of everything we needed. During the weeks after the birth of my son she checked in with me many times. She sent me resources about breastfeeding and my local leche league meetings, and during my post partum meeting she even helped clean my house and do dishes. The birth of my son was so amazing and Christine was a huge part of that. I look forward to using her again for a third baby and highly recommend her to anyone looking for a birth coach!

I loved having Christine as my doula, she has been such blessing to our family…read more Like the other reviewers mentioned Christine met with my husband and I to review our birth plan. She informed us of what goes on during labor so that we could have a better understanding. I wanted a natural birth and Christine shared with us different techniques and positions that would help with that and we also got to practice some of them. She help my husband and I to come up with questions to ask for our hospital tour. Christine made herself available anytime I had questions or when I wanted to update her on how my pregnancy was going. She had laminated scripture cards that she let us borrow and my husband read those to me during the early stages of labor. When I was ready for Christine to come to the hospital she arrived quickly. Once there she was ready to help me get into a better position that would encourage labor to progress. When trying out the different techniques she would ask if I felt comfortable or if I wanted to try something else. She genuinely cared for how I felt. When my contractions were getting stronger she reminded me to breath, talked me through them, and held my hand, comforting me with the fact that each contraction would bringing me closer to seeing my precious baby. She again checked with me to see if I was ok with her talking and touching me or if I preferred her not to. I found her words comforting and focusing on her voice really helped me get through each contraction. My contractions got more intense and I felt that I couldn't continue, Christine reassured me that everything was progressing well and that I would soon see my baby. I was able to refocus and continue to have a natural birth. My baby's head came out without the nurses or dr present and Christine was calm and did a great job calling the nurses and dr in, since my husband was kind of in a panic mode and didn't know what to do. Once my baby was here I tried breastfeeding but was having trouble getting her to latch, Christine stayed to help me. She also visited me the next day to continue to help. Christine also provided resources and referrals which was very helpful. I highly recommend Christine to anyone looking for a doula. Christine listens to your needs and does her best to accommodate them, she provides great support and comfort. My husband and I are truly grateful for Christine.

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

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

Teri Nava-Anderson was our doula for our July 31st 2009 birth. Our birth was a planned homebirth…read morethat resulted in a transfer to our hospital with our concurrent care obstetrician. When I first found out I was pregnant I knew my outmost goal was to have a labor without the use of narcotics, epidurals or any type of painkillers for the labor. I was very comfortable with the capability of my body and trusted that I could do this with the assistance of a supportive husband, midwife and doula. I found Teri through a wonderful internet site that supports newlyweds and moms-to-be. I inquired more information and was very interested in having a doula for our birth. We meet and immediately felt so comfortable and very secure with her. She understood our wishes and goals and made us feel great about our decisions. It was the best decision we ever made. Teri was very supportive through the ENTIRE labor. She never lessened her enthusiasm to help us. She was always energetic and coherent of what best relaxation techniques suited us, even when we were just plain exhausted. At one point I was in the tub soaking through some tougher contractions. She instructed my husband on how to help me and she stayed a few feet away for the entire time (at least 2 hours!) watching us and making sure if we needed her she was just an arms length away. During pushing I wanted Teri right next to me--on the other side of my husband. I felt that she gave me some great strength through the thickest of contractions. Honestly, I felt that her positive energy is what got me through my long labor. It was her strength and confidence that gave me confidence to do the best I could in my labor. In the end I had to be transferred to my hospital at 10 cm dilated because my baby's head was not coming out, but once in the hospital I delivered the stubborn baby with 2 good pushes. I did not have an epidural or any type of pain suppressants. I did not even think or request any type of pain suppressant the entire time and I feel I owe this all to Teri's great work. She kept me relaxed and confident in the capability of my body and not the pain of labor. I felt so comfortable with Teri. She was soothing, mothering, loving, caring....everything. Her tone of voice was always comforting and loving. My husband was very comfortable with her and we really trusted her. She is a wonderful Doula and we wish her the best in her wonderful service as one. She will definitely be on our call list when we have a second child. We could not have met our wishes and survived the long labor (~50 hours) with no epidural or painkillers. She truly is a wonderful doula and made our birth the most wonderful experience. We recommend her to anyone that is planning to have a natural, unmedicated and painkiller free birth! We love you Teri! The Paoluccio's

I am happy to write a review for Teri and Harmony Doulas…read more Originally I didn't think I would want a doula at all, but my husband kept insisting. I think he was worried about whether he would be able to handle being at the birth and also worried about my stress level and wanting me to have extra support. I was a bit resistant, because I didn't know much about doulas and I was afraid they were all a bunch of hippies that would be judgmental if I decided to get an epidural, because I wasn't sure if I would need anesthesia or not. (It's hard to know if you've never had a baby before.) We met with several different doulas and also considered hiring the person who taught our childbirth classes who also happened to be a doula. In the end, my husband and I both liked Teri and her team the best. It was clear that they were all very experienced and they were very open-minded, while still being research based in terms of their recommendations. The thing that really stood out as well was the fact that Teri discussed upfront how to get reimbursement from an FSA or insurance for their services. I didn't even know that was possible before I met them and, again, it made them seem more experienced. They had also been present at births with my OB/GYN and hospital, which was a plus. I think some women like hiring just one doula so they know for sure who is going to be at the birth, but we liked all the women in Harmony Doula, so I knew I would be happy with whoever was on duty at the time. And actually for me, having 3 doulas was a big plus. I felt better knowing that if one of the doulas was pooped, someone else who was fresh would come in and take over. The other reason I chose a group with 3 doulas was because I wanted to be sure someone would be there who I knew on the big day. No matter how good one doula is, something can always happen, a car accident, a family emergency, so I felt more comfortable knowing there were 3 doulas that would be available. Before the baby was born, they came to our place a few times. Usually two of them came together, but I think once it it was all three. They talked through our birth plan and helped us think of things we hadn't considered. They also showed us prenatal yoga and massage and showed my husband how he could help me do stretches and give me massages. They were also very available whenever I had questions, like on Thanksgiving when I started having lots of Braxton Hicks contractions and worried I was going into early labor. I was pretty terrified about giving birth and they really helped me with my stress and made me feel like I could do it. As I got close to my due date, my doctor told me that they normally induce labor at 41 weeks, which I didn't realize, because I thought 42 weeks was the standard. I really wanted to give the baby time to be "ready" and for labor to start naturally, so I reached out to Teri and she sent me a lot about labor induction and pros and cons of waiting until 42 weeks. On the big day (40 weeks and 6 days), I started having contractions around midnight. I wasn't sure if they were "real" or not, so I waited and called Teri around 2 am. She answered right away and calmly talked me through what was going on. Since my contractions were far apart, she encouraged me to try to sleep. Teri then came over to our place early in the morning and helped me do some exercises to get the baby into the correct position. Then, as fate would have it, I had an OB/GYN appointment scheduled for that day around noon, so we (me, my husband and Teri) all went to the doctor's office together. The doctor checked me and said I was 6 cm dilated and should go to the hospital right away. Another thing I realized after getting to the hospital is that the doctor doesn't show up until the very end and the nurses only come to check on you sporadically, so having Teri there was huge for me, because I knew she was going to be there the whole time. When I was ready to push, the doulas had a shift change and Jennifer arrived, but Teri was excited to see the baby be born, so I actually had two doulas there with me in the end. When it was time to push, they were excellent at helping me figure out different positions to try. When I was very close to getting the baby out, I got a very intense look on my face and my husband actually got a little scared and kept touching my face and telling me to relax and Teri was able to calmly suggest that he go sit in the corner for a minute to calm himself down, which was helpful for me and for him (he made it back before the baby came out). Basically, Teri and her team are awesome and I would highly recommend them to anyone. I was able to have the birth just how I wanted and, of course, the most important thing is that the baby is healthy. I am not sure I could have made it through labor without anesthesia if not for Teri and her team.