I was so thankful to have had Carly by my side during my 1st birth! My husband and I were both so…read morenervous and not sure what to expect since this was our 1st baby. Hiring Carly was the best decision we made! She worked with me to create a birth plan I was comfortable with and explained options to me since I really didn't know much about the process. She also checked in with me multiple times leading up to the birth and would send me checklists with helpful exercises and other things to help me prepare for birth. Once the day came, my husband texted her, and she arrived at the hospital when we asked her to come. I labored for a long time, and she was there supporting me the whole time! I loved that Carly decorated my room with lights and battery candles. It was so calming especially since I rested for a long time before I started pushing. Creating a calming space was so helpful for me to stay relaxed and rested. She also advocated for me when the nurses would come in and check on me and helped progress my labor with different positions. When it was time to push, Carly was cheering me on the entire time and offered different items to help me feel more comfortable. I was so scared and nervous about birth, but I really believe she made the whole experience a positive one for me. I cannot recommend Carly enough, you'll be in great hands if you choose her as your Doula :). Thank you Carly and The Breezy Doula!

Breezy Doula made finding a doula with insurance easy. They connected me with Valerie Godbout. If…read moreyou're thinking about hiring Valerie as your doula, do it. She was one of the best decisions we made for our birth. From our very first prenatal appointment, she was so easy to talk to. She really took the time to listen to what I wanted for my birth and even typed it up for me. My biggest goals were to avoid an epidural and Pitocin if they weren't medically necessary, and she completely respected and supported those wishes. Our prenatal visits were incredibly thorough. We talked through my birth plan in detail, went over labor positions, and discussed different scenarios so I felt prepared going into labor. When she arrived at the hospital, she completely transformed the room. She turned off the harsh hospital lights, brought a light projector, and even set up an essential oil diffuser that made the room feel peaceful. It immediately created a calming environment that helped me relax. Throughout labor, she was an incredible advocate. At one point, Pitocin was started even though I had already declined it. Valerie caught it right away, spoke up, and voiced her concerns on my behalf. Having someone who was paying such close attention and advocating for my birth preferences gave me so much confidence. She also had so many helpful techniques to keep labor moving naturally. Whether it was changing positions, offering encouragement, or giving me tools like a spiky massage ball and a labor comb to squeeze through contractions, she always seemed to know exactly what I needed. Between contractions, she kept me distracted with conversation and helped me stay calm and focused. I truly believe her guidance and support played a huge role in helping me achieve the birth plan I had hoped for. What impressed me even more was that her care didn't end after delivery. She came to our home about a week postpartum to check on both me and the baby, answer questions, and make sure we were adjusting well. Valerie is kind, knowledgeable, calming, and an incredible advocate. She made me feel heard, respected, and supported every step of the way. I cannot recommend her highly enough to anyone looking for a doula who genuinely cares and will be by your side through every stage of pregnancy, birth, and postpartum.

Christy is seriously amazing. Finding the right midwife was really important to me because birth is…read moresuch a personal experience, and I knew I needed someone I felt 100% comfortable with. From the moment we met her, we just knew she was the perfect fit for us. This was our first baby, and she guided us through everything. She answered all of our questions, made us feel so supported, and honestly exceeded every expectation we had. I also really loved that she's the perfect balance of holistic, but will absolutely speak up if something medical is needed. You can tell her top priority is always keeping both mom and baby safe. We also took her Bradley Method class, which was so helpful and made me feel way more prepared and confident going into birth. We learned so much, and I've already been recommending it to everyone. I fully trusted her the entire time, which made such a difference for me going into labor and birth. Throughout my labor, she was there at any time of day to answer my calls and questions, and she always helped me feel calm and educated about what was happening. On the day of the birth, she was calm, confident, and completely in her element. She made the whole experience feel so smooth and magical. I recommend Christy to anyone, and I already know I'll want her as my midwife for all of my future babies

Safe, warmth and validation. Three words that I experienced with Honey Midwifery during my second…read morepregnancy and birth that I didn't experience with my first. The team at Honey Midwifery has been cultivated with love and education. Every step of the way we talked through my concerns and we talked about the vision of how I wanted my birth to look. My partner was included at every appointment and together we celebrated each new milestone in my pregnancy with love and guidance from Christy and her team. When it was time for my son to make his earthside debut, Christy and her team created a safe space for me and my partner. It's hard to describe but they knew exactly when to check in and when to respect my space. Christy was right there when I needed her wisdom the most. Her words provided the warmth and safety I needed in my most vulnerable time. Honey Midwifery is committed to not only caring for mothers and their families during pregnancy (and postpartum), but also in providing education so families can make informed decisions. I am so glad we chose Honey Midwifery for our health team!

I found Labor of Love by doing some of my own research online. And thank God I did! My doula,…read moreKaren, was my rock throughout my labor and was 100,000 percent amazing--I'll definitely be working with her for my second! A little backstory: I was overwhelmed and so nervous about finding "the one" person to be a part of the most important event of my life. After doing my research and reading through all these bios, I honestly was left feeling overwhelmed, especially knowing how indecisive I can be. I knew I just had to trust my intuition and my gut on this one! After looking at Karen's bio on their website, I had such a good feeling. Staci (the owner), who was super friendly and professional, helped me get connected with Karen, and I booked an interview right away! Karen was so sweet and asked me about my pregnancy experience so far. We discussed how I wanted my birth to go and any concerns I had. There wasn't any pressure to hire her, and it just felt like she was already invested in me, like I was already family. I even had her video chat with my husband to make sure we both felt comfortable and vibed well together--and we sure did! Overall, Karen ended up being the perfect balance of knowledge, experience, and professionalism. It was the most perfect amount of care I could have asked for. She was also such an advocate for my birth plan to work out. Before, during, and after my labor and birth, she was always naturally in tune with what I needed. She was never overbearing, worked so well with my husband, and gave him space to be a part of my support team as well. I am so grateful to have come across Labor of Love

The business owner is quite the opposite of the type of person any vulnerable new mom should have…read moreto work with. My experience with Labor of Love was almost two years ago now but continues to upset me when thinking back on my experience. We hired Lauren as our doula, who made it clear she expected us to go far past my due date as a first time mom. While it's possible for that to happen, it didn't in my case. At 39 weeks and at 5am while in active labor and getting ready to head to the hospital, she let us know she had Covid. Her backup was Karen, who I wish we hired to begin with as she is far more caring and professional. Though unfortunately our experience still fell short and we ultimately delivered without Karen present. We were left feeling like we invested a lot of emotion and money into this process with ultimately no help. Staci has been incredibly rude to us since then and even revoked our access to watch her training videos, sending me a link to pay her once again when wanting to rewatch for our now second baby on the way. Karen herself even recommended we ask for a partial refund due to our experience, but Staci lacks the professionalism and courtesy to her clients. Truly mindblowing that she revoked access to the training videos after we had already paid for them. I would stay far away and recommend a more experienced and caring doula group.

I didn't know where to start in searching for a doula, and I'm so glad I came across this marching…read moreservice. It was an easy and quick process that helped me find a doula with some pretty specific preferences I had in mind. They gave me several great options and matched me with my doula who I absolutely love!

The Doulas of Orange County is a wonderful service that helped my wife and me out tremendously in…read moreour search for a birth doula. With so many doulas available, it was overwhelming knowing where to start our search. Doulas of Orange County simplified everything by first gathering a list of what we wanted and matching us with the perfect doulas who aligned with our vision and our budget. The process was easy to understand, and they consistently informed us every step along the way to keep us in the loop. Thank you, Doulas of Orange County!

Lauren is an exceptional doula and we feel incredibly grateful to have had her as part of our birth…read moreexperience. She is extremely knowledgeable about all things labor and delivery, works seamlessly with the staff at Hoag Newport, and is fantastic at collaborating with the husband (me) both leading up to and during labor and delivery. Lauren even came to our home ahead of time to see our space and provide education, which was such a thoughtful and comforting touch. She truly has a gift for bringing calm, clarity, and confidence to the birth process. She was texting us consistently leading up to going to the hospital, which made us feel deeply supported, cared for, and never alone. We would absolutely recommend Lauren to anyone looking for a doula who is skilled, compassionate, and genuinely invested in your experience.

Lauren was my doula for the birth of both of my children. Like many first time parents, we had…read moreabsolutely no idea what to expect for birth or the post partum period. She had very helpful info on the birth process, options for birth plans etc. we were so thankful for her guidance with our first. I had to be induced both times and labored with pitocin. For my first birth Lauren really stepped up to help me meditate through the contractions when I started to panic. During my recent second birth, she helped me stretch and move around to reposition my baby and help him move down. She also can take photos/videos of the birth if you want and took the most beautiful photos for both of my children! Overall she's super knowledgeable, wants to advocate for you at whatever level you're comfortable with, and just generally helps everything go more smoothly. Highly recommended Lauren as a birth doula!

This class was life changing. I had two beautiful unmediated births because of the knowledge I…read morelearned in this class. I didn't go into it knowing much about child birth or having a strong opinion about how to give birth - I left feeling so informed and now, four years later and knowing SO many women who have gone through it, I can passionately say this class is so important for every pregnant woman to take. If you're considering, look no more and sign up.

I took the four classes for hypnobirthing with my partner. I strongly advise going and taking these…read moreclasses if you are anxious or want guidance on giving the process of giving birth. The internet is flooded with false information or too much information these days. This gave me the structure I was looking for with education and information. The environment was comfortable and encouraging. I'm really grateful I took the time to research and find Mind Body!

Nurture Births doula training is absoultely amazing!! I recommend this training to everyone!…read moreWhitney ran the training that I took and she is incredible! We were provided with tons of information, given goodies to help us with our own clients, and there were lots of hands on learning to help us perfect the skills that are essential for being a doula. The women that you are surrounded by when taking this class is unmatchable. They are so kind, talented, and very down to earth.

Do I recommend Whitney and Lauren?…read more Yes. With all my heart, YES. These two women are truly the best. They helped me navigate the choppy waters of my very stressful, last few weeks of pregnancy. They were instrumental in paving a smooth road from a desired home birth to the hospital birth I needed to have. Whitney attended the birth of my beautiful baby boy, and it would not have been the spiritually profound experience it was if she hadn't been there. She was a heaven-sent Angel. An unyielding Advocate. She guided my husband and I on how to have as non-invasive an induction as possible. She came to the hospital when I needed her. During the birthing, she coached me through every step, keeping me grounded and focused, comforting me when I needed it, and urging me on when I needed to hear words of encouragement and strength. I don't know how women go through childbirth without someone like her. Please, if you can, make the investment. Whitney and Lauren are worth their weight in gold.

The Mommy Center has been such a wonderful experience for both me and my daughter. Michelle and her…read moreteam have created such a fun, welcoming, and judgment-free space where moms and their little ones can connect, play, and feel supported. I've taken two of their mommy-and-baby class series, and I loved both of them. Each series includes special touches like each week is a different topica mini photoshoot, a swim party, and so much more, which makes it absolutely worth every penny. Carmen, who helped lead the group, is amazing. She is incredibly knowledgeable, patient, and always makes me feel heard. She gives thoughtful advice and truly cares about the moms and babies she works with. You can tell she genuinely loves what she does. I've also attended several music classes with Michelle, and those have been some of my favorites. My daughter absolutely loves music time, and Michelle does such a great job keeping the kids engaged and entertained. We truly love The Mommy Center and are so grateful for everything they offer!!

I had a wonderful experience taking the Baby Care class! The instructor was knowledgeable, patient,…read moreand made everything easy to understand, which gave me so much more confidence as a first-time mom. The class was practical, engaging, and covered so many helpful topics. The center also offers a variety of amazing classes for both moms and babies, making it an incredible resource throughout pregnancy and beyond. I highly recommend it to any expecting or new parent looking for support, education, and a welcoming community!

I thought that during my search for a birth doula, I wasn't going to find the perfect person to…read moresupport me during my birth. Interview after interview and I was not vibing with any of the women I had met, and I was disappointed and beginning to get ready to settle and give up. I searched far and wide and started searching on Yelp for doulas in OC. My dream was to birth in a birth center but it wasn't in the cards for us. If I was going to have a better birth experience in a hospital, I knew the right doula was a must. Insert Allison. Upon meeting Allison, her warmth and confidence were an instant comfort to me. Allison was not only knowledgeable, but she was visibly passionate about birth. I was very impressed with her immediately and it was almost like love at first sight. Had we finally found The One? The perfect doula for our family?! Was our search finally over? When looking for the right doula, being on the same page and vibing with one another is so important. This is one of the most powerful and vulnerable times in a mother's life and the right doula can help make the birth experience so much more successful and less stressful. I had delivered my first child traumatically by cesarean and my plan was to deliver naturally this time. I needed someone that I knew would have my back and help me keep my eye on the prize. Allison asked me about my birth plan, what my first delivery was like, what my goals were for this birth, and really dove in to get a snapshot of what I needed from a doula to make sure that we would work well together. The conversation we had during our interview flowed effortlessly and to be honest by the end of our meeting I was as ready to hire her on the spot. I wanted to discuss the options with my husband, so I took her portfolio and told her we would be in touch. She messaged me later that day to follow up and after talking to my husband we knew she was the perfect fit for us! It was a match! Allison agreed to work with us and we were so lucky because Allison is worth her weight in gold. We met with Allison once more before the big day. I text her often though with many questions and she was very quick to respond and support me with her knowledge with spinning baby moves, advice for what oils to use for my nausea or migraines, what I could take to prepare my cervix for birth, etc. I also followed Allison on social media which was not only great for gaining more birth knowledge, but also to get to know her better so that I could be as comfortable as possible when it came to be time to birth. I kept in touch with her and even though I was due right around Thanksgiving, Allison was always checking in, making herself available, and very quick to respond to me. We had a few bouts of false labor, but when go time finally came, she helped talk me through my different stages of labor and gave me advice on when to stay home/go to the hospital. Our goal was a vbac, so most of my laboring was to be done at home. Went to the hospital thinking I was in active labor to find out that the party had just started and we decided it was best for me to go home and come back. After about five more hours of strong labor, I went back to the hospital at 7am and was in active labor. Allison met us at the hospital shortly after. She helped me stick to my birth plan where I could and supported me when plans had to be adjusted. She helped me find comfort with acupressure when there was no relief to be found in any position I tried. She gave me pep talk, after pep talk, after pep talk when I started to lose steam and was about to give up. She also spoke on behalf of my baby and told me to dig deep because my baby was getting tired too and that I needed to get it together (in a supportive/coaching way-but with no BS which I appreciated because I don't like sugar-coating or coddling). After about an hour of pushing and nearly giving up-my baby and I finally did it 15 hours after checking in to the hospital. We couldn't have gotten our VBAC without her! Allison checked in on us often after delivery and sent us a ton of pictures which we really appreciated. She came over to our home for a postpartum visit to check on all of us which was amazing. I am so glad to have crossed paths with her and am glad to say that Allison is considered family to us for what she helped us achieve. She is one strong mama and I know her career as a doula will to continue to flourish because of how genuinely amazing she is at it! All of the nurses and midwives that met her during my birth had asked me later for her business cards and information so that they could refer her to their patients. They all were very impressed with her! Thanks so much Allison! We love you!

This is way overdue ..... my son is 9 months. Wow, what an amazing experience to bring life into…read morethis world in the comfort of my own home. Specially during Covid and not having to worry about being in a hospital. I highly recommend Allison as your doula, her centered spirit brought true meaning to trust, not only with her but for myself. Every woman will benefit from having a doula, I wish our medical system included them as part of our birth plan, specially in a hospital setting. I will forever continue to refer her to every pregnant mother I encounter. She's aware of what we need, mentally, physically, emotionally, spiritually and most importantly she works great with the rest of your birth team. Thank you Allison.

Ana is very professional and knowledgeable, yet deeply caring and respectful of your opinions and…read morevalues. Even though this was my third pregnancy, I learned so much about how to care for myself and my baby. I loved that she wasn't pushy, but gave us the facts and let us make our own decisions. We often covered the importance of exercise and nutrition, and I made changes from that, which I believe contributed to a smoother and easier pregnancy than my first two. She also was so calm and professional throughout my labor and delivery. My husband noted how much he appreciated her composure during the most intense moments of my labor. She's the kind of person you'd want by your side when you're not in the right frame of mind. She also collaborated very well with her assistant, respecting her skills and experience during my postpartum assessment. We loved having her as our first midwife and home birth experience and will definitely be reaching out to her again in the future!

Ana is a godsend. When I was planning to have my 5th baby, the one thing I knew for sure is that I…read morewanted to have him at home. I interviewed so many great midwives, but as soon as I met Ana, I knew she was the right fit. She took me on late in my pregnancy (27ish weeks), and onboarding with her was so easy. The care that I received from her was supportive, kind, compassionate and steady. I appreciate how calm and nurturing she is while staying firm in her knowledge of pregnancy, birth, and of a woman's body overall. Her care is holistic and evidence-based, and she makes her clients actual partners in their care. We never did anything that I was uncomfortable with (which is almost unheard of in a hospital birth). When I started to go overdue, she was there to reassure me, and because she genuinely trusts the process of birth, she helped me trust my body as well. I had an absolutely amazing birth experience that my husband and I wouldn't trade for anything. My baby is two now (sorry this is so late!), but I still think of Ana often and so fondly. She became part of our family for the time she was with us and I will always love her for helping me have the birth experience of my dreams (even at 43 years old). Thank you Ana!