Hiring Lenore as our doula was one of the best decisions we made. She was consistently warm,…read moregenuinely caring, and incredibly responsive. Her professionalism and organization were impressive, yet she remained completely approachable throughout. Lenore empowered me to create the birth plan I wanted and provided resources to help me feel prepared. She walked alongside us through important decisions and connected us to wonderful providers, including a pelvic floor therapist. During labor, her support both at home and at the hospital was critically helpful. I'm so grateful for my beautiful birthing experience! It was also reassuring that she was a known and respected presence at the hospital. My partner was initially uncertain about hiring a doula, but now says without hesitation that it was one of our best decisions. I cannot recommend Lenore highly enough.

If you are looking to hire a doula, look no further. Lenore is absolutely incredible at what she…read moredoes, and choosing to have her on my birthing team was one of the best decisions I've made. I honestly couldn't imagine going through the birthing journey without her. She provided so much insight, support, and value throughout every step of the way. During the prenatal sessions, she was intentional about getting to know my partner and I, as well as my birthing preferences. When the unexpected happened, she was there to offer me a fresh perspective and the right questions to ask. Lastly, when it came to giving birth, she knew exactly what to say, exactly what support I needed, and kept me feeling embodied and empowered throughout the entire experience. I can confidently say that I would never have been able to achieve my desired birth without her.

Did a prenatal massage with Gracie and she's wonderful! The room is nice, she had all the comfort…read morepillows and really listened to where I noted any aches or pains to address. She also included some breathing techniques which was nice. Afterwords she also offered drinks and snacks from the studio lounge which being pregnant is always appreciated. Loved my massage here.

I reached out to Brilliant Births to find a birth doula. They offer a matching service and…read moreconnected me to 3 doulas who work independently (not employees of BB). We were really fortunate to find our birth doula (who we love!), but the other 2 candidates were not very impressive. The first doula missed our appointment with no follow-up communication. We were initially confused and thought she was the coordinator for BB, because she only communicated by text. The actual meeting was just by telephone so there was no face-to-face interaction, which felt strange. We could've easily FaceTimed or Zoomed. So communication and reliability were not great. The second doula abruptly canceled our half-hour appointment when we were 10 minutes late for a 30-minute appointment due to my husband wrapping up a Zoom meeting. During our appointment time, she was responding to my emails (in which I apologized for being late), but insisted she could no longer meet with us. I thought this was a really bad sign about what she would be like to work with - labor and delivery is rarely precisely timed and some flexibility is needed. In addition, her email said that she lives in Portola Valley, but we live Berkeley (also where Brilliant Births is located). This also struck me as strange, because it would take 1.5 hours for her to arrive to meet us at the hospital, which is not ideal.

We had an outstanding experience with DOULAS by the BAY. They matched us with Mary Ann Cherie…read moreWolowski, who was with our family for the first eight weeks after our baby was born. She started right on the day after delivery while we were still at the hospital. This was incredibly helpful because it allowed my partner to focus on caring for our toddler while I recovered from my C-section and bonded with our newborn. Mary Ann was exceptional in every aspect of newborn and postpartum care. With her background as RN and an experienced nanny, she confidently took charge from day one. She handled everything--from swaddling and keeping the baby on a feeding schedule to making sure I stayed on track with pumping. She always had my pump parts cleaned, sterilized, and ready to use, which made those early weeks so much easier. She also gave me invaluable breastfeeding support. Thanks to her guidance, I established a full milk supply within just three days of my C-section, and I'm still successfully breastfeeding. She also referred us to an amazing lactation consultant who was an absolute game changer. Mary Ann was meticulous about everything baby-related and followed best practices in every detail. Her logging and tracking were incredibly thorough, giving us complete peace of mind. She was professional, respectful, organized, and kept everything spotless. The greatest gift she gave our family was rest. There were moments when it almost felt unreal how much recovery time my partner and I were able to get because we trusted her completely. She would even bring me a glass of iced water wherever I was--a small act of kindness that made a huge difference in my recovery. Because she took care of so much, I was able to focus on postpartum healing and even carve out time for simple self-care, like getting a haircut. Although her primary responsibility was caring for our newborn, she also formed a wonderful bond with our toddler and always made him feel included. She consistently went above and beyond by helping keep our home clean, making countless trips up and down the stairs without ever complaining, and never leaving before everything was tidied up--even if it meant staying a little past the end of her shift. We're incredibly grateful to Doulas by the Bay for matching us with someone who fit our family so perfectly. The agency made the process smooth, and Mary Ann exceeded every expectation we had. We wholeheartedly recommend Doulas by the Bay to any family looking for expert postpartum support. They gave us the gift of rest, confidence, and a much smoother transition into life as a family of four.

I reached out to find a birth doula and the initial meeting giving an overview of how they work was…read moreclear and straightforward. Doulas through this company are employees (not independent providers) and they stress that this is really good for always having a backup. We were then matched with 2 doula candidates and the scheduling process was easy and professional. However, we ultimately felt that these candidates were not properly trained or vetted. We never received any materials such as CVs for the doulas. The first doula said right away that she had never been a birth doula before and we would be her first birth. Her only experience was that she had been a night doula before. I was shocked that she had never even shadowed another birth doula as part of her training as a company employee. Bless her heart for being honest, but I did not want to pay to be her guinea pig. After this, I requested an additional candidate, but I was told the other one should be great. The second doula was also not a good fit. She kept emphasizing that at previous births hospital staff did not believe she was a birth doula (and thought she was just a family friend). It became clear why. I asked about her qualifications and she said she's working on her bachelor's degree even though she already has a master's degree. I thought this was strange and asked some follow up questions and ultimately could not determine what degree she had (maybe an associate's degree) or didn't have (definitely did not already have a master's). I also asked some basic medical questions about pain control and epidurals and she was not able to answer them. Ultimately we were able to find a wonderful birth doula through another matching company - experienced and with a real master's degree (in public health).

Jessica provides an immersive therapeutic environment combined with adept therapeutic services…read more Her curated environment creates a complete secondary world which invites a transcendence to heal. Like the physical space, she created, Jessica provides highly personalized therapeutic services designed to support your needs. It's a delight to visit her and facility, for, combined with her body work, it actually seems otherworldly most times. Her unique approach is not to be missed.

I'd never experienced the kind of pain that I did until I developed sciatica. My nerve pain was…read moreshooting down my leg and forced me onto my knees. I was in agony for two weeks. Everytime I moved I would nearly pass out. Reading about it brought very little hope in terms of treatment due to the surgical recommendations that seemed to dominate the web. Jessica works miracles. That's all I know. She got in where the nerve was and when she was done, i was walking again. I can't thank her enough. She knows what's mechanically wrong and how to fix it. This is the woman you need to see if you need help!

I cannot praise and recommend Alison, her healing hands and presence enough! I started seeing…read moreAlison (based on her wonderful reviews) shortly before the pandemic for my wellbeing. I left my first session knowing I was in the hands of an incredible healer. She is so attuned to your mind, body, and spirit and knows exactly what you need. Grounded, highly skilled, experienced and intuitive, Alison cares, nurtures, and renews you and your body. She is a wonderful, real person who genuinely cares for you and your health. She also lets you know what's going on in your body and gives you excellent self-care suggestions. I returned in 2021 after some injuries and health issues and continue to be deeply grateful for the excellent personalized massage and therapeutic treatment I receive from her. With Alison you don't just get a massage -- you get a deep, personalized healing that you can feel the benefits of for days.

I first saw Alison about 10 months post-partum when I felt like I just needed to get everything…read more"right" again after the crazy body changes of pregnancy and birth. She was such a perfect choice with her extensive knowledge of pregnancy/birth/mama bodies and I left feeling AMAZING. Like floating on a cloud. Which was probably all the pent up toxins coming out of muscles but she did that! It was the best massage of my life. And I love massages. So I keep booking and recommending her even though it will make it harder for me to book appointments. #yourewelcome A session with Alison is downright healing. Her extensive body knowledge paired with her grounded but somehow still effervescent nature make for a wonderful massage experience (and hour or more of lightweight free therapy/cathartic convo if you're chatty like me!). She's about the work and isn't going to try to sell you 25 products and a facial. I have a crap ton of ailments and injuries which have thrown other massage therapists for a loop, but they've been nbd for Alison. She works with and through them without any further injury or irritation. I've tried soooo many different massage therapists through the bay and truly feel like I've found the best. Book your appointment and thank me later!

We had Maureen as our birth and postpartum doula and I cannot recommend her enough. She is so…read moreempathetic and connected with us on what we wanted our birth experience to be. She is incredible at coming into a family, observing and giving just the right tailored suggestion to make OUR life easier. Not some one size fits all solution. She was constantly observing the sitauation to figure out exactly what was missing and filling that role.

I'm feeling so happy & grateful that Maureen was there for the birth of our twins!! I was going…read morethrough a lot with our surprise twins. I thought I'd been through everything being it was to be my 4th birth but as soon as I found out it was twins my whole world changed. Not only were we not expecting any more babies but they didn't find the twins until my 5 month ultrasound! i knew I couldn't do it alone. So on a mission to find a doula with excellent twins experience I found Maureen. After many dead ends & almost giving up, Maureen was the light that shone through. Initially she couldn't take me as a client because she was already booked near to my due date but she helped me so much! she gave me info over the phone & sent me emails with all the twin resources & spinning babies info I could need. She even helped make some postings for me to find a doula online & was there for me whenever I had a question. Well the timing just happened to be perfect & she was able to be my doula as I went full term with twins and she was free! She gave the best support during my labor & was able to be with me in the OR (standard for twin births) & counsel me as the process went along like when I had to decide what do do to birth me breech 2nd twin. Her knowledge & confidence are astounding. I couldn't have done it without her. I'm so thankful & highly recommend. She goes above & beyond and truly cares!!

We feel extremely fortunate that we got to have Keelia help us settle into being a family of four…read more She was a consistently warm and caring presence, not just for our new baby but for all four of us. And she has a special knack for just finding ways to be helpful even if we're frazzled and don't know what to ask. She's also very thoughtful about providing advice--in addition to answering whatever random questions we have, she gently offers advice without it ever feeling like she's forcing it on us or it feeling overly didactic. We could go on about how great she is, but the long and short of it is that she's amazing at what she does.

I am certain that my experience with Keelia made THE difference in achieving the birth of my…read moredaughter the ways that I wanted it- delaying at home for as long as possible, no pain meds and a positive, empowered experience. My biggest fears were my low pain tolerance and lack of control over knowing exactly how it would go. Shortly before our due date, Keelia came over to review our birth plan and a timeline of what to expect for pre-labor, active labor, travel to the birth center, transition, and delivery. She made sure we practiced comfort measures, breathing and how I wanted to be supported verbally. It wasn't until the last moments with Keelia where she looked me in the eye and said I was ready, that I actually felt prepared to go into labor and meet my daughter. 2 days later, my water broke in the middle of the night. For the next 44 hours of contractions, naps, two car rides up to the birth center, a traumatic cervical check on day one to then be sent back home, many walks around the neighborhood, yoga ball bouncing, 1 game of Monopoly, snacks, massages, and support - Keelia was at our beck and call. By the time we got to the birth center (again) on day 2 after 36 hours, I was only at 1cm and 50% effaced. Keelia helped me calm down from exhausition and frustration at this news, and we made a plan to get misoprostol to thin my cervix but hopefully proceed with no other interventions. Miraculously, Ava was born 7 hours later. Keelia coached me through contractions which came back to back for hours, waved lavendar oil in front of my face for nausea, massaged my back, covered the clock when she noticed it stressing me out, got me into the shower with Joe when I hit the wall of transition, and helped me breathe through pushing - 3 contractions! She reassured me every step of the way - calmly & knowing I could do it at all moments. In this amazing doula's hands, I felt loved, safe, and supported. Thank you, Keelia.

We have nothing but praise and fond feelings for Nicky and her help at our home following my knee…read moresurgery. She travelled quite a distance to be with us returning to home post-op. She cooked us fantastic vegan meals, staying one night in a chair in my room overnight to cater to all my needs, stayed in our guest room to catch some sleep before tending to me, then went to care for a new family elsewhere. She is unassuming, patient, flexible, and heart fully open with unending love and care. I highly recommend her for anyone.

If you are looking for a Doula, look no further. Nicky was truly wonderful to work with! She has…read moresuch a calming demeanor and was the perfect addition during my labor and delivery. I had a very very quick delivery but she was there every step of the way. She took some amazing pictures and videos (as requested), provided snacks after delivery and helped us get a quiet hour to ourselves right after that incredible birth. She also provided a few pre and post sessions where she really helped us talk about what exactly we wanted during this process and after came back and helped with the new baby and even gave me some time to myself to go and shower. I would definitely hire here again and highly recommend her!!

I highly recommend Khatherine of Duyan Care! She was the first night doula we've ever worked with,…read moreand immediately put us at ease with her friendly, professional and knowledgeable demeanor. Khatherine took incredible care of our son for three weeks and also helped with breastfeeding tips as we'd been having a lot of trouble with our baby's latch; despite working with multiple lactation consultants, it wasn't until Khatherine observed and provided some helpful feedback that my latch drastically improved and pain subsided almost immediately. Khatherine was gentle and calm with our son, and treated our entire household with care and respect. She would wash our bottles, fold any laundry, leave our space tidy and provide in-depth notes on her night shift which provided invaluable information. It was evident she is passionate about her job and truly cares about the babies and families that she works with.

We cannot recommend Rita M. highly enough! She was our night nurse for first born and was with us…read moreon our very first night home from the hospital. As first time parents, we were learning as we went, but Rita immediately brought a sense of calm into our home. From night one, Rita was warm, attentive, and genuinely listened to every one of our needs and concerns. She quickly felt like a member of our family. She actually held our baby for the majority of the night, which, to us, was truly above and beyond. This allowed us to get much needed rest and gave us complete peace of mind, knowing he was in the best hands. Those first six weeks with Rita were invaluable. As a first time mom, I was truly able to rest because I completely trusted her. She was also incredibly knowledgeable and supportive with breastfeeding, pumping, and storing and freezing breast milk, answering all of my questions with patience and encouragement. What really set Rita apart was how much she cared beyond her basic responsibilities. Without us even asking, she took the time to read the instruction manuals for the bottles we were using and our baby carrier to make sure we were using everything correctly. As new parents, those extra "gut checks" gave us so much confidence and reassurance. Rita didn't just care for our baby, she cared for our entire family. She educated us, supported us, and helped us build confidence as new parents. Even now, we still keep in touch with Rita and send her updates on our little guy. We truly feel like we've made a lifelong friend. Rita M is compassionate, knowledgeable, dependable, and an absolute gift to any family lucky enough to work with her.

Casey is something special. I've called on her when I needed help, processing and general guidance…read moreon what this big world is. She's not fluffy, she's not too ethereal, she's a modern woman's support system. She's kind and helpful and open. Each time I connect with Casey, I know it won't be the last. If you're on the fence, reach out and schedule time with her but I deeply suggest doing a natal chart reading to get your bearings. Thank you Casey!

So much care put into my session with Casey. She was so attentive and compassionate. I had a failed…read moreembryo transfer last year and am preparing for another in the coming months and reached out to Casey per recommendation from a friend and I am so glad that I did! She walked me through benefits of different herbs specific to my situation. She listened and took the time to hear me out. So much was included within the session I had which was a Guided Healing Chakra Alignment. She had me lay under a warm red light on my belly for a few minutes, did a reading based on my birth info then prepped the herb to steam. The yoni steam with the sound bath was absolutely beautiful. An experience that requires openness and encouraged me to connect with my own self. She then did an oracle reading. I felt cared for and supported. Afterwards she provided a detailed summary of all that we discussed and things she'd recommend to support me on my journey outside of the reading. Loved that I had something to reference afterwards to recall some great nuggets we discussed in person. 10 out of 10 highly recommend!