How does anyone birth a child without taking Kelly's class?? In her empowering and grounded way,…read moreKelly would say you don't NEED the class, you will birth your baby no matter what! But let me tell you, I feel infinitely more confident and informed after taking this class, and much calmer about the process. I can't imagine heading into birth without the wisdom I gained. The content is so relevant, evidence-based, unbiased, captivating... the time flew by. Even my husband, who was a little skeptical heading into it, totally had his mind blown and is a much more informed partner about his role in labor. Kelly herself is a godsend. She has a wealth of knowledge on this complex topic and presents it in the most digestible way. She is a brilliant educator, not just a brilliant birth educator. I wish we all had a Kelly to teach us about this when we were children. Five stars does not do this justice. If you're on the fence about whether you need a birth class, just sign up. You, your partner, and your baby will all benefit tremendously.

My partner and I participated in Kelly Gray's holistic childbirth class (5-hour version) about 6…read moreweeks before we delivered our first child. The class was conducted via Zoom due to the pandemic. I am so glad we chose to take this class, and I will always feel like Kelly was an important part of my labor and delivery experience. I'll go into more detail below, but I will briefly say that this course is incredible and I recommend taking it to everyone as an excellent way to prepare for bringing your child into the world. Prior to taking this holistic childbirth course, I had taken the childbirth class through my medical provider. Kelly's course left me feeling prepared, informed, and as ready as one can be in a way that my medical provider's course did not (in fact the Kaiser course only made me feel more anxious). Kelly covers very specific ways that you and your partner can support the childbirth process and explained the stages of labor and what signs indicate you are moving to an new stage. Kelly led discussions among the multiple couples participating in the course and helped us each to identify our own existing resources for managing stress and pain during labor. It was great to connect with other expecting parents since we have been so isolated during the pandemic. I truly feel like this course helped shape a very positive delivery for my child.

Illana is an incredible Aguahara Aquatic bodyworker and water therapist. Her work is a deeply…read moretransformative experience. I surprised my wife with a special gift, a water treatment and WOW it was above and beyond. My wife expressed that her experience with Ilana was one of the most profound healing sessions she has ever had. Ilana took her on a journey into her birth where she was able to heal from a resourced and nurtured place, in Illana's arms my wife felt herself moving through the dimensions of herself in the timeless water. She felt held and loved and invited to become embodied through her own birth and even experience the birth canal again and her first moments being born. She was changed forever by Ilana's deep and powerful embrace and dance in and with the sacred water

From the owner: Love warm water? Love to move?…read moreTo be held Like a baby, to feel safe and surrender, to feel free and wild? Looking for a deeply relaxing and rejuvenating experience for your mind body and spirit? For your self or for you and your loved one together? If so this is for you . Sessions take place in private heated pools in Oakland, Sebastopol, Occidental and San Anselmo. AGUAHARA combines elements of massage, joint mobilization, muscle stretching and dance. Moments of stillness alternate with rhythmical flowing movements, freeing the body in ways impossible on land. AGUAHARA lowers stress levels, transforms pain, improves sleep and releases the spine, limbs, joints and organs. It gives flexibility, mobility, deep and total breathing, release, lightness and fluidity. AGUAHARA induces relaxation, allowing accumulated tensions to leave, promoting a better circulation of energy & blood. It opens a new connection, with oneself, with the world, with beauty, tranquility and peace. see my website for more info FLOW2WELLNESS.com

My husband and I had a wonderful experience working with Alana Corrin through Healthy Mamas,…read moreHealthy Babies. First, learning about the services and speaking with Amber was great. She is highly organized and very responsive. I also loved the online mom support groups with different topics covered each week - these were so helpful! For the doula services, Alana was wonderful. She is very laid back and easy to talk to while also being super knowledgable and attentive. I wasn't sure if I was going to try to have a natural birth or get an epidural and I felt like Alana was ready to support me no matter what option I wound up choosing. Also, my husband tends to be very anxious around any medical or hospital setting so we weren't sure if he would be able to be with me for all of labor and delivery. Our meeting before birth was great because Alana was able to listen to his concerns and talk him through what L&D would be like so he wouldn't be so nervous. We only wound up being able to have one pre-birth meeting because my baby decided to show up 6.5 weeks early! Thankfully, Alana was able to meet us at the hospital within an hour of my husband calling her (around 3am??). My labor proceeded very quickly and we were both overwhelmed because we had not anticipated having our baby that early. Alana remained a calm and consistent presence throughout my labor and for a while after delivery after they took my baby to the NICU. She was also able to ask the nurses and doctors questions we had completely forgotten to ask and kept us up to date with everything that was happening. My husband wound up being able to stay for most of L&D and I think a lot of that has to do with Alana being there - we both felt fully supported the entire time. We had three post-partum sessions with Alana and they were also incredibly helpful. I would definitely recommend her to others and would love to work with her again if we wind up having another baby (hopefully closer to my due date next time, hehe)!

Ok, I gave 4 stars to highlight the comment. I'm honestly not sure what the right number of stars…read moreis. We consulted and ended up NOT hiring her (we had 1 video appointment). She seems to know things well, no concerns there, but we were a bit put off by the very commercial set up, ie, the initial consultation had a charge while all the other doulas were ok to do a free into over video. Then we got cut off because the initial intro appointment was so time limited (I think it was 15 minutes if I recall). Her regular emails are helpful, but we ended up not hiring her just because it seemed so money driven (her prices are on the high end, which looking at the reviews does seem to be somewhat justified).

Paula was inattentive during checkups, responding to texts, only looking up when her apprentice,…read moreJamie, asked a question. We discovered my baby was breech and, with an OB, came up with a plan for spinning baby and what to do if he didn't spin. Two days later, I went into labor. My husband updated Paula on how strong & close together my contractions were, and she said to call her back in an hour, nothing about heading to the birth center 40 minutes away. We trusted her and stayed put. She had no sense of urgency until 15 minutes later when my husband told her my water broke. My breech baby was born in an unsafe environment and needed to be revived by paramedics. We were transported to a nearby hospital separately, and I didn't see my baby until he was 3 hours old. Paula showed up at the hospital and asked my mother to watch her daughter. Almost a year later, in front of her former partner Fawn, Paula claimed that Jamie was the primary for my care and birth. This was a surprise to my husband and me. Jamie didn't know I was in labor until after my water broke as my husband was solely communicating with Paula. My baby spent time in the NICU hooked up to all matter of wires. He was in a cooling blanket for his first 3 days, during which I could only hold him for one hour a day, but not close. He suffered seizures and is still attending High Risk Infant doctors appointments over 18 months later. I'm still coming to terms with my traumatic birth and grieving the birth I wanted. When we chose Paula, there was a couple in the birthing room with their new baby. Paula said they lived 40 minutes away, but she had told them to come early. I loved that and felt we were in good hands, that we would be provided the same care. Instead, we paid thousands and were told to call her back in an hour.

Oh boy ;) where do we even start? We are beyond blessed to have found Paula as our Midwive, we…read morealways knew we wanted a home birth but knew very little about it. My wife hated the thought of going to a hospital, so we went searching and came up on "The Midwives". The whole process during pregnancy, including checkups, and all were so pleasant, Paula was very helpful and guided us on anything we had questions about. We felt very very comfortable working with her. After so many months our baby boy was finally born. It all happened exactly like we wanted it, AT HOME! It quite literally wouldn't have been possible without her. God-willing we have more babies, Paula is our go-to for that!

Catalina assisted me in my first pregnancy/birth. From day 1, I loved her calm spirit and knew it…read morewould be essential during my home water birth. During the whole pregnancy she always made me feel like I had choice and was not required to do anything I didn't feel comfortable doing. The home water birth went so smoothly and she allowed me to take the reigns and use her for any needed support. She always made me feel comfortable and in control (so important as a FTM) and I would highly recommend her!

Catalina is as good as it gets. She was a part of our birth team as we welcomed our first baby last…read moreOctober. She has an incredible gift to meet you where you're at. Her calming yet strong energy gave me so much ease as I prepared to bring my baby into the world. She created a space that was safe, trusting and perfect for my pregnancy. Then came the birth. She walked me through the most challenging few hours of my life. I can't imagine the experience without her. She will absolutely be present if/when we have another baby. She is a 10!

Amazing energy.. Going back Very welcoming and she…read morelistened to my body and its needs

5 1/2 Stars Moving,…read moreyet again, to another new home has shown me how important finding a talented Massage Therapist [MT] is everywhere I go. The universe brought me Rose DeNicola, an extremely talented MT in the massage science and art. Yesterday, I arrived at Rose's office after experiencing an unpleasant scuffle with a tow truck operator in Rose's building's parking lot. He was attempting to enforce errant parkers from parking there who were not patrons of the two associated buildings. His attitude, tone, and demeanor, for whatever reason, rubbed me the wrong way and I became upset. In hindsight, he triggered latent anger in me. In the moment, neither he or I handled it well. I was met by Rose at her office door and she asked if something was wrong. I briefly related my experience to her, and she went out to talk to the tow truck driver with me. Through calm and considerate mediation, Rose was able to get the tow operator to apologize to me. I thanked the man and did my best to be calmer. Throughout the encounter, Rose handled herself with aplomb, poise, and centeredness---I was so impressed. Not only did Rose diffuse the entire situation, without judgment, she patiently and kindly spent a number of minutes sitting with me before my massage, listening to me share and offering her support. Rose masterfully soothed my emotions and brought me into a safe place to receive what would be one of the best massages of my lifetime. Armed with the knowledge from the event that just transpired, and because she bore witness to my process, Rose intuitively orchestrated the moves and strokes perfectly in tune with my needs. With every joint Rose worked, through her pinpoint strength exactly where my muscles needed it, and as she honed in on places my emotions manifested in my body, I felt absolutely wonderful. After decades of receiving world-class bodywork with hundreds of professional massages, I am well qualified to identify extraordinary healing talent. A superb and artful massage from Rose DeNicola can cure what ails your body and mind. Experiencing the love-in-action that Rose displays effortlessly in tense and dramatic situations is something to behold. My body is so grateful to Rose DeNicola . . . and so is my heart and spirit. Review 0214 Feel.

Ilana is a water mama. Her presence is medicine. I had my first session with her about a week ago…read more My mom had just passed away a week and a half before. I was feeling depleted and filled with grief. My inner kid was a rock for my mom for so long and never had a chance to fall apart, like she needed to. Ilana picked up on this and ever so gently held me with so much love, like I was her own little baby. In moments it was like the universal mama was holding me through her arms. Ilana has incredible attunement and care for the body, for transitions, and for deeply empathizing with the heart. I felt so safe and nourished. So cradled and brought back to life.

I have never had a Watsu massage so I don't have anything to compare it to. As a result, I am left…read morewith describing my experience. First let me say I love water. Having massage in a body temperature swimming pool is a wonderful environment for relaxing and also for a bit of an inward journey. But I'm getting ahead of myself. When I first arrived, Ilana was just finishing up with a client. My initial impression of her was that she was a kind, gentle and compassionate woman. She was finishing with an elderly client and asked my understanding in getting this gentleman safely to his car. She suggested I get in the pool and I did getting acclimated to a perfect temperature and already feeling relaxed. She returned thanking me for my understanding and slipped into the water. I had a great sense of well-being with her. She slowly went through the process we would be following making sure I understood . There are some non-verbal signals that are used to communicate between us and she was very thorough in making sure I understood exactly what she was doing. She put some floats on my legs and supported me in the water in a very soothing and calming way. While supporting me she drew me through the water. I felt a deep sense of security and calm from her. Eventually with the appropriate non-verbal communication, she took me under the water. That doesn't quite capture the experience. Rather I would say she gave me to the water! All the while, the peacefulness and serenity grew within me. I was completely secure in the knowledge that she was there supporting me through this peaceful process. At the appropriate time, with a hand gesture by me, she raised me to the surface. Numerous times she gave me to the water gliding me through it slowly twisting and turning being guided by a reassuring hand on this journey. It was so quiet and peaceful. The movement of my body under and through the water created a deep feeling of surrender. All too soon my time ran out and again with attention and support. she brought me to a place in the pool where I could slowly come back from my wonderful water journey becoming aware more and more of the outer world. It was a wonderful journey and deep experience of peace, security and surrendering to the water an experience facilitated by this tender, supportive woman . I am grateful!!

Jackie from Birth Realm is the worst. I tried to book a doula from her on several occasions and she…read morebooked the doula with other people out from under me both times without offering the professional courtesy of letting me know she wasn't holding the doula or that other people could book with her first or even that other people were interested. I had zero idea there was any sense of urgency whatsoever. I was pretty frustrated after the first time but gave it another shot given the good reviews. so then I was on a waiting list for several months and responded immediately to let her know I was interested but I had to wait till I was back in the country to chat with the doula. Again, nothing was said about other people waiting or that there was any urgency. Had I known there was some amount of urgency I would have scrambled to take a call during vacation in Japan. Anyway, I waited until after vacation. IMMEDIATELY after I chatted with the doula I sent Jackie an email to let her know I was interested and to please lock her in. But oh I guess that somehow the doula I just talked to was already booked and she no longer has any available. I have no idea why she even allowed that call to happen if the doula was already booked but she not only disrespected and wasted my time she clearly has no respect for the people who work for her as the doula's time was wasted too. At this point I'm glad it didn't work out as I have no desire to support a business who operates like this. Her prices are like 40-35% higher than everyone else's too but it clearly isn't merited. Pregnancy is already stressful enough, thanks Jackie for making this already hard time significantly worse.

Working with Birth Realm was incredible. We felt such immense support from Jackie and Sondra, and I…read morefelt at ease each night they came to care for our baby. We can't express enough gratitude for all their help!

Working with Erin is 100% hands down the best decision we've made in our birth journey. Erin's…read moreextensive knowledge, calming presence, fierce advocacy, & non-judgmental, inclusive approach have helped us to navigate all of the overwhelming aspects of pregnancy, birth, & post-partum life with our first child. When we found out that our baby was breech at 36 weeks, Erin's response was immediate while also compassionate and caring - validating our concerns, bringing us resources, teaching us spinning baby techniques, giving us language to request help from traditional & homeopathic practitioners, and helping us to feel confident that we would make the best decisions for the health and well-being of our baby. Also as large bodied, queer people, working with a queer, large bodied doula has been an absolute dream. All of her materials & language felt inclusive and representative of us. In birthing spaces, heterosexual relationships are typically the default, so it was so refreshing to feel seen in our queerness & not exist on the fringe. We felt fully seen in all of our identities and that made all the difference. To say Erin has been an absolute gift is an understatement. My wife and I often reflect on how fortunate we are to have met Erin & to have had her by our side during this experience. 10s across the board - we highly, highly recommend working with Erin - her support will elevate your experience 100 fold.

From the owner: Sonoma County based doula. Here to support all bodies and…read moreall folks who are pregnant. Inclusive and human centered. I am queer, gender expansive, large bodied and disabled. I bring all of this intersection to my work as a doula. I am a strong advocate and have worked in the medical field for 12 years.

The concept is good but this is way too expensive! $295 for 3- 3 hour classes. $100 was the make…read moreup charge for a missed class for us; we missed the class because our class cat passed away, let Alicia know but there was no grace. When we first arrived to the make up class, there was not a connection or any interest our birthing plan and how to integrate our plan. Instead Hypnobirthing was presented as the exclusive way to birth (very elitist). The class format is lecture style and could use some more intergration. BTW we had a wonderful hospital birth despite Alicia's constant critism of birthing at a hospital. Overall intentions are well but there were minimal techiniques and coaching on the techniques. The class felt very drug out and there are much more affordable options out there on Hynobirthing.

Alicia Mutch is a great massage therapist. I particularly like that she keeps up to date on healing…read moremodalities. Recently I purchased a package of five massages which I think is a great investment in health and well being. She is knowledgeable, intuitive and possess a serene spirit. I highly recommend her.