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

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.

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 interviewed a couple of doulas but the minute my wife and I met her, she felt an instant…read moreconnection with her and knew that she was the right person for the job. We met with Keelia at our place for dinner and knew she was the right person for the job. She has a very soothing and calm personality and is a great listener (which is a rare quality). She made herself available for texts and calls before the pregnancy and we had to text and call her a few times anytime my wife was exhibiting symptoms she was concerned about. Keelia was responsive to our questions and did her best to answer them even though some of them were of a medical nature. During the labor process she was also fantastic. Very calm and composed under pressure and very responsive to my wife's needs. My wife, in no uncertain terms, declared that she wouldn't have been able to do it without Keelia. Keelia massaged her during every contraction and it seemed that was the only thing that would help with pain management. In fact because of the massaging my wife was able to make it to 9 cm without an epidural -- she was super fatigued which is why she ended up doing the epidural but I'm pretty sure if labor hadn't occurred during the wee hours of the morning Keelia's massage techniques would have helped her give birth without using any medication. Thanks Keelia, you were great.

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).

I strongly recommend Kim as a doula. Her guidance and grounding presence were a big part of the…read morepositive birth I had after a rough first birth. First, Kim did an excellent job of mentally preparing my husband and me for labor. She did so by getting to know us and educating us about birth preferences during a couple prenatal sessions. When labor began, Kim helped me navigate the hospital and some unexpected developments. She advised me based on her years of experience while being respectful and letting me make all the decisions. She also guided me through the physical challenges with gentle, thoughtful care. Finally, Kim followed up postpartum to debrief the labor experience and help me with some early issues. I'm so grateful for her steady support throughout the process!

Kim helped my wife and I through the birth of our first child. In today's world we don't have as…read moreclose family connections as in generations past, we didn't know exactly how it would be. Her calm confidence and assurance, and knowing that she has experienced this before was most helpful to us. Just meeting with us was helpful to ease my worries and make me feel more calm and comfortable about the whole process. The prenatal meetings were very helpful to ease my nerves and calm me about the upcoming birth. I especially remembered the description of the expectant mother going to her safe cave for protection from predators, and how it prevents the labor from being slowed by adrenaline. This helped me more accept my wife's desires to have no family in the labor and delivery room.

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.

She is the best birth doula in the world She is kind and…read morecompassionate. I recommend her for sure.

I took Renata's birth and postpartum doula course some years ago and finally decided to get…read morecertified. It was amazing and very educational. She's very knowledgeable and passionate about the work she does. I also volunteered at her doula program at Alta Bates in Berkley. I am beyond thankful for all the work she does and the help she wants to give to us as students and the clients as well. It is easy to get in contact with her and get whatever information you may need. I am glad I got to meet and learn from her.

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND Loving Arms Childbirth Services' birthing class! Jessica Cristen was our…read moreinstructor, and she was excellent! She's a certified midwife and lactation support specialist, with years of experience. Taking this class was the best decision I made for preparing for the birth of our baby girl. (even with the countless books I read and classes taken from Kaiser) My birth did NOT go at all as expected, but thanks to these classes I was super well prepared about all the possibilities that could occur during labor & delivery and helped my partner and I be on the same page (and have my partner know how he could best support me). Thus when things started to go different than what we prepared for in our birthing plan, we were really able to navigate the various options skillfully and have educated conversations with our care team. This made me feel way more secure when my health was declining during delivery. Even though I didn't have the birth I pictured for myself, I felt I had a wonderful birth story thanks to the classes from Loving Arms and our care support team. The class is very comfortable, super educational, and a good place to meet other couples about to have babies too. The instructors here really care about helping new families, and have years of experience and maturity. Again, best decision to take this class here @ Loving Arms. So glad I chose them!

We are so grateful we found Loving Arms and were able to take their childbirth prep class. I didn't…read morewant to have a doula and these courses helped me feel so knowledgeable about what to expect during childbirth and allowed my husband to know how best to support me. The lactation support and honest expectations about what to expect in the first few days with a newborn were invaluable. I ended up not having time to get an epidural and without this class, I think I would have panicked giving birth. However, armed with the knowledge from the courses, I was able to get through it and have a positive experience. Another plus is that we were able to bond with the other couples in the class and are still in touch now 9 months after our babies were born. Highly suggest!

I'm sharing this because I wish I found someone like Casey sooner…read more I've had two sessions so far, and both were deeply personalized and exactly what I needed. In the first session, we revisited childhood memories and worked on rewriting the emotional experience I carried as a child, especially not being able to understand why my parents were busy and working (even though they were doing their best with what they knew). We ended with a chakra rebalancing meditation that helped my nervous system settle in a way I didn't expect. The second session focused on my recent grief and the patterns it has been triggering in my relationships. Casey guided me through an imagery meditation where I practiced giving myself the love, safety, and security I've been trying to find externally, and leaving the pain in the past where it belongs. It felt like emotional closure, but also like learning a new way to care for myself. Casey truly feels like a walking hug. She's present, loving, grounded, and radiant. I felt held the entire time, and I left feeling more supported than I've ever felt in a romantic relationship. The biggest gift is that she's helping me learn to provide that same compassion and safety to myself, and heal my codependency from the inside out. She has been one of the most profound people the universe has placed on my healing path. If you're considering working with her, I can't recommend her enough

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!

It's hard to put into words the gratitude my partner and I feel for Allison, who we worked with…read morethrough the Sisters Doula team. Allison is truly incredible (we refer to her as a birth angel). Before meeting her, we thought of birth as something to get through. Allison helped us see it as something to be experienced. The birth of our son became a deeply intimate, connected, and transformative experience. Even weeks later, we still find ourselves in awe, and we're certain it wouldn't have been the same without her. Allison and the Sisters team prepared us for labor in a way that felt both meaningful and empowering. The experience itself left us with a profound sense of awe, and we feel so grateful to have begun our journey into parenthood in such a beautiful way with their support. From our initial at-home meeting with Allison, we immediately felt at ease. Her calm presence and deep wisdom around birth were grounding from the start. Throughout labor, she was a steady, reassuring presence--gently guiding me through different positions, offering encouragement, and helping me stay grounded. The postpartum visits with Allison have been meaningful and supportive in ways we hadn't anticipated. Having the space to process the birth experience with her felt emotional and grounding. She has been incredibly helpful in normalizing the challenges of early parenthood while also sharing in and celebrating the joys.

I can't speak highly enough about our experience with Allison as our doula. As a first time dad, I…read morehad no experience with any of the things, and Allison was great with answering any questions we had. The pre-natal visits were so helpful to set a framework/context of what the labor/delivery date would be like, and both her and my role in it. She was so calm, caring, and reassuring. She helped talk us through during the at-home contractions part of labor until we decided it was time to go to the hospital. At the hospital,I was so appreciative of her experience and the relationship she already had with the labor staff. Because she had the context and experience, I didn't have to stress as much about anything I didn't know to ask or do and could focus on my wife and encouraging her through the process. Allison also helped to record some of the experience as well as explain the labor status. The post-partum checkups were also very helpful and reassuring/validating.

Gingi supported my prenatal and postpartum healing journey -- helping both myself and my 8 week old…read morebaby. I attended her womb movement class while pregnant and absolutely love it! She was also incredibly knowledgeable about breastfeeding and newborn care to reduce gassiness and offered the most amazing body massage afterwards! She validated my experiences as a new mother and created a very comfortable and safe space for me. I look forward to working with her again and highly recommend her services!

VBAC/HBAC success story!…read more As a second-time mom, I knew I wanted my birth experience to be drastically different than my first. I lived in New Jersey when we found out we were pregnant, so I started looking for midwives and OBs out there. I could not find someone who felt right for me. Some wouldn't listen/validate my concerns, others were asking over $10K out-of-pocket up front. As a result, I didn't feel comfortable having any prenatal care at all for the first 30 weeks. Fast forward, my husband got a job in the Bay Area. We were eager to find prenatal care that I felt right about upon moving here. I researched midwives and found Gingi's website. I reached out. We chatted on the phone so she could get an idea of my previous birth and I could ask her some initial questions, and we agreed to meet. I kept researching other midwives, but as soon as I met Gingi, I knew she was the one. The search was over and I had finally found a care provider that I felt confident with. This is so key for an expecting mother. Confidence and trust in your care provider is crucial to obtaining the birth you desire. I could not have had the natural home birth I desired if Gingi Allen wasn't my midwife. God led me to her. She was attentive, caring, and so wise. When my labs showed low iron, she recommended natural ways of increasing my levels. It worked. When we found out my son was breech at 36 weeks, she recommended ways we could flip him. He flipped naturally. My husband was working nights 80 hours a week, I was chasing my 18-month old toddler around, working from home full-time, and unpacking from the move. She reminded me to slow down, reflect, meditate, pause. She really looked at my health from a holistic perspective. Because of her recommendations, I have a fantastic acupuncturist, osteopath and massage therapist. The team she assembled for me was amazing. She was approaching maternity leave herself, and made sure that Grace Bender, her fellow CNM, was there to attend to me postpartum. She was amazing and also at my birth. Kai, her apprentice, was fantastic, and conducted my bone closing ceremony postpartum. During my birth, Gingi really encouraged me to listen to my body. I asked her questions, like "should I push now?" LOL and she would say, "What is your body telling you to do?" She was so patient with me. Listen, my birth, from prodromal labor in the beginning to pushing at the end, was literally a total of 48 hours. She never wavered. She never said, "Well, if x, y or z doesn't happen in this timeframe, then we'll have to.....blah blah blah" That's usually what a woman hears before their care provider deviates from the birth plan. That never happened with Gingi. I loved that she didn't tell me how dilated I was. That was something triggering for me, since I stalled at 9 cm with my first son before I had the C-section. That's not even something I asked Gingi to refrain from doing. She just KNEW that dilating to 10cm was something I was concerned wouldn't happen, so she didn't allow me to worry about it during birth. I'm telling you, this woman's instincts are SUPERB. Trust me when I say, Gingi is the midwife YOU WANT AND NEED. I could not have birthed my beautiful 9lb, 11 oz son at home , after a previous C-section, if I didn't have Gingi. A comment my last midwife made (with my first son), was that my son was "big" which is why I stalled. He was 8 lbs, 12 oz. So literally my second son was almost a FULL POUND LARGER, and I had him at home, COMPLETELY NATURAL. I COULD NOT HAVE DONE THAT WITHOUT GINGI! She is amazing. Just hire her already. You'll be thrilled you did. I was only under her care from weeks 30-40 and still had the most amazing prenatal care experience. My postpartum care, first with her and then, Grace, was crucial to my recovery. I had PPD the first time, but not this time! Gingi Allen will do everything she can to ensure all women in her care have an amazing prenatal care and birth experience. As you can tell, I highly recommend.