I cannot recommend Marilou at Doulas by the Bay highly enough. She was our postpartum night doula…read morefor the first few weeks after our son was born, and she was incredible. As new parents, the sleep deprivation is real, but knowing she was there allowed us to finally get the much-needed rest we required to function. Beyond just being a set of expert hands, she became a trusted guide for us and taught us invaluable newborn care tips that we still use daily. We trusted her implicitly with our baby from night one which was critical for us as anxious new parents. Marilou's calm, professional, and warm presence made us feel so at ease during a very vulnerable time. We truly loved our time with her and are so grateful for the care she provided. If you are looking for a doula who is knowledgeable, nurturing, and completely trustworthy, Marilou is amazing!

We had an incredible experience with Sally for our son from when he was 1-3 months. She was…read moreconsistently punctual, professional, and incredibly kind. Beyond just helping with night feeds, she took the initiative with bottles and laundry, which was a huge help to our family. We felt completely at ease knowing our little one was in such caring hands. In addition, she helped with sleep training. Additionally, the office staff was a pleasure to work with. They were extremely professional and maintained a quick turnaround time on all our requests and paperwork. We highly recommend this team for anyone looking for top-tier newborn care!

We worked with Kaylyn G. during the first 6 weeks with our newborn, and had a really positive…read moreexperience. She was punctual, reliable, and made scheduling and billing paperwork very easy. She provided overnight support so we could get some much-needed rest, and was incredibly helpful knowing we could trust that our baby was in good hands. She would also leave notes for us in the morning so we knew how he did. She also helped with washing bottles, preparing formula, assisting with our newborn's bath, doing baby laundry, and even emptying the dishwasher. She also gave thoughtful product recommendations, offered a helpful pumping consultation, provided sleep training tips, and walked us through using the Huckleberry app. As first-time parents, it was helpful to see firsthand how she changed, fed, and burped our baby, which helped build our confidence. We also appreciated being able to text her with questions between visits--it made those early weeks feel a lot more manageable.

Getting a night doula was one of the best decisions ever. We didn't have one with my first but I'm…read moreso glad we were able to have one with our second child. Jodie M. was our night doula and her presence gave me more confidence, more sleep, and less anxiety during the first weeks postpartum. She is so loving and caring and I feel like we instantly clicked and got into a great nighttime routine with my baby. No evening scaries going to bed and wondering what the night was going to be like! She was there to bring my baby to me to nurse and then she handled the rest! Diaper changes, rocking back to sleep, washing pump parts and bottles, etc. it gave me back some time to get more good sleep--no waking up from postpartum anxiety to check if baby was ok since I was confident she was there to care for him. She really takes the time to understand you and your baby and your particular situation/pediatrician recommendations to put together a feeding/sleeping plan. My baby was underweight which was very stressful in the beginning and she was so supportive through the triple feeding and pumping and had lots of great advice in addition to the recommendations from our pediatrician. I would work with Jodie M. again if we have another baby!

As a new parent, the postpartum period is challenging enough without having to deal with the stress…read moreand disappointment of a difficult agency. While Stork and Sprout does have some excellent doulas on its team who provided great support and coaching, my experience with the agency's leadership was overwhelmingly negative. We had a particularly difficult time with Brittany. She demonstrated a pattern of manipulation, gaslighting, and lying, both to us and, from what I understand, to her own employees. Our contract promised consistent coverage, but the scheduling was erratic and communication was poor. We were left to wonder many nights if we would have support, and for several weeks, we only received 1 to 2 days of support instead of the 6 to 7 we paid for. When we requested a refund for the services not provided, Brittany refused and even fought our bank with out-of-context emails and more lies. She claims she "offered a refund" but is even today refusing to honor it as she says in the response. The lack of professionalism extended to some of the staff as well; one sick doula was sent to our home and intentionally caused our newborn physical pain. Brittany treated us like we were the difficult ones and responded with empathy-less chatGPT emails to manage the situation. We were also led to believe we would have one primary doula with a backup, but over the course of our service, we had seven different doulas come to our home. This complete lack of continuity made an already difficult period even more stressful. Based on my experience, I would advise new parents to skip Stork and Sprout and work directly with an independent doula. You will not only save the 30-40% extra fee the agency charges for scheduling, but you will also avoid the toxic and difficult management. This experience is unacceptable for a service that costs tens of thousands of dollars and demands payment upfront months ahead of providing the service. We were not able to switch easily due to the inflexible Carrot reimbursement process through the employer.

I truly couldn't have accomplished my VBAC goals without the incredible support of the Stork and…read moreSprout birth doula team. From the very first moment I needed them through labor and all the way until I was settled into the maternity floor with my new little boy, they were there every step of the way. Their calm presence, deep knowledge, encouragement, and advocacy made all the difference during such an intense and meaningful experience. I felt supported, empowered, and never alone. I am beyond grateful for their care and dedication and would wholeheartedly recommend Stork and Sprout to anyone preparing for birth--especially those pursuing a VBAC.

Oh my god. Your search is over. Hire this amazing human being NOW…read more We hired Elizabeth for our first pregnancy and we regret nothing. We were already taking classes and knew I needed more support than just my already sleep deprived partner. She was phenomenal! Her calm, cool demeanor was something we needed when we didn't know what to do. I had BAD hip pain that I was having trouble managing on my own. After calling Elizabeth over, she knew exactly where to add pressure on my hips to relieve some of the pain before we hit the hospital. She suggested how to adjust the TENS unit patches to help manage such pain before heading over to the hospital. She even knudged when to go to the hospital. She was with us for all the decisions at the hospital (i.e. took the initiative to ask the anesthesiologist what to do when my epidural fell out. Originally the anesthesiologist gave us options but we wanted to know his recommendation). She even snapped the best birth photos! She kindly moved our stuff from the delivery room to the post partum unit. She truly listens to your concerns and wants the best for you and your family. I can sense the love and care from her. Elizabeth was wonderful and I truly believe with her help, we had a great delivery. Highly recommended :) Fyi Elizabeth had a similar structure to most Doulas in the area: 2 prenatal zoom visits, labor and delivery support, and 1 post natal visit.

Hiring a doula for one of the most intimate moments of your life is a hard task, and I couldn't be…read morehappier that I found doula Elizabeth. She brings years of birthing experience, so much knowledge, and a warm calm personality to the delivery room. Her prenatal visits helped calm any nerves I had, and she was so helpful in setting expectations and birth plans. During labor she was immensely helpful- suggesting positions, keeping me hydrated, a hand to hold, applying warm compresses, and checking in with the medical team. She always knew what to do! Her help also allowed my partner to be present in the birth experience by not having to worry as much as we welcomed our first baby. I hoped to have an intervention free birth in hospital, which isn't necessarily the easiest thing to have, and with doula Elizabeth's help I was able to achieve that. Welcoming my baby in a happy, calm, peaceful environment was such an amazingly wonderful experience. If you're looking for a wonderfully caring and super knowledgeable doula- look no further. Doula Elizabeth is amazing!

We were incredibly lucky to have Thais as our postpartum doula for the first 6 weeks with our first…read morebaby. From the start, she was thoughtful and well prepared. She even came to our home beforehand to review what we had for the baby and helped us identify what we were missing. Thais truly loves babies and her work, and it shows in how gentle, attentive, and calm she is. She also organize our baby items very well, which made daily life much easier. Before her last week, she checked in to make sure I felt confident caring for the baby on my own and taught me essential skills like bathing the baby and using a baby carrier. As a first-time mom, her support made a huge difference. I highly recommend Thais to any new family.

I feel so lucky to have Thais helping me take care of my first newborn baby!…read more She has been so patient, passionate, knowledgeable and really into the details of everything. She also turned my husband and me into parents who are capable of handling different situations! She gave me good guidance on breastfeeding and pumping. And our cat loves her!

Have you ever met someone and thought to yourself, dang, that human was born to do this kind of…read morework and has a real gifting for it? That was my thought about Lauren after meeting her for the first time (she taught our 6 week birth prep course). This woman was in her element. She cared, she was knowledgeable, and and she lit up the room. To our pleasant surprise and an epic answer to prayer, she ended up being our doula and what a gift she was in that space for us too. Lauren knew when to say or do something and the art of not saying or doing. We ended up having a dream birth and I'm not sure I would have been able to do it without her support. She was a part of the dream birth. She came along and partnered with me and my husband in a way that complemented and strengthened. Lauren helped me to trust myself and my body. There are no guarantees with birth. I don't love Lauren because I had a dream birth; I love her because of who she is and am so grateful she was with us and for us in the tender, sacred space of birth. No doula is for everyone, but if something about her resonates with you, book a call to see if there's a match.

Lauren is incredible! She helped me bring both of my babies into the world and I couldn't imagine…read morethe birth experience without her. She brought such a truly compassionate, intuitive, calming, and empowering presence to the experiences, and navigated all of the twists and turns with us. She felt like part of the family, and made us feel so held throughout the entire process from prenatal to postpartum. I couldn't recommend Lauren more highly. I almost want to have another baby just to be able to work with her again! If you're considering hiring her, DO IT! She's the absolute best.

We hired Meghan to take care of our newborn twins and she immediately made us feel comfortable. She…read morewas so easy to communicate with, did a walkthrough of our nursery, and shared great product recommendations even before the babies were born. Once they arrived, she handled their newborn colic and gas with ease. We slept well each night, knowing our babies were in good hands. She always went above and beyond to help, washing and sterilizing bottles, doing the babies' laundry, and even occasionally throwing in a load of our laundry. She sleep trained them towards the end of her time with us, and it was helpful to have her lead the process and give us a detailed plan to follow for naps during the day. She is such a treasure trove of info, I still occasionally text her now, even though our twins are older. If you have a chance to work with her, take it!

We worked with Meghan as our postpartum doula during the newborn phase with our twins…read more As first-time parents, there's an inexplicable amount of anxiety that comes with entrusting someone new in your home overnight, caring for your most precious little ones while you're asleep. From the start, Meghan helped ease that concern. She consistently made us feel that our babies' health and safety were being thoughtfully attended to, which was ultimately the most important thing for us. Meghan is very kind, easy to talk to, and approachable, which made communication feel straightforward and collaborative rather than stressful. She was also punctual and reliable, and on the rare occasion timing needed to shift, she was always proactive and communicative, which we really appreciated. Knowing that Meghan was caring for our newborns overnight allowed us to rest (as much as anyone with twins can), and that sense of security is invaluable in those early weeks. We appreciated her calm presence and professionalism, and would recommend her to other families looking for dependable overnight support, especially those navigating the newborn stage for the first time.

We had the best experience with Maureen, one of the many talented doulas at Brilliant Births. We…read moreopted for a private Laboring together class, and it exceeded every expectation. Maureen guided us with so much knowledge, warmth and patience. She gave us practical tools, hands on techniques, and the confidence we needed as we prepare for our baby. We both walked out feeling way more prepared. If you're looking for someone who empowers, educates and genuinely cares, Maureen is incredible. We're so grateful!

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!

Perspective from a new dad:…read more My wife and I hired Jenny because we felt that she understood our concerns around childbirth; while we knew we'd have great healthcare in the Bay Area, we wanted to make sure we had an advocate for our family in the delivery room (not just agents of the hospital). At first we weren't sure what kind of doula would be right for us, as we were a couple of scientists looking for an experienced hand to guide us through the process, not... hippies. With her calm and gentle demeanor, Jenny was more than accommodating during our initial meeting. Throughout our pregnancy, Jenny provided us the research behind any suggestions she made and wasn't dogmatic about any one approach. As a prospective father, Jenny listened to me and made my concerns heard, too. Of course, I played a much smaller part in the engagement, but I appreciated that I wasn't an afterthought. Jenny was very helpful in giving both of us tips and exercises to do to prepare my wife for childbirth. Where Jenny's services really shined was, of course, during the big event. We called her when my wife started feeling early contractions on a Saturday morning and into the evening (10pm) and throughout the night (2am to 4am). She was responsive to text and phone calls throughout. We went to UCSF to see how dilated my wife was, and unfortunately we found out she wasn't that far along, so we returned home to Oakland. The next morning, things were _really_ picking up. We called Jenny over and my wife's water broke on Jenny's way over. When Jenny arrived, she assessed the situation and said we should call and start heading to a hospital. Then, the hospital recommended we call 911. While I coordinated the paramedics and firefighters that were taking my laboring wife into an ambulance, Jenny was coaching my wife and helping her deal with the intensity of the surges. I would not have been able to give my wife the support she needed without Jenny's help. The paramedics didn't think imminent birth was likely at all, but Jenny trusted my wife's instincts, despite the fact that she wasn't showing the traditional contraction pattern that indicates active labor! Jenny continued to help her through the contractions from the front seat of the ambulance. Ten minutes later, as that ambulance flung open its doors at the hospital, out came our baby's head. One more push and our son was born healthy as my wife was being rolled into the Emergency Department! Jenny helped us have the most wonderful (and adventurous) birth story, and we're so thankful for her help.

Jenny was my doula for the birth of my first child and she was wonderful! To be honest, we really…read moreweren't sure what to expect (I didn't know much about doulas and was paired with her through a volunteer program at my hospital), but was with us for ~12 hours of my home labor (i.e., before I went to the hospital and was able to get pain medications) and made this phase a ton more physically comfortable and mentally manageable. To begin with, Jenny came over for a meet & greet, established expectations, and gave us some sage advice and a few handouts to stew on. She was really good about staying in touch for the last couple of months of my pregnancy, asking for updates after each of my doctor's appointments. She also wanted to know when I started going into labor, making sure that I knew to call her, especially if it was in the middle of the night. She was always super responsive by text, and she took a cab over around 4am when I did go into labor and my contractions got very painful - basically when my hospital said I wasn't far enough to come in yet, and this was a good time to focus on home labor and to call my doula if I had one. For my partner and I, who were completely inexperienced and mentally unprepared for the intensity of the contractions, Jenny was a complete godsend. She guided us in setting up several coping "stations" using various props, like pillows, our yoga ball and a hall banister, which each facilitated different stretches or poses. One thing she excelled at was tracking my contractions and managing my expectations for progress. Another was helping me manage my pain. Specifically, she leveraged her training as a massage therapist to massage my shoulders and back, do these great hip presses, and applied a TENS (electric pulse) Unit to my lower back muscles. All these things together made my last 12 hours before I could go to the hospital much more relaxed and manageable, and helped me keep my energy up for the long stretch ahead of me. Throughout the whole process, Jenny did a great job soothing our minds and my cramping muscles. I highly recommend her as a doula!

This review is for Luo Ah Yi. She was a great postpartum nanny for our family during the first…read moremonth after our daughter was born. She made a huge difference during a very busy time. She took full responsibility for our newborn overnight so we could rest, and she also cooked three meals a day for our family. Everything was delicious, varied, took our input into account. Beyond her work ethic, she is warm, kind, and wonderful with children. She was gentle and loving with our newborn and built a sweet bond with our 5-year-old. She was also flexible, easy to work with, and quickly felt like part of our family. We highly recommend her to any chinese-speaking family looking for a postpartum nanny.

We were incredibly fortunate to have Zhang A Yi during the first 3 months of our journey with our…read morenewborn. Her experience, attentiveness, and proactiveness in taking care of not only everything for the baby but also our home made such a big difference during this crazy time for us. Zhang A Yi is incredibly knowledgeable about newborn care and immediately stepped in to help the moment she arrived, handling everything from feeding and bathing, to soothing him and putting him to bed. Given we're first time parents, she was also very helpful in decoding our son's crying/fussiness for us and provided great tips for taking care of him. In those first few weeks when we were still adjusting, she would oftentimes even cut her afternoon break short to help out, despite us insisting that she rest. It was honestly surprising to us just how quickly we became comfortable with Zhang A Yi and entrusted her with our son's care. She really treated our baby as if he were her own and it was very reassuring to see just how much she genuinely cared about him (and how much he enjoyed being with her as well). There was no shortage of smiles and cooing when Zhang A Yi was practicing tummy time with him or entertaining him with all his toys. In addition to Zhang A Yi being very attentive to our baby, she was also incredibly observant when it came to the day-to-day. She'd proactively clean any dishes that we left out, and on the occasions that we'd take our baby out with us to meet up with friends, we'd come back to a very clean and organized home (even though Zhang A Yi was not at all required to help with this). And as the cherry on top to all this - she's also a fantastic cook. You'd think that over the course of 3 months we'd have gotten through her entire repertoire of dishes, but she continued to surprise us with something new. Mealtime was definitely something we looked forward to every day. We've really enjoyed having Zhang A Yi as part of the family and would highly recommend her to anyone who's looking for a dedicated and warm-hearted nanny to help with taking care of their newborn.