Amber has a beautiful, gentle and calm presence and her time with us after the birth of our…read moredaughter was so very valuable. She came and supported us during my postpartum time, cooking delicious, nutritious meals. Making warm spiced chai, special teas and sweets for lactation. Her expert knowledge around birth, postpartum and hormone balancing is excellent. Combined with her gentle touch through abayanga massage, which was so very restorative for me, especially after I had quite significant blood loss during my birth. I felt totally held and nourished and couldn't recommend her highly enough for this incredibly tender time, she is a really special person. Thank you again Amber! X

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)!

I can't explain in words how caring, loving, and empowering Meleah is--she is truly a beautiful…read moreperson inside and out. I was extremely nervous about the whole birthing process, including the pain, the challenges of birth, and whether I would be able to get through it without major anxiety. Meleah was there every step of the way. She met with us before the birth, talked through my anxiety with me both in person and over the phone, and was available 24/7 for any questions I had. When I went into labor, she was with me every step of the way, and I truly feel like I couldn't have gotten through it without her. She was my rock and made me feel truly loved and supported. She also knows the ins and outs of MarinHealth and was able to advocate for me throughout the entire process. After the birth, she continued to check in on me, give me advice, and help me with breastfeeding. I can't recommend her enough as a birth doula. She is the kind of person who supports you not just through birth, but for a lifetime. I am so incredibly grateful for her!

Meleah is an angel on Earth!!! I truly cannot imagine my birth experience without her. I had an…read moreextremely long labor (over 72 hours) and Meleah was there guiding me, comforting me, advocating for me, and coaching me through it every step of the way. She helped me find the optimal labor positions for my body, guided my husband in how he could best support me, and provided a depth of knowledge that we would have been completely lost without. My goal was to have a vaginal birth without induction, and with Meleah's support, that goal became a reality. I know that if I hadn't hired her and had gone to the hospital as soon as my contractions became more painful, my birth would likely have ended with far more interventions than I wanted, especially given how long my labor was taking. Because of Meleah's constant support and reassurance, I was able to labor safely at home until I reached 6.5 cm and then have the vaginal birth I had hoped for at the hospital. Once we arrived at the hospital, Meleah stayed by my side the entire time. She brought her expertise into the delivery room and helped position me in ways that made a huge difference when it came time to push. She was also there helping with cleanup, offering emotional and physical support, and advocating for me throughout the entire process. I felt completely safe with her. Before my labor, we had three meetings with Meleah, plus another meeting postpartum. We talked through our expectations and preferences, created our birth plan, and did a full labor-preparation session. My husband and I both knew immediately that we were in incredibly good hands. On top of everything else, her communication is outstanding. She responds to texts and emails as soon as she possibly can (often almost immediately) even when it's a 3 a.m. text! And even now, two months later, Meleah continues to check in and answer any questions we have about our baby girl. Her support didn't end when the birth was over, and that has meant so much to us. Meleah was recommended to me by a friend, and I could not be more grateful. I honestly want Meleah at all of my future births because I know she will help me feel supported, confident, and as comfortable as possible throughout the entire experience. I cannot recommend her enough!!! If you're considering hiring a doula, hire Meleah. You will be so grateful you did!!

Working with Kirsten as our doula was a fantastic decision and I'd highly recommend her…read more From the beginning, Kirsten was a wealth of information, sharing a variety of informational documents and videos covering everything from prepartum stretches/exercises all the way through birth and postpartum recovery. She was always available for questions and has extensive knowledge from her hundreds of clients as well as her own 6 birth experiences. The night I went into labor, she came over and walked my husband and me through exercises to speed up contractions. During delivery she kept me comfortable, worked seamlessly with the L&D nurse, followed the birth plan we made together, and always had the perfect words of encouragement. She was also a wonderful support to my husband and mom. After birth, when we were ready to give my daughter her first bath, Kirsten came over and walked us through the process, offering additional guidance and advice around sleep and breastfeeding. Kirsten really knows her stuff and loves what she does. Seriously, work with her. Kirsten is an amazing doula and very special human!

Not a good fit for me. An unfortunate waste of ~$3,200. I am disheartened to have to share that…read moreour experience was not good for us. Each relationship is a combination and this wasn't the right one for me. I should have said something early on as I knew it right after our first meeting. I feared having to deal with contractual bindings and didn't have the energy to. I hoped for the best when it became "showtime" during labor. It didn't change, it actually got worse. I originally liked Kirsten b/c she seemed compelling when she spoke. Quick. Which I thought would be a positive for a couple of reasons: -to be efficient with time given with my career responsibilities, I do not have much to give -I thought the pace would do a good job at keeping my attention How that formed up was: During our call to come up with a birth plan, Kirsten spoke so quickly and consistently we felt as though we couldn't get much of a word in. She also interrupted us multiple times. She seemed impatient. The insight she was sharing with questions we asked seemed boiler plate and lacking much depth. Or avoidant all together. I felt I was finding and receiving much more thorough information elsewhere on my own. I thought she was supposed to create a more personal rapport with me/us. Then help us really hone in to answers that were right for us. It seemed early on like she was just trying to check her deliverables boxes. My pregnancy was uncomplicated, therefore I didn't have much to share with her post pre natal appts etc... However, as the due date got closer, we could have used more attentiveness. As I mentioned, her style felt so impersonal that my motivation to reach out to her waned. It was more of a disapointment than an uplift. It felt like an easy paycheck grab. Our second mtg of her allotted services (the in-person one) she also seemed a little impatient and checked out. She was stopping to text with her kids during. The hour visit seemed to lend us again more of a machine gun style of "help" and pointers. Without great direction or clarity. In the meantime I was working with a prenatal bodyworker and midwife whom was a glaring counterpoint to the different styles of supporting someone during pregnancy. Patient & attuned to the person, not seemingly seeing them as a to-do list without really connecting. Fast forward to the weeks before the due date, the bodyworker/midwife could tell our baby was posterior or sunny side up. She was recommending certain exercises to do. Kirsten sent quick responses to any questions I asked that seemed like copy and paste answers. The lack of personal connection made this feel like a waste of time. My interest was already low, yet I tried to stay the course vs. say we don't need your services at all. (on a side note, there should be something said very clearly up front that if it doesn't feel like the right fit... even after contract signing and deposits paid that the mother and client should feel 100% welcome to say so and stop services without further payment - this would have created a safe environment vs. more stress in a time that can be draining enough). When it got closer to the date, and we went in to the hospital Kirsten sent a substitute b/c she had a personal event to attend. The substitute was, from the onset, seemingly more attuned to me (vs seeing me as a task). I responded much more openly to this and it was a pleasure to work with her. My labor process was just over a cpl of days w/ some stops & starts. Kirsten seemed to be either absent (w/ her replacement there for a portion of) or too late. If she were more connected I think she would have known to work on the posterior likelihood much earlier. I also wanted to ask for her substitute to come back instead, but I feared the bad energy that could bring to an already lack luster exchange...and my partner talked me out of it in the end. I found I lost respect for her and did not want to listen when she did make some effort. Her tone was again lacking personal touch. She sat on her phone and droned from across the room good job, you're so strong on repeat for a while. That sums up how I felt the service was performed for me. It seems she is a great fit for many, I am very happy for those mothers. I believe it is clear, she was not for me. I debated saying anything here for 5 mo. If nothing else, I wanted to advocate for the ability to get out of the contract if you start feeling the fit isn't for you. I think this should be offered up verbally and clearly by Kirsten at the onset of the relationship. I skimmed the contract and believe I saw binding language. I was pregnant, still running my business & drained. I did not however go back in and dissect it to see if I could get out of it. I avoided the confrontation thinking it would bring more bad feelings to our sacred space vs. help. I hoped for the best when it became show time. The best it was not.

Aline was an incredible night doula, and we loved having her with our family. She taught us so much…read moreabout caring for a newborn, both before the baby arrived and during those first couple of weeks. Our baby came a little earlier than expected, and Aline was able to adjust her schedule for us, which we really appreciated. Having her here made those early nights so much calmer and gave us the confidence to get some much-needed rest. We learned so much from her, and she was always kind, patient, and reassuring. We couldn't recommend her more and would absolutely work with her again.

Aline is truly amazing!!!! She helped us with our first daughter and we loved how warm and caring…read moreshe was. Our daughter was sleeping through the night basically before turning 3 months. Aline is incredibly good at sleep training and dealing with all baby issues. We had such a positive experience so it was a no brainer which doula to ask to work with our second daughter. We are incredibly grateful for Aline's help with both kids and highly recommend her!!!

Juliana was my birth doula and I had the best experience. As soon as I met her, I could tell how…read moreexperienced and knowledgeable she is! She helped us prepare for a natural birth, which was my preference, but also understand the unpredictable things that could happen during labor. She helped us create the birth plan, she shared resources of what to pack, how to cope with pain and more. She kept in touch with us as soon as I started to labor at home, checking in often with my husband. At the hospital, her presence was crucial in ensuring things continued going smoothly. When labor stalled during the pushing phase, she noticed that I hadn't peed in a while and suggested that emptying my bladder would be helpful. She then suggested moving to happy baby position. Despite being reluctant of laboring on my back, I trusted her and guess what? My baby's head started to crown! We welcomed our daughter into the world as peacefully as possible. I'm very grateful for all her support, I wouldn't have been able to have the birth experience I had without her! After our baby girl was born, she also did a home visit to check on us, discuss the birth story and teach us some baby massages.

Juliana worked with me as a back-up doula since my doula was on vacation during my last trimester…read more She is truly amazing and resourceful. She is both very clear in her communications and compassionate. A rare and perfect balance. Plus, she is really knowledgeable about the best healthcare experts in Marin! I am building my postpartum support group with her help and I will continue working with her through private yoga sessions. She is truly exceptional and I highly recommend her!

I went to see Mary for my annual because Drs. Shu & Chu were booked up. It's true Mary is very…read morenice and she made me feel comfortable. However I have to say the pap smear was terribly uncomfortable (Dr. Shu has a lighter touch despite her blunt bedside manner). I actually bled for a bit after the exam! Other than that, I have no complaints.

I started my prenatal care with Mary and liked her from the start. As my pregnancy progressed, I…read morefound her to be both knowledgeable and encouraging of the natural birth we had opted for at CPMC. When my husband and I realized that Mary would be at a new practice over at the St. Luke's campus, we decided to switch. Though she was not able to attend the birth of our daughter, she did make a trip to visit us in the hospital. We were very touched that she made the effort. We will never be able to thank he enough for helping to make our experience so extra special. Mary Newberry has a wonderful bedside manner and connection to her patients. I feel she truly cares about her patients and this sets her apart.

I was so lucky to have had Taylor as my birth doula. She was a tremendous resource and support for…read moreanything I needed throughout my pregnancy and in preparation for birth. She is so kind, gentle, and patient. She encouraged me to pursue the kind of birth I wanted and assured me that I can have that experience even in the chaotic and unpredictable times we are in. Taylor brought such calm energy to my birth and encouraged me all the way along. She massaged and breathed with me, and kept bringing me water. Taylor was there after I gave birth and offered support in many ways with postpartum which was so helpful. I highly recommend Taylor!

Taylor is an amazing doula. She's super supportive, flexible, accommodating, resourceful and…read moreresponsive. I felt honored as she listened to my story and concerns about birth and labor and appreciated her tips & references. I highly recommend Taylor if you're looking for a doula in the Bay Area!

Elizabeth is wonderful! I am a massage therapist also, so I'm very picky about getting bodywork and…read moreElizabeth delivered. She has a lovely personality, is warm and professional with a super solid technique. I wasn't in any pain, just the usual soreness and life stress, but she helped my back feel SO much better. Her office is really cute too. Highly recommend!!

The review I read are what drew me to try Elizabeth. She was…read morevery skilled and capable of varying pressure to suit the needs of my body. The space is small but welcoming and Elizabeth has an easy presence about her. Practical pieces: Scheduling an appointment was very convenient with her online system. Parking is plentiful and easy to find. Payment through Venmo was great.