As a new parent, the postpartum period is challenging enough without having to deal with the stress and 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. read more

I truly couldn't have accomplished my VBAC goals without the incredible support of the Stork and Sprout 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. read more

I used Stork and Sprout's birth doula service for my 11/3/25 delivery and it was a great experience! All four birth doulas are wonderful with a special thanks to Keira and Marguerite who provided me day-of support through my labor and delivery. The most valuable part of it all for me was the very realistic, experience based advice provided during the in-home visits and birth. The guidance provided during labor gave me confidence in my decisions and provided me knowledge of the hospital/delivery process that I would not have realized even after going through the experience, especially when distracted by pain. I will definitely recommend Stork & Sprout to anyone looking for doula support in the Bay Area. read more

I have only wonderful things to say about Stork & Sprout! As our Postpartum Doula, Jordan was absolutely amazing--kind, thoughtful, and incredibly supportive. She brought such a calm and positive energy into our home, and her flexibility and attentiveness made a world of difference for us. I especially appreciated how responsive she was--always replying to my texts quickly and with care. I'll always be grateful to both Britany and Jordan for supporting me during one of the most special--and chaotic--moments of our lives. read more

I was able to use my Carrot budget to hire Stork & Sprout to help me through the early, exhausting postpartum weeks as a first-time mom. Without parents or other family that could help, we really needed the extra support at night. My mom has late stage Alzheimer's and is in hospice care, so not only did I not have anyone who could be here physically, but I was also missing the emotional support of a mom who had been through it and could be there for me during the highs and lows. I share this because Eliza, Michele and Coral truly made me feel loved and supported like I know my mom would have if she could have been here. They were my shelter in the storm, providing a safe place to rest, recover, and grow into my role as a mom. I'm so thankful for them and will always treasure the special time we share together. Having said that, the scheduling process with Stork & Sprout's owner, Brittany, was a complete disaster. We had booked and paid $23,400 two months in advance (at Brittany's request) to secure consistent, nightly care for the first six weeks. After a smooth start with 12 nights of coverage, we were so happy we bought an additional $7,800 worth of nights. That's when things went downhill. I had to repeatedly follow up with Brittany for the schedule after the first 12 days were winding down. Days would pass with no response, leaving me in tears and anxious about whether we'd have help. On two separate occasions, we were left with no coverage for four consecutive nights. When Brittany finally did find people, we had 7 different doulas in just a few weeks. Each night was an exhausting routine of explaining our baby's needs to a new person. The final blow came when Brittany sent a new doula who was not only sick but also intentionally hurt our newborn to keep them awake while I was breastfeeding. This traumatic experience, combined with the constant scheduling chaos, broke our trust. We ultimately had to file a bank dispute for the last 2 packages ($7,800), a fight Brittany is still actively pursuing. While Brittany told us that the schedule issues were due to multiple other babies coming early and other extenuating circumstances, a professional business managing this amount of cash flow (tens of thousands of dollars per client), would have backup plans for situations like this, or would at least not fight the bank when a family is trying to recoup money for services that could not be provided. While Eliza, Michele and Coral were amazing when we actually had coverage, dealing with Brittany's mismanagement and the ongoing financial dispute has cast a massive, stressful cloud over my early days as a new mom. I cannot in good conscience recommend Stork & Sprout to other new parents. Instead, I would urge parents to try and hire these wonderful doulas directly. read more

Highly recommend Stork & Sprout for their doula services. We worked with Madeline throughout pregnancy and the birth of my daughter. She was so friendly, open minded, knowledgeable, empathetic, and available to answer all of our questions. We had a great experience leading up to the birth of our daughter, and as a first time mom, Madeline and stork & sprout's help made me feel confident in my birth plan. Not everything went to plan, but I am very happy with the choices we made at the hospital with the help of Madeline. She helped us weigh the pros/cons of different interventions based on what she knew mattered to us most. She also was extremely knowledgeable about spinning babies and different positions that would help progress my labor. She stayed with us throughout my entire labor (which was longer than her shift) and was actively engaged the entire time. She knew when to be involved, but also when to step back and make space for me and my husband. She worked very well with the nurses and helped us advocate for our birth plan. We will definitely choose to work with Stork & Sprout again for future babies. read more

Stork and Sprout has been a major support and comfort for our family's pregnancy, birth, and postpartum experience. In seeking doula support I couldn't have imagined the ways that it would impact my experience of birthing my son and the early months of parenthood. In the weeks leading up to our son's birth we had visits from the full doula team. Each visit we learned more about the process and the doulas helped us to think through different aspects of our birth plan and approach. We appreciated the different tips and unique styles of each doula and felt solid about having any of them at our birth. Katie was our contact leading up to birth. She was an excellent listener, answered any questions we had, encouraged us, and was always prompt and clear with communication. Roisin was present with my husband and I for many hours of labor, medical decisions, pushing, and ultimately an unplanned c section. Her support, presence, and knowledge was such a gift to us. Her mindfulness and feedback added a calm to what could have been a very upsetting labor experience. Yasmin was our night doula in the early weeks of our son's life. She taught me to breastfeed, helped process my birth with me when I wanted to, and supported my c section recovery. I fully trusted her with my newborn and felt very safe having her in our home all hours of the night. Brittany helped us schedule all these incredible doulas and advised us as an LC a few months into our breast feeding journey. Just like the rest of her team, she was available to us at odd hours and helped us problem solve and normalize the breastfeeding journey. Stork and Sprout goes above and beyond to show up and support the birth and early parenthood process. All these women and their expertise empowered us in having a strong start to our parenthood journey and we'd partner with them again no questions asked. read more

Stork & Sprout - Doulas Near Me

Although I haven't given birth yet, I must say that I have been very pleased with Stork and Sprout services thus far. I value time that is been spent answering my questions, checking in, and following up. I'm due to deliver in the next couple of weeks, so I will write a more comprehensive report post-delivery . read more

We had the incredible privilege of working with almost everyone on the Stork & Sprout team for both our baby's birth and up to 4 months postpartum. We wrote this unusually long and detailed review because my husband and I feel so grateful for (and passionate about) the support we received from Stork & Sprout. The money we spent on care from our birth & postpartum doulas is truly the best money we have ever spent. With their help, we were able to consistently enjoy and savor time with our baby, instead of feeling constantly overwhelmed, anxious, and irritable. BIRTH It was really special to have the chance to meet almost everyone on the birth team leading up to our birth (which came a few weeks earlier than expected). They all came to our house and talked extensively with my husband and me about our birth preferences, the general timeline and experience of childbirth, and the pros & cons of different decisions we could make. I would have felt comfortable working with anyone on the team during the birth. Anna was our primary point of contact, and she was so sweet and thoughtful, checking in with us to make sure we had all the information and support we needed. We ended up working with Madeline the day of the birth, and she was so well prepared and such a delightful person to have with us. She knew the hospital rooms and relevant equipment (somehow better than the nurses!), very thoughtfully guided me in different intervention options as needed during the birthing process, and was so effective in helping me give birth without pain medication. She knew exactly what to say to keep me motivated and feeling strong and capable, and I feel so grateful to have had the chance to work with her during such a vulnerable time. Before giving birth, I wasn't sure how helpful a birth doula would end up being (no one in my family had ever had one with them in childbirth), but in retrospect, it was absolutely the best choice for me. I felt so much more comfortable and empowered than I would have been otherwise, even with a partner who is a doctor. (He was VERY glad to have support from a birth doula, too! He was so overwhelmed by watching the birth experience that he threw up three times, lol.) POSTPARTUM Oh my goodness, the difference the S&S team made to our postpartum experience cannot be overstated. Although our baby was born several weeks early, Brittany was very supportive in quickly coordinating nighttime care for him immediately, starting from the first weekend after we came home from the hospital. Over the many weeks we have worked with the postpartum night doulas, they have essentially given us a masterclass in baby caregiving. Not only did they take expert care of our baby, but they also helped support my breastfeeding goals, and helped my husband and me with establishing and maintaining important daily cleaning and caregiving routines, and provided highly effective tips related to easing our baby's specific discomforts, sleep and feeding issues. One of the most helpful aspects of working with the S&S team is the fact that they truly operate as a team--they worked together to seamlessly care for our baby and for us as parents. We really appreciated how they shared tips related to our baby with each other and ensured everyone was up to date on how our baby was doing and how our routines were changing from week to week. They also provided VERY impressive, detailed notes from each overnight stay, which helped my husband and me remain in the loop on how our baby was doing and how to better care for him on our own. Their approach really eased the burden we as parents faced in caring for our baby and coordinating care among his caregivers. We are so grateful to Amanda, Anna, Anne Marie, Eliza, Joy, Keira, and Michele for all of the support they provided to our family -- we are looking forward to the day when we can tell our baby about the wonderful village that so lovingly welcomed and eased him into this world. You all have made our transition into parenthood so so so much better. We wish every parent could benefit from your help, and we can't wait to work with you again when/if we have more babies. (It's really only because of you all that we're even thinking about baby #2 at this point!) read more

My baby girl is 6 months old. So this review is long overdue but I wanted to take the time to let people know how amazing it was to work with Stork & Sprout. The owner, Brittany, is very friendly and helpful. Even months later, she is super responsive to my emails. My baby was born in October 2020. Covid restrictions were strict and I knew that a doula wouldn't be physically allowed in the room with me. Even knowing that, I still decided to proceed with hiring them because I wanted their experience to help me prepare and they would be with me virtually during labor. The doulas, Roisin, Deena, Niamh, Nika were all wonderful. They work as a team so that you will always have someone available if/when you need them. I started working with them 3 months before my due date. I found them to be extremely informative and supportive. I took various classes at Blossom and the information the doulas provided helped a lot and was different than the classes. They were available to talk to when unexpected things came up or things got a bit stressful. Dr's appointments are less than 15 minutes and the Internet has an overwhelming amount of information, some good and some not so much. It was so comforting to have Stork & Sprout available for guidance and questions. There were times I thought of them as my adult teddy bear. They help prepare you very well. I had a wonderful birth experience. I gave birth at Sequoia Hospital. I needed to be induced at 39 weeks due to high blood pressure. Maybe it was luck, maybe it was all of the preparation that I went through with the doulas, or maybe it was a combination of both but I went into labor at 6am and my baby girl was born around 1pm. After the induction medication, I went into labor naturally, without Pitocin. My postpartum recovery has been smooth so far. I am grateful I found Stork & Sprout and I highly recommend them. My husband also highly recommends them. He said they were very helpful answering all of the questions he had. He felt a bit lost and helpless in the process so it felt nice to have the guidance and support. read more

We are so grateful to have found Stork and Sprout. I have a 3 week old and we came home from the hospital totally overwhelmed and unsure what to do. We needed help putting her down, and managing our own anxiety in this new role of parenthood. I talked to a few other doulas prior to finding Stork and Sprout (and our amazing doula Eliza) and all of them said "you need to meet with us on a regular basis to get her down". I explained this was an expense we weren't really anticipating, but felt like none of them really listened. Then a friend recommended Eliza and I talked to Brittany. I felt really heard and seen, and that they were the first company who understood we were looking for short term support. And their prices were hands down the most affordable I had seen. Eliza is amazing with our daughter; 10/10 would recommend! read more

Michele is the best! She helped my husband and I with overnight care for our newborn and she was a godsend. Will definitely be working with her again in the future for baby number 2! read more

Hiring Stork & Sprout and having Deena support me and my husband through the birth of our second child was one of the best decisions we could have made for my health and well-being. We had the best experience! I didn't plan to hire a birth doula this time around, but after talking with Brittany and completely falling in love with her, I signed up for both postpartum overnight and birth support. This review is for the birth support we received. Heather was our friendly doula team lead, and main point of contact leading to the day of the birth. Because of the stage of the pandemic we were in, we opted for virtual visits with our doula team beforehand. Deena was on call the morning I went into labor. Since I wasn't initially planning on hiring a labor doula, I wasn't sure how helpful her support would be. Now I can honestly say that she was an essential part of my joyful and empowered birth experience. With calm, gentle, and knowledgeable suggestions, Deena helped guide me through my labor and delivery as if she had known me for years. She held space for my fears and helped me find my strength and confidence in the long process. I felt strong and determined with her encouragement. She coached my husband through different pain relief methods and offered a number of things to help along the way. She intuitively knew when to step in and when to step back and let us share a precious moment together. I truly can't overstate how much Deena's support helped transform what could have been a traumatic birth experience into a birth experience that I will treasure always. I was hesitant at first to book Stork & Sprout, because I wouldn't know who would be on call when I went into labor. But having learned more about it and experiencing how it works as a client, I absolutely love it. Each doula I met was fabulous, and there was a true spirit of community among them. Although my initial concern was that I wouldn't know which individual would be at the hospital, I wound up appreciating that I would have an entire team looking out for me and staying up to date on my pregnancy and birth. It also meant my doula could reach out to her colleagues and draw from their wealth of collective experience and knowledge. I am a huge fan and will recommend Stork & Sprout to everyone I can based on my experience with my doula team and Deena! read more

Yelp deleted my first two reviews so unfortunately this one is much shorter. We had postpartum support from Michele and she was amazing. She kept the baby all night so I could sleep, had a wealth of knowledge and answers my endless questions, provided emotional support and washed bottles and pump parts and folded baby's laundry. Basically a fairy godmother. read more

It was such a pleasure to have Eliza as our postpartum doula. She helped make the transition into parenthood very smooth for us, making us feel much more comfortable and confident with the many facets of first time parenthood. She was a wealth of knowledge with lots of great tips and was just great to spend time with and talk to - we really looked forward to her visits. read more

I don't think we would have survived the newborn months without the postpartum doula team at Stork & Sprout! Holly, Eliza, Anne Marie, Michele and Yasmin were all amazing - I really appreciated how they brainstormed ideas and shared tips & suggestions for how we could get our baby to sleep and eat a little better and products that could help (and I've now passed these recommendations on to other friends with babies). We also liked the flexibility of being able to sign up a package at a time rather than needing to commit to a certain number of nights or weeks upfront. Overall, would highly recommend Stork & Sprout! read more

This review is long overdue. You get assigned a doula depending on who is on rotation. In the pre sessions we met with two doulas. I remember really liking Deena. But the doula who got assigned to me later was a different person. I'll not name her. There were a lot of red flags and we requested a change but there was no other option and we were under contract with them. Brittany was very helpful and caring but ultimately nothing changed. I have two specific memories about my experience. First, I originally wanted natural birth whereas my OBGYN wanted to induce me due to health concerns. In the end I accepted it. I felt judged by my doula for "giving in" to my obgyn. It turned out that my obgyn was right. Second, I went into labor earlier than expected. Neither the nurse on rotation nor my doula believed me. She would not drive and come to the hospital unless nurses verify that I'm in active labor. She simply asked me to take a deep breath and told me that she'd come after sleeping a few hours. I was in active labor. She made it to the birth at the end and missed the entire time where I needed support and someone to communicate for me. Thankfully I had an amazing nurse who helped with what my doula was paid to do when I was in pain. Overall it was a negative experience. Unless you are guaranteed to have one of the doulas with good reviews, turn the other way. You want someone whom you can trust, ideally someone who's been in labor, understands the experience, and takes you seriously. read more

Update: I feel it's important to note S&S has changed ownership and neither of the doulas I worked with are still with S&S. I have no data with their current doula offerings. (i wish Yelp didn't require a star rating with updates. Dropping to 4 because of the uncertainty) read more

For any dads-to-be out there doing a cost-benefit analysis on this, let me make it easy for you. The benefits are well worth the cost. No doubt. Do your family a favor and get the contract signed. ---- My wife and I are extremely glad we hired this team to help us with our first baby. Before actually going into labor and delivery we had two orientation and get to know you meetings with the entire team. These meetings were informative and eye-opening. We learned about specific odd standard medical practices and gained perspective on options we didn't even know were available. My wife would also text Daniella questions whenever anything came up during the pregnancy. This helped us prepare for the date of delivery with peace of mind. Daniella and Laura were extraordinarily helpful during the 26 hour process in the delivery room - providing continuity, knowledge, and perspective through every single nurse and doctor shift change. When you are sitting there in the delivery room bleary eyed and meeting the third nurse, you will understand why having a doula there is helpful. In addition, these ladies provided something we had no idea we would need. In the delivery room, the mother needs to change positions to move the labor along and to keep the baby safe. The nurses at Kaiser Redwood City were proactive about monitoring the baby and trying different positions for my wife. However, one nurse alone is often not going to be strong enough to help move a birthing mother. And my wife is not a large person. That leaves one other person to help the nurse. The partner. The only problem with that is a first time father has no clue what the different positions are. A Doula, however, is very familiar with different birthing positions and is able to quickly and efficiently move the mom! I could not imagine how much harder the process would have been if it had just been me in the room trying to figure out where to put the knee or arm or shoulder...the process was stressful and uncomfortable enough for my wife without me fumbling around. Not everything went smoothly during labor, but Laura's presence and well-timed questions to the medical staff helped avoid what was starting to look like a slippery slope toward a C section. For that we were extremely grateful. The postpartum visit with Laura in the weeks after the delivery was far more helpful than we had anticipated. That visit helped us understand how to swaddle better and how to get our little guy to sleep so that we can now regularly get sleep! Our little man is not even three months old yet, but mommy and daddy are almost getting normal amounts of sleep again. That alone has been well worth hiring stork and sprout. I've heard awful stories of parents not getting sleep for YEARS. After experiencing the ill effects of just a week of sleep deprivation due to baby...I cannot stress enough that you need to prioritize sleep for yourselves so you can take care of your baby! Final word: you've found the Doula A team. Hire them. read more

We are such big fans of Stork and Sprout. We worked with their postpartum doulas when our baby was 1-6 weeks old, and it made all the difference. We worked with several doulas in total, but with Nika and Paige the most, and we were just in love with them. I was nervous about handing my one week old baby over to a stranger the first time, but within minutes of meeting Nika I felt completely assured that she would take the best care of our baby. All of the doulas expressed such care and love for our son, and also checked in on my postpartum recovery. Working with a postpartum doula can feel like a bit of a splurge, but for our family it was so worth it to have some guaranteed nights of sleep as well as a mental break from the intensity of those early baby days. Thank you to Brittany and the whole Stork and Sprout team! read more

I cannot recommend Stork and Sprout enough! If you are at all considering hiring a doula (and you should), Stork and Sprout is the way to go. We used them for both birth and postpartum doula services and I honestly don't know how we would have survived with them. TL:DR- worth every penny and Laura is AWESOME! I knew I wanted a doula in part to make sure my husband and I had support during labor that was both knowledgeable and personal. Although the nurses at Kaiser Redwood City were amazing, I was not their only patient and they had to focus on making sure I (and my baby) were health and safe. They simply don't have the time to help me try different laboring positions, etc to make me comfortable. A doula can, while also empowering my husband to help me and be a full participant in the process. I also knew from my research that doula-assisted births are less likely to result in emergency c-sections and induction and women who have a doula tend to report greater satisfaction with their experience. So sign me up! I was initially drawn to Stork and Sprout because of their reputation and their team approach. Although you are assigned a doula that you interact with before birth (home visits, emails, texts. etc). the entire team is kept apprised of your situation and circumstances so anyone can step in at any time. This was a huge comfort to me since this was my first baby, and I know they are often late, and it turned out to be useful since I was in the hospital almost a week before my baby was born and went through two doulas! I also really appreciated Stork and Sprout's approach- they really will support any decision you make regarding your birthing experience and help you advocate to get the experience that you want. I never felt any pressure one way or another regarding medication, a hospital birth, etc. These are not crunchy only doulas (unless you want that, then they are crunchy!). I also really appreciated the sense of humor of everyone that I interacted with- Laura, Daniella, Brittany and Eliza. Although birthing babies is a serious business, there was always a warmth and sense of humor in every interaction which I really loved. It was also really great that both doulas were familiar with the hospital (and even some of the staff)- it made me feel even more comfortable. My birth process was super-long and Daniella was great about keeping in close contact and offered to come over any time, which gave me a lot of comfort. We ended up calling her on the 3rd day and she showed up with a smile ready to help. Unfortunately, my labor stalled and she gave us a few exercises to try and restart labor and make me more comfortable, and we sent her home. I never felt like she was annoyed or that I made a mistake by calling her- I just felt supported. When my labor really kicked in (and stayed!) Daniella wasn't on call anymore, and Laura came instead. I felt totally comfortable with this because I had met her on one of my prenatal home visits, I knew Daniella had filled her in, and Laura was awesome. It's impossible for me to be effusive enough about how amazing Laura was. She was a never-ending source of strength, kindness and support for both me and my husband. She stayed with us for almost 36 hours and always seemed to have a new position to try or know just what to say to help bolster my flagging spirits and give me the energy to keep going. When it was finally decided that I needed a c-section, she helped me overcome my disappointment and helped me realize this was the best choice for me and my baby. I will always be eternally grateful that she was there to help. We were also lucky enough to have Laura as our primary post-partum doula as well. The same kindness and sense of humor she brought to the birth, she applied to her home visits as well. She has an uncanny way of telling you that you are doing a fantastic job and are parent of the year, but will also give you helpful hints on taking care of your new baby in a completely constructive and positive way. She also made sure that you as the mother were taken care of too- eating enough, sleeping enough, showering, etc. She really did make our homecoming as gentle as possible. As you can tell from the length of this review, I am over the moon happy and satisfied with Stork and Sprout generally and Laura especially. I would recommend them to anyone without any hesitation at all. read more

After using Stork & Sprout for the birth of our first child in 2015, I immediately knew who to call when we were expecting our second child in August. The support we have received over the years from Stork & Sprout has been absolutely wonderful! I wish EVERY pregnant woman could have the support of a doula because it is truly a gift (not only for the mama, but also her partner). I have a very special place in my heart for Laura, who was both my key contact person and birth doula. As a second time mom, I naively thought I knew the drill and that this would be "easier" the second time around. It wasn't... And the support I needed differed greatly from my first birth, which I wasn't expecting. Thank goodness we had Laura! She was knowledgeable, comforting, and supportive at every step. After multiple conversations with both my OB and Laura, I decided to be induced at 41 weeks. I wanted a natural/unmedicated birth, and was worried about the induction process leading to a "slippery slope" of medical interventions and ultimately the use of pitocin. Laura and I had multiple conversations about my fears, which I always walked away from feeling relieved and supported. She even came to my home to show me various exercises I could do to try and naturally induce labor before my induction date. As a second time mom, I knew mostly what to expect with a natural birth, but it was important to me that I have support along the way. Laura delivered! She was absolutely AMAZING throughout it all -- multiple home visits (pre and post birth), guiding me through exercises for fetal positioning and induction, offering reassuring phone calls/texts, and being by my side during 17 hours of active labor followed by 4 hours of pushing. While I was in labor, Laura used a variety of tools to keep me focused and comfortable: massage, healing touch, birth ball exercises, walking the hospital hallways, suggesting positions for my husband to hold me, offering words of encouragement, breathing with me, and helping me rest between contractions. Words can barely scratch the surface of expressing my gratitude for Laura. The birth of our daughter was undoubtedly the most physically challenging day of my life, but I felt so supported throughout it all. Laura's care, compassion, and unwavering ability to stay present with me for 21+ hours was such a gift. Laura helped me achieve the birth I wanted and gave me the memory of a beautiful birth story that I will never forget. read more

Stork & Sprout - Laura during a postpartum visit at our home snuggling our daughter. - Doulas Near Me

Long overdue, 10 months to be exact. I hired Stork & Sprout for doula services for my anticipated birth in October. Of course my baby girl had plans of her own and decided to come early. And as luck would have it just days before I met my team for the first time. As soon as I arrived at the hospital, I texted the on-call and a doula was on her way. When Niamh came into the room she quickly eased my nerves. Was very attentive and genuinely interested in my wishes. She began advocating for me immediately. She spent 3 whole day with us in the hospital and was a great source of relaxation, cheer, excitement, and knowledge and support. I honestly am so grateful for the support and laughs during the entire labor and delivery process. THANK YOU, NIAMH! We love you! read more

The dust was just starting to settle from our little family's big move up from SoCal. I was homesick and overwhelmed; my toddler was tantrummy and my gestational diabetes was a total downer; it just felt like a lot on my plate. Even though this was my second child and I'd already done it once already, I realized that the thought of going into labor without my sister or mom-- or any family, really-- nearby gave me so much anxiety. So I started researching doulas in the area. (At this point I was something like 36 weeks along). I found Stork & Sprout through Yelp and was directed to their East Bay team. Everyone was super responsive via phone and e-mail and I think that same week I had an initial meeting with Daniella and Mia since we were coming down to the wire. They met me at my house, which was super convenient. We sat down and had a cup of tea and just talked for a bit. They were very clear that their mission was to support me and my husband in whatever way we wanted and needed-- whether that included medical intervention (i.e. an epidural) or not, being more hands-on or more emotionally supportive, etc. I shared about how it'd been hard moving up to the bay away from my support system and how much I wanted to feel like I had a support system in labor. They were so empathetic and affirming in their response-- I felt supported already! (Sidenote: my husband is wonderful and super supportive, but this time around I just knew I wanted to have a presence of feminine strength and calm in the room with me). At they second visit, we talked about the things that didn't go according to plan with our first labor as well as our hopes and vision for this labor and delivery. It was really cathartic and helpful to talk it all out. Afterwards, they showed us positioning exercises that my husband and I could do together. It was so helpful! Having them walk us through these exercises helped me envision a more calm birth this time around. Stork & Sprout runs on an on-call system where on any given day one doula on their team is on-call for deliveries but you have one main contact person for anything and everything in between booking them and your delivery. Mia was my contact person. It was so reassuring to be able to text her with questions whenever I had any. And in those last few weeks, she would check in with me every so often so see how I was doing, which was really nice. On the day I went into labor, Daniella was on call. She came to our house when my contractions were 5-8 min apart and brought so much calm into the room. I was on all fours leaning with my head against the couch and she knew just where to put her hands-- on the small of my back, on my hips. She'd remind me to sip water. She'd say encouraging things in her yoga teacher voice like, "Just breathe it all out. There you go. Let it all out. Get back to your breath." And I distinctly remember her gently reminding me to get low (octave-wise, in my groaning). I don't know why this helps, but it really does! (And yes, I was totally groaning). She held my hand through the whole car ride to the hospital. The birth itself is a little bit of a blur because it all happened so fast! (From triage to birth was 3 hours!) But what I very clearly remember is how reassured I felt by Daniella's calming presence, encouraging words, and strong hands. Without her I don't think I would've had the courage to go through with the natural birth that I knew I wanted. She basically put pressure on the small of my back for 2 hours straight because that's what I needed. I remember when I felt the urge to push, she gently reminded me to push out the bottom and relax the muscles in my face, which really helped! All her recommendations were given in such a gentle, encouraging tone that I never felt annoyed or anything by them. She was truly such a great support (alongside my husband) to have in the room. When our daughter was born I remember crying happy tears. "Oh my gosh, we did it! We really did it!" It felt very much like a team effort. Don't get me wrong, I was very proud of myself and my body for birthing our little girl naturally but I know I couldn't have done it without my strong support system-- and Daniella was an integral part of that. TL;DR - I love the Stork & Sprout Easy Bay Team! Daniella was amazing and her support was priceless! I would definitely hire her or anyone from the Stork & Sprout team again! (Note: they also offer placenta encapsulation, pre/postnatal massages, and breastfeeding support as extra charges! We also did our placenta encapsulation through them. Super easy because Daniella took it for prepping right after our birth!) read more

Stork & Sprout - Thanks for everything, Daniella! So much love and appreciation for you! - Doulas Near Me

I can not say enough great things about Stork and Sprout and would recommend their services to anyone who is expecting! Laura was our doula and she is fantastic ! I was originally a bit hesitant to use a doula b/c none of my friends had and the cost , however as my husband put it , "it was the best money we had ever spent." We selected a package, where Laura came to our home for two prenatal appointments. I felt so much more confident following our meetings , with knowing what to expect in labor. I also had access to Laura throughout my pregnancy. Laura was amazing during my labor. My labor was fast , I dilated very quickly and had very,very painful contractions. Without Laura's support, I'm not sure how I would have gotten through it. I really cannot say enough good things about Laura's positive role in my labor. Stork and Sprout also supports any decision you choose to make in labor (e.g. Pain Medication you select to take or not to take ) and most of their deliveries are done in a hospital. Don't think bc you are using a doula , there is an expectation to deliver at home and all natural. I highly recommend Stork and Sprout services !!! read more

As first time parents, we were completely clueless and felt totally abandoned when we were released from the hospital just a couple days after giving birth. We knew we were in way over our heads the moment we got home. The first couple weeks were extremely overwhelming. We were not ready for the sleep deprivation, continuous nursing and crying. We were constantly uncertain if anything was normal and Googling everything can often be a bad idea, especially out of desperation at 3am. I remembered Stork and Sprout from taking a prenatal yoga class at Nandi. I knew they had doula services that helped during the birth, but wasn't sure if they could help postpartum. Luckily I found they had postpartum doula support. I breathed a sigh of relief the moment Brittany replied to my email. She was comforting, understanding, and reassuring. We needed overnight help and also needed help figuring out how to care for our newborn. Michele Z. was our overnight doula. She basically was Mary Poppins and took care of our little one and allowed me to get some much needed rest. She is extremely nurturing and professional. I felt very comfortable having my newborn in her care. She kept notes on everything that occurred overnight with our baby. She was a master at soothing our baby and gave us lots of great recommendations. We also had daytime sessions where Brittany and Lisa came to our rescue. I had a giant list of questions for Brittany and with each session she helped me tackle each and every question and concern. She is extremely knowledgeable about baby care and is a lactation consultant. Basically my husband and I had baby care bootcamp. She showed us what to do and assured us that we could do it. Lisa who is also a doula was so caring and tender when she helped with our baby. I felt extremely confident with our baby in her care. I truly believe their presence, help, knowledge, and assurance is essential to every new parent. I wish I had contacted them and had them on board before giving birth, instead of having an extremely rough couple weeks of desperation first. Even after I used up my sessions, they have continued to be supportive. One time in the middle of the night I got a plugged milk duct and I was very panicked. I texted Brittany and she responded quickly and walked me through what to do. If you are a soon to be parent, you can't go wrong with getting their help. If you know someone who will be a parent soon, please gift them services from Stork and Sprout. Each time I had a session, I felt an enormous weight lifted off my shoulders. I cannot say enough wonderful things about my experience with them. I'm constantly recommending them to friends. read more

Although my wife will probably have more details on how helpful she found Roisin & Daniella, I thought I will share my feedback from a husband's perspective. I think the team at Stork & Sprout is fantastic. My wife wanted a VBAC for our second kid. I fully supported her decision and wanted to help her as well. Once we met with Doula I realized the difference between desire & action. There are probably many other folks like me who would love to support their wife but may not know exactly how. This is where Doula comes in, especially if your wife wants to go for peace of mind during her labor process. The entire doula team was very helpful before the labor. They guided her very well with practical advise & exercises to go into labor. Once she was in labor, that's when I realized the true value of hiring Doula. With doctor's throwing all kinds of information & suggestions, having someone like Roisin or Daniella on your side is tremendously comforting. I think they changed our entire birth experience from alright to an extremely positive one. If you want the best team for this significant moment in your life, hire Stork & Sprout. It is worth it! read more

This review is from my wife - and I wholeheartedly agree: I gave birth eight months ago. It seems like a lot more time has past. Learning to live with my child has been an adjustment; there have been trials and tribulations. My son had very bad colic until 4 and a half months. He was tongue-tied and had trouble latching. He STILL wakes up every three hours at night to feed. But one thing that I have no regrets about, no second thoughts, is his birth - because I made one of the best decisions of my life when I hired Stork & Sprout. As a first time mom, and someone who likes to do research, I knew as much as a layperson could about being pregnant and giving birth. My husband and I went to ALL the classes Kaiser offered about it. I was constantly on the internet. I knew what I wanted for my son's birth - all natural, no pain medication, no unnecessary interventions. The last thing I wanted was a c-section. In my research I had seen studies that showed that the most statistically helpful thing in the prevention of cesareans was: a Doula. I looked around at different mid-wives and doulas. They were all nice and had experience, but there was something about meeting Jessica (and later Melissa) that spoke to me. They were it. I had many anxieties about my birth. You see, I had been diagnosed as hypertensive and therefore a high risk pregnancy. My doctor was clear - if I had not gone into labor naturally by 38 weeks, I should be induced. I understood the reasons, and they made perfect sense. My anxiety arose from my anecdotal experiences where every time I had seen someone induced it quickly devolved - induction leads to epidural, epidural leads to slowing of birth, slowing of birth leads to breaking the water, breaking the water leads to cesarean. I knew that this wasn't always the case, but I had witnessed it happen too many times - even where the mom's intentions were like mine. When I met with Melissa and Jessica, they listened to all my concerns. They made it clear that their job was to support me, help me make decisions which were right for me, and help me understand what was going on. But most of all, their job was to make sure that no matter what happened during my birth, I would have no regrets. When I was eventually induced at 39 weeks, Melissa made the trek in the wee hours of the morning to be by my side. Something that one doesn't know until you're in the moment - and my husband especially realized - is that for first time parents all the research in the world about birth is a pale imitation of the experience. Melissa was a rock. A rock with experience. She knew what to do and when to do it. Every birth is different, but it felt like she had magically prepared just for mine. I never felt like I was lost or helpless or alone. When my labor was in full swing, my husband supported me from the front, and Melissa from the back. When I started to waiver, Melissa did what I needed her to - became firm and direct. When I was stalled at 9 centimeters dilated and the doctors suggested breaking my water, it was Melissa who allowed me to calmly think about the choice and know what my options were. When I was 9.5 centimeters dilated, sobbing with exhaustion, wanting to do nothing but push, it was Melissa who asked the doctor questions my Husband and I would never have known to ask. Within minutes, I was ready to push. And minutes later my son was born. My birth did not go "as planned" (and how many really do?), but my birth process did. I know that every thing that happened, every decision that was made was the right one. And I absolutely know that it is because Stork & Sprout were with me. read more

I had to add an update to our review to say how much we appreciated the night doula support with Michele! I wish we would have bought the package that included night support but I didn't realize how much we would have needed it. From our first night with Michele, we felt relieved, relaxed and at ease with her with our baby while my husband and I slept. (And I haven't even left our son with my mom!) She always sent us a detailed report about how the night went (how much our baby ate, how he slept, etc.) and she so kindly would wash his bottles and fold any laundry she saw. That was such a sweet surprise! All in all we had her come about 12 times. Thank you Michele for your loving and professional care of our little one. You truly helped relieve stress during a critical time in our life! read more

Hiring the doulas at Stork and Sprout was the best money spent for myself and my baby! I knew from the beginning that I wanted to do all I could to have a natural unmedicated birth and without their support through pregnancy and labour I don't think I could have achieved my dream! Nika was the Perfect match for me and with her kind, assertive, supportive and knowledgeable personality she guided me through my labor and allowed me to peacefully stay at home until the contractions were 3 minutes apart therefore getting to the hospital (which was around the block) at 9 cm dilated and therefore avoiding more interventions which of course the hospital started pushing on me even if I was healthy and almost ready to push. If you are looking for a doula don't hesitate to contact them, they are super flexible, understanding of different situation and an immense source of information. Wish I could give them 10 stars!! read more

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Amazing customer service and care! I contacted Stork and Sprout (S&S) recently in desperate need of a doula. I'm due in 3 weeks and as we got closer to our EDD, it became more apparent that we wanted/needed a doula. A staff at S&S contacted me to let me know that all their doulas were booked...it seemed like lots of babies were due around my EDD. I was sad to hear this but to my surprise our convo did not end there... She then recommended 2 doulas that she thought would be a good fit based on my needs. What's even more impressive was that before she called me, she first called the 2 doulas to make sure they were available during my EDD. How awesome is that?! I am so grateful for the care that she put into helping me find a doula. And she was right, both doulas she recommended had something about them we liked. But it all boiled down to fit and we chose Jen to be our doula from MamaDoula Service. Thank you for your help, Stork and Sprout! read more

I wanted a natural, unmedicated hospital birth and that's exactly what the Junior doula team helped me achieve. After doing much research on hospital births I decided that I really wanted a birth doula to help me advocate for myself and know the choices available to me should something go awry. I was lucky enough to come across information on Stork and Sprout. Jessica encouraged us to come to a Meet the Doulas night, which we did. We instantly loved the dynamic - how they function as a team, learning from each other's experience and complementing each others skill sets. When I discussed it with my OB she had such great things to say about Stork and Sprout. I thought this was so important because you want someone that works with the medical team, and they are certainly recognized for their professionalism and ability to partner. With this, we decided to hire the junior team - Lauren and Michelle. I was a bit hesitant at first but knew that although they were less experienced doulas, they certainly had more experience than me! I could not be more pleased that we chose them. From the first meeting I felt very comfortable and became less anxious about the hospital birth....which had become an obsession at that point. They helped make sure that I was educated on the various things that can happen and recommended books and online sources for both the birth and breastfeeding. They also recommended some exercises for me to start doing to make sure my little girl stayed head down. On the evening of June 4th, I labored at home for nine hours and checked in with Lauren by phone. Once the contractions were close we decided it was time to head to Mills. We arrived only a few minutes before Michelle (Lauren had a birth the night before and so Michelle stepped in). I was already seven centimeters so things moved quick! I had just entered the "transition" phase and that is when I needed help the most. Michelle helped me stay focused, kept me breathing through the pain and helped my partner support me too. It was all rather quick, about another forty five minutes in transition and less than 5 pushes and my daughter was here. Michelle took pictures and beautifully captured our first family photo which we used for our announcement card. Without Michele I think I would have fallen apart during transition. As the baby moved down the contractions reached a new intensity - it was staying focused that got me through it. She worked extremely well with the hospital nurses and doctor - whom were also amazing. She also came to visit me after at home which was so sweet. She's stayed in contact with occasional messages. As a new mom, you can use all the support you can get. Michele's kindness, experience and calm demeanor was the exact support I needed during the birth. I can't thank her, Lauren and Jessica enough. I was blessed and am very grateful to have had such a wonderful experience. read more

I'd recommend Stork & Sprout for anyone needing some sanity in the early newborn months (and that's really all of us, isn't it?!). We started working with them from Day 2 and continued for a couple months. It can be nerve wracking to have a stranger look after your little baby while you sleep. But from the first moment I was completely comfortable with the Stork & Sprout team. They're incredibly professional and are kind of like a nighttime Mary Poppins come to life! We worked most with Michele Zlatunich and I can't say enough good things about her. She was the first to notice my son had reflux and made recommendations for things we could do to make him more comfortable. She was so caring and took safety protocols seriously, wearing a mask all night. And she always sent detailed notes the morning after, which helped us understand how the night went. Of all the decisions we made in the early months, hiring the Stork & Sprout team - and Michele in particular - was the most life changing. Thank you for the gift of sleep! read more

I had a really amazing experience with Stork and Sprout. We worked with Brittany for post-partum doula support and lactation support and were so pleased we did. We had our first baby 10 weeks ago and are not from the Bay Area, and so have no family here. Our baby arrived three weeks early and had a few complications with his feeding as a result of being early. Brittany was amazingly supportive and available to us. We asked her to come see us for our visit post-partum visit on our second day home, which was a Sunday. I was a mess - completely shocked from the baby's early arrival and birth, not ready yet (I didn't even have a nursing bra!), really uncertain and upset about the complications from him being early. Brittany arrived and over the course of the (literally) hours she spent with us she helped with everything from teaching me how to pump, helping us get all sorts of baby gear set-up, helping us with tips and tricks for soothing our newborn, sorting out getting the groceries away, teaching us how to bottle feed in a way that would support continued breastfeeding and much more. All the while making us laugh and feel comfortable and excited about our little one, rather than nervous and anxious. Over the following weeks Brittany was with us in person and was available every day by email and phone at all times. I would email her at 2am with endless questions and worries and she was always able to help allay my concerns with practical suggestions, fantastic information and really wonderful emotional support. I very much wanted to be able to fully breastfeed my newborn, which wasn't possible to start due to his health complications. Brittany helped us plan how to get to full breastfeeding and supported me every step of the way. There were days when I thought it would never be possible and was close to giving up and she always had an encouraging word or trick to try that would help me keep going and feel more optimistic. I'm pleased to report that my son has been fully breastfeeding since 8 weeks old! It's such a shock having a new baby and doing it without family nearby is hard - Brittany was an amazing coach, cheerleader and source of wisdom and practical help, I would not have stayed sane in the early weeks without her support. She really made a difference to us. I highly, highly recommend Stork & Sprout! read more

I'm so overdue in writing this, but it's not due to lack of appreciation, it's due to the craziness of being a new mom. Where to begin? I guess at the beginning. Just to warn you, this is going to be LONG . . . I decided that I wanted a doula before I got pregnant. Once I was finally pregnant, I asked my Dr. who he would recommend. Much to my surprise, he told me that he'd only work with the ladies of Stork and Sprout. Well, I must admit, I felt backed into a corner. What if I didn't like them? What if they weren't able to work with what my husband and I wanted for the birth of our child? What if they weren't available? A whole lot of "what ifs". Our first meeting with Jessica and Melissa was at the San Mateo Birth and Baby Fair (that I dragged my husband to). I was nervous as I was barely through the first trimester and my husband was not very excited about the idea of having a doula in the room for delivery. Thankfully, both Jessica and Melissa were so warm and open in answering questions for us. We decided on the spot to sign up and save our "due date" with Stork and Sprout. Obviously some months passed before our first meeting in our home. All of the doulas (Melissa, Jessica, and Jody) were so understanding of me wanting/needing to schedule way ahead (I'm a planner). Jessica and Jody came over about two months before our due date. They talked us through what to expect, asked what we were looking for/hoping for in our birth/delivery experience, gave us some exercises to use (our baby was breech at the time), informed us of other resources, etc. We had scheduled something following the appointment, so didn't have time to get through everything. Jessica and Jody were so great that they came back that evening for another hour. This was just the first time (of many) that they showed how dedicated they were to us as their clients. During our next meeting, with Melissa, we went through more of our desires for the birth of our child, techniques that would be helpful in labor, and what to expect in terms of labor. Prior to our first few meetings, my husband was not sold on the idea of having a doula. He believed that the doula would "replace" him in the delivery room. After these meetings, he was feeling much more comfortable and at ease with the idea of having assistance during labor and delivery, especially since my goal was to have an unmedicated labor. Well, things don't usually go according to plan, do they . . . I ended up being induced, getting an epidural port, getting an epidural, and narrowly avoiding a c-section (see Gigi's study for reference) due to very high blood pressure and low platelets - my Dr. told me after delivery that he was shocked that I ended up not getting a cesarian given the path we were on. After induction, I was in labor for 42 hours before I had my beautiful son. It was NOTHING like I had hoped or anticipated, but it was PERFECT thanks to the support of Jessica (the night I was induced) and Melissa (the following day until I gave birth the next morning). My mother told me after I had my son, that she thought we were crazy to spend the money on something as silly as a doula. After all, she'd had four children without one. After delivery (and being there for much of my labor), my mom said that it was the best investment we could have made -- now she tells all of her friends to help get their daughters doulas and more specifically, Jessica and Melissa. Also, remember my husband who wasn't sold on the idea of having a doula, well, he appreciated the support that he got to know what he could do to better help me when I was in pain and to know our options at the hospital. Two non-believers left the birth being complete believers in having a doula present. Once we got home, Melissa helped with breastfeeding, and just making sure things were going well. She advised me on when to call my Dr. because pains that I was having weren't "normal" and when to see a lactation consultant because my son's latch was tricky. Honestly, it's all a bit of a blur now, but I think she came over at least twice to help us at home. Also, she gave us a narrative (with statistics) of my entire labor. Because it's all such a blur now, this is so cool to have. I am SO unbelievably grateful to the wonderful ladies at Stork and Sprout. I've already had one friend use them, although their experience was VERY different than ours - fast and unmedicated (another friend used another doula and her experience was nothing like ours), they loved working with these ladies too. I HIGHLY recommend Stork and Sprout to ANY expectant parents. I completely understand that this is an investment, but one that I will gladly make in the future given the support I received before delivery, throughout labor, during birth, and once we were home. Good luck to all new parents! read more

As a fertility care professional myself I understand how hard some women have to work to become pregnant. Many of our patients have expressed to us that once pregnancy is achieved it can be very difficult to setup a quality support system to help them relax and enjoy this miraculous process. I had several patients rave to me about their (Stork and Sprout) doulas and were so grateful to find them. I eventually met both Jessica and Melissa and was very impressed with their professionalism and knowledge. What I appreciated most was their understanding that each person is very different in what their needs may be. They do customize time with you based on what your goals and priorities are for your pregnancy, delivery and birth. I have since referred many patients to Stork and Sprout. I do so with complete confidence in the care they will receive. I can highly recommend them to anyone looking for a dynamic doula team. read more

Hands down, no regrets choosing Stork & Sprout to be part of our birth team! The doula team was amazing from the beginning. We enjoyed their timely, informative visits in 3rd trimester where we met the doula team members for a good duration and they were able to ease our minds with information. They listened non-judgmentally our preferred birth plan and provided us all the resources. Our point of contact Katie was awesome at responding to our emails and messages whenever we had any questions. Madeline was on call on our induction day and we don't know what we would have done without her! We needed on-site support once my contractions kicked on full force and she came straight away. She supported my husband and I through our labor and delivery - holding me up during contractions, holding my hands when I got the epidural, encouraged me during the delivery, answered all our random questions during our hospital stay and was such good company! Overall we thought it was a good decision to go with Stork and Sprout because we got access to the entire doula team vs just one person. Thank you team for supporting us through our first birth!!! read more

Before hiring Stork and Sprout, I was very worried about pregnancy and starting a new chapter of my life. I worried that I worried too much, agonizing over endless low probability what-ifs. I worried that I worried too little, being swamped at work and knowing that I must be letting some important piece of baby prep slip through the cracks. I worried about the pain of giving birth and stress of bringing a new baby home, especially after hearing all the horror stories people like to tell. (Why do they DO that? Anyways...) Jessica, Melissa, and Cindy removed the worry and truly made the birth and homecoming of our son a joyous and wonderful experience. Their knowledge and reassuring presence allowed us to relax and just be in the moment. My labor was 41 hours, and I still get the warm fuzzies when I think of them and what an amazing job they did in coaching and supporting us. During the last couple months of pregnancy, Jessica and Melissa, my birth doulas, set up meetings at our home to go over a birth plan and pain management techniques. Before the first meeting, I was on the fence about whether to have an epidural, not to mention befuddled by all the other checkboxes on the Kaiser birth plan form! On the one hand, avoiding the "cascade of interventions" described in birth class sounded good, but on the other hand, I didn't know if it was hubris to think I could handle the pain unmedicated. Melissa helped me have the confidence to go with my gut (all-natural birth), and reminded me that I could always change my mind later. For the second meeting, Jessica evaluated what pain management techniques we responded to best; I had no idea that different people can react so differently to the breathing, focal points, massage, etc. She also showed us exercises to encourage baby to move into an optimal position for birth. This was cool because I had heard such exercises existed, but was afraid to start trying stuff from random websites! When my contractions started at 2 a.m., both Melissa and Jessica were super quick to respond to our texts and give us advice for what to do. I really liked that Stork and Sprout had an "on call" system, so someone from my team of doulas was always available around the clock. When my waters broke, Jessica came to the hospital with us. Later, since my labor took so many hours, Melissa "tagged in" seamlessly so that Jessica could get some rest. My memories of labor are a little hazy (was somewhat preoccupied at the time), but a few highlights stand out clearly: 1. Doctors and nurses alike repeatedly told us, unprompted, how awesome Jessica was, and how lucky we were to have her as a doula. My husband and I strongly suspect we got better care and attention from the hospital staff because Jessica and Melissa collaborated with them so well. Both of them were extremely knowledgeable about what to ask for and what questions to ask, which was a great relief to my husband and me. 2. Jessica and Melissa were *amazing* at coaching me through contractions. How amazing? Doctors and nurses would walk in and need to be *told* that I didn't have an epidural. I definitely remember several looks of shock that we were coping so well. Needless to say, Jessica and Melissa were a very soothing presence, and had some very effective in-the-moment tips for helping me breathe and stay relaxed! 3. They made me feel like I was a rockstar when I thought I was failing horribly. I was stuck at 8 cm dilation for many, many hours. Doctors didn't want me to push yet, in order to prevent swelling. NOT pushing was extremely difficult for me, and I was starting to panic about the damage I was causing whenever I let one through. At some point I was feeling hopeless enough that I said someone should either knock me out and do a C-section, or else invent teleportation. Melissa kept making me feel like I was in control, and kept encouraging me to do exercises to help the dilation along. I'm super glad she didn't let me give up, because the result was so worth it! After we came home with our brand new baby, Cindy was our post-partum doula. We chose the "In For The Night" package, and she visited twice a week during the nights. She was fantastic at soothing our son, and we definitely learned some tricks from her about how to change diapers quickly and make a better swaddle. Last but not least, it was so, so, nice to catch up on sleep! My husband was able to snooze the entire night, and all I had to do was breastfeed -- Cindy took care of changing and putting the baby back to sleep. Given all the stress and hormones and "baby blues," she really helped keep us sane during those hectic first weeks! This review is long and somewhat late because it was mostly typed with my thumb on a phone over many sessions of breastfeeding, but I definitely wanted to share how happy we are with our experience with Stork and Sprout. We wouldn't hesitate to choose them again if we decide to have another baby! read more

I wasn't sure that I needed a doula while delivering, however, after going through the birth of my son I am not sure how I would have made it through without Roisin by my side. This was my first baby and as a newbie to the world of childbirth I was unsure and mildy/exceptionally terrified of the process. My husband also has a fear of hospitals, which made me worry about how he would manage during the delivery. So I called on Roisin, an amazing doula from Stork & Sprout. She came to our home prior to delivery and walked us through each and every phase. She taught us massage techniques and stretches to help ease the pain as well as walk us through some management techniques to ease some of the fears and anxieties that we were both feeling. Flash forward to the big day. 3:30 Christmas morning my water broke. I'm pretty sure it had a direct correlation to my mothers famous Cioppino. With both of our families in town for the holidays, we had an entourage in the waiting room and two soon to be grandmothers, one Italian and one Mexican in the delivery room. Needless to say it was intense and not from the contractions. The questions and concerns they had were endless. In flew Roisin to the rescue! She politely and gracefully maintained order while ensuring Steven and I we were relaxed and comfortable. She consistently brought a sense of calm in an otherwise seemingly chaotic state. After 36 brutal hours of laboring and rounds of pushing it had come to a point where my little dude decided he was just not going to come out. Which I now understand is his personality entirely. The doctor decided it was time to bring out the vacuum to assist him. In this moment, I was extremely exhausted, had spiked a fever and his heart rate kept dropping. The doctor informed me that if he didn't come out with this method I was going to have to have a c-section. This was my ultimate fear. I vaguely remember feeling as if I was about to black out when Roisin grabbed my had harder, looked me in the eyes and asked if I understood what was happening. She provided a sense of stability when I felt like I was slipping. She reminded me of what I wanted and that I had the strength to get through. On the very last push before my biggest fear would come true, my little guy made his appearance to this world in epic fashion. Roisin not only kept me grounded and acted as my ally and advocate, but created an environment for me that was safe and comfortable. After my delivery, everyone in our family had said how Roisin had touched them in one way or another. She had reassured, informed and created a sense of calm for each individual. With there being a family of 9 in attendance, that says a lot about her skills as a doula. I would highly recommend her as well as Stork & Sprout for each and every part of your incredibly amazing journey through childbirth. read more

Awesome doulas! I hired them for the birth of my son, which was in June 2015! The doulas were very informative and told me about all my birth options and what to opt out of. They for sure put me at ease and gave me more confidence of making a natural birth possible! They also offered a class at a Yoga studio which prepared me for the whole birth experience! I definitely went in with a very positive attitude and the outcome was amazing!I was in active labor for only 5. 1/2 hours and pushed for 20 minutes! The doula took tons of pictures of the whole birth experience, which was pretty cool! Totally would do it the same again for our second and will definitely hire you guys! read more