I am so incredibly happy that Becca was our doula for our hospital birth. This was my first baby,…read moreand I knew that all I wanted was for the baby to be healthy and to avoid an emergency C-section if I could. We met with Becca and knew right away that she was the perfect person to help us in preparing for and giving birth. She immediately set us at ease by assuring us that the hospital we chose had an excellent Labor and Delivery team. She was 100% right about that, and everything else. She helped me trust myself and my body. I never thought I would have such an amazing and thoroughly happy birth experience. Becca really cares. It meant a lot to us that she also visited us after the birth to check in and provide some very welcome support. If we have another baby, we will definitely work with Becca, again!

I could not imagine my first birth without Becca! From the very first phone call, I felt an instant…read moreconnection with her--she's such a kind, caring soul and a true expert in her field. One of the things that impressed me most was how seamlessly she read the dynamic between me and my husband. She always knew when to step in with support and when to step back and give us space. That balance was invaluable during such an emotional, vulnerable time. When my birth plan didn't go the way I had envisioned, Becca's expert advice and calm presence gave me so much security in the decisions I had to make. She helped me feel grounded, informed, and confident every step of the way and encouraged me to listen to my instinct and body. Another aspect of her support that you simply can't put a price on is how connected she is at Kaiser. She knew nearly every midwife and nurse, and because of her strong relationships there, I felt reassured that the care I was receiving was exactly what I needed. Her presence gave me an extra layer of trust in the whole process. Becca communicated beautifully, supported us with such compassion, and helped make my first birth experience one that I will cherish forever. I can't recommend her enough--if you're considering a doula, Becca is truly one of a kind! Thank you so much Becca!

Doula Care Collective provides community for families. Whether you need birth support, postpartum…read morecare or go to one of their monthly educational gatherings you won't be disappointed. It takes a village! I highly recommend reaching out if you are looking for any of the above!

"It's been about 4 months since the rebirthing experience I had with Maze Knight. Thinking that it…read morewould be but a pleasant and calming experience, I find myself surprised that the profound positive impact from that day continues in my life. Like a deep psychic muscle memory, I find myself returning, time and again, to a moment when the outside universe dissolved as did the bindings that constricted my body and the sounds of the circulatory system that filled my ears (a wry smile emerges as I continue to puzzle on how Maze mastered that). In that dissolving, I was pure energy adrift and alone in a vast black void --and it was perfect! We are all, at core, alone as we follow our human experience, and so often that concept-the very essence of what it is to be human-fills us with fear labeled "loneliness." Rather than succumb to this existential terror, I now have a very intimate, very real, very influential alternative reference in which my energetic consciousness is perfect by itself. The power of the experience is potent and durable, and I recommend it with all my heart." - AllanR

Being cocooned by Maze dropped me into a state of deep transformation that invited me to explore my…read moreinner being, my fears, my dreams, myself while being held and supported. Maze held such a safe and beautifully healing space for me to explore surrendering into deep physic states - I felt the gentleness and power of this state was reaching beyond my conscious awareness. And all of this while being guided with a personally designed musical journey that they created with their own voice and instruments!! What an exquisite experience! This is truly a a unique and beautiful gift from Maze that creates a space for deep rest and transformation.

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

I was anxious about taking a birthing class virtually, but Kelly really knocks it out of the park…read more She keeps the class small and conversational, covers a wide variety of topics, and ultimately helped me and my partner feel so much better prepared for the birth of our first baby. After class she sends out some great materials and reading to further prepare. Most of the class mentioned they were doing hospital births, so she was able to tailor her material to the experience we would be having at a hospital. Lots of time for questions and quality things to take away. Highly recommend!

We cannot say enough wonderful things about Jackie and Sarah at Birth Realm--they have been an…read moreabsolute blessing to our family. This review is a long-overdue follow-up thank-you for the incredible care and support they gave us during the birth and early days with our second child. We also worked with them for our first, and having them back for baby #2 felt like welcoming dear friends into our home again. Jackie is the heart and soul of this agency--her warmth, wisdom, and steady presence make you feel safe, seen, and truly cared for. Sarah was equally amazing, and especially crucial in helping us navigate feeding challenges with our daughter, who had reflux. She patiently worked with us through a combination of different feeding options, never making us feel rushed or overwhelmed. Her calm, knowledgeable guidance made all the difference, and we are so grateful. Sarah also has this beautiful ability to anticipate needs before you even voice them. She noticed how hard it was for me to feed myself in the mornings, and without ever being asked, she started bringing me delicious, (and mostly nutritious ;)) baked goods each week--just so I'd have something nourishing and easy to grab. That level of thoughtfulness and care meant so much more than I can express. Both Jackie and Sarah went above and beyond for our family. Their support, not just physically but emotionally, meant the world to us during such a tender and transformative time. Their love, encouragement, and expertise have left a lasting imprint on our parenting journey, and we feel so lucky to have had them by our side. If you're considering doula support in Northern California, look no further. Jackie and Sarah (and all of the doulas at Birth Realm) are truly the dream team. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!

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

My wife and I had our third baby at home through Thrive in November, and again, I can do nothing…read morebut sing their praises. I had complete confidence that Thrive had our best interests at heart every moment my wife and son were in their care. As usual, they practiced informed consent, validation of experiences, and love to a degree that I have never seen or even dreamed of previously in health care settings. The highlight of this birth experience was (of course) the birth itself. This time we were graced with three of the midwives through good fortune. Again, immediately after birth, our newborn struggled to take his first breaths. We waited about 8 minutes for him to take that first breath, and yet, my wife, daughter, son and I were all calm and felt immensely supported in that moment by the three women in our presence who absolutely knew what their calling was and what their roles were in that moment. It is hard to comprehend how different that experience could have felt from a sterile, medical, environment of a hospital, and how different our newborn's first few minutes, hours, and days after birth could have been. Not to mention how the perception and feelings surrounding births could have been malformed for our young son and daughter. We are so immensely thankful to have this collective of women in Sonoma County who are such a breath of fresh air!

We had our baby at Thrive in July and it was the best experience! This was our first baby and we…read moreare so happy we decided to transfer our care from Kaiser to Thrive. The midwives are amazing; supportive, loving and really helpful. I had pregnancy insomnia and Tracy turned me onto a sleep tincture that she sells and it was like magic. I was finally able to sleep!!! The appointments were an hour long and the post partum appointments are at your home! We had trouble with breastfeeding and received so much support through text and having them come to our house. We cannot say enough good things about Thrive and Taya, Tracy, Morgan and Hannah.

Melanie is an amazing educator and I walked away feeling confident and prepared for the birth of…read moreour little girl. I'm really glad that we took Melanie's childbirth education course. Roy P. Sebastopol, CA

From the owner: Awakening Mothers Circles Childbirth Education…read moreBirth Doula Care Postpartum Doula Care Massage for Mothers Pre & Postnatal Yoga Birth Story Healing

i highly recommend jes as a massage practicioner. i have…read morebeen lucky to receive three excellent massages from her before pregnancy, during and afterward. she is highly attuned to the stories that the body whispers. i could feel her working on many levels at the same time. after a session with jes, i feel like my body and spirit have been listened to, treated and loved on. we are lucky to have such a special healer in our community.

Jes is one of those magical therapist that you come across so rarely. She has the intuitive nature…read moreto find the places on the body that really need the work. She finds them but doesn't attack them. Her touch is soothing and at the same time, firm and confident. Her studio is 5 minutes from downtown Sebastopol and feels miles away from the fast pace of town. The pathway up to her massage studio is a treat in and of itself. The cool little cabin for masage has a wood burning stove if needed, is flled with good energy and light. I love this space and Jes. So lucky to have found her! --

This dynamic duo are the best chiropractors I've ever been to (and I've been to at least 5…read moredifferent ones). I started coming 9 years ago when I was pregnant with my first child and started seeing Emily for prenatal chiropractic. Then: when I had a home birth, I *completely* threw out my neck. I couldn't turn it at all one way. Emily did a home visit (amazing person to have come into your sacred space just after giving birth btw). Before she came: I couldn't turn my neck. After she left: I COULD TURN IT. Don't underestimate the [focused, safe] power of this small, gentle woman! ;) I still see them when I need adjusting, and I absolutely love being able to see both. They're a dream team for sure ;) Majid has such a different style and can I say I love his *just as much*! We're so lucky to have them in Sonoma County (I drive from Healdsburg to Sebastopol to see them). You're in for a treat.

Madjid and Emily are wonderful!!! They are skilled, caring, present, and have helped to put me at…read moreease during chiropractic treatments. I highly recommend both of them!!!!

Brilliant Births matched me with an amazing night doula, Mirai! I so appreciate that they provide…read morethis helpful matching service. They quickly processed my application and sent me profiles of several doulas to interview, all of whom were excellent. I was especially grateful that they provided the referrals so quickly, as we were in desperate need of some help at night with our first daughter.

I reached out to Brilliant Births to find a birth doula. They offer a matching service and…read moreconnected me to 3 doulas who work independently (not employees of BB). We were really fortunate to find our birth doula (who we love!), but the other 2 candidates were not very impressive. The first doula missed our appointment with no follow-up communication. We were initially confused and thought she was the coordinator for BB, because she only communicated by text. The actual meeting was just by telephone so there was no face-to-face interaction, which felt strange. We could've easily FaceTimed or Zoomed. So communication and reliability were not great. The second doula abruptly canceled our half-hour appointment when we were 10 minutes late for a 30-minute appointment due to my husband wrapping up a Zoom meeting. During our appointment time, she was responding to my emails (in which I apologized for being late), but insisted she could no longer meet with us. I thought this was a really bad sign about what she would be like to work with - labor and delivery is rarely precisely timed and some flexibility is needed. In addition, her email said that she lives in Portola Valley, but we live Berkeley (also where Brilliant Births is located). This also struck me as strange, because it would take 1.5 hours for her to arrive to meet us at the hospital, which is not ideal.