I found Labor of Love by doing some of my own research online. And thank God I did! My doula,…read moreKaren, was my rock throughout my labor and was 100,000 percent amazing--I'll definitely be working with her for my second! A little backstory: I was overwhelmed and so nervous about finding "the one" person to be a part of the most important event of my life. After doing my research and reading through all these bios, I honestly was left feeling overwhelmed, especially knowing how indecisive I can be. I knew I just had to trust my intuition and my gut on this one! After looking at Karen's bio on their website, I had such a good feeling. Staci (the owner), who was super friendly and professional, helped me get connected with Karen, and I booked an interview right away! Karen was so sweet and asked me about my pregnancy experience so far. We discussed how I wanted my birth to go and any concerns I had. There wasn't any pressure to hire her, and it just felt like she was already invested in me, like I was already family. I even had her video chat with my husband to make sure we both felt comfortable and vibed well together--and we sure did! Overall, Karen ended up being the perfect balance of knowledge, experience, and professionalism. It was the most perfect amount of care I could have asked for. She was also such an advocate for my birth plan to work out. Before, during, and after my labor and birth, she was always naturally in tune with what I needed. She was never overbearing, worked so well with my husband, and gave him space to be a part of my support team as well. I am so grateful to have come across Labor of Love

The business owner is quite the opposite of the type of person any vulnerable new mom should have…read moreto work with. My experience with Labor of Love was almost two years ago now but continues to upset me when thinking back on my experience. We hired Lauren as our doula, who made it clear she expected us to go far past my due date as a first time mom. While it's possible for that to happen, it didn't in my case. At 39 weeks and at 5am while in active labor and getting ready to head to the hospital, she let us know she had Covid. Her backup was Karen, who I wish we hired to begin with as she is far more caring and professional. Though unfortunately our experience still fell short and we ultimately delivered without Karen present. We were left feeling like we invested a lot of emotion and money into this process with ultimately no help. Staci has been incredibly rude to us since then and even revoked our access to watch her training videos, sending me a link to pay her once again when wanting to rewatch for our now second baby on the way. Karen herself even recommended we ask for a partial refund due to our experience, but Staci lacks the professionalism and courtesy to her clients. Truly mindblowing that she revoked access to the training videos after we had already paid for them. I would stay far away and recommend a more experienced and caring doula group.

I used OC Doula Collective (Doulas of Orange County) for the birth of my second child in December…read moreat Saddleback Memorial in Laguna Hills. Tawnya Guimond was my doula and couldn't have been more helpful and compassionate. She is sweet and caring and takes her role very seriously. My first child was also born naturally at Saddleback with a different doula. That experience was unique in the sense that my baby was 2 weeks late, I took castor oil to avoid a medical induction and within hours my water broke, I was rushed to the hospital, 10cm dilated upon arrival, pushed for 3 hours and she was born. So I REALLY didn't know what to expect the second time around and was pretty nervous. Tawnya was very reassuring and available for all of my questions along the way. She brings her own props, snacks, water bottles, etc. The birth of my second was a lot more 'text book.' Contractions started mid-morning and progressively became less tolerable...until around 11pm when I called Tawnya. She arrived within 20min. and told my husband that we should go to the hospital immediately and she would wait for my mother in-law that was on her way to stay the night with our daughter. Tawnya gave me a strap to wrap around my hips for the contractions on the way to the hospital - and I HIGHLY recommend it! I don't know how I would have made the trip without it. She met us at the hospital while we were still checking in at the lobby. I was 6cm dilated when they examined me and sent me into L&D. Contractions came hard and fast from then on. My doctor is Dr. James from Laguna Beach, but he recently hired a Midwife (Alison) who delivered the baby 2 1/2 hours later, vaginally and without medication. Tawnya helped a lot during labor, holding my hips and legs, while providing words of encouragment. She is amazing! I also took a "Natural Childbirth Refresher Class" at OC Doula Collective (Doulas of Orange County) that was awesome! It was almost like a therapy session to discuss my previous birthing experience and prepare for the second. Like coming up with a plan that if the nurses try to shout in my face again while they count to ten, Tawnya will shut them down... :-)

I didn't know where to start in searching for a doula, and I'm so glad I came across this marching…read moreservice. It was an easy and quick process that helped me find a doula with some pretty specific preferences I had in mind. They gave me several great options and matched me with my doula who I absolutely love!

If I can give Melina a million stars I would. She is very thoughtful and goes above and beyond in…read moreher service. I hired Melina for doula service for the birth of my 2nd child. She is nominally priced and is the best person to have by your side at such a vulnerable moment in life!

Where do I even start? My hubby and I have been trying to start a family and Melina has been so…read morehelpful and informative with all things pregnancy related. Any questions or concerns I've had, she has been able to walk me through them with such knowledge about it all that is so comforting. We can't wait to book her as our doula when the time comes!

We were blessed to have Angie with us for four weeks with our newborn daughter. She was amazing and…read morehelped the transition home with a newborn and toddler (3 years) go so smoothly. Angie was so kind, caring, and helpful to both my girls and really helped me to get rest while I was recovering. The first week, I was still getting the hang of latching my baby, Angie was so helpful during this time and was a source of knowledge and comfort. By week two, when I decided to exclusively pump, Angie was all for whatever worked best for me, absolutely no judgement, but rather she worked with me to streamline the process. Angie was so easy to trust with my newborn, she truly cared and loved her. She would ask how things were going during the day and would follow up with advice. She did all the nighttime feeds, diapering, holding, comforting, helped get my pumping things ready, stored milk, ran the pump parts and bottles through the cleaner, and so much more. She gave recommendations on different products when things just were not working. She taught m/reminded me how to do things the right way with a newborn and overall made the first few weeks with baby so much easier and happier. Angie is an angel, and anyone working with her is lucky indeed.

Having Angie as our nighttime doula was life changing. As a third time mom who didn't have any…read morenighttime help for my first two kids, I was surprised just how much I looked forward to Angie coming each night we had her. She was beyond wonderful, very flexible if available when we wanted to add more nights (which we did), and her passion for her job shone through each time. Her main goal was to give me as much sleep as possible and to make the next morning as seamless as it could be with three kids. She helped baby stick to a nighttime feeding schedule and was extremely attentive when there were any changes to the routine. I wish I could go back and hire Angie for my first two kids!

AMAZING experience with Amanda. She helped us installed two different car seats in two different…read morecars. She is very knowledgeable, I learned a lot from installing the car seats to how to keep our baby safe in them, because it is not only about strapping the harness around your little one, it's about doing it right. Thank you Amanda.

We were planning a cross country road trip with our toddler and for peace of mind I wanted to make…read moresure our car seat was installed correctly and there were no changes we had to make to it. We hired Amanda to come to our home and help us out. It was so convenient and she was amazing! She recommended some changes to make safety wise and showed us how to install them and let my husband and I each do it in our own cars so we felt comfortable, especially since I will be getting a new car soon and will have to learn to. She gave us some great tips and sent us a follow up email with a ton of resources and information. Overall I would highly recommend this service to make sure everything is correct with your car seats, car seat safety is so important and I feel so much better knowing my son is as safe as he can be.

Lia was an amazing resource for my husband and me as we prepared for the birth of our son. If…read moreyou're in Long Beach and interested in a natural birth experience or simply want to feel informed and prepared for labor and childbirth, I highly recommend her. She empowers her clients with information and helps them feel confident making the best decisions for themselves. Her kindness and support extended beyond class hours. When I went into labor, she promptly responded to texts from my husband, answered his questions, and offered guidance and reassurance. She helped him better understand how to support me during labor, and that made all the difference in our experience. Birth is beautiful, wild, and unpredictable. Lia helped us feel confident in our birth plan while preparing us to navigate the process as it unfolded. We're so grateful for her knowledge, warmth, and support. Highly recommend!

I took Lia's childbirth class during my first pregnancy in 2023. I live in South Orange County, so…read morethe drive was a bit of a commitment, but it was absolutely worth it. Being in class with other expectant couples created such a supportive environment, and the course was incredibly comprehensive. It gave me the knowledge and confidence to navigate a hospital birth and make informed decisions about the many interventions that are commonly offered. At 38 weeks, my water broke unexpectedly while I was riding a stationary bike. I immediately reached out to Lia for guidance. Since I wasn't experiencing a fever or any signs of infection, she explained that I had options: I could either go to the hospital right away or stay home and wait for labor to begin naturally. She also educated me about the fact that the body continues producing amniotic fluid and that, in some cases, a small rupture in the membranes may even reseal. Knowing that going to the hospital before labor started would likely lead to an induction (which wasn't aligned with my goal of having an unmedicated birth) I chose to stay home and monitor myself. The night before my 39-week OB appointment, I was feeling anxious. I knew that if my provider confirmed my water had broken before labor had started, induction would almost certainly be recommended. I reached out to Lia again, and she suggested trying the Miles Circuit. I followed the stretches that evening, and to my surprise, I went into early labor around 1:00 a.m. Whether it was the Miles Circuit, my body simply being ready, or a combination of both, it gave me the confidence to keep trusting the process. In January 2024, I welcomed a healthy baby girl through the unmedicated birth I had hoped for. While my hospital experience was unfortunately traumatic, the education Lia provided made all the difference. There were many moments when my husband, my doula, and I had to advocate for my birth preferences, and it wasn't always met with respect. Without the knowledge and confidence I gained from Lia's class, I truly believe my birth could have unfolded very differently. I'm now pregnant with my second baby, and one of the first things I did was sign up to retake Lia's class. One of the biggest perks is that once you've taken her course, you can retake it as many times as you'd like for free. Childbirth education isn't something you only benefit from once, and I love having the opportunity to refresh everything I've learned before welcoming another baby. I'm incredibly grateful for everything Lia taught us. Her class empowered me to make informed decisions, advocate for myself, and approach birth with confidence. I wholeheartedly recommend her course to any expecting parents, especially those hoping for an evidence-based, physiologic birth. Even if you have to drive a little farther to attend like I did, it's worth every mile.

So grateful that I found this amazing doula team and mama community!…read more Krista Jawin worked closely with my husband and I to prepare us for the birth of our first child. She has truly been the guiding light through our journey into parenthood. We had the amazing, magical, beautiful, empowering home birth that we visualized during our birth education sessions with Krista. We know we would not have had this experience if it were not for her guidance before, during and after the birth of our baby. Thank you Krista for the amazing selfless work you do for mamas, babies, and families!!!!

I love Maureen and the team at In One Breath Center! I'm so thankful that I was referred to…read moreMaureen: I was halfway through my first pregnancy and my yoga instructor encouraged me to become educated about labor, birth, and postpartum life. I am SO glad I received that encouragement and Maureen's name from her. I had interviewed a couple doulas who I found on Yelp, but my 3rd call was Maureen and I knew by the end of our first phone conversation that she was the one who would be my teammate and would be there to witness the birth of my first baby! We opted to do a hospital birth (although I loved the idea of a midwifery center or a home birth, my husband's desire was to have our son born in a hospital setting) and I knew that I wanted the wisdom and support of a birth doula to assist my husband and I in making the best decisions possible during the labor & delivery process. My goal was to have a natural birth and I knew that might be challenging in the hospital setting. As a side-note, I had previously thought birth doulas were mainly for people who had extra money laying around - but now I don't know why I had that idea because it's not true in the least bit! We made a point to save where we could so that we could spend some on a doula. Before "The Day" arrived, we met with Maureen in person. She asked great questions about our wishes, fears, uncertainties and she helped us to write a very simple birth plan (or 'birth preferences'- since most of the time things DON'T go exactly as you plan for with birth!). She was in contact with us often in the weeks leading up the my due date, especially because at 34 weeks I needed to go to the hospital Triage due to intense/frequent Braxton Hicks and we also found out that baby was breech and would need to turn - and soon! She and Krista gave me excellent advice that I wouldn't have otherwise received - little suggestions and tricks for taking care of myself at home leading up to my due date. We wanted to keep the baby in the womb until he was closer to (or at) 40 weeks and we were hopeful he would flip around, too! So, Maureen advised me to rest, calm my mind, listen to hypnobirthing mp3s, etc. We kept in touch regularly for the 3-4 weeks before my water broke at 37 weeks + 1 day - baby boy waited until he was considered full-term and then wouldn't wait a day longer! He was placed in my arms 37 hours later! For the actual labor & delivery she met us at Hoag while we were still trying to get labor going (unsuccessfully) and then she supported us as the nurses suggested Pitocin to get things going. PItocin wasn't in our "Plan", but with Maureen's support, my husband and I asked that we start the process very slow & steady... LONG story short, I was able to deliver the baby vaginally without any drugs or intervention with exception of the Pitocin. Thank God we had Maureen - she helped with massaging, bathroom trips, various labor positions, pep talks, and she really supported my husband. I think that's the biggest takeaway- my husband had the confidence to tell the hospital staff our desires (when needed) because Maureen was his teammate when I was out of my usual mind during the labor process. Maureen is sincere, hard-working, loving, and just an all-around JOY to be around. God knew what he was doing when he set us up together. It's been nearly 6 months since my son was born (another pregnancy isn't in our imminent future) and when the time is right I know I will be dialing Maureen as soon as we make plans to have Baby #2. I encourage anyone who read this long-winded review to connect with Maureen before making your final decision if a birth doula is right for you! As my husband has told several other of our expecting couple-friends: "Talk to Maureen (or any doula you're considering), it's the best money we chose to spend during this season!"

Jessica played a vital role in me having my dream home birth a couple months ago!! After having a…read moretraumatic hospital birth that ended in a cesarean a few years back, I came to her unsure and uninformed. But she was patient and present with me while I grew (mentally and physically). I credit her for helping me convince my husband that home birth was a safe option for us and now he's AN ADVOCATE for home birth because he had such a wonderful experience and has learned so much from her. She also made my older son feel so special by letting him help with everything! Jessica was always immediately available to us and provided physical support and emotional support - a VERY different experience than any OBGYN offers. She also took the time to talk about nutrition, supplements, and exercise at every appointment. I have a hard time believing that anyone can beat the quality of care that she provided our family. I think finding a provider that shares my birth philosophy was the key to my success this time around. As a low-risk, uncomplicated pregnancy, Jessica takes a hands-off, supportive approach until intervention is absolutely necessary. She is also very knowledgeable about homeopathy which I benefited from my entire pregnancy and postpartum and even to this day! No one can believe I was able to heal my mastitis without antibiotics! My mom (who doesn't really know anything about midwifery or home birth but was just along for the ride) always talks about how impressed she was with Jessica, especially compared to the hospital staff during my first birth. Jessica will always have a special place in our heart and we'll definitely be seeking her services again for baby #3!

I am so glad that my husband and I were referred to Jessica for her midwifery services. It wasn't…read moreuntil halfway through our Bradley class that we decided we wanted to do a homebirth. At that point we were already 28 weeks pregnant and now had to find a midwife. Jessica was always so compassionate and helpful in answering all of our homebirth questions and concerns. She also invited family members to come to prenatal visits to feel more comfortable about our homebirth decision as well. That was a huge win for us! She took great care of me During pregnancy and each time we got to listen to our little girls heartbeat. I loved that she focused a lot on making sure I was getting great nutrition via food and supplementation to help make sure my body was as healthy it needed to be for delivery. When it came to Labor Day, Jessica's experience definitely prevailed! As I was slow to progress, she knew exactly what I needed to do in order to help Baby along. Her guidance and experience made our homebirth a reality. Her and her assistant were fabulous during our golden hour that we got to spend with our baby girl in our home. They took amazing care for me and the baby. Postpartum visits were so helpful and informative especially as a first time mom. Jessica took care / monitored both me and baby for six weeks. We put our full trust in her for caring for myself, our new baby girl and all our future babies.

Seemly was the first doula we worked with through After the Stork when my daughter was just a…read morecouple of months old. As a first-time mom coming off a rough birth and recovering from a C-section, I was incredibly nervous about having anyone else care for my baby, especially overnight. From the moment we met Seemly, she immediately put me at ease. She has such a gentle, calm, and caring presence, and it was clear right away that my daughter was in the best hands. That peace of mind meant everything during such a vulnerable time. My husband and I were so grateful for her support. She not only cared for our daughter with so much love, but also helped us get the rest and recovery we truly needed. I would highly recommend Seemly to any family looking for a compassionate and trustworthy doula.

I absolutely recommend After The Stork 1000%! ATS has the most professional and experienced Doulas…read morein Orange County!