The Root is an incredible place that supports moms through pregnancy and postpartum. They also have…read moresupport and classes for kids and dads too so they support the whole family. They have tons of support groups like babywearing, new parents and walking groups. They have tons fitness classes such as yoga and strength training are great for both pregnancy and postpartum. They also offer a ton of educational classes for giving birth. Highly recommend their services!

Love The Root! They have so many amazing fitness classes as well as educational classes for…read moreparents and caregivers, including different support groups. They also have a breast milk bank drop off now!

I worked through the MBB course alongside my doulas during my most recent pregnancy. We met each…read moreweek to go over the chapters they assigned, and I am so grateful for the experience it provided. The education in this program made a huge impact on my birth experience, and the meeting helped my work through my previous birth traumas from my first borns birth. Because of the prep and education I received through MBB, I was able to have a redemptive, uncomplicated, successful unmedicated birth. The tools, mindset shifts, and practical knowledge I gained played a major role in my empowering experience and I'm beyond grateful for this course and the confidence it gave me. Shout out to Shiela, Sophia, Jamie, and Corrine for the great insight and support you gave me prior to labor. Brooke hung on the phone and advised us while I labored, and Kaitlyn met us at the hospital just in time for baby's delivery. I appreciated her knowledge and communication during the hospital chaos. 10/10 recommend EVERYONE works with a doula!! And, Modesto Birth & Beyond is a great choice if you're in their service areas.

I went into this pregnancy wanting a completely different experience than my first. I had…read morepreviously had a C-section, and my hope was to have a natural birth and avoid another cesarean recovery--but I didn't even know if that was possible. Through my doulas, I learned about VBAC and finally felt empowered to explore that option. Because I have hip dysplasia, I was hesitant and unsure if my body would allow it. From the very beginning, they offered support, knowledge, and reassurance that helped me feel confident and open-minded to try something new, knowing I wouldn't be alone no matter how things unfolded. Despite the challenges I faced--including a 36-hour labor and moments where my hip dysplasia became difficult again--they were there every step of the way. They provided constant reassurance, emotional support, and hands-on physical comfort through massage and positioning that I truly couldn't imagine laboring without. In the end, I achieved my goal of a natural birth--something I never thought was possible. If I could go back, I would absolutely have hired a doula for my first birth as well. Not only did they support me, but they were also an incredible support system for my husband, guiding him on how to best help me and ensuring we were both nourished, informed, and prepared. Their care didn't stop after birth. Because I had challenges with breastfeeding, they made sure I received the lactation support I needed, while also checking in on both me and my baby. They truly went the extra mile to make sure I felt confident, supported, and cared for in those early postpartum days. Knowledge truly is power, and having that made all the difference. If you are considering a doula, I cannot recommend this team enough. They gave me an experience I will forever be grateful for.

It has been absolutely fantastic to work with Andrea! Being a first time mom, the idea of…read morebreastfeeding was an absolutely daunting task. Andrea was at our house two days after we got home from the hospital with our newborn, ready to ease us into a regular nursing routine and calm our fears. Regardless of time of day (before and after our baby was born), I have always felt comfortable sending Andrea a direct text message with questions. She has been extremely prompt in her responses and makes time to come out to our house to help with lactation issues within a day or two. Her services have also been very personalized to our needs. Apart from direct one-on-one attention during our sessions, I received regular post-appointment email recaps with helpful resources so I can avoid trying to Google or WebMD any of my concerns (because we all know how that can turn out...) :) Andrea has been a life-saver for us and I would highly recommend her lactation services, especially for first-time moms!

I was connected to Andrea through my work benefits and the Cleo resource. I am a second time mom…read moreand having some painful latching issues. Andrea came to our home for an in person visit and was extremely helpful. Myself, my husband and mom were present for the visit. Andrea is really friendly and made everyone feel comfortable. She shares invaluable information and is just an all around great person. Andrea took notes during the visit and emailed us a plan for care to reference. Having Andrea as a resource makes me feel so much more confident about continuing to breastfeed and also having a piece of mind to reach out to her if we have any additional questions or concerns come up. Don't hesitate to reach out to Andrea if you are new to breastfeeding or having trouble.

I can't say enough positive things about our experience with the Modesto Doula Group and the…read morewonderful doulas who prepared me for childbirth, supported my husband and me during labor and childbirth and in the weeks postpartum. After attending a childbirth preparation class at my hospital less than two months before my due date, I began to worry about how unprepared I was and became anxious when thinking about childbirth and the pain associated with it. After meeting with Teri and Susan, we immediately knew that having a doula with us was something we needed. My due date was approaching rapidly, but we were able to do a total of three childbirth education classes, one group class in Modesto and two in home classes. I felt more and more assured after each class. By the end of the third class my anxiety had been replaced by confidence. Teri came to our house the morning that I went into labor and assisted me through each contraction as I labored at home. Still by my side in the delivery room, she used acupressure and aromatherapy which helped tremendously even during the most intense contractions. Back at home with a brand new baby, the postpartum doula services with Jennifer and Susan were exceedingly helpful for us. I had also opted for placenta encapsulation and the postpartum care basket, both of which made my postpartum recovery and healing easier. Looking back, as we often do, we couldn't imagine our birth experience without the caring and experienced support of the doulas at Modesto Doula Group!

My personal experience was 3-star - fine/better than neutral, but for me there were a few cons that…read moretook away from the pros... Other people might receive the same exact service but rate it 4 or 5 stars. I felt that the postpartum doula, Susan, could have been more open and supportive of my personal parenting style and desires, but it seemed like she thought there was one good way of parenting an 8-week old baby - the rigid schedule your baby for your convenience as soon as possible way, which isn't my philosophy but I know tons of people do want that. I also thought she needed to take more care and consideration regarding her baby wearing advice because although babies bodies are very flexible, there are safety concerns especially regarding their hips, neck, and nose that she did not properly address when telling me not to over think placing my baby in my ring sling.

We took an EBB course with Jennifer. She's the best instructor anyone can ask for. She was very…read moreknowledgeable and absolutely amazing with how she shared her knowledge and taught the class, she's super through, had a great attitude and energy, was very open to question, and even shared her very personal experience in the last class. I learned so much in her class. She took her time collecting so many resources and putting them together in ways that were easy to consume and refer to afterwards. I woud highly recommend her class. And even though i didn't get the opportunity to use her doula services, I can't imagine a better doula by your side.

I just wanted to update my review to add that over the last few years since the birth of my first…read morechild, I have emailed Jen multiple times for assistance processing my first birth and working through options for my second birth. She was so positive and encouraging when I was doubting and questioning myself. Her support processing that first birth meant the world to me and I was able to change my story the second time around with her help. My only mistake was not having her as a doula for my first birth (she wasn't available for my second, but I would have worked with her in a heartbeat) Thank you, Jen, for helping me even years later. I appreciate you so much!

I didn't have a good birthing experience at Kaiser - I went into Kaiser with full intention of…read moreepidural but Kaiser didn't believe I was advancing fast and they asked me to wait until it was too late for epidural; what's worse was they didn't wait for my planceta to come out so they manually removed my planceta without any pain meds. Painful isn't enough to describe the experience. Pregnant with my second son, I didn't want to repeat the experience. Knowing I am likely birth fast again, I wanted to go without pain meds again, with as much help I can get, and natural birth of the planceta. I reached out to Tashina pretty late in my pregnancy. Knowing my situation, she responded to my email right away and managed to squeeze me into her schedule. She did a very thorough interview with me and my husband, fully understood what experience we are looking for and made amazing recommendations. She recommended me with a hospital I wasn't aware of that has great staff and with midwifery care. Since I was late stage pregnant (32+weeks), she pulled all her strings to help the new hospital accept me as a patient. And all the way up until the delivery date, she was only one text/call away for any questions I had. The birth was still painful, but with the midwifery care, Tashina's preparation with me and my husband, the hot tub setup, and her being there as my advocate, the birth was quick, smooth, and no manual extraction of placenta! My second son was almost 8lbs and no tear or stitches. Even weeks after birth, Tashina came visit and always checked in with me to help me with breastfeeding issues, baby colic issues etc. Tashina is so knowledgeable, caring and loving. We will always appreciate her help and she will always be a special person in my second sons life!

I'm convinced that fate brought Tashina into my life so I could have a beautiful, natural, and…read moreconfident first birth. Other than her deep knowledge of pregnancy, birth, and postpartum, there is something extra special about Tashina and the calm presence she brings into your pre and post birth space. She not once shied away or avoided any of my questions or expectations for my birth and was so understanding of my boundaries around specific things. I felt absolutely safe and held by her to surrender to birth completely. Moreover, she helped my husband feel confident in supporting me in a natural birth too. All I can hope for is to have her at any of my future births as well! :) Thank you Tashina!

My partner and I recently completed the Hypnobirthing three week course at Brilliant Births. We had…read morean absolutely incredible experience, for many reasons--The information we learned was invaluable, but also the instructors' teaching styles and depth of personal experience they offered was appreciated, comforting, and helpful. They clearly have a deep well of wisdom and experience-based expertise to share. We started our class with Keira and absolutely loved her--originally we were a bit bummed to know we would have a different instructor for our last day of the course. However, it turned out that Heidi was equitably wonderful and all things lovely-- instead of only one great instructor and guide, we ended up with two...which leads me to believe you'll be in skilled hands with anyone you interact with at BB. We will definitely be returning to take advantage of their other offerings!

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.

I truly wish there were more than five stars that we could rate give this team. This service has…read morehelped us with our second child like no other. There were multiple unforeseen circumstances that came up after our child was born, such as illness of our oldest child, Medical emergencies of myself or my wife. They have come through whenever we needed help. They moved things around on their schedule to help when needed the most. The feedback they gave every night was helpful as well. They are truly Masters of their craft. Theyre very good with communication, taking care of the newborn and just overall good people. I don't think I've met a kinder group of people. You could really tell that they put their hearts into what they do. It's not just a job to them. They are here to help mothers get through the most difficult time after childbirth. I could see the struggles my wife was going through, and I did my best to help, but I knew that it wasn't enough. Rebecca and her staff provided that extra edge we needed to help out my wife. They truly are a godsend.

I had an incredibly positive experience with Rebecca Rose Doulas and can't recommend them enough…read more From our very first interaction, I felt supported, heard, and genuinely cared for. Becca took the time to understand my previous traumatic birth and matched me with Stephenie and Tracey R. as my doulas for my second birth. Together they answered all of my questions and provided LOTS of reassurance during what can be a very emotional and uncertain time. They both helped me work through the trauma of my previous birth and had confidence in me when I didn't have the confidence in my body. During labor, Tracey's presence made a world of difference. She was calm, attentive, and deeply knowledgeable, offering both guidance and emotional support exactly when I needed it. Whether it was helping me stay grounded through transition or advocating for my birth plan, she helped me feel empowered and confident throughout the entire process. It literally brings tears to my eyes thinking about my redemptive hospital birth - unmedicated, 10lbs baby boy. I know Tracey had a lot to do with that because she supported me both physically and emotionally. My baby is almost one, so this review is long overdue but I feel the gratitude for them even more now that I'm coming out of the postpartum fog. What stood out most was their compassion and dedication--not just to me, but to my husband as well. They made sure we both felt included, informed, and supported every step of the way. If you're looking for doulas who are professional yet warm and truly invested in your experience, they are an excellent choice. I'm so grateful for all of them (including Arielle for the in home lactation consultation!) - Allie & Stephen

What an amazing instructor and person Krystal is! She was extremely thoughtful in teaching…read moreeverything she knows about pregnancy and the birth process! I would recommend taking a class with her! Without her teachings I'm not sure I would have been able to give birth naturally, she explained the birth process thoroughly and answered questions with ease, her confidence is incredible! And she made me confident to do it! And if you can grab her as a doula too that would be an added bonus, even though I wasn't able to, she was already booked! Definitely give her a chance to pass along her breadth of knowledge!

In 5 simple words, Krystal is a God-send. I was referred to her by another client of hers, and she…read moresaved my sanity. My 6 day old son had a rough start with breastfeeding, not latching well. Lots of tears were being shed by not only my frustrated son but by me as well. Within minutes of sending her a desperate text, she responded with kindness and concern. She even went out of her way to come do a late evening consultation with me, taking her time, answering any questions I had and working to figure out the issue with my sons latch. Needless to say, last night was the first night since bringing him home from the hospital that we had not one but TWO successful feedings, and have kept the momentum up ever since! Krystal checked in with me today to see how I was doing and to answer any other questions I had. Thank you so much Krystal! Not only did you help calm my nerves and make me feel so much better, you helped my son and I achieve successful nursing. You are the best!

Since I am a nursing student I was required to take a class for childbirth prep because during our…read morenext semester we will be focusing on labor and delivery. I was only required to take a 4 week class, but I was very interested in this class because it takes a different road than most birthing classes; Birthing from within... letting your body tell you what you need when you need it. A long time ago, woman were capable of this.... Why has it moved so far out of our control as woman and into the hands of doctors? Now woman are not even given the chance to try birthing on their own... they are just told they have to go to the hospital and have medications because they are just not capable. This class teaches a woman exactly how to deal with everything SHE will go through rather than what an epidural looks like and when you can get it.... I have had 5 children and have never been this informed about childbirth. One of the most interesting things I learned about was c-section rates and why they are so high. The teacher, Christine, brings a ton of knowledge to the table (as you can see from her bio on her web site). She has such a soft, gentle teaching style that you feel so lifted, in tune and connected in this class that you are sad when it is over. When I left (and I was not even pregnant) I felt as though I could accomplish anything, I felt so empowered! I honestly could not say enough good things about this wonderful class and teacher. If you are pregnant, you will not regret taking this class no matter what kind of birth you want! We are now expecting our next baby and will DEFINITELY be going back to the childbirth class before we are due to take a refresher course! Also her prenatal yoga and prenatal belly dance classes will be starting soon and I can't wait to take them with her! She also mentioned a possibility of a mother/baby yoga class in the future.... I hope in about 7 1/2 months!