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

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

I found Lauren through the Evidence Based Birth website. I was so grateful to have a doula who was…read moreup to date on the research and would help support us in pushing against some unnecessary hospital conventions while still being generally pro-medicine. Lauren was very responsive and helpful throughout our pregnancy. We had great prenatal visits and texted and emailed about some concerns that arose. Lauren always replied promptly with great insight and calm. She was just the same way on the day I gave birth. I texted her early in the day that I was feeling contractions but I thought they might be Braxton Hicks. She suggested I focus on other things and time again in a few hours. Later that night it became clear I was going into labor. I waited a bit too long before asking Lauren to come - I had just started to feel the urge to push when she arrived. But I knew I was in safe hands. She drove me to the hospital while my husband grabbed our bag. Along the way she bent over so I could lean on her through the contractions. I gave birth to our beautiful baby girl 40 minutes after we arrived at the hospital. Lauren cooled my face with a cold towel and massaged me through the contractions. She also took lovely photos just after the birth. An hour later, I turned up my husband and said, "I could do that again." It was no doubt thanks in part to Lauren's emotional and physical support. She stayed another 2-3 hours after the birth as well to make sure we were all settled. Lauren has also been helping a new doula Emily train. Emily attended our birth as well and it was helpful to have her extra set of hands!

I sent an inquiry about availability and setting up a consultation for being my birth doula BUT…read moreShe's not accepting clients right now due to being a recent mom. I appreciated her prompt response to inform me.

We were incredibly lucky to have Thais as our postpartum doula for the first 6 weeks with our first…read morebaby. From the start, she was thoughtful and well prepared. She even came to our home beforehand to review what we had for the baby and helped us identify what we were missing. Thais truly loves babies and her work, and it shows in how gentle, attentive, and calm she is. She also organize our baby items very well, which made daily life much easier. Before her last week, she checked in to make sure I felt confident caring for the baby on my own and taught me essential skills like bathing the baby and using a baby carrier. As a first-time mom, her support made a huge difference. I highly recommend Thais to any new family.

I feel so lucky to have Thais helping me take care of my first newborn baby!…read more She has been so patient, passionate, knowledgeable and really into the details of everything. She also turned my husband and me into parents who are capable of handling different situations! She gave me good guidance on breastfeeding and pumping. And our cat loves her!

I cannot recommend Marilou at Doulas by the Bay highly enough. She was our postpartum night doula…read morefor the first few weeks after our son was born, and she was incredible. As new parents, the sleep deprivation is real, but knowing she was there allowed us to finally get the much-needed rest we required to function. Beyond just being a set of expert hands, she became a trusted guide for us and taught us invaluable newborn care tips that we still use daily. We trusted her implicitly with our baby from night one which was critical for us as anxious new parents. Marilou's calm, professional, and warm presence made us feel so at ease during a very vulnerable time. We truly loved our time with her and are so grateful for the care she provided. If you are looking for a doula who is knowledgeable, nurturing, and completely trustworthy, Marilou is amazing!

We had an incredible experience with Sally for our son from when he was 1-3 months. She was…read moreconsistently punctual, professional, and incredibly kind. Beyond just helping with night feeds, she took the initiative with bottles and laundry, which was a huge help to our family. We felt completely at ease knowing our little one was in such caring hands. In addition, she helped with sleep training. Additionally, the office staff was a pleasure to work with. They were extremely professional and maintained a quick turnaround time on all our requests and paperwork. We highly recommend this team for anyone looking for top-tier newborn care!

Writing as the dad: hiring Mari made all the difference. She helped me understand my role in the…read moreprocess - what to do, when to step in, when to step back - which turned out to be huge during some critical decision moments. I came out of it more connected to my wife and our daughter than I ever expected. Warm, knowledgeable, never pushes an agenda. Highly recommend.

Had a great experience with Hope and Isabel! Made our life a lot easier and brought so much care…read moreand love to our little boy and family! Would certainly recommend them to anyone needing doula support!

11/10 highly recommend BAND and our night doula Margaret M!…read more BAND: We had a very positive experience using BAND. This was our first time looking for doulas and using BAND saved us time, energy, and anxiety. We provided our details and quickly got matched with vetted doulas. All in all, took us about 2 weeks from initial inquiry with BAND to signed contract. Our night doula: Margaret M helped us for 8 weeks, starting at just under 1 week old. After the first night, we knew we made the right decision for our family (second time parents with a 3yo). Margaret has a warm and calm presence and knows babies. We had forgotten things about the newborn stage but Margaret provided reassurance and shared her knowledge and encouragement. She was always on time, communicated well, recommended items and processes to improve baby's care and safety, helped mom with nursing sessions and later bottle feeding to extend mom's sleep, washed bottles and pump parts and even random dishes. She was flexible and worked with us, whatever came up. After 8 weeks, our baby is sleeping well at night. Mom and dad are well rested, allowing us to actually enjoy this precious time. Even our toddler would ask about Margaret on the nights she wasn't with us. We'll miss having her around! Thank you, Margaret!

We're so grateful for our amazing night doula, Aishling M. She was kind, calming, knowledgeable,…read moreand such a huge support during those exhausting newborn weeks. Knowing our baby was in such loving hands helped us actually rest. She cared for our baby with so much love and professionalism, we are endlessly grateful for her time with our family. We'd recommend her wholeheartedly to any family!

TLDR: Liat is incredible. If there's one thing I would recommend to help you through your labor,…read moreit's having her by your side. She was the best decision we could have made. My husband and I went back and forth for months about whether we wanted to include a doula in our birth experience. After a lot of discussion, we decided to hire one for two reasons: first, we wanted someone who could help us advocate for ourselves in the hospital so we could stay as close to our birth plan as possible. Second, we wanted someone who could physically support me throughout labor. Liat is truly one of the most incredible human beings I've ever met. She became such an essential part of my birth experience that, looking back, I genuinely don't think I could have done it without her. To make a very long story short, I chose to be induced at 41 weeks after a lot of pressure and fear mongering from my doctors due to elevated amniotic fluid levels. I labored at the hospital until my contractions reached a certain intensity, and then Liat joined us. The moment she arrived, she jumped right in--rubbing my back, talking me through each contraction, and bringing such a calming presence into the room. For the next seven hours, she coached both my husband and me through contractions that were every 2-3 minutes apart. She constantly adjusted my laboring positions to help my baby descend and was incredibly attentive to the fetal monitor. Anytime my baby's heart rate dipped during a contraction, she immediately repositioned me to help him tolerate labor better. Those seven hours somehow flew by. I labored on the birth ball, in the bed, in the bathroom, and even did lunges at one point! Liat was always thinking one step ahead, using every tool and technique she had to help labor progress naturally. Eventually, I reached a point where I decided to get an epidural. I was exhausted, in pain, and my baby was having a harder time tolerating the contractions, with his heart rate decelerating during each one. After the epidural, my labor was paused to help baby, and I was able to rest for about an hour. When I woke up, the nurses wanted to talk about interventions (even the possibility of a C-section) because my labor "wasn't progressing"--despite the fact that they had just given me medication to stop my contractions. Liat immediately stepped in and advocated for us. She calmly explained that labor couldn't progress without contractions and suggested restarting the Pitocin, giving it time to work, and then reassessing before making any decisions. Sure enough, labor picked back up beautifully. A few hours later, I was fully dilated and effaced, but my baby's station was still a little high. Liat spent what felt like hours gently rocking my hips and helping my baby naturally move farther down into my pelvis until it was finally time to push. She stayed by my side every step of the way until our son was born later that afternoon. If you're on the fence about hiring a doula, I cannot recommend Liat enough. She advocated for me every step of the way, helped me navigate unexpected twists in my labor, and supported both me and my husband physically and emotionally throughout the entire experience. Her knowledge, calm confidence, and compassion made all the difference. A few weeks after our son was born, Liat came to visit us at home, and it honestly felt like having family over. Liat, we are endlessly grateful for everything you did to help bring our son safely into this world. We love you, and we can't wait to have you by our side again when it's time to welcome our next baby. Love, The Zimmerman Family

I had the most wonderfully redemptive unmedicated VBAC a few weeks ago, and it is difficult to…read moreoverstate how critical of a role Liat played in making that happen. My first birth had gone much differently than I had hoped (preterm labor that led to immediate C-section due to breech positioning). I had come to terms with that experience, but I was surprised to find in my second pregnancy that it would be difficult to escape those "labels" from my first pregnancy, making it harder to be given a fair shot at having a vaginal birth. Thankfully, I found Liat whose passion for VBACs is infectious and whose no-nonsense approach is grounding. In our conversations before the birth, my husband and I both appreciated the balance of her approach - she strongly believes in the benefits of physiologic birth, but she also recognizes there is a time and place for medical intervention. My primary hope for this birth was that I wouldn't undergo any interventions that I wasn't convinced I needed, and she was a trustworthy sounding board throughout the entire pregnancy and delivery to ensure that was the case. This time around, my baby decided to stay inside long past the due date, so I agreed with my provider that it would be a good idea to induce. This was pretty disappointing for me, but Liat was wonderful at helping me stay in a good headspace in those final days, checking in frequently via texts and calls. When it came time for delivery, she was every bit as exceptional as all her other reviews describe. When she arrived at the hospital, she took one look at me and knew exactly how to change my environment to help me relax. Sure enough, labor accelerated rapidly after she arrived. She massaged my back through every single contraction. She knew exactly what to say to keep my mind present and focused. When she was talking me through my contractions, they were noticeably more efficient. At one point, I almost wanted to give up and she knew exactly how to keep me going. And sooner than I could have dared hope, my baby arrived. I'm pretty sure I professed my love for Liat minutes after giving birth :) And just as she had been for the entire pregnancy and labor, she was a constant comfort and encouragement to us in the minutes, days, and weeks after the delivery as well. Liat takes absolutely no BS, but is also the warmest and most compassionate woman you've ever met. She's exactly who you want at your birth. I know I want her at my next one!

As first-time parents, we were looking for a postpartum night doula who qualified for Carrot…read morereimbursement and would be a good fit for our family; including our dog. After meeting Arrieanna virtually, we immediately felt comfortable with her. We worked with Arrieanna for the first 12 weeks after our son was born, and her support was invaluable. She provided overnight newborn care, helped with feedings, and offered breastfeeding support, including guidance on latching and reassurance about what was normal. She also taught us practical newborn care skills, such as swaddling and how to use various nursery items we had received as gifts. What stood out most was her kindness, positivity, and communication. Each morning, she provided detailed updates about feedings, diaper changes, and our son's overall disposition, giving us peace of mind. After a C-section and delivery complications, the overnight support allowed my husband and me to get much needed rest and be more present during the day. I highly recommend Arrieanna to any family looking for overnight postpartum support. If you want to prioritize rest and recovery during those early newborn months, Arrieanna is an incredible resource.

I worked with San Mateo Doula for about 6 weeks postpartum. Ari and Jessica were both wonderful…read morewith my son Luca. He was a fussy little guy who was keeping me up all night long. From his first night with Ari and Jessica, he was calm and barely made a peep all night! This put me at such ease. They were understanding and flexible when I was going through numerous bottles and nipples trying to find the right one. Sleep is so important for your postpartum recovery and mental health. I highly recommend anyone who is having a baby to hire a doula even if it's for one night a week. It truly does wonders for your recovery and mental health. Thank you Ari and Jess

Having Maira to take care of our baby boy was the best decision we made! She is incredibly…read moreprofessional, knowledgeable, and patient. Knowing our newborn was in such safe, capable hands allowed us to finally get some much-needed sleep with complete peace of mind. With her help, our baby boy is sleeping 10-12hrs through the night, at 12 weeks old. If you are looking for a trustworthy and experienced night doula in the Bay Area, look no further. Highly recommend!

My husband and I will rave about Maira to anyone who will listen!…read more See the attached photo on her last day with our family - you can see the joy and connection in the bond she formed with our baby. I refer to Maira as an angel from heaven. That's how you will feel working with her with a newborn. She was my 4am therapist when I would get anxious from the hormones. She took amazing care of our son, I couldn't have trusted anyone else. We learned so so much from her. It made us more effective parents. Her clients always beg her to stay on with their family, but she is passionate about her work in supporting new parents and newborns. That passion shines through in everything she does. You can tell she really cares about the babies and families she works with. If you are lucky enough to work with her, do not hesitate!

Do yourself a favor, and get a doula if you're expecting. If you want a positive birth story to…read moreconfidently get yourself through newborn phase, then Deja is whom you should hire. Deja has the most amazing human touch - she can read the room, read through the anxiety and confusion a first time expecting parent has, and guide you and your SO to make a clear decision together. She taught us SO much more than all hours of Kaiser classes we sat through. She prepared us for the world of labor, delivery, and post partum care better than my OB/Gyn. Most of all, Deja helped advocate for US - mine and my husband's needs, preferences, and most of all, our personality. My husband was skeptical of the need, and now he admits it was the best investment we spent since mental stress is priceless. I was so confident, informed, and calm from her lessons and tips that when my water broke, I didn't even call her until a few hours later since I knew what signs to watch for. My labor was only about 5 hours on a busy December afternoon, most of which was in a triage room with Deja calmly setting my mind and my body up for a stressless, all natural birth. When I couldn't get comfortable, she read my body queues and helped me get a push bar installed on the delivery room bed and I was able to crouch down standing atop the bed! Deja literally, worked her magic, channeled her energy into me, and helped me successfully deliver our rainbow baby - and an amazing story to share for years to come. Congratulations, you're expecting - now get a doula. If you're lucky, you'll get to experience it under Deja's magical, compassionate, expert care.

We chose to do private birth classes with Deja in preparation for birth and would highly recommend…read moreher! She answered all of our (many) questions and we left each class feeling excited and informed. We feel super confident going into our birth that we know what to expect and will be able to make informed decisions that are best for us and our baby when the time comes. Thank you, Deja, for being such a wonderful and supportive resource!