Unable to answer basic questions regarding her work / how she helps clients during discovery call…read more Rudely cut the call when we sought clarification on the vague information provided. Given our experience, we're unable to believe the authenticity of the reviews seen on this page. Needless to say, would NOT recommend!

Prior to this experience, I did not know a doula was available to new expecting parents…read more Janae was well trained, professional and available to any questions we had. She provided continuous physical, emotional, and informational support to us before, during, and shortly after childbirth to ensure a safe, empowering experience. Janae offered comfort techniques, advocacy, and guidance, which was very important to us. Janae's services also included postpartum support. I highly recommend her services to new expecting parents. She brought me and my wife comfort, confidence, a safe place for birthing our beautiful daughter. We couldnt of had such a wonderful experience without her. We are so Grateful and thankful to of had her by our side. Thanks Janae, we adore you!!!

Sarah provided me with compassionate and expert support in my journey feeding my kiddo. I greatly…read moreappreciated her warm, non-judgmental approach and her wise advice. She was able to meet with me on short notice, followed up via text to check in on me after our first appointment, and has fielded several questions via email, even while she was traveling. I am very grateful for her support and would highly recommend her!

At 5 days postpartum, I was feeling incredibly stressed and overwhelmed, but Sarah came to our home…read moreimmediately to help. She spent several hours with my husband and me, teaching us everything from the basics of breastfeeding and milk supply to the specifics of breast anatomy. Her calm demeanor was exactly what we needed; she completely eased my anxiety and gave us the confidence we were lacking. This was truly the most helpful support we've received since coming home from the hospital. If you are looking for an expert who is both knowledgeable and deeply compassionate, look no further.

I sought help from Kelly as a last resort after a month of baby struggling to get back to birth…read moreweight. I was prescribed triple feeding which was totally unsustainable. She helped tremendously and gave us so much confidence as parents. She was so patient and knowledgeable, and professional. We got the latch down and were able to drop the triple feeding routine. Here we are almost a year later still nursing and growing right on track!

Kelly is the best lactation consultant any mama could ask for!!! A week into my breast feeding…read morejourney with my first baby I was ready to give up. (We saw a horrible lactation consultant at Kaiser who made me feel like I was starving my baby and tried to move us to formula immediately.) Thankfully we found Kelly on Yelp and she was able to see us the next day. She listened to my concerns/frustrations with breastfeeding, then watched me nurse my baby and gave such compassionate guidance. She gave me so much confidence!!! Fast forward to today, my baby girl is 9 months old and I am still exclusively breastfeeding!!! Breastfeeding is so much harder than anyone ever told me it was going to be. My recommendation for any first time mama would be to make an appointment with Kelly and get all the support you didn't even know you would need, it makes a world of a difference!

It's rare that I'd describe a retail store as "life changing" but this little shop was. In my raw,…read morepostpartum days after an emergency c section and a ten day stay in a hospital, I was breastfeeding and desperate for clothes I didn't feel terrible in and that I could breastfeed easily in. I stopped here and not only did they provide a cozy, private place for me to breastfeed with a helpful Breast Friend pillow, they also had changing tables and a scale for me to use, which brought me peace of mind. Then the nice young lady working there (after giving me space and privacy to nurse) helped me find nursing bras that I love (bravado, sadly being discontinued) and I even found some great nursing shirts that I wear every day. Please support this wonderful women owned shop!

Healthy Horizons is a great place to get lactation help and they have such cute clothing as well…read more.... have to remember to stop here for the next baby shower! I am writing this review because Sheila Janakos doesn't just help new parents in her store/lactation support center but she is also a generous soul who helps the community. I have been on the board of a nonprofit for 32 years now called Nursing Mothers Counsel which provides free lactation support via phone with volunteers trained in lactation and counseling support. We are a great back up source for parents who may not need the expert support that Sheila and her IBCLC staff provide, or who are in need of support after business hours. We are so grateful to Healthy Horizons for donating 4 Medela Symphony Pumps to NMC for use as grant rentals for low income families we serve. This substantial donation will certainly help many low income families in the Bay Area and Santa Cruz County. Sheila has remained an affiliate member of our small non-profit and supported NMC with donations throughout her many years associated with our organization. Thank you so much Sheila and Healthy Horizons for your generosity and support!

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.

Hiring Lenore as our doula was one of the best decisions we made. She was consistently warm,…read moregenuinely caring, and incredibly responsive. Her professionalism and organization were impressive, yet she remained completely approachable throughout. Lenore empowered me to create the birth plan I wanted and provided resources to help me feel prepared. She walked alongside us through important decisions and connected us to wonderful providers, including a pelvic floor therapist. During labor, her support both at home and at the hospital was critically helpful. I'm so grateful for my beautiful birthing experience! It was also reassuring that she was a known and respected presence at the hospital. My partner was initially uncertain about hiring a doula, but now says without hesitation that it was one of our best decisions. I cannot recommend Lenore highly enough.

If you are looking to hire a doula, look no further. Lenore is absolutely incredible at what she…read moredoes, and choosing to have her on my birthing team was one of the best decisions I've made. I honestly couldn't imagine going through the birthing journey without her. She provided so much insight, support, and value throughout every step of the way. During the prenatal sessions, she was intentional about getting to know my partner and I, as well as my birthing preferences. When the unexpected happened, she was there to offer me a fresh perspective and the right questions to ask. Lastly, when it came to giving birth, she knew exactly what to say, exactly what support I needed, and kept me feeling embodied and empowered throughout the entire experience. I can confidently say that I would never have been able to achieve my desired birth without her.

Raissa cared for our newborn as a night doula during her first 8 weeks, and we are so grateful for…read morethe calm, steady support she brought into our home. We also have a 2-year-old, so our house can be pretty chaotic, but Raissa always kept the baby calm, settled, and cared for with so much patience. She was very flexible and adjusting to our family's needs. When our baby had a cold at just a few weeks old, Raissa took extra care and spent so much time helping clear her nose and keeping her comfortable. She also stayed extra when I had a fever, which meant so much during a really hard postpartum moment. Raissa is kind, dependable, and deeply caring. We felt our baby was in very safe hands with her.

From the owner: Throughout my career, I have demonstrated my ability to effectively take care of the newborn and…read morethe mom needs professionally, that include breastfeeding, bottle-feeding, mom milk pumping and equipment sterilizing, as well as to show new parents if necessary, how babies care work and to be confident on they new change. Also to assist newborns in improving feeding habit, sleeping habit to facilitate parents’ routine after our contract, burping and help baby release gas. Additionally, I possess strong compassion for families as my previous clients mentioned, listening to them, helping sometimes when time allowed with light cooking and organizing baby nursery all the time.

5 stars is simply not enough!…read more Oh. My. God. Where would we be without Amy?! We're still working with her today but I couldn't wait to write this for any new parent out there feeling overwhelmed. Amy is truly the baby whisperer -- the moment she held our baby, it was clear she knew exactly what to do. She's experienced, knowledgeable, kind and absolutely loves what she does! You can feel her passion in everything, and it makes all the difference. How lucky are we that she exists?! Our 10 wk old had slow weight gain and sleep issues. With Amy's help, we're now on a much better schedule and things have already turned around. She's responsive, supportive and truly holds your hand every step of the way -- something priceless during such a stressful time...! I can't express enough how grateful I am for her skill, support and compassion. She's amazing in every way, and trust me -- if you have a baby problem, she has the answers. Our lives are so much better with Amy in them. We feel so lucky to have her care and guidance! THANK YOU AMY!!

We feel incredibly lucky to have had Amy Hicks as our night doula. From our first meeting, she…read moreoffered not just moral support but calm, confident guidance rooted in years of experience and deep expertise. Her presence gave us peace of mind during a really challenging time--our baby arrived early, and Amy helped us navigate the many choices and uncertainty with care, insight, and compassion while we were still in NICU. Amy went above and beyond. She helped us figure out how to approach our baby's reflux and food allergies, always respectful of our doctor's guidance but also encouraging an iterative, thoughtful process to find what actually worked for him. She connected us with specialists in our area to advise on formula, so we could get exactly the right one when that became our best option to manage our baby's allergies. Her ability to blend evidence-based insight with individualized care was invaluable. She wasn't just a reassuring presence at night (which let us truly rest and enjoy our days), she was also available during the day to answer questions, help us establish strong routines, and coach us through the ups and downs of those early weeks. Thanks to her, our baby was sleeping through the night by 12 weeks (despite being premature and having a series of health issues in his early weeks)--though she mentioned that most of the families she works with see that milestone by 8 weeks! If you're considering a postpartum night doula, I can't recommend Amy highly enough. She's a gifted, grounded, and deeply supportive person to have on your team during the fourth trimester.

Chelsea has been such an incredible support throughout the feeding journey with my twins, and me as…read morea first-time parent. From the very beginning, she approached everything with so much compassion, patience, professionalism, and genuine care for our family's unique needs. What I especially appreciated was how personalized her guidance was. Our twins have had different feeding journeys since birth, and Chelsea truly listened and met each baby (and me!) where we were without judgment or a one-size-fits-all approach. Her expertise made such a meaningful difference for all of us. She suggested transitioning to a different bottle when the twins were eating very slowly and tiring themselves out before finishing feeds, and the new bottles were an absolute game changer. She also properly resized me for pumping flanges, which immediately improved both comfort and milk output. Beyond being incredibly knowledgeable, Chelsea is simply a lovely human being. She's warm, sweet, reassuring, and makes you feel supported during what can be such a vulnerable, emotional and exhausting season of parenthood. I am so grateful to have found her and would wholeheartedly recommend her to any family, especially fellow twin parents navigating complex feeding journeys.

Chelsea was wonderful to work with and so helpful on my breastfeeding journey. As a first time mom…read moreit is confusing to navigate all the newness of postpartum but having Chelsea there to support me put me at ease. She was very kind, caring, and knowledgeable and I would definitely recommend her to any mamas seeking breastfeeding help!

Hiring Beth was one of the best decisions I've made as a parent…read more Beth arrived our first night home from the hospital and helped me survive (and even thrive) in my first few months as a mother. I'm certain that her care and support helped me achieve my breastfeeding goals, and stay sane whilst healing from birth and learning to care for a tiny human. Forgo the baby moon, skip other niceties if you have to, use your resources on qualified help (especially if you're a rookie parent)! Your future self will thank you.

Beth was a godsend to our family. She came recommended by our birth doula. We ultimately chose…read moreBeth because of extensive experience and knowledge as an educator, humor, and genuine desire to help new mothers. My son came 2.5 weeks early. We had a rough start and my son was in the NICU for a few days. As new parents, we had so much anxiety and wanted an experienced night doula to take care of him otherwise I would stay up all night staring at him. Beth was there from the very first night to not only care for him but for me. She made sure that I was getting enough rest, took care of his bottle prep and sterilization (I was having low milk supply), waking me to pump, and just being an incredibly knowledgeable resource. I learned so much from her. Everything from burping, managing gas, cradle cap, sleep, increasing milk supply, and newborn care and parenting hacks. We interviewed many doulas and can confidently say that Beth is a rare find. She has become family and we miss her dearly!