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!

Video Birth Course Review-…read more My husband and I took the YES to Birth class virtually to prepare for the birth of our daughter. I wanted a natural/un-medicated hospital birth and this class prepared me to achieve that. If I could use one word to describe my birth, I would say it was: PERFECT. Every aspect of it felt so right, and I absolutely said YES to every moment of it. My husband and I used the tools learned in this course to relax, go with the direction of my baby and my body, and have a smooth, unmedicated, natural hospital delivery. Thanks to Rachel for helping us get there!

We learned so much in the pre-work for Rachel's birthing class that we felt the need to consider…read morealtering our birth plan. Once we started Rachel's class, we actually did change our birth plan and never felt more confident in such a life-changing decision. Her guidance and the education we received EMPOWERED us to plan for an incredibly transformational birth experience with no interventions in the comfort of our own home. My husband and I grew closer and more aligned during the class and after, as we prepared to welcome our first child. The exercises she has you practice and the information she shares should be something every expecting couple goes through. Her audio tracks taught me what I needed and helped me before during and after birth. I was even lucky enough to attend one of her prenatal yoga classes which left me with a sense of calm and space in my belly (which is rare for a pregnant woman in her third trimester)! I highly recommend you make Rachel part of your birth team by signing up for one of her classes.

TLDR; YES if you're a first time mom considering Kinspace, you need to sign up. It might seem…read moredaunting (another thing I need to do NOW?) but trust me it's worth it. My baby and I started at 2 months postpartum, have done a full year of Kinspace, and just "graduated." We've learned so much! Susan is phenomenal. The community is amazing and supportive. You'll meet local moms with babies of the same age, and together tackle a bunch of parenting "firsts" in the first year. I can't imagine going through it all without Susan and our mom group.

Hands down, this was the #1 best thing I did for myself and my baby postpartum…read more Susan has created such a safe and welcoming place for moms to meet other moms and learn about all things motherhood. Motherhood can be incredibly lonely and isolating and meeting up with the other moms weekly was truly a blessing. We learned so many tips and tricks and Susan always answered all of our questions. I not only came out of the group with so much knowledge but now I have a whole group of mom friends and friends for my son! I am so incredibly happy I joined Susan's group and I encourage every new mom I know to do it too.

Have you ever met someone and thought to yourself, dang, that human was born to do this kind of…read morework and has a real gifting for it? That was my thought about Lauren after meeting her for the first time (she taught our 6 week birth prep course). This woman was in her element. She cared, she was knowledgeable, and and she lit up the room. To our pleasant surprise and an epic answer to prayer, she ended up being our doula and what a gift she was in that space for us too. Lauren knew when to say or do something and the art of not saying or doing. We ended up having a dream birth and I'm not sure I would have been able to do it without her support. She was a part of the dream birth. She came along and partnered with me and my husband in a way that complemented and strengthened. Lauren helped me to trust myself and my body. There are no guarantees with birth. I don't love Lauren because I had a dream birth; I love her because of who she is and am so grateful she was with us and for us in the tender, sacred space of birth. No doula is for everyone, but if something about her resonates with you, book a call to see if there's a match.

Lauren is incredible! She helped me bring both of my babies into the world and I couldn't imagine…read morethe birth experience without her. She brought such a truly compassionate, intuitive, calming, and empowering presence to the experiences, and navigated all of the twists and turns with us. She felt like part of the family, and made us feel so held throughout the entire process from prenatal to postpartum. I couldn't recommend Lauren more highly. I almost want to have another baby just to be able to work with her again! If you're considering hiring her, DO IT! She's the absolute best.

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!

We had the best experience with Maureen, one of the many talented doulas at Brilliant Births. We…read moreopted for a private Laboring together class, and it exceeded every expectation. Maureen guided us with so much knowledge, warmth and patience. She gave us practical tools, hands on techniques, and the confidence we needed as we prepare for our baby. We both walked out feeling way more prepared. If you're looking for someone who empowers, educates and genuinely cares, Maureen is incredible. We're so grateful!

I cannot say enough good things about Lindsey and her postpartum care. She has a wonderful…read moregrounding and calming presence. My husband, babies and I all felt immediately comfortable with her. The oil massage, pelvic steam and food she provides are all so nourishing and healing. She is an excellent cook and her food is truly delicious. I could honestly eat it year round. It also makes it easy to get enough to provide for baby, which can be difficult in the early days. Everything is not only tasty but provides those essential nutrients to help with milk supply, building iron levels and caloric intake. We hired her for both of my babies and it's so worth it! If we're lucky enough to have more we would 100% work with her again!

I am so glad I added Lindsey's offerings to my birth journey!…read more I rented her birth tub which was such a good pain relief method for my unmedicated birth. Pick up / drop off and deposit / payment stuff was a breeze. The abhuyanga massages were such a boon to my physical and emotional well-being. When you have a newborn to care for, even when you know how important self-care is, you can find yourself rushing through things like showering etc. It was so great to have one hour where I couldn't rush things, I just had to relax and enjoy. So grounding and centering at a pivotal time in your life. Also my hair and skin were fabulous from the sesame oil which smells amazing. Lindsey has a warm, nurturing and calming presence which is important when inviting someone in to your home during such a delicate time. She always had such a helpful and never judgmental perspective on questions we had about newborn parenting. Be good to yourself and choose Lindsey, she's awesome.

Alex is easily one of the most impactful humans I've ever had the pleasure to come across. I was…read morelucky to have been referred to her by a mom in my pregnancy and new mother's group. She has been an invaluable resource and support on my journey into becoming a single mother of 3. I found her presence incredibly calm and healing, she was so intuitive and really helped me do a lot of soul work. Even her singing voice is captivating and comforting, lulling me into quiet tears. She helped uplift me from a dark place into a transformed mother, self assured and capable. I had suffered through postpartum depression two times before, and I was fortunate to have evaded it this time around with the tremendous care of Alex. Thank you for your profound impact on my family.

Absolutely LOVE Alex! We gave birth to our first baby girl last month completely unmedicated thanks…read moreto Alex. She is extremely knowledgable, takes time to explain every single detail and gives you the information to make decisions for yourself. I was a skeptic at first before hiring a doula, but thanks to my husband's encouragement, it was the best investment spent for our baby. We've also taken all the foundational courses at the hospitals, but none of them compare to just one session with Alex. Alex is hands on, answers any and all your questions quickly and is the best advocate for you and your health and the health of your baby. From the moment we met Alex, we knew she loves her job. When your contractions start, your immediate response is to go to the hospital, but thanks to Alex, she kept me calm at home for an extra 8hrs, well fed and well hydrated and knew exactly when is the right time to go. She provided all the right massages and calming techniques from start to finish. We can't be more grateful to have found her and we'll definitely be using her for all her post delivery services, she is simply the most amazing woman you'll meet.

Shannon is everything we could have imagined for a doula--she is welcoming, warm, thoughtful, and…read morehas a lovely sense of humor! You get the whole package (and then some!) with her. As part of her doula services, she comes to your home for 3 prenatal visits, where you get the opportunity to try out practical exercises (from pregnancy massage techniques to pain alleviating exercises, talk through how your pregnancy is going individualizing our care and even review a manual binder that she provides for you. And of course, the main event, true labor and giving birth! Shannon has a way of just blending into your family during such an intense moment and your family's needs, stepping up and stepping down seamlessly, but always right there when we needed her. During labor/birth at the hospital, Shannon's belief and faith in me to surrender and brave through a natural birth never wavered. She really did it *all*--preparing bone broth for me to sip on in the midst of a contraction, acting as head cheerleader, setting the oxytocin mood in our delivery room with string lights, aromatherapy, and music. Oh, and not to mention, the hip squeezes and back rubs she provides in the most intense moments of labor. My husband and I had never been so impressed with a service before! Oh, I'm not done...she even did labor/birth photos for us, and a newborn session in our home two weeks postpartum. *cries happy tears* Thanks to Shannon, I experienced the most FUN and empowering birth. 12/10 recommend investing in her services!

For anyone seeking a birth doula, I wholeheartedly recommend Shannon. In our search, she stood out…read moreduring our initial meeting by not only trying to understand what we cared about but being able to reflect that understanding back at us with even more clarity. It was clear to us that Shannon's approach is personalized, recognizing that not every path to parenthood is the same. Having attended over 400 births, Shannon also brought a wealth of experience with her that shone through in her calming presence, well-balanced guidance, and the articulate birth plan she helped us craft. Her ability to address our worries without ever being dismissive, provide valuable advice at the right moment, and offer a diverse array of resources made our journey as first-time parents all the more enjoyable and helped us be prepared.