I took a childbirth class online with Flor. Second pregnancy, previously took a hospital class, but I really wanted a natural birth this time, and had not felt prepared for that with my last class. The hospital class prepared me for interventions to expect, and basically how to be a good patient. Flor not only covered the physical aspects of birth (anatomy, hormones, what moves how and when/where, etc) but also your options and what to expect with those interventions. She is honest, clear, and explains things in a way that truly helps you understand what these interventions entail. Another very valuable component of this class is the interventions she teaches you - tools to advocate for yourself, how your partner can best support you, and many different ways to deal with the process of labor. The demonstrations of positions were so helpful! My first birth I wanted to go natural, but ended up saying yes to interventions that I felt contributed to a rocky start to breastfeeding and my baby having to be readmitted for hyperbilirubinemia. Thanks to this course I felt SO PREPARED. My biggest fear was that I wouldn't be able deal with the pain and say yes to interventions I didn't want and be disappointed. I went into labor naturally, delivered at a hospital and had a physiological, unmedicated birth of a healthy 8lb 10oz baby with no complications. My partner and I felt so united and prepared. We advocated for our birth plan and had the birth we had hoped for!! If you are looking for a birth class that is inclusive, honest, and truly prepares you to plan for the birth you want, TAKE THIS CLASS. I cannot recommend enough!! I'm an RN and truly learned so much through this class and process and have so much respect for the work Flor is doing to help women have the birth they hope for. Hospitals are for sick people and emergencies, and birth is not an illness. Flor truly honors the process for the miracle it is, and it shows in her work, website, personality and this class. Thank you Flor. For giving us the essential tools to have the birth we had hoped for. read more

My family and I were so lucky to have Flor as our Doula. It was important to me and my husband that I birthed our baby naturally and without pain medication. I became semi-obsessed with natural birth during my pregnancy. I watched documentaries, read six books, took a Bradley Method course with my husband. The best thing I did to accomplish my goal of achieving the birth of my dreams was to hire a doula. No, the best thing I did to accomplish my goal was to hire Flor. She was incredible. I tried giving up multiple times. Each time, I looked at Flor and she smiled and told me I could do it. I was going on my second day in labor and Flor was with me every step of the way. She was replying to my text messages at 2:00 in the morning when my early labor stalled, she used a rebozo to help me push my baby out, Flor gave me essential oils during contractionns, she helped my husband help me through the difficult parts. She was amazing. They say moms hire doulas for the first born and dads hire doulas for the second. This couldn't be more true. The birth of my son will be forever engraved on my memory and my heart and Flor will be a permanent part of our birth story. We are so lucky to have met such a strong, special person. Flor is truly inspiring. read more

I gave birth to our daughter 5 months ago and I could not have done it without Flor! She came to us in the middle of night without a complaint and warriored-on (that's a word right?) with us until our daughter was born 8 hours later. I drew so much strength and comfort from her presence. She encouraged, soothed, supported and empowered us from the moment we chose her to join us through this journey. As others have explained, she massages all the right places, informs you on every procedure and respects every choice you make. This woman will forever hold a special place in our memories and hearts. read more

If you are like me, you have done a ton of research about pregnancy and doulas and the pros and cons of everything. You've looked at a bunch of different doulas and now you're wondering who to choose. It's a big decision, and I'm happy to help you save a tremendous amount of time: 1. Hire a doula. 2. Choose Flor Cruz. Flor is an incredible support system. All DONA certified doulas are trained to do the same fundamental things, and Flor has a ton of experience. But the differentiator for me was Flor's open, nonjudgmental, supportive attitude. I was nervous about all the typical mommy judgement nonsense. Flor was perfect. She only made me feel supported, and never ever did I feel uncomfortable, not for a second. She is incredibly knowledgeable and helped me when I had questions, fears, wanted to change my mind, wanted to change my mind again, and wanted to know I had another member of my team in that delivery room. There are tons of things Flor did throughout my pregnancy, but here's one example. My OB sent me to the hospital early thinking I needed to be induced, and I knew in my gut that I should go home. Flor came to the hospital without me even having to ask. She could hear in my tone that I was scared. Even though it wasn't my birth, she came to my hospital room to calmly talk me through all the options, and let me know she had my back with whatever I wanted to do. She calmed me down so I was able to clear my mind. I then had the confidence to push back with my OB, and eventually she agreed that I could wait longer and have the baby closer to the due date. I had a bumpy pregnancy, and I'm so glad Flor was there as a sounding board. I hired Flor when I was only five weeks pregnant. It's unusual, but I was able to have Flor as a resource for the entire pregnancy! And I made sure that she was available for me by planning that early. So don't wait any longer, hire Flor and have a calm, happy pregnancy and delivery. read more

My experience with Flor was wonderful! She met me first to see if we would be compatible and I knew she would be the one. She has great knowledge on natural interventions if any are needed. Additionally, Flor has rebozo, rice sacks, birthing ball, etc to help during the labor. Flor will listen and review and or create a birthing plan. She will be your advocate and also your coach. Flor will be honest on your whole experience and will prime you on how to overcome your "fears". Thanks to Flor I had a home birth in a water tub the way I had visioned it. No one stopped me from having what I wanted. Not even my labor pains. I highly recommend Flor, as I know I will hire her again for my next baby. :) read more

BadassMotherBirther - Flor will capture your birth. Thank you for these priceless memories I will cherish forever!! - Doulas Near Me

Flor is worth her weight in gold. After interviewing multiple doulas, it was Flor's attitude that made her the clear choice. Not only is Flor competent and informed, but she is also positive, non-judgmental, and good humored. Her personality immediately put me at ease, and I knew instantly she was the one! Flor is there to support mamas and papas in whatever birth they envision. She doesn't have an agenda or believe there is one right or superior way to bring a baby into this world. Instead, she advocates for whatever her clients desire, and supports them every step of the way in having the birth they envision. Flor supported me throughout my pregnancy. When I ended up on bed rest due to threatened preterm labor, Flor frequently checked in to offer me support. When I went into labor, Flor was by my side reminding me of my incredible strength and my commitment to my birth plan when I felt like I just couldn't go on. Without Flor's tireless support throughout my labor, I very well may have deviated from my plan to have an unmedicated birth. I really couldn't have done it without her support--it was an absolute necessity!! I know my husband feels the same way, as Flor helped him remain an active participant during my labor, which I am so grateful for. Flor has continued to support our family after the birth of our baby. She constantly checks in and has remained available to answer questions and provide guidance in these early weeks when everything is so new. She is such a kind person! We are so glad Flor was a part of our birth. The memory is truly sweeter because she was a part of it. I am forever grateful to have the beautiful images she captured during my labor and delivery. Thank you Flor--we love you!! read more

I cannot express enough how blessed I was to have Flor as our doula with the birth of my twins. Her knowledge and expertise was exactly what I was looking for. Her calm gentle demeanour during my labor was just what I needed. I had planned to go without an epidural until I reached transition labor, then I would get an epidural in case I was in need of an emergency c-section. She was supportive of my choice. She helped me to reach that goal with the use of massage, essential oils, pressure points, and rocking. She encouraged me the entire time. After I received the epidural Flor continued to encourage my body to labor naturally. She massaged my pressure points and made sure I kept my pelvis open to encourage my babies to move down by putting a peanut ball between my legs. Everything worked out perfectly! I can't encourage other women enough on how important and useful a doula can be even if you are planning on using an epidural as part of your birth journey. Flor was so supportive of my choices and made sure to assist me in reaching my goals. I can't say enough good things about her! read more

We started the search for a doula during the third trimester of my pregnancy. My husband and I chose to have a natural child birth, but were open to changing our minds along the way. When we met with Flor, we knew that she was the doula for us. We loved her confidence, expertise, sense of humor, and the fact that she's been through so many births so she's seen it all! During our prenatal meetings with Flor, she provided us with all of the facts and options for our consideration so we felt empowered throughout the process. She is always available for questions or support before and after delivery, and still checks in with me to make sure I'm doing well. With Flor, you will feel supported, prepared, and confident throughout and after your child birth. Even though my birth didn't go exactly according to plan, we walked away with such a positive experience-- all because we had an amazing doula to support us through the whole process! PS She also took amazing photos of our baby and family right after the birth, these are memories we will cherish forever! read more

Flor is by far the MOST AMAZING Doula in Southern California. My husband and I chose to do a birth center birth at SCM in Irvine. We were quickly briefed on the importance of having a Doula through the process. We were also given a list of Doulas that we could pick from. After contacting several on the list only to discover they were booked for our birth date or I didn't get the "warm and fuzzies" on the phone after speaking with them, I recd a return call from Flor....and boy was I glad!! I immediately felt comfortable with her over our short conversation and we scheduled a time to meet. From our first meeting I knew Flor would be a perfect match for my husband and I. Flor is extremely passionate about her role during the birth process and is very knowledgeable about the birth process, and as a mother, she understands the range of emotions, decisions, apprehensions, and anxieties that other moms are faced with during this life altering process. In addition, she is very open to your individual birth plan and makes sure that all of your wishes and desires are carried out accordingly through your labor and delivery. My husband and I had a 41 hour all natural labor in September and Flior was with us for more than half of that timeframe. She arrived At our home shortly after my husband called her and stayed with us until after our little girl arrived and we were headed back home from the birth center. More importantly, she massaged my back during every single contraction, assisted with changing positions, contacted the midwives when needed, made sure the sweat and hair was kept out of my face, gave positive verbal reinforcement and encouragement, helped direct my husband, and basically made sure I was extremely well cared for the entire time! Her presence was invaluable and honestly you cannot place a dollar amount on the benefit of her services. Looking back on the experience I would stress to all moms hoping for a natural delivery the importance of hiring a Doula. You may not think you need one, but trust me, you and your husband/partner will benefit from it more than you know. And don't just hire any Doula, hire Flor bc there truly is no one like her and I cannot say enough good things about her. She will definitely be a part of our lives and our daughter's life forever...and she will absolutely be present for our next birth! read more

Flor is an incredible Doula. I don't even know where to begin to write a review worthy of her and what she meant to us during the birth of our daughter. I planned a birth center birth at South Coast Midwifery in Irvine and after 56+ hours of natural labor, I ended up transferring to Hoag in Newport Beach. Flor was with us through every stage. She came to our home Sunday and labored with me through the night. Eventually we told her to go home and get some sleep because my contractions weren't progressing. She met us at the birthing center the next morning and stayed with us all day while I labored. She was encouraging, supportive, and utilized rebozo to help ease my pain. When we needed to be transferred to Hoag, she went with us. She left ahead of us to get to the hospital first so everything would be ready when we arrived. She was waiting outside with a wheelchair when we got there. When we were being checked in, she made sure we were happy. She handed out copies of our birth plan to the nurses, explained procedures to us and even offered to get us a new nurse if we didn't like the one assigned to us. While I was giving birth she was right by my side. She stayed into the night until our daughter was born and on top of everything, used our camera to document the entire experience at our request. We were so lucky to have Flor as our Doula and will no doubt be hiring her again for the birth of our next child. read more

BadassMotherBirther - One week postpartum checkup :) - Doulas Near Me

My doula is the best doula ever!!! I can't put into words the gratitude, admiration and love I feel for her. She is the most caring, knowledgable, considerate, encouraging and optimistic doula I've met. I am, we are so blessed to have had her be a part of such a wonderful moment in our lives. I have had 3 prior pregnancies and this one by far is the most memorable and I know a big part of it is due to the experience we shared with her. She made us connect in every way with our baby and allowed us to embrace the moment in every way. She is so loving and I would recommend her over and over to any mom, family that wants a once in a lifetime experience. I love you FLOR! I could never thank you enough for your attention and love towards my family and I!! God bless! read more

BadassMotherBirther - My DOULA was amazing!!! She was there from the moment i found out I was pregnant until the end. - Doulas Near Me

Flor was exactly what we were looking for in a doula---calm, down to earth, real, knowledgeable about our hospital (Long Beach Memorial), and knowledgeable about pain management strategies, as well as being reasonably priced. We didn't know just how crucial she was going to end up being, but then my water broke two weeks early while my husband was on a plane on its way to LAX. Thank God Flor was here to meet me at the hospital and help me through the early stages of labor while my husband was on his way. Thanks to Flor, my husband was able to jump right in when he arrived and do massage and other techniques to help me manage my pain. Also, thanks to Flor's encouragement and support, we were able to advocate for and follow our birth plan to the greatest extent possible. I am so happy with my birth experience and I give Flor a lot of credit for that! read more

Flor was amazing throughout this pregnancy, labor and delivery, and postpartum especially since this was a new experience for me and my husband.  She was caring, informative, and always supportive. We couldn't have asked for a better doula to be with us for the birth of our son. She even took some photos of our new little family for us to cherish. I will be forever grateful for having her be a part of our lives. read more

Flor was amazing! Ever since our initial meeting I knew she was the doula for us. Flor was nothing but supportive throughout my entire pregnancy. My birthing experience was a complete roller coaster and without Flor's constant affirmations and support I would've been a complete wreck. I would recommend Flor's doula services to anyone and everyone, no matter what your birth plan is! read more

Flor is an amazing doula! My husband and I were so grateful that we hired her for the birth of our first baby. Thanks to her I had a positive labor and delivery experience. During my contractions she massaged my back and pressure points with lavender oil, and guided my husband to help me through out the process. She helped my pelvis open by putting a peanut ball between my legs, and also set-up flameless candles in the delivery room to set the mood. She never left my side and was always so calm and gentle with me. In addition, she took beautiful pictures of our baby right after delivery. My baby is now 2 months and Flor continues to check-in and has remained available to answer questions. She is awesome! We highly recommend Flor! read more

I had the opportunity of having Flor as my doula, and she was amazing! She was so helpful before labor, during labor, and still 6 weeks postpartum. I had a lot of choices to make during my labor, and she was very helpful giving me so much information so I could make the correct choice. I would recommend her to anyone! read more

I wanted to have a intervention-free, medication-free birth in the hospital setting. We felt well equipped after taking the Bradley Method birth classes, but since I had never felt a contraction, I was still uneasy about how I would react when the time came. We hired Flor to give us the peace of mind that we would have all of the tools necessary to have our our dream birth and to help us stick to our birth plan in the hospital setting. My contractions started on a Thursday night, but got more intense the next evening around midnight. I was having a lot of back pain with each contraction that I couldn't seem to control. Flor was more than willing to answer my husband's phone calls in the middle of the night to give us suggestions and advice and to come to our house as soon as we felt like we needed her. I started to feel like I couldn't handle it anymore and was ready to give up and head to the hospital for medication. However, as soon as Flor arrived, she calmed me down and gave me the encouragement that I needed to conquer each contraction, one at a time. Flor stayed with us through the birth of our son almost 21 hours later. Without her rebozo expertise, I'm not sure how I could have made it through the back labor. She kept me calm and reminded me of my birth plan when we hit some difficult obstacles throughout the labor. I am very happy that we decided to pursue hiring a doula and we had a great experience with Flor. She was an integral part of overcoming the long, intense labor and still having the amazing birth experience that we desired. As a bonus, Flor also provided us with gorgeous pictures of the birth. read more

Flor was instrumental in supporting the labor and delivery of my dreams last month. I welcomed my beautiful little girl into the world with low lights and electric candles... in a hospital! Flor supplied the candles, birth ball, and helped maintain the atmosphere I wanted. She is very professional, timely, and responds quickly to inquiries. She has a very calm yet strong demeanor, which in my situation helped gently guide the hospital staff in following my birth plan that she helped me create, then wrote. She took photos of my delivery, showed me positions to ease my labor pains, and helped me make it through without pain medication, which was a priority for me. However, she isn't pushy in a particular philosophy and is very non-judgmental. She is also bilingual, which was great since my husband's first language is Spanish. She also adores animals, and at our postpartum visit gave us a goody bag with a sweet toy for our dog, which he loves! I give Flor the highest recommendation possible! Thank you soo much!!! read more

Our experience with Flor as our doula was amazing. My husband and I were on the fence about getting a doula because we were not sure how much help they could be. However, being first time parents we decided we could use all the help we could get and after meeting with Flor the first time it solidified that decision. Flor was great during our prenatal visits. She provided us with all the information we needed in order to make our birth plan. She was very supportive and never judged any of our decisions. Throughout the weeks leading to the birth she was constantly checking in on me and answering my incessant questions. The day my contractions started she was texting back and forth with my husband. As soon as my contractions became more frequent and intense she came to our house and helped my husband with pain relieving techniques. She was also really great at the hospital. Once we arrived at the hospital she made sure that the nurses and dr had a copy of my birth plan. She stayed with us for 15 hrs of labor and throughout she was of great help. She made sure that my husband and I had everything we needed. She gave me massages with her oils to help keep me calm. She also helped us avoid a possible c-section by using her rebozo. She took pictures of the birth. And she stayed after the birth to make sure we were ok. Overall we had a great experience with Flor. She helped me feel less anxious about labor/birth and she empowered me to have the birth that we wanted. Flor was also a great help for my husband. As this was our first child he was also worried about the labor/birth experience and how he could be of help to me. Flor provided him with great suggestions and techniques in order for him to be able to help me. Flor was a great support for him as well throughout my labor. We would highly recommend her as a doula! Flor is a great doula and a great person. read more