Pregnancy and giving birth was one of the most meaningful and empowering experiences of my life, and Holly played an extraordinary role in making it that way. Working with her from pregnancy through postpartum was nothing short of transformative. From the moment she took us on as clients, I felt deeply seen, cared for, and empowered. Throughout my pregnancy, she provided a wealth of resources -- from dietary guidance and exercise tips to ways to promote the growth of my baby and prepare for labor -- and helped me process and make informed decisions for myself. She anticipated questions before I even had them and ensured I felt knowledgeable and confident every step of the way about all the decisions we faced. Holly made the entire process beautiful, spiritual, informed, and deeply connected. She helped me get in touch with my own needs and empowered both me and my husband to feel confident and capable throughout. During labor and delivery, she was with us every step of the way -- whether on the phone or coming to our home to assist me in labor and guide us on navigating the transition to the hospital. In those moments of extreme intensity, Holly was so in tune with me; she knew exactly what to say and how to help me navigate each wave. It felt like she, my husband, and I were in a shared trance, and I felt completely held and nurtured. I wanted a natural labor, and Holly championed that goal every step of the way; I truly believe I would not have been able to achieve a natural birth in a hospital without her. Immediately postpartum, Holly continued to be an incredible presence during the intense and sometimes overwhelming adjustment to life on the other side of birth. She listened deeply, advocated for my mental and physical health, and again never imposed her opinions. Instead, she helped us think clearly, process our emotions, and understand our own decisions and feelings, giving us confidence in our new roles as parents. What's incredible about Holly is that she ensures you are informed, know your rights, and understand all your choices -- while always advocating for you -- yet she never makes decisions for you. She is non-judgmental, full of positivity, love, and light, and makes the journey feel sacred, grounded, and empowering. Holly is an exceptional doula and guide -- she truly transforms the birth experience. She is absolutely incredible. read more

Beautiful Birth - Me, Holly, my husband and baby post labor 3 - Doulas Near Me - Lomita, California

Review #1017 - Kudos to Holly...seriously we really enjoyed having her on our birthing team. My wife had called and wanted to interview a variety of people and within a spectrum of birthing paths. We chose Holly and it was a very good experience. First off, my wife had a wonderful phone call with her...and she was available and willing to answer all things. We then met her locally and had a face to face interview. Holly was respectful of the birth path my wife wanted, she offer advice and her experience. While we were interviewing her at a local coffee shop she was approached by another client with her recently born baby. We got to see the level of interaction between that new mom and Holly. Very impressive to see the happiness of another parent with the person she chose. So as a Dad to be, there was also the need to convince me...i wanted to make sure my wife had every person and resource. So the expense of a doula was justified pretty easily. But i wanted an active role in the birth plan and birth experience. Holly was great to me. Attentive. Gentle. She was okay with me being there in the delivery stuff and an active part of it. She did not shrug me off or anything, I was able to feel very close to my wife and newborn in the moment. My wife really loved all Holly did for her when the time came to start the birthing process. Once we knew it was go time...we planned to stay home a while and Holly came to our place and worked the first 12-15 hours with her. Then she perfectly timed the "when to go to the hospital" and as that progressed she was very preset and active with us. She was awesome and seeing how well she'd coached my wife was incredible. We got a healthy baby and my wife came through it amazingly. Holly was a very good resource and served us well as the "Offensive Coordinator" calling the plays and helping us through the game plan. Holly is super. Follow up and coaching didn't end with the hospital. She's been so good at checking in and keeping us in the learning and adjustment. Easy 5 stars!! read more

Holly is an amazing doula! From the moment I first talked to her, I knew she is the one. She is super caring, experience and knowledgeable. She is well prepared each time we meet. She sends questionnaire in advance, takes notes in meetings and follow up post visit. She even shares books and videos with me to better education myself in this journey. When my pubis bone was in pain, she recommended chiropractor for treatment. She is super resourceful. You can see her true value on your most important day of your life. She responded to my text immediately at 2am when my water broke. She stayed contacted the whole time, came over to my house to keep me company, taught me how to breath to ease my contraction pain, went to the hospital with us, had all the tools and items (peanut ball, aroma oil, music) I could possibly need, showed me different poses that can help dilate faster. She kept taking notes and pictures for us to record this beautiful memory. When I was so thirty and I couldn't drink any water because I would feel nauseous, she brought me ice, that made me feel so warm and this showed how caring and attentive to my needs she is. She gave me a lot of great advise thru out the entire delivery process. I truly didn't know to do without her presence. She checked in multiple times with me during my postpartum. She researched my delivery issues and spent an hour on the phone with me and helped address all my questions. She is super familiar with the area and provided me a lot of great resources to navigate my motherhood life. She is the best doula you can get in the area. You would not regret having her by your side. I highly recommend her to every expecting mom. read more

My spouse & I's experience with Beautiful Birth's Online Class with Holly Press was absolutely fantastic! It made it so convenient to work at our own pace, especially when life happens & your schedule becomes unpredictable, ON TOP OF providing us so much vital information on how to each prepare for labor, how to navigate what YOU want for your birth plan, & how you both can train the mind/body for labor/birth of your baby. If YOU are determined AND motivated, this is definitely the class for you! Holly is super detailed & responsive & will get back to you via email with great information & answer all the questions you may have in a very timely manner. My baby was born 4 weeks preterm (36 weeks), healthy, a good weight, & didn't have to be admitted to NICU, AND I was still able to have a 100% natural birth! I owe it all to what we learned in the online course because of the confidence it brought me & my spouse in the delivery room read more

Beautiful Birth - Mom & Baby, 100% natural birth. - Doulas Near Me - Lomita, California

If you want a natural birth, Holly will guide you & your partner in making your aspirations a reality. I felt supported and honestly so much relief with Holly's positioning, breathing exercises, and encouraging words. This labor guru knows so many techniques that truly made ALL THE DIFFERENCE in my active labor. We love you Holly & couldn't recommend you enough! -XO first time mama to a big healthy baby read more

Really good experience trying the doula service from Beautiful Birth! Initially my wife and I were not quite sure about what a doula is and only heard few words from the insurance. We hired Holly last minute hoping to have just a bit better labor experience. But after trying the service with Holly, we believe everyone should hire a doula at birth. Particularly if you are giving birth the first time, the amount of expertise from Holly could certainly reduce a lot of panic when it approaches the laboring process, as she is really familiar and loves her job. God created the laboring process difficult for a reason, so there would still be pain like what's written in the scripture. But with a doula, you can be a lot more certain about what's coming and know that you're getting the best outcome in the process. Thank you Holly! read more

Beautiful Birth - Holly and my loved ones - Doulas Near Me - Lomita, California

Could not recommend Holly enough. As much or as little information as you'd like from her she will offer. She carries a calming and steady presence about her and was a rock for my wife and I during our 11 day hospital stay. In the end, we had a healthy Mamma and healthy Baby... we could not have asked for more. read more

I am confident our birth experience would have looked very different if it wasn't for Holly. With this being our first baby, I was wanting to find support not only for myself but also for my husband. Holly was truly the support that held us together through the whole journey. She has such a gentle and sweet presence that immediately makes you feel so safe. She took the time to answer any and all questions/concerns. She made herself available, felt genuine in being excited for us and was eager to help. By the time the birth date arrived, we had built such a wonderful rapport that we both felt so supported and as ready and educated as we could be. On the day, she went above and BEYOND... my active laboring began at 3am and she was there at our home and the hospital sometimes literally holding me for hours on end through most of my contractions and gently supported my husband in ways that he needed as well. It was beautiful experience for the both of us. She was that voice of peace in the room reminding me of my strength and what we had been working towards to welcome our daughter and helping us navigate through important decisions. We never felt judged on any of our choices. And by the end of it, I surprised myself by having an unmedicated natural birth at the hospital. Truly, we would not have had such a smooth and positive experience if it wasn't for her. Following the birth we also requested postpartum support, which for our family looked like showing us how to do basic baby caring things that we've never experienced before (ie burping, soothing a baby to sleep, gas management, breastfeeding, changing diapers, how to bathe a baby), heart filling and educating conversation/debrief. And sometimes just watching the baby to give us some well-needed nap or a shower haha. There's so much more we can say.. but all in all we highly recommend Holly. Thank you Holly read more

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Holly is an absolute gem! We completely underestimated how important a doula would be in our pregnancy and natural birth journey. Her capable, calming presence during labor and birth was incredible; she was the sturdy and experienced person we needed to be there for us the entire time, especially since we did a natural birth with zero medical interventions. We are forever grateful to Holly for helping us navigate the turbulent weeks right after birth and providing the emotional support we so needed during the fragile time. Our birth experience would not have been as positive if not for Holly! read more

Some people walk into your life when you absolutely need them the most and it goes without saying, Holly will forever be part of our lives. Hiring Holly was the best decision we made in preparation for our little one's arrival. I sought out Doula support as a first time parent, wanting to learn more about how a birth & postpartum Doula works with expecting parents through the process. I had a huge variation in personality types, communication styles, and overall experience in the Doulas I connected with. Holly exceeded all of my expectations and made both me and my husband super comfortable from the start. She is kind, warm, nurturing, funny, and considerate of the individual you are. I often felt like she met us where we were at and I appreciated that so much as our journey evolved from pregnancy to delivery to postpartum. As most first time moms can relate to, I was anxious and constantly second-guessing how to be as prepared as possible for my little one to arrive. As my birth Doula, Holly met with us before the birth to discuss all the information we truly needed (there is so much info out there, she really helped us to focus on what was most important) and helped us to make the decisions that we were most comfortable with. She has SO much knowledge about the birthing journey, postpartum care, and how to navigate it all. Holly provided all the resources we could've asked for and was extremely responsive to any and all questions we had along the way. I experienced unexpected trauma during my delivery. Holly kept my husband, my mom, and me calm & supported which allowed me to focus on the 'here and now' in that moment and I was able to deliver my baby safely into this world. Holly stayed with me in the hospital for 20+ hours and saw us through the hardest thing I've ever done. After we got home from the hospital, Holly was also our postpartum Doula and was the greatest support ever during those crucial first weeks at home. There is so much you can't prepare yourself for that comes with the 4th trimester - anxiety, exhaustion, stress, even guilt and sadness. Having Holly's support through a text or a home visit kept my spirits high when I needed it the most and eased my worries when we were faced with a new first time situation that we weren't sure how to handle. She came and helped with the baby, meal prep, laundry, cleaning, and most importantly she cheered us on with true care and love. I've never felt so cared for by someone who I sought out for help. Holly not only made me feel this way but my husband and my mom both rave about her constantly and we consider her part of our family. It takes a village and we are so happy she is part of ours. I could write a book length review here so I will keep it to what you see above but if you have any questions or would like to hear about our experience before reaching out to her, please feel free to message me. read more

Beautiful Birth - Doulas Near Me - Lomita, California

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As a first time dad, working with Holly was a great experience that made the whole pregnancy and birth run more smoothly. During the months before the due date she provided helpful surveys that allowed her to give us relevant info and advice and explain our options. She was always supportive of our choices and aimed to provide all the info we needed without judgment. During labor/delivery, she was super helpful as a knowledgeable presence that provided support and brought calm to both me and my wife. She was great about helping advocate for my wife's needs with hospital staff and helping us with early milk expression and immediate post-partum support. Highly recommend! read more

Holly is a special personal with a special spirit. I feel blessed to have had the opportunity to work with her during the wild journey of my first pregnancy and birth. From day one she was attentive, kind, thorough and professional. Her services were priceless. Through her questionnaires and conversations pre-birth, she was able to get to know the real me and learn about what I needed for my birth plan. This knowledge was beautifully used on birth day to help me recover during periods of panic and to settle back into a place of strength and safety, which was noticed and appreciated by my husband and mom as well. Completely trusting her expertise and input when faced with big decisions allowed me to feel clear minded and confident in my choices. Knowing that my midwife (Julie Oats) and OBGYN (Dr Richie) had high praises for each other really helped boost my confidence in my birth team. Holly went above and beyond what I anticipated and expected from a doula. I honestly don't believe I could have made it through my 5 day labor with out her. I am forever grateful. read more

Beautiful Birth - Hospital, newborn - Doulas Near Me - Lomita, California

I had an initial call with Holly early on in my pregnancy and although my husband wasn't all that convinced that we needed a Doula (no one in either of our families had ever had one), he later told me "thank you, good job getting us to work with Holly, we couldn't have done it without her" and I 100% agree with him. See his review for Holly below under "Paul K." I knew that I only wanted my husband and my doula in my birth room with me, besides drs etc. And in my Doula, I wanted someone with experience, someone that would respect my wishes and boundaries, and someone that could help educate both me and my hubby about the process. This is exactly what I got with Holly. I also wanted an unmedicated vaginal birth. While working with Holly she was A.MAZING. We had a few sessions prior to our actual birth and she was great working with me and especially great putting my nervous hubby at ease. With her on our court we felt much more confident. I'll spare you the details of our long labor but here were our results- which I think speak for themselves: Results: Unmedicated vaginal birth (53 hour labor...yes, not common, and having Holly as our Doula made me feel less nervous about laboring for ~46 hrs at home) No epidural No IV Fluids No Pitocin (pre labor or post labor) Planned hospital birth I had an incredibly positive birth experience. I felt respected, listened to, supported, and loved. Holly had worked with the birth nurse too and they made a great team. Overall, I think our birth team was super solid! I feel incredibly lucky and blessed to have met Holly. We know this is a lifetime relationship. Thanks Holly, you're the best! read more

Beautiful Birth - Hubby, little Luna, and me! - Doulas Near Me - Lomita, California

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I contemplated on getting a doula for our second birth, our first doula moved to another state and I thought since its our second time we knew what to do. However, my husband insisted that we get a doula again so I reached out to Holly. After talking to her on the phone, I knew I wanted her in the delivery room. Holly is an amazing person, she has this peacefulness about her but also a fierce/strong energy that I knew if something were to happen, she would advocate for me. My goal was to have an unmedicated vaginal birth and I seriously couldn't have done it without her. My water broke at 3am and about 4 hours later my baby was born. It happened so fast and I was panicking but she kept me calm and guided me throughout the delivery, my first was induced so it was very different. I'm grateful Holly was there because my OB didn't make it in time. She also spoke up when the hospitalist and nurse did something they shouldn't have done. Thank you Holly!! read more

I can't imagine what my 4 days of labor and delivery would have been like without Holly. She helped me navigate difficult decisions, offered timely support throughout my whole pregnancy and truly was a huge support. She has so much experience and knowledge, she stays calm under pressure and is such an advocate for you in the hospital. I HIGHLY recommend hiring her. read more

Highly recommend Beautiful Birth to any couple wanting to have a natural birth. My wife and I are in Seoul, South Korea, so we signed up for the online course. Going through the videos and workbooks helped us tremendously. Holly's classes prepared us for a completely natural birth. Thank you Holly. -Tim and Hyeeun read more

My husband and I took Holly's online class in the 8th month of my pregnancy. What can I say? We're crammers LOL! First thing I'll mention is that we both commented about how much we enjoyed Holly's energy. The pacing was great, and we thought she seemed kind, funny, and very knowledgeable. Our initial birth plan was for a home birth, but after a PROM and extended time with no active labor in sight, we moved the party to the hospital. We felt calm and very prepared for the transfer, and I directly credit that to this class. Our birth went NOTHING like the base "plan" we had, but I was able to stay incredibly optimistic throughout and my husband and I were able to be the best advocates for my and baby's care. My husband was able to be the best labor partner - knew not to take anything personally (I wasn't too bad but man when I turned and saw him limply flapping a fan at me while I was pushing ), and KEPT TRYING if things weren't working. Last thing to mention is that I really appreciate that you can contact Holly directly to ask questions or get support. It was not something I expected, and I think it's such a nice personal touch which you don't often get in online courses. You can tell she genuinely wants you to have the birth you deserve. I would and have highly recommended this online class, and if we still lived in LA I would absolutely have signed up for in person (and would have also hired Holly as our doula!). Thanks Holly! read more

For all the Dad's out there; don't take another moment contemplating why you should work with a Doula and reach out to Holly. Holly was an incredible resource from start to finish. From helping weed through the myriad of opinions that exist on the internet, being a voice of confidence and reason as you second guess decisions, being an advocate for what you want and need, and a supper important safety net and resource / friend to call on during post-partum. Holly was an incredible resource for my wife, but I had no idea how helpful she would be for me as the Husband / Father. Having her support to take some of the burden off during labor, be a sounding board when Mom wasn't able to think straight, and using her experience to navigate the emotional components of the first weeks of parenthood was invaluable. Don't look any further and pick up the phone and call Holly; you will look back and say "I couldn't have done this without Holly" read more

I moved to LA during my first trimester and had to quickly look for a doula. I checked a local Facebook group and multiple people raved about Holly. I reached out to her and instantly knew that she was the perfect doula for me! She's responsive, compassionate, and very knowledgeable about anything pregnancy and birth. My main goal of having a doula was to support my husband and me during labor and birth, but Holly ended up doing much more than that. She helped me appreciate the importance of the postpartum healing period. I was skeptical of the confinement food that my mom insisted on providing me during the postpartum period. Holly provided a different perspective on confinement food which ultimately helped me appreciate my mom and my cultural background even more. Most of my focus was on the birthing process but the healing process is just as important. Although my husband is always supportive of my decisions, I still had to convince him that having a doula on our team was the right move. After meeting Holly, my husband told me that having Holly as our doula was the best decision that we made for the pregnancy. The information around pregnancy and childbirth is overwhelming. Holly helped us navigate through various obstacles and provided us with options that would have otherwise taken hours of research. Not only that, it was great to have someone with her level of experience in my support system. I'd text/call Holly with questions and she'd respond so quickly with resources. I know that my entire pregnancy, birth, and postpartum period would not have been as positive without Holly. Words cannot express the gratitude that I have for her. I highly recommend Holly for anyone considering a doula! read more

After several virtual interviews with doulas, my husband and I made the decision to hire Holly. Holly is kind, informative and helpful. She watched our daughter 1-2 times a week overnight (10pm-6am) and that worked out for us. I think 3+ times a week would be pretty standard especially during the first month, but since my husband and I both took time off, we didn't require anymore than that. These are the reasons why you should consider Holly if you decide to hire a doula: 1. She checks in on you randomly to see how you are doing 2. Writes everything she did and sends it via text or email 3. Cooks and bakes delicious food 4. Multitasks extremely well 5. Respectful of your culture 6. Supports how you want your infant to be raised Having a child is one of the most rewarding gifts, in my opinion. It really takes a village to raise one child and that village, if I may be so bold, is Holly! Definitely recommend! read more

We delivered our beautiful baby girl this past October and I seriously couldn't have done it without Holly. She is seriously and angel! This was our first baby so we wanted to be informed and wanted the support of someone professional. Holly and my husband were a great team and helped me through my birthing process. I am so grateful for Holly and would ask her to be my doula again for our next baby. Hire Holly! You won't regret it :) read more

This review is long overdue--Holly is an incredible doula and was so helpful to have by my side through my labor. I had an especially long labor and she was there cheering me along the whole time. Having that encouragement and expertise throughout my baby's birth was so important. Besides being a great doula she is an awesome human who really cares about others and puts them first. I highly recommend Holly to anyone considering a doula! read more

Holly is absolutely amazing! We took her online birth class and also hired her as our doula and we are so thankful we did! She supports all types of birth, but we desired to have a natural birth and we could not have done it without her! She did a very thorough job of preparing us and helping us to think through possible scenarios and desired outcomes, and provided a ton of literature to help us make informed decisions. She prepared my husband so well to help us navigate the hospital system in a way where we felt empowered and were able to make the best decisions for myself and our baby. On the day of my birth, she showed up at the hospital at exactly the perfect moment and was able to do some positioning work to help me progress when my labor had stagnated. Her experience and confidence made all the difference! We recommend Holly to anyone who is looking for that extra support in their birth team, but especially those who might be interested in attempting a natural childbirth but also feel a bit intimidated by it! She also did a took a ton of notes and photos (with our permission), which we are so so grateful for! read more

Its hard to capture the entirety of my experience in words here, or adequately express how incredible Holly really is and what she means to us. You can tell right away by the number of amazing reviews here, that she is special. If you want a birth doula, birth prep help and classes or postpartum doula care, look no further. Seriously. Holly helped me with the birth of all three of my children, and postpartum with my last one. I also took her birth prep classes before my first, which helped immensely. It's impossible to overstate how grateful we are for her, and how good she is at what she does. She is truly wonderful: very knowledgeable, empathetic, kind, experienced, easy to work with, encouraging, comforting and affirming. She is a great active listener and helps you navigate your way through things without any pressure or judgement. She cares about her clients deeply and it shows. I felt loved, supported, empowered and calm with her in the room. What an absolutely priceless gift, to have that for the most important moments of my life. She always came prepared, on time, is professional and always has what is needed on hand in her bag, at any moment. I started referring to her as the mary poppins of doulas, haha. I think of her often, send her pictures of my kids and consider her a forever friend. Thank you again Holly! read more

If there is one thing you need during pregnancy and birth it's Holly! I cannot recommend her enough, any chance I get I recommend her to friends. She was a great resource to me during pregnancy and for the birth of our first child. I had GD and was having a hard time navigating and Holly was there every step of the way. She provided unbelievable emotional support while I was trying to manage the GD and trying not to get induced. I wanted an unmedicated birth and Holly gave me the strength and support my husband and I needed to accomplish that goal. My water broke and I labored at home for 10 hours. Holly joined us at hour 7 - to give my husband a much needed break and help us gauge where we were in the labor process/ when to go to the hospital. We got to the hospital 10 CM dilated and pushed for 30 min and our beautiful baby was here! I was able to give birth unmedicated, side lying and wouldn't have had it any other way! The experience was amazing and Holly made sure I felt comfortable and empowered during the entire process. read more

during the initial call with Holly I knew she would be the perfect doula for us!! she was great!! gave us so much information and helped with any questions we had. I could not have gone through giving birth without Holly! can't recommend her enough!! read more

We hired Holly as our doula for my 2nd pregnancy and it was the best decision! Holly has been very responsive and thorough the entire time. She's very knowledgeable and provided a lot of helpful information that I didn't know the first time. During labor, Holly was by my side encouraging me and guiding me how to manage the pain. I couldn't imagine what I would do without her mental support. It was so great to have her as part of our journey! read more

Excellent overall. Holly really loves what she does. She is super informative and patient. My partner and I took her online course and loved it. We learned so much about how to prepare mentally,physically and emotionally for the arrival of our little one. I really enjoyed learning about the Bradley method. The way we were able to work as a team during my labor is unforgettable. We ended up needing more hands on guidance when I was in early labor and Holly didn't hesitate to come right over to the house. I will be forever grateful for Beautiful Birth and the helping hand of Holly. I am going to use her for all my pregnancies. read more

Holly is wonderful. She was so supportive and advocated for us during my labor. My husband really enjoyed the prep work she did with us before. She's been doing this for a long time and has great relationships with the hospitals and staff. We delivered during the delta spike and holly was great with accommodating and working with all the last minute policy changes the hospitals instilled. Would highly recommend her to be at your side during your special day. She also took photos which we wouldn't of captured otherwise. read more

I cannot recommend Holly highly enough! I truly could not have had the birth experience I wanted without her by my side. I am so grateful for her! We met Holly via FaceTime during COVID and knew right away that she was who we wanted with us through the brith of our first baby. We took her birth class and her doula services. Through the course, we learned and discussed what to expect with childbirth and the post-partum period, and discussed various options that are presented during the hospital and home processes so that we were well-informed to make decisions for our birth. We worked on relaxation techniques and physical maneuvers with your partner to help relieve labor pain. Wow, Holly has so much experience and knowledge!! By the end, my anxieties over childbirth had largely dissipated and I was excited for the big day (never thought I'd get to that point!). During my late pregnancy I had a couple of issues arise that Holly helped me navigate incredibly professionally and positively. Her vast experience and knowledge base was incredibly comforting during these two uncertain points in my pregnancy. We had two in person sessions with Holly before the birth where she got to know us, our preferences, and our families. She is absolutely wonderful. Kind, supportive, nonjudgmental. I felt confident that she would be a strong advocate for us through the birth experience. The "big day" arrived and we called Holly to let her know labor had begun. She was calm and guiding, and helped us adhere to our plan and labor at home as long as possible. My labor progressed rather quickly, and we met Holly at the hospital. By that time, I was already in transition, and felt like I couldn't get through it. Holly walked in, locked eyes with me, and told me that I could and I would birth my baby. With each contraction she coached me through, "mooing" right along with me. She reminded me of where I was in labor- the contractions were stacking because I was in transition; the contractions are spreading out because the baby is about to come. Holly also helped me navigate the hospital, including all of the people coming in the room, helped me focus on the task of childbirth rather than distracting from what was going on around me. My baby girl arrived in three contractions, I can't even say "pushes" because my body did all of the work for me. No labor is "easy," but I had a very smooth, unmedicated, natural childbirth - Exactly what I had wanted, because of my preparation with Holly prior and because of her close guidance during. She also took priceless photos that we will cherish always. Holly is truly expert at what she does. She is compassionate, professional, and a strong advocate for your birth preferences. She will also become your friend for life. I highly highly recommend her!!!! read more

Thank goodness I found Holly! My first birth I did not have doula ..I had no idea what I was missing!! It was a hard and long birth. This second time I was recommended to contact Holly. Yay! She was available! Holly is so sweet, strong, full of wisdom and a legend !!! Every time we met she was attentive to my first born..as a second time mama my biggest concern was that my first birth not feel left out during this season. Holly included her in our meet ups! During my birth Holly knew what to do to assist me, empower me and brought the energy I needed. She was so attentive and reassuring. My birth was half the time of the first and a few curved balls but I felt so supportive by Holly. It was a great experience! I would of been a mess if she wasn't there! If you want to have someone who is an expert, loves their passion and makes you feel loved, empowered and reassured, contact Holly!! Looking forward to working together for baby #3! read more

After talking with a few doulas, Holly was the only one who I connected with and felt totally comfortable with. We hired her to be our labor doula for our birth center birth. Her prenatal support provided me peace of mind and the day of support was such a blessing for both me and my husband. She came to our home while I was still laboring there and was spot on when it came to when we needed to head to the center. Once at the center her consistent, calm, and supportive presence was everything. She encouraged me and was a huge part of helping make my birth plan successful. My baby entered the canal but didn't progress much for about an hour. After watching me laboring, Holly suggested 3 positions to try in order to help her move down and progress. I trusted her and after doing the 3 positions my baby was crowning and came shortly after. There is no doubt in my mind that Holly saved me hours of labor and her support helped make my birth plan successful. I am so thankful she was part of my birth team. read more

Beautiful Birth - Doulas Near Me - Lomita, California

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Wow. It's been 7 months since the birth of my son (man time flys) and I'm just now getting around to writing this review (when people say babies take up all of your time, they aren't exaggerating). When my wife and I first found out that we were expecting, pretty quickly she knew that she wanted a doula. At the time, I had never even heard that word and as a husband who is worrying about things like how much it's going to cost to add this baby to my insurance and where I'm going to do work once we turn my office into a nursery, I thought this "doula" thing seemed pretty inconsequential with everything else we needed. In my man brain, I kinda felt like "the doula's just going to give us information that we've already read in books and I'm going to be there to advocate for you sooooo.....what do we need her for?". Now looking back at everything that happened, I want to go back in time and slap myself. Getting a doula (and specifically Holly) was one of the best decisions we made during our pregnancy and I honestly don't know what we would have done without her. You don't realize how much of a burden it takes off your shoulders to have someone on speed dial to answer any questions you think of about the birth and the timing of everything. On the day of our delivery, we had a really rough time. Long story short, we ended up being induced so that my wife's OB didn't miss her vacation, and because of the way things were handled at the hospital, when my son came into the world, there was no doctor in the room. This stress was almost too much to bear but Holly was a shoulder to cry on and her guidance was the only way we were able to deal with the incompetence of the hospital staff. Other than that, she also took tons of pictures and I was just able to focus on my wife. The pictures she took are priceless and I wouldn't have them if it wasn't for her. After the birth she continued to check in with us and Holly was much more of a friend rather than just some lady we paid for a service. I know this is a wordy review, but the short version is this GET A DOULA and if at all possible GET HOLLY. She truly is great. read more

I am so incredibly happy that we hired Holly to be our doula for the birth of our son, Connor, in April of this year. I would be delighted to have Holly attend any of my future births as well. In my third trimester, Holly regularly checked in with me via text message and helped me navigate through the intense feelings I was having after going past my due date. I kept her informed about my doctors appointments and she helped answer any and all questions I had while developing my birth plan. The night my water broke, I immediately got in contact with Holly. She, my husband and I reviewed our options for laboring at home vs in the hospital. Since there was meconium in my amniotic fluid, we decided to go to the hospital. Once we were admitted, Holly was able to join us in our delivery room. She was amazing. She suggested different positions for my contractions, explained or repeated what the nurses were telling us, checked in constantly with my husband, and held my hand tightly through contractions when my husband needed to sit down and have a break. She did so much more than just these things too! The nurse was having a hard time monitoring my son's heartbeat at times, and the doctor wanted to use internal fetal monitoring where they insert an electrode into the baby's head. If it weren't for all my preparation with Holly and her presence empowering me, I might not have denied the procedure. I'm so glad that I did! My son was perfectly healthy and so was I. Holly was with us at the hospital for over 8 hours, staying with us several hours after our son was born. She stayed and kept me company while my husband ran out to get us in n out. I am so glad she was there. For a month or so after giving birth, I struggled immensely with the hormone fluctuations and development of my new identity as a mom. I was struggling to build a connection with my son and was feeling super distant from my husband and family/friends. If it weren't for Holly, I would have gone to an even darker place. She checked in with me every few days - sometimes everyday - to give me words of encouragement and validate that the feelings I was having were things that she had felt as a mom, herself. I would recommend Holly 100 times over to be your doula! read more

I cannot say enough good things about Holly! She is simply amazing! My husband and I hired Holly as our doula for our first child in hopes that she could guide us through one of the most important times in our life. Well, she went above and beyond that for us! She was always a phone call/text message/email away answering any questions or concerns I had throughout my pregnancy. She provided us with all the resources we could possibly need on childbirth, breastfeeding, postpartum, you name it! Because of Holly we were able to have the exact birth experience we were hoping for and I am 100% positive we could not have done it without her. We will definitely be hiring her again for baby #2. Let's be honest, who doesn't want a kind, knowledgeable, positive, passionate loving woman during this monumental time in a woman's life? She is a true gem and we are SO happy to have found her! read more

Beautiful Birth - Doulas Near Me - Lomita, California

My wife and I had the opportunity to take this class after we were referred by her friend. To be honest, I did not want to take the class and thought we could get all our information through the internet but since my wife wanted to, I agreed. This class I have to admit was very informative and helped tremendously prepare us for this journey. Although there was so much to take in it gave us direction and how we wanted to approach the pregnancy. But the best decision we made throughout this whole journey was hiring Holly as our doula. Once again, after the class was over I didn't think we needed a doula now that we were trained and were aware of what to expect but since my wife felt more comfortable with her in our corner, I agreed. And boy were we glad we did it! Even though we were prepared through the classes, nothing prepares you for the fast pace and all the questions that come at you through the stressful situation. With Holly there she helped us focus on what was important and helped us stay calm. She was always there answering our many questions and walked us through the whole process and reassuring us that everything was fine when we had doubts. We are so thankful we made the decision to have her apart of this remarkable journey and recommend her to all of you out there! read more

My husband and I took Holly's online class and it was so helpful. With a busy schedule it was nice to have the online option. We loved the flexibility of being able to watch the classes at our convince. The way she filmed her class made us feel like we were there and she responded quickly to our questions. She shared her perspectives and experiences, but gave us lots of room to decide what's best for us. By the end of the class I felt more confident and knowledgeable. Thank you Holly for everything! read more

(Dad here) what an amazing experience! If could not have been any better with the help of Holly! She guided us through from the very start and was a great resource and friend for my wife throughout the entire pregnancy. And then came the labor where her help kicked into high gear and was incredible. We both agree that wouldn't have been able to do it without her. Highly recommend her services read more

How do I even begin to explain how grateful we are to have had Holly as our doula? I'm not sure I will ever be able to adequately describe my true feelings about her involvement in our pregnancy, labor and delivery, but I am sure going to try. This was our first pregnancy and we knew we wanted to have a natural birth but we knew it would be great to have help navigating the labor and the "usual" processes and interventions commonly used at the hospital. Holly was exactly what we were hoping for and so much more. We took her Bradley Method birthing classes so we could be as informed as possible and also get to know Holly before the big day. After the classes we felt confident that it was possible to have the natural birth we always wanted AND be able to work alongside the hospital staff. Holly answered many questions during my pregnancy and checked in on us often leading up to delivery. When my labor surprised us out of the blue and progressed MUCH more quickly than we ever could have anticipated, Holly was able to walk me through contractions over the phone and instantly bring her calming presence into my labor. She assured my husband and I that we needed to go with our gut, which meant going to the hospital after just a few hours of laboring at home. She met us there right as I was getting settled in my room, despite it being the middle of the night, and from that moment on she was able to help position me to relieve my back labor, which was seriously incredible. She talked me through every single contraction alongside the encouraging words from my husband. She somehow managed to wiggle a sheet that was wrapped around my back, hold up my leg, fan my face, and simultaneously wave peppermint essential oils under my nose for hours. I still can't figure out how she did it. She is seriously a rock star. The one thing I was worried about was that the hospital staff would be defensive and feel like we were stepping on toes by having a doula as part of our birth team, but it wasn't that way at all and it was a beautiful display of teamwork with Holly, my husband, the nurses, and my doctor all working side by side. I know this isn't always the case, but we were so blessed to be able to accomplish every single thing on our birth plan without any push back. I highly recommend inviting Holly to be a part of your team as she is highly professional, incredibly kind hearted, has such a wealth of knowledge, and she empowers you to research and make your OWN decisions rather than giving her personal opinion. She educates and helps guide you down the path of your choosing and always made sure that I was aware of what was going on in the hospital and confirmed with me before the doctor and nurses proceeded in any way. I know Holly is so humble she would never admit to this, but she truly was paramount in allowing me to have the birth I always imagined. We can never thank you enough Holly. read more

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After a not very positive first birth experience and being in a new city, I wanted to find a doula for my second birth experience who would help me navigate the delivery experience and the hospital. I am not a crunchy granola person gung-ho to have a natural birth; I knew I would be getting an epidural. Based on Holly's site, I knew she wouldn't judge my decision. I found Holly because the midwife I tried contacting three times never got back to me. Thank goodness! Holly immediately won me over by sheer span of communication: she texted, emailed, and maybe even called as soon as I reached out. I got caught in her friendly web! As soon as we spoke on the phone, we chatted as effortlessly as high schoolers: I knew I wanted her on our team. She was easy to get ahold of and she is real and personable, which helps! She offered me many things I didn't even know I needed: advice, support, the vaginal steaming chair (!?!?) to help position the baby optimally. I'm not a good initiator and she let us know when we were on her mind and offered to help whenever and however she could from massages to showing us positioning techniques. Holly asks a lot of good questions and doesn't presume to tell you the answer; she's a great listener. Her wealth of knowledge about not only birth but hospitals really made me feel like I had a strong ally; I felt empowered and I felt like I could ask for what I wanted and needed (sometimes you don't even know until someone helps you figure it out). I went in for an induction initially; after 50 hrs, it failed. I was so over being in the hospital and I wanted to go home not have a c section. I wouldn't have known that was an option if I hadn't talked to Holly. Though somewhat unusual but increasingly more common, the hospital let me go home after I rescheduled the induction. Fortunately my water broke a couple days later and I had the baby naturally. Holly worked seamlessly with the nursing staff and even quietly demonstrated techniques that worked when my contractions were too on top of each other. I got to a point of where they were preparing me for a c section because the baby's heart rate dropped too low, and she told me since he was stable we didn't need to make a decision right away. To me, that was a life lesson as I always feel like I just need things settled and need to make a decision. This time I just sat and waited after she cleared the room to give my husband and me a moment and eventually after the staff returned, someone just told me to start pushing. I avoided a c section twice!!! I'm so thankful for her coaching, as well as for the hospital team at PLCoM who absorbed and accepted her and let the mother lead as much as they can allow. We did have a slight misunderstanding about when she should come to the hospital mainly because I had just gotten my epidural and was feeling like nothing could go wrong and I also did not have a context or vocabulary to know how to measure the time to tell her when to come; she called my husband and got good info from him and showed up at the perfect time because apparently I was delusional in epidural fogland for an hour or two. Another reason I'm so glad we hired her is so that my husband felt extra support himself and had someone who could answer the questions he had and get advice. He had a person he could go to. That was critical in my mind. Holly gives of her time, self, and expertise so generously. I'm really thankful she was part of this experience. She was more affordable than I expected coming from Oakland, and she's worth every penny! read more