We loved working with Ashley! She was so crucial in getting us, and especially me as a first time…read moremom, through the first six weeks postpartum. While we had contracted with her part-time for four weeks, we increased our number of sessions and length of time because she was such a lifeline. Ashley is incredibly trustworthy and diligent, with very high EQ and empathy. Adjusting to a newborn was very difficult for me, and she was there as a source of knowledge and a confidante, providing both emotional support and problem-solving on the many feeding issues I experienced. In addition to supporting me as a new mom, Ashley helped us learn the basics of newborn care -- how to bottle feed, change a diaper, give a bath, set up changing stations around the home. She helped us organize the nursery and find efficient ways to get things done. We were also quite careful with COVID and Ashley was especially cautious and respectful to ensure everyone's safety. I felt 100% confident in entrusting her with our newborn, and wholly supported as a new mom too. I'd recommend Ashley to anyone searching for a postpartum doula.

Ashley was a total lifesaver! We worked with her after having our second daughter two nights a week…read more+ 1 day and having her around was incredibly helpful and comforting. She was with us on our first night home from the hospital and I will never forget meeting her IRL for the first time that night... I was feeling very overwhelmed and hormonal and the second she arrived she gave me a hug as the tears streamed down my face. Her energy was so calming and supportive, I instantly felt better knowing she was there to help us. We looked forward to seeing Ashely each night she came and felt 100% comfortable having our tiny baby in her care. She was incredibly resourceful and texted us regularly to check-in. It was so nice to have her help on the day shifts as well - she would make sure I was well fed, and she confidently helped us navigate our baby's bottle refusal issues. My 3 year old daughter LOVED Ashley right away, and this is a kid who does not take to new people very well at all. Ashley has a very special spirit and I highly recommend hiring her as your postpartum doula. I would hire her again in a heart beat!

I'm sharing this because I wish I found someone like Casey sooner…read more I've had two sessions so far, and both were deeply personalized and exactly what I needed. In the first session, we revisited childhood memories and worked on rewriting the emotional experience I carried as a child, especially not being able to understand why my parents were busy and working (even though they were doing their best with what they knew). We ended with a chakra rebalancing meditation that helped my nervous system settle in a way I didn't expect. The second session focused on my recent grief and the patterns it has been triggering in my relationships. Casey guided me through an imagery meditation where I practiced giving myself the love, safety, and security I've been trying to find externally, and leaving the pain in the past where it belongs. It felt like emotional closure, but also like learning a new way to care for myself. Casey truly feels like a walking hug. She's present, loving, grounded, and radiant. I felt held the entire time, and I left feeling more supported than I've ever felt in a romantic relationship. The biggest gift is that she's helping me learn to provide that same compassion and safety to myself, and heal my codependency from the inside out. She has been one of the most profound people the universe has placed on my healing path. If you're considering working with her, I can't recommend her enough

Casey is something special. I've called on her when I needed help, processing and general guidance…read moreon what this big world is. She's not fluffy, she's not too ethereal, she's a modern woman's support system. She's kind and helpful and open. Each time I connect with Casey, I know it won't be the last. If you're on the fence, reach out and schedule time with her but I deeply suggest doing a natal chart reading to get your bearings. Thank you Casey!

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!

I reached out to Brilliant Births to find a birth doula. They offer a matching service and…read moreconnected me to 3 doulas who work independently (not employees of BB). We were really fortunate to find our birth doula (who we love!), but the other 2 candidates were not very impressive. The first doula missed our appointment with no follow-up communication. We were initially confused and thought she was the coordinator for BB, because she only communicated by text. The actual meeting was just by telephone so there was no face-to-face interaction, which felt strange. We could've easily FaceTimed or Zoomed. So communication and reliability were not great. The second doula abruptly canceled our half-hour appointment when we were 10 minutes late for a 30-minute appointment due to my husband wrapping up a Zoom meeting. During our appointment time, she was responding to my emails (in which I apologized for being late), but insisted she could no longer meet with us. I thought this was a really bad sign about what she would be like to work with - labor and delivery is rarely precisely timed and some flexibility is needed. In addition, her email said that she lives in Portola Valley, but we live Berkeley (also where Brilliant Births is located). This also struck me as strange, because it would take 1.5 hours for her to arrive to meet us at the hospital, which is not ideal.

Abbie was everything I was looking for in a doula: knowledgeable, responsive, and calm. My birth…read moredidn't go quite as planned and Abbie was there to help at every turn. As a first time mom, I was very happy to have a doula and I would recommend Abbie as your doula 100%.

Best Doula ever!! Sorry for such a late review... We were due with our second one in November. I…read morecontacted Abbie somewhere around July 2021. And she immediately replied back when I told her I really really really want to go for a VBAC after a very traumatic c-section with my first born. Abbie gave me the dates when she can come over to our house and discuss everything about our past birth experiences and future plans for this new birth and baby. VBAC was something I have been dreaming all these years as my c-section recovery was too much for my body and it didn't let me bond with my baby. I told abbie everything and she supported me and my decisions from the first day we met till the day we bid goodbyes to each other. She taught so many ways, exercises and labor positions to cope with everything related to birth especially a VBAC birth. She gave us so many resources about what to expect for our labor, birth, baby and even breastfeeding. The best part was that she was so accommodating and friendly that her presence never felt like a stranger or a new person, but rather it felt like I knew her for so long. We had to change the location of our birth in the last moment after my water broke, because the hospital we chose was over-booked, she never even flinched about that change and went ahead with whatever was needed in that moment because I felt that for her my needs and my mental health and support was most important in that moment. So if you want an experienced, patient, extremely supportive and gentle doula who will listen to you, suggest you what and how you can do things right and who is very resourceful, hire Abbie right away!!

Lisa has helped me tremendously. She provides relevant info to the specific problem. She helped…read moreme write a birthplan, which Kaiser sort of followed. Breastfeeding was a disaster, from my low milk supply, baby being tongue tied, mastitis, the wrong size flanges for the breast pump that Kaiser gave me. Lisa helped me with homeopathic remedies, support, and information about medications that others have found useful (she does not prescribe or give specific medication dosing advice for prescribed medications). I don't know that I will be able to breastfeed, but it isn't for lack of trying, and Lisa made me feel better, that I have done everything humanly possible and if I can't it's not because I didn't give it my all. I highly recommend using her service. She is responsive, kind, reassuring, and just a lovely person who wants you and your baby to be healthy and strong. She loves babies and respects mamas. What could be better?

If you are wanting to hire a doula or have extra support, definitely hire Lisa. When my husband…read moreand I found out we were pregnant, I knew I wanted to have a doula assist with the birth. I also knew that I wanted to have a natural birth and that doulas could be a great assistance in reaching this goal. I spent a lot of time emailing doulas, a lot of them. Lisa was only one of a couple I heard back from. She responded promptly and was willing to work around our busy/late night schedule to set up an interview. Once we interviewed, I knew that I wanted to hire her. My husband was more apprehensive and had difficulty spending the money when he felt he would be helpful and not need a doula. However, he knew how much it meant to me and went with it. Throughout the pregnancy, we received so much useful information from Lisa. Any questions I had, she was always available to answer them. Towards the end of my pregnancy I had high blood pressure and my doctor wanted to induce me because of concerns regarding my blood pressure. I knew that it would be very difficult to have a natural birth with being induced but felt confident that given the support, I would be able to do it. I ended up having three different types of inducement measures, cervidil, a balloon, and pitocin. My labor was incredibly difficult, with a recommendation of an epidural discussed twice and a c-section discussed once. Lisa saved me from having to have any of this done. She suggested two specific positions to utilize while having contractions that are never done in hospitals. My doctor worked with Lisa and was willing to have Lisa try them with me. These positions saved me from having a c-section and made my goal of having a natural birth possible. She was not only available and there for me during my pregnancy and labor & delivery but afterwards as well. I have asked so many questions regarding breastfeeding and other things and she has always been available for me. She responds promptly to me and is constantly checking in on me (my baby was born 8 days ago). I cannot say enough positive things about Lisa. Hire her as your doula, it will be the best decision you can make. Following the delivery, my somewhat skeptical husband prior to labor and delivery said that it was worth all of the money we spent. He said hiring Lisa was one of the best decisions we made during this process. That, to me, says it all. Hire Lisa.

I had a terrible experience with my first birth in the hospital with standard care. I wanted to be…read morein the care of someone that aligned with what I wanted and believed in. Angela, was wonderful, warm, welcoming and caring. She encouraged me and gave advice that was so helpful! I wouldn't be where I'm at in my mom journey without her! Every time I met Angela was important to me, it was like meeting with an old friend or sister. I was especially thankful for the advice for the breastfeeding book she recommended-that was life-changing. My time in the hospital visits were stressful and traumatic, so, the hands-on care that was provided was a breath of fresh air. I felt heard and seen. Even when I had to go to the hospital, Angela was an advocate by my side. Her advice and visits during the postpartum phase were wonderful as well. I felt like Angela took the time to care for me AND my baby. With midwifery care, the baby is a patient as well. There is less unnecessary poking and prodding and much more love and attention. With the standard care given by doctors, they are often cold and even demeaning. They look at things backwards and always act as if you or your baby is sick and dying until proven otherwise. I wasn't able to have a home birth, but still had a vbac in the hospital, I didn't give up and I found strength and resilience that I didn't have previously. I was able to really listen to my body and do what I and baby needed.

Angela was such a dream to have at our birth. She is knowledgeable in all areas and made us feel…read morefully confident and comfortable throughout the entire pregnancy and birth. She is thorough, patient and kind. We we're blessed to have her as our midwife. We couldn't recommend her more to anyone considering a homebirth. Best decision ever. Angela, thank you for everything!!!!

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.

Made an appointment, got multiple confirmation emails, including an hour before the appointment…read more She never showed. I also emailed her two days before to try to get a response since I assumed the confirmation emails might be automated. She never responded. Phone number listed on Kaiser goes straight to voicemail. Unprofessional - can't imagine trusting this person with anything

Davon is just the BEST person you could ever have as your Doula! My husband and I are extremely…read morehappy for choosing her and will definitely recommend her services for everyone we know. Since our first interview, we felt a deeply connection with her and we chose her because of her KNOWLEDGE, EXPERIENCE, NATURAL APPROACH to pregnancy and childbirth and, most importantly, because we just felt that she understood us and would support us in the way we needed. This is my second baby and I've had a very traumatic experience with my first kid birth, so I wanted to have someone by my side who I could trust and who would help me to trust myself and my body to have a positive birth experience. My husband was a little reluctant to hire a doula, but after meeting her he was already feeling supported and more confident in the birth process. During the pregnancy she was always making herself available for questions and/or concerns and sharing resources to help us navigate through the different stages of this process. She also has an amazing Childbirth Course, that helped us to prepare for the big day. During the prenatal visits, we had an amazing time together, just like friends hanging out. She would spend enough time talking to us about everything we needed; she was never rushing out and would listen to us carefully. Davon is so KIND and she made us feel so comfortable from the very start. She is also very knowledgeable and would help us with our questions, doubts and insecurities. The whole time she was showing her trust in me and my body to go through the birth. On the birth day, she was available right away when we contact her. She arrived at the Birth Center at the same time we did and was there for the whole time. We arrived there at 2am and my baby was born at 7:30am. She never left my side and stayed there until the first hours of postpartum were over, making sure we were both fine. During labor, she always knew what to do and what to say to help me cope. She had many comfort measures for me during my painful contractions. Although I was almost giving up and asking for medication, she never got discouraged or let me feel that I couldn't do it. Her positive affirmations, calmness and confidence were definitely the reason I was able to go all the way through with the unmedicated birth, even when I thought I couldn't do it anymore. I couldn't have done without her!!! She also has an amazing back up doula (Tanara), who we met virtually and then in person at our last prenatal appointment. This made us feel even more comfortable because we knew that if Davon couldn't make it to the big day for any reason, we still would have someone we trusted to support us over there. She also encapsulated my placenta. She took care of everything in the birth center and brought the capsules to my home on our postpartum appointment. She also made a cute keepsake out of my dehydrated cord, which was a special touch. Davon is like family to us know! We are extremely grateful that she came into our lives and will never forget this experience.

Deanna was not my doula; but I wanted a consultation with her to possibly become my doula. Her CV…read moreappeared impressive, an educator and DONA certified, which is why I emailed via Yelp and her website to set a consultation up....never received a reply. Ended up going with someone who was prompt and responsive. Expected more from a veteran doula.

When my husband and I were preparing for our first baby to be born, I knew I wanted to hire a doula…read morebecause I wanted to give birth naturally with no epidural or any other pain medications. We did our research and chose three doula services that we were interested in. After having multiple phone and in person meetings with all three, I knew Deanna was the right one for me. Meeting Deanna for the first time is like meeting a friend you haven't seen in a long time. She definitely gives you a sense of comfort. She's also very knowledgable and answered all of my husband's and I's questions we had about my pregnancy and prepared us for what to expect during labor and delivery. When that day finally came (about 2.5 weeks earlier than expected) Deanna and my husband were on it. Both of them worked so hard to make me feel comfortable. Deanna definitely helped my husband be more hands on during my labor which took over 24 hours. As much as I wanted to give birth vaginally, I eventually had to get a c-section after pushing for 6 hours and trying all the possible birthing positions Deanna recommended. I was also prepared going in to the operating room as Deanna also educated us about what would happen if I was to get a c-section. Deanna was by my side the whole time up until I had the c-section. When the nurses where not available Deanna was moving the bed to get me to a comfortable position and also helping me get to the bathroom. So if you're looking for a knowledgable doula with lots of experience and is hands on, I would definitely recommend Deanna.

Sheila and Marji did a wonderful job. I asked for help to support me during my delivery, I was…read moreworried about being pushed into procedures and medications by the hospital. They stayed by my side the ENTIRE TIME I needed them. They helped me after 12 hours of labor decide the best corse for my delivery and I felt informed and not pushed. They helped me on my weak points by encouraging me and answering my questions when I needed it. I am so glad I wasn't alone with hospital staff and my loving husband. If your thinking about a doula and need your questions answered please call her. Both her and Marji are incredibly welcoming. You may be able to do it without help, but a strong hug and beautiful words of a supportive woman is honestly what EVERY woman delivering a baby should be entitled to and mandatory. Postpartum checkup allowed for some ahha moments that really helped us thrive. For some the price is a drop in the bucket, for some it's an investment. You genuinely will remember this moment a lifetime.

Wow what an awesome doula! I initially hired Sheila in hopes that she could help me along with my…read moreplan for a VBAC. Well... baby decided that she was going to stay breech so I was forced to schedule a repeat c-section. Throughout the whole pregnancy Sheila was so supportive, always checking in to see how I was doing. When we found out baby was breech she also was able to provide recommendations for a holistic approach to turn baby. Sheila was an amazing postpartum Doula. I have to admit my husband was a little apprehensive about the idea of a postpartum doula but, the morning she left he was asking when she could come back. If I could've afforded to have Sheila here every night for the first week I would have. Having Sheila was an essential piece of my recovery and she was an amazing resource for baby well. Although I am a veteran to breastfeeding I couldn't figure out why baby's latch was painful, Sheila was able to see something wasn't right and made a call to a lactation consultant. Baby was diagnosed with a tongue tie ( mind you I had seen 3 lactation consultants who had missed it ). Sheila genuinely cares about her moms and babies, and she loves what she does. Even weeks after having baby she still checks in periodically. I am so happy that I had the pleasure of working with her. Thank you for all your help Sheila!