Although the name "hypnobirthing" conjures up images of David Bowie from Labyrinth performing a freaky-mystical birth while looking into a crystal ball, I think a more accurate name might be "focusing your energy through breathing and concentration - birthing". My wife and I first met Julie as our hypnobirthing instructor and felt very comfortable with her and decided that she would be a perfect fit as our doula. We were looking for someone who was familiar with natural child birth but wasn't named "Rainbow" and lived in a VW bus. Julie is that perfect mix of knowledge, experience & assertiveness while still having a calming presence. We had a beautiful 100% natural birth and don't think we could have done it without the support of Julie. She exceeded our exceptations in every way. If you are looking to do the whole natural thing you should definitely give her a call. read more

This review is way over due but I have a 2 month old now so I am making time to express how amazing Julie is! Thank God for Yelp/Reviews! After reading all the wonderful reviews on Julie, my husband and I decided to hire her. Being first time parents, we knew we needed support and the moment we met Julie, we fell in love with her! Out of all of the Doulas that I reached out to, Julie was the only one who was very responsive, she makes you feel like you are her only client and this is very difficult to do. Julie met with us several times and explained in detail everything we needed to know, her recommendations, for example taking a birthing class was spot on and it really did help us understand the labor process in phases. Julie is extremely knowledgeable, warm, sincere, genuine and very straight forward. I had a hospital birth and she worked very well with the hospital staff, she always made me feel secure and calm. Unfortunately, I had to be induced at 41 wks & 4 days and during my early to mid labor period, Julie made sure I changed positions so that I could handle the surges better, she did an amazing job at helping me through each surge like the experienced professional that she is. After 13 hours on Pitocin, I decided to get an epidural, I was exhausted and soon after that my baby was not responding well to the surges so I had a c-section. We can't thank Julie enough for the tremendous support and beautiful pictures, we could have not done this without her, we absolutely recommend her! Thank you Julie for an amazing experience! We love you! read more

Well, it looks as though I will be the first Dad to write a review for Julie. What can I say... When my girlfriend first brought up the idea of hiring a doula I was a little bit hesitant. I had never heard of a doula and was cautious about bringing in someone we didn't know to share in such a personal experience. Once I met Julie for the first time those bits of hesitance went away. She made us both feel so comfortable with her caring personality as well as her experience and knowledge of Hypnobirthing. I can't reiterate enough how much of a LIFE SAVOR Julie was during labor. As a first time dad I would have had no idea what to say or do while she was going through her surges (contractions) even after taking all of the classes etc.. Not to mention that she was able to massage her the right way and in the right places, something I tried to do, but apparently was not very good at :) In short, for the expecting moms and dads out there... I could not imagine us going through labor without Julie there. She knew answers to questions I did not, she was able to massage her in places I was not hitting, she was able to remind her to keep breathing right and most importantly you could tell that Julie really cares about what she is doing. I should also mention that a few days after the birth, Julie stoped by the house and brought over some pictures she had taken durring labor and post labor. With everything that is going on you don't even think about taking pictures, but Julie does. She was able to capture memories we otherwise would not have had. She also brought us dinner :) We now consider her to be an extended part of our family and when we are ready to have our next child she will be one of the first people we call. If anyone is on the fence about hiring a doula (specifically Julie) feel free to aks her for my number and I would be happy to go over our experience in more detail. P.S. - My girlfriend has also used Julie for massages and while I have not gotten one yet I hear they are amazing! read more

Updating my review to include Julie's service for placenta encapsulation! I recently had my second child and had Julie encapsulate my placenta. She was an open ear to give advice when I was pregnant, and came to the hospital first thing after we delivered our son. She had our placenta pills returned to us in about 28 Hours and brought them back to the hospital. Julie is awesome and I'd highly recommend her!! read more

I am so glad that my husband and I chose to hire Julie Mitchell as our doula for our daughter's birth. Julie is incredible. She made us feel comfortable each step of the way. She was essential in helping to make our birth experience absolutely amazing. I knew that I wanted to hire a doula for the birth of our first child, but I waited until the very end to find someone. A friend of mine recommended Julie to us and I called her a couple of weeks before my daughter's birth on the whim that she may still be available. She was and encouraged us to meet for an interview. She came to our house and we instantly felt comfortable with her. I really like that she wasn't pushy and told us to think about our decision to hire her because it is a very personal experience and you need to feel comfortable with your doula. We met again a week before the birth and she prepared us with a wealth of information about labor, delivery and the postpartum experience. I felt comfortable calling her at any time, day or night, with questions or concerns, and she always answered my calls or texts. For medical reasons I had to be induced. This was not part of my birth plan, but we accepted that this was the best thing for the baby, and Julie helped prepare me for this change in plan. Fortunately for me my body was ready for the induction and labor came on naturally after cervical ripening, without the need for pitocin. Julie was instrumental in helping me to get through the tough parts of labor. She calmed, comforted and encouraged all at the right times. She lead me through breathing techniques and positions that had alluded me during the intensity of labor. She grabbed my hand or rubbed my back, or gave me the physical contact that felt right during that moment. She helped me to keep a positive mindset and stay focused on my end goal. The birth of my beautiful baby girl was the most incredible experience of my life. I am so glad that we chose Julie to assist us. She was an integral part of my birth story. I confidently and happily recommend her. Julie is not judgemental, and will support you with whatever decision you make during the process. Even the nurses at my delivery were impressed with Julie's knowledge and positive mindset. I really enjoyed getting together postpartum to discuss the birth with Julie. She wrote down important information about my labor and delivery that I had forgotten. She took photos and gave us our own c.d. of the images. Now I do not just consider Julie a doula, but a friend. read more

Julie gives such relaxing, soothing and healing massages! I always relax immediately when she gets started. She knows just what to do to help your body completely relax, let go of stress, and recover. She is very sweet, personable, and professional as well. She has become a friend, and I completely trust her with my body. She listens to whatever concerns you have about your body and then addresses them easily. She has a cute little office in hillcrest, but she also does house calls! :) I highly recommend her! :) read more

Julie is a wonderful massage therapist for both during and after pregnancy. She's massaged me a handful of times throughout both my pregnancies. Her studio is super private and peaceful. I love that she integrates pure essential oils in her session. In fact, she's the one who introduced me to using essential oils in my everyday life. I like firm massages and Julie really knows how to work those kinks out! She also offers a reward punch card which is nice. I think I need to book an appt soon just talking about all this! read more

We just finished a hypnobirthing class with Julie and it was wonderful! We learned so much and are grateful to have had her help in preparing for the big day. Would definitely recommend! read more

Julie was my Doula in the recent birth of my son. She was incredible!! She used her massage skills, as well as her indepth knowledge of HypnoBirthing to make my delivery a very special experience. My husband and I both feel we couldn't have done it without her. She seemed to always know the right thing to say and do, whether it be changing positions, offering encouragement, or supporting my husband in his role. julie is very professional, but also caring and warm. I also had a prenatal massage with Julie. I was about 37wks and just so uncomfortable and sore. Julie's massage was soothing and really helped alleviate the aches and pains I was feeling. I'm looking forward to my next massage! read more

If only I could give Julie 10 stars. She is really good!! Her studio space is really nice, clean...beautiful atmosphere.

My husband and I took Hypnobirthing classes with Julie and feel it was a tremendous investment towards preparing for the birth of our first baby. Since our work schedules were so hectic we took private classes with her and she was great about working with our schedules. Something that really sets Julie apart is how personable she is and the experience she's had teaching the course has enabled her to tailor the program to maximize the impact the course is intended to have for the parents she teaches. As a first time mom I was terrified of the whole birthing process when I first met Julie but by the end of our course I felt confident and relaxed going into the final days of my pregnancy and many of the exercises we learned really made my husband and I feel even closer. We were also able to apply several principals we learned during labor. I would definitely recommend Hypnobirthing with Julie to anyone looking to get the most out of the course. read more

Julie is the best massage therapist I've ever had the pleasure to see. She's amazing and every time I leave her office I feel 150% better than when I arrived. I suffer from chronic migraines and with the help of Julie's massages; I've been able to go for long periods of time with no pain. This is extremely important for me since my migraines are very disabling when they occur. Additionally, I'm able to call Julie at the last minute when the pain is bad and she always finds a way to fit me in. Her magic fingers do the rest. Thankfully, Julie is strong and very thorough. She never rushes through a massage and she makes me feel like family every time I walk in her office. I refer everyone I know to Julie because she truly is the greatest at what she does. Massage is the best way to relax, reduce stress and relieve the pain of my migraine headaches. I highly recommend Julie at Blissful Belly's. She's worth every cent. P.S. Her office is beautiful, very clean, warm and inviting. It's easy to find and parking is not a problem. read more

I hired Julie for prenatal massage and was not disappointed. She is a lovely person and was so attentive and caring. She is so easy to talk to and made me feel really comfortable. Lots of TLC and great technique. Thank you Julie! Get your belly in to see her! You won't regret it! read more

First things first Julie gets five stars. This review is way past due, but if you're reading it you're about to find out just how much work babies really are. Hence the delay in writing this. I contacted Julie in the middle of my pregnancy. I work at a popular birthing hospital and planned to deliver my baby there. I knew I wanted more than a standard hospital birth experience. Understanding that one intervention leads to another, I wanted to prepare for a birth with as little medical interventions as possible. I'm trying to get through this review without sharing my entire birth story on yelp. My water broke at home when I was 36 weeks +0 days. I was GBS unknown and not in labor, the perfect set up for a C-section. Luckily my labor progressed as the hours passed. It took about 24 hours from the time my water broke, until my son was born (not to scare you, but just because labor is long and hard, doesn't mean it's terribly painful and impossible), Julie was by my side the entire time. That's really the most important part of this review, she never left my side. She was with me through every contraction. She supported my husband. She supported the nurses. The doctors were happy to have her assistance . She made everything better. I am so grateful for her service. You would be lucky to have Julie as your Doula She's passionate about birth. My husband and I took her five-week childbirth class , which I also recommend. We got to know each other very well. She invested in me, emotionally and physically. She had my back the entire time. She knew I could do it, even when I wasn't sure I could. She was never scared. She politely and appropriately suggested alternatives to try, when my healthcare practitioners suggested medical interventions. My husband also felt that she was incredibly supportive for him. Having been through it, he absolutely wants her at our next birth. I would highly recommend Julie and her services, and plan to have her at my next birth. read more

I would thoroughly recommend Julie's prenatal massage. They are wonderful and relaxing. The massages packages are great value. Also, Julie is just a wonderfully sweet, caring, non-judgmental woman that is a joy to be around. Some people have calm and positive energy. She is certainly one of them. Most pregnant women need that! read more

Julie's Hypnobirthing course was super informative and helped us prepare for birthing our baby without fear. Great relaxation techniques and guided imagery. Comfortable studio where she held classes and provided snacks and tea/water. Julie is super sweet and wants the best for you and your growing family! Highly recommend! read more

My husband and I hired Julie to be our doula for the birth of our first baby. When looking for a doula, we interviewed a handful of doulas to find the one that we felt at ease and comfortable. What I liked about Julie at first was her promptness in responding to emails. Then when we met her, she immediately put me at ease and I just felt like she was an old friend visiting me. Before the birth, we met a couple of times as well. On the D day, she met us at the hospital and when she arrive, I immediately felt at ease and felt as if I was ready to have a baby. She was there to support me, to keep me hydrated, keep me focused, and also help my husband and my mom- who were worried the entire time. She took beautiful pictures of the birth and the baby and I am so glad she was there to capture the moments. I can definitely say that I was about to have a drug free natural birth- all thanks to Julie. I don't think I could have done it without her guidance. read more

I'm not a massage goer, at ALL!!! But boy did I need a good rub down as my pregnancy comes to an end, and I'm so glad I chose to visit Julie. For the first time in my life I'm excited to go back for another, and I sure hope that's soon. Having someone in my personal space isn't something I'm quick to accept, I was upfront and honest about that, and I she put me at ease right away! I got to relax and enjoy myself. Baby has been relaxed ever since I got home. I'm not stressing which means baby isn't stressing. Just a lovely experience, that I can't wait to recommend to everyone! read more

We loved Julie :) We did the hypnobirthing class. It was very informational about the birthing process, what to expect with my body changes and hospital routines, breathing and positions during labor, how to prepare for labor and birth and how to manage labor and birth pain! We feel a lot more confident going into our first babies birth that is due in two weeks! We now know we can handle a natural birth and it's what woman's bodies are made for! It will be a beautiful thing rather than a terrifying experience. :) Have to admit, some of the videos we watched are gross and awkward... We just aren't 100% hippy like Julie. Lol. read more

We took a hypnobirth refresher course with Julie and loved it. We birthed naturally last round with another method and after reading the hypnobirth book decided to work some of its philosophy in this time around. She was excellent in clarifying some of the things in the book I didn't understand, personalized our experience to our questions, and provided us with all the tools that the book referenced. Considering we've given birth before and have been practicing breathing/relaxation at home, we loved being able to skip the long weekly hypnobirth class (I'd recommend that for first time moms) and just get all the information locked down in a few hours. The setting was peaceful and inviting. read more

My first massage experience was definitely blissful! I had no idea what to expect but I was very comfortable with Julie. She's been giving me massages for the past two years and it's been heavenly! Easy to schedule appointments with her! The atmosphere is very calm, peaceful and serene just what you need to restore your soul after a stressful day! I highly recommend Julie as a massage therapist for anyone who wants to feel pampered and relaxed! read more

Great pregnancy massage!! Julie knows all the safe and comfortable positions for a pregnant woman's changing (and aching) body. Calm and relaxing studio. Highly recommended!! read more

Julie was our doula for the birth of our daughter and i just cant say enough wonderful things about her! Though she was new to being a doula, we were her 13th birth, her knowledge and confidence was that of someone with many years of experience. We had very much wanted a natural birth but due to issues beyond our control I ended up needing a c-section after 33 hours of labor. Julie's support throughout this experience helped me to feel that i had truly done all that i could to achieve a natural birth and she knew just what to say to keep me calm and relaxed through a difficult labor and the even more difficult decision to have a c-section. I had several family members besides my husband there during our labor and delivery and Julie worked so well with them as a team, they all loved her as much as we did! read more

My husband and I interviewed a total of 4 doulas before hiring Julie Mitchell for the birth of our son. None of the other ladies we interviewed made us feel as comfortable, at ease, and warm as Julie did. In fact, every time we saw Julie leading up to and after the birth of our son, I felt like I was seeing a long time, good friend again even though I'd only known her for several weeks. She has an amazing knack to make you feel happy and at ease around her, whether as your doula or as your massage therapist or as a Hypnobirthing instructor. I have had the pleasure of experiencing all of her services firsthand, and can honestly say that Julie Mitchell delivers really great service from the bottom of her heart. read more

Yesterday my son turned 1 month and I look back at the day of his birth and can't help but get emotional and feel grateful for Dawnell Jensen at Blissful Bellys. She agreed to be my doula and I am so thankful it was her. I went into labor on the late hours of april 10th and had my son 18 hours later. My goal was to try to have a natural birth with no drugs. I had a very easy pregnancy with no complications. This was my first pregnancy and I felt empowered and determined to trust my body. I can say truthfully that if it wasn't for Dawnell my birth story would have gone a c-section route easily. I went into back labor immediately when my contractions started and endured that pain for 18hours. Dawnell met my husband and I immediately at the hospital and started massaging my lower back and giving me emotional support to keep going. I pushed for over 4hours and wanted to give up so many times. Dawnell and my husband pushed me and gave me the strength I needed to continue and stick to my plan. My birth experience was mentally and physically exhausting but I look back today and am so thankful that my baby is healthy and I was able to stick to my plan and have a natural birth. My recovery has been quick and easy. Dawnell has already visited us to check in and recap the birth day. In my heart I know having a doula was the best decision I made during my pregnancy. I felt Dawnell was my advocate and gave me strength when I felt at my weakest. I'm thankful that she was by my side thru the most memorable day of my life. I would have paid a million dollars to have Dawnell be there with me! read more

I have been a client of Julies for over a year now. Her talent and passion for massage is what keeps me coming back. Julie has something about her that makes me feel so relaxed and in a whole another world when she is putting her magical touch on me. I tend to need extra care on my shoulders and wrists due to my job and what I really love about Julie is she gives me exact exercises and stretches to do at home to prevent me from injuries (only because I cant see her everyday, I wish I could). I always here about Julie going to training classes and taking the extra step to furthering her knowledge in her career. Which shows a lot of passion to me. She's got a cute space in hillcrest and flexible hours. I'll be a client for life! Thanks Julie! read more

I can't say enough great things about Julie and the services she has to offer. I first found her by booking a prenatal massage which was the best massage I can remember having (and I have gotten a lot) and then I instantly felt a great connection with her and felt like I had known her for years. She makes you feel so comfortable and you can just instantly feel that she is an old soul and great person. I found out she taught hypnobirthing classes and I was sold (mainly on her, but still hesitant about hypnobirthing). I had never really heard of this before and wasn't sure what to expect. I also knew that while I want to be as natural as possible in my birthing experience, I am open to taking modern medicine as well. Julie made me feel like no matter what I choose to do, it's the right choice and I really liked that. She's inspiring, hopeful, motivational, and understanding and her class was really such a great experience. My husband and I did it together and I will recommend it to every expecting couple I know! read more

My husband and I hired Julie as a doula, attended her HypnoBirthing class, as well as received one of her prenatal massages. The massage was a back and stress saver at 9 months and during the labor. And We honestly could not have the birth we're had without Julie and her guidance. I had intended for a natural birth at a hospital setting the whole time I was pregnant. My husband and I attended all the classes together and at first I was not a believer. Once I was in labor though, the excerises and the breathing all came back and i was glad to have something to concentrate on. Julie was amazing at keeping me on track the whole way and I ended up not having any drugs or major tears during the birth. Julie even took so many amazing pictures of our son's birth that we will cherish forever. If we do plan on having a 2nd child, Julie will be our doula again. We could not have done it without her. read more

My fiancé wanted to try hypnobirthing classes and I must admit I thought it would be a complete waste of time and money. It became very clear to me during our first class that I could not be more wrong. I am SO happy we decided to do Julie's hypnobirthing course! I'm attempting a VBAC after my first birth was a complete nightmare, ending in an emergency c-section. Before I took Julie's hypnobirthing course I knew I wanted an all natural birth but I did not believe I was capable of pulling it off. Julie prepared me and my fiancé for the birth of my son by helping us to approach it calmly and confidently. She gave us several tools such as different breathing techniques for each stage of labor, positions to relieve pain, as well as tools my fiancé can use to help w/ my progress and allow him to have a huge part in the birth of our son. I am due any day now and I could not be more ready or confident. Julie continues to guide us and answer our questions even after the course ended. I highly recommend Julie's hypnobirthing course!! read more

I highly recommend Julie for prenatal massage. She will help you find the optimal position for you and your baby according to the stage of your pregnancy and beyond. For a little added personal context: I was recently gifted a prenatal massage at one of San Diego's premier resorts...while the overall experience was great, there is no question that Julie's level of care and prenatal expertise out-shadows the top rated spa! Definitely give her a call! read more

The Hypnobirthing classes Julie teaches are awesome! She is very knowledgeable and personable which made for an incredibly educational yet relaxing, fun class. I highly recommend her classes for anyone who is considering natural childbirth. She and the method she teaches completely put my mind at ease and made me excited for labor instead of scared of it. I can't wait to welcome my baby girl into the world and I feel completely prepared to do so in a calm, stress free environment. I cannot say enough about how great Julie is- we were so lucky to find her! =) read more

We hired Julie to be our doula for the birth of our second child. We wanted a natural, non-medicated birth. We felt comfortable with Julie right away. She never had her own agenda of how things should go - she was completely supportive of our wishes while still providing valuable information to help us make decisions. One of the things we noticed about Julie is how unconcerned she was with things like what we do for a living or other less-relevant information. She was only concerned with helping us prepare for the birth of our daughter. Labor began on the morning of my due date and seemed to be progressing slowly at first but then began to move very quickly in the early afternoon. I called Julie at 2pm and said I thought she should come over. She arrived just before 3pm. My water had released minutes before Julie arrived and that caused things to progress extremely fast. We decided it was time to go to the hospital but our baby had other ideas. As we were headed to the car, we had to stop in the hallway. We realized that our daughter was going to be born at home. Julie remained calm and talked my husband through the process of receiving our child. She knew what to look for to make sure there were no major problems and reassured us along the way. Our daughter was born at 3:15pm, healthy and perfect. It was amazing! Not scary at all. We were so thankful to have Julie there. We drove ourselves to the hospital a short time later and Julie stayed with us until we were settled in. Julie also came to see us a few days later to visit and process the whole experience. She brought us a CD of the beautiful pictures she somehow remembered to take just after the birth. We would highly recommend Julie to anyone considering a doula! read more

I originally had some reservations about hiring a doula, but as a first-time mom, I really wanted experienced help to make this momentous event go as smoothly as possible and I'd heard great things about birthing with a doula. I interviewed 3 other doulas before Julie, and they all were lovely and seemed quite capable, but when my husband and I met Julie, we knew right away that her warm, calm and grounded personality and her extensive experience (at the time, she had attended more than 40 births) made her the right fit for us. So we hired Julie, and I am so, so glad we did! We met twice more before the birth and Julie did a great job of giving us a rundown of what to expect during labor and how to prepare for the kind of birth I wanted -- a drug-free Hypnobirth. My labor didn't go as we'd anticipated, however (so often the case, isn't it?) and I ended up getting Pitocin and, finally, an epidural. But Julie helped me understand my options throughout the process and make decisions that I ultimately was happy with. My labor was long -- 50 hours from water breaking to delivery -- and Julie had to go out of town about halfway through it (she'd advised me from the day I first contacted her that she would be traveling on this particular date), so I actually had both Julie and Dawnell Jensen, her backup, with me for about 9 hours of labor (see my review of Dawnell, who is also fantastic, under Bud to Blossom). Anticipating that she might have to miss the end of my labor and the actual birth, Julie made sure that the transition from her to Dawnell was completely smooth, and then stayed in close contact even as she was traveling. All in all, Julie made my difficult labor so much easier. She was an indispensable support, suggesting different positions to help ease labor pains and to get things moving when they were stalled, and at the various junctures enabling me to make decisions that were informed and that, looking back, I am confident were the right ones. I can recommend Julie without any reservations. She is wonderful at her job and both my husband and I were so thankful to have had her help, advice and support before and during the birth of our daughter. read more