I reached out to a few doulas and felt an immediate connection with Alexis. From the first moment…read morewe spoke, she was so generous with her time and wisdom, as well as personal anecdotes to help me get a better sense of the types of scenarios we should be thinking through. She also helped me navigate the world of prenatal care - sharing the names of a wonderful birth class, prenatal masseuse and chiropractor that kept me in decent shape up until my birth. During labor, Alexis was a perfect partner to my husband and me. My labor was long, and having Alexis there with us meant that I always had a rested partner to help me through labor. She also helped us navigate the many decisions that inevitably arise during birth, and I can honestly say that while it didn't go according to "plan," it was one of the most beautiful moments of my life and I give Alexis so much credit for that. She's incredibly passionate about what she does and even after birth, was an incredible resource and partner to us in those early, uncertain weeks. We're lucky to have her in the Bay Area!

This is a long over due review. Alexis was my doula for the birth of my second son (7/24/14). My…read morehusband and I couldn't have done it without her. I contacted Alexis late into my pregnancy because I really wanted my second birth to be without an epidural. I didn't have the best experience with my first birth and I really wanted this time to be different. Alexis reassured me that this was a different birth and that my body was meant for this. From the moment I spoke to her I knew she was meant to be a doula. She is super calm and sweet and you can tell she loves what she does. We met shortly there after and I didn't have to interview anyone else (although I spoke to many over the phone). I wasn't too happy with my doctor at the time and Alexis not only knew who he was but helped me research other doctors and suggested many others to me.. She always responded to all of my silly questions and concerns and helped me come up with a birth plan. The day I went into labor I called Alexis and she gave me the option to come over or let me keep laboring on my own at home and meet me later. I felt calm and confident so I stayed in the tub and labored from home and stayed in touch with her. She could tell just by talking to me if I was close or not. When the time came I called Alexis and we met at the hospital. I can honestly say that thanks to Alexis I was able to have an un-medicated birth, my husband said it was the best money we have ever spent (and he was hesitant about getting a doula). Alexis helped me through the contractions and helped me remain calm. She even stayed long after to help in any way that she could. The only regret I have is that I didn't take any pictures with her that day.

We brought in Milan to help out with our 8 week old son; we needed help managing and improving on…read morehis daytime sleep, as well as a bit of a support on (and reprieve from) the demands of first time parenthood :) She was wonderful in so many ways. she took the approach of following our lead in terms of schedule and preferences with our son, since we'd been on our own in the daytime for 2 months by the time she came in, but she made suggestions and provided advice along the way that's proved very helpful without ever being overbearing. She has great instincts and is very knowledgeable, and for situations where she hadn't directly experienced something before, she tapped into her doula network to get advice and was ready to try a bunch of ideas until one stuck. A good example: my son randomly decided to start rejecting the bottle after having taken it since birth; we tried some things until it turned out to be that I couldn't be in the same room as him because of his preference for nursing. She's also so warm and thoughtful, and made an instant connection with my son (and with me!)

Milan was an absolute lifesaver when I came home from the hospital. We initially hadn't planned for…read morea postpartum day doula but I quickly realized that help during the day would be needed. From day one Milan gave me the confidence I needed to care for my newborn. She helped us with the first bath, made sure I stay hydrated and came up with ideas on how to get the baby to nap. She also brought her own wrap baby carrier. Thanks to her I was able to actually enjoy a long hot shower while the baby enjoyed contact naps. She also guided me through meditation when I was worried about my baby's weight gain. What I appreciated the most was her ability to get things done with little guidance, never making me feel like I'd need to find the energy to explain something to her. She prepared a sitz bath, helped me put the dishes and the laundry away or showed me how the Snoo works. Even though she isn't working with us anymore I still hear her reminders to stay hydrated while breastfeeding and to trust my instincts when I make a decision for the baby. Thank you, Milan!

Meleah is a rock star. It was wonderful having her support throughout pregnancy and the birth of…read moremy first baby. When the pain became intense during my contractions, I was so grateful to have her by my side (I'm not sure what I would have done without her!). During my hospital stay, she was very hands on and a great team player -- she was ready to help the nurses and do everything she could to make sure I was comfortable, being repositioned often, and getting the best care possible. Postpartum, she came to our home and helped us navigate the first few days of newborn life. She brought us snacks, made sure we were doing ok, answered questions, helped us figure out how to wear the baby carriers, and provided us with reassurance as new parents.

Hiring Meleah was one of the best decisions we made as first-time parents…read more She was an incredible resource throughout pregnancy, helping us prepare for labor, birth, and life with a newborn. When labor finally arrived, her support was invaluable. She brought a calm, reassuring presence, helped us navigate decisions, and was a tremendous advocate and source of encouragement during a long and emotional experience. Having her with us at the hospital made a world of difference. After our daughter was born, Meleah continued to be an amazing source of knowledge and support. Whether we were struggling with feeding challenges, babywearing (she wrote a book on it!), sleep deprivation, or just trying to figure out what was normal, she always helped us find a path forward and gave us confidence as new parents. Meleah combines deep expertise with genuine compassion, and it's obvious how much she cares about the families she works with. We are incredibly grateful for her guidance and would recommend her without hesitation to any expecting parents.

I cannot recommend Marilou at Doulas by the Bay highly enough. She was our postpartum night doula…read morefor the first few weeks after our son was born, and she was incredible. As new parents, the sleep deprivation is real, but knowing she was there allowed us to finally get the much-needed rest we required to function. Beyond just being a set of expert hands, she became a trusted guide for us and taught us invaluable newborn care tips that we still use daily. We trusted her implicitly with our baby from night one which was critical for us as anxious new parents. Marilou's calm, professional, and warm presence made us feel so at ease during a very vulnerable time. We truly loved our time with her and are so grateful for the care she provided. If you are looking for a doula who is knowledgeable, nurturing, and completely trustworthy, Marilou is amazing!

We had an incredible experience with Sally for our son from when he was 1-3 months. She was…read moreconsistently punctual, professional, and incredibly kind. Beyond just helping with night feeds, she took the initiative with bottles and laundry, which was a huge help to our family. We felt completely at ease knowing our little one was in such caring hands. In addition, she helped with sleep training. Additionally, the office staff was a pleasure to work with. They were extremely professional and maintained a quick turnaround time on all our requests and paperwork. We highly recommend this team for anyone looking for top-tier newborn care!

I found Amanda through my carrot care coordinator and she came highly recommended. She was…read moreresponsive, organized, and excellent to communicate with!

Amanda was an amazing night doula for us when our third baby came along. She is a great…read morecommunicator, trustworthy, flexible, and clearly very good at what she does! She listened to what I wanted and also made recommendations. She had our baby girl giving us 6-8 hour stretches of sleep by 5 weeks, something we never had with our first two! It was invaluable to have Amanda especially in the early weeks while I was recovering from childbirth, so I could nurse in bed and not have to diaper, swaddle, rock, etc. It was very comfortable to have Amanda in our home and I would highly recommend her!

As a new parent, the postpartum period is challenging enough without having to deal with the stress…read moreand disappointment of a difficult agency. While Stork and Sprout does have some excellent doulas on its team who provided great support and coaching, my experience with the agency's leadership was overwhelmingly negative. We had a particularly difficult time with Brittany. She demonstrated a pattern of manipulation, gaslighting, and lying, both to us and, from what I understand, to her own employees. Our contract promised consistent coverage, but the scheduling was erratic and communication was poor. We were left to wonder many nights if we would have support, and for several weeks, we only received 1 to 2 days of support instead of the 6 to 7 we paid for. When we requested a refund for the services not provided, Brittany refused and even fought our bank with out-of-context emails and more lies. She claims she "offered a refund" but is even today refusing to honor it as she says in the response. The lack of professionalism extended to some of the staff as well; one sick doula was sent to our home and intentionally caused our newborn physical pain. Brittany treated us like we were the difficult ones and responded with empathy-less chatGPT emails to manage the situation. We were also led to believe we would have one primary doula with a backup, but over the course of our service, we had seven different doulas come to our home. This complete lack of continuity made an already difficult period even more stressful. Based on my experience, I would advise new parents to skip Stork and Sprout and work directly with an independent doula. You will not only save the 30-40% extra fee the agency charges for scheduling, but you will also avoid the toxic and difficult management. This experience is unacceptable for a service that costs tens of thousands of dollars and demands payment upfront months ahead of providing the service. We were not able to switch easily due to the inflexible Carrot reimbursement process through the employer.

I truly couldn't have accomplished my VBAC goals without the incredible support of the Stork and…read moreSprout birth doula team. From the very first moment I needed them through labor and all the way until I was settled into the maternity floor with my new little boy, they were there every step of the way. Their calm presence, deep knowledge, encouragement, and advocacy made all the difference during such an intense and meaningful experience. I felt supported, empowered, and never alone. I am beyond grateful for their care and dedication and would wholeheartedly recommend Stork and Sprout to anyone preparing for birth--especially those pursuing a VBAC.

I could not imagine my first birth without Becca! From the very first phone call, I felt an instant…read moreconnection with her--she's such a kind, caring soul and a true expert in her field. One of the things that impressed me most was how seamlessly she read the dynamic between me and my husband. She always knew when to step in with support and when to step back and give us space. That balance was invaluable during such an emotional, vulnerable time. When my birth plan didn't go the way I had envisioned, Becca's expert advice and calm presence gave me so much security in the decisions I had to make. She helped me feel grounded, informed, and confident every step of the way and encouraged me to listen to my instinct and body. Another aspect of her support that you simply can't put a price on is how connected she is at Kaiser. She knew nearly every midwife and nurse, and because of her strong relationships there, I felt reassured that the care I was receiving was exactly what I needed. Her presence gave me an extra layer of trust in the whole process. Becca communicated beautifully, supported us with such compassion, and helped make my first birth experience one that I will cherish forever. I can't recommend her enough--if you're considering a doula, Becca is truly one of a kind! Thank you so much Becca!

Becca was a god send during the first couple of months as a first time mom. After a hard emergency…read morec-section she took care of me and my baby with love, compassion and care. I would absolutely recommend Becca. Becca, if you read this we miss you, and so does Hannah :)

11/10 highly recommend BAND and our night doula Margaret M!…read more BAND: We had a very positive experience using BAND. This was our first time looking for doulas and using BAND saved us time, energy, and anxiety. We provided our details and quickly got matched with vetted doulas. All in all, took us about 2 weeks from initial inquiry with BAND to signed contract. Our night doula: Margaret M helped us for 8 weeks, starting at just under 1 week old. After the first night, we knew we made the right decision for our family (second time parents with a 3yo). Margaret has a warm and calm presence and knows babies. We had forgotten things about the newborn stage but Margaret provided reassurance and shared her knowledge and encouragement. She was always on time, communicated well, recommended items and processes to improve baby's care and safety, helped mom with nursing sessions and later bottle feeding to extend mom's sleep, washed bottles and pump parts and even random dishes. She was flexible and worked with us, whatever came up. After 8 weeks, our baby is sleeping well at night. Mom and dad are well rested, allowing us to actually enjoy this precious time. Even our toddler would ask about Margaret on the nights she wasn't with us. We'll miss having her around! Thank you, Margaret!

We're so grateful for our amazing night doula, Aishling M. She was kind, calming, knowledgeable,…read moreand such a huge support during those exhausting newborn weeks. Knowing our baby was in such loving hands helped us actually rest. She cared for our baby with so much love and professionalism, we are endlessly grateful for her time with our family. We'd recommend her wholeheartedly to any family!

I wish that everyone has the privilege to feel the tenderness and warmth of Daniella's doula care…read more They held not only me and baby, in this tender time but our entire family, (our dog & cat included )! Always beautifying the space, helping to prepare nourishing food, making sure my water or tea was full, and bringing a playful & positive energy into our home! We contracted their services for support as I returned to work when our babe was around 6mo old. Although we were more fortified than the tender early postpartum days, the emotional landscape was challenging and Daniella was intuitive and attuned to helping us navigate this transition- offering time to check in on how me and my partner were emotionally, offering gentle suggestions to the ever changing baby/ new parenting landscape, and most of all tuning in to our daughter's cues to advocate for her needs. We knew we needed more than just "childcare" and felt so held and supported by Daniella through it all. We love our Tia Yella!

Daniella is a natural and talented postpartum doula who supported me and my husband with our first…read morenewborn baby when we had very little help our support due to the pandemic. Daniella brought an energy of care, focus, and structure to the chaotic and challenging time that is adjusting to life with an infant and recovering from birth. They taught us so much about what the body needs to heal, the optimal conditions for a baby to sleep and burp and rest, etc, and cooked me the most delicious and nourishing food that she would serve to me *in bed* usually with flowers on top. Any family is lucky to work with Daniella!