Shannon is everything we could have imagined for a doula--she is welcoming, warm, thoughtful, and…read morehas a lovely sense of humor! You get the whole package (and then some!) with her. As part of her doula services, she comes to your home for 3 prenatal visits, where you get the opportunity to try out practical exercises (from pregnancy massage techniques to pain alleviating exercises, talk through how your pregnancy is going individualizing our care and even review a manual binder that she provides for you. And of course, the main event, true labor and giving birth! Shannon has a way of just blending into your family during such an intense moment and your family's needs, stepping up and stepping down seamlessly, but always right there when we needed her. During labor/birth at the hospital, Shannon's belief and faith in me to surrender and brave through a natural birth never wavered. She really did it *all*--preparing bone broth for me to sip on in the midst of a contraction, acting as head cheerleader, setting the oxytocin mood in our delivery room with string lights, aromatherapy, and music. Oh, and not to mention, the hip squeezes and back rubs she provides in the most intense moments of labor. My husband and I had never been so impressed with a service before! Oh, I'm not done...she even did labor/birth photos for us, and a newborn session in our home two weeks postpartum. *cries happy tears* Thanks to Shannon, I experienced the most FUN and empowering birth. 12/10 recommend investing in her services!

For anyone seeking a birth doula, I wholeheartedly recommend Shannon. In our search, she stood out…read moreduring our initial meeting by not only trying to understand what we cared about but being able to reflect that understanding back at us with even more clarity. It was clear to us that Shannon's approach is personalized, recognizing that not every path to parenthood is the same. Having attended over 400 births, Shannon also brought a wealth of experience with her that shone through in her calming presence, well-balanced guidance, and the articulate birth plan she helped us craft. Her ability to address our worries without ever being dismissive, provide valuable advice at the right moment, and offer a diverse array of resources made our journey as first-time parents all the more enjoyable and helped us be prepared.

In brief: if you're fortunate enough to have the opportunity to work with Lidia, please don't…read morehesitate. She is an absolute treasure and the best investment you could make to support your growing family. Lidia was an incredible partner throughout our first 9 weeks of parenthood. We were completely clueless new parents when we arrived home with our baby girl- so sleep deprived and anxious that we were practically hallucinating. From night one, Lidia provided gentle support, non-judgmental expertise, and empathic care for our entire new family. After 9 weeks with Lidia, our baby had established healthy foundational sleep habits, we had grown more confident and knowledgeable about how to care for an infant, and Lidia truly felt like part of the family. We still rave about Lidia to all of our friends and miss her dearly. A few highlights worth noting: - Extremely professional: always arrived a few minutes early to debrief on the day and answer all of our questions. - Knowledgeable yet flexible: has a wealth of knowledge about infants but was never prescriptive or judgmental; offered insight in a gentle way while welcoming our needs and preferences. - Easy to be around: postpartum is a vulnerable time, but Lidia's calm demeanor made us all feel at ease (even with boobs out and bleary-eyed at 1am ) - Genuinely loves babies and has a knack for soothing them: we had complete confidence that our daughter would be cared for with love and skill whenever we handed her off to Lidia and face-planted into bed. As a sleep-deprived new parent, this feeling of relief was priceless.

Lidia was a lifesaver during our early weeks as new parents. She was only with our family for about…read morefive weeks but having her around was transformative for our daughter. She has a gentle, calm demeanor that instantly put us at ease. She has a wealth of knowledge and experience working with babies, and provided gentle guidance and advice throughout her time with us that was super helpful as first time parents. She has a magic touch and could soothe our daughter in no time at all even on her fussiest evenings. For the first four weeks, we couldn't put our daughter down - she'd only contact nap throughout the night which left us exhausted during the day. The first week Lidia started working with us, she noticed our daughter was showing signs of silent reflux, after which we were able to get her medication which made a huge difference in her comfort levels and ability to be put down. Lidia was instrumental in helping establish a solid sleep foundation for our daughter. By time Lidia left our family, our daughter was doing 5-6 hours stretches at night. We wouldn't hesitate to work with Lidia again.

Doula Jen is amazing!! I'm so grateful we had the opportunity to go through our second pregnancy…read moreand childbirth with her by our side. From our first meeting I felt at ease by Jen's calm presence and vast experience as both a doula and a nurse. (Coincidentally we learned Jen was a birth doula twice with our neighbors' kids too, and they assured us of their own positive experience.) My pregnancy took several unexpected twists and turns, and along the way there was no question too big or small for Jen, who'd patiently educate and encourage us to make our own informed decisions. A notable facet of my pregnancy was our baby's breech position the last month and half, when my husband and I decided to try turning him head-down through what felt like every method available. Jen provided vital support in this often stressful last stretch of pregnancy with recommendations, checkins, and referrals within the Golden Gate Doula community who could help (including a wonderful acupuncturist and chiropractor group). We went in twice for external cephalic versions (ECVs)-intensive attempts to turn baby that I felt better prepped for thanks to her guidance. She was even present for one of the procedures, during which I opted in to more intensive options I otherwise would have forgone in hopes of higher chances of success. Ultimately our little guy stayed in breech and we determined a planned C-section was safest. I was super nervous going into the surgery, and Jen helped us stay as grounded as possible by her comfort techniques, encouragement, and doses of humor at just the right moments. Her background as a UCSF pediatric nurse was especially beneficial to us as I gave birth to our son at UCSF Mission Bay, where Jen worked seamlessly with their systems and staff. I can't imagine our baby arriving as smoothly or free of complication as he did without Jen's expertise and magic touch. She's one of a kind, and we absolutely loved working with her!!

Jen Darwin is absolutely fabulous!! When putting together a labor and delivery checklist, make…read moresure it includes Jen - she deserves FIVE stars and more for how good she is at her job. The support that she gave to my husband and I during the birth of our second baby DURING COVID is unmatched and I can't thank her enough for the beautifully positive birth experience that we had. During our pregnancy, Jen provided my husband and I with the information that we needed to make informed decisions on where we were going to deliver (we switched from CPMC to UCSF at 37 weeks) and how I was going to manage my gestational diabetes. She put me in contact with other women who had GD, which was extremely helpful to understand how the care was being managed at the hospital with COVID. She also met us in person at our home to help prepare us with techniques and equipment to labor at home. When we arrived at the hospital, Jen met us in the parking lot and escorted us in. If you've ever met Jen, you know that her presence is enough to put you at ease and instantly make you feel comfortable and taken care of. With her background, she is extremely knowledgeable on hospital procedures and decision making and walked us through each step as we were being admitted to the hospital. We ended up delivering in triage because so many babies were being born that night, but we had one of the larger and more spacious rooms all due to Jen and her experience in knowing the hospital layout and in working with the UCSF staff. We also had an unmedicated birth, which would not have been possible had Jen not coached me through each stage and gave me the strength and confidence to keep going. My recovery was quick and easy due in large part to how Jen helped me to prepare before and during labor and delivery. If you are thinking about getting a doula, look no further - get on her schedule before she fills up!

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.

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!

I highly recommend Khatherine of Duyan Care! She was the first night doula we've ever worked with,…read moreand immediately put us at ease with her friendly, professional and knowledgeable demeanor. Khatherine took incredible care of our son for three weeks and also helped with breastfeeding tips as we'd been having a lot of trouble with our baby's latch; despite working with multiple lactation consultants, it wasn't until Khatherine observed and provided some helpful feedback that my latch drastically improved and pain subsided almost immediately. Khatherine was gentle and calm with our son, and treated our entire household with care and respect. She would wash our bottles, fold any laundry, leave our space tidy and provide in-depth notes on her night shift which provided invaluable information. It was evident she is passionate about her job and truly cares about the babies and families that she works with.

Michelle was my birth and evening postpartum doula for the birth of my daughter. Her nurturing wise…read morepresence eased both the UCSF L&D staff, my husband and myself during a most fantastic birthing experience. She knew when I may have pushed pain threshold too far and gently reminded me of alternative pain relief. Not to mention she used a technique called Spinning Babies to bring my daughter out of an awkward position. Once home, she kindly showed me changes in breastfeeding positions to diminish pain, cleaned dishes and watched the baby so I could take time alone. She held space for this incredible time and we love her like family.

As a first time Dad I was not the one doing the hard work, but for all the dad's out there, the…read morewhole process is not, I'll just say, the most straight forward for anyone involved. Going into the process there is so much unknown and so much that makes you unsure. The most important person to be comfortable in my situation was my wife. In order for her to be comfortable it was very important for me to be comfortable. I understand that having a doula is not necessary, but it sure did help me and my family. The preparation conversations we had made the experience digestible. The advocate we had in Michelle during the process was incredible. The support we had post-partum was so helpful. Michelle has done this so many times and is so familiar with everything going on. To have her on your team allows for everyone to be present and just helps so much. Technically: She knows her stuff. For instance, Michelle is trained in baby spinning and to the doctor's surprise we avoided a c-section at the final hour. It was nothing short of a miracle. Personally: Michelle is solid, levelheaded, caring, fun, patient, prepared and will advocate for you when you need it. She has a short questionnaire to get on the same page earlier on in the process and she stands by what you discuss. I can't recommend Michelle enough, and if you would like to discuss further please ask Michelle to put us in touch.

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!

I reached out to find a birth doula and the initial meeting giving an overview of how they work was…read moreclear and straightforward. Doulas through this company are employees (not independent providers) and they stress that this is really good for always having a backup. We were then matched with 2 doula candidates and the scheduling process was easy and professional. However, we ultimately felt that these candidates were not properly trained or vetted. We never received any materials such as CVs for the doulas. The first doula said right away that she had never been a birth doula before and we would be her first birth. Her only experience was that she had been a night doula before. I was shocked that she had never even shadowed another birth doula as part of her training as a company employee. Bless her heart for being honest, but I did not want to pay to be her guinea pig. After this, I requested an additional candidate, but I was told the other one should be great. The second doula was also not a good fit. She kept emphasizing that at previous births hospital staff did not believe she was a birth doula (and thought she was just a family friend). It became clear why. I asked about her qualifications and she said she's working on her bachelor's degree even though she already has a master's degree. I thought this was strange and asked some follow up questions and ultimately could not determine what degree she had (maybe an associate's degree) or didn't have (definitely did not already have a master's). I also asked some basic medical questions about pain control and epidurals and she was not able to answer them. Ultimately we were able to find a wonderful birth doula through another matching company - experienced and with a real master's degree (in public health).

Oh my god. Your search is over. Hire this amazing human being NOW…read more We hired Elizabeth for our first pregnancy and we regret nothing. We were already taking classes and knew I needed more support than just my already sleep deprived partner. She was phenomenal! Her calm, cool demeanor was something we needed when we didn't know what to do. I had BAD hip pain that I was having trouble managing on my own. After calling Elizabeth over, she knew exactly where to add pressure on my hips to relieve some of the pain before we hit the hospital. She suggested how to adjust the TENS unit patches to help manage such pain before heading over to the hospital. She even knudged when to go to the hospital. She was with us for all the decisions at the hospital (i.e. took the initiative to ask the anesthesiologist what to do when my epidural fell out. Originally the anesthesiologist gave us options but we wanted to know his recommendation). She even snapped the best birth photos! She kindly moved our stuff from the delivery room to the post partum unit. She truly listens to your concerns and wants the best for you and your family. I can sense the love and care from her. Elizabeth was wonderful and I truly believe with her help, we had a great delivery. Highly recommended :) Fyi Elizabeth had a similar structure to most Doulas in the area: 2 prenatal zoom visits, labor and delivery support, and 1 post natal visit.

Hiring a doula for one of the most intimate moments of your life is a hard task, and I couldn't be…read morehappier that I found doula Elizabeth. She brings years of birthing experience, so much knowledge, and a warm calm personality to the delivery room. Her prenatal visits helped calm any nerves I had, and she was so helpful in setting expectations and birth plans. During labor she was immensely helpful- suggesting positions, keeping me hydrated, a hand to hold, applying warm compresses, and checking in with the medical team. She always knew what to do! Her help also allowed my partner to be present in the birth experience by not having to worry as much as we welcomed our first baby. I hoped to have an intervention free birth in hospital, which isn't necessarily the easiest thing to have, and with doula Elizabeth's help I was able to achieve that. Welcoming my baby in a happy, calm, peaceful environment was such an amazingly wonderful experience. If you're looking for a wonderfully caring and super knowledgeable doula- look no further. Doula Elizabeth is amazing!