How does anyone birth a child without taking Kelly's class?? In her empowering and grounded way,…read moreKelly would say you don't NEED the class, you will birth your baby no matter what! But let me tell you, I feel infinitely more confident and informed after taking this class, and much calmer about the process. I can't imagine heading into birth without the wisdom I gained. The content is so relevant, evidence-based, unbiased, captivating... the time flew by. Even my husband, who was a little skeptical heading into it, totally had his mind blown and is a much more informed partner about his role in labor. Kelly herself is a godsend. She has a wealth of knowledge on this complex topic and presents it in the most digestible way. She is a brilliant educator, not just a brilliant birth educator. I wish we all had a Kelly to teach us about this when we were children. Five stars does not do this justice. If you're on the fence about whether you need a birth class, just sign up. You, your partner, and your baby will all benefit tremendously.

I was anxious about taking a birthing class virtually, but Kelly really knocks it out of the park…read more She keeps the class small and conversational, covers a wide variety of topics, and ultimately helped me and my partner feel so much better prepared for the birth of our first baby. After class she sends out some great materials and reading to further prepare. Most of the class mentioned they were doing hospital births, so she was able to tailor her material to the experience we would be having at a hospital. Lots of time for questions and quality things to take away. Highly recommend!

I am so incredibly happy that Becca was our doula for our hospital birth. This was my first baby,…read moreand I knew that all I wanted was for the baby to be healthy and to avoid an emergency C-section if I could. We met with Becca and knew right away that she was the perfect person to help us in preparing for and giving birth. She immediately set us at ease by assuring us that the hospital we chose had an excellent Labor and Delivery team. She was 100% right about that, and everything else. She helped me trust myself and my body. I never thought I would have such an amazing and thoroughly happy birth experience. Becca really cares. It meant a lot to us that she also visited us after the birth to check in and provide some very welcome support. If we have another baby, we will definitely work with Becca, again!

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!

I have received multiple massages from Gracie during pregnancy and postpartum and they have all…read morebeen fabulous. Especially when I was 9 months pregnant, she did a fantastic job making sure I felt comfortable and helping relieving the physical pain of the third trimester. During postpartum, I have received a couple of massages for back pain related to breastfeeding and I always leave feeling rejuvenated and more aligned. Highly recommend

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.

Melanie is an amazing educator and I walked away feeling confident and prepared for the birth of…read moreour little girl. I'm really glad that we took Melanie's childbirth education course. Roy P. Sebastopol, CA

From the owner: Awakening Mothers Circles Childbirth Education…read moreBirth Doula Care Postpartum Doula Care Massage for Mothers Pre & Postnatal Yoga Birth Story Healing

Natalie is fantastic! So incredibly personable and professional. I can say with full confidence…read morethat working with her completely changed my pregnancy and labor/delivery experience with baby #4. Could not recommend enough.

I am so appreciative of Dr. Natalie. I am someone who has been active all my life and had a child…read morelater in life. (My child is 3) I started exercising again and everything hurt! I just couldn't get over the hump. It was injury after injury-- Neck pain, upper back then low back! I wasn't able to function. I spent a fortune on therapeutic massages (up to 3 times a week) and I was desperate. Dr. Natalie came up with a plan that included traditional physical therapy and pelvic floor PT. I am back to exercising again and even started running again. I haven't needed a therapeutic massage in months! Thank you again for changing my life.

Amber has a beautiful, gentle and calm presence and her time with us after the birth of our…read moredaughter was so very valuable. She came and supported us during my postpartum time, cooking delicious, nutritious meals. Making warm spiced chai, special teas and sweets for lactation. Her expert knowledge around birth, postpartum and hormone balancing is excellent. Combined with her gentle touch through abayanga massage, which was so very restorative for me, especially after I had quite significant blood loss during my birth. I felt totally held and nourished and couldn't recommend her highly enough for this incredibly tender time, she is a really special person. Thank you again Amber! X

My husband and I had a wonderful experience working with Alana Corrin through Healthy Mamas,…read moreHealthy Babies. First, learning about the services and speaking with Amber was great. She is highly organized and very responsive. I also loved the online mom support groups with different topics covered each week - these were so helpful! For the doula services, Alana was wonderful. She is very laid back and easy to talk to while also being super knowledgable and attentive. I wasn't sure if I was going to try to have a natural birth or get an epidural and I felt like Alana was ready to support me no matter what option I wound up choosing. Also, my husband tends to be very anxious around any medical or hospital setting so we weren't sure if he would be able to be with me for all of labor and delivery. Our meeting before birth was great because Alana was able to listen to his concerns and talk him through what L&D would be like so he wouldn't be so nervous. We only wound up being able to have one pre-birth meeting because my baby decided to show up 6.5 weeks early! Thankfully, Alana was able to meet us at the hospital within an hour of my husband calling her (around 3am??). My labor proceeded very quickly and we were both overwhelmed because we had not anticipated having our baby that early. Alana remained a calm and consistent presence throughout my labor and for a while after delivery after they took my baby to the NICU. She was also able to ask the nurses and doctors questions we had completely forgotten to ask and kept us up to date with everything that was happening. My husband wound up being able to stay for most of L&D and I think a lot of that has to do with Alana being there - we both felt fully supported the entire time. We had three post-partum sessions with Alana and they were also incredibly helpful. I would definitely recommend her to others and would love to work with her again if we wind up having another baby (hopefully closer to my due date next time, hehe)!

Linda helped us care for our newborn baby in the first few months after she was born. She's the…read morekind of person that put this neurotic first time mom at complete ease. When she first scooped up our daughter she immediately started talking to her, singing to her, playing with her and reading her stories. So many other care providers work hard to just keep a baby quiet but Linda works hard to make sure that your child is happy and constantly learning and growing. We were very sad to hear that she was leaving Austin. She left enormous shoes for us to fill.

Don't let Linda's bubbly personality make you think that she will be too much energy for you during…read morelabor. Linda is calm and quiet and encouraging and tuned in when she is working. She gets in the zone and knows exactly what you will need as a laboring mom. She will be present and responsive to your needs but not overbearing or taking center stage. She knows how to support the laboring mom and at the same time support those around you and teach your loved ones how to help you. Linda was my birth doula in July 2013 for the homebirth of my first baby. I don't know what I would've done without her. Even though I had midwives at home and my husband, the care she provided was essential. My husband is sensitive to my needs and caring but Linda was able to show my husband how to help me and support me more specifically. She did not steal the show, but was just present enough during the whole thing. I see pictures of my labor now and see Linda as an integral part of the process, even holding me up at times, yet she was never too much, never bossy, and was in fact a very calming presence. Linda has not given birth to a baby herself, but I see that as a strength to her work as a Doula. She doesn't have preconceived ideas about how your birth should go. She doesn't have her own experience to compare to yours. She has been to many births and knows the process well. She is very experienced and knowledgeable and when she assists birthing moms in the hospital the nurses and doctors trust her and love her help. She has a lot of helpful things to try to comfort and assist you during labor. She can use massage, essential oils, a labor ball, and many helpful position suggestions. There's this idea that in the hospital the nurses will be coaching and helping you through labor every step of the way...and there's this idea that at home, your midwives will be coaching you along. And while this is true to a small extent, it's not like the olden days and nurses and midwives aren't by your side like they used to be. Linda fills that role, though. She is the one who will hold your hand, massage your back, help you to focus your breath, encourage you, tell you that what you're going through is normal, and convince you that you are strong and that your body can do it! She's the one you want by your side even if you already have a wonderful support team of family, friends, and partner. I didn't know what to expect in giving birth for the first time and I wasn't sure if I really needed Linda, but now that I've gone through it, I would NEVER chose to give birth without her. She checks in frequently as you near your due date, she gives the best (and least intimidating) childbirth education ever, and after giving birth she gives excellent follow up care. She helped me to feel confident as a new mom, she assisted and supported me in breastfeeding. She's very knowledgeable in lactation support. And most of all, she helped me to feel like I could do this. I don't know of anyone who has used her services and ever regretted it. You want this girl!

We learned so much in the pre-work for Rachel's birthing class that we felt the need to consider…read morealtering our birth plan. Once we started Rachel's class, we actually did change our birth plan and never felt more confident in such a life-changing decision. Her guidance and the education we received EMPOWERED us to plan for an incredibly transformational birth experience with no interventions in the comfort of our own home. My husband and I grew closer and more aligned during the class and after, as we prepared to welcome our first child. The exercises she has you practice and the information she shares should be something every expecting couple goes through. Her audio tracks taught me what I needed and helped me before during and after birth. I was even lucky enough to attend one of her prenatal yoga classes which left me with a sense of calm and space in my belly (which is rare for a pregnant woman in her third trimester)! I highly recommend you make Rachel part of your birth team by signing up for one of her classes.

Video Birth Course Review-…read more My husband and I took the YES to Birth class virtually to prepare for the birth of our daughter. I wanted a natural/un-medicated hospital birth and this class prepared me to achieve that. If I could use one word to describe my birth, I would say it was: PERFECT. Every aspect of it felt so right, and I absolutely said YES to every moment of it. My husband and I used the tools learned in this course to relax, go with the direction of my baby and my body, and have a smooth, unmedicated, natural hospital delivery. Thanks to Rachel for helping us get there!

Doula Care Collective provides community for families. Whether you need birth support, postpartum…read morecare or go to one of their monthly educational gatherings you won't be disappointed. It takes a village! I highly recommend reaching out if you are looking for any of the above!