I sought help from Kelly as a last resort after a month of baby struggling to get back to birth…read moreweight. I was prescribed triple feeding which was totally unsustainable. She helped tremendously and gave us so much confidence as parents. She was so patient and knowledgeable, and professional. We got the latch down and were able to drop the triple feeding routine. Here we are almost a year later still nursing and growing right on track!

Kelly is the best lactation consultant any mama could ask for!!! A week into my breast feeding…read morejourney with my first baby I was ready to give up. (We saw a horrible lactation consultant at Kaiser who made me feel like I was starving my baby and tried to move us to formula immediately.) Thankfully we found Kelly on Yelp and she was able to see us the next day. She listened to my concerns/frustrations with breastfeeding, then watched me nurse my baby and gave such compassionate guidance. She gave me so much confidence!!! Fast forward to today, my baby girl is 9 months old and I am still exclusively breastfeeding!!! Breastfeeding is so much harder than anyone ever told me it was going to be. My recommendation for any first time mama would be to make an appointment with Kelly and get all the support you didn't even know you would need, it makes a world of a difference!

It's rare that I'd describe a retail store as "life changing" but this little shop was. In my raw,…read morepostpartum days after an emergency c section and a ten day stay in a hospital, I was breastfeeding and desperate for clothes I didn't feel terrible in and that I could breastfeed easily in. I stopped here and not only did they provide a cozy, private place for me to breastfeed with a helpful Breast Friend pillow, they also had changing tables and a scale for me to use, which brought me peace of mind. Then the nice young lady working there (after giving me space and privacy to nurse) helped me find nursing bras that I love (bravado, sadly being discontinued) and I even found some great nursing shirts that I wear every day. Please support this wonderful women owned shop!

Healthy Horizons is a great place to get lactation help and they have such cute clothing as well…read more.... have to remember to stop here for the next baby shower! I am writing this review because Sheila Janakos doesn't just help new parents in her store/lactation support center but she is also a generous soul who helps the community. I have been on the board of a nonprofit for 32 years now called Nursing Mothers Counsel which provides free lactation support via phone with volunteers trained in lactation and counseling support. We are a great back up source for parents who may not need the expert support that Sheila and her IBCLC staff provide, or who are in need of support after business hours. We are so grateful to Healthy Horizons for donating 4 Medela Symphony Pumps to NMC for use as grant rentals for low income families we serve. This substantial donation will certainly help many low income families in the Bay Area and Santa Cruz County. Sheila has remained an affiliate member of our small non-profit and supported NMC with donations throughout her many years associated with our organization. Thank you so much Sheila and Healthy Horizons for your generosity and support!

We had an outstanding experience with DOULAS by the BAY. They matched us with Mary Ann Cherie…read moreWolowski, who was with our family for the first eight weeks after our baby was born. She started right on the day after delivery while we were still at the hospital. This was incredibly helpful because it allowed my partner to focus on caring for our toddler while I recovered from my C-section and bonded with our newborn. Mary Ann was exceptional in every aspect of newborn and postpartum care. With her background as RN and an experienced nanny, she confidently took charge from day one. She handled everything--from swaddling and keeping the baby on a feeding schedule to making sure I stayed on track with pumping. She always had my pump parts cleaned, sterilized, and ready to use, which made those early weeks so much easier. She also gave me invaluable breastfeeding support. Thanks to her guidance, I established a full milk supply within just three days of my C-section, and I'm still successfully breastfeeding. She also referred us to an amazing lactation consultant who was an absolute game changer. Mary Ann was meticulous about everything baby-related and followed best practices in every detail. Her logging and tracking were incredibly thorough, giving us complete peace of mind. She was professional, respectful, organized, and kept everything spotless. The greatest gift she gave our family was rest. There were moments when it almost felt unreal how much recovery time my partner and I were able to get because we trusted her completely. She would even bring me a glass of iced water wherever I was--a small act of kindness that made a huge difference in my recovery. Because she took care of so much, I was able to focus on postpartum healing and even carve out time for simple self-care, like getting a haircut. Although her primary responsibility was caring for our newborn, she also formed a wonderful bond with our toddler and always made him feel included. She consistently went above and beyond by helping keep our home clean, making countless trips up and down the stairs without ever complaining, and never leaving before everything was tidied up--even if it meant staying a little past the end of her shift. We're incredibly grateful to Doulas by the Bay for matching us with someone who fit our family so perfectly. The agency made the process smooth, and Mary Ann exceeded every expectation we had. We wholeheartedly recommend Doulas by the Bay to any family looking for expert postpartum support. They gave us the gift of rest, confidence, and a much smoother transition into life as a family of four.

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).

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.

As a grandfather of five, I consistently choose your store for my daughter's baby needs. There are…read moremany reasons why we love this place. Gladys and Raven, two of your employees, are always incredibly informative and helpful when it comes to anything baby-related. We purchase all of our baby clothes and feeding supplies from your store. Additionally, your store is the only place around to get a hospital-grade breast pump. They even made sure to get me one on the 4th of July, when everyone else was closed and my daughter was in dire need. It's truly a hidden gem here in Menlo Park!

It wasn't clear to me from the website or Yelp reviews what this place was, but I saw it had open…read morehours, and I had questions about pumping (determining flange sizing), and an appointment nearby, so I decided to drop in and see if they could help. From what I can tell from my conversation with them and the interactions with other folks who came in the shop at the same time as me, this is primarily a breast pump rental place that also offers some classes, and lets you buy parts for the pumps they rent. It's not a general information center, which it kind of seemed like it was from the website and Yelp reviews. Don't come here if that's what you're looking for. I came in, and explained my concern about average flange sizes not fitting me, and they told me not to worry about it until I have birth, because I'd know what flange size to get then (because I would be pumping then). I explained that I wanted to figure this out beforehand, because it'll affect what pump I can get, and I wanted to see if I can get a Spectra. From what I can tell, this is a Medela shop. Because that's all that's on the walls, and once they found out that my work had a Medela pump, they insisted that I should also get a Medela pump, because they have flanges that work with everything, and I wouldn't have to get a second set for work (I already weighed the pros and cons, and I'm happy having a second set for work, but this didn't appear to phase them). They also said that I couldn't possibly know my flange size before I start pumping, and I shouldn't pump until after the baby is born. They didn't want to sell me flanges if I didn't know what size I was. Which was fine, I didn't want to buy flanges, I just wanted to find out what size flange I am. But they don't handle figuring out sizing. Afaict, you have to know your size before you come in here. My insurance covers a pump for me to own, but it can take a while to arrive, so I want to make sure I know my size before I order. I think that this is primarily a hospital-grade pump rental place, so it makes sense that they'd recommend I wait until after the baby is born, because then I can just rent from them. But that's not what I want to do. I've rated four stars because it was nice that the salewoman was willing to field my questions, though her advice ended up being "get a Medela pump, and/or take one of our breast pumping 101 classes, inconveniently scheduled in the middle of the week in the middle of the workday, less than perfect for working mothers." Minus one star because it wasn't really clear from their website or any other literature I found that this wasn't a "Walk-in community resources on pumping/breastfeeding " place. TBH, I'm not sure such a place exists, which is sad :/

Leah is all around an amazing doula to work with! She is knowledgeable, patient, calming, and…read moreoffers great advice to new parents during pregnancy, labor, and postpartum. I knew from the first introductory phone call with her that she was the perfect fit for my needs. My review will go into detail on my labor and delivery experience and how having Leah made all the difference. If you purchase the L&D inclusive package, Leah's prenatal lessons are split up into three sessions so that there is no information overload. Since my pregnancy occurred during a time when all prenatal classes were converted to virtual web based lessons (COVID concerns), having Leah come to our house and show us ball exercises and techniques in person was really helpful for both me and my husband. I went into early labor which lasted for almost a week (baby was late). It was very painful for me with an extremely itchy belly and contractions keeping me up at night. I was in tears at one point just wanting to go to the hospital, and it was helpful to call Leah to consult with her what I should do. She calmed me down, talked me through my options, understood (from my tone) my pain level, and offered positive encouragement to remind me not to give up. Eventually, I found out via a blood test that I had a liver bile complication (cholestasis) which required me to head to the hospital on short notice for an induction. Luckily Kaiser allowed two support people (protocol as of early December 2021), so when I went into active labor, Leah was allowed in the delivery room with me. Without prompting she started massaging my legs/neck/shoulders, tied back my hair, and put a towel on my forehead to help relax me. I chose to go with an epidural, so each time I needed to flip over (so that the medication doesn't pool on one side of your spinal cord), Leah would help adjust the peanut ball to be comfortable so that I could keep on laboring until it was time to push. At a critical point after two hours of pushing, the doctors told me I needed to make a choice between vacuum assist or a C Section, both of which were undesirable to me. There must have been 15 nurses and doctors swarming in my room all trying to talk to me at one time while I was trying to make a decision. Leah helped by offering a middle ground option for me to try pushing in different positions first because she sensed my hesitation to go forward with only those two options. In the very end, I still had to go with vacuum assist, but if not for the extra pushes in other positions, the vacuum attempts would have failed and I would have needed to go to the operating room. Without Leah advocating for us, my husband and I would have likely just listened to the doctor and I probably would have needed the C Section, so I'm very grateful Leah was there to intervene in a sensitive way that didn't undermine the doctors professional judgment. I also purchased postpartum visits from Leah and she is an absolute gem when it comes to being supportive of all the things a new mom is trying to figure out in the first month postpartum. She is like a baby whisperer, always knows how to calm down my newborn (he loves to fuss and cry when it's just my husband and I). I'm very grateful to her for helping with household chores, giving me time to take a nap, watching the baby, and even bringing us hot meals. She also showed us how to give infant massages and a mind-blowing way to change diapers with no hassle and no more messy blowouts. Please trust me when I say Leah is a superstar! You will not regret working with her.

Having Leah as our doula was one of the best decisions we made for the birth of our daughter. We…read moreweren't sure about having a doula at first, but we heard how beneficial they can be to your delivery and we wanted to learn more. Leah met us at our house for a consultation and a friendly chat. We knew immediately that she would be a great fit for our family. Leah helped us feel comfortable and she showed genuine interest in getting to know us and our expectations for the birth experience. She was warm and kind, but we could tell she would be able to stand up for us if necessary. We especially appreciated Leah's philosophy of healthy mom and healthy baby, whatever it takes. We knew she would be an advocate for our birth plan no matter what. Leah helped make our delivery more comfortable and calm. She provided guidance for my husband and encouragement for me. She came super prepared and stayed with me the entire time to make sure things went as smoothly as possible. She tirelessly supported me emotionally and physically through her words and massage throughout my labor. We were so pleased with our birth experience and we owe so much of that to Leah. After the big day, she came by a few times in order to check on us and show us how to use things like the breast pump and baby carriers (and also get baby cuddles). She's been available to help us with any questions we have had. It was so helpful to have her as a part of our team and we strongly recommend any nervous parents-to-be to think of including her in theirs. We would definitely ask for Leah's help again!

I recently had the pleasure of working with Rebecca as a lactation consultant, referred to me by my…read moremidwife. Rebecca made a fantastic first impression with her quick email replies. Maybe she could sense my desperation? Either way, we quickly set up an in-home visit (an invaluable bonus of not having to leave the house with a 2 week old baby). She not only had a very reasonable rate, but even offered a sliding scale. After struggling with breastfeeding in any and every way possible (latching, positioning, etc.), Rebecca's help was extremely welcomed. She was calm, confident, reassuring, caring and knowledgeable. We worked together for over 2 hours at that session, calling it quits at the baby's discretion. Although I don't have a "miracle worker" story about how everything was magically fixed and we lived happily ever after, I do have a happy ending the breastfeeding saga. It took a few more weeks (and a few more tricks) for me to really apply everything that Rebecca taught me in that session, but now my baby and I are pros, and I really do owe much of the success to Rebecca's help. I would highly recommend her services as a lactation consultant to anyone!

Rebecca Plum is an extremely talented, composed, and compassionate Midwife. I worked with Rebecca…read morewhile she was the primary Midwife for my doula clients, and from the very beginning I was impressed with the quality and the individually tailored care that she provided. I was first exposed to her work ethic and birth philosophy during our homebirth -team meeting. This is a time for everyone who is planning on attending the birth to gather and discuss the women's birth vision, discuss roles and prepare for various scenarios that might unfold. Rebecca smoothly moderated the session so that everyone knew what was expected of them which allowed us to all see ourselves as a team working to provide this couple with the love, respect and care that they deserved. What really stood out to me was Rebecca's deeply intuitive nature and her ability to address under currents and subtle signals, bring them into the conversation and positively harness all the unknowns and natural anxieties that can accompany birth. While being ever professional and remarkably prepared, she sparked an excitement in the air and made it down right fun. During the birth Rebecca continued to be the ever calm, smooth and joyful presence. As a doula, I have been a part of many birth teams and seen many provider's styles. Rebecca's style is at the core about trusting the birthing woman, the natural birth process, and giving the woman space to trust herself. She imbued the birth space with laughter and a true love for her work and the family that she served. It was contagious. Knowledge, experience, choice, and laughter- not a bad combination for a midwife!

Unable to answer basic questions regarding her work / how she helps clients during discovery call…read more Rudely cut the call when we sought clarification on the vague information provided. Given our experience, we're unable to believe the authenticity of the reviews seen on this page. Needless to say, would NOT recommend!

Prior to this experience, I did not know a doula was available to new expecting parents…read more Janae was well trained, professional and available to any questions we had. She provided continuous physical, emotional, and informational support to us before, during, and shortly after childbirth to ensure a safe, empowering experience. Janae offered comfort techniques, advocacy, and guidance, which was very important to us. Janae's services also included postpartum support. I highly recommend her services to new expecting parents. She brought me and my wife comfort, confidence, a safe place for birthing our beautiful daughter. We couldnt of had such a wonderful experience without her. We are so Grateful and thankful to of had her by our side. Thanks Janae, we adore you!!!

Christine is such a great doula and I highly recommend her…read more We hired Christine for the birth of our second child. I didn't have a doula for my first birth and I knew I wanted some support the second time around. Even though she was out of the country when we first contacted her, she was super responsive and was a great communicator throughout the entire process. Christine met us at our home to discuss the details, such as our birth plan and an overview of her services. She was very knowledgable and professional and helped with all of the birth related questions we had. She constantly checked in to see how I was feeling and eased my mind during the weeks before my labor. On the big day I kept her informed by text as to my progress. I wasn't convinced I was in true labor and didn't call her to join us until much later. When I knew we would be staying, my husband and I decided to have her join us when we were checked into a room (the triage space was so tiny there was barely any space for even my husband). Unfortunately it was such a busy night we ended up in triage for 5 hours! They kept telling us it would only be another 30 minutes...another hour, etc. as the time ticked away. By the time we did get a room and asked her to come, I got an epidural. She drove all the way to Alta Bates in the middle of the night. I think it was around 3 or 4am. When she arrived she took charge by calming me down, talking to the nurses, and answering questions the nurses would not explain. She massaged my hands and helped me turn from side to side/change positions. When it came to the pushing part she helped me gather my strength and even held my leg back as I pushed. After the birth she assisted with communicating our wishes like delayed cord cutting and immediate skin to skin contact, no eye medicine, etc. She stayed for several hours after helping me with breast feeding positions, my baby's latch, and getting me anything I needed (like water and food). Most importantly, my husband and I were able to bond with our baby together since Christine took care of everything we needed. During the weeks after the birth of my son she checked in with me many times. She sent me resources about breastfeeding and my local leche league meetings, and during my post partum meeting she even helped clean my house and do dishes. The birth of my son was so amazing and Christine was a huge part of that. I look forward to using her again for a third baby and highly recommend her to anyone looking for a birth coach!

I loved having Christine as my doula, she has been such blessing to our family…read more Like the other reviewers mentioned Christine met with my husband and I to review our birth plan. She informed us of what goes on during labor so that we could have a better understanding. I wanted a natural birth and Christine shared with us different techniques and positions that would help with that and we also got to practice some of them. She help my husband and I to come up with questions to ask for our hospital tour. Christine made herself available anytime I had questions or when I wanted to update her on how my pregnancy was going. She had laminated scripture cards that she let us borrow and my husband read those to me during the early stages of labor. When I was ready for Christine to come to the hospital she arrived quickly. Once there she was ready to help me get into a better position that would encourage labor to progress. When trying out the different techniques she would ask if I felt comfortable or if I wanted to try something else. She genuinely cared for how I felt. When my contractions were getting stronger she reminded me to breath, talked me through them, and held my hand, comforting me with the fact that each contraction would bringing me closer to seeing my precious baby. She again checked with me to see if I was ok with her talking and touching me or if I preferred her not to. I found her words comforting and focusing on her voice really helped me get through each contraction. My contractions got more intense and I felt that I couldn't continue, Christine reassured me that everything was progressing well and that I would soon see my baby. I was able to refocus and continue to have a natural birth. My baby's head came out without the nurses or dr present and Christine was calm and did a great job calling the nurses and dr in, since my husband was kind of in a panic mode and didn't know what to do. Once my baby was here I tried breastfeeding but was having trouble getting her to latch, Christine stayed to help me. She also visited me the next day to continue to help. Christine also provided resources and referrals which was very helpful. I highly recommend Christine to anyone looking for a doula. Christine listens to your needs and does her best to accommodate them, she provides great support and comfort. My husband and I are truly grateful for Christine.