If I could give more than 5 stars I absolutely would!…read more I honestly don't even know where to start in this review, everything with Alia was amazing. From our initial consultation to determine if we were a good fit (we were a perfect match) to our birth planning sessions where Alia laid out all of my options and explained all of the medical jargon doctor's would be throwing at me throughout my pregnancy and birth to her home visits where she shared the amazing tools in her doula bag and showed my partner and I the various ways to cope with labor to checking in after each doctor's appointment and going over any fears and anxieties to coming to my house when my labor started. As far as the support during labor, Alia was outstanding. She kept me laughing between contractions, she could read my energy and would adjust her support based on how I was feeling. She answered all of my questions throughout the labor process (your body does so many new things) and kept me calm, cool, and collected throughout. With Alia's support I was able to have a positive experience that aligned with my birth plan and included all of the evidenced-based benefits of a doula: shorter labor !12 hours from the first contraction to delivery), fewer interventions (no induction, no C-section, no pain medicine), spontaneous vaginal delivery, and a positive feeling about childbirth. After I delivered Alia stayed, made sure the baby and I were fine, and took our first family photos! Also a few days after the baby came home Alia came to our house twice for the postpartum visits, checked in with me about my postpartum transition, had coffee with my mother and me, she felt like part of the family. I was unsure about if I needed a doula but after working with Alia, I know my pregnancy and especially my labor and delivery would not have been as smooth without her. I am so grateful for Alia and her role in helping me get my first baby earthside in the most positive experience possible. I will absolutely be reaching out to Alia for any future pregnancies. If you are looking for a doula that is educated, fun, committed to advocacy, nonjudgmental and determined to support the birth that YOU want, Alia is the way to go!

From the owner: "Most people want to hold the baby, I want to hold the mother." This perfectly describes my…read morephilosophy as a doula. Providing emotional, informational, and physical support to birthing people in order to help them feel empowered in their birth experience is my primary goal. If you are expecting in San Joaquin County and are looking to hire a doula, I'd love to meet with you.

I worked through the MBB course alongside my doulas during my most recent pregnancy. We met each…read moreweek to go over the chapters they assigned, and I am so grateful for the experience it provided. The education in this program made a huge impact on my birth experience, and the meeting helped my work through my previous birth traumas from my first borns birth. Because of the prep and education I received through MBB, I was able to have a redemptive, uncomplicated, successful unmedicated birth. The tools, mindset shifts, and practical knowledge I gained played a major role in my empowering experience and I'm beyond grateful for this course and the confidence it gave me. Shout out to Shiela, Sophia, Jamie, and Corrine for the great insight and support you gave me prior to labor. Brooke hung on the phone and advised us while I labored, and Kaitlyn met us at the hospital just in time for baby's delivery. I appreciated her knowledge and communication during the hospital chaos. 10/10 recommend EVERYONE works with a doula!! And, Modesto Birth & Beyond is a great choice if you're in their service areas.

I hired MBB for my second delivery. The biggest draw for me was that they can bill Kaiser directly!…read moreWith my insurance plan, that meant it was free for me! So wonderful to get this valuable prenatal education, labor and delivery support, and postpartum breastfeeding coaching. During delivery, my doula was Sophia. She was calm, knowledgeable, able to take photos and videos, and helped me communicate my wishes to the nurse and midwife. I feel very grateful to have gotten Sophia's in-person support and all the prenatal education from the larger team on weekly virtual calls, the videos, and the workbook. Definitely worth the time investment!

Munira took care of our son and was our night doula from the day he was born up to 8 weeks old…read more She took such great care of him and of us. Having her was such a game changer for our nights and a wonderful and comforting experience. Having the help at night meant we could show up as our best selves for our toddler and baby the next day. I can't recommend her enough!

Munira is a godsend for postpartum mothers. She helped us for four weeks in the first month with…read moreeach of our children. I've hired her again because she is simply the best! She is also an amazing human being. I enjoyed so many nights together chatting while I was breastfeeding or pumping. Munira feels like a mother for the new mother and has a plethora of knowledge in the field. I learned a lot from her in our time together and feel much more supported going into motherhood with #2. Can't believe we won't be working with her anymore because I will miss her a great deal. Do yourself a favor and hire Munira.

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.

DeAnna is amazing!!! She is very informative. She breaks down things so you can understands and…read moreuses visuals to help with comprehension. You feel so comfortable around her and she details the class to you and what you want to get out of it.

From the owner: Doulas have long been seen as for families who are planning a natural birth. In reality, doulas…read morehave an important role on your birth team no matter how you choose to birth your baby. Every baby, labor, and birthing woman is different and so are their needs. This baby is only born once and you will remember it forever. My hope for all my birth clients is that when they look back on the birth of their baby that it was incredible! That they felt supported, listened to, and confident in their decisions. I want that day to be amazing no matter what!

Sheila and Marji did a wonderful job. I asked for help to support me during my delivery, I was…read moreworried about being pushed into procedures and medications by the hospital. They stayed by my side the ENTIRE TIME I needed them. They helped me after 12 hours of labor decide the best corse for my delivery and I felt informed and not pushed. They helped me on my weak points by encouraging me and answering my questions when I needed it. I am so glad I wasn't alone with hospital staff and my loving husband. If your thinking about a doula and need your questions answered please call her. Both her and Marji are incredibly welcoming. You may be able to do it without help, but a strong hug and beautiful words of a supportive woman is honestly what EVERY woman delivering a baby should be entitled to and mandatory. Postpartum checkup allowed for some ahha moments that really helped us thrive. For some the price is a drop in the bucket, for some it's an investment. You genuinely will remember this moment a lifetime.

Wow what an awesome doula! I initially hired Sheila in hopes that she could help me along with my…read moreplan for a VBAC. Well... baby decided that she was going to stay breech so I was forced to schedule a repeat c-section. Throughout the whole pregnancy Sheila was so supportive, always checking in to see how I was doing. When we found out baby was breech she also was able to provide recommendations for a holistic approach to turn baby. Sheila was an amazing postpartum Doula. I have to admit my husband was a little apprehensive about the idea of a postpartum doula but, the morning she left he was asking when she could come back. If I could've afforded to have Sheila here every night for the first week I would have. Having Sheila was an essential piece of my recovery and she was an amazing resource for baby well. Although I am a veteran to breastfeeding I couldn't figure out why baby's latch was painful, Sheila was able to see something wasn't right and made a call to a lactation consultant. Baby was diagnosed with a tongue tie ( mind you I had seen 3 lactation consultants who had missed it ). Sheila genuinely cares about her moms and babies, and she loves what she does. Even weeks after having baby she still checks in periodically. I am so happy that I had the pleasure of working with her. Thank you for all your help Sheila!

Crystal is the doula you need around!!! She's kind, straight forward, honest and understanding!…read moreShe's very supportive of YOUR journey and what you make of it. She's quick with her products and valued my placenta as she encapsulated it. Something so special to me she also cherished, as she handles with care and made a beautiful keepsake ! So in love with the experience and recommend 10000%

CryCi The Doula was the perfect addition to my birthing team. From the moment I knew I was…read morepregnant, I knew I wanted a doula. I wanted someone that would be able to advocate for my husband and I during one of the most transformative times in our lives. CryCi was calm, patient, nurturing, and supportive throughout my pregnancy, delivery, and postpartum care. I also used CryCi's placenta encapsulation service. By far one of the best decisions. I believe the capsules truly made a difference in my physical and emotional healing after my c-section. I would highly recommend CryCi to any birthing person! Five stars for sure. You'll be in great hands.

Tara is simply the best! My delivery was an amazing life experience. She was attentive, gentle…read moreyet firm and made me feel as relaxed as someone can be during labor. We did almost all of my labor at home and she got me to the hospital in perfect time for the delivery. My request was to be 100% natural birth. She helped guide my pregnancy wishes to full fruition. Would I recommend her? Absolutely yes!

Tara is warm, comforting ,and knowledgeable. She is exactly the person you would want guiding you…read morethrough pregnancy and birth. Her care didn't stop after birth either , it extended far beyond that. When I was worried about my sons jaundice she accompanied me to the ER and waited with me for hours into the evening while his levels were checked. She was a true advocate for us in a place where it's easy to feel timid and pushed along. And even though his levels were fine , she taught me it was better to have peace of mind and okay to seek reassurance. I'll never forget her kindness .

Love Delta Health Care WIC! Excellent customer service! Also…read morethe staff are very friendly and professional.

From the owner: The mission of Delta Health Care is to promote health and wellness in our community and provide…read moreservices that support individuals and families of San Joaquin County in reaching their full health potential. We fulfill this mission by providing a variety of community services and programs. Our service delivery system includes WIC supplemental nutrition programs, breastfeeding promotion and support, community education and outreach, school-based health care for teens, and referrals to resources offered by our community-based partners. Our Vision is to be a health and wellness advocate and source of support for a community that believes in health and wellbeing for all its members. We envision an informed, proactive community where individuals and families have access to quality health services and wellness programs.

We truly cannot say enough amazing things about our doula, Cristina. Meeting her honestly felt like…read moreit was meant to happen. Before giving birth, we had been looking for a doula but were worried we wouldn't find the right person because Kaiser didn't have a large variety of doulas available. While we were at Kaiser for our hospital tour, we happened to meet Cristina in the waiting room. She started sharing her own birth experience with us and explaining what a doula does not only during labor, but throughout pregnancy and even after you bring your baby home. From that first conversation, we immediately felt comfortable with her and knew there was something special about her. Cristina became such an important part of our birth experience. Before labor, she helped us understand and put together our birth plan, showed us different stretches and techniques to prepare for labor, and connected us with resources available through Kaiser, including meal programs and information about breast pumps. When labor finally came, Cristina truly showed us how dedicated she is. We left our house around 2:00 a.m. because the contractions had become much stronger. When we arrived at the hospital, I was already 8 cm dilated. We immediately called Cristina, and even though it was around 3:00 in the morning, she was at the hospital within about 10 minutes, ready to support us. She stayed right by our side through everything. She helped with breathing techniques, pushing, positioning, and keeping us calm and comfortable during an extremely intense experience. She made sure the nurses understood our birth plan and advocated for everything that was important to us. We wanted a completely natural birth, had specific wishes regarding which vaccinations we wanted for our son, wanted delayed cord clamping, and did not want the vernix immediately wiped off our baby. Cristina made sure our voices were heard and our wishes were understood and respected. But what makes Cristina so special to us goes far beyond everything she did as our doula. Somewhere along this journey, she stopped feeling like just our doula and became family. We love and appreciate Cristina more than we could ever put into words. She was there for us during one of the biggest, most emotional, and most important moments of our lives. The love, care, support, and dedication she showed our family is something we will never forget. Our son, Atticus, now has an amazing Tía Cristina, and that is exactly how we see her as family. We feel incredibly blessed that a simple, unexpected conversation in a Kaiser waiting room brought someone into our lives who would become such an important part of our family's story. Cristina, thank you for being there for us, for advocating for us, for comforting us, for supporting us, and most importantly, for loving and caring for our family. You didn't just help us welcome our son into this world you became part of his life and part of our family. We couldn't recommend Cristina enough. If you're looking for someone who will truly care about you and your family, stand beside you through every moment, and treat your birth experience as something just as important to her as it is to you, Cristina is that person. We love you, Tía Cristina, and we will forever be grateful that life brought you into our family's lives. With love and appreciation, Juan, Mariela & Atticus

Omg where do I start. I barely met Cristina but she already felt super warm and easy to talk to!…read moreShes so accommodating. I got my placenta encapsulated and I'm so happy I did with HER! She was able to pick it up and drop it off and was there and communicated the whole way, especially since the hospital was telling us they couldn't provide a bucket and ice! Since I am not working and financially it's been hard for me to pay in full (took me some time) Christina was super understanding and supportive about it and gave me all the time I needed. She's awesome. Like I said, I'm glad I got to encounter this experience through her.