Nora is truly an amazing and extraordinary person, words don't do it justice in what she did for us…read moreand our new addition to our family! Nora was very supportive from the very beginning. She gave us hope and confidence the we could experience this journey together with evidence based choices for our birth plan. We met several times up to the delivery and she was always respectful of our choices. She was willing to share her wealth of knowledge, explained the pros/cons and was never pushy on which options to choose. During delivery she was a caring guide always helping us anticipate what to expect next, and was gentle but firm with the hospital staff advocating for our wishes. Nora was there every second during the active labor and didn't leave our side until 2 am! We have no doubt that had it not been for Nora, the hospital would have pushed for a c-section sooner. Even after the natural birth, she followed up assisted us for 3 hours with the baby latch. We are forever grateful to Nora and her family for helping us through this journey SUCCESSFULLY!

Nora has a real gift in supporting birthing people. I am always struck by her kind demeanor, and…read moreher expert communication skills. On top of her doula skills, I'm impressed that she can also help families with their car seats, since she's certified to do so! I highly recommend Nora.

I went back and forth on whether to write this review. I am sure Ana intends well, but sadly we did…read morenot feel adequately supported by her as a doula. I felt like I should provide an alternative perspective for people who are reading these reviews and want to be fully informed in their decision on a doula. There were some things we really appreciated and that she did well, like the postpartum massage and the meal she cooked for us. But the birth experience itself fell far, far short of what we were expecting in terms of care-- I'd like to remain anonymous so I will not go into detail. The prenatal sessions just didn't vibe with us-- a lot of lecture, worksheets and homework that often felt overwhelming rather than supportive or client-directed. The postpartum sessions were shorter than promised and without many of the things she had told us she would do. It seems like Ana has supported others really well, but unfortunately that was not the case for us.

Ana was one of our greatest blessings in assisting with my very first birth. She brought wisdom,…read morepeace & support that allowed me to be confident in my birth choices and thereby allowing a beautiful, natural unmedicated birth. Once I became pregnant and knew we would be giving birth in a hospital, I was encouraged to seek out the support of a doula in hopes to have an unmedicated birth. Ana was everything I could have needed & wanted during my birth and even more, she helped me everything from the preparation to the labor to the birth and into postpartum and beyond which allowed me to have such an amazing experience. She came to our home 3 times before the birth, sat with my husband & I, unrushed and talked over ways we could best prepare and gave us resources if we wanted to further our knowledge - which I gladly did! She made herself available by phone and text whenever I called her, including middle of the night questions! It gave me peace of mind to know that she had been through this many times before and always guided me with comfort. During the birth, I honestly looked to her more than my own doctor. While she is not certified to give medical advice, I trusted her experience overseeing many other births and especially that she viewed birth as a *natural process* that women's bodies are designed for. I didn't even realize the transition my body would go through during the birth experience, and I'm so thankful we added a postpartum component to our package. Worth its weight in gold. Ana came to our home 3 more times after giving birth and brought us a nourishing meal each time, talked through any questions, including caring for our little one, yet truly gave me the attention I needed to facilitate my healing and recovery including the BEST massages I have ever had. I don't have enough space to write all the ways Ana made me feel special, cherished and empowered through my entire pregnancy and birth. I am so thankful to have had her wisdom and support and truly don't believe my birth experience would have been half as incredible if it wasn't for her.

Madrone - Monitrice package…read more We chose Madrone as our midwife because from the first time we met, they had a calming, safe presence that made us feel completely at ease with our upcoming birth. We chose the monitrice package because I wanted the reassurance a midwife could provide me with, and it was the absolute best decision. Having a Doula and midwife was the best of both worlds, we felt supported emotionally and had the hands on care from a midwife. This helped us realize our goals of laboring at home as long as possible, and having an unmedicated, natural birth at the hospital. I had my partner, mother and Madrone in the birth room, and Madrone balanced everyone out perfectly. They helped ensure each person had a place and space in my birth, all while taking photos to document it which I will treasure for the rest of time. Madrone was not only there for us during our birth, but before and after in such an impactful way. They helped us prepare before mentally and physically, helping us put together our birth plan and leading us through meditative breathing exercises. Madrone was also there after our birth, with several in person sessions as well as available for support along the way as we got settled in at home. It was so reassuring to have someone so knowledgable to ask questions as things came up - breastfeeding, diaper rash, eye boogers - Madrone had helpful information and answers to everything we asked them. Why we loved working with Madrone: - They are knowledgable and incredibly good at being a Doula and Midwife - They have a warmth and calming presence that always made us feel at ease and safe - They have a very balanced and practical approach to preparing, birth, and the postpartum. - They are respected by every birth worker I came in to contact with. Everyone loves Madrone! - They are humorous and full of so much bright energy, and that helped me through some of the most painful moments during birth. - They allowed me to confidently labor at home as long as possible, monitoring baby's heart rate while my contractions intensified - they cut out my stitches at three weeks when they were no longer serving me. Saving me an unnecessary visit to the doctor. Questions I asked Madrone that they were able to support and guide me through: - What are the pros/cons of the hep b shot? - I think my water just broke... does this look like amniotic fluid (photo of captured fluid in a jar sent... lol)? - How do we communicate to our family that we need them to get the Tdap and flue shots if they want to be around the baby? - Why does our baby have goop on his eyes? - I think my milk supply is too strong for baby to drink, what should I do? - I think my stitches fell out, what should I do? - Is the level of prolapse normal at 3 weeks? - How much should I be resting?

STOP. THIS IS IT. You can stop researching and interviewing doulas now because Mireille is THE…read moreBEST! We started looking for a doula at 6 weeks pregnant so we definitely had the time and energy to look for a doula and we are SO HAPPY we found Mireille. After she came to our home to chat with us, we knew she was the one! We found Mireille through our birthing class at Harmony. she had worked with our midwives, Lin and Maria (shoutout to BAM!) before and was familiar with El Camino Los Gatos so we knew she was perfect! Mireille helped us with our birth plan, eased any fears, and supported us to have a natural childbirth! We couldn't have done it without her. She was there from when we first called her all the way until baby was born, never leaving us :) The best part was she really supported my partner in being part of the birthing process. Will definitely come back to Mireille for our next birth :)

Maryssa has so much experience and is also such a caring, patient and intuitive person. I cannot…read moreimagine a better fit for someone looking for care.

Maryssa was our doula for the birth of our first daughter. I can't imagine doing our labor and…read morebirth again without her. She met with us a couple of times before our due date with resources and tools to help us. Not only did she provide me with laboring tools, she provided my fiancé with resources and tools. She made sure to make herself available for whatever happens a few weeks before the due date. My goal for this birth was to a have an unmedicated birth. She introduced me to hypnobirthing, which helped me achieve my goal of a natural and unmedicated birth. during the inrense inducation process, she was there with us and helped support me and my partner. It was really reassuring having an extra support person during the hardest thing I've ever done. We couldn't have done it without her. A couple of days after coming home, she came to our house to digest the labor and helped us out with breastfeeding tips. If you want an empathetic, empowering, and supportive doula, hire Maryssa. Shes knowledgeable and incredible. We love her.

This message is long overdue!…read more From the bottom of my heart, Thank YOU Kaye. Sessions with you opened my heart and mind and healed my whole being. Hypnotherapy sessions helped heal current past and current problems at the time. I still use your sessions when I am having a difficult moment, but overall my life has changed for the better with your help.

From the minute you walk into Kaye's office you are filled with a warm, secure feeling…read more Experiencing a hypnotherapy session with Kaye is like taking of journey of self-awareness and doors open which cause you to see solutions to issues that are bothering you. Kaye is very compassionate and spends time getting to know you and what you need before she starts the hypnosis. She has the ability to capture the best affirmations to begin your healing process and tailors the session to meet your needs. I can't say enough about Kaye and how much she has helped me with anxiety issues. I feel so fortunate that I have met her and consider her a real friend. She puts everything in perspective.

Initially, I was not sure if I wanted to hire a doula but I am certainly glad I did. I made an…read moreappointment in Katelyn's calendar to have an initial consultation over the phone to discuss what services she offers and how many prenatal and postpartum visits / hours are covered under insurance. She offered three prenatal sessions, one to get to know each other, one to go over the birth plan and one last visit before the due date for any last questions. I learned a lot from the birth plan session about what to expect at the hospital, various pain management options and important decisions to think about in advance of the delivery. I felt that interacting with Katelyn was effortless as she is very responsive to text messages if you have any questions along the way. My delivery was not what I expected. After heading to the hospital for triage at 39 weeks, I decided to move forward with an induction. Normally an induction takes anywhere between 12 to 36 hours, however, mine only took 7 hours. It was hard for me to convince the nurses at the hospital that I was in pain and things were progressing very quickly (unusual for a first time pregnancy). All in all, it went so fast that I ended up experiencing an unmedicated labor experience and didn't end up following my birth plan. Although Katelyn was not present prior to delivery, she did drive to the hospital as soon as she could and offered to support us as long as we'd like in the postpartum unit on both days after delivery. In terms of postpartum support, Katelyn was exceptional at caring for my newborn baby. She has a daughter of her own and is also a nanny to another family. I learned a lot about newborn care (giving a bath or using a baby wrap) from Katelyn; I felt she easily bonded with my daughter as her connection with infants felt very natural. If I end up having a second child, I would not hesitate to hire Katelyn again!

We hired Katelyn as our night doula.  Katelyn is very good at taking care of babies. She helped us…read morea lot in the first month postportum.  Our baby initially had some diaper rash and as new parent, we were worried about how to handle it. She quickly gave us really good advice of how to handle it. After that, our baby no longer had diaper rash! Another time our baby was not able to poop for two days and we were worried. She helped the baby with some movement and that night, the baby was able to poop!  Her experience of taking babies is exceptional!

Diana was our doula recently for the birth our first baby, and we had an excellent experience…read moreworking with her. She provided us with lots of information and encouragement both prior to and after our son's arrival. The prenatal visits took place in our home, and Diana really took time to get to know us, learn about our birth preferences in detail, and even practice some birthing techniques. In our case, the actual birth happened very fast, but Diana was able to meet us at the hospital and provide support during the most difficult part of the labor. The most important thing for us, though, was all the support she gave us in the postpartum period. I had a difficult healing process, and Diana was there for us through the whole thing, providing advice and resources during multiple home visits as well as by text and email. Diana always tailored her doula services to our specific situation and listened carefully to our needs. Throughout our work together, she was always friendly, professional, competent, and reliable. I would highly recommend her to any parents-to-be.

From the owner: I became certified as a birth & postpartum doula in Spring 2015 and was trained as a Lamaze…read moreInternational Childbirth Educator in July 2015.

By sheer luck, I happened upon Bay Area Doula Training on Google as I typed in key words I felt…read morepassionate about when wanting a slight career change: birth, holistic, acupuncture, comprehensive, compassionate. And I'm confident when I say, I don't feel my learning experience would have been half as good or all-encompassing with any other training company. The depth of skill Neri has as a doula is evident in all of her classes. She's passionate, knowledgeable, strong, and dedicated, to each students success in their new career. I felt supported and confident after each interaction. In this training, there's a sense of community, love, and openness to ask any questions you may have, in a very open-minded atmosphere. I was provided with hands-on training every class. I learned so much more about pregnancy (as I haven't been blessed with children yet) and women in general, through this class. The guest speakers for alternative thinking and healing was an extra bonus, but just part of her amazing program. The list of positives continues. I feel I could go on forever! I'm forever grateful to have been a part of this program. And I'd recommend it to anyone wanting to be a part of "healthy births on earth".

The Birth Coach Method was the perfect tool to answer my doula calling. Compared to other doula…read moreprograms, I think that the Birth Coach Method is extremely thorough and offers a lot of value. I enjoyed the good balance between the theoretical part and the practical sections. Neri delivers the right amount of information and all the examples she brings up kept me very interested. Also, I felt like I was studying with a friend thanks to her warm voice, her encouragements, and the added tips and tricks that she shares from her extensive experience. Now that I have started my birth coach practice, I came to realize how precious the coaching tools are. As a birth coach/doula, I often rely on them to get to know my clients better or to navigate through sensitive situations, whether it is during the prenatal sessions or during a birth. Beyond what is offered in the program, Neri's knowledge, kindness and availability made it so worth it. As I progressed through the program, I realized that this experience was so much more than just taking a class, to me it was a real-life transformative journey.

Kelly is awesome. She really is. I don't think you can say badass on Yelp but it is an apt word to…read moredescribe her. My wife and I both felt strongly about having a midwife that was compassionate but also assertive. We met with maybe 6 total midwives and Kelly was the only one who seemed extremely confident, not too lackadaisical, but also felt there was a right time to have humility and ask for help from elsewhere. This was the perfect balance for us. I believe my wife was one of Kelly's most difficult cases (sick both of her entire pregnancies 24/7), but Kelly went so far out of her way to help us and make us feel like we had support, I can't say enough about how much that means to us. And much as we had expected when hiring her, she was very helpful in seeking treatment for my wife's sickness and helping us navigate what could have been an otherwise very difficult path of doctors and specialists. Kelly is super energetic and fun, being that she has 3 kids of her own. She really has a great personality for her chosen profession. The only knock is that she did not laugh when I told her I was going to check the surf mid-labor. That was actually a very good joke.

Kelly was my midwife for the birth of my first child. I decided to switch to home birth halfway…read morethrough my pregnancy because of a past traumatic hospitalization; I hoped that being at home would prevent any unnecessary anxiety and fear during the delivery. I had initially been worried about the expense of a home birth because my insurance explicitly excludes them and we needed to pay out of pocket. It was a stretch for us, but we were able to make it work, and looking back on it all, it is literally the best money we've ever spent. We met with a few midwives in town and ultimately felt most at ease with Kelly. She is extremely competent and confident in her knowledge and skills, but also showed that she knows when to seek additional support or outside help. I trusted that I could relax and she would keep me safe and take action if necessary. Kelly guided me through pregnancy, birth, and breastfeeding complications later on, with the utmost grace, skill and respect. She answered any and all questions and was always up to date on the latest research and recommendations. She listened to my fears and made sure I was mentally prepared for the possibility of a hospital transfer. She is dedicated to the home birth community in Santa Cruz and even reached out to offer educational feedback to another local physician who expressed skepticism and negativity toward my decision to pursue a home birth. Kelly was a steady guide throughout my delivery and struck a balance between assisting when it was necessary and otherwise hanging back to allow me to trust my own body and the birth process. I experienced significant complications with breastfeeding in the days following the birth and Kelly held my hand through this too. She made sure we were connected to the necessary resources and a network of incredible mothers who shared donor milk while we figured out what to do long-term. We are forever grateful to Kelly!