Jackie from Birth Realm is the worst. I tried to book a doula from her on several occasions and she…read morebooked the doula with other people out from under me both times without offering the professional courtesy of letting me know she wasn't holding the doula or that other people could book with her first or even that other people were interested. I had zero idea there was any sense of urgency whatsoever. I was pretty frustrated after the first time but gave it another shot given the good reviews. so then I was on a waiting list for several months and responded immediately to let her know I was interested but I had to wait till I was back in the country to chat with the doula. Again, nothing was said about other people waiting or that there was any urgency. Had I known there was some amount of urgency I would have scrambled to take a call during vacation in Japan. Anyway, I waited until after vacation. IMMEDIATELY after I chatted with the doula I sent Jackie an email to let her know I was interested and to please lock her in. But oh I guess that somehow the doula I just talked to was already booked and she no longer has any available. I have no idea why she even allowed that call to happen if the doula was already booked but she not only disrespected and wasted my time she clearly has no respect for the people who work for her as the doula's time was wasted too. At this point I'm glad it didn't work out as I have no desire to support a business who operates like this. Her prices are like 40-35% higher than everyone else's too but it clearly isn't merited. Pregnancy is already stressful enough, thanks Jackie for making this already hard time significantly worse.

Working with Birth Realm was incredible. We felt such immense support from Jackie and Sondra, and I…read morefelt at ease each night they came to care for our baby. We can't express enough gratitude for all their help!

I wish I found Amber earlier in my pregnancy . I wasn't sure if I actually wanted a doula at first,…read morebut looking back, hiring Amber was one of the best decisions we made--she is worth her weight in gold. She supported us through pregnancy, birth, and postpartum, and I'm so grateful we had her by our side. Amber helped me have the empowered, unmedicated birth I had hoped for. She respected and supported my decisions, helped translate what the doctors were saying, and brought a calming, compassionate energy that made me feel safe and confident in a medical setting. I especially appreciated how she also supported my husband--coaching him, guiding him, and giving him space to take breaks during labor, which made the experience better for both of us. One thing I didn't expect was how helpful the postpartum visits would be, but they ended up being incredibly valuable. Having someone to check in with, ask questions, and just talk through the ups and downs of new parenthood was such a gift. My husband was also unsure if we needed a doula, and now he agrees--it was worth it. If you're on the fence, trust that Amber is truly amazing, and you won't regret bringing her into your birth journey. If you're looking for a grounded, knowledgeable, and deeply caring doula, I can't recommend her highly enough.

It was tremendously helpful to have Amber during the post partum period. It was such a life saver…read moreafter my first pregnancy so I decided to hire her again! And honest to God I have no idea how I would have recovered without her help. Her food is deeply nourishing and delicious with so many new flavors and she customized her dishes according to what my body was ready for. Her soothing ahbyanga massage was perfect for the post partum time. It relaxed my nervous system and and left me feeling well taken cared of. I would absolutely recommend her as an essential piece in the healing process after child birth.

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.

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.

My partner and I participated in Kelly Gray's holistic childbirth class (5-hour version) about 6…read moreweeks before we delivered our first child. The class was conducted via Zoom due to the pandemic. I am so glad we chose to take this class, and I will always feel like Kelly was an important part of my labor and delivery experience. I'll go into more detail below, but I will briefly say that this course is incredible and I recommend taking it to everyone as an excellent way to prepare for bringing your child into the world. Prior to taking this holistic childbirth course, I had taken the childbirth class through my medical provider. Kelly's course left me feeling prepared, informed, and as ready as one can be in a way that my medical provider's course did not (in fact the Kaiser course only made me feel more anxious). Kelly covers very specific ways that you and your partner can support the childbirth process and explained the stages of labor and what signs indicate you are moving to an new stage. Kelly led discussions among the multiple couples participating in the course and helped us each to identify our own existing resources for managing stress and pain during labor. It was great to connect with other expecting parents since we have been so isolated during the pandemic. I truly feel like this course helped shape a very positive delivery for my child.

Tara (at Hello Sunshine Doula) is terrific. She was my birth doula in 2022 and worked with me…read morepostpartum as well. My husband and I are so grateful for Tara. She was there to prepare me for labor and was by my side during the delivery. The prenatal appointments helped my husband and me know what to expect and how to prepare best. I was especially appreciative of her explanations of the different options I would have when giving birth. She provided the knowledge for me to make those decisions and gave me total agency in figuring out how to make each decision (for example, did I want an epidural and/or what medical interventions were okay or not okay with me). I was then prepared during the birth when challenges arose to have a sense of what I wanted to do. During the labor, she helped create a more soothing environment (I chose a hospital birth). Tara also worked with us during daytime postpartum hours as we adjusted to caring for our newborn. Her postpartum care was excellent and supportive. She places no judgment on the parents. I could ask her anything about parenting and my postpartum recovery! Tara has a calming and caring presence. She loves babies and was so sweet and gentle with our newborn. We got great tips on caring for our little one. She supported us with guidance on a bedtime routine, bathing our son, nail trimming, ways to soothe our baby, infant massage, and more. She also had great ideas and referrals for me, as a new mom, to receive additional support as I transitioned to motherhood. I would 100% recommend working with Tara!

Tara is the best doula in Sonoma County. Every new mom would benefit from working with her. Tara is…read morea true professional. She is generous, intelligent, kind, reliable, and a wealth of knowledge, warmth, and practical help- before and after baby arrives! She is very approachable, trust worthy, and friendly. Also she helped me turn my baby when in hospital they were going to need to do a cesarean but she suggested me to use the lights, music, etc and turned the babies head in to the correct position(cephalic presentation) I feel so lucky to have had Tara work with me. Highly recommend!!

My husband and I loved working with Sophia. From the beginning, she helped us feel at ease and…read morealways had the most helpful stories/ information we needed to make important decisions. I appreciated Sophia's more "hands-off" approach and that she helped me feel empowered to listen to my own body and intuition. We felt extremely comfortable and safe having our baby at home and will miss seeing her so frequently!

No words can describe how honored and blessed my family was to have Sophia as our midwife duribg…read moreour prenatal/birth/postnatal care. She understands how to listen and nuture anyone whose been around western medicine/practices their whole life, like myself, and made us feel so comfortable during the whole process. Each visit was filled with love, time to answer our excitement and concerns since we were the first in our generation to consider/have a home birth. This experience I know my husband, now little 3 month old son, and I will cherish for the rest of our lives as I'm so thankful I found her and would recommend her in a heartbeat. She's very professional and loving at the same time including her Team Emma and Clover. Wow even more amazing to have them support her and they compliment one another yet they're so different in their own unique ways! They bring a calm ambience to wherever they go and when things needed medical attention (prenatal/birth/postnatal) I felt they did an amazing job and better than what any provider/clinic/hospital could've done. She also took amazing photos and videos during my birth and I have these for the rest of my life! I did the placenta encapsulation and tincture as this is something you can do and purchase and it was such a new idea I never thought of and I would do this and the whole process all over again! Her biller is on top of it if you end up using insurance and made the process smooth and in my eyes better than what providers offer. I feel like I gained a new perspective on homebirths/midwifery and also a new family with her Team. Do not miss out on this midwife gem team or in my light, my midwife goddess!

Aly is a peaceful and strong force, exactly the energy you want by your side during child birth. As…read morea first time mom I was nervous, uneducated and unsure what was best for me and baby. Aly put me at ease and guided me through the entire journey from pregnancy, child birth and postpartum. It is such an intimate time and I felt completely comfortable and supported every step of the way. Aly was by our side from laboring at home to the hospital birth. I don't know what me and my husband would have done without her. Eternally grateful for her wisdom, dedication and advocacy. Thank you Aly!!

I can highly recommend Aly as both a delivery AND postpartum doula!…read more Two of my friends had worked with Aly. One had her as their postpartum night doula, and the other to help with delivery. So I didn't think twice about hiring her, based on their recommendations. Our whole experience with her from start to finish was wonderful. To prep us for delivery, Aly shared some great resources and sat with us patiently and calmly asking questions, educating us about options, and helping us figure out what we wanted (which was a natural as possible and very intentional birth experience, but in a hospital setting). Aly arrived at the perfect time, right as things were ramping up, and coached me beautifully through the end of my delivery. After a few sleepless nights, we decided to bring her in for nighttime help 2x/week and her support helped us get through those first few weeks feeling pretty good! She is also a total sweetheart, thoughtful, warm, and just a joy to be around. Thank you again Aly!