Carolina is the BEST EVER!! Extremely grateful to her for giving me support during postpartum. We (…read moreme and my baby ) go to her mommy and baby yoga and we love it. Even though my baby is crawling now, Carolina encourages us to attend her sessions. She is extremely attentive to both mine and my baby's needs. My little one loves her and feels extremely calm in her sessions. Her wisdom and advice has helped me recover from postpartum issues. She's prompt to respond to questions and has high quality resources to offer. Highly recommend. Grateful to her for everything she has been doing for us.

This would have been 5 stars based on the breastfeeding class I attended. I was reluctant to even…read morego to any breastfeeding class because it was important to me to not be attached to the idea of breastfeeding, and I was worried I'd be beaten over the head with how important it is and set myself up for mom guilt if it didn't work out. Quite the contrary, the speaker was really approachable and practical. She talked through just about every scenario and offered a really great mindset - feed as much breastmilk as you can whenever you can, and it's totally OK to make up the difference with formula. Unfortunately, the baby care class dropped this down to 4 stars. It was borderline a waste of time. The instructor was scattered and not very helpful. Lots of tech challenges. Not much help in the way of answering questions or providing practical advice. Very limited hands on practice. I went with a friend because my husband was out of town and I was almost embarrassed that she wasted time in that class with me.

I had the most wonderfully redemptive unmedicated VBAC a few weeks ago, and it is difficult to…read moreoverstate how critical of a role Liat played in making that happen. My first birth had gone much differently than I had hoped (preterm labor that led to immediate C-section due to breech positioning). I had come to terms with that experience, but I was surprised to find in my second pregnancy that it would be difficult to escape those "labels" from my first pregnancy, making it harder to be given a fair shot at having a vaginal birth. Thankfully, I found Liat whose passion for VBACs is infectious and whose no-nonsense approach is grounding. In our conversations before the birth, my husband and I both appreciated the balance of her approach - she strongly believes in the benefits of physiologic birth, but she also recognizes there is a time and place for medical intervention. My primary hope for this birth was that I wouldn't undergo any interventions that I wasn't convinced I needed, and she was a trustworthy sounding board throughout the entire pregnancy and delivery to ensure that was the case. This time around, my baby decided to stay inside long past the due date, so I agreed with my provider that it would be a good idea to induce. This was pretty disappointing for me, but Liat was wonderful at helping me stay in a good headspace in those final days, checking in frequently via texts and calls. When it came time for delivery, she was every bit as exceptional as all her other reviews describe. When she arrived at the hospital, she took one look at me and knew exactly how to change my environment to help me relax. Sure enough, labor accelerated rapidly after she arrived. She massaged my back through every single contraction. She knew exactly what to say to keep my mind present and focused. When she was talking me through my contractions, they were noticeably more efficient. At one point, I almost wanted to give up and she knew exactly how to keep me going. And sooner than I could have dared hope, my baby arrived. I'm pretty sure I professed my love for Liat minutes after giving birth :) And just as she had been for the entire pregnancy and labor, she was a constant comfort and encouragement to us in the minutes, days, and weeks after the delivery as well. Liat takes absolutely no BS, but is also the warmest and most compassionate woman you've ever met. She's exactly who you want at your birth. I know I want her at my next one!

TLDR: Choosing to work with Liat was the best decision I made for my birth. I cannot recommend her…read moreenough and am already looking forward to working with her again. I worked with Liat for the birth of my first child earlier this year, hoping for an unmedicated delivery in a hospital setting. From our very first call, her deep understanding of the healthcare system -- where it excels and where it falls short for labor and delivery -- immediately put me at ease. I knew I'd be in good hands. In our two prenatal meetings, Liat taught my husband and me so much about approaching labor both mentally and physically. The sessions were eye-opening and genuinely prepared us for every scenario we might face. I took birth classes too, and while they were helpful, my time with Liat was by far the most valuable part of my birth education. When the day came, her support was nothing short of extraordinary. She monitored my contractions, came to both my home and the hospital, massaged me through every contraction, helped me reposition, and guided us in navigating the hospital staff with my birth preferences. For hours on end, she was warm, calm, and completely present. It's hard to put into words how deeply cared for I felt -- she has a rare gift for making people feel safe and at home during one of the most vulnerable moments of their lives. My birth went beautifully, exactly as I had hoped, and I owe so much of that to Liat. Both my husband -- a physician -- and I are certain we could not have had such a wonderful experience without her.

My husband and I cancelled our hospital birth classes to take Birth Chemistry class before our…read moreson's birth. I highly, highly recommend you do the same. The information presented is of vital importance, and it was critical in making our ultimate decision as to how and where we wanted our baby to be delivered (in the end, we had a beautiful home birth). I'll preface this by saying that hospitals are very good at helping people, and I'm eternally grateful for the advances in medical technology, but Mama, they might not always listen to your voice--and you have a voice! The information you gain from a Birth Chemistry class will help you articulate your preferences, so you can have the birth experience of your dreams.

From the owner: We specialize in preparing expectant couples for unmedicated (natural birth) in the hospital, birth…read morecenter or at home.

We had the best experience with Maureen, one of the many talented doulas at Brilliant Births. We…read moreopted for a private Laboring together class, and it exceeded every expectation. Maureen guided us with so much knowledge, warmth and patience. She gave us practical tools, hands on techniques, and the confidence we needed as we prepare for our baby. We both walked out feeling way more prepared. If you're looking for someone who empowers, educates and genuinely cares, Maureen is incredible. We're so grateful!

My partner and I recently completed the Hypnobirthing three week course at Brilliant Births. We had…read morean absolutely incredible experience, for many reasons--The information we learned was invaluable, but also the instructors' teaching styles and depth of personal experience they offered was appreciated, comforting, and helpful. They clearly have a deep well of wisdom and experience-based expertise to share. We started our class with Keira and absolutely loved her--originally we were a bit bummed to know we would have a different instructor for our last day of the course. However, it turned out that Heidi was equitably wonderful and all things lovely-- instead of only one great instructor and guide, we ended up with two...which leads me to believe you'll be in skilled hands with anyone you interact with at BB. We will definitely be returning to take advantage of their other offerings!

As a first time mother and a wife of a husband that is resistant to going to classes, I requested…read moreprivate instruction from Beautiful Day. It is an additional fee, but definitely worth it. Alicia, the owner, was our instructor. Not only has she been a fantastic resource for us, as time-starved professionals, but her years of experience, sense of humor, and her non-judgemental nature, put my husband at ease. There is no such thing as stupid questions or uncomfortable topics. I recommend her private instruction to anyone that needs the education and doesn't have time to read all the "go-to" childbirth books. I'm sure the group classes are great, too!

From the owner: Beautiful Day specializes in fun, modern, unique and extremely educational childbirth classes…read more Leave empowered and informed ready to make thoughtful decisions and tackle labor head on. Not your mama's childbirth class!

Cori Gentry offers the best concierge level birth education series on the Monterey Peninsula (or…read moreanywhere as far as I'm concerned). As a first time mama, with a lot of experience as a past nanny and having had many friends (with their sage advice) who were pregnant prior to me, I was not convinced I needed to invest in birth education. How wrong I was... I was recommended to take Cori's class at least ten times by various people in the community. She is very well known and respected in the area. As I missed the boat on her group class and my due date was fast approaching, Cori arranged for a private in-home session. Cori made it her personal interest to get familiarized with my husband, myself and my pregnancy experience up until that point. She provided us with a beautiful binder with a wealth of information, articles, graphics, and relaxation techniques to begin implementing. As part of her class, you also will receive a great reading list, links to helpful birthing videos, newborn care information, and breast feeding support. Fun fact: Cori also is a great option for birth photography! Ask her about having her attend your birth to photograph it! What I appreciated most about Cori, was her willingness to make herself available to her clients. She goes above and beyond the hours dedicated to class time. She is always abreast on the latest research, and she is connected with birth experts in every facet of the industry. Her class covers a wide array on information and situations. If you're contemplating a home birth, she will help you prepare comfort + pain management techniques, but she does not neglect the hospital birth option either... this proved to be invaluable during the roller coaster turn of events (from home birth to hospital birth) and due to Cori's diligence in teaching us about Hospital birthing, we were better prepared for anything that was thrown at us. Cori assisted us in drafting a hospital birth plan, and a induction plan (which I ended up using) and on game day, she offered her support via text in the wee hours of the morning. Always available when I had a question. The relationship I was so lucky to have with Cori is one that every pregnant mama needs. Cori is a mama to four beautiful boys herself, and she has the real life experience to back up her text book teachings. Please book this birth education class today, whether you are a first time mom or a pro. It's worth it just because Cori makes it special and highly personalized for you.

This class is an absolute must for first time parents-to-be. It really takes the stress out of the…read moreunknown that comes with giving birth for the first time. Cori provides a safe place to feel comfortable with sharing one's anxieties of child birth and the information needed to make it less scary. She help build the confidence needed to be able to make choices during the birthing experience. Our birth was not what was planned but with Cori's help from this class we were able to turn a negative birth into a positive story. I would highly recommend her to all new parents!

I found Lauren through the Evidence Based Birth website. I was so grateful to have a doula who was…read moreup to date on the research and would help support us in pushing against some unnecessary hospital conventions while still being generally pro-medicine. Lauren was very responsive and helpful throughout our pregnancy. We had great prenatal visits and texted and emailed about some concerns that arose. Lauren always replied promptly with great insight and calm. She was just the same way on the day I gave birth. I texted her early in the day that I was feeling contractions but I thought they might be Braxton Hicks. She suggested I focus on other things and time again in a few hours. Later that night it became clear I was going into labor. I waited a bit too long before asking Lauren to come - I had just started to feel the urge to push when she arrived. But I knew I was in safe hands. She drove me to the hospital while my husband grabbed our bag. Along the way she bent over so I could lean on her through the contractions. I gave birth to our beautiful baby girl 40 minutes after we arrived at the hospital. Lauren cooled my face with a cold towel and massaged me through the contractions. She also took lovely photos just after the birth. An hour later, I turned up my husband and said, "I could do that again." It was no doubt thanks in part to Lauren's emotional and physical support. She stayed another 2-3 hours after the birth as well to make sure we were all settled. Lauren has also been helping a new doula Emily train. Emily attended our birth as well and it was helpful to have her extra set of hands!

I sent an inquiry about availability and setting up a consultation for being my birth doula BUT…read moreShe's not accepting clients right now due to being a recent mom. I appreciated her prompt response to inform me.

Due to my privileged position, and very personal experience with Silicon Valley doulas, I can tell…read moreyou it has been nothing short of exceptional since their inception. Czarina brings over 20 plus years of experience, extensive training, and a true passion for supporting families through one of life's most meaningful transitions -- welcoming a new baby. Her background covers everything from lactation consulting and sleep training to postpartum depression and psychosis support, patient advocacy, birth preparation, and more. She's worked with over 300 families over her career thus far, providing truly personalized and compassionate care each and every time. Her depth of knowledge about the birth journey, babies, and the postpartum period is remarkable, and she always approaches her work with professionalism, empathy, and a calm confidence and experience. One thing I respect deeply is her clarity and integrity when it comes to her business policies. She has a no-refund policy that's clearly stated in her contract (which is completely legal and standard for her field). The reason is simple and fair, much like many other businesses she reserves specific dates and times for the families she assists and does not take other clients during those scheduled sessions. When someone cancels or tries to back out of a contract she's already set aside that time, so it's clearly ethical that her time and commitment are respected. If you're looking for a highly skilled, knowledgeable, compassionate, empathetic doula who combines unmatched experience, professionalism, and genuine care, Czarina is the person you want by your side through pregnancy, birth, and beyond.

TL;DR: Last-minute cancellations, fell asleep on duty watching our newborn, refused hands-on baby…read morecare, offered useless virtual support, prepaid for 13 nights, and refused refund. We're disputing the charges with our credit card company. Do not recommend. We hired Czarina for evening doula services shortly after welcoming our newborn, hoping for support and rest. Unfortunately, the experience caused us significantly more stress than doing it alone. The most alarming issue was that she repeatedly fell asleep snoring loudly while on duty watching our newborn. This happened on multiple visits. We could see and hear her sleeping, which meant that instead of resting, we stayed awake monitoring her to ensure our baby was safe. When we addressed this directly, her response was shocking: she claimed she was doing it to "train us to be better parents" and get us used to sleeping while the baby sleeps. As exhausted first-time parents, this felt unreassuring and completely unsafe. We hired a night doula to reduce anxiety, not to monitor the caregiver. Beyond the safety issues, basic doula duties were neglected: * Refusal of Care: She was unwilling to help wash the baby and unable to provide clear, hands-on guidance for newborn care. * Household Help: She provided little to no assistance with basic household tasks. * Ineffective Virtual Support: She attempted to substitute some support with "virtual" sessions, which offered zero value to us as parents who needed physical, hands-on help with a newborn during overnight hours. Her reliability was poor, with multiple last-minute cancellations and rescheduling. Most importantly, we prepaid for 13 nights of service. When we terminated the arrangement due to the safety concerns and poor service, she refused to provide a refund for the unused nights. We were forced to escalate this to our credit card company to try and recoup our funds. Czarina was pleasant to speak with initially, but her actions put our peace of mind at risk and violated our trust. If you are looking for reliable, hands-on postpartum care that allows you to rest, I strongly recommend looking elsewhere. Ask specific questions about staying awake during night shifts, hands-on newborn care (including bathing), refund policies, and what "virtual support" entails before hiring.

My Luna app stopped working in July. Sarah responded a week later, offering me a new app a a…read morediscounted rate, as well as a refund for that month. Instead, she kept charging me for the first faulty app as well as for the second app (which also barely works). Now I'm being charged twice a month for a subscription I canceled, Sarah has stopped responding to my emails after never sending the refund, and seems to have taken down the phone number off Luna's website. So she's stolen about $100 from me and effectively disappeared. Bizarre behavior. I'm having to spend hours chatting with Apple Wallet to get my money back.

I've gone to LUNA Mother for 2 of my pregnancies (one was with the twins!). I loved that the…read moreworkouts allowed me to feel good in my body while making sure everything I was doing was safe for my pregnancy. I worked out at Luna up to the week I gave birth! I attribute my 2 smooth vbacs to my ability to stay active during pregnancy with Luna. Post birth, I used their app to recover and went to in-person classes as soon as I was cleared for working out to build back my pelvic floor strength. I love that the workouts are flexible to your level and increase with your fitness. I'm still working out there 7m post partum! Also, the owner, Sarah is a local Marin mom. She's lovely and knowledgeable! I would recommend you check it out as a woman in any stage of womanhood as the pelvic floor focused strengthening is important not just the demands of motherhood but for life

We loved having Leticia as our night nanny. She was very professional and knowledgeable. Leticia…read morehelped us diagnose and address any issues as we are first time parents. It felt like having a nurse supporting us through those early weeks. She communicated clearly and consistently, which gave us a lot of peace of mind. We recommend her to all of our friends to have some sanity during the newborn stage! Totally worth the investment.

Having Letícia by my side on the day I gave birth meant so much to me. Right after my baby was…read moreborn, when I was overwhelmed with emotions and still trying to process everything, she was there with me. She truly cared for me. She guided me through those first moments, explained things calmly, and helped me feel more secure during such a sensitive time. The way she spoke to me, the way she looked at me, and how she respected my pace made all the difference. Letícia was incredibly kind to me. She brought me peace when I needed it most. She was more than just a professional. I felt like I had a friend there, someone who genuinely cared about me and my experience. I'm so grateful she was part of that moment in my life, and I wholeheartedly recommend her. Having Letícia there made my birth and those first moments as a mom feel so much lighter.