So grateful that I found this amazing doula team and mama community!…read more Krista Jawin worked closely with my husband and I to prepare us for the birth of our first child. She has truly been the guiding light through our journey into parenthood. We had the amazing, magical, beautiful, empowering home birth that we visualized during our birth education sessions with Krista. We know we would not have had this experience if it were not for her guidance before, during and after the birth of our baby. Thank you Krista for the amazing selfless work you do for mamas, babies, and families!!!!

I love Maureen and the team at In One Breath Center! I'm so thankful that I was referred to…read moreMaureen: I was halfway through my first pregnancy and my yoga instructor encouraged me to become educated about labor, birth, and postpartum life. I am SO glad I received that encouragement and Maureen's name from her. I had interviewed a couple doulas who I found on Yelp, but my 3rd call was Maureen and I knew by the end of our first phone conversation that she was the one who would be my teammate and would be there to witness the birth of my first baby! We opted to do a hospital birth (although I loved the idea of a midwifery center or a home birth, my husband's desire was to have our son born in a hospital setting) and I knew that I wanted the wisdom and support of a birth doula to assist my husband and I in making the best decisions possible during the labor & delivery process. My goal was to have a natural birth and I knew that might be challenging in the hospital setting. As a side-note, I had previously thought birth doulas were mainly for people who had extra money laying around - but now I don't know why I had that idea because it's not true in the least bit! We made a point to save where we could so that we could spend some on a doula. Before "The Day" arrived, we met with Maureen in person. She asked great questions about our wishes, fears, uncertainties and she helped us to write a very simple birth plan (or 'birth preferences'- since most of the time things DON'T go exactly as you plan for with birth!). She was in contact with us often in the weeks leading up the my due date, especially because at 34 weeks I needed to go to the hospital Triage due to intense/frequent Braxton Hicks and we also found out that baby was breech and would need to turn - and soon! She and Krista gave me excellent advice that I wouldn't have otherwise received - little suggestions and tricks for taking care of myself at home leading up to my due date. We wanted to keep the baby in the womb until he was closer to (or at) 40 weeks and we were hopeful he would flip around, too! So, Maureen advised me to rest, calm my mind, listen to hypnobirthing mp3s, etc. We kept in touch regularly for the 3-4 weeks before my water broke at 37 weeks + 1 day - baby boy waited until he was considered full-term and then wouldn't wait a day longer! He was placed in my arms 37 hours later! For the actual labor & delivery she met us at Hoag while we were still trying to get labor going (unsuccessfully) and then she supported us as the nurses suggested Pitocin to get things going. PItocin wasn't in our "Plan", but with Maureen's support, my husband and I asked that we start the process very slow & steady... LONG story short, I was able to deliver the baby vaginally without any drugs or intervention with exception of the Pitocin. Thank God we had Maureen - she helped with massaging, bathroom trips, various labor positions, pep talks, and she really supported my husband. I think that's the biggest takeaway- my husband had the confidence to tell the hospital staff our desires (when needed) because Maureen was his teammate when I was out of my usual mind during the labor process. Maureen is sincere, hard-working, loving, and just an all-around JOY to be around. God knew what he was doing when he set us up together. It's been nearly 6 months since my son was born (another pregnancy isn't in our imminent future) and when the time is right I know I will be dialing Maureen as soon as we make plans to have Baby #2. I encourage anyone who read this long-winded review to connect with Maureen before making your final decision if a birth doula is right for you! As my husband has told several other of our expecting couple-friends: "Talk to Maureen (or any doula you're considering), it's the best money we chose to spend during this season!"

I didn't know where to start in searching for a doula, and I'm so glad I came across this marching…read moreservice. It was an easy and quick process that helped me find a doula with some pretty specific preferences I had in mind. They gave me several great options and matched me with my doula who I absolutely love!

The Doulas of Orange County is a wonderful service that helped my wife and me out tremendously in…read moreour search for a birth doula. With so many doulas available, it was overwhelming knowing where to start our search. Doulas of Orange County simplified everything by first gathering a list of what we wanted and matching us with the perfect doulas who aligned with our vision and our budget. The process was easy to understand, and they consistently informed us every step along the way to keep us in the loop. Thank you, Doulas of Orange County!

No amount of words or "thank yous" could ever express how grateful we are to have had Angie with us…read moreduring the first month after the arrival of our twins. Like most people, I initially had reservations about having someone else in our home caring for our babies. That unsettling feeling began to fade the moment I met Angie. She was kind, reassuring, and our conversation felt like I was talking to a friend I hadn't seen in years. When we first started, I only wanted to sleep in the babies' room. Before I knew it, Angie had me sleeping through the night in another room! Angie not only cared for our babies, but was also genuinely invested in my postpartum recovery. Every night, she checked in on me, asking how I was feeling, how I was healing, and what she could do to help throughout the night. On the nights Angie was there, I only woke up to pump. She would bring me my pump, store the milk when I was finished, and make sure all of my pump parts were washed and ready for the next session. Angie did everything she could to get me back to bed as quickly as possible, and I appreciated that more than she knows. I wholeheartedly trust Angie with our babies. She was absolutely amazing with them. From the way she held them, spoke to them, and the joy that radiated from her, you would think she was caring for her own children. Our little family loves her so much, and she will always be a part of our babies' lives. Although our month together has ended, it is not goodbye. We will be booking Angie again in the future and would recommend her to anyone searching for a doula. Thank you for everything Angie. We miss you already! -Angie and Tim

"Teresa E. made first-time parenthood so much more comfortable for us-- she is truly part of our…read morefamily. From the moment we met her we knew that if anyone was holding our baby at night who was not us, we would want it to be Teresa E. She has such a warm nature and a natural gift for caring for babies. She is also an excellent teacher and gave us so much knowledge, reassurance and confidence while she was here. We can't wait to have her back!" Hannah(client from Newport Beach).

I was so thankful to have had Carly by my side during my 1st birth! My husband and I were both so…read morenervous and not sure what to expect since this was our 1st baby. Hiring Carly was the best decision we made! She worked with me to create a birth plan I was comfortable with and explained options to me since I really didn't know much about the process. She also checked in with me multiple times leading up to the birth and would send me checklists with helpful exercises and other things to help me prepare for birth. Once the day came, my husband texted her, and she arrived at the hospital when we asked her to come. I labored for a long time, and she was there supporting me the whole time! I loved that Carly decorated my room with lights and battery candles. It was so calming especially since I rested for a long time before I started pushing. Creating a calming space was so helpful for me to stay relaxed and rested. She also advocated for me when the nurses would come in and check on me and helped progress my labor with different positions. When it was time to push, Carly was cheering me on the entire time and offered different items to help me feel more comfortable. I was so scared and nervous about birth, but I really believe she made the whole experience a positive one for me. I cannot recommend Carly enough, you'll be in great hands if you choose her as your Doula :). Thank you Carly and The Breezy Doula!

I was hesitant at first since most of the positive experiences are with hypnobirthing. But the…read morenight time postpartum doula was better than expected. Dina W. was very accommodating and extremely supportive. Always there for nighttime feeding/diaper/burping/etc, cleaning pump parts, food prep, and baby/kid laundry. I really appreciate her willingness to do everything we asked and with a positive attitude. It was easy to send an inquiry on their website. I received a prompt response based on our price range request. I also inquired with another company at the same time but they never replied. Thanks Dina!!

Christy is seriously amazing. Finding the right midwife was really important to me because birth is…read moresuch a personal experience, and I knew I needed someone I felt 100% comfortable with. From the moment we met her, we just knew she was the perfect fit for us. This was our first baby, and she guided us through everything. She answered all of our questions, made us feel so supported, and honestly exceeded every expectation we had. I also really loved that she's the perfect balance of holistic, but will absolutely speak up if something medical is needed. You can tell her top priority is always keeping both mom and baby safe. We also took her Bradley Method class, which was so helpful and made me feel way more prepared and confident going into birth. We learned so much, and I've already been recommending it to everyone. I fully trusted her the entire time, which made such a difference for me going into labor and birth. Throughout my labor, she was there at any time of day to answer my calls and questions, and she always helped me feel calm and educated about what was happening. On the day of the birth, she was calm, confident, and completely in her element. She made the whole experience feel so smooth and magical. I recommend Christy to anyone, and I already know I'll want her as my midwife for all of my future babies

Safe, warmth and validation. Three words that I experienced with Honey Midwifery during my second…read morepregnancy and birth that I didn't experience with my first. The team at Honey Midwifery has been cultivated with love and education. Every step of the way we talked through my concerns and we talked about the vision of how I wanted my birth to look. My partner was included at every appointment and together we celebrated each new milestone in my pregnancy with love and guidance from Christy and her team. When it was time for my son to make his earthside debut, Christy and her team created a safe space for me and my partner. It's hard to describe but they knew exactly when to check in and when to respect my space. Christy was right there when I needed her wisdom the most. Her words provided the warmth and safety I needed in my most vulnerable time. Honey Midwifery is committed to not only caring for mothers and their families during pregnancy (and postpartum), but also in providing education so families can make informed decisions. I am so glad we chose Honey Midwifery for our health team!

We took Lia's virtual Bradley method class, and would highly recommend it for any expecting…read moreparents. First off, it can be hard to find time to take a birth class, and Lia chooses convenient times, with multiple options to choose from. It's a very comfortable classroom atmosphere where I felt good to ask any question, or add any comment. Lia keeps it fun and interesting, and is a great teacher. Lia is also available outside of class for questions, and she is super responsive. It shouldn't really matter if a doula has been pregnant herself.... But it was really helpful to hear about her first hand experiences and to know that she has gone through it all before. I just wish we in lived in LA so that we could have Lia as our Doula.

I cannot say enough good things about Lia and her natural birth classes. I did the 12 week in…read moreperson classes with my husband. I really wanted to know everything I possibly could and I was also looking for a little community as I was feeling very alone in those first weeks of pregnancy (and overwhelmed with what I didn't know). AND THESE CLASSES DELIVERED! My husband is also a knowledge seeker so when I told him these were the classes I wanted he was all in. We learned so much. We joke that he didn't just learn about the natural birth process he learned how to be my "daddy doula". We still enjoy talking to people about everything we learned and how to support each other and how to speak to your doctors or the hospital nurses. Even if you aren't considering a natural birth these classes should be taken by everyone expecting a baby. You learn about the body, you learn about the different stages of labor, how to prep your body and your mind. There is even a class on breastfeeding which was invaluable those first 3 days postpartum. Lia is also an amazing teacher. If I have another I would definitely also hire her as my doula. She is a person you want in your corner during birth.

We were planning a cross country road trip with our toddler and for peace of mind I wanted to make…read moresure our car seat was installed correctly and there were no changes we had to make to it. We hired Amanda to come to our home and help us out. It was so convenient and she was amazing! She recommended some changes to make safety wise and showed us how to install them and let my husband and I each do it in our own cars so we felt comfortable, especially since I will be getting a new car soon and will have to learn to. She gave us some great tips and sent us a follow up email with a ton of resources and information. Overall I would highly recommend this service to make sure everything is correct with your car seats, car seat safety is so important and I feel so much better knowing my son is as safe as he can be.

AMAZING experience with Amanda. She helped us installed two different car seats in two different…read morecars. She is very knowledgeable, I learned a lot from installing the car seats to how to keep our baby safe in them, because it is not only about strapping the harness around your little one, it's about doing it right. Thank you Amanda.

Angela is a gift and an incredible Doula. We did her Hypnobabies course which was amazing. I felt…read morelike a first time mama, even though this was my 5th baby. My husband and I learned so much in Hypnobabies with Angela. My husband loved it as well. Angela makes the class what it is though. As for Angela, my Doula, wow. We did so much work together in my monthly chats with her. It was like my own therapy session that I didn't know I needed. I did so much healing in the months I worked with her. She prepared my husband and I for birth so well. She has so much to offer! She doesn't leave anything unchecked. She will be your best advocate! She had a big hand in helping redeem all of my past birth experiences. I'll forever be grateful for Angela!

Angela is an amazing doula and educator. She was present in our transition into parenthood. She…read moreprovided tough love in moments when we needed it but also showered us with love and compassion in difficult moments through our birthing journey. She supported me to overcome my fears about giving birth and trusting the medical staff. She provided a lot of information and resources. Although we had a c-section and Angela was not allowed to be physically in the OR, she prepared us well enough to go in with confidence that all would go well. I gave birth to a healthy baby boy this past January. It was a beautiful experience. If you cannot afford her doula services, I highly recommend her hypno birthing class. It prepared my fiance and I on the birthing process. Classes were via zoom which was great for us since we got to learn from the comfort of our home. I am grateful for this beautiful soul. She truly is living her life's purpose. Thank you Angela. If you are looking for a doula, she is it!