This review is long overdue. I intended to write something soon after giving birth, and that was…read moreover 9 years ago! I was searching for an unrelated email this morning and came across our message. I remember Katherine being so great with us. From our first meeting I knew she was calm, personable, and genuinely kind. My partner and I were under a lot of stress at the time, and her energy was perfect. Not overbearing or intrusive. I went into labor on our daughter's due date and Katherine came right away. I had a natural birth, and I remember her checking in and making sure I was OK before she offered comforting touch during labor. It turned out I didn't want to be touched much, and she respected that, offering her support in other ways. She helped me push through the most painful parts of labor with breathing. I hope she knows how much I appreciated her presence.

Kathryn is awesome!!! She took me on last minute and was an amazing doula. I was past due and in…read morepain so she came over to show me techniques to help the pain. Shortly after she left my water broke and she came right back to help me. She kept me calm as possible and helped me focus. She also helped keep my husband calm I highly recommend her

I chose to hire midwives for a homebirth out of a desire to have a different experience. Being my…read more5th baby, I wanted to experience complete peace and say in how I would labor. Having midwives who cared, who saw me & had my best interest in the process and outcome. My experience with both Angela & Kathryn was truly a pleasant one. I am happy to have found them. Very down to earth mamas themselves. Passionate about what they do to serve women through their whole pregnancy journey. During labor I was able to experience how important it is to have midwifery care. At one point just having Kathryn's presence during those intense contractions was such a relief. To know they were walking this with me. Their knowledge and experience were a tremendous help in my journey. It's definitely at a different level than I've experienced before. Just having any concern be truly heard, the conversations were up-lifting. Never felt rushed or dismissed. I felt safe physically as well. I just loved being taken care of by Angela & Kathryn. My mind set coming in was I wanted to experience a more wholesome if I can say that... a wholesome labor experience. One where my wishes and needs were heard and followed through. Angela & Kathryn were great at giving me my options, letting me know the risks, the pros, the cons, etc. and being knowledgeable and understanding. Oh I want every pregnant mama friend to know they can go through pregnancy & delivery without fear. Whether that's at home or hospital with the right midwives/ doulas with you. That this special time is worth making the choice to hire them. I wish I would have hired them sooner to be able to have them since the beginning of my pregnancy! I love that they continue to invest and keep learning to better serve. They both have something to offer and together they make the perfect duo. ----

I had a terrible experience with my first birth in the hospital with standard care. I wanted to be…read morein the care of someone that aligned with what I wanted and believed in. Angela, was wonderful, warm, welcoming and caring. She encouraged me and gave advice that was so helpful! I wouldn't be where I'm at in my mom journey without her! Every time I met Angela was important to me, it was like meeting with an old friend or sister. I was especially thankful for the advice for the breastfeeding book she recommended-that was life-changing. My time in the hospital visits were stressful and traumatic, so, the hands-on care that was provided was a breath of fresh air. I felt heard and seen. Even when I had to go to the hospital, Angela was an advocate by my side. Her advice and visits during the postpartum phase were wonderful as well. I felt like Angela took the time to care for me AND my baby. With midwifery care, the baby is a patient as well. There is less unnecessary poking and prodding and much more love and attention. With the standard care given by doctors, they are often cold and even demeaning. They look at things backwards and always act as if you or your baby is sick and dying until proven otherwise. I wasn't able to have a home birth, but still had a vbac in the hospital, I didn't give up and I found strength and resilience that I didn't have previously. I was able to really listen to my body and do what I and baby needed.

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.

Lisa has helped me tremendously. She provides relevant info to the specific problem. She helped…read moreme write a birthplan, which Kaiser sort of followed. Breastfeeding was a disaster, from my low milk supply, baby being tongue tied, mastitis, the wrong size flanges for the breast pump that Kaiser gave me. Lisa helped me with homeopathic remedies, support, and information about medications that others have found useful (she does not prescribe or give specific medication dosing advice for prescribed medications). I don't know that I will be able to breastfeed, but it isn't for lack of trying, and Lisa made me feel better, that I have done everything humanly possible and if I can't it's not because I didn't give it my all. I highly recommend using her service. She is responsive, kind, reassuring, and just a lovely person who wants you and your baby to be healthy and strong. She loves babies and respects mamas. What could be better?

If you are wanting to hire a doula or have extra support, definitely hire Lisa. When my husband…read moreand I found out we were pregnant, I knew I wanted to have a doula assist with the birth. I also knew that I wanted to have a natural birth and that doulas could be a great assistance in reaching this goal. I spent a lot of time emailing doulas, a lot of them. Lisa was only one of a couple I heard back from. She responded promptly and was willing to work around our busy/late night schedule to set up an interview. Once we interviewed, I knew that I wanted to hire her. My husband was more apprehensive and had difficulty spending the money when he felt he would be helpful and not need a doula. However, he knew how much it meant to me and went with it. Throughout the pregnancy, we received so much useful information from Lisa. Any questions I had, she was always available to answer them. Towards the end of my pregnancy I had high blood pressure and my doctor wanted to induce me because of concerns regarding my blood pressure. I knew that it would be very difficult to have a natural birth with being induced but felt confident that given the support, I would be able to do it. I ended up having three different types of inducement measures, cervidil, a balloon, and pitocin. My labor was incredibly difficult, with a recommendation of an epidural discussed twice and a c-section discussed once. Lisa saved me from having to have any of this done. She suggested two specific positions to utilize while having contractions that are never done in hospitals. My doctor worked with Lisa and was willing to have Lisa try them with me. These positions saved me from having a c-section and made my goal of having a natural birth possible. She was not only available and there for me during my pregnancy and labor & delivery but afterwards as well. I have asked so many questions regarding breastfeeding and other things and she has always been available for me. She responds promptly to me and is constantly checking in on me (my baby was born 8 days ago). I cannot say enough positive things about Lisa. Hire her as your doula, it will be the best decision you can make. Following the delivery, my somewhat skeptical husband prior to labor and delivery said that it was worth all of the money we spent. He said hiring Lisa was one of the best decisions we made during this process. That, to me, says it all. Hire Lisa.

patti was not only helpful while i was pregnant with my second. she helped me so much in the…read morebeginning of my pregnanc. her advice relived me from so much stress

From the owner: All pregnant women deserve Doula support. You deserve a…read morebetter pregnancy, labor, and a better birth! Hypo birthing, learning your body, how to relax and let your mind go! To know what to expect during your entire pregnancy and delivery! To have postpartum care, to help you when you need it the most, in the beginning, and after the baby comes! I’m here. Let me help you!

Best Doula in the Bay Area. She gave me amazing tips to control stress and anxiety, she helped with…read moretips for morning sickness. She is very helpful and resourceful when it comes to relaxation techniques.

From the owner: Labor can be a beautiful thing with proper support! Every woman should be able to enjoy her labor…read more I give you the support and strength you need to have the labor your way!

We couldn't imagine the experience of our first pregnancy and the birth of our son without the…read moresupport and guidance of our incredible doula, Abbie! My husband and I were intrigued by the idea of working with a doula early in my pregnancy, but looking back, we had NO idea just how meaningful Abbie's expertise and care would be. With each session, she educated us, encouraged us, gave us incredibly useful tools and resources, and most importantly, empowered us as a couple. We weren't able to follow our birth plan as we had initially hoped due to unexpected circumstances, but Abbie helped us navigate every change with confidence. We felt informed, supported, and at peace amidst all the unanticipated redirection. She played such a meaningful role in making the birth of our son an incredibly positive and empowering experience, and we truly can't imagine having done it without her.

Abbie was everything I was looking for in a doula: knowledgeable, responsive, and calm. My birth…read moredidn't go quite as planned and Abbie was there to help at every turn. As a first time mom, I was very happy to have a doula and I would recommend Abbie as your doula 100%.

After interviewing a few doulas, I found Jen and knew right away that she would be the best fit for…read moreme, especially as a first-time mom. Her experience as both a nurse and a doula is amazing, but what stood out to me most was her genuine passion for all things birth-related. Her positive, reassuring energy is just an added bonus. Before the birth, we had a few sessions where Jen educated my husband and me about the birth process, what to expect, and the different decisions we might face during labor and delivery. Having her knowledge and guidance helped me feel so much more relaxed and confident throughout my pregnancy. Instead of obsessively researching every possible scenario that could go wrong, I felt like I had someone I trusted who could help me navigate whatever came up. When I went into labor, my husband and I were able to rely on Jen for guidance and support all the way through delivery and even afterward. I ended up having an incredible birth experience, and I truly attribute so much of that to having Jen as part of my support system. I was able to give birth in a position that felt comfortable and natural to me, had no tearing(!!!), and had a quick and smooth delivery. I would absolutely recommend Jen to anyone looking for a doula, and I honestly can't imagine giving birth again without her if I can help it! We are so grateful for everything she did for our family and feel extra special that our baby got to be her 350th birth. Thank you so much, Jen!!

We took an EBB course with Jennifer. She's the best instructor anyone can ask for. She was very…read moreknowledgeable and absolutely amazing with how she shared her knowledge and taught the class, she's super through, had a great attitude and energy, was very open to question, and even shared her very personal experience in the last class. I learned so much in her class. She took her time collecting so many resources and putting them together in ways that were easy to consume and refer to afterwards. I woud highly recommend her class. And even though i didn't get the opportunity to use her doula services, I can't imagine a better doula by your side.

Deanna was not my doula; but I wanted a consultation with her to possibly become my doula. Her CV…read moreappeared impressive, an educator and DONA certified, which is why I emailed via Yelp and her website to set a consultation up....never received a reply. Ended up going with someone who was prompt and responsive. Expected more from a veteran doula.

When my husband and I were preparing for our first baby to be born, I knew I wanted to hire a doula…read morebecause I wanted to give birth naturally with no epidural or any other pain medications. We did our research and chose three doula services that we were interested in. After having multiple phone and in person meetings with all three, I knew Deanna was the right one for me. Meeting Deanna for the first time is like meeting a friend you haven't seen in a long time. She definitely gives you a sense of comfort. She's also very knowledgable and answered all of my husband's and I's questions we had about my pregnancy and prepared us for what to expect during labor and delivery. When that day finally came (about 2.5 weeks earlier than expected) Deanna and my husband were on it. Both of them worked so hard to make me feel comfortable. Deanna definitely helped my husband be more hands on during my labor which took over 24 hours. As much as I wanted to give birth vaginally, I eventually had to get a c-section after pushing for 6 hours and trying all the possible birthing positions Deanna recommended. I was also prepared going in to the operating room as Deanna also educated us about what would happen if I was to get a c-section. Deanna was by my side the whole time up until I had the c-section. When the nurses where not available Deanna was moving the bed to get me to a comfortable position and also helping me get to the bathroom. So if you're looking for a knowledgable doula with lots of experience and is hands on, I would definitely recommend Deanna.

These incredible women. I cannot say enough about their amazing spirits, willingness and…read morecomfortability in serving and how cared and looked after they make you feel. They are lights to our community and to the families they are able to serve. You will absolutely not regret utilizing their services and the goodness and warmth they can bring to really difficult transitions. Their knowledge and skillset is optimized for care and loving kindness.

I am disappointed to write that I was ghosted by this company during a very sensitive period in my…read morelife. My husband and I are new residents to California and I am currently pregnant with our first child. We have no family in the area. I had a phone consult scheduled with the owner, Ms. Michele, on January 5th, 2026. She called me on time and we both mutually agreed to move forward with the on-boarding process for doula services for my pregnancy. She requested that I call my insurance company and gather the information for her in an email. I did this, and sent her an email the following night, on January 6th. I didn't hear anything from her, so I sent a text message to both her work and personal cell phone number on January 9th. No response. At this point, I am 37 weeks, and anxious to move things along for doula services. The weekend and Monday goes by, and I still have not received a reply. I decide, as a last attempt, to call her. I called both her work and personal cell phone and left a voicemail on each line on Tuesday, January 13th. Nothing. Shame on the owner, Ms. Michele, for stating that she will move the process forward and said she will have a doula for me for my birth. She lied. She disclosed to me during our consult that she is a mother herself and had over twenty years of experience working as a L&D nurse. This provided me great relief and happiness, only for it to be crushed when she never replied to my messages. How can someone with this sort of background make a promise and then not follow through? Ms. Michele should be ashamed of herself not only on a professional level, but also on a personal level. This seems to be a wider issue with the Doula profession as I was ghosted by another local Sacramento doula company as well as the Volunteer Doula Coordinator at Mercy Hospital of Folsom. I believe doulas are a valuable asset to a woman's birth experience, however, I will not be wasting my time anymore trying to arrange one for my pregnancy.