Julie Ann was my doula for my son's May 2013 birth at Stanford. i cannot rave enough about a) having a doula and b) having Julie Ann be that doula! Why? 1) Knowledge & Experience: Julie Ann was extremely knowledgeable about every detail - small or large - regarding birth either in a regular hospital like Stanford or if you choose to do it at home. Julie Ann's advice led me to take measures to encourage my contractions to start after my water had broken, which saved me from needing Pitocin. My OB said if I'd had Pitocin & Epidural, I would not have had the strength to push at the end and would likely have had a c-section. 2) Empathy: Julie Ann has a very empathetic interpersonal style. It's so important you're comfortable with the person helping you deliver. She somehow telepathically knew when I wanted guidance in labor, and when I needed to be left alone to focus on the effort of labor. She also tactfully handled my relatives who were dying to know what was going on. 3) Communication: Julie Ann is really easy to get a hold of (pretty important for a doula!) and overall very responsive over email/phone/text. Thank you Julie Ann for making my birth such a positive, wonderful, dare I say transcendant experience! :) read more

This is an overdue review. (but with a baby - or two- where do moms find the time to write a review!?) No matter which doula you hire, I applaud you for looking into doula services because their experience with normal pregnancy births really result in impressive nons-Cesarean birth stats. You are improving your odds that you wont need interventions by partnering with a birthing expert. Julie Ann attended both births of my children (11/2010 & 4/2012) in being a coach to provide the education during pregnancy, instill confidence and recommend books/videos/classes for& about natural birth. My goal was to have a positive experience in birth, so that I would be open to having babies again in the future, and to reduce the chance of postpartum depression. I felt like I got more from her than my money paid for because she actually met for long deep-dives with me to better understand my desires, fears, expectations about (natural) birth and the medical approach alternatives. She was like my therapist! We really explored all of that and she really steered me in the right direction when in the beginning (up to month 6 of my 1st pregnancy) I still was undecided about going natural or not. I'd compare her to a life coach- helping you to achieve what you set your heart on. She is a coach to train you for this marathon of an event, that you don't just walk in for but that you mentally and physically train and prepare for. And her knowledge about Physical Therapy, her Massage skills, and experience in previous births all benefited me. When I was expecting baby #2 I decided at the last minute (week 34) that I might want to have a home birth, but it was too last minute to make the PCP changes with my HMO and I'd have to pay for a lot out of pocket. I consulted with Julie Ann and without even hiring her she gave me sound advice about my options and whether I even needed a midwife (considering how quickly I might deliver #2 baby). She offered me a deal that was just right for me: she would attend my birth as my doula and I would only pay for the hours that she helped me because I skipped all of the pregnancy consultation/meetings. Brilliant!!! This customized approach really met my needs as I really leaned on her once again for her labor massages, coaching breathing techniques, TENs machine, and pushing positions. 1. Definitely get a TENS machine- Julie Ann has her own you can use. 2. Ask about midwifery references if you are not set on having your birth in a normal hospital. 3. If you are on the fence about the price, just think about what an investment this is- for one of the most important events in your life. You could always put 'Doula' on your baby registry and have your friends/family pitch in for it. I have remained close with Julie Ann because you hold someone like a doula so close to you forever - she was instrumental in coaching the birth of my two babies and my natural birth experiences were positive I believe due to the level of support and amount of education she provided me. read more

Julie Ann is a powerhouse of loving, supportive energy. She was brilliant at guiding me through my fears and inspiring me towards my deepest hopes and wishes for the birth of my first child. I can truly say that the amazing birth experience I had was mostly due to the openness I found through her life coaching and counseling skills as well as her genuine care and commitment that I have the best possible experience. The preparation was real work and Julie Ann put in tireless hours joyfully nudging me toward my own truth. Her support seemed endless. Julie Ann is a special and fun person. My home water birth is a cherished memory for my husband and me and Julie Ann was instrumental in helping me to create such a wonderful event. She was honest and sweet and worked very hard for us. I needed help through the whole birth process and I got more than I was asking for upon hiring Julie Ann. It was a great decision for our family and if you feel like you could use some powerful resources, hire this magical birth helper goddess! read more

I've seen Julie twice for prenatal massage and she is unbelievably knowledgable not only about the human body and massage techniques, but about pregnancy and the physical changes that occur. I'm sure it helps that she is also a doula as well :) She's very sweet and understanding and has been so helpful. After seeing her twice, I am making it a point to see her monthly until I deliver my baby, and maybe even afterwards since she gives such amazing massages! read more

Julie Ann was phenomenal! I am so grateful that she was a part of my birth and I recommend her 100%. She is incredibly warm and truly cares about people. She is very invested in her clients' success and well being....and always goes the extra mile. It was reassuring to know that I had her support to count on at my birth. She is also incredibly knowledgeable. From pain alleviation techniques, to methods to safely induce early, to preparing for labor with an epi-no, and best ways to birth safely for your body, she will equip you with the know-how to go into birth much more informed and prepared than otherwise, helping to dispel fear and approach birth more confidently. She is an excellent masseuse, which is great for helping to combat pain with pleasure. I ended up scheduling a c-section due to a medical reason, but was still so glad to have her. A c-section was scary to me. Yes, my husband was there too, but he was nervous as well, so having her confidence, knowledge, and massage that day was very calming and made a big difference. After the birth, during a particularly difficult time, I called her last minute and she re-arranged her schedule to take care of my newborn all throughout the night for us. If I have a second child, I will definitely want Julie Ann by my side again. She is fabulous! read more

Julie Ann is hands down the best massage therapist in the Bay Area! I started going to her on a monthly basis when I became pregnant. She always starts off by asking me what I want to focus on for our sessions and if there are any areas I want her to spend more time on. Additionally she is great at providing stretches and exercises for easing back pain during pregnancy. She is a wealth of knowledge on all things related to childbirth. The best part is you can go to her even if you are not pregnant! I had my baby 6 months ago and I still see her every month. Her prices are very reasonable and well worth the money. If you are looking for a massage therapist in San Mateo- look no further! Julie Ann is amazing. read more

This review is long overdue. My brother and cousin both used doulas for their first births, and neither of them would recommend it. They said it was just somebody standing on the other side of the bed, making conversation and telling them to do and try things they read in books. I was shocked by that feedback given my experience with Julie Ann. It turns out, not all doulas are created equal, and Julie Ann is THE BEST! My OB knows Julie Ann, having done many deliveries with her and described her as 'hard core.' As in, she puts 150% effort into making sure you get the birth that you want. She puts another 100% into making sure you know your options, that you know what is happening, and reminding you about all the things you read and have instantly forgotten. Then, she puts another 100% into just making sure you are never left wondering what is going on. (ie/ where's my husband? oh, he had to leave the room for an hour to fill out paperwork. Julie Ann was there, stepped right in, and I didn't even know hubby wasn't there!) Now before the dads freak out and worry about a doula replacing them in the delivery, let me assure you, your role as labour coach only gets stronger with Julie Ann there. I wanted a doula for two reasons - the first, my personal preference was a natural, drug-free labour. #Achieved. Second reason - to help my husband. My guy is the kinda guy that wants to help, wants to do, wants to fix everything. Hate to say it, but men are not born knowing how to help a labouring woman. In fact, I think they are born to wonder what the heck is happening to their wife in front of their eyes. Enter in the most amazing doula. Julie Ann showed my husband where to massage, how to massage. She encouraged my husband to give me sips of water and basically set him up to be the hero. When my husband was wondering if what I was going through was normal, she was there to reassure him - it was. And then of course, Julie Ann is helpful for the labouring mother-to-be as well. Julie Ann takes her role to get you through labour incredibly seriously. You'll meet with her beforehand to talk through options. There are 578 different medical choices/options you can consider when having a baby and she makes every single one of them clear. Then you meet and discuss expectations for the birth - call it a birth plan on steroids, and then you call Julie Ann when you go into labour. And the woman never. leaves. your. side. (unless there is some very rare, very random circumstance, maybe?) I had a 31-hour labour. Julie Ann was there the second I asked her to be and she never left my side. I didn't sleep, so she didn't sleep. For 45 minutes she sprayed hot water on me in the shower. She dimmed the lights and had (electric) candles and calming music playing at the hospital. She held my hair back when I threw up. She massaged my entire body as much as I needed. She made sure I drank fluids, and kept my energy up. She comes equipped with a TENS machine... I could go on. We're so thankful to have had Julie Ann with us on this journey. Hope you do to! read more

Visited her twice for massage. An awesome person with great skills. I went for a regular massage ( no specific issue). The room was clean, the massage chair and bedding were nice and comfortable.being a doula she is extremely knowledgeable about a woman's body. She gets to a good comfortable pressure level fast and stays there. She constantly asks if the pressure is fine. She is not chatty- which is great. At the end she gives a lot of good advices. read more

We used Julie Ann Randall as our postpartum doula in April 2018 and it really felt like she was a godsend. After the birth of our daughter, we needed support although we first thought we were able to handle it all by ourselves. Her coming on board four days after giving birth, brought immediate calm to our family during these challenging first weeks after the delivery. It was wonderful how she proactively offered her help in regards to whatever needed to be done. She ended up coming during night time when my my fiancé was working, so I could get some much needed rest while she took care of the baby. When it was time for me to nurse, she always intuitively knew what to bring to keep me going (snacks, a massage, some talking, etc.). The way she blended into our family for the three weeks she was with us, felt like she had always been part of our family. We really appreciated how she cleaned the dishes out of the dishwasher without having to even tell her, how she did the laundry, made strengthening postpartum soup, or got us groceries. All these things are huge when you can't go out and you don't really have a lot of energy left. Julie Ann also understood me with my initial anxieties about being a new mom. She was listening while she rendered wonderful massages that helped me to relax and made me feel more energetic and less overwhelmed. It felt like the best investment to have Julie Ann in the first weeks of us being new parents. Also, she had a lot of resources in regards to my questions about vaccinations, breastfeeding, sleep training, etc. Julie Anne rendered an absolutely outstanding and unforgettable service as our postpartum doula. And, on top of that, she has a wonderful, easygoing, yet conscientious, diligent nature that made it easy for us to trust her with everything we needed. read more

Julie is very knowledgeable, loving, positive person and money is secondary to her helpful nature. I contacted Julie last minute to assist inducing labor. I didn't know her before and a also she was out of area at that time. She still went way beyond to help me and informed me of all possible ways to induce labor naturally. She was on phone over an hour and also got in touch with acupuncture, doula network in Bay Area who immediately showed up on site. I was able to do a successful VBAC delivery with the confidence she gave and support throughout the process. Thank you, Julie! read more

Julie Ann is the best! My husband and I are new parents and we were really anxious about labor and delivery. Also, as it turned out, we experienced some unexpected complications. Thanks to Julie Ann, we were able to overcome our fears and difficulties, and had a magical birth experience! She is, as many others have noted, extremely warm and uncommonly empathetic. In addition, her knowledge base and awareness of resources is amazing! Where others might suggest one solution to a problematic situation, she comes up with multiple, multiple options. It's rare to find that perfect combination of skill, empathy, and professionalism--she has it all! read more

After 3 weeks on bed rest I had Julie come over to my place for a prenatal massage. It was like MAGIC! I had so much back and hip pain that I was barely able to crawl out of my bed onto the massage table. But when she was done with me I almost felt like having a new body. Totally relaxed and free of pain. She tailored the entire session exactly to my needs and used different techniques to cope and release the pain, which totally worked. She is just amazing! She brought all of the equipement (table, pillows, music, scented candle etc.) to have a real relaxing experience and took all the time to accomodate my needs. This time I felt most comfortable and relaxed in my entire pregnancy. I wish I would have done this earlier already and can only recommend Julie to every pregnant women, you won't ever regret. This treat was the best! Thanks Julie! read more

Julie Ann Randall is a wonderful doula!! I had a super long labor (53 hours) and I eventually delivered it without epidural and vaginally. I had the team of Bay Area Maternity and her by my side to help me through my first labor, and I have to give praises to all of them. The reason I selected Julie Ann is because I wanted a natural birth and with minimum or no intervention. She was really supportive and of my birth plan and my vision for how I wanted things to be. She is really knowledgeable about all things labor. She knows the right things to drink, eat, and do. I was so thankful to have had her guidance when all the pregnancy information was overloading me and I just needed someone to vet them out for me. Because my labor extended over 2 days and she was just coming off of another labor, she had sent a backup for about 2-3 hours while she got to me. Her backup was also really sweet and kind. I knew Julie Ann was super tired and after a quick nap when things were still quiet, she was there for me the whole way through. It also helped that she has worked at many hospitals and with many different doctors and nurses so she can prep you ahead of time as to what to expect. In my case, she was very familiar with Lin Lee of BAM and El Camino hospital. She even knows the doula who made my placenta, which was really helpful since right after labor, I could not have coordinated that myself. You won't regret having her by your side. read more

A massage from Julie Ann is a heavenly treat - and incredibly helpful! - both before and after giving birth. She has that kind of magical touch that puts you in a state of complete relaxation and bliss. She's very knowledgeable about everything related to pregnancy and birth and provides useful tips when you ask for it. She does home visits too, by the way. Highly recommend! read more

Julie Ann is just wonderful! She is generous with her time, skill and knowledge. You can tell that Julie Ann thoroughly enjoys her work. At 36 weeks pregnant, I decided to start prenatal massage. I had tried a few "prenatal" massages before but none came close to Julie Ann's skill. After one massage with her, I was hooked and visited her weekly until the birth of my baby. Her massages helped relieve pain and tension from the pregnancy, and she gave me great advice for at-home stretches. When my doctor started talking about scheduling an induction, I turned to Julie Ann for advice on natural induction techniques (and they worked!). I was so impressed that Julie Ann reached out to check on me after I had the baby. As a first-time mom, I was stressed, emotional, and ignorant about what to ask and when to ask for help (despite all the reading I did...). I had trouble with low milk supply and breastfeeding in the first few weeks. During one of our phone calls, I confessed my frustration and she offered me sympathy and guidance. With her support, I was able to build my milk supply and teach my baby to breastfeed. I feel incredibly fortunate to have met Julie Ann. She's one of the key people in helping me transition into motherhood. I am grateful to know her. read more

I know Julie Ann as a prenatal yoga teacher and a message therapist. She is absolutely amazing!! Her class was always very informative and fun, and I felt physically refreshed and mentally calmer afterwards. Besides doing a solid good 1:30 yoga work-out starting with easy stretching, she keeps the conversation/stories about pregnancy&labor flowing throughout the class. This was very helpful for me as a first-time mom. She is also attentive to everyone individually and addresses their concerns comprehensively. She is definitely knowledgable. I also took a massage session with her and compared to couple of other well-rated prenatal massages that I tried, this was by far the best! I think in addition to being a careful listener, she intuitively understands your needs. I have already scheduled the new one! read more

I went to Julie Ann for her life coaching for the issues of building my business, getting organized, and developing healthier habits. Julie Ann is so caring, compassionate, and easy to talk to. I found it easy to tell her my deepest fears and insecurities. She helped reveal obstacles and thoughts that were holding me back - and then helped me dissolve those beliefs through targeted exercises that guided me to extremely helpful insights. She also offered practical tips and strategies to help me improve my situations. Thanks to her coaching, my business is moving forward, I'm exercising regularly, and my office is much more organized! I would highly recommend Julie Ann if you want a compassionate life coach that will help you achieve your goals. read more

Julie Ann gave me a prenatal massage at 41 weeks. By far the best massage I have ever had. Julie Ann has the hands of a healer! She drew upon techniques from all different schools of massage, and knew just when to back off and when to add more pressure. It was amazing. I wish I had done more sessions while I was pregnant, but am so glad I went to her. It was truly customized for me and how I was feeling at that moment. Moms, treat yourself to a massage with Julie Ann. You will not regret it! read more

We used Julie Ann Randall as a Doula in Early 2011. Short version: SHE WAS AWESOME. We were super-glad we had her help. We hired Jullie Ann after meeting and interviewing many others. Julie Ann is a caring, calm personality who's also very smart. She was able support us intellectually and emotionally. She helped prep us for the day and was absolutely amazing during the delivery. We wished we'd skipped many of the sub-bar classes we took and just spent time with Julie Ann instead - she gave us much better info. During the big day she was there with us at all hours - including (unknown to us) preemptively camping out in the hotel parking lot to make sure she could be there on a moments notice while letting us have privacy. Not sure when she sleeps - but her positive and calming energy combined with support when we had to make decisions was amazing. I know having her there made me able to focus my energy on supporting my partner instead of wondering "what should I be doing now." This is only my second yelp review but I felt compelled to make sure anyone considering hiring her do so immediately. read more

Julie Ann is absolutely fantastic! I am a labor & delivery RN and have had the pleasure to work with her. She is my favorite doula! She creates a warm and comforting environment for the laboring woman. She also works well with the hospital staff - establishing a rapport and working cooperatively to support the mother and advocate for the best possible experience. I have recently seen her as a prenatal massage client and can't say enough about her warmth, skill and healing touch! I have been getting regular massage for years from many various therapists and she by far has made he most difference in my physical comfort. Aleviating back, neck and hip pain like never before. I highly recommend her for prenatal massage or as a doula! read more

Julie Ann was with me for the delivery of my son in September of 2011. Julie Ann is, first and foremost, an incredible, loving person. She is very intelligent and that was one of the things that first impressed me about her. She has extensive and thorough knowledge of the birthing process, options, etc. After that, I was immediately impressed with her level of engagement and presence. She has a huge heart and truly cares about the women she works with. For me, she had just the right combination of caring and calm. She was engaged and passionate, but also tough as nails when the situation called for it. I wanted to deliver my son without any drugs and was successful in doing so, but only with Julie Ann's help. I wouldn't have made it through a 100% natural birth process without her. The cherry on top with regard to Julie Ann is that she is totally open to feedback and is completely non-defensive. This ability and maturity on her part allowed me to gain greater and greater confidence in her as our relationship developed and, I believe, allowed me greater trust during my birth process. I recommend Julie Ann wholeheartedly. She is a gift to this field. read more

I found Julie Ann while doing a Yelp background check on the OB/GYN to whom I eventually switched (Dr. Rydfors) mid-way through my pregnancy. (That's a long story, but I'm so glad I did. He's wonderful.) One woman had referred to her birth experience - Dr. Rydfors, Julie Ann, and Sequoia Hospital - as the "motherfucking trifecta of birthing situations." Well, sign me up! My partner & I spoke with several doulas after deciding that having a doula would increase our chances for a drug-free delivery, which was our personal preference. The other doulas seemed like they'd be great too, but what we really loved about Julie Ann was her academic approach. By that, I mean that she's one of those walking encyclopedia types who can answer all of your questions *and* the questions you didn't even know you had with an insane amount of practical information. She's everything you'd expect from a doula - warm, empathetic, supportive, etc. AND possessed this depth of knowledge, which she has seen borne out in the many many births she has attended. Oh AND she's a certified massage therapist, which is awesome (understatement) when you're in labor. As a medical professional who knows her and loves working with her said: (words to the effect of) "There are doulas-lite / hobby doulas... and there are DOULAS. Julie Ann is definitely the latter." She takes her job very seriously, and she is a lot of fun, too! Leading up to labor, I felt so supported and well-informed by Julie Ann, that when the actual labor came I almost didn't need her help, even though I managed it without drugs. That said, I was SO GLAD she was there. It's really difficult to put into words what having that kind of support is like at a time of such intensity. I feel so lucky and blessed to have gotten to know Julie Ann and to have shared in this incredible adventure with her. read more

This is my first review! English is not my first language, so sorry for some errors :-) Our family really appreciates Julie Ann for her help during my pregnancy, our labor and my postpartum. Before we decided to take a help from doula, I thought that it would be too hard because of the language barrier. But I was wrong! Her help was a HUGE! Thanks her I could make a deal with a pain during contractions at home. She gave us a lot of information, so we were really ready to have a nature birth. We arrived at hospital with 9cm dilation and after 1 hour our baby was born! Thank you JulieAnn that she helped my husband when we arrived, because he felt a little nervous , he didn't know what to do and how he can help. She helped us after delivery with breastfeeding and another things. JulieAnn is so sweaty person, she always call us to know how is all doing, how my pregnancy, our baby, my postpartum, our breastfeeding. She did a LOT for our family and she gave a LOT of GOOD advices! Thank you a million times again! We hope to see you again soon ) read more

I know Julie Ann as a yoga instructor, doula and massage therapist and she is fabulous at all three. She is incredibly knowledgeable and always willing to share information. As a doula she is warm, comforting, energetic and focused on you. If you are on the fence about having a doula or interested in meeting Julie Ann, take a few yoga classes with her so you can get a sense of her personality and communication style. I definitely plan to have Julie Ann with me for future deliveries and I would highly recommend her as a massage therapist. read more

I agree with all the previous reviewers- Julie Ann is truly amazing. During my pregnancy, I was desperate for a good prenatal massage and after getting a few, I was beginning to feel that pregnant women were just not able to get a real massage. Then I met Julie Ann!!.. The great thing about Julie Ann is that she understands the body and what works. Even better- if something is not working, she does not give up and move to somewhere else as has happened with other massages. Instead she digs into her bags of "massage magic" and figures out how to fix the problem area. I came out of that first massage euphoric and feeling more relaxed than I had in in years..not just months. This was not only the best prenatal massage I have ever had but the BEST massage I have ever had. Since the birth of my little boy, I have had 2 more massages and again, Julie Ann has worked magic. All those fun little issues we have after the birth did not deter her and my body has started to heal under her hands. I will never go to anyone else!! Julie Ann is not just for prenatal massages, she is for anyone who wants to feel better than they have in a long time!!..I am just looking forward to the next massage!!.. read more

I'm hesitant to write an honest review of Julie Ann because I'm afraid nobody will believe it. But here it goes...As of 12/3/2010 I am the father of a vibrant little girl and the first person I want to thank is my wife. The second person I want to thank is not the doctor who delivered her and not the nurses who tended to my wife, but our Doula, Julie Ann Randall. She has been by our sides for the past several months educating and preparing us for a happy, healthy, and natural childbirth. When my wife finally went into labor Julie Ann appeared and pretty much saved us. I felt very prepared to handle the labor/birth but when the show started, I soon realized how much I needed a pro. She knew exactly what to do and when to do it and provided several different techniques that made my wife's labor far less torturous than it could have been. During labor, I found myself saying "Thank God for Julie Ann" at least every 5 minutes. Honestly. If her goal was to "Allow our Joyful childbirth" then mission accomplished. Thanks Julie Ann! read more

Julie Ann was terrific. I wanted a VBAC after an unexpected c-section with my first child. And, with Julie Ann's help, I had a wonderful, natural VBAC ... literally the birth of my dreams. I have told everyone that I could not have done it without her. She did a ton of prep with me and my husband beforehand (far more time than was promised). She really helped me to figure out my vision, my blocks, etc. It's obvious that being a doula is not just a job for her--it's a calling. She is unbelievably dedicated and she knows about all the resources (e.g., acupuncturist that I believe helped me go into labor on time). On the day of my daughter's birth, she was downright amazing. She set the mood at our house so it was super relaxing (we always talk about how we wish Julie Ann could come back and set it up like that so we could just enjoy it on a non-laboring night :). She was extremely hands-on per my request (massage, TENS unit) for my contractions. She kept me motivated and in the moment which was how I was able to avoid an epidural, something I was not able to do with my first birth but which was very important to me. She helped us get to the hospital (planned) easily in the middle of the night (not easy when I was having contractions every 3 min), managed the transition to the hospital, and was instrumental in the final pushing phase. I loved her follow-up after the birth, particularly the meticulous notes she had which have helped me to draft a birth story for myself and daughter. I really wish I had known about Julie Ann for my first birth ... I am sure things would have gone better. If I am pregnant in the future, Julie Ann will be the first person we tell so that we can secure her services. :) read more

We used Julie Ann as our doula in 2/2010 and she was wonderful. We met her on my due date and were so glad we did. I ended up going two weeks late and Julie Ann was a wealth of information, resources, and support. She has an abundance of energy and is so generous with her time and efforts. I felt so prepared and knowledgeable going into labor. I ended up never really going into labor, having to be induced after trying for 48 hours to get things going. Julie Ann was right there at my side for the entire process. She creates a tranquil relaxing atmosphere with candles and music and massage. She has everything you could possibly need in her bag. My partner had to leave a few times during the two days of labor to tend to our injured dog and I felt completely supported by her. I ended up having a c-section which was not what I had hoped for but was ok with it as I felt that I did everying I could have done (with the help of Julie Ann) to have a natural birth. In the end we had a beautiful healthy baby girl. I highly recommend Julie Ann to anyone who is looking for an entergetic yet calming experienced doula. She truely has a gift for this type of work. She helped me have the confidence to advocate for myself during the stressful process of labor. read more