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!

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!

I highly recommend booking Shawna to encapsulate your placenta. I used her services for my first…read moredelivery and it was a pleasant and easy experience. Her website is very thorough in explaining the process and booking was really easy. I went with having her pick up the goods at our hospital. My delivery happened at 10pm and we contacted Shawna at 6am the next day, and she was able to get to us by 11am the same day for pickup. Communication was friendly and quick which we really appreciated. After the pills were delivered, Shawna sent a helpful email with suggestions and tips on taking them. Also, I went with the coffee flavor for the pills and it really did mask the taste. 10/10, highly recommend!

Shawna out did her self with my placenta encapsulation. Shawna drove to my house to pick up my…read moreplacenta, and home delivered my pills within 24hours of picking up my placenta. Her quick response to my questions and needs gave me a sigh of relief so I can focus on my baby. My baby and I are thriving during our postpartum. I highly recommend Bay Area Placenta.

Torrey is wonderful!…read more We called her an hour after our second baby was born as we (once again) forgot to arrange for placenta encapsulation service ahead of time. Torrey was prompt, flexible, super communicative and supportive. Highly recommend!

I definitely recommend Torrey for prenatal yoga and placenta encapsulation. She is appropriately…read moreattentive in yoga. Not overbearing as some teachers can be, yet quick to suggest alternatives given your comfort level. For placenta encapsulation, we had texted her about 24 hours in advance since my active labor was 28 hours long and when it was time she came to the hospital in perfect time (I think the hospital required the placenta to be gone by like two hours after birth or something). Then she was able to drop of the capsules the very next day! So far they have worked great. My mood is definitely positive and I haven't even experienced baby blues (at least not yet) and we are day 7.

Working with Juliana was a great experience. This was my third baby, and I specifically wanted a…read moredoula for emotional support and guidance through an unmedicated birth and she exceeded all my expectations. Juliana was incredibly supportive, knowledgeable, and attentive throughout the entire process. I really appreciated how she took the time to listen to my needs and consistently checked in for feedback, making sure I felt comfortable and heard every step of the way. Her presence brought a sense of calm and confidence during labor that made such a difference. I'm so grateful to have had her support and would highly recommend her to anyone looking for a compassionate and skilled doula.

We couldn't be more grateful for the exceptional support we received from Doulas Institute…read morethroughout both our pregnancy and postpartum journey. We had interviewed many Doulas til we talked to Jessica who imparted high confidence in her skills and that of the doulas in her group. Pregnancy Doula Experience: Maria Maria, our pregnancy doula, was incredible from the moment we met her. Her warmth and calming presence immediately put my wife at ease, which was definitely necessary given her high anxiety. Maria highly was available through text, and when the contractions started she came to the hospital and her skills were greatly appreciated as the pain was immense. My wife and I highly recommend Maria. Postpartum Doula Experience: Alan On the postpartum side, Jessica paired us with Alan as our night doula, and he was a lifesaver. Initially, we tried to manage the sleepless nights on our own, but after the first month, the exhaustion became overwhelming. Alan was very reliable and came twice a week for over a month, without him we would have had a much harder time. Alan helped us from 10pm to 6am, but also with strong knowledge on how to better take care of our son when it came to sleep information. He assisted as well by doing the baby's laundry and cleaning the bottles when the baby was sleeping. Alan has our high recommendation!! We can't recommend Doulas Institute, especially Maria and Alan, enough. They are professional, have high levels of expertise, and performed with great care for us and our baby. They made this experience more manageable and memorable. If you're considering getting a doula for your pregnancy, you can't go wrong with Doulas Institute!

I am certain that my experience with Keelia made THE difference in achieving the birth of my…read moredaughter the ways that I wanted it- delaying at home for as long as possible, no pain meds and a positive, empowered experience. My biggest fears were my low pain tolerance and lack of control over knowing exactly how it would go. Shortly before our due date, Keelia came over to review our birth plan and a timeline of what to expect for pre-labor, active labor, travel to the birth center, transition, and delivery. She made sure we practiced comfort measures, breathing and how I wanted to be supported verbally. It wasn't until the last moments with Keelia where she looked me in the eye and said I was ready, that I actually felt prepared to go into labor and meet my daughter. 2 days later, my water broke in the middle of the night. For the next 44 hours of contractions, naps, two car rides up to the birth center, a traumatic cervical check on day one to then be sent back home, many walks around the neighborhood, yoga ball bouncing, 1 game of Monopoly, snacks, massages, and support - Keelia was at our beck and call. By the time we got to the birth center (again) on day 2 after 36 hours, I was only at 1cm and 50% effaced. Keelia helped me calm down from exhausition and frustration at this news, and we made a plan to get misoprostol to thin my cervix but hopefully proceed with no other interventions. Miraculously, Ava was born 7 hours later. Keelia coached me through contractions which came back to back for hours, waved lavendar oil in front of my face for nausea, massaged my back, covered the clock when she noticed it stressing me out, got me into the shower with Joe when I hit the wall of transition, and helped me breathe through pushing - 3 contractions! She reassured me every step of the way - calmly & knowing I could do it at all moments. In this amazing doula's hands, I felt loved, safe, and supported. Thank you, Keelia.

We interviewed a couple of doulas but the minute my wife and I met her, she felt an instant…read moreconnection with her and knew that she was the right person for the job. We met with Keelia at our place for dinner and knew she was the right person for the job. She has a very soothing and calm personality and is a great listener (which is a rare quality). She made herself available for texts and calls before the pregnancy and we had to text and call her a few times anytime my wife was exhibiting symptoms she was concerned about. Keelia was responsive to our questions and did her best to answer them even though some of them were of a medical nature. During the labor process she was also fantastic. Very calm and composed under pressure and very responsive to my wife's needs. My wife, in no uncertain terms, declared that she wouldn't have been able to do it without Keelia. Keelia massaged her during every contraction and it seemed that was the only thing that would help with pain management. In fact because of the massaging my wife was able to make it to 9 cm without an epidural -- she was super fatigued which is why she ended up doing the epidural but I'm pretty sure if labor hadn't occurred during the wee hours of the morning Keelia's massage techniques would have helped her give birth without using any medication. Thanks Keelia, you were great.

Yelp seems like a weird place to find a midwife but these reviews gave me the confidence to choose…read moreJinny and now I'd like to pass on the favor. Jinny is an incredible midwife that I'd recommend to anyone in a heartbeat. The least you can do is get in touch with her and see if you like her style. The Jinny we met at our first meeting was the same Jinny that showed up at every appointment, every diagnoses, and most importantly - at the birth. She is a knowledgeable professional that is supportive of your decisions. And the level of calmness she presents in the most intense situations is remarkable. Jinny provided thorough care from pregnancy to postpartum. Communication was easy and consistent. She heard my concerns about the birth and showed up 100% to help mitigate them as best as she could during the birth. I'm forever grateful to Jinny for giving me the home birth experience I had hoped for.

Jinny Pagle is an outstanding midwife who does both home births and can do pre- and postnatal care…read moreif you want a hospital birth. After several days of labor at home, she supported me at the hospital in making sure to remind me to remind staff about my wishes for how I wanted the birth to go, which enabled me to very narrowly avoid a C-section! She has a great roster of related experts in her network too including an acupuncturist who came to my house during labor and really helped a lot with the process. It was also really wonderful to be able to have her come to my house to check on me and the baby in the first few weeks after the birth. She offers her clients choices of a spectrum of options from alternative wellness resources to standard medical practice depending on your inclinations. Her attitude is very empowering! It was also super convenient for her to be able to do bloodwork at my house and save me time going somewhere else for that. She also does placenta encapsulation. If you're considering a homebirth, or if you want a hospital birth but want to have 60+ minutes per appointment and not the 10 min you get at an OB's office for pre/postnatal care, contact Jinny.

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

From the moment I met Traci - and my first ever acupuncture appointment - I knew I had made the…read moreright decision and commitment after extensive research for a practitioner specialized in fertility and dietary treatments. She can of course address many other needs, such as helping me with sleep and lumbar issues. I sincerely believe that Traci had a large hand in a successful fertility cycle, and steady treatment with her has made me feel better overall. She is the definition of attentive, holistic care: she inquires and assesses symptoms and your whole system at the start of each session to tailor and build on your treatment, and sometimes seems to have already identified symptoms before she asks to verify. I found her advice on dietary or lifestyle changes and supplements actually impactful. You truly feel heard and cared for. While Full Moon is an great practice overall - I worked with Suzanne a couple of times when Traci was not available - I strongly recommend booking with Traci, and well in advance so that you can benefit from her consistent, excellent care.

Traci is the best acupuncturist I've worked with (I've seen six different acupuncturists over the…read moreyears). She is knowledgeable, caring, and thorough. I appreciate how she takes the time to really investigate and understand what is going on with you and determine the best treatment. I've been seeing her to treat persistent frozen shoulder and have gotten significant improvement.

Jenny was our doula for the birth of our second child, and we would choose her again without…read morehesitation. She was such a wonderful support for the whole family, and especially Mama. Her knowledge is extensive, and she shares it in the most easy going, thoughtful, and clear ways. For example, we were excited to try using a rebozo (a Mexican shawl that can be used to support laboring women) during labor this time. Jenny ran through a series of demonstrations with us in advance, showing us a variety of holds that could be done with 1 or 2 people, and she let us know of some video resources we could find online to find other positions. During labor, her calming presence really helped create the laboring experience we wanted. Her post-partum visit helped us continue down that path. Someone else described her as having a "down-to-earth-no-judgement attitude", and we'd definitely agree. She listened well to what we wanted and helped us create that experience. Our birth was at home, without medications. This was our first time with home birth and Jenny helped advise us about that process as well. She worked well with our midwife. For us, whether carrying the baby and laboring or providing support throughout, Jenny helped us work well as a team. We felt both confident and knowledgeable through our experience with Jenny. If you're looking for a wonderful and effective doula and healer (she's great in that aspect of her work as well), you've found her.

Jenny is a great doula. My wife and I hired her for the birth of our second child. She brought…read moreknowledge, experience, and an energy to our child's birth that allowed my wife and I to better focus on the magic and mystery of the moment. Her sliding scale price was more than reasonable and what we got for our money was a professional, interested, accommodating experience from a doula who knows how to really connect with people and to help them have the birth they want to have. I was very impressed from both a knowledge-perspective and a personal-perspective. Jenny treated us as a friend and it was great to have her on our birth team. I highly recommend her doula services.

Amanda cared for my partner and I after our baby was born. She is very skillful as a masseuse and a…read moredelight to have in your home. Couldn't be a bigger fan!

I met Amanda when I was very disappointed and stressed by my OB/GYN and she supported me so much,…read moresince our first talk I felt that I trust her and want her to be with me on my delivery. She is so calm and positive thinker, and when you with her you 100 percent sure that things will go in right direction. She helped me to change doctor, what was right decision and have natural birth without epidural. She was so supportive and always was in touch with me before and during delivery, she was my shrink, midwife and much more. Amanda is amazing person who I'm trust and definitely recommend as great professional doula. P.S. She also do a great massage