Made an appointment, got multiple confirmation emails, including an hour before the appointment…read more She never showed. I also emailed her two days before to try to get a response since I assumed the confirmation emails might be automated. She never responded. Phone number listed on Kaiser goes straight to voicemail. Unprofessional - can't imagine trusting this person with anything

Davon is just the BEST person you could ever have as your Doula! My husband and I are extremely…read morehappy for choosing her and will definitely recommend her services for everyone we know. Since our first interview, we felt a deeply connection with her and we chose her because of her KNOWLEDGE, EXPERIENCE, NATURAL APPROACH to pregnancy and childbirth and, most importantly, because we just felt that she understood us and would support us in the way we needed. This is my second baby and I've had a very traumatic experience with my first kid birth, so I wanted to have someone by my side who I could trust and who would help me to trust myself and my body to have a positive birth experience. My husband was a little reluctant to hire a doula, but after meeting her he was already feeling supported and more confident in the birth process. During the pregnancy she was always making herself available for questions and/or concerns and sharing resources to help us navigate through the different stages of this process. She also has an amazing Childbirth Course, that helped us to prepare for the big day. During the prenatal visits, we had an amazing time together, just like friends hanging out. She would spend enough time talking to us about everything we needed; she was never rushing out and would listen to us carefully. Davon is so KIND and she made us feel so comfortable from the very start. She is also very knowledgeable and would help us with our questions, doubts and insecurities. The whole time she was showing her trust in me and my body to go through the birth. On the birth day, she was available right away when we contact her. She arrived at the Birth Center at the same time we did and was there for the whole time. We arrived there at 2am and my baby was born at 7:30am. She never left my side and stayed there until the first hours of postpartum were over, making sure we were both fine. During labor, she always knew what to do and what to say to help me cope. She had many comfort measures for me during my painful contractions. Although I was almost giving up and asking for medication, she never got discouraged or let me feel that I couldn't do it. Her positive affirmations, calmness and confidence were definitely the reason I was able to go all the way through with the unmedicated birth, even when I thought I couldn't do it anymore. I couldn't have done without her!!! She also has an amazing back up doula (Tanara), who we met virtually and then in person at our last prenatal appointment. This made us feel even more comfortable because we knew that if Davon couldn't make it to the big day for any reason, we still would have someone we trusted to support us over there. She also encapsulated my placenta. She took care of everything in the birth center and brought the capsules to my home on our postpartum appointment. She also made a cute keepsake out of my dehydrated cord, which was a special touch. Davon is like family to us know! We are extremely grateful that she came into our lives and will never forget this experience.

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.

I just wanted to update my review to add that over the last few years since the birth of my first…read morechild, I have emailed Jen multiple times for assistance processing my first birth and working through options for my second birth. She was so positive and encouraging when I was doubting and questioning myself. Her support processing that first birth meant the world to me and I was able to change my story the second time around with her help. My only mistake was not having her as a doula for my first birth (she wasn't available for my second, but I would have worked with her in a heartbeat) Thank you, Jen, for helping me even years later. I appreciate you so much!

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 cannot recommend Marilou at Doulas by the Bay highly enough. She was our postpartum night doula…read morefor the first few weeks after our son was born, and she was incredible. As new parents, the sleep deprivation is real, but knowing she was there allowed us to finally get the much-needed rest we required to function. Beyond just being a set of expert hands, she became a trusted guide for us and taught us invaluable newborn care tips that we still use daily. We trusted her implicitly with our baby from night one which was critical for us as anxious new parents. Marilou's calm, professional, and warm presence made us feel so at ease during a very vulnerable time. We truly loved our time with her and are so grateful for the care she provided. If you are looking for a doula who is knowledgeable, nurturing, and completely trustworthy, Marilou is amazing!

We had an incredible experience with Sally for our son from when he was 1-3 months. She was…read moreconsistently punctual, professional, and incredibly kind. Beyond just helping with night feeds, she took the initiative with bottles and laundry, which was a huge help to our family. We felt completely at ease knowing our little one was in such caring hands. In addition, she helped with sleep training. Additionally, the office staff was a pleasure to work with. They were extremely professional and maintained a quick turnaround time on all our requests and paperwork. We highly recommend this team for anyone looking for top-tier newborn care!

Heather is amazing! She goes over so much information so you can make decisions about procedures…read morethat may happen with more knowledge then any doctor or hospital staff will give you. My husband and I are confident that if we didn't have Heather as our doula that I would have had another c-section (which I didn't want). We ended with a successful V-bac! She took control of the room, the hospital staff pretty much left us alone, which is what I wanted. Helped give me tips and gave my husband tips on how to help me labor. I would have caved and ended up with a c-section if she was not there helping me cope with my back labor. My husband who was on the fence about if we would really need a doula said afterwards "I am so glad you put your foot down, she was worth ever penny". HEATHER IS THE BEST!

We hired Heather as our doula for the birth of our first child. Obviously, we were both scared and…read moreunaware of what to expect - but Heather was WONDERFUL! She met with us multiple times prior to the big day and really put all our fears to rest. It was such an amazing experience to be able to feel the baby's head and hear his heartbeat via stethoscope - unlike at the doctor's office where they literally ask how you're feeling and note your weight/blood pressure and send you on your way. She really loves what she does and it shows in the care she provides throughout the process. I must also note how important Heather was during labor. She came over at 4am after contractions all night. Unfortunately, I was only 2cm when she evaluated me. So, we attempted to sleep and 12 hours later, we were still at the same spot. To make matters worse, Heather also noted that she thought she could feel the cord next to the baby's head. She confirmed this with the doppler. If we had been laboring in the hospital, this would have resulted in an emergency c-section after 25+ hours of labor. But Heather suggested that we attempt to get the cord to fall back into place by having me lay upside down on a board. As crazy as it sounds, it worked! She was with us for the majority of the 47 hours of labor and it is all thanks to her that we were able to have the birth experience we wanted - even with the crazy complications that arose. We are both so grateful that we had Heather in our corner throughout this magical journey. I could not imagine getting through this without her. This was worth every penny we spent, it was more helpful that I could have ever imagined! Thank you Heather!!

My experience with Paula was so traumatic it's taken me almost a year since my birthing experience…read moreto finally leave a review. As difficult as this, I feel responsible to share the truth so others can be informed. I wish others would've done the same when I came to check these reviews before hiring her for the prenatal care and delivery of our first baby. Her 5-star rating turned out to be devastatingly misleading. Initally Paula seemed so supportive and caring, but once she had our money it was downhill from there. She was constantly distracted, forgetful, negligent, and often disrespectful - all signs I should have gotten the hell out of there. Unfortunately, I didn't realize how bad everything was until it was too late to get my money back and I couldn't get another midwife in time. I told Paula straight up "dealing with you has been the most stressful part of my pregnancy." The anxiety she caused me was unreal and seriously harmful to me and my baby. Sadly, things only got worse when I tried to deliver at her "birthing center" in Napa. Do not be deceived by how beautiful and welcoming it seems. It turned into a dreadful place after 3 days of labor with very little support and care from her.  Maybe at one time Paula and Fawn were great at midwifery, but my experience with them was quite contrary. This was very confusing for me and took time to process how horific my experience was with them, since I was so convinced I was working with wise women. Paula did nothing to comfort me or support me during labor. She would only pop in the room for cervical/doppler/blood pressure checks. She told me to take a benadryl, Tylenol, and drink a glass of wine and try to get some sleep. She sent my husband to the store multiple times - for these items as well as nausea medicine, leaving me all alone and him scrambling for things she should have provided.  When I was 8 cm dilated she called in her team and laid down in my bed...ON MY PILLOW! She literally laid there until my labor stalled and I went down to 3 cm. My baby and my body knew it was NOT SAFE to give birth in this woman's hands. The next day my water broke. She laid a diaper on the bed and promptly walked out, leaving me legs spread with gushing fluids and unable to help myself amid contractions. Thankfully, a godsend doula - Denise Lee Haye- kindly stepped up and helped me into the diaper. Every time it needed changing Denise and my husband were the only ones to help. When my best friend asked Paula how much time does she have after the water breaks? Paula replied "indefinitely!" This turned out to be not true and put me and my baby in harm. We barey escaped ICU due to this. At the hospital, Paula struggled to provide the nurses with all of the pertinent info and left as soon as she could. In her stead, a doula named Carolyn stayed with us. She was very sweet, but in retrospect, she prolonged my labor by questioning everything the doctor was doing, imbuing more doubt and hesitation than the confidence and reassurance I needed. I wish she would have questioned and advocated for me like that where I really needed it - at the birthing center. We paid Paula $6,500, $100 for the birthing kit $50 for her "insurance woman," plus those random items she sent my husband to the store for. After submitting her superbill, we were only reimbursed $700. As brand new parents in the thick of everything, this was super stressful and such a huge distraction at a crucial time for our little family. We weren't in a place to be in contact with Paula at all, it was too triggering and unhealthy. Now, we are sharing our story, and now we will reach out for this much warranted refund. A refund is the least whe can do for such a damaging experience. I will update my review when we receive a response on this. Her refund policy ensures she keeps most of your money, even if you don't deliver with her (which should be the most expensive part). In the future, I would look for someone with a more reasonable financial policy, who doesn't have a conflict of interest - ie, will send you to the hospital when it's warranted without the motivation of keeping you to birth with them so they can receive a higher insurance payout. I would also look for a midwife who offers community/group amongst clients, which provides support for parents and babies and more transparency/accountability within the practice (AKA, nothing to hide). SF birth center is really good with this.  I am so lucky my precious baby and I are both okay, although the trauma is hefty. I am grateful for the skilled, caring (unpaid) souls who did help me in my darkest hours and I would highly recommend working with them and paying them directly, not through Paula or Fawn: Jamie Weaver, Kim Stanford, Denise Lee-Haye. And of course, (divine) Providence/Queen of the Valley.

Choosing Paula and The Midwives was the best thing I have done for myself and my baby throughout my…read morejourney to motherhood. My care was supportive, kind, loving, knowledgeable, reassuring, personal, and professional. Each of my appointments throughout my pregnancy lasted as long as they needed to. All my questions and concerns answered and expanded upon. Pregnancy and birth are outrageously vulnerable times and the people you hire to help you throughout it can make a huge impact. My care team had absolute faith in me my whole pregnancy. By the time I went into labor I had no doubts that Paula and her team would support me through a healthy and safe labor. I delivered my beautiful son at the birth center in Napa unmedicated and completely undisturbed. I utilized their enormous birthing tub and had the birth of my dreams. All through the birth center I was able to encapsulate my placenta to help with postpartum healing. They made getting a birth certificate so easy. The postpartum care was amazing. I honestly feel like I can reach out to the team any time. I would absolutely recommend this path to any women. Not so long ago, women gave birth with the help and wisdom of other women in their community who had gone through it countless times and seen it done countless times- this is the experience you will have if you chose to have your baby with Paula and the Midwives. You will be led through your pregnancy and birth by women who believe in your biological ability to do it.

I didn't have a good birthing experience at Kaiser - I went into Kaiser with full intention of…read moreepidural but Kaiser didn't believe I was advancing fast and they asked me to wait until it was too late for epidural; what's worse was they didn't wait for my planceta to come out so they manually removed my planceta without any pain meds. Painful isn't enough to describe the experience. Pregnant with my second son, I didn't want to repeat the experience. Knowing I am likely birth fast again, I wanted to go without pain meds again, with as much help I can get, and natural birth of the planceta. I reached out to Tashina pretty late in my pregnancy. Knowing my situation, she responded to my email right away and managed to squeeze me into her schedule. She did a very thorough interview with me and my husband, fully understood what experience we are looking for and made amazing recommendations. She recommended me with a hospital I wasn't aware of that has great staff and with midwifery care. Since I was late stage pregnant (32+weeks), she pulled all her strings to help the new hospital accept me as a patient. And all the way up until the delivery date, she was only one text/call away for any questions I had. The birth was still painful, but with the midwifery care, Tashina's preparation with me and my husband, the hot tub setup, and her being there as my advocate, the birth was quick, smooth, and no manual extraction of placenta! My second son was almost 8lbs and no tear or stitches. Even weeks after birth, Tashina came visit and always checked in with me to help me with breastfeeding issues, baby colic issues etc. Tashina is so knowledgeable, caring and loving. We will always appreciate her help and she will always be a special person in my second sons life!

I'm convinced that fate brought Tashina into my life so I could have a beautiful, natural, and…read moreconfident first birth. Other than her deep knowledge of pregnancy, birth, and postpartum, there is something extra special about Tashina and the calm presence she brings into your pre and post birth space. She not once shied away or avoided any of my questions or expectations for my birth and was so understanding of my boundaries around specific things. I felt absolutely safe and held by her to surrender to birth completely. Moreover, she helped my husband feel confident in supporting me in a natural birth too. All I can hope for is to have her at any of my future births as well! :) Thank you Tashina!

I'm sharing this because I wish I found someone like Casey sooner…read more I've had two sessions so far, and both were deeply personalized and exactly what I needed. In the first session, we revisited childhood memories and worked on rewriting the emotional experience I carried as a child, especially not being able to understand why my parents were busy and working (even though they were doing their best with what they knew). We ended with a chakra rebalancing meditation that helped my nervous system settle in a way I didn't expect. The second session focused on my recent grief and the patterns it has been triggering in my relationships. Casey guided me through an imagery meditation where I practiced giving myself the love, safety, and security I've been trying to find externally, and leaving the pain in the past where it belongs. It felt like emotional closure, but also like learning a new way to care for myself. Casey truly feels like a walking hug. She's present, loving, grounded, and radiant. I felt held the entire time, and I left feeling more supported than I've ever felt in a romantic relationship. The biggest gift is that she's helping me learn to provide that same compassion and safety to myself, and heal my codependency from the inside out. She has been one of the most profound people the universe has placed on my healing path. If you're considering working with her, I can't recommend her enough

My daughter and I attended our first mommy and me yoga experience yesterday evening at Rarity…read moreRituals, and it was truly such a beautiful experience. We've never officially practiced yoga before, so we had no idea what we were doing but Casey was extremely patient, kind, and helpful, guiding us and assisting whenever we needed it. I loved how intimate the class felt. At times, we don't enjoy being around large groups, so the smaller, more personal setting made us feel at ease (and honestly, so much more present ). Casey's studio is incredibly comfortable and aesthetically pleasing, which created a calming and welcoming environment from the moment we walked in. I truly appreciated how kind and warm both Casey and her daughter were toward us. Their energy made us feel safe, welcomed, and comfortable to just be ourselves. The moment we got back into the car, my daughter kept asking if we were going to do this again and that alone says everything. This was such a special bonding experience for us, and we're so grateful to have shared our first yoga class here. We look forward to another class soon. Thank you so much !

I'd highly recommend Jay. She was a referral to me from our birth doula…read more Jay is responsive, timely, and a multi-tasking queen! She helped prepare freezer meals when my husband returned to work so I could have grab and go meals. She regularly does baby laundry, light cleaning and of course all baby care. We did not hire her until I was 4 months postpartum and it significantly helped me rest. Now we're preparing for daycare to start with our little one, and I feel so well prepared in the transition.

I've known jala for about 2 years within the doula community and she does amazing work! I can…read morealways count on her when or if I need back up in case I can't come in to work she is very punctual,exceeds client's expectations, super good vibes and all together such a beautiful soul. I highly recommend her as a doula

Sara taught a wonderful childbirth class to my partner and i. She provided the information needed,…read morewas knowledgable, and experienced. She did so in a comfortable setting, and was kind amd flexible enough to teach a group class inorder to lower her price for us. Sara then attended my homebirth. I had a long and hard labor and could not have done it without saras calming presence. Everyone needs a Sara in the room with them through their labor and birth.

Sara Vietti attended the homebirth of my first child and was truly an irreplaceable part of my…read morebirth team! She was able to bring calm, steadfast and nurturing support while also maintaining a light-heartedness and sense of humor... everyone appreciated that. She is gifted with the innate sense of when to give space and when to give encouragement... I never had to ask, but she always knew what I needed. Even before I did! At 10 lbs 5 oz, my son's birth was intense to say the least -- I was so lucky to not only have Sara there to support ME, but she also kept my mom and husband calm and informed which gave me the space I needed to do my job. In my postpartum haze, she helped me replenish lost fuel with nourishing food and drink and gently set me up for a successful start to breastfeeding. I cannot recommend Sara highly enough!!!