Madrone - Monitrice package…read more We chose Madrone as our midwife because from the first time we met, they had a calming, safe presence that made us feel completely at ease with our upcoming birth. We chose the monitrice package because I wanted the reassurance a midwife could provide me with, and it was the absolute best decision. Having a Doula and midwife was the best of both worlds, we felt supported emotionally and had the hands on care from a midwife. This helped us realize our goals of laboring at home as long as possible, and having an unmedicated, natural birth at the hospital. I had my partner, mother and Madrone in the birth room, and Madrone balanced everyone out perfectly. They helped ensure each person had a place and space in my birth, all while taking photos to document it which I will treasure for the rest of time. Madrone was not only there for us during our birth, but before and after in such an impactful way. They helped us prepare before mentally and physically, helping us put together our birth plan and leading us through meditative breathing exercises. Madrone was also there after our birth, with several in person sessions as well as available for support along the way as we got settled in at home. It was so reassuring to have someone so knowledgable to ask questions as things came up - breastfeeding, diaper rash, eye boogers - Madrone had helpful information and answers to everything we asked them. Why we loved working with Madrone: - They are knowledgable and incredibly good at being a Doula and Midwife - They have a warmth and calming presence that always made us feel at ease and safe - They have a very balanced and practical approach to preparing, birth, and the postpartum. - They are respected by every birth worker I came in to contact with. Everyone loves Madrone! - They are humorous and full of so much bright energy, and that helped me through some of the most painful moments during birth. - They allowed me to confidently labor at home as long as possible, monitoring baby's heart rate while my contractions intensified - they cut out my stitches at three weeks when they were no longer serving me. Saving me an unnecessary visit to the doctor. Questions I asked Madrone that they were able to support and guide me through: - What are the pros/cons of the hep b shot? - I think my water just broke... does this look like amniotic fluid (photo of captured fluid in a jar sent... lol)? - How do we communicate to our family that we need them to get the Tdap and flue shots if they want to be around the baby? - Why does our baby have goop on his eyes? - I think my milk supply is too strong for baby to drink, what should I do? - I think my stitches fell out, what should I do? - Is the level of prolapse normal at 3 weeks? - How much should I be resting?

STOP. THIS IS IT. You can stop researching and interviewing doulas now because Mireille is THE…read moreBEST! We started looking for a doula at 6 weeks pregnant so we definitely had the time and energy to look for a doula and we are SO HAPPY we found Mireille. After she came to our home to chat with us, we knew she was the one! We found Mireille through our birthing class at Harmony. she had worked with our midwives, Lin and Maria (shoutout to BAM!) before and was familiar with El Camino Los Gatos so we knew she was perfect! Mireille helped us with our birth plan, eased any fears, and supported us to have a natural childbirth! We couldn't have done it without her. She was there from when we first called her all the way until baby was born, never leaving us :) The best part was she really supported my partner in being part of the birthing process. Will definitely come back to Mireille for our next birth :)

The women of Sacred Mother Earth (Carrie, Cherish, and Suzy) are absolutely amazing. They are true…read morehealers who use their divine energy through their hands and tools to customize each healing experience to each individual. Carrie is a massage therapist who uses Shungite as a hot stone massage. Shungite is full of antioxidants and is a healing stone that helps with detoxifying and purifying your body by absorbing and eliminating any negative energies or anything that is health hazardous to the body. She also specializes in lymphatic drainage which gets the body to release. Cherish specializes in women's health. She specializes in postpartum and prenatal massage. She also offers yoni steam bath and yoni massage to release all trauma. Suzy has been a massage therapist for 9 years she specializes in Myofascial Release (Trauma, inflammatory responses, and/or surgical procedures create Myofascial restrictions) and craniosacral massage (a gentle, noninvasive form of bodywork that addresses the bones of the head, spinal column and sacrum. The goal is to release compression in those areas which alleviates stress and pain.) She combines the two for maximum trauma relief.

Cherish is phenomenal when it comes to postpartum healing. When I first met her I loved the…read morepositive aurora that was surrounding her. She made me feel at ease, comfortable, and can fully let myself go without judgement. I saw Cherish for postpartum services at home which she provided: Belly Binding, New Mama postpartum massage, counseling, and spiritual rituals. The new mama postpartum massage was amazing. Cherish even helped me massage my breasts where I wouldn't have any milk ducts clogged. My shoulders, hips, and just everywhere feels wonderful afterwards. When it comes to counseling or just having someone to talk to, Cherish, is a great listener and feedback. She listens to you and soaks it all in herself then would suggest or recommend some things that can be taken into considerations. I've purchased Tea 4 Two and boy do I love it! For breastfeeding Mothers who have trouble with their milk supply- let me tell you. This Tea worked for me. I went from pumping 2oz to 4-5oz each session. Hopefully this will work for you too! This tea is sweet and isn't harsh to take down. This tea also helps with soothing your nerves, mood stabilizer, and has the ingredient nettle leaf which promotes milk production!

Our son just passed fifteen months old a few weeks ago, so this review has been a long time coming…read more It is still hard to process how important Sabine was to the birthgiving, and how grateful we are to her for bringing her kindness and experience to bear on what was an extremely long and difficult labor. We met with her a couple of times as she guided us through setting up a birth plan. And though we had to abandon three or more items that we wished we could have stuck to in our plan during the labor, she made sure that they were conscious, deliberated decisions and not impulsively acted upon. Her calming presence in the room affected not only my wife and me, but the nursing staff as well. She and I took turns to allow my wife to have continuous support throughout the labor and afterwards. She later presented us with several keepsakes to help memorialize the birth of our wonderful son. We also opted to have the placenta processed, and she had postpartum advice for us as well, though we did not ultimately choose to have continuing postpartum support.

As first-time parents my husband and I weren't sure what to expect from the birthing process. Enter…read moreSabine from TLC Doulas. From the moment she showed up at our house in Spring 2014 for a meet and greet, we were taken by her: Sabine is calm but strong; she's open to molding the birth experience to what we wanted it to be. She's extememly knowledgable about the physiological, physiological and spiritual aspects of birth. She knows her way around a hospital while likewise bringing alternative comfort measures into the birthing experience. Sabine came to our house for two prenatal visits and one postnatal follow up. She helped me birth at my home for 8 hours and then transitioned with me to the hospital for another nine hours. She took beautiful photos during the birth as well. With Sabine's support and guidance, I was able to bring my son into the world with more strength and dignity than I knew posible. Likewise, she provided my husband with the support and information he needed to be my primary birth coach. We couldn't be happier with TLC doulas and will be giving Sabine a call in years to come for future births. I recommend Sabine wholeheartedly to expectant moms (and dads.)

Elizabeth is a fantastic therapist and person, I always look forward to our sessions because she…read morealways takes the time to ask about where your pain is coming from and unlike most therapists, will not leave you in even more pain the next day even if deep muscle therapy is needed. I have and will continue to recommend her to friends and family for anything as sensitive as Prenatal massages to more straightforward relaxation massage or massage to fix specific pain or injury.

Elizabeth comes to our office each week and provides amazing massages to our employees. She does an…read moreexcellent job of being both professional and very personable which is extremely important to us. I'd recommend her to anyone (both personal and for companies) since she is able to customize the services she offers based on the customers' needs, handles appointments and payments seamlessly, and is always on time. Companies should consider offering massage therapy more often as it is a great way to improve the work environment and promote health/wellness. Additionally, if you need a copy of her license or insurance, it's not a problem - she's got it. Once a time and place are coordinated, she handles ALL the details. Really delightful in a busy office!

This review is a bummer to write, but after reading other reviews about communication delays and…read moreissues on the administrative end, it's clear i'm not the only one experiencing this issue and something needs to be seriously addressed. Alicia herself is wonderful, and we used her for placenta encapsulation in 2019. We had an overall good experience, so as we are nearing the birth of our 3rd baby, I reached back out to Alicia as a return client looking for placenta encapsulation again. It took 4 days to get an initial response to my email. Julia (Alicia's assistant) reached out to let me know Alicia is on maternity leave and had a few clarification questions to get the ball rolling with another doula. Unfortunately, I never heard from Julia or anyone else again. I've since left a voicemail and 4 follow-up emails with no response. If Born Doulas is too busy to accept me as a client, I would have appreciated hearing that upfront vs. just ghosting me, especially as a returning client. These types of customer service issues are just unacceptable, and if you are looking for a doula or placenta encapsulation company during the very delicate time of pregnancy and delivery, I recommend looking elsewhere and finding a company that cares about communication.

I can't begin to describe how wonderful, passionate, caring and knowledgeable Alicia is! From the…read morebeginning she guided us during the pregnancy, had many great tips for me, and helped me make my (right) big decisions towards the end. My birth story took longer than we expected, 40+ hours and Alicia was so supportive and strong even till the last seconds, let me correct that, even after the birth! Her stamina throughout the 40+ hours is just amazing! She was always there reassuring me that everything is going well, and making sure I'm hydrated and nourished to go on with the big game. This alone makes me want to tell every women, regardless how supportive your husband is, you still need a doula 100% especially Alicia 10000%! Before and after the birth I had many complications, that caused me to be hospitalized right after my birth, so my newborn was left with my clueless husband and mother. Alicia right away came over and helped them in so many ways, guiding and teaching them how to take care of our baby. She kept checking in on me before and after the birth regarding my condition, and helped me in all kinds of ways, sending over wonderful people to help with my condition, etc. We are eternally grateful to you Alicia! Baby M sending all his love!

Working with Natasha was a licensing experience. She shepherded me into motherhood and held my hand…read morethrough prenatal, labor, birth, and the first 3 months of our daughters life so beautifully. Natasha is kind and compassionate, and has a wealth of knowledge about everything both and baby related. Not to mention she was recommended by my doctors and had successfully helped to deliver over 1,300 babies in her 20 year + career. Everyone at Sutter knew Natasha and was relieved to learn that she was in out birthing team. She was the perfect liaison between the hospital staff, doctors, my husband and I. If you're looking for a doula - look no further (trust me). She's the best there is.

If you are looking for someone to support you during pregnancy, birth, and the postpartum period…read moreyou definitely need to meet with Natasha. She was helpful and informative to first time parents, not only about the birthing process but also what may come unexpectedly during birth. The truthfulness and honesty Natasha provided helped prepare my husband and I for the reality of the birthing process. Not only was she an advocate for me during my birth but she also helped me have a healthy and successful birth. After my baby was born, Natasha was available for us 24/7 and answered all our questions immediately. I could have never have had such a wonderful birth experience without Natasha. I will absolutely be working with her again in the future.

Due to my privileged position, and very personal experience with Silicon Valley doulas, I can tell…read moreyou it has been nothing short of exceptional since their inception. Czarina brings over 20 plus years of experience, extensive training, and a true passion for supporting families through one of life's most meaningful transitions -- welcoming a new baby. Her background covers everything from lactation consulting and sleep training to postpartum depression and psychosis support, patient advocacy, birth preparation, and more. She's worked with over 300 families over her career thus far, providing truly personalized and compassionate care each and every time. Her depth of knowledge about the birth journey, babies, and the postpartum period is remarkable, and she always approaches her work with professionalism, empathy, and a calm confidence and experience. One thing I respect deeply is her clarity and integrity when it comes to her business policies. She has a no-refund policy that's clearly stated in her contract (which is completely legal and standard for her field). The reason is simple and fair, much like many other businesses she reserves specific dates and times for the families she assists and does not take other clients during those scheduled sessions. When someone cancels or tries to back out of a contract she's already set aside that time, so it's clearly ethical that her time and commitment are respected. If you're looking for a highly skilled, knowledgeable, compassionate, empathetic doula who combines unmatched experience, professionalism, and genuine care, Czarina is the person you want by your side through pregnancy, birth, and beyond.

TL;DR: Last-minute cancellations, fell asleep on duty watching our newborn, refused hands-on baby…read morecare, offered useless virtual support, prepaid for 13 nights, and refused refund. We're disputing the charges with our credit card company. Do not recommend. We hired Czarina for evening doula services shortly after welcoming our newborn, hoping for support and rest. Unfortunately, the experience caused us significantly more stress than doing it alone. The most alarming issue was that she repeatedly fell asleep snoring loudly while on duty watching our newborn. This happened on multiple visits. We could see and hear her sleeping, which meant that instead of resting, we stayed awake monitoring her to ensure our baby was safe. When we addressed this directly, her response was shocking: she claimed she was doing it to "train us to be better parents" and get us used to sleeping while the baby sleeps. As exhausted first-time parents, this felt unreassuring and completely unsafe. We hired a night doula to reduce anxiety, not to monitor the caregiver. Beyond the safety issues, basic doula duties were neglected: * Refusal of Care: She was unwilling to help wash the baby and unable to provide clear, hands-on guidance for newborn care. * Household Help: She provided little to no assistance with basic household tasks. * Ineffective Virtual Support: She attempted to substitute some support with "virtual" sessions, which offered zero value to us as parents who needed physical, hands-on help with a newborn during overnight hours. Her reliability was poor, with multiple last-minute cancellations and rescheduling. Most importantly, we prepaid for 13 nights of service. When we terminated the arrangement due to the safety concerns and poor service, she refused to provide a refund for the unused nights. We were forced to escalate this to our credit card company to try and recoup our funds. Czarina was pleasant to speak with initially, but her actions put our peace of mind at risk and violated our trust. If you are looking for reliable, hands-on postpartum care that allows you to rest, I strongly recommend looking elsewhere. Ask specific questions about staying awake during night shifts, hands-on newborn care (including bathing), refund policies, and what "virtual support" entails before hiring.

Diana was our doula recently for the birth our first baby, and we had an excellent experience…read moreworking with her. She provided us with lots of information and encouragement both prior to and after our son's arrival. The prenatal visits took place in our home, and Diana really took time to get to know us, learn about our birth preferences in detail, and even practice some birthing techniques. In our case, the actual birth happened very fast, but Diana was able to meet us at the hospital and provide support during the most difficult part of the labor. The most important thing for us, though, was all the support she gave us in the postpartum period. I had a difficult healing process, and Diana was there for us through the whole thing, providing advice and resources during multiple home visits as well as by text and email. Diana always tailored her doula services to our specific situation and listened carefully to our needs. Throughout our work together, she was always friendly, professional, competent, and reliable. I would highly recommend her to any parents-to-be.

From the owner: I became certified as a birth & postpartum doula in Spring 2015 and was trained as a Lamaze…read moreInternational Childbirth Educator in July 2015.

I went back and forth on whether to write this review. I am sure Ana intends well, but sadly we did…read morenot feel adequately supported by her as a doula. I felt like I should provide an alternative perspective for people who are reading these reviews and want to be fully informed in their decision on a doula. There were some things we really appreciated and that she did well, like the postpartum massage and the meal she cooked for us. But the birth experience itself fell far, far short of what we were expecting in terms of care-- I'd like to remain anonymous so I will not go into detail. The prenatal sessions just didn't vibe with us-- a lot of lecture, worksheets and homework that often felt overwhelming rather than supportive or client-directed. The postpartum sessions were shorter than promised and without many of the things she had told us she would do. It seems like Ana has supported others really well, but unfortunately that was not the case for us.

Ana was one of our greatest blessings in assisting with my very first birth. She brought wisdom,…read morepeace & support that allowed me to be confident in my birth choices and thereby allowing a beautiful, natural unmedicated birth. Once I became pregnant and knew we would be giving birth in a hospital, I was encouraged to seek out the support of a doula in hopes to have an unmedicated birth. Ana was everything I could have needed & wanted during my birth and even more, she helped me everything from the preparation to the labor to the birth and into postpartum and beyond which allowed me to have such an amazing experience. She came to our home 3 times before the birth, sat with my husband & I, unrushed and talked over ways we could best prepare and gave us resources if we wanted to further our knowledge - which I gladly did! She made herself available by phone and text whenever I called her, including middle of the night questions! It gave me peace of mind to know that she had been through this many times before and always guided me with comfort. During the birth, I honestly looked to her more than my own doctor. While she is not certified to give medical advice, I trusted her experience overseeing many other births and especially that she viewed birth as a *natural process* that women's bodies are designed for. I didn't even realize the transition my body would go through during the birth experience, and I'm so thankful we added a postpartum component to our package. Worth its weight in gold. Ana came to our home 3 more times after giving birth and brought us a nourishing meal each time, talked through any questions, including caring for our little one, yet truly gave me the attention I needed to facilitate my healing and recovery including the BEST massages I have ever had. I don't have enough space to write all the ways Ana made me feel special, cherished and empowered through my entire pregnancy and birth. I am so thankful to have had her wisdom and support and truly don't believe my birth experience would have been half as incredible if it wasn't for her.