Amanda was our midwife for our second child and we had a better experience than we could have…read moreimagined. We used east bay midwives for prenatal care, home birth and post natal care. Amanda brought both experienced midwifery care (our son was her 314th birth!) and a strong level of personal care. She is a birth worker that truly loves what she does, is incredibly skilled in her work, and has a deep sense of care for the mothers, families, and babies she works with. We were so impressed by how supported we felt during the entire pregnancy, birth, and post partum period. I truly wish every mother could receive midwifery care as exceptional as east bay midwives. We also had excellent experience with Grace and Sophia- the team that Amanda works with are also amazing birth workers. I highly recommend east bay midwives to someone that wants a safe, supported home birth with experienced and loving help!

Had the home birth of my dreams; Amanda was with me starting 10 weeks gestation. She helped me…read moreovercome my worries, carried my troubles and showed up for me even during her own maternity leave. She was committed, confident and graceful. Amanda was excited for my birth and respected what I needed. From pregnancy, labor and delivery to postpartum; she showed me how the right care can make the world of a difference in one of the most powerful, challenging and vulnerable times. What an amazing way to bring life into the world.

Serena truly is a gem of an IBCLC! Not only is she kind, patient, and understanding but she is also…read moresomeone who guides gently and uses positive language which is immensely helpful for someone like me who is dealing with a low milk supply. She helped me with my first baby 8 years ago and I knew I had to reach out to her asap when I found out that I was pregnant with my 2nd. I knew my breastfeeding journey needed to be established right away and it required Serena and her knowledge of low milk supply. She did a house call about a week postpartum and did a weighted feed and assessed baby for ties which he does have. She was able to ease my mind and helped guide me on what to do and how to get my supply up. I've been able to message her with my many questions and she has been so responsive and so kind. She has made the journey great so far despite me not making a full supply (I make about half of baby's needs). If you want an amazing ibclc who wants to see you and baby succeed then look no further!

It is no wonder Serena has 5 star ratings. Our 8 wk old baby started showing slow weight gain and…read moreas a first time parent, I was so worried and overwhelmed. From our first call, Serena was kind, thorough and asked all the right questions. She made time to come over within days, immediately pinpointed the issue, and created a clear feeding plan that gave me so much relief. She even reached out to our pediatrician right after and they called me the same day to schedule a weight check by end of the week! Serena's care doesn't stop at your session -- she checks in often and is always available by text, making me feel completely supported and never alone. She's warm, friendly, non-judgmental and turned a scary situation into something manageable. We're still working with her but I couldn't wait to share. Even though we're not out of the woods yet, I feel a million times better knowing Serena is by our side. If you're considering working with her, don't hesitate -- she's a gem!

I cannot more highly recommend working with Grace! We spoke with her early in our pregnancy when we…read morewere just starting to consider a home birth. She was very easy to talk to and had an easygoing demeanor, but spoke with a lot of authority and clearly had deep knowledge of pregnancy, birth and postpartum care. It made both of us feel confident enough to move forward with a home birth. Throughout my pregnancy, Grace provided excellent and thorough care. She would explain any decisions that came up (like what tests I was taking, various parts of the birth plan, etc) and offer nonjudgmental advice where needed. For the actual delivery, Grace was a hero and saw us through as best as we possibly could have asked for. She was very careful to explain things in great detail so we wouldn't feel stressed - "coughing is totally normal, he's clearing out his lungs", or "that color is totally normal until he gets some oxygen!". Finally, the postpartum care was above and beyond what I could have hoped. She came to us in the comfort of our home, was available by text for any little questions we had, and was a constant source of assurance for us as new parents and someone who had recently given birth. The whole time we worked with her, we felt like we were in very capable hands and well cared for as individuals and as new parents. We are so grateful for Grace and will definitely work with her again when it is time for baby number 2.

Truly one of the best experiences of my life was choosing Grace to have my third baby with! I had 2…read morehospital births prior to my third baby and I never had a bad experience in the hospital but I just wanted a difference experience for my third time around. It was such an incredible experience from every prenatal appointment to the postpartum visits (these are SO helpful!) I'm so thankful for Grace and the quality of care she gives her patients. Will never forget it!

I love sharing my birth story since we had such a great experience and we give thanks to Susi for…read moremaking it all possible. I knew I wanted a doula but finding the right one was tricky. I met with a couple of others and right away, you can tell doulas experience and professionalism range greatly. Susi is not only warm and compassionate but has a long resume of credentials, wisdom, and experience. These were important to us since we needed support through a stressful high risk & IVF pregnancy. I was open to medication for my labor but ended up going natural, no meds with Susi's guidance, coaching, and pain relief with counter pressure. After being bruised from our IVF journey I kind of gave up on my natural birth dream. What an empowering gift Susi gave me. Before my husband didn't understand the work of a doula but now he tells everyone, don't hesitate to hire a doula. Their work is truly invaluable. I was very relieved she was available for our due date. Bonus, birth photos are priceless! My husband and I didn't have to worry about pulling out the camera to try to capture the best moment of our lives. We are forever grateful for our beautiful birth experience bringing our miracle baby safely to earth side. Thank you Susi!

In summary: I can't recommend Susi enough. It would be impossible to overstate how valuable she was…read moreduring the entire process of my pregnancy, birth, and post-birth. When I look back at the pregnancy and birth experience, I really don't know how we would have managed without her. We are so grateful for her care during birth. A bit of background: I considered a homebirth but ultimately planned a hospital birth with midwives at Kaiser. I was pretty nervous and bummed to be in a hospital setting and really wanted to have an unmedicated birth. At our first consultation, Susi immediately put me at ease. She really understood my concerns about being at a hospital. She was incredibly comforting but also practical and honest about what to expect. This unique mixture gave me a lot of confidence that she could help me navigate the hospital system while also supporting me emotionally. Her prenatal visits were informative and reassuring, particularly for my partner. We also contacted her several times before birth for resources, recommendations, and support when we were nervous about something. I ended up being induced at 39 weeks for gestational hypertension. She was very comforting over the phone and was in contact through out the beginning of the induction process. Once I started Pitocin, she actually drove over before we asked her to since it was a long drive. I am so grateful that she did! She arrived when the contractions were really intense and I was already at 8cm. She walked in the room put her thumb to my forehead and I immediately relaxed. I went from feeling like I was being dragged behind each contraction to feeling like I was riding the wave. The way she talked me through contractions was absolutely incredible. My only coherent sentences during this time were "Susi, I like you so much. I'm so glad you're here." She was also amazing at interfacing with the hospital staff. When the midwife and team arrived to deliver, she pulled the midwife aside to make sure she knew about my birth preferences and reminded the nurses that I wanted no cheering when they forgot. During our postpartum meeting, the midwife told me that Susi was a great doula to work with and asked for her name to recommend to other patients. I am so grateful to Susi. Her care created such a positive birth experience for us! (This is posted from my husband's yelp account).

I sought help from Kelly as a last resort after a month of baby struggling to get back to birth…read moreweight. I was prescribed triple feeding which was totally unsustainable. She helped tremendously and gave us so much confidence as parents. She was so patient and knowledgeable, and professional. We got the latch down and were able to drop the triple feeding routine. Here we are almost a year later still nursing and growing right on track!

Kelly is the best lactation consultant any mama could ask for!!! A week into my breast feeding…read morejourney with my first baby I was ready to give up. (We saw a horrible lactation consultant at Kaiser who made me feel like I was starving my baby and tried to move us to formula immediately.) Thankfully we found Kelly on Yelp and she was able to see us the next day. She listened to my concerns/frustrations with breastfeeding, then watched me nurse my baby and gave such compassionate guidance. She gave me so much confidence!!! Fast forward to today, my baby girl is 9 months old and I am still exclusively breastfeeding!!! Breastfeeding is so much harder than anyone ever told me it was going to be. My recommendation for any first time mama would be to make an appointment with Kelly and get all the support you didn't even know you would need, it makes a world of a difference!

Sarah provided me with compassionate and expert support in my journey feeding my kiddo. I greatly…read moreappreciated her warm, non-judgmental approach and her wise advice. She was able to meet with me on short notice, followed up via text to check in on me after our first appointment, and has fielded several questions via email, even while she was traveling. I am very grateful for her support and would highly recommend her!

At 5 days postpartum, I was feeling incredibly stressed and overwhelmed, but Sarah came to our home…read moreimmediately to help. She spent several hours with my husband and me, teaching us everything from the basics of breastfeeding and milk supply to the specifics of breast anatomy. Her calm demeanor was exactly what we needed; she completely eased my anxiety and gave us the confidence we were lacking. This was truly the most helpful support we've received since coming home from the hospital. If you are looking for an expert who is both knowledgeable and deeply compassionate, look no further.

Ellen was caring, effective, and helped us overcome challenges to reach our breastfeeding goals.read more

Working with Ellen for lactation support with my 3rd baby was one of the best decisions I have…read moremade!! Even though I had had two prior breastfeeding journeys, they both had their complications/challenges and I knew I wanted to have some support on-hand before my 3rd baby. Having a private, in-home lactation consultant was nothing short of amazing. Ellen even did a prenatal visit where she learned about my past breastfeeding experiences and challenges and listened to my goals and worries for this time around. In the past, I had only ever seen LC's in a "hospital outpatient" relationship and while those providers were experienced and competent, the setup really lacked continuity of care that I think is really important in a breastfeeding journey. Ellen did wonders to soothe my instinct to pathologize every little thing, and also brought me up to speed on the new evidence-based guidance for flange sizes and mastitis/clogged duct protocol as a lot had changed from my 1st two babies. She helped me ID a tongue tie much earlier than my 2nd baby, and with her updated protocol recommendations, I can now say I have made it 6 months EBF with no mastitis (something that was not the case at ALL my 1st two times). I really enjoyed working with Ellen and always looked forward to her visits. Even though it was my 3rd baby, I know that I would not be having such a positive breastfeeding journey if not for Ellen. She helped remove a lot of the anxieties and frustrations I had. Learning how to do "laid back" breastfeeding from the comfort of my own bed/couch was an absolute game changer and my baby breastfed with Ellen's support has had much better head/neck strength from the get-go from her nursing position. My body has been so much less sore/worn down from this position too. I wish I had discovered it years ago! If you are looking for lactation support - please consider working with Ellen beginning from late 3rd trimester - having that continuity of care from the first few days home from the hospital was an incredible gift. I can't recommend her enough from my experience!

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.

I cannot say enough wonderful things about Amrit! She guided me through my entire feeding journey…read morewith my second baby without any judgement. More importantly, she was compassionate and practical which can be VERY hard to find in the lactation world. She attentively asked me my goals for feeding this time around and then helped me make a game-plan at each step. Ultimately, I was unable/chose to stop nursing and pumping. While I personally felt so disappointed in myself for that, Amrit was nothing but supporting and loving. She supported me in any decision I made to keep my baby happy and fed and for that i'm forever grateful. She also helped me figure out how to get on a pumping schedule (when I needed to) and eventually how to wean without getting mastitis. Although my feeding journey eventually did not include breastfeeding, I'm so so happy I found Amrit to help me navigate all the things that come along with feeding a newborn. I felt like I was always in wonderful and capable hands and would recommend her to every new mom who needs some support. Breastfeeding is HARD and Amrit never made me feel guilty or bad. She simply supported me and helped me find something that worked for me and my family. Thank you again Amrit for all of your love and support with baby Ryan!

I owe my entire breastfeeding relationship to Amrit! I nursed my oldest for 2.5 years and needed…read morevirtually no help. Things were much different once I had my son. She taught me so much and I could NOT have learned the things I did had I not met with her! She was able to help me latch my son on in the office and we have been thriving since our visit! Ahe was told she can not accept patients with my insurance, and yet, she saw us anyway!!!! I am so grateful and genuinely believe we would have failed without her help and over 40 years of experience! She is unable to see other women with my insurance (I have state funded mediCal) unless they are a Bayside patient. However, if you have private insurance you can contact Bayside in Berkeley and make an appt. There's a $37.50 copay for the visit.

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!