Dara is an absolute angel. She's knowledgeable, sweet, helpful, and meets you where you are at. I…read morehad an oversupply and overactive let down AND my baby had a shallow latch. Dara helped with all of these circumstances and made me feel so comfortable. She showed me different feeding positions that specifically would help my baby. My baby is over four months now and he has never had to take any formula Because of her guidance and expertise I am a confident breastfeeding mama ! Thankyou Dara!!

While my pregnancy was wonderful and healthy, it was also frequently wrought with anxiety. I lost…read moremy mother just three months before discovering we were pregnant, and I had always envisioned that she would be there by my side, along with my husband, to deliver my first baby. In addition to desiring the type of nurturing and support only a mother can provide, I also wanted to have an unmedicated labor and delivery. Enter Dara, who instantly made me feel comforted and supported just after a few video calls. When my husband and I met her in person, we felt reassured and excited to have her by our side as we approached our due date. Dara was always available and easily accessible throughout the pregnancy for questions and provided me with an incredible amount of evidence-based childbirth information to help guide my birth plan and help me feel that much more prepared. And while nothing can truly prepare you for such an intense life event, I went in with much more confidence than I would have had without Dara's help. Once we were finally in active labor and called Dara into the hospital, she jumped right in with getting me moving and changing positions to help labor progress and get the baby in a good position. She also helped my husband support me by gently guiding him and educating him throughout the process. While I ended up getting an epidural close to 9cm, she remained active in positioning my body, keeping me hydrated, and helping both my husband and me get some rest before pushing. What I will remember the most from this entire experience is how Dara seemed to embody my own mother's energy with her tenderness. It was as if she knew exactly what I needed, when I needed it the most, without me needing to say a word. We delivered our sweet baby boy with Dara by our side and will never forget what a beautiful experience we had together. -Frances If there is one thing you do to prepare for your child's birth, pick up the phone and schedule a consult with Dara. As a first-time Dad, I had no idea what to expect at the hospital, even with the childbirth classes and e-learning videos. Nothing prepares you. While I initially thought the nurses would be there to support my wife, they're busy working. They don't have the bandwidth to be fully present. Dara was there every step of the way to help her emotionally and physically. Even with our relatively healthy childbirth with no complications, Dara stepped in. To watch her in action was such a relief because I knew my wife was getting the best possible care. Dara also didn't take over the reins. She made sure I was a part of the entire process. You can't put a price on that peace of mind. If I had to sell an organ to pay for Dara's services, I would. She's the most amazing, nurturing doula in north county. -Steven

Jen was our postpartum doula from the time my son was a newborn, until he was 3 months old. She…read moretook care of him 5 nights per week, giving us some much-needed sleep in those difficult newborn days. Jen was absolutely amazing. She was so gentle and caring with my baby, and every time she arrived I breathed a sigh of relief because I knew he was in such capable hands. He was really not the best sleeper, so by the time she came in I was usually on my 3rd or 4th attempt to put him down to sleep for the night, and desperate to get some food or a shower for myself. I would hand him off to her, and she would cuddle him for as long as necessary to get him into a deep sleep before putting him down. I'm a third-time mom, and it's hard for me to let go of my babies and accept help. But with Jen, I always felt safe and comfortable having her care for my baby each night. I was still waking up to breastfeed in the beginning, and she was extremely supportive of my breastfeeding journey. Then when I decided to switch to exclusive pumping, she helped me figure out the best way to maximize my sleep while still providing my baby with the correctly-timed nighttime milk. She supported all my goals for my baby and was so kind through it all. I also had a lot of requests and instructions for her, and she handled it all with so much patience and understanding. Every evening she came 5-10 minutes early and we chatted about all the usual newborn and postpartum stuff that was worrying me. She was always so caring, giving empathy and helpful advice. She also did baby related chores and made our lives a million times easier. We truly wouldn't have survived the newborn phase without her. Anyone would be lucky to have Jen as their postpartum doula!

Jen is AMAZING! She cared for our baby with love, attention to detail, and consideration for our…read morewishes. She provided the perfect blend of advice/assist and listening to/incorporating our goals. She is a fun, kind, passionate, organized doula who truly made our evenings restful. Bringing home our first baby was the most beautiful, meaningful experience; we largely have Jen to thank in allowing us to rest and show up as the best versions of ourselves for him each day.

We are so grateful to have had the dream team of Louise and Emry…read more At the prenatal visit, they kind, patient, and incredibly knowledgeable. They took their time to carefully understand our previous pregnancy and birth experience and supported us in forming the birth plan we were most comfortable with. During labor, Louise's steady presence and calm, reassuring energy made all the difference. She knew exactly when to step in to offer guidance or helpful suggestions, advocate for our needs, and even when to lighten the mood with her wonderful sense of humor. At the postpartum visit, Louise continued to show her sweet, supportive, thoughtful nature. She checked-in on all of us, answered questions, and made sure we were adjusting well to a new family member. We couldn't have asked for a better team to support us through such an important time in our lives. We would absolutely recommend Louise and Emry to anyone looking for a doula.

I had the best experience with Breathe Bitch Doula! Louise and Mahri were incredible. They made me…read morefeel so supported and relaxed throughout my whole journey. They are set up to tag team so one of them is guaranteed to be there for the brith which was so helpful to know that someone would be there no matter what. They helped prep me and we amazing resources throughout my pregnancy, obviously during labor, and even postpartum. I'd text them with all my "my baby is doing this is it normal" questions. I want them there for any future pregnancies and labor!

So much gratitude to this amazing doula duo!!…read more From the first time we met with April and Joy we felt comfortable and confident in our decision to work together. We are from out of town and I came down to San Diego first as my husband had to finish work and it was very reassuring to have April and Joy as part of our birth team in case I went into labor earlier than expected. Throughout my pregnancy all the resources, check ins, and words of encouragement that April and Joy provided were much appreciated. They were also very quick to respond to any questions/concerns that I had. The morning of my delivery my surges came in very quickly. I contacted Joy and April right away and shortly after had a phone conversation with Joy to confirm it was time to head to the hospital. She met my husband and I there and it was such a relief to see and have her support during the most challenging part of my labor. Her calming presence, hands on comfort measures were invaluable and she worked so harmoniously with the hospital staff. The photos she captured of our first moments with our second born are truly priceless. After delivery I had unexpected bleeding and I'm so thankful to have Joy's knowledge on the different types of medications. She helped slowed things down and explained the benefits of them for my case and I felt confident in my decision making. I am incredibly thankful for April's belly binding offering postpartum. The foot bath and belly massage was such a treat and it was a lovely way to wrap up our time together with her. There isn't a single thing I would have changed with my birth experience. April and Joy are a fantastic team, highly highly recommend them!

Working with Joyful Roots was truly one of the best decisions we made, and I can honestly say that…read moreJoy and April are the number one thing I credit for helping me have such a beautiful, positive birth experience. Before giving birth, I was someone who felt really nervous and unsure about the whole experience. But after going through it, I genuinely tell everyone that I loved giving birth, which is something I never thought I would say! That is such a testament to the incredible support and care Joy and April provided throughout my pregnancy, labor, and postpartum experience. My hope going into birth was to labor naturally at home as long as possible and remain open to getting an epidural once I was at the hospital and further along in active labor. They helped me achieve exactly that. While we were laboring at home, April was the one on the phone coaching my husband and me through contractions, helping us feel safe and calm. She offered different suggestions for positions and comfort measures that made such a difference. My husband shared after that he would have been freaking out much more and probably would have pushed going to the hospital earlier if it was not for her guidance. When Joy met us at the hospital, I instantly felt a huge sense of comfort and relief the moment I saw her. She was tremendously helpful supporting me through contractions with her touch through different comfort measures. After I got the epidural, she continued to be so knowledgeable and helped position me in ways that encouraged baby to be in the best possible position for birth. He was more to the side before but she made such a difference in getting him in a great position. What stood out most to me was how deeply seen and understood I felt by her. She was so in tune with my needs, emotions, and what I needed in each moment in a way that felt different from anyone else present in the room at my birth. Her presence was grounding and incredibly reassuring. Even after I gave birth, when I was feeling overwhelmed by all the emotions and hormones, she noticed immediately and supported me so thoughtfully and gently. That care meant so much to me. I know hiring a doula is an investment, but truly, it was one of the greatest gifts I could have given myself, my family, and my birth experience. If you are considering working with Joyful Roots, I cannot recommend Joy and April enough.

Being a first-time mom I was very anxious about bringing a newborn home, we decided to hire Tamara…read morefor the first two weeks. It turned out to be the best thing we could have done! Not only was she there for the first two weeks to answer questions and give me guidance, but she has been there to help get me through all of the breast-feeding questions that have come up in the last four months. Truly the best money I invested and would recommend Tamara to any of my family and friends.

How Tamara changed our life. . . 05.02.2012 4.41PM was the…read morereason We got a chance to meet Tamara. A Day when our first daughter Adriana was born. The moment I saw my baby's face for the first time I forgot everything, including my name. But the very next thought after my brain came back to reality was: "I am so happy that we decided to hire Tamara to be our doula!" Moving to San Diego in March, on the last month of pregnancy was not the easiest thing to do. On top of it the fact of getting closer to my due date which was April 16th,2014 started to stress me out even more. Zero experience with newborns, we never had little kids in our family, big fear of labor process itself and being an immigrant in this country with no family around were adding up to my anxiety level. I knew that I needed someone's help for me to go through all that. After I personally called through a list of 40 doulas in San Diego, I picked 3 for in person interview. Tamara was one of them. She sounded very confident on the phone and I was very comfortable asking her any questions that I had. After meeting her in person we immediately felt connection with her and knew that she is "The One". We loved the fact that she combines experience of being a Doula for over 10 years, medical background and being a Mom of her own 5 children. Tamara did several prenatal visits every time making sure all my questions were answered. She gave me educational materials to read and was happy to discuss them. She showed me exercises to practice as well as other tips to help me better prepare mentally and physically for the childbirth. She responded to my text messages almost instantly and I always felt as if I had an angel behind my shoulders ready to come any second if I needed so. I delivered my baby at 42 weeks and 1 day via scheduled induction. 2 weeks that I was overdue I was so thankful that I had Tamara by my side. My boyfriend has a traveling job and he was not able to be with me every day. Tamara visited me several times to make sure that I am doing fine, there were times our conversations went far beyond topic of labor and I felt that I am just having a tea with my family member. She has such a great sense of humor and great personality! On the induction day Tamara picked me up at my house at 6 pm. Naturally having a fear of hospitals and doctors I cannot imagine me being there by myself. At 9 pm nurses started me on pitocin. Shortly after contractions started, they were getting stronger and stronger. Tamara was there with me for the whole time helping me to go through each one of them. She quickly figured out what kind of touch or way of holding of my body I needed and was able to do it for me without a word. I was just making a different sounds or a some kind of gestures and Tamara knew what exactly I was asking for. It was amazing! I was so irritated by some nurses that were coming in the room asking me how I was doing in the middle of my contraction when the least thing I wanted was to tell them how I was doing. I was in my space and didn't want anybody disturbing my rhythm. With Tamara though it was completely different. I felt as she was my shadow. She was so silent and respectful to my needs but giving me what I needed. My labor went all night and continued through the next day. At 4 pm we already knew that baby was at risk and we had to go with C-section which was another biggest fear of mine but Tamara helped me to conquer it by sharing her own stories of birth and encouraging that everything will be okay with me. After we had a healthy baby-girl born we already saw what a Wonderful Doula Tamara is. My boyfriend was so happy with our birth experience that he was telling to other guy friends that having a Doula is the best investment you can have. And having Tamara as your doula is The best experience you can have before, through and after your child birth!

To say that investing in a doula was a good idea would be the understatement of a lifetime. My wife…read moreand I heard about this magical concept as if it were a fairytale idea out of our reach, a luxury item in no way meant for us. That was until we met Kathryn and One Moon Doula. They showed us how we could achieve the dream goals we had for those first precious weeks while also honoring our modest budget. Not knowing what to expect, as this was our first child, we did understand that having someone with us would change everything. We were quickly linked with a few doula interviews and fell in love with one of them. Our schedules aligned and boy did it ever change our lives. I can't imagine not having our doula there for those critical nights of transitioning into parenthood, while making space for healing and recovery. We both slept more than we ever thought possible, while our son was cared for better than we could have imagined, AND we learned so much to build a foundation of comfort and confidence moving forward. No family member or friend would have been able to step in the same way. If you have nothing else on your registry other than a fund for this...do just that. It will change your whole early parenting experience for the better. Thank you to One Moon Doula and their network of Angels.

Lindsey was a blessing. She was more than I could have asked for. I don't have family nearby to…read morehelp so I looked into doula services. She made me so comfortable with her caring for my newborn, which is very hard to let someone else do. She was very easy to get along with and offered tips and advice that were so helpful to me, even as a second time mom. She made it so I could get good sleep and be ready for the next day with the baby and my oldest, refreshed. Thank you!! I am forever grateful. :)

The care and one on one was amazing. My daughter felt seen, heard and helped…read more The office was lovely, warm and spotlessly clean. The young lady who greeted us was very kind, smiled and was happy we were there.

Jen is absolutely incredible with her knowledge, compassion and care for those she interacts with!…read moreShe makes you feel supported and empowered in your choices as a parent. She is extremely generous with her time when she is working with you and generous in sharing supplies to ensure you have what you need to be able to feed your baby the way you want to be able to feed. As a first time mom, meeting with Jen was an absolute must and I cannot recommend her enough to first time and experienced mothers/families! Thank you, Jen, for the compassion and knowledge you bring to families.

My husband and I sought out a doula to help us prepare for the birth of our son. Unfortunately the…read moremore pregnant I got, the sicker my Mother became, and we were not able to prepare for his birth the way we wanted. At 34 weeks pregnant we met with Robin and I knew immediately that she would be able to help calm my husband and I during our first delivery. There is something about her, she makes you feel like your meeting with a long lost friend from high school. She supplied us with great resources to prepare for Travis's arrival in a few weeks. She came to visit us at our home and helped me learn stretches, pelvic exercises, comfortable sleep positions, and even soothed our fears that we were missing crucial baby equipment. The night I went into labor I waited till about 10 pm to finally call her, she met us at Escondido and even return with us at 6 am when they sent me home! She was basically awake driving around all night! Once I was finally admitted she was an amazing support person through my 36 hours of labor! I was so nervous I wouldn't be prepared for labor, but after trusting all the advice and labor education Robin had passed on I look back now and think, it really wasn't bad. TV and movies make it seems so horrible, and as I walked around and around the birthing floor I just breathed through every contraction knowing my little guy was one step closer to being in my arms. I was so confident and clam as the process continued, I found out the nursing staff had been watching in awe of how long I was able to continue au natural. Weeks later Robin came to our new home (!) and took our family photos with out new little mancub. I highly suggest that any first time parents, or parents to be in general, seek the support of a doula. It made our birth experience something to embrace and I will always have fond memories.

I have worked with Robin in several different ways. I first met her as a photographer when I was…read morelucky enough to be included in a breastfeeding shoot. I had an emotional and rough start to breastfeeding with that particular child and capturing it on film was truly one of the greatest gifts I have received as a mom. I have also worked FOR her, painting a business belly for her to use in promotions for Birth Blessings. I can tell you that her level of professionalism is unmatched, and she is an awesome "boss". She also trained me in placenta encapsulation, and her mentorship is invaluable. The standards that she sets are incredible, as is the one-on-one teaching. If you are seeking out training in encapsulation, you will find no better program. You certainly will not get to HANDS ON train through the entire process in a group setting. Not only does she thoroughly verse you in the actual process, but she also touches on branding and how to provide a solid service to new mommas. Working with Robin has really helped grow my own postpartum services business.

Amanda is truly amazing. We hired her for postpartum overnight work. We were so desperate for sleep…read moreas the 4 month sleep regression was really tough. She jumped right in and truly cared about our well being. I wished I had hired her as my birth doula too. Her wealth of knowledge and smart mind is incredible.

This review is a long time coming because I gave birth in 2019, with Amanda right by my side from…read morestart to finish. My husband and I sought out a doula after experiencing a very rough first trimester mentally and emotionally. I knew after going through a rough pregnancy and PP with my first child that it would be a good idea to bring on additional support. I researched multiple doulas, and after interviewing another person who in my opinion was tied for first-- something told me to go with Amanda... And I'm so glad I did. The thing that I gravitated toward the most with her was her empowering, yet calm energy as well as the fact that she herself is a mother and has experienced birth. She connected with me on so many levels during my pregnancy and labor/delivery. Even having such an involved and supportive husband, Amanda provided support and assistance in ways we never could have done on our own. I felt so comfortable and grateful to have her in my pregnancy journey/labor & delivery experience. It wouldn't have been the same without her. Her doula service is well worth the money and I would absolutely use her again! Thank you so much Amanda

The Elite Baby Co has been a total game-changer for our family. As two working professionals with…read moredemanding careers, we were looking for top-tier newborn care that we could trust completely -- and The Elite Baby Co delivered beyond our expectations. Our newborn care specialist was incredibly knowledgeable, warm, and reliable. From sleep support to feeding schedules and postpartum guidance, she handled everything with calm professionalism. We felt supported, informed, and finally able to get some rest -- without sacrificing our careers or peace of mind. This is not your average nanny agency. The Elite Baby Co truly caters to high-achieving families who want exceptional newborn care without compromise. If you're looking for an elite nanny agency that understands the needs of modern parents, this is it.

This agency found me the perfect person to take care of my baby during the night. She had tons of…read moreexperience and helped me get the rest I needed on my first week home from the hospital. I would absolutely recommend them to my friends and feel fabulous about having made the investment in the well-being of our family. An easy 5-Stars!