My wife and I highly recommend Heather and Desiree for doula services! Heather was with us for the full labor process and was incredibly calm, supportive, and knowledgeable. This is our third baby and the first two births we did not have a doula, and what a huge difference she made! So grateful she was a part of our birth team. From my perspective (the partner), it was so great having an extra support person for my wife. They knew my wife's birth preferences, helped recommend different comfort measures, and helped communicate effectively with the hospital staff. Lastly, Heather/Desiree were very helpful during pregnancy and were always available for advice. They did a great job helping form our birth plan, and were especially helpful towards the end of pregnancy as we had many NST's and other events that we needed their consult and reassurance, which they were always quick to provide. read more

My experience with Heather for placenta encapsulations was absolutely amazing. I am still amazed by how kindly & clearly she communicated, how punctual, and how fast she was for pick up, even though I found her last minute. Thank you soo much! I most definitely recommend! read more

SF Birth Doula and Placenta Encapsulation Services - Placenta encapsulations - Doulas Near Me - San Francisco, California

Heather was fantastic!! She helped me with placenta encapsulation for my first child and we hope to work with her again for #2! She was responsive, professional, warm, and incredibly kind! She provided helpful guidance and instructions, and the whole process went so smoothly. I believe the placenta capsules helped me tremendously. Thank you, Heather!! read more

Heather and Kristina are both deeply knowledgeable doulas. I am so glad I had their support for the birth of my second child. They provided a warm and inclusive environment free of any judgement around the decisions I made with regards to what I wanted during labor/delivery. Heather was present during my labor and delivery at the hospital and I am so appreciative of her care during that time. Her calm presence and guidance really helped me to have the labor and delivery outcome that I was hoping for. I can't recommend them enough. Thank you both so much! read more

Working with Heather was such a breeze! She was so responsive during the entire placenta encapsulation process from start to finish. My mother-in-law was responsible for picking up my placenta and dropping it off to Heather soon after I gave birth. After a couple of days, my brother-in-law picked up the pills from Heather and that's all there was to it! I had a quick and easy recovery with minimal baby blues and no hints of PPD. I highly recommend Heather's services! read more

SF Birth Doula and Placenta Encapsulation Services - Encapsulated placenta and Mrs. Patel's lactation tea. Thank you so much, Heather! - Doulas Near Me - San Francisco, California

Heather was wonderful from start to finish. Very communicative and made the placenta pick up process easy, even during COVID (this was in December 2020). I received my pills the following day - quickest thing that happened during my labor / delivery :) I finished the pills within the first month taking 2 - 3 a day. I know some believe it does nothing but I truly believe they helped with my healing process. Easy to swallow and no after taste. I would absolutely recommend! read more

Can we talk about what a godsend this woman is?! The original person who was supposed to encapsulate my placenta ghosted me. 3 weeks later of terrible postpartum depression and my placenta still in the freezer, I was put in touch with Heather. She replied within minutes, gave me instructions on what to do next and had my placenta encapsulated for me in 24 hours after receiving it. Let me tell you how much better I feel in just a short period of time! Thank you! I feel like you literally saved my life! read more

I could not recommend Heather's doula services enough! Heather innate nature is comforting, serene and loving. I used Heather as my birth doula during a very stressful time. I so appreciated her immense knowledge and it really calmed me and helped me make very informed decisions. She will be there every hour and step of the way through the long process of pregnancy and birth. I have since recommended her to many new moms! You won't regret it. read more

I used Heather for placenta pills after my 4th baby. I highly recommend her services and would use her again in a heartbeat. I also highly recommend placenta pills in general if you're considering- I used them for baby 3 and 4 and noticed a difference in myself. Heather was easy to work with, sent clear instructions and was easy to communicate with. The package that we received with our pills was also so special and something that I will always treasure. read more

Long overdue review! With a toddler and a newborn definitely took all my time! I've never thought about doing a placenta encapsulation when I had my first born but when I was pregnant with my second, I read about all the great benefits from it. I read reviews after reviews of different places that does it and i stumbled upon Heather. She is very responsive and very nice. I texted her when I was in the hospital and she came the next morning to pick up the placenta at the hospital. She even delivered the finished product in a beautiful glass bottle! I am so glad I found Heather. She checked in with me to see how I was doing and if i had any questions even months after. Now I have so much more energy and I feel like my body is back to normal after taking the pills. Would definitely recommend Heather to my preggo friends and fam! read more

This review is long overdue since I worked with Heather for placenta encapsulation during the birth of my son in 2021. Heather was so easy and such a joy to work with. She took such care and was a great resource. I would highly recommend her for all placenta encapsulation needs! read more

I knew I wanted to encapsulate my placenta, and Heather came highly recommended by both my doula and my prenatal yoga teacher. I can see why - she's wonderful! Very knowledgeable and competent and compassionate. This is my first baby so I don't have anything to compare it to, but I believe taking the placenta pills has really helped my healing. My milk supply is good. The pills give me an extra boost of just the right amount of energy, which is so helpful when I'm not getting much sleep. The whole process of getting the placenta to her & getting the pills was super easy & straightforward. I definitely recommend working with Heather, she's great! read more

So incredibly grateful for Heather and her placenta encapsulation services!! An easy process from start to finish, with clear quick instructions (which was crucial given everything else going on). When my water broke Christmas morning, Heather was responsive, available and helpful with excellent service and such a kind touch. Pills were delivered to our door the day we were home from the hospital. The pills themselves were easy to take and such a crutch as I was healing after birth. Strongly recommend!! Thank you Heather for contributing so positively to the most beautiful life changing event of my life. read more

Heather and Kristina both have vast experience as doulas as well as a deep knowledge about all things birth and baby which was very helpful as a first time mom. Not only did they plan check-ins throughout my pregnancy to ensure we covered all the details for my dream birth, but they also provided educational group zooms on a variety of topics. During my labor, Heather came during the AM and Kristina during the PM which meant we had a well-rested doula to support me through the entire labor. They were both encouraging and had no judgment about anything I was doing. I felt so comfortable with them-it felt natural to have them by my side. I have endless gratitude towards both of them for their support. Do not hesitate to add them to your team! Heather also encapsulated my placenta. She delivered the capsules the next day and had thorough instructions so I felt confident taking them. I believe they helped me bounce back quickly. I had no baby blues and my milk came in strong. I highly recommend this service as well! read more

I found Heather on Yelp and heard many positive reviews about her from several Mommy groups on social media. She is amazing! I just delivered my second baby and worked with her on my placenta encapsulation. With my first, I had very low energy and experienced some baby blues so I wanted to be prepared for the birth of my second child. I did some research regarding placenta encapsulation and found a lot of positive outcomes. When I decided to move forward with the process, I knew Heather and her team would be the best to work. She was extremely easy to work with and provided outstanding service. She responded quickly to my emails and questions and put me at ease about the whole process. After labor, she communicated with us via text/email and was very thorough regarding where to meet and the whole process. I was able to start taking the placenta pills within 2 days of delivery and it has been a very positive experience. I've had NO baby blues, have great energy and my milk came in quickly. I highly recommend Heather and her team. She is above and beyond amazing. Thank you Heather for everything! read more

Heather was a pleasure to work with - and I credit the placenta pills for accelerating my recovery. Thank you!

Doulas Heather and Kristina are the birth support team every mom and family deserves! They were with my husband and I every step of the way. The emotional support they provided even before the birth was special. This team just goes above and beyond. And I particularly enjoyed the peer group meetups and birth education classes they provided. And they still followed up and checked in on us even a month after our baby was born. I'm so incredibly grateful for their support. My delivery was calm and controlled because of their help. read more

Heather created placenta encapsulation pills for me for my second child. Communication with her was very prompt and she made everything straightforward and extremely easy to take care of. She picked up the placenta from the hospital on Friday evening and brought the pills back to the hospital before we went home Sunday morning! I waited about a week to start taking them (only because I put them in the fridge and forgot about them in my postpartum fog) and my hormones were going crazy. Once I started taking them, I began to feel way better all around. They're definitely helping to give my body what it needs to recover. I can't recommend Heather's services highly enough! Thank you Heather! read more

Heather was great to work with. I used her for placenta encapsulation. She was professional, kind, very quick, and the capsules were helpful in leveling out my postpartum hormone levels! I highly recommend her for this service! read more

Heather is awesome. Her instructions were precise and easy to follow. The whole transaction went smoothly. At 8 weeks postpartum , I've had little to no baby blues and my milk supply has been great. I like to think it's because of the placenta pills :) Wish I did this with my first pregnancy. Would definitely recommend Heather to anyone interested in placenta encapsulation. read more

We were referred to Heather by our midwife to provide placenta encapsulation. We were thrilled with the service. Very prompt and delivered within 48 hours in a beautiful gift bag that included some extra little goodies (thoroughly appreciated those cookies and tea samples!). I am about one month from finishing my capsules and I'm already feeling emotional about it. I take one a day and I'm sure it's helping with my mood, general health and wellbeing. It's also a way for me to hang on to that magic of knowing my babe grew inside of me. Thank you Heather! I would say we'll be back, but we're finishing at 3 kids! ;) read more

Heather was amazing!!! She is so intuitive and considerate; she was incredibly helpful for both my husband and I and was able to hone in on our values and personalities and preferences. In the days and hours leading up to our baby's birth she was so communicative and consistently encouraged me to ask any questions I had. I adore her as a person and as one of the first people my baby girl got to meet! read more

In reflection, my husband and I agree that the two best pregnancy decisions we made for our son's birth were choosing to labor naturally at a birthing center and hiring Heather as our doula. At first I didn't think I needed a doula. I had a vision of birth being an intimate, romanticized moment for my husband and I to welcome our son into the world. I was confident in my midwives coaching me through labor. I felt like I could be my own advocate and that my husband (who knows me best) would be my partner in this, just as in life. At the advice of many women I know, I decided to hire Heather, and I'm so grateful I did. Hiring Heather meant having someone to help us through early and active labor so that everyone could fully embrace the role they were meant to have -- which reduced stress, improved safe monitoring, and ultimately made the difference in us having the beautiful birth story we intended. Heather was able to suggest things for my husband to do to help me through contractions because even though we'd taken birthing classes, in the moment, he needed someone to guide him to what would best help. I was able to fully let go of being in charge, trusting that my husband was supporting me and that Heather---a seasoned doula, loving mama and knowledgeable woman, understood what I was going through, was there advocating for my vision and helping my husband to do the same. If you're on the fence, seriously, just hire her. You will not regret it at all, and you'll be able to have someone by you and your partner's side who is advocating for your birth plan, holding space for your vision, knows her stuff, takes great birth photos and has your placenta encapsulated and returned to you the next day (if you're also hiring her for placenta encapsulation). read more

Heather was professional and responsive the entire experience. I emailed Heather as soon as I found out that I was pregnant and she answered all of my questions and was super helpful. When we had the baby she was easy to communicate with. She came and picked up my placenta and then dropped my placenta off to me(which is a big deal when you're a new mom) at my house! read more

Heather is great! She came to our hospital and picked up my placenta. She then emailed us the photo of the placenta before proceed the pill. We suppose to pickup the pills when she was at the hospital but hubby went home. She was very kindly to bring the pill to my room n gave me the instruction. I didn't took the pill since I gave it to my parents. read more

Pre pregnancy I didn't know what a doula was. Early pregnancy I didn't think I needed a doula. Mid pregnancy I reluctantly began interviewing doulas. Post labor I thanked God for our doula pair! From the moment we asked them to be our doulas, Heather and Kathryn became an essential part of our birth team. The two of them were incredibly warm and receptive to any and all concerns pre-baby. They provided us with the resources and knowledge to help us thoroughly research and understand the many important decisions we would be expected to make surrounding the birth. We went two weeks post due with our little lady and they provided such a personal, genuine touch with daily check-ins, advice, and encouragement. My husband and I read all the books, took classes, and watched all the documentaries, but we still totally underestimated the chaos of labor. Looking back, I shudder to think what would have happened without the support of our doulas. Heather's shift began as our labor seemed to be at a turning point. We were considering transferring from the birth center to the hospital partly because I didn't think I had anymore in me. Heather provided such a confident encouragement. "When a woman gives birth, she has to reach down inside herself and give more than she thought she had. The limits of her existence are stretched. There is a moment when every woman thinks, 'I can't do this.' If she is lucky, she has a midwife, a doula or her mom to whisper in her ear, 'You are doing it.' As she does, she becomes someone new: a mother."--Pam Udy This quote, I am so blessed to say, perfectly describes my experience, and those whispers of encouragement from Heather and Kathryn helped me tap into my own strength and ultimately have the birth I wanted. I am so thankful for Heather's encouragement but also for her skilled support and use of pain management techniques. She was constantly offering sips of water, applying acupressure and counter pressure, working to make me more comfortable, and facilitating optimal positioning. Somehow, Heather also managed to capture beautiful pictures and videos of the birth, provided breastfeeding support, picked up food for us post labor, and promptly delivered my placenta pills a few days after my daughter was born. It was like Heather was one step ahead of our needs the entire process. I cannot recommend Heather's doula and placenta encapsulation services enough! We love you Heather! J,M&M read more

Working with Heather was thankfully a breeze during a whirlwind of a 36 hour labor! The info she gave prior was great, and she was so accommodating. She communicated with my brother in law to get my placenta and had the capsules ready the next day!! The pills came in a cute jar and they were even raspberry flavored =) I really think having my placenta pills made a very difficult post partum period easier than it would have been without them. This was my first baby so I can't say for certain not having previous experience to compare, but I did notice that my teary days were the ones I hadn't taken the pills! I had good milk supply from the beginning and I think that is attributable to help from the pills as well. Over all it was a great experience working with Heather and I'd recommend her to anyone looking to do placenta encapsulation! read more

I found Heather on Yelp while pregnant with my son last summer. I am always working with someone new who isn't a personal referral, but I took a chance with Heather and I am so glad! She was professional, always quick to respond, flexible on timing when it came to making pickups and drop offs, and happy to answer any questions I had. I paid extra to have my placenta steamed and got the mint flavored encapsulations, and I would do the exact same thing again--there were no strange tastes and it definitely helped nurse me back to health. Thank you so much, Heather! read more

After researching and reading about placenta encapsulation, I knew that was something I wanted to do. I found Heather via Yelp and it was one of the best decisions I've made regarding my birth plan. Although I never met Heather personally, she was very responsive via both phone and email and was thorough in all her responses. She was flexible and delivered the pills quickly. I was able to take them soon after giving birth and I experienced absolutely no baby blues whatsoever. I've had great energy (apparently people have said I don't look tired) and had no problems breastfeeding. It was such a positive experience and I would most definitely use her again should I consider baby #2. I will definitely recommend her to everyone that is interested in placenta encapsulation! read more

Heather was one of the two doulas at the birth of our daughter, and it's hard to imagine how it would have been without her there. We had originally wanted a natural birth with no interventions at all, but that plan was dashed when we were put into a high-risk category. So instead of giving us a midwife, our hospital assigned a team of doctors and residents, and all of a sudden the birth was feeling very medical. When Heather and our other doula arrived, they provided us with great advice, comfort, and assurance that we were doing the right thing. And during the birth itself, they were always at my partner's side with nurturing touch, gentle encouragement, and grounding common sense. Heather was also a wonderful source of information and guidance that helped us prepare for the big day. She spent a lot of time with us in the two pre-birth meetings, answering questions we had and helping us prepare a birth plan. She also expertly captured photos and video of the birth, which was especially helpful since my iPhone battery mysteriously stopped charging that day. Five stars! read more

David and I interviewed Heather and her doula partner Chelsey Worth and we hired them for our birth immediately. We chose them for a variety of reasons, but one reason we liked them is that they were excited to support our hospital birth in a way we hadn't encountered with other douals we spoke to. We're at UCSF, we feel safe at UCSF, and we wanted doulas who would support us as we worked with our trusted medical team (and my beloved midwife). Another reason I immediately liked Heather is how she described supporting the mother's partner during the birth, which is something I was looking for. I wanted my husband to be involved, and for our doulas want to find ways to help him be helpful, provide the best form of comfort at different stages of labor, etc. Heather came over to our home and helped teach my husband lots of comfort and support techniques that came in handy when it was go time! Finally, Heather and Chelsey held regular meetings with all of their expecting clients on a wide variety of topics, providing additional birth education and resources. It was a great added bonus, and we really enjoyed these workshops and the opportunity to hear from other expectant parents. read more

My wife and I just recently had our first child and hired Heather to process and encapsulate the placenta... She was highly recommended by our Doula and took care of everything for us. The entire process, from hand-off to retrieval, took less than two days. She sent me updates with photos of the placenta which are both amazing and quite gruesome... A must have for grossing out friends and family. The best part was that my wife was able to start taking the pills within a day and half of giving birth. Heather shot me a text when she had finished, asked which hospital we were at and what time would be a good time to drop them off... It doesn't get any easier than that. read more

Heather was AMAZING!!! We interviewed quite a few Doulas and had quite a connection with Heather which made our decision to use her as our Doula obvious. +1 for Heather As with all pregnancies, there are things you don't expect to happen. We felt entirely comfortable reaching out to her to give her the updates. She was extremely fast to respond with 1) great information and 2) references for further support, research work/publications etc. +1 for Heather Due to circumstances, we have a lot of time to labor at home, so we met Heather at the hospital, she actually made it there much quicker than we did and I'm pretty sure I was speeding to the hospital. +1 for Heather The duration of our labor, she was calm, supportive, polite, informed, comforting and all around amazing. This was our first experience with birth and we felt confident that having her on our side, we would have all of the answers we would need to any questions that came up. +1 for Heather She spent time with us during the pregnancy, invited us to meetings for soon to be parents, pre-natal yoga classes. I think she sensed that we were scared and lost and as a reaction sent us some really great reading material which focused us on what was important and the best way to frame any situation that came up. +1000 for Heather She was extremely well connected in the SF Birthing community. She had seen everything we'd gone though and again, had references for more like minded individuals and professionals. +1 for Heather She remains a friend of us and our son who is now 3 months old. As parents we feel that we were prepared for what was to come largely because of our wonderful Doula. I would strongly recommend her. read more

Hiring Heather was one of the best choices I made in my pregnancy, my birth was beautiful and I owe so much of that to her. She was amazing from the very beginning. We wanted to meet her with very short notice, unreasonably short even, and she bent over backwards to accommodate us ― coming to our home late-ish and then doing a phone interview with my husband when train troubles made him miss the meeting we scheduled. While we were leaning towards an unmedicated childbirth from the beginning, we wanted someone who would support any birth plan non-judgementally and that's what we got from her. Heather emanates kindness, encouragement, and wisdom. During pregnancy, I felt an abundance of support for myself and didn't see much support for my husband. Without being asked to, Heather checked in with my husband as often as she checked in with me. I attended Heather's prenatal yoga classes, it was a wonderful opportunity to get to know her better and pick up some tips for labor. Side note: I attended several prenatal yoga classes from different teachers in San Francisco and Heather's class is unique in that she blends yoga with yoga for labor. She also had us partner up with the other mamas in the class, providing an opportunity to chat with the other moms and get to know each other better. During labor, Heather referred to specific poses we covered in her classes and they came back instantaneously; it's like riding a bike. My labor journey was not what we had expected (is it ever?), we planned for an unmedicated childbirth and I ended up being induced 24 hours after my water broke. This meant being hooked to an IV and constant fetal monitoring, it was disappointing but Heather encouraged us to not let that get us down. We were still able to have the childbirth free of pain medication that we wanted. My daughter was born 60 hours after my water broke and we were in contact with Heather the whole time. We didn't ask her to meet us at the hospital until about 8 hours before my daughter's birth, and Heather was available over the phone, via text, and through email the whole time. When Heather arrived, my husband took a much needed nap and Heather helped me relax in the tub. She brought aroma therapy oils and helped us make a serene space in the labor room. She helped with massage, compresses, and so much encouragement. She also reminded me to stay hydrated. The ease with which Heather navigated UCSF was very comforting, she even knew some of the hospital staff from previous births! Heather remained positive, energized, and so supportive throughout the whole process. She took photos and videos so we have wonderful keepsakes to return to. At one point, I was having a strong contraction and my husband wasn't in the room, Heather walked over and said "I'm here". That's all I needed. When my daughter was born, she wasn't breathing and had to be taken to emergency pediatric care. My husband went over to stay with her while Heather stayed by my side. Rushed though it was, I felt powerless in that moment. I looked from the table where my daughter was to Heather, and she breathed deeply and smiled at me. I figured, through everything Heather has seen through her doula experiences, if Heather felt calm then I should feel calm. Seconds later my little baby cried her first cry. Heather was flawlessly attuned to the ways she could assist our childbirth-without-pain-medication experience. She helped me realize my own capabilities and helped my husband and I unlock how strong we are as a couple. I loved my labor, I felt like a warrior. I have such a wonderful experience to look back on, and my daughter was born into the world with such love. Heather is an inseparable part of that experience. read more

I didn't even know about encapsulating my placenta until I met Heather. I'm really glad I did! Heather made the process super smooth and easy and is great at communicating when we had the pick up. If we have another child, we will definitely do this again! read more

Heather is truly dedicated at what she does as a doula. I had a labor that lasted about 32 hours but with Heather around, her familiarity with the hospital staff and her ability to bring calm in every situation made the experience amazing. Before the birth of our baby she prepared us really well on all aspects of birth and answered all our questions. She helped tailor our birth plan and was always mindful of what we wanted. The best part of working with Heather is that she is such a warm, and kind person that it will have you miss her after your baby is born :) Hiring Heather was the best decision we made for the birth of our child. Thanks to her, the event remains sweet and special despite the long and painful time that it was. read more

Heather was the backup doula during our birth process and she was called on during the early part of our rather long birth process because our regular doula was unable to be there until the end. Despite not having worked with us earlier in the process, heather did a great job coming and helping us as a labor coach through part of a pretty long labor. Eventually our original doula was able to be there and heather got a well deserved rest. We would have been sad to see her go, but frankly we were deep in the midst of a challenging and amazing experience and probably didn't say good bye properly. So, thanks heather for your excellent help, and the TENS machine, all very helpful in getting us to the goal of healthy and happy baby and mommy. read more

Excellent experience with Heather! She was extremely responsive, professional, she's familiar with the medical centers in the area and very clearly outlined how the process would work. On the big day - it couldn't have been easier and we were very happy with the process as a whole. I highly recommend her services. read more

Heather was awesome and I'm so glad I chose to work with her! She was always professional, quick to respond to any questions I had, and provided me with a lot of valuable information as I was navigating my pregnancy. My birth had some unexpected turns and she was incredibly helpful in providing us with information we needed to make informed decisions about what we wanted to do. I always felt comfortable with Heather and it was evident that she cared a lot about me, my birth, and our baby. I would not hesitate to recommend Heather to any mama-to-be to support her through her pregnancy and birth. Thank you so much, Heather!! read more

Heather and her partner Kathryn are warm, punctual, responsive, and informative. I chose to work with them for my first childbirth experience. They came to my home a few times to get to know me and my husband, answer questions, share knowledge, and practice techniques. Heather was present for my birth at UCSF Mission Bay. Her assistance was hugely beneficial for both myself and my husband. I am not really one to write Yelp reviews but think it's important for Heather's work to be recognized. I will recommend her to my friends and I would not hesitate to work with her as my birth doula again. read more