TL;DR: Last-minute cancellations, fell asleep on duty watching our newborn, refused hands-on baby care, 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. read more

As others have reported we had a horrific experience with Czarina, and most unfortunately, we felt taken advantage of at a time when we were quite vulnerable right after we had our first child, and were struggling. If you don't take anything from this review, I ask you to please schedule a trial run as others have reported, Czarina will ask you to prepay for multiple days before having a chance to experience with her. Context: We hired Czarina as a night doula for 6 nights. Czarina showed up 5 minutes late (and also left 5 minutes early). When she arrived at our home, she made it pretty clear she was unhappy with our setup (we had our baby sleeping in our room, and our milk/fridge on our main level, requiring going up and down stairs for a bottle). She made it pretty obvious she was unhappy with the stairs which is like the one thing I needed her to do -- fetch stuff from downstairs. Second we had asked Czarina to wake my wife at very specific times to enable specific feedings. We were struggling with breast feeding, struggling to get feeding right at all and wanted to stick to a specific schedule (as recommended by our dr). Czarina failed to wake us up, claiming that she missed our alarm (turns out Czarina feel asleep as a night doula). Finally when my wife woke up and Czarina did bring the infant in, we had asked that she change her as our infant didn't like being wet during a feeding at all. Despite asking multiple times, the baby was brought in wet which prolonged each feeding. Overall Czarina was just not a fit for us, and despite having multiple attempts to receive a refund, Czarina has refused to provide any refunds. I beg you to read this review but also the others and reach out if you have questions. Being a new parent is incredibly stressful and I'd hate for you to have even more stress. read more

Due to my privileged position, and very personal experience with Silicon Valley doulas, I can tell you 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. read more

Czarina from Silicon Valley Doulas was able to help us for several critical weeks after the birth of our newborn, as a night-doula. We have several positive things to share: 1) Czarina has experience and comfort with working with babies, and our little one was at ease with all their interactions. 2) Czarina was cognizant of, and accommodating of, our needs (was proactive about suggesting we take a 'night off' to get sleep when it was clear we were at the end of our tethers) - she took care of everything on such nights 3) Czarina suggested several ways we could make childcare, especially overnight, more efficient and less time consuming. 4) Finally, Czarina gave us good suggestions about when it was ok to let our child sleep longer, or grow/evolve their feeding schedule, and we were able to make significant progress towards sleep and feeing milestones with her advice. Therefore, we recommend her, and Silicon Valley doulas. read more

Made an initial virtual consultation appointment with them on July 2 2:45pm. They sent me a zoom link and all the details. On the day of the appointment when I hop on to the zoom call, nobody from silicon valley doula showed up. I waited 20mins in the call with no one ever showed up. Tried calling them and the number is never answered. Very unreliable and a waste of my time. Would not recommend. read more

This review is for Silicon Valley Doula's postpartum night doula services, which we hired Czarina for to help us several nights a week for the first six weeks after our child was born. The quality of care for our child during visits was helpful. Unfortunately, Czarina was incredibly inconsistent in showing up for a variety of reasons (e.g., due to being on call for labor and delivery doula services, feeling under the weather, etc.). During our 18 dates we agreed on for night doula services, 7 were canceled and rescheduled for a later date. This was particularly problematic when 4 visits were canceled in a row during the fourth and fifth week home from the hospital with our child--which also happened to be the weeks that our child had the hardest time sleeping at night, leading to even more frustration on our end given we had originally hired support for these exact nights. Instead of offering a refund for missed nights (which is what we asked for), we ended up having to reschedule for evenings after our originally scheduled time had ended, which was less useful given that our child was starting to sleep much longer stretches by that time. Perhaps the biggest toll of all of this was on our mental health as new parents--there were multiple occasions where we were completely exhausted from the day and would be very much in need of a break in the evening, only to receive a text less than two hours before Czarina's scheduled start time that she would not be able to make it that night and would have to reschedule (this was particularly problematic and lead to us being able to get even less sleep than on nights that we did not have any services scheduled). After multiple instances like this, and not being able to trust whether we would have help at night or not, the stress and anxiety induced by the lack of dependability made us regret hiring Silicon Valley Doulas in the first place (had we known that nearly half of all nights we contracted for would need to be rescheduled, we would not have hired this service). read more

I'm so grateful I found Silicon Valley Doulas and pursued them for postpartum services. My husband and I are first time parents with no background, experience, knowledge so I knew I would have some anxiety with how to manage our first weeks as parents. Both Abby and Stephanie were wonderful with helping us transition with a newborn. Gave us a lot of insight and information and was just a relief when we needed a helping hand. I had booked them for 10 sessions and all of them varied in whatever we needed that day. They helped guide us in "basics" that weren't basic for us and made us much more comfortable as parents. They also had a vast knowledge of resources when we had questions or concerns. From my conversations with them, they were also super dedicated to the mothers who needed aid for labor and delivery. All around, zero regrets and so glad we found them. read more

Czarina was my birth doula. She came through for us very last minute and let me tell you, she was amazing. She goes over every single detail you might encounter and make sure you are heard. One of the important things for me was to avoid going to the hospital too early. With that in mind she guided me during early labor till the very last minute before heading to the hospital. And I am very grateful for that as I would go nuts had I gone to the hospital when my labor started. Once things got serious we met in in the hospital and started my birth journey. She knew exactly what I needed and when I needed. Seems like sometime she new that even before me. I have to add that she has an amazing, energetic and very soothing touch. She took care of me and my hubby from begging until very end. This is the person you want in your corner when you are in labor and delivering!!!! read more

I wish I could write a solid review but unfortunately Czarina has completely ghosted me after I made a full payment. I made a full payment for 7 nights of postpartum care, and my baby wasn't responding well to her due to some ongoing colic/acid reflux issues so around 4 am, she woke us to hand the baby off to us. Thereafter, since she wasn't able to provide the care we needed, I asked for a refund for the additional 5 nights. Intitially, she replied saying she could offer me day time support instead or virtual coaching. She said we could hop on the phone to discuss further. This was back on Aug 8. Since then, I have heard nothing - I have called and texted her many times, no reply at all. I then tried to dispute the amount with my credit card company but she responded to the credit card saying that I signed a contract with prepaid nights that can't be refunded. While that may be true, if you've ghosted a client who prepaid, that is extremely unprofessional. Not to mention she had cancelled on me a few times due to health reasons and I always understood. Very disappointed to be out of pocket $2600 and receive zero response from Czarina even tho she had told me she could make up the cost in other ways since the night support wasn't working out. read more

I'm so thankful that I found Silicon Valley Doulas! My partner and I are first-time parents and were so nervous about what to expect. Czarina has been so patient and thoughtful with her responses to our plethora of questions. Our labor & delivery wasn't what we hoped it would be but Czarina's calming demeanor helped us keep a level head, advocate for our preferences and get through the experience the best we could. I would highly recommend SV Doulas to any expecting parents! read more

I cannot recommend the SV Doula team enough!! We began working with them at the start of my second trimester. They were in my corner throughout all the ups and downs of pregnancy and were always available to answer questions (no matter how random!). The class series they offer is amazing and so educational. They are great presenters and brought in a wide range of information on every topic covered. Stephanie attended the birth of our daughter in late August and was so helpful throughout! I know I couldn't have done it without her support. She helped my husband determine when to go to the hospital when I was completely in labor land and when she came to the delivery room she had so many good ideas about positioning, breathing, and relaxation to help me make it through the final moments. Just as importantly, Stephanie was such an encouraging force throughout labor, especially during several crises of confidence, giving me reassurance at every step. If I had to do it again, I'd make the same decision and work with SV Doulas. Stephanie and Czarina have extensive and complementary knowledge and styles, making them a fantastic team. read more

I'll start off by stating this...if you are debating about hiring them, taking their classes, getting advice from them...don't hesitate, do it! I cannot stress how much they have helped us in our journey to becoming parents. (AND AFTER!) As new parents, navigating all the chaos and crazy of getting prepared to have a baby we knew we would need some guidance, especially because we were going to have this baby during the middle of a pandemic. My husband, Louis, and I took their online classes in preparation for the birth and to understand what the heck do we do when we actually have the baby. Underline, bold, exclamation marks, underline: It was the best thing we could have done. Not only did we know how to advocate for ourselves when at the hospital, but we knew how to prepare for all the things that could have been thrown our way, and let me tell you there was a lot. Long story short, our baby came 5 weeks early, and I had to be induced. Wasn't prepared for that, but we knew we would be ok because we took their classes. When the nurses started telling us what was going to happen, our knowledge kicked in and we knew what questions to ask to ensure the baby and I (the mom) was taken care of. The nurses were extremely impressed with us doing our homework, which we believe made the scary process of having a preemie less stressful for all. But our story doesn't stop there. After we got home, there were a few complications with breastfeeding and pumping, especially with all the emotional and mental rollercoasters. We reached out to them, and once again, they saved us. With their amazing empathy, warmth and love, we were able to navigate the so many other questions that arose while figuring out the complexity of nursing. I felt so seen, taken care of, and embraced. I knew that I was going to be ok, and for that their work and classes are priceless. Thank you Stephanie, Abby, and Czarina for your knowledge, love, and badass doula magic. We are the confident, compassionate, and connected parents we have always wanted to be and we have you to thank. read more

Stephanie and Czarina helped me experience the birth of my dreams! I planned to have an unmedicated hospital birth and they gave me the tools to prepare and the support to realize my goals. In addition, their fun, down-to-earth personalities combined with their experience/expertise truly made them a joy to work with! Throughout my pregnancy they emailed periodic readings and exercises as well as suggested homework assignments such as creating a birth plan. Their prenatal workshops were engaging and helpful, providing a forum for me and my husband to discuss what to expect in labor as well as practice coping techniques in a small group setting. On the day of my daughter's birth, Czarina met us at the hospital and Stephanie took over midway. Both ladies offered invaluable suggestions and hands-on support. Use of their TENS unit, help in the shower, suggestions of positions to labor in, use of the rebozo, modeled breathing techniques, and more enhanced my labor experience. They even converted my husband, who was initially skeptical, but afterwards raved to our family and friends about how amazing our doulas were and how they made him feel more helpful and assured throughout labor. After the birth, Stephanie delivered encapsulated placenta pills along with a beautiful heart umbilical cord keepsake. She also dropped by our apartment for a postpartum check-in, helping us debrief our birth experience, giving us an opportunity to ask questions, and offering support in the months to come. I highly recommend Stephanie and Czarina's services to anyone going natural or simply looking for a positive and empowering birth experience. You (and your partner) won't regret it! :) read more

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They are the best !! Period. I hired them for my second delivery, oh I so wish I had them for my first one too. I generally love to understand each and everything in detail to which their classes helped me a lot . They cover a lot of content in their series of 10 classes , they discuss all the options available to you which makes us well equipped to go ahead and make a choice . I was in passive labor for atleast a week , I was in constant touch with the awesome trio. They were very quick in replying which provided me and my husband a lot of relief . The moment I was in active labor , Stephanie headed to the hospital with us , she was there with us until the breastfeeding was established and left only when I was confident that she could go. Abby and czarina are very knowledgeable too and extremely caring and supportive. You guys rock !! Wonderful team SV doulas read more

This was our third birth and our third time hiring a doula, so we knew what to expect. I wish I could leave a review that was more positive but I just have to be honest about our experience. We hired Czarina to help us for two evenings in the hospital after our birth, which we knew was going to be a scheduled C-section. We wanted her to be there to give me (the husband) a chance to go home and rest without leaving my wife alone without any help. We wanted someone to help with breastfeeding, to swaddle our baby, to play interference with nurses trying to bother us, and anything else needed. Czarina was great when we interviewed her months before the birth via a video call. As the date got closer, the first problem we had was that Czarina was not responsive - we had to try multiple times and wait several days to get her to respond to an email or text. We scheduled the first day to be 10pm - 6am at the hospital. We confirmed the date weeks in advance and the start time was her idea. Our C-section happened right on schedule. The DAY she was supposed to arrive, she told us she wouldn't be able to make it by 10pm and asked for 11pm instead. We told her we had been counting on her at 10 and this affected babysitting, traffic, sleep, etc. - in the end she arrived a little after 10, as soon as she could. We assumed that she would stay up all night with our baby so that my wife could sleep. Instead she opened up the bed and fell asleep, so my wife had to wake her anytime she needed anything. Of course, this one could have been our fault for not setting expectations in advance. Finally, we expected Czarina to help with breastfeeding. Every other experienced caregiver - nurses, lactation consultants, doulas, etc. - have been more than happy to help position the baby right on the nipple and get a good latch. It's super helpful those first few days. Czarina said she wasn't used to being so "hands on", and she didn't know important techniques like the right way to break a latch. Czarina was a lovely person and definitely had plenty of experience with childbirth and newborns. She was calm and relaxed and positive. It certainly wasn't all a bad experience. We just wanted to be honest because overall we did feel disappointed by the experience. read more

They're the best! We used their postpartum service. I know I wasn't sure what to expect, so I'm going to outline in too much detail what the postpartum service actually looked like and why they're so great. POST-PARTUM DOULAS SERVICE As first-time parents, in a pandemic without family nearby, I knew we would want some extra support. We hired them for five four-hour daytime sessions in our house in the first three weeks after my delivery. They were SO HELPFUL. Here's what they did: -Helped with breastfeeding. I totally understand why so many women find breastfeeding difficult--at the hospital, nurses and lactation consultants stop by for just a few minutes, get you latched and then go away. Even without breastfeeding complications, it feels very different nursing on your own at home! At the first session, Abby reminded me of the "nipple sandwich" which made breastfeeding like 100% easier just with that, and then at a later session, Stephanie helped me figure out why one side was hurting and taught me a different hold that fixed the problem almost immediately. Breastfeeding has been pretty smooth, and I really think a lot of that is due to being able to have them sitting with me, as long as I needed in my own space, to troubleshoot. -Checked in on both of us emotionally. They spent some time asking about how the birth went and just checking on how we were doing. They were the first people inside our house since before the pandemic, and just being able to chat quietly about things felt incredibly healing. Abby made me a snack one day--I can't imagine it's easy to dig through a stranger's kitchen and come up with a lovely snack, but she managed it. And at our last session Stephanie convinced me and my husband to commit to a daily walk outside with the baby (at a time when going outside felt almost impossible!) which has become such a sweet and joyous daily ritual for us. -Gave us a break. At all of the sessions, the doulas made sure we had a chance to get a long shower, a nap, and some quiet time with just my husband and me while they watched the baby. As a very anxious new mother, it was wonderful to have someone I felt I could really trust looking after this tiny newborn for an hour. -Taught us baby stuff. They showed us again how to change a diaper, helped us through the baby's first baths, walked us through using our carrier and taking the first walks with the baby outside. We saved up all of our questions and they basically taught us everything. The only regret I have about working with them is that I didn't also schedule a few nighttime sessions as well. I thought we wouldn't need them, as my partner likes to stay up all night anyway, but he was extremely sleep-deprived too and thinking back on those early weeks, I think even one or two nighttime sessions would have been really helpful for us. OTHER SERVICES There's a bunch of other useful stuff included in their packages, which we took full advantage of. -Weekly 10-class series: The classes were just great! They were really friendly and funny, with lots of time to ask every sort of question; I looked forward to them each week. I'm all about doing the homework so we took both these classes and the ones through Sutter Health. The doula classes were more engaging, though both were really useful and I appreciated getting the different perspectives. The doula classes were especially useful in helping you piece out what's medically necessary during birth (i.e., taking high blood pressure seriously) and what you might be able to negotiate (not getting an I.V. put in right away). While our decisions probably skewed more to the "standard" medical practices, there were a few moments where I was able to advocate for myself during birth that I don't think I would have had the confidence and knowledge to do without these classes. -Text and video call support: You can text them all sorts of questions, both during pregnancy and postpartum, and they'll text back quick and helpful responses. It was so useful to be able to ask them things that I wouldn't want to ask my doctor (like, could you tell me about nursing bras?), and the fast response time was so reassuring. You can also schedule short video calls, which I did when I was preemptively freaking out about the postpartum period, and Abby was just so helpful and reassuring and sent a lot of great resources. After talking with her, I got more of a postpartum plan in place and felt better about everything. -Emails: They sent an email newsletter with resources. There was one in particular in late pregnancy that talked about being emotional on the threshold of motherhood which was just exactly what I needed at exactly the right time--there's so much focus on birth and on postpartum feelings that you forget that the end of pregnancy is also an extremely emotional time. Working with them was easily the best decision I made out of the many pregnancy decisions. Thank you SVDs! read more

Well I don't know about their doula services but I booked a consult on April 25 for may 11 and took time off work to do the 30 min zoom call. The link didn't work and when I got someone in the phone they told me they had sent an email (which I don't have in my inbox) he morning of you tell me they are booked for my due date. That's all fine but I'm pretty sure they could have given me more notice so I didn't rush to get home in the middle of my day to be available for this interview. Actually glad I didn't rely i. Them for birth or postpartum if this is how they handle things read more

Ah, where do I start describing our amazing journey with Silicon Valley Doulas! We got a strong recommendation for SV Doulas team from our sister and brother-in-law who had an absolutely lovely experience with them. Being first time parents, we did not know much about what to do during pregnancy and how to prepare ourselves for the labor and delivery times except that I wished to have an unmedicated birth, if possible. So we got in touch with the team around 16 weeks of my pregnancy and had an initial chat about what a doula is and what goes on from now until the due date. We signed up and started attending the online classes once a week that educate us on the various things around pregnancy, delivery and new born care. All the classes were quite educative and at the same time fun to attend. During Covid times, we were a little unsure of whether to take a virtual doula or physical. However, over the course of a few weeks of interactions with the SV doulas team, we developed a personal connection with them and felt they would add a lot more being with me during my labor and delivery process. So we opted for the physical doula knowing very well that the team were taking abundant precautions for Covid and getting themselves tested quite regularly. My early labor lasted several days during which the doulas checked on us and showed us many coping methods. To be in my comfort zone and free from any interventions, I wanted to labor at home for as long as possible. However, after a couple of days, I was getting really anxious that my early labor was stalling. Probably from my conversations, Stephanie understood my anxiousness and asked if she could come over home for a short while and sit down with me. Thank goodness Stephanie asked and we said yes to come over. That 1 hour of conversation I had with Stephanie truly relaxed my mind and helped reduce my anxiety so that my early labor could progress. As soon as I was ready to go to the hospital, I wanted Stephanie to be there with me at the hospital throughout my delivery process. It was late in the night but Stephanie arrived at the hospital with us. She was right beside me throughout my delivery as a pillar of support along with my husband. Stephanie suggested many positions and coping methods during pushing stage. She was also massaging my head trying to calm me down in between surges. I can't remember how many times and how hard I pressed on Stephanie's hands during the pushing stage :). At the end, my wish became true and I was able to deliver our little one, without any medication. Looking back I don't think it was even remotely possible to do this without the support of SV doulas team throughout my pregnancy and during my labor stage. I have no hesitation to recommend SV doulas to anyone, particularly my close friends and family. Schedule an initial consultation with them, attend a few classes and I am sure you will develop that personal rapport with the team as we did. Thank you for the amazing care and support that you have provided us throughout our journey. read more

Stephanie, Czarina, and Abby are an incredible team of doulas. They navigated their work beautifully during the covid-19 pandemic. Looking back at my labor and delivery, I could not have achieved the birth I wanted without them! Their birth classes were great. And my communication with them up until labor was helpful and reliable. Abby was an incredible support during labor. We will be hiring them for our next baby! Well worth the investment. read more

For those who want the short version: hire this team! They are informative, down to earth, and really know their stuff. If you have been on the fence about needing pregnancy/delivery support, just go with Silicon Valley Doulas. You won't regret it. Long version: I am a first-time mom who was looking for someone who could help me with both pregnancy and delivery. Enter Stephanie, Czarina, and Abby. From our first meeting, they were so informative and fun! They made me feel really comfortable and I liked that they didn't shy away from any topic. They truly keep everything "real" and did not sugar coat the truth. Besides the team, as many other people have mentioned, their 10 class series is amazing! It covers topics in-depth every week and truly helped prepare me for labor. When it came down to the big day, Czarina joined me at the hospital. I had intended to do an unmedicated birth, but due to complications, I was induced and needed to stay in my bed. I really did not think that I would be able to stick to my birth plan, but with Czarina and my husband by my side, I gave birth unmedicated and had an amazingly positive birth experience. I really can't recommend this team enough. My husband went from saying "why do you need a doula?" to "I'm so glad you have them" pretty quickly. We look back on our experience with Stephanie, Czarina, and Abby and smile. read more

Stephanie, Czarina and Abby are a God send. In today's Covid world their classes and information were invaluable to me. They helped me prepare for the birth of my child, supported me through induction and the c section, checked in on me multiple times after and helped with placenta encapsulation. If I have another child, I 1000% would use their services again. I cannot recommend them highly enough!!! read more

Silicon Valley Doulas is truly amazing -- my husband and I cannot recommend them enough (and already have to every expecting couple we know!) The knowledge, resources, and care they provide helped us feel informed, confident, and ready to welcome our little one into the world. Thanks to their support, we were able to navigate all of the decisions leading up to and during our labor and delivery -- and we look back on the experience with lots of love and joy. If you are considering a doula, do not hesitate to work with them. They are the best!! read more

I first started looking for doulas because I wanted more personal coaching and birth classes. I wasn't sure initially if I wanted a doula during my labor but once I started the classes with Stephanie, Czarina and Abby, I was convinced that I needed their support all the way till the end. Due to Covid restrictions, all our meetings, classes and even their presence during the birth were virtual but I still believe I gained a lot from their support. Looking back at my birth experience, I think the most important aspect that made it a positive experience was that I felt very prepared going in and during the birth. This was my first baby and I was quite worried about being very unprepared. I had all the information I needed and I had tons of resources from the birth classes and emails and I felt confident while talking to the doctors/nurses and choosing next steps during the labor. And their support and presence during the postpartum period has been quite helpful. They feel like my safe space and I can be sure of guidance without judgement whenever I ping them with a question! Overall, hiring SV doulas was one of the best decisions we made. read more

The only reason I had an amazing and empowering birth experience is because of Stephanie and Czarina. They were a phenomenal team and the best money my husband and I spent to actually cope with the decisions and pain of delivery day (or days in my case). I had wanted as close to a natural birth as possible. That all went out the window when my water broke with no contractions for 30 hours. Stephanie and Czarina helped me navigate the series of medicalized decisions we had to make because the labor kick-off wasn't what we expected. They were there with every decision debate and supported through every action we took, whether in phone or in person, no matter how far off we went from the original birth preferences (ie when I begged for the epidural, a c-section, knock me out or someone to cut the lower half of my body off :) As much as I love Kaiser, I would have felt run over by highly medicalized decisions without being able to talk them through with Stephanie and Czarina. Instead I felt completely empowered in my birth while taking advantage of all the medical relief I could. My baby girl arrived 6 hours after my epidural (and a really long nap!) and she is perfect and calm. Exactly how the ladies made me feel. Thank you so much Stephanie and Czarina!!! Love, Alexis, Stewart and Wee Maggie read more

We got in touch with Czarina and Stephanie, around 22 weeks of my pregnancy, at the suggestion of our friends. Honestly, at the time, I didn't know much about what a doula did. All we knew was that they help in the labor. Once we started talking to Stephanie and Czarina and started attending the workshops we realized how helpful of a resource they were. Their workshops touched every aspect that can help in making labor "easy". They showed us exercises, use of the rebozo, breathing techniques etc to manage the pain. It was all about practicing for the big day. I wanted to have natural birth without any interventions, if possible. They clearly educated us about our options, and rights and guided us through the pregnancy. During my labor Stephanie joined us at the hospital. I was in active labor by then and didn't even realize because I was able to manage the pain using the techniques they taught us! During active labor, Stephanie suggested me positions that could help in managing my pain better and augmented it with massages to keep me in the zone. My active labor was shorter than typical as a result of this. I was successful in delivering my daughter without the need for any pain medication. My postpartum recovery was quick as well which helped me enjoy the time with my newborn. I also valued the postpartum support that the doulas provided to help me with breastfeeding. Postpartum blues is a real thing! I have been recommending SV doulas to all my friends who are expecting and everyone is in awe when I tell them about my birth story. (No epidural being the one that attracts most surprises!). Birthing is all about listening to your body which Stephanie and Czarina taught me. Now, I can confidently say that I enjoyed my labor and felt powerful giving birth to my daughter. Thank you so much for being part of our journey! From my husband: Stephanie and Czarina were key partners in our birth journey. They educated us about birth as physiological process, what to expect, the options available to us as expecting parents and our rights as patients when we are in the hospital. They encouraged us to think about "our" ideal birthing experience and write it down. We made a birth plan and reviewed it with the doulas and my wife's doctor. The birth plan helped us think through and prepare for the birth. Birth plan is a must in my opinion, because it makes us think ahead. The doulas suggested a different hospital for us when they read our birth plan and talked to us about our preferences. I felt that this was the key to our beautiful birth experience. I am grateful for that timely suggestion. During labor, Stephanie was an emotional pillar that Pratyusha and I leaned on. I did not panic when my wife woke up in the middle of the night with the broken waters. I just followed the instructions that the doulas gave me, to the tee - timed the contractions, communicated it to them, waited for my wife to make the call on when to go to the hospital. I felt that this helped my wife maintain the zone that lasted through the end of active labor. Stephanie was quite helpful in the hospital as my wife described earlier. Having her by my wife's side helped me take a backseat, stress out less, and take care of the logistics with the nurses, when needed. Thank you Stephanie and Czarina for guiding us through! read more

I highly recommend Silicon Valley Doulas. The team was very good at communicating and supporting us throughout the pregnancy and Abby provided us exactly the support we needed in labor. We had a fantastic birth experience and Abby's support definitely contributed to that. Thank you so much! read more

My husband and I looked for some help in bringing our little one into this world. We knew we needed support with not only with the delivery but with our pregnancy as well. We were so blessed to find this group of Doulas! Not only were they so warm and caring, their knowledge and experience helped give us the support and confidence we needed. They cared about our interests and desires for our birth experience. It was so assuring knowing that these women would be available to us no matter the day or time because they work as a collective. We enjoyed going to the meetings prior to our birth to get to know more people going through this journey. During the birth and after my husband felt extremely supported and said it was worth every penny. If we decide to have baby #2 we know where to go! Update: We used SVD again for our second baby and had a wonderful experience both in the classes and with support with labor. Our last birth class was so powerful and helpful. Their birthing exercises helped us connect as a couple and reminded us of the tools to use to support us both to get through labor. Would definitely recommend their practice to any mom and partner looking for support through this unique blessing of having babies. Worth it even for baby #2. read more

I'm writing this as I'm holding my 2-month baby angel in my wrap, reminiscing back on my BEAUTIFUL birth experience. YES, I said BEAUTIFUL!! And I'm not the most natural/organic/water-birth type of girl either. We didn't even take birthing classes and I had felt completely unprepared for labor/birth. But with the SV doulas' support, my birth experience was nothing but amazing. I had the pleasure of working with Czarina and Stephanie. They are intelligent, kind, supportive, and spunky. My husband and I liked that they were kind of these modern-day doulas, who supported natural birth philosophy but were very professional and informative about the whole process. Czarina was my primary doula at birth-she is the coolest, calmest, FUNNIEST, and the sweetest person ever. Kind of like a BFF and a MOM in one. She walked with me, joked & laughed with me, hugged me, coached me, and encouraged me through the most painful contractions. She cracked jokes and I laughed so hard in between all the contractions! I even looked to her coaching as I was pushing because I trusted her so much more than the nurse and doctor. The result was that I had a healthy and rather quick (13 hours of labor) vaginal delivery-with a healthy baby. Most importantly, my birth experience nothing but positive and that means a lot because I felt so empowered after this experience that I already want a second baby!!! =) Thank you SV doulas, for your wonderful support and kindness, and see you in my next pregnancy! read more

We were barely five weeks pregnant when my husband suggested we contact SV Doulas to make sure we booked them before anyone else for our due date. We'd already worked with SV Doulas for our second pregnancy and delivery and we knew they were an important part of this pregnancy. We've moved out of the SIlicon Valley area and we were so committed to having them at our birth that we decided to give birth again at Kaiser Santa Clara just so we could work with them again. The team model provided by SV Doulas was so important in our pregnancy and birth journey. Around 36 weeks I was told my baby might be too small and the possibility of an induction was suggested by the OBGYN. They sent me to a growth ultrasound with no information. I scheduled a chat with Abby and she provided me with the right amount of information I needed to process whatever the outcome of the ultrasound was. During our third trimester check in with Czarina, she helped me trouble shoot my pelvic girdle pain that my OBGYN couldn't help me with. Her suggestions were spot on and helped me get to the end of pregnancy in a better physical state than I could have imagined. Fast forward to week 39, 0 days of pregnancy. I was in labor and in denial. My husband was looking at me like a deer in the headlights and I was annoyed, in pain, and miserable. I called the SV Doulas line and a calm Czarina suggested I get in the tub to relax and find some relief. She was spot on, it did help me relax and very much triggered my active labor. My husband became scared as he realized labor was progressing quickly but I refused to get out of the tub out of the fear it was too soon leave for the hospital. Somehow he ended up on the phone with Abby who gave him precise and firm instructions on what we had to do next. I don't know what she said to him, but after that, I could tell he knew what he was doing and I trusted him to guide us to the hospital. When we pulled up to the entrance, Stephanie was waiting outside ready to help us get admitted. In the observation room I was only allowed one person, my husband knew to step back because we preferred having the birth expert accompany me. Once I was admitted to the labor room, my husband was allowed to join us and Stephanie made sure I stayed in control. Even though I was in physical pain, my mind and heart were at ease knowing whatever the medical staff threw at me, I could rely on the doulas to translate and help me decide. I can't recommend Silicon Valley Doulas enough. Czarina, Abby, and Stephanie are an A team who are a wealth of knowledge and experience, exactly who you want with you during such a difficult/transformative/scary/exciting experience like pregnancy and birth. They have a very special place in our hearts and we're so grateful we had the opportunity to work with them again. read more

All I can say is that Silicon Valley Doulas are AMAAAAAAZING. My wife and I were talking about possibly hiring a doula but were on the fence and wanted to learn more. We took Kaiser's Child Birth class which was taught by Stephanie and immediately fell in love with her energy and the way she taught the class. We could tell that she was very passionate about child birth and was very engaging with the class and also kept it real which we really like. We actually didn't know that she was a doula until halfway through the class my wife noticed her name on her list of doulas in the area. What was awesome is that my wife was nervous and a little scared about giving birth but after taking Stephanie's class she was actually excited about pregnancy and giving birth! After the class we spoke with her and she gave us all the info we needed and we signed them on the next day. My wife was 7 months pregnant and the doulas were there for us till the very end! During those last 3 months we attended several of their community classes where they taught us different coping methods, positions, and what to expect. We also got to meet Czarina, Arielle, and Diana, the other 3 doulas on the team who were all equally supportive, professional, knowledgable, and super chill! They also came to our house for an in-home visit to answer any questions we had for example info on medications, c-sections, epidurals, and mom's rights in the hospital setting. What I also like about our doulas was that they were never judgmental on medicated or natural birth and explained the risks and benefits for both. They lived by what's best for mama and I think that's the most important thing. Our doulas were always there for us via text, phone, or email and we always got a response right away and they also kept checking up on us which was also very reassuring. A week before our due date my wife went into labor. We checked in to the hospital and our birth plan was to have a natural birth. We called Czarina and asked if she could come in as my wife's contractions were getting more intense. We kept the room dark, had some flamless candles going, and some soft music in the background. We wanted to keep the environment as calm as possible so that my wife could stay focused and relaxed. Oh and from early labor my wife used everything the doulas taught her to use for coping through contractions and it made a huuuuuge difference. During labor Czarina, my mother in law, and myself was right there next to wife helping her though her contractions. Czarina had a calming voice the whole time and put my wife in a few different positions that worked miracles for her. We checked into labor and delivery at 1pm and my wife gave birth to our healthy son at 10pm. Words can't explain how great Czarina was during the whole labor. The Silicon Valley doulas are a killer team and a must have especially if you are going natural. If you are worried about the price, don't. The knowledge, support, and experience is priceless and my wife and I will recommend them to everyone for the rest of our lives. Thank you Steph, Czarina, Arielle, Diana! read more

I've tried to write this review several times but putting into words how grateful I am to Diana, Arielle, Stephanie, and Czarina is so much harder than I expected. 10 months ago, they helped me bring my beautiful boy into the world. My husband and I could not have more grateful for their guidance/advice/presence from the moment we decided to have them be part of our team to well after our son was born. We met Stephanie at a 'meet the Doulas' event and had already signed our contract by the time we took her childbirth prep class at Kaiser. My husband kept saying to me throughout the class, "I am so glad we have them". Diana was our primary and I just have to say, I LOVE HER! I immediately felt comfortable with her, like we'd known each other for years. All four of these amazing women helped to make my birth experience into what we wanted and the team gave me and my husband the ability to go into everything with confidence. We would absolutely recommend them to anyone looking for the care and support of an awesome doula (or 4)! If and when we have another child, first item on the to do list may just have to be making sure we get on their calendar! read more

We were first time parents and had little family in the bay that we wanted during the possibly stressful event that is childbirth. We chose to have a doula to be our advocate when we were emotionally vulnerable and physically drained. Arielle came to our home and allowed us to labor at home until we were ready to be in the hospital environment. She even came to our hypnobirthing class so she could understand our strategy of calm in our comfortable environment. At the shift change Diana came on and was worth her weight in gold, helping to relieve back labor, discussing options offered from hospital staff to haggard parents to be and ensuring us that our birth plan would be followed and our wishes fulfilled. She even took crucial photos of dad with baby immediately after birth. At our two week check up she brought more herbs for sitz bath. Looking back, I wish I had paid for the post-partum services offered, as we were lacking in the family able to support department. read more

We hired Silicon Valley Doulas for postpartum support. They were excellent, just the kind of support and guidance we needed as new parents.

I used Silicon Valley Doulas for the birth of both of my children. I had amazing experiences with this doula group for both births and I can't recommend them enough. I don't feel I can put a price on feeling empowered and thrilled about my childbirth experiences--it is a priceless gift that I wouldn't have without the support of these doulas. Thanks so much to Stephanie, Czarina, and Abby! read more

Silicon Valley Doulas are amazing. I highly recommend them to anyone looking for pregnancy, labor and postpartum support. Their pregnancy/birth classes are a great resource for expecting parents, but the support I got during labor was particularly phenomenal. I was hoping to have a natural birth and did, which I attribute primarily to Stephanie's support during the (long!) process and I look back on my birth experience as being a really positive one! read more

Love these doulas! This was my first pregnancy and birth and I am so glad we hired SV Doulas for support. I had a difficult L&D and their support was truly invaluable. My labor ended up going much longer than any of us anticipated, so I had support from both Czarina and Abby. Czarina helped me feel much more confident and calm during labor, especially when we had decisions to make. And during birth, I don't know how I would have done it without Abby's support! Abby really empowered my husband to know what to do to best help me during labor, and the two of them together made me feel so incredibly supported. Not to mention, you get a TON of helpful info and support during your pregnancy and postpartum! We will definitely see these ladies again for our next pregnancy and birth! read more

These guys were absolutely wonderful. During our interview with them, we were pleasantly surprised to know that we would have a full team supporting us, not just a single person. Looking at labor as a marathon, it was heartening to see that we could split our support into a relay that would provide us someone fresh if our current person was fatiguing. In the end, labor ended up progressing fairly rapidly, with only 2 phone check-ins before going to the hospital. Shannon met us within 15 minutes of getting to the hospital and was present, loving, and encouraging the entire time. Stephanie had also been our birthing class instructor and was able to arrive in time for the final show and it felt wonderful having a full team present with us for the birth of our child. Even though Czarina wasn't physically with us, her phone and email support were very helpful during the early stages. I do want to note, though, that sometimes it took a few days for them to respond to email questions during the last trimester. However, it was very helpful to have their newsletter (like a blog, tailored to week-by-week issues pregnant folks might be experiencing) during the last few months. There were links to helpful things like a Labor-aid recipe that came in really handy during birth and a lot of generally helpful information. We also used the placenta encapsulation to help prevent post-partum mood disorders and prevent progesterone-related migraines. Stephanie very sweetly included a keepsake for us when she delivered the pills. read more

I cannot recommend SV Doulas more highly. My husband and I began working with Stephanie about halfway through my pregnancy with our first child. My goals for birth were 1) to deliver a healthy baby, 2) to have an unmedicated birth, and 3) to spend as little time as possible laboring in the hospital. We accomplished exactly that, and Stephanie was instrumental in guiding us through the process. My husband and I felt an immediate connection with Stephanie and Czarina. (We ultimately ended up working primarily with Stephanie because Czarina was on maternity leave during part of my pregnancy.) Their straightforward approach and calming personalities put us at ease right away. Throughout my pregnancy, Stephanie provided us not only with all the evidence-based information we were seeking, but also instilled a sense of confidence in me that made it possible for me to fully own my birth process. By the time I went into labor, I had all the tools I needed to understand my body and advocate for myself. As part of our preparation process, we attended three "Rock Your Birth" classes and Stephanie came to our house for a final prep session. These four in-person sessions, along with emails throughout my pregnancy with helpful insights, served as an amazing educational foundation. We found them so helpful that we chose not to attend any additional prenatal classes (and got to avoid the 8-hour hospital classes all my friends complained about!). Stephanie also shared a birth plan template with us that provided a perfect starting point for crafting my own plan. When the time came, I labored at home until my water broke, and then headed to the hospital. We arrived at 2:45am, at which point I was already 6cm dilated. Stephanie met us at the hospital, and immediately jumped in, massaging my back and coaching me through each contraction. With the support of my husband and Stephanie, I gave birth to our daughter at 5am! While our daughter's birth went almost exactly as I had hoped, the hours after it did not. Immediately after her birth, I started to hemorrhage, and ultimately required an IV of Pitocin (which had to be placed after the birth because I had chosen not to have a saline lock). Stephanie's presence made what could have been a scary situation feel manageable. While the doctors and nurses were helping me, my husband did skin to skin with our daughter. Stephanie stood by my side the entire time, holding my hand and talking me through what was happening. I am so grateful that Stephanie could be there for me so that my husband was able to focus all his attention on our new baby. Choosing to work with Stephanie was the best decision we could have made. Thank you! read more

Stephanie, Czarina, and Abby were amazing doulas and I can't imagine being a first time mom without their support. If you're considering a doula you can't go wrong with this team. Together they did an amazing job of prepping my husband and I before during and after our birth journey. Stephanie met with me over video conference to answer my questions and by the end of our conversation I knew this was the doula team I needed in my life. Over a couple of months leading up to our due date, they went over labor coping strategies, had really candid conversations with us about what to expect during labor and in the hospital, pivoted me from being scared about birth to actually being excited and offered so much support on the day of delivery. They were both very accessible even at the weeeeee hours of the morning when I wasn't 100% positive if I was in labor. So patient and calming. Even my husband (who was on the fence about having a doula from the beginning) was SO thankful we had them there at the hospital -- they offered just as much support to him as they did for me. All three of these women gave us guidance to keep us encouraged and focused during the birth and empowered us to advocate for ourselves during this journey. Highly recommend. 10 out of 10. read more

Silicon Valley Doulas we're instrumental in my childbirth experience. They share a ton of helpful resources throughout your pregnancy and postpartum journey, and they are readily available and responsive for ad hoc questions or concerns. Their classes were informative and provided tangible advice and guidance, and overall made me feel prepared and confident. While all three ladies embody gentle compassion and are clearly experienced and highly capable, Abby was the attending doula for my labor and I truly could not have gotten through my unmedicated birth without her support, encouragement and coaching. I would recommend this team to anyone looking for a doula to support their pregnancy, labor or postpartum journey. read more