We were incredibly lucky to have Andrea Berkey as our postpartum doula for six weeks, starting the week our baby boy was born. As first-time parents, those early days felt overwhelming, and Andrea's calm presence and support made a world of difference. She has an amazing depth of knowledge about newborns and patiently taught us the basics--burping, de-gassing, bathing, and feeling confident handling our extra-small newborn. As a new mom, I was especially grateful for her help with feeding. She walked me through different feeding positions and helped me get fully set up and comfortable with pumping. Andrea was incredibly gentle and patient with our baby, often lulling him to sleep and holding him for long stretches. Knowing he was in such caring hands gave us so much peace of mind and allowed us to truly rest and recover. She consistently went above and beyond--staying an extra hour on her first day to accompany us to our baby's first pediatrician visit, keeping our baby's dresser organized, always refilling the water in our bottle cleaner before leaving, and sharing age-appropriate activities along with helpful tools and resources. We are really thankful for her little acts of thoughtfulness. She was always flexible and adapted her approach to what worked best for our family. Because of Andrea, we were able to enjoy the first weeks of parenthood without feeling constantly overwhelmed. We are so grateful for her support and cannot recommend her highly enough to any family looking for a knowledgeable, compassionate, and thoughtful support system! read more

Andrea is a wealth of knowledge about newborns and postpartum: nursing and latching, mastitis prevention and management, baby weight gain, wake and sleep patterns, identifying types of baby cries, burping tricks, pumping, bottle and syringe feeding, baby quiet alert state, integrating older siblings, rhythms and strategies for getting through the nights, setting boundaries with overzealous friends and family, and just generally getting your sea legs with a new baby no matter how seasoned a parent you are. Some of this info, tips and tricks seem to be lost over the years and generations but she has honed it and is holding the flame alive for us. She is a sought out favorite of other doulas and midwives themselves. I'm not sure there is a bigger recommendation than that! I initially thought the most helpful move would have been having a night doula but I actually benefited much more from Andrea's support and education during the days - which turned out to make the nights so much more manageable and less mysteriously hard. This was not intuitive to me but I'm now an absolute believer in daytime doula support. She delivers all of this learning with a cheerful and steady calm I've rarely encountered and I look up to so much as a mother. I feel so lucky to have gotten to spend some time with her - she is unforgettable and her impact on my parenting is forever. I hope to pass on everything I learned from her to others. read more

My wife, Kun, and I feel so lucky to have had Andrea support our family from August through December. As new parents to our baby, Ethan, having Andrea's help gave us the best possible start. Her knowledge of newborn care is incredible--she is up-to-date on all the latest information and was so patient with all our questions. She helped us establish a great routine, and thanks to her expertise, Ethan is sleeping super well! Andrea was also instrumental in my wife's recovery. With her support, Kun recovered fully within just two weeks. Andrea also provided excellent advice for breastfeeding. Beyond her professional skills, Andrea is simply a pleasure to have around. She is kind, considerate, and excellent at communicating. We felt completely comfortable having her in our home, and she was wonderful at engaging and playing with our baby. We absolutely recommend Andrea to any family looking for high-quality care. read more

We feel incredibly lucky to have had Andrea by our side during the first few months of our baby's life. From the moment she came into our lives, she brought a level of professionalism and care that completely blew us away!! What really stood out was her flexibility. Andrea supported us during the chaotic early days, even coming to the hospital on a weekend evening when our baby was born. Whether we needed help late in the day or at odd hours, she was there--always willing to adjust to our needs with compassion and grace. Andrea was unbelievably organized--keeping meticulous notes on every feeding, diaper change (pee/poop logged perfectly!), and sleep pattern. This helped us feel informed and in control during a time that could have easily felt overwhelming. She's also incredibly sharp and well-informed. As our baby grew and changed (seemingly overnight!), she adapted her care style seamlessly. She kept us up-to-date and explained everything--from breast pumps to developmental milestones--in a way that made us feel empowered as new parents. During our baby's awake windows, Andrea was completely engaged--often down on the floor, playing, talking, singing, and connecting deeply with our little one. It was clear how much love and energy she brought to her work. And as any parent would want, she was always spotless and hygienic, taking great care to keep everything clean and safe around our baby. On top of all this, Andrea was always punctual and her communication was prompt and professional. We never had to worry or chase her for updates--she was always one step ahead. We truly couldn't have asked for a better doula. Andrea's presence gave us peace of mind and the freedom to enjoy our baby's earliest moments with confidence. If you are looking for someone caring, capable, and committed--look no further. She's not just a doula--she's a true partner during a life-changing time. We recommend her wholeheartedly! read more

My husband and I hired Andrea in March 2019 to care for our first baby. I delivered on my due date and we decided to have Andrea start our second night home, big mistake! Our first night was a disaster... we were both up all night with our little one and felt a lot lost on what to do to comfort him. We knew after one night this was the best money we could have spent! Even though I was still being woken up to breastfeed several times a night you won't believe what 2 hours of uninterrupted sleep will feel like. You know somebody is loving on your child and you can completely relax! When i was up breastfeeding I was able to ask all my questions from the day and it was nice to have the company. One of the biggest positives is that after a full day of being with your baby and questioning if anything you are doing is right you have a baby expert confirming that you are doing great, keep going! I really think I needed to hear that. I wanted to follow a particular book/schedule and she helped me stay on track. Our baby was sleeping 12 hours right before he turned 12 weeks! Without Andrea I think I would have been too tired and doubting myself that the plan would actually work. She said he would figure it out though and magically one night he did! Other highlights: folded baby's laundry, taught me how to use breast pump, created pumping schedule, and washed pump parts. Skip all the baby gear and books... all you need is diapers, a couple swaddles, a crib, and Andrea! read more

I strongly recommend Andrea as a Doula. The support that was provided made me feel much more comfortable and confident through my journey into motherhood. Her coaching and follow up was consistent, caring, and compassionate. read more

Andrea is amazing! She is so kind and generous but, more importantly, she gave me concrete, realistic tools to use to help my baby get to sleep. She was able to identify exactly where we'd gone astray and help me get right back on track helping my little one get the sleep they need. I am so grateful! read more

Andrea is such a wonderful resource and I am so grateful we were able to book her services for the birth of our second child! She is an absolute knowledge powerhouse when it comes to everything infant related. She is a sleep consultant, night nurse, and lactation pro all in one! We paid close to the same hourly rate for just a sleep consultant with our first child so Andrea's rate for all of the services she provides and her expertise is beyond worth it. It was such a great investment for my husband and I as well as our child. My favorite part about Andrea's services is that she can tailor her advice to your specific circumstances. We have a toddler at home so we cannot follow cookie cutter advice when it comes to the baby's schedule and sleep routine. Andrea helped us make a plan that works best for our family's current needs. In addition to being extremely talented at her art and the utmost professional, Andrea is genuinely a good person and so caring. I cannot recommend her enough! She books super early (I booked her 6-7 months in advance) so it is good to reach out early to book! read more

I got a lot of advice when people found out we were having twins but there was one suggestion that was totally new to me... "have you considered help from a Night Doula?" No, I had not considered it but that turned out to be the most helpful suggestion we got because... 1) twins are no joke 2) I knew absolutely nothing about babies!!!! 3) we don't have family help because they are out of state 4) and last...the sleep deprivation is real people!!!! Andrea worked with us for 6 weeks. I would sit with her for the first hour or so picking her brain about all the things I was struggling with. She had so many helpful strategies, techniques and tons of practical knowledge that worked for my two lil boys. On top of that we were able to get a full nights sleep which is priceless!!! I can say with 100% certainty that I am a better parent because of the knowledge and care Andrea offered us! So, if the Hubs wants to get you a "push present", skip the jewelry, bag, blah blah blah etc because those things are not going hold your colicky baby in the middle of the night or save you from becoming a sleep deprived zombie! Call Andrea instead! (She books up fast because the word is out about how amazing she is) read more

Our son from very early on had difficulty sleeping. We worked with several individuals with mixed results. After working with a sleep consultant over the phone, she recommended we work with Andrea. Andrea was of a completely different caliber than anyone else we spoke with. She was able to come in, immediately connect with our son, and deliver results within a few nights. She has a gentle touch and we felt immediately comfortable with her working with our son. Since she started working with our son, he went from several night wakings (lasting several hours) to sleeping through the night. Without Andrea, I don't know what we would do. This happened over two groupings of visits and one final visit. While it still takes a while to get him down at night, we are grateful that he doesn't wake anymore and has learned to fall back asleep if he does wake. We were able to completely avoid the cry it out method. Others told us that this was really our only option based on our situation. Lastly, she has always been responsive to our questions over text message, and always has sound, reasonable, and gentle suggestions that we feel comfortable implementing. In summary, Andrea is a gift from heaven. She is a true baby whisperer and we would work with her again in a second. read more

I absolutely LOVE Andrea and have no idea how I would have survived the past few months without her! I hired Andrea Berkey from "Three Phases Doula" after the birth of our 2nd son. She worked with us for about 4-5 nights/week (~8.5 hours/night) from the time he was ~2 days old until he was sleeping through the night fairly consistently around 11 weeks. I think my baby is a pretty solid sleeper and I am sure it is in large part due to Andrea's involvement. Aside from having 2 little boys I also run a start-up company and manage a family business. This means I really didn't get to take very much time off after my baby's birth. Andrea not only allowed me to get enough sleep and to manage to the best of my ability but also allowed me to enjoy this special time as much as possible. The newborn stage is so fleeting and special and I am extremely fortunate that Andrea allowed me to maximize and focus my energy on the things that really mattered - such as spending my limited energy enjoying my new baby! Andrea is completely professional - she had her own contract ready to go with the terms of our relationship clearly spelled out, always showed up on time and had an extremely gentle manner that makes you (and the rest of your family) feel at ease having her in your house. She was organized keeping track of hours and providing receipts for payments received. I remember a couple of specific times where our baby was irritable and I thought I was going to go crazy from the "night fussies" - Andrea knows every trick in the book for soothing babies and it never ceased to amaze me how she could comfort him in just a few minutes. FYI - there are many different options to get night support. I would consider Andrea the highest quality you can get. She has taken all sorts of classes and has many certifications. I recall one time her telling me something about how you can tell what stage sleep an infant is in by their breathing pattern. She knows a lot about nutrition and is just truly a top-notch professional when it comes to maternal health. Andrea is there for you whenever you need her - weather it is problems with your 2 year old waking up in the middle of the night, challenges with breastfeeding (such as getting thrush!) or techniques to cope with jetlag Andrea's wealth of information is remarkable. Compared to many others, Andrea really seems to be focused on the mother and making sure she has as many tools and as much knowledge as possible to successfully cope. I really can not recommend her highly enough. I relied on her so much I am uncertain who I would call first if I found out I was pregnant again....Andrea to make sure I had her booked up??....or my husband!! ....just kidding! I would tell my husband first, but Andrea would probably be 2nd :) read more

Being a first-time mom with no family to help can be an overwhelming and daunting task. Andrea picked up the broken pieces of my sanity and helped me glue it back together by being our night Doula. Her prolific expertise cover a wide range of baby and toddler issues. She advised us on colic, bathing, swaddling, baby-wearing, breast feeding, pumping and bottle feeding, sleep issues, alternative therapies and medicines. But most of all she was there when we needed the emotional and practical help. Mommies: you cannot do this alone! Hire Andrea. Your baby and your mental-health will thrive under her intuitive care. -Michael K's wife read more

Andrea was our doula for our first child. At first, we weren't convinced we needed a doula, but when we met Andrea, we knew we wanted her on our team. She had such a straightforward, honest communication style and clear passion for supporting mothers through all types of birth experiences. Andrea was incredibly thorough in her prenatal meetings with my husband and me -- covering birth plan and hospital considerations, labor positions, fetal positioning, movement during pregnancy and comfort measures to practice with my husband. When the big day finally rolled around, Andrea was with us from about 5:00 a.m. until 10:30 p.m., first coming to meet us at our home then traveling with us to the hospital. (I should mention -- she missed Easter with her family for this)! Throughout my labor, Andrea worked seamlessly with the nurses, midwives, and my husband to suggest new positions and other measures to help me through. When hospital staff approached us with possible interventions, Andrea was able to clearly and succinctly help my husband and me understand those options. In the end, I delivered a healthy baby boy with no medication, and Andrea deserves a lot of the credit for making that possible. The nurses and midwives told me later that Andrea was among the best doulas they'd worked with and that I was lucky to have her --and I agree completely! In addition to being a fantastic support before and during birth, Andrea has also helped my husband and me since the birth of our child. When we thought we had tried all the soothing tricks in the book, she came over and demonstrated even more techniques for us, and she's even filled in for childcare. She is a true baby whisperer, and yet she always makes us feel supported and like we're doing a great job. Hire this lady -- she's awesome!! read more

Andrea Berkey was my awesome birth doula last month. We found her last minute, after thinking we could not afford a doula in the bay area. We met with a few other doulas, but knew that after meeting Andrea, she would be the perfect person to provide support for my husband and me for the birth of our daughter. Andrea provided us with an abundance of information about everything from the actual birth process to nutrition and supplements for me prior to birth. She encouraged communication of any questions, changes, or details about my pregnancy that came up prior to labor. She enthusiastically replied very promptly every time I contacted her. During my labor at home, I felt pampered rather than like I was doing hard work due to her massage techniques and other suggestions. She was important to my husband - he was my primary support person - with suggestions and even a break for a nap mid-labor when he was exhausted. We both felt very comfortable with Andrea as our doula throughout the process. In the hospital Andrea assisted with my interaction with the nurses, as I was already having contractions two minutes apart. She reminded me to ask questions at the right time to ensure my preferences were met. After our return home, Andrea provided tons of information about post-partum care and newborn care. She informed us that we could contact her any time in the first year for additional advice should something come up. As first-time parents, this is truly reassuring. I firmly believe we would not have had the quick, medication-free, intervention-free, natural birth that we really wanted had it not been for Andrea. I highly recommend her as a birth doula, and would have hired her as a postpartum doula had things not gone so smoothly for us. read more

It's hard to imagine a more capable, warm, generous, diligent, professional, genuine and kind postpartum doula than Andrea from Three Phases Doula. At week two of our twin boys' lives on the planet, we were struggling... to put it mildly. In stepped Andrea, and four weeks later, we are an entirely different family, ready for anything the twins can throw at us--literally. Trust the other five-star reviews here: Andrea is armed to the hilt with all kinds of newborn knowledge, strategies, patience, what have you (she can burp two babies simultaneously!!). But what she gave us beyond that was the confidence and tools to be able to do it all ourselves. We generally would spend the first hour or so of each night with her discussing all of our questions and learning all manner of baby-care techniques--some nights it was Andrea encouraging (and showing) me, Dad, that I can indeed successfully wrap a baby and safely wear it in a sling; other times it was strategies for bringing down what was often a 90-minute breastfeeding process (twins, remember!) to a 30-minute mid-night ninja feeding. Other nights still, it was teaching Dad how to bottle feed two kids at the same time on my own, or learning to understand our babies' rhythms and what we should expect at every specific stage and milestone along the way. And then there was the sleep--the glorious, glorious sleep--that she enabled us to get while she tended carefully to those little rascals. Do I need to go on? We wouldn't be standing right now if it weren't for Andrea's graceful, gentle, knowledgeable hand. She's so much more than just our night doula or even a casual friend. We think of her as family. If you're looking for a nighttime postpartum doula in the East Bay, call Andrea now. (She's even great about answering texts at odd hours and weekends.) And if she's available, thank your lucky stars and breathe a sigh of relief. She's absolutely the best. read more

I was lucky enough to have Andrea help me with two of my three daughters and cannot recommend her enough! If I had know about postpartum doulas with my first daughter I would have hired her in an instant, too. Someone told me that the role of a postpartum doula is to "mother the mother" and that's EXACTLY what Andrea did for me. My second daughter was a traumatic shoulder dystocia delivery that resulted in a NICU stay and Erbs Palsy. Andrea was a lifesaver to me and my husband during this time, as we navigated the unknown. She connected us to valuable resources and provided so much emotional support. When I got pregnant with our third, Andrea was one of the first people I reached out to! She is kind, warm, a fantastic listener and just overall a wonderful person. She also REALLY knows babies and has such a way with even the fussiest and most challenging newborns. When I was really struggling with breastfeeding my most recent baby, Andrea connected me to a fabulous lactation consultant that got us on the right path for us. She genuinely cares about the families she works with and I can't say enough great things about Andrea. You will not regret hiring her! read more

Our family was so lucky to have been referred to Andrea. She was there the night we brought our son home from the hospital and from that moment she made our transition to parenthood so much easier. Whether it was helping with feeding challenges or answering questions about child development, she was always a kind and guiding presence. She is so dedicated and always went the extra mile to make us feel supported. When our baby was sick, she would hold him in her arms at night to make sure he slept. I trusted her implicitly and recommend her services highly. Thanks to her guidance, our baby sleeps through the night! read more

here's the thing. when you're a first time mom, it's easy to feel lost and alone and scared and not know whether you're doing anything right. that's when having a doula around really helps, if for nothing but your sanity. it's not crazy expensive and it helps to have someone to turn to with all your questions. andrea is really easy to talk to and is a fountain of knowledge. when she comes over each week, i have a list of issues to troubleshoot with her. if the timing's right, she can also help put your little one to sleep too. it really helps to see what she does and for her to see what you're doing, so she can give practical tips and pointers. i would def recommend her to anyone looking for help, esp as you're getting your footing with your little one. she also does night shifts if you're in need of catching some Zzz's and while I didn't use the service, she is also a birth doula if you're looking for a natural birth. read more

When my son was about 4 weeks old I desperately needed help. We don't have family nearby or other friends with children, and I soon found myself extremely overwhelmed and exhausted. After a ton of searching online I came across a Meet the Doula night at the Day One Center in Walnut Creek. That's where I met Andrea (thank goodness!!). I immediately felt that she was very warm and caring and was impressed with her extensive experience with babies and colic. I only intended to get overnight help for a few days to a week, but after our initial consult I decided I really needed longer term help. Andrea worked out a plan for us where she came by for weekly sessions until our son turned 3 months old. This way she was able to help guide me through the bumps in his progress until his colic improved. During this time, Andrea showed us many different ways to help soothe him during his colicky episodes, basic baby care, and establishing day and night routines. After the second visit we already saw improvement in our ability to calm our baby and he even began to respond to the evening routine. Most evenings were peaceful after only a few weeks and our son began going to bed much earlier (around 7ish) which he is now still consistently doing months later! I think Andrea was very honest about how well certain methods work (i.e. would not recommend or teach crying out methods under a certain age) and she is able to provide a variety of other things to try if we weren't seeing improvement for whatever reason. I don't feel that she pushed any particular techniques or opinions on us, but rather was very patient in listening to my millions of concerns and questions and made her suggestions based on our goals and what would work best for our needs. I have to say that I honestly feel that Andrea saved the relationship between my son and I. Because of the colic issue, I was beginning to feel that we were not bonding well since I felt that it was due to something I was not doing or doing wrong. But our weekly sessions gave me someone to talk to and learn from so that I finally gained the confidence in my parenting skills that I needed. I only wish I had known about her sooner and had her help from the get-go. I can't say enough good things about her and I've recommended her to quite a few other new moms as well. I definitely know who I will be calling as soon as baby number 2 is in the works!! read more

I have nothing but great things to say about Andrea. I worked with her in 2012 when I had my first child. She was amazing from our very first meeting. She made my husband and I feel very comfortable, listened to our needs and wants, was always respectful of our choices and was ready to provide advice and advocate for what we wanted during labor and delivery. She helped me physically, mentally and emotionally during a pretty long labor and delivery. Her presence was also very important for my husband and allowed him to be very present for me. I think that anyone that works with her is a lucky mamma!! She is also a fantastic artist and does beautiful belly casting. I plan on having her in my team in my next delivery!! read more

I cannot speak highly enough about Andrea and her expertise as a postpartum doula. If I could put my advice to you in 6 words: Run, don't walk and hire Andrea. After the birth of my daughter, she took care of the whole family - not only looking after our daughter, but making my husband and I feel empowered and comfortable. She's professional, caring and supportive of your choices. Incredibly knowledgeable, we found we didn't need to read any books during the first 3 months (we booked Andrea for 12 weeks), as she was a fount of information and suggestions. Andrea is the best - cannot recommend her more highly. read more

Andrea was invaluable as our postpartum doula. Not only did she help us get a little much needed sleep while she cared for our newborn son, but she was a true fountain of knowledge about newborn care. As first time parents, Andrea's thoughtful insights, reflections, and suggestions provided us with exactly the type of support we needed. And, due to Andrea's warm demeanor, it always felt like an old friend was coming to visit us. Most importantly, we knew that Andrea was taking great care of our son at all times. I can't recommend Andrea highly enough! read more

We are so thankful to have worked with Andrea. Our 10 month old baby was still sleeping 3-4 hr stretches during the night, and I my husband and I were working full time jobs and getting up 2-3 times every night. I was so resistant to any "cry it out" method or sleep training, but Andrea took a lot of time with us and helped us find a plan that worked for our family. We didn't "cry it out" at all, and after the first night our son was sleeping 7+hours at a time. It's been a week now, and he just slept 9 uninterrupted hours last night. He doesn't cry himself to sleep and never has. Andrea brought a lot of education and developmental research to us, so I felt comfortable setting the expectations appropriately for our son. Our family needed her support to get over this major hurdle. I would highly recommend Andrea for family support. read more

Andrea was such a wonderful doula, and I really don't think I could have had my unmedicated birth without her. She was so calm and knew exactly what to say to me when I was faltering. She reminded me of what I wanted without being pushy or annoying in any way. I felt so comfortable around her, and knew that I wanted her to be my doula from our first phone consultation. The information she gave me was invaluable and my only regret is that we didn't hire her for postpartum work (we really should have!!). She spent her birthday helping bring my son into the world and every time I think about it I smile that they will always share a birthday. I love Andrea and would recommend her to anyone looking for a doula. If I ever get pregnant again, she'll be one of the first calls I make. read more

Andrea was our doula for our first child, who was born at San Ramon Regional Birthing Center in late 2011. We used her for prenatal, delivery, and post partum services, including lactation support, and we are SO glad that we did! I don't know how we could have done it without her. I had an intense labor, delivery, and recovery, and she was there for us every step of the way. She offered a lot of helpful prenatal information, she filled in where the nurses and doctor's were lacking during delivery, and she was a reliable support system after our son was born. Our son is now two months old, and she still checks in with me from time to time! She has excellent communication skills, tons of experience with infants, and seems to be really dedicated to her work as a doula. She is flexible and patient - something that was really important to us as first time parents. My husband really wasn't sold on the idea of using a doula before we met Andrea, and to be honest I wasn't either, but now that we've been through it, I can't believe we were considering doing it alone. We highly recommend her to anyone thinking about working with a doula - you won't regret it! read more

Andrea is AMAZING! I came home from the hospital after a c-section and night 1 she was over helping to set us up and getting us going on the right path. She is a true expert when it comes to newborns. She knows all the "tricks" and how to ensure you are doing everything to ensure a smooth transition into this world for your new little baby. She also does so with a more natural approach always thinking "what's best for baby and for mom's recovery". What really stood out to me was how sweet and truly kind Andrea is in her approach. As she showed us several ways to burp our little boy (much better than the hospital or others who "trained us" and more effective), it was so wonderful to notice how Andrea looked at our little guy with such "kind eyes". It gave me such peace of mind that while I was able to sleep and heal during the night, our baby boy was being so lovingly looked after by THE BEST of the BEST when it comes to someone knowing newborns. I also mentioned (more of a passing comment) to Andrea that my hands and wrists hurt (apparently quite normal during/after c sections). The next night, Andrea (after baby was sleeping) gave me a lavendar hand massage and next message which was so relaxing and really helped ease the pain. She just doesn't "miss a beat" and knows how best to share her knowledge and skills to ensure that you and your family are in the best place possible during this exciting, new and exhausting time. I really can't say enough good things about Andrea - I am just sad that I can't have her everynight (she already has an agreement long term with a client as she is SO good). She is really a gem. For baby #2, I will be planning far in advance to see if Andrea can help for a longer/extended timeframe. read more