As first-time parents my husband and I weren't sure what to expect from the birthing process. Enter Sabine from TLC Doulas. From the moment she showed up at our house in Spring 2014 for a meet and greet, we were taken by her: Sabine is calm but strong; she's open to molding the birth experience to what we wanted it to be. She's extememly knowledgable about the physiological, physiological and spiritual aspects of birth. She knows her way around a hospital while likewise bringing alternative comfort measures into the birthing experience. Sabine came to our house for two prenatal visits and one postnatal follow up. She helped me birth at my home for 8 hours and then transitioned with me to the hospital for another nine hours. She took beautiful photos during the birth as well. With Sabine's support and guidance, I was able to bring my son into the world with more strength and dignity than I knew posible. Likewise, she provided my husband with the support and information he needed to be my primary birth coach. We couldn't be happier with TLC doulas and will be giving Sabine a call in years to come for future births. I recommend Sabine wholeheartedly to expectant moms (and dads.) read more

Our son just passed fifteen months old a few weeks ago, so this review has been a long time coming. It is still hard to process how important Sabine was to the birthgiving, and how grateful we are to her for bringing her kindness and experience to bear on what was an extremely long and difficult labor. We met with her a couple of times as she guided us through setting up a birth plan. And though we had to abandon three or more items that we wished we could have stuck to in our plan during the labor, she made sure that they were conscious, deliberated decisions and not impulsively acted upon. Her calming presence in the room affected not only my wife and me, but the nursing staff as well. She and I took turns to allow my wife to have continuous support throughout the labor and afterwards. She later presented us with several keepsakes to help memorialize the birth of our wonderful son. We also opted to have the placenta processed, and she had postpartum advice for us as well, though we did not ultimately choose to have continuing postpartum support. read more

I don't even know where to begin when it comes to Sabine. She's simply amazing. We asked her to be a part of our journey for both of our sons. The first time, we were obviously anxious soon-to-be parents and had no clue what we were doing. On the recommendation from one of my good friends we went to Harmony birthing center for their "meet the doulas" night. There were around 10 doulas and we did the speed dating thing to talk to each one. Sabine's calm and sweet nature drew us in. We immediately reached out to her and we were pleased that she was going to be available during the time of our due date. We met with her twice before our due date. My first son decided to make his grand entrance about 3 weeks early and we couldn't have gotten through the labor experience without Sabine. I didn't get to stay home for laboring as I had "planned" since my water broke. I had to do most of my laboring in the hospital. Throughout the whole process she stayed calm, kept us calm (especially my husband), kept me fed and hydrated, and had so many tricks up per sleeve to make me as comfortable as possible. She even gave suggestions to my midwife and nursing staff on positions that might be more comfortable for me to push. She's your best advocate to relay your desires to the nursing staff so you don't need to deal with that. She's also good at keeping your family from barging into the room when you're busy pushing!! My experience was very different with baby #2. He was still 2 weeks early but I was fortunate enough to labor ar home. Sabine arrived at our house this time, which is exactly what I hoped for with my first delivery. My best friend and our nanny were there while I was in labor keeping an eye on my son while we were going to go the hospital. They were shocked at how relatively calm and peaceful everything was. Sabine was a great help once again and remembered what worked well for me last time. She knew exactly when we needed to leave for the hospital. We got to the hospital an hour before baby boy #2 arrived. The hospital staff and my doctor were pushing me to get an unnecessary IV started which I really didn't want and Sabine was right there explaining my options and why they wanted to give me an IV which the nurse who was about to stick me with the needle didn't even explain to me. I chose not to get one and Sabine was there to support us with that decision. The nurses and doctors can get very intimidating and you don't have time to deal with that when you're pushing a baby out. I would recommend Sabine to everyone and anyone. My family loved her. We love her and couldn't imagine what our birthing experience would have been like without her there. As a bonus she wrote a little story about each birthing experience so we could remember all the little details. We also had her take photos of the first precious moments we had with our boys which we will cherish forever. My boys are now almost 2.5 years and almost 10 months old now and I finally had time to write this long overdue review. read more

Hiring Sabine for the delivery of our first child was some of the best money we've ever spent. We met Sabine first, lucky for us, as a neighbor- before we even knew that we should be looking for or considering a doula. When it came time to get serious about our planning for our birth, Sabine proved to be the most reliable, trustworthy and knowledgeable choice. While some other doula options will give you a doula that happens to be on call when you go into labor, Sabine dedicates her time to your questions and your due date and her presence and availability are extremely comforting. The labor of our child was very irregular and very prolonged. We arrived in what we thought was active labor and texted Sabine at about 3am two days before our delivery...she arrived at the hospital without hesitation and stayed until after our daughter was delivered and we felt comfortable feeding and even came back to the hospital to check on us. For every step forward we took with birthing our daughter, it seemed that we took two steps back and Sabine stayed in the delivery room with us the entire time (with a few breaks to eat --it's easy to forget that she's human and not a superhero). She interfaced with our family in the waiting room and assured them that everything was ok, even as we were going into multiple days of labor. I was intent on having a delivery without pain medication and Sabine whole heartedly did everything in her power to keep me on my intended drug free path as long as was possible (in order to keep me out of the OR). When my excruciating back labor started, she was like wonder woman and kept me rotating through optimal positions and had me use a tens unit to alleviate some pain. She coached my husband through applying pressure where it was needed and worked with him so that I had manual pressure and massage through every single back labor contraction. She brought comforting elements like oils and candles and encouraging words and made my delivery as pleasant as possible. There was one point in labor where we were even laughing and hanging out on a balcony, while listening to Jack Johnson songs. Sabine is incredibly versatile and has incredible stamina to match any birthing mama. She also offers healthy advice about how to prepare, as a couple, for your delivery when it comes to family expectations and their participation. When it came time for me to change direction and receive an epidural, she was honest and direct and removed any doubt I had that opting for pain medication was the right thing to do, after 60+ hours of labor. She was instrumental in pushing and took amazing photos! Through all of our labor surprises, Sabine took amazing notes so she was able to write a heartwarming summary of our daughter's birth and she took pictures of our experience that will bring us joyous memories to last a lifetime. Our nurses and midwives all commented that it was a joy to work with her! The most important experience of our lives would have been the least enjoyable and most traumatic had it not been for Sabine. read more

Today is exactly one month since I delivered my baby girl. I had a privilege to deliver her naturally with assistance of Sabine and I am sure I would decide to use Epidural if not her. Sabine is a fantastic doula. I felt from the beginning we are going to create a great team. She was very attentive from the moment we met. Sabine visited us in our apartment. She does really want to know you, which is very important. She took time to explain how to prepare for the delivery moment and recommended me different exercises to practice before the baby is born. Also, Sabine wants to really know how are you doing physically and emotionally. She simply cares and is there for you. During and after the delivery process Sabine was with me all the time. While I was having contractions she made sure I am well hydrated, eat something, get rest if possible, breath properly, relax, and do different positions. After 25 hours with the contractions and 6 hours of active labor my baby girl came to this world. If I have another baby in the future I will use Sabine's services for sure. read more

We had our first baby in Oct 2016. Sabine was recommended by friend who had her as a doula for her second delivery. Sabine brings about air of calmness and I felt that I could completely rely on her expertise. When it all started, I realized I had no clue on what to expect out of a child birth experience. Sabine was supportive all through, right from when the pain started, around midnight 1.30 AM. She was right there, checking in from time to time and responding to my texts and letting me decide when I wanted to be at the hospital. At the hospital, Sabine provided support from all angles, from helping to relax and breathe through the contractions to comforting me and giving me confidence when I was feeling vulnerable. My family felt supported, with her around. I cannot thank Sabine enough for being my lifeline through the labor, someone I completely relied on to be there for me and knew what to do. I highly recommend Sabine to anyone who is looking for a support during the birth of your child ! Thank you Sabine ! You are the best ! read more

I am very happy with all the choices I made regarding the birth of my son, and among those choices was selecting Sabine as one of our doulas. We met her at Harmony's Meet the Doula event, and we were so impressed with her. With such a calming presence, more than a decade of experience, and passion for birth; we felt no need to meet with any more doulas. She was the one. One week before our due date, we decided to switch from a hospital birth to a home birth. With so much of our birth plan changing, we were so grateful to have Sabine as our guide. Sabine's "doula bag of tricks" includes (among other things) a TENS unit, aromatherapy essential oils, and homeopathic remedies, and a rebozo. When Sabine arrived I remember being so surprised at how calm I suddenly felt because of her presence. Her voice was soothing, and her knowledge of the process enabled her to suggest positions that kept me as comfortable as I could be. Labor was hard work and exhausting, and I think Sabine worked harder than I did particularly during pushing stage when she pulled out her rebozo and allowed me to use her to push against! And while taking photographs of the first moments!!! At the postpartum visit, she showed us the birth photos which were wonderful and also surprised us with a narrative of the birth story as well as a poem! These were very nice touches that both grandmas enjoyed as well. We also booked some post-partum doula services with Sabine, and I am very happy we did so. I felt so supported and nurtured when Sabine came to help after the baby was born. She helped with breastfeeding, fed me, and showed me some different ways to comfort my baby. Sabine is truly as good as it gets, and I feel so blessed that she was part of the birth of my baby boy. read more

When my husband and I decided we wanted to try for a natural, unmedicated birth, we began meeting with potential birth doulas. We were immediately struck by Sabine's professionalism, calm and gentle, yet strong, demeanor and non-judgmental expertise and wisdom. Sabine aptly pointed out that, while we had done a ton of reading and research about the baby and his early development, we had very little information about labor and delivery of the baby. She provided us with some wonderful materials and spent a considerable amount of time preparing us and answering all of our questions. Our birth was 13 hours and we were able to stick to our birth intentions. It was largely due, no doubt, to Sabine's guidance and support up to and during the labor. The birth of our son was honestly the most amazing experience of our lives and we're so grateful that we had Sabine alongside us throughout it. My husband found Sabine's coaching and support throughout the birth to be "just right". She gave him the tools he needed to support me throughout the labor so that he was involved and never felt left out. Sabine was looking out for our whole family - and she did so seamlessly. Sabine's services didn't stop there. She was a tremendous support to us following the birth, stopping by the house, answering emails and calls, etc. As an added bonus, Sabine is a wonderful photographer and took the most beautiful pics of us at 39 weeks, during the labor and delivery and a few weeks after the little guy arrived. We'll treasure these photos for a lifetime! I highly recommend Sabine to anyone - no matter how you'd like your birth to go. She is so knowledgeable and supportive and will undoubtedly alleviate so much of your stress and anxiety. Thank you, Sabine, for everything! You are the best. Love and gratitude, Natascha, Kevin and Baby Griffin read more

We had such amazing birth. It was a bit of a crazy adventure when our original doula and the sub could not come to our birth. THANK GOODNESS FOR SABINE!!!! She was amazing!! Calm and compassionate!!! Knowledgable and strong!!! She made our birth experience magical and she did it on a moments notice!!! After the birth she took photos in those first few moments that I will treasure always. I later found how well respected she is in the Santa Cruz birthing community and with her past clients. If you are having a baby please give your self the gift of having this remarkable women by your side!! My husband and I are so grateful she was with us!! read more

I became a new mom March of this year. I was anxious about the birthing process and my husband and I wanted all the help we could get to make it the best experience possible. We are so glad we hired Sabine because she guided us through it all. She has the calming personality that I was looking for along wiith a caring attitude that other doulas didn't have when we interviewed them. Sabine has so many ways of helping you and putting you at ease during labor, it is phenomenal! I had a difficult labor: I had to be medically induced and spent three days in the hospital before I had my baby. She gave me the confidence to get through the process and managed to relax my husband at the same time! They were several times when we didn't know how to proceed with the choices you are given by the medical team and she was able to direct us to choose what was best for us. It all worked out wonderfully and I gave birth to a beautiful baby girl without needing a c-section and by only having an epidural for the last hour of labor! My husband and I are planning on having our second child and we are definetely going to ask Sabine to be there with us :) Thank you so much Sabine!! read more

My husband and I welcomed our first baby into this world in June with the guidance of Sabine as our birth doula. the experience was nothing less than spectacular. We first met Sabine during a "Meet the Doula" event at Harmony. Right from the first meeting, I was so comfortable with Sabine and liked that she did not judge me for my choice of bieth center but explained why it would work out well for me. When I expressed some doubt about the center, she encouraged me to explore my options and made me feel better about myself. We immediately knew she wss our first choice for a doula. We quickly learned to trust Sabine's extensive knowledge and experience and came to rely on her and her toolkit. I had a 16 hour labor but it was completely natural and unmedicated and I could not have gotten throgh it without Sabine and her guidance. Not only was she indispensable to me, she was a wealth of knowledge and an immense support to my husband. I could keep going on and on but in short, i highly recommend Sabine. read more

Sabine is amazing. I was so frazzled in the early days after our daughter was born because she wasn't breastfeeding. We spoke with so many people. I was sore and people were quite forceful in trying to get our little one to latch. It was not a good combo. Sabine was recommended to us and I'm so glad. She came to our house (which was exactly what we needed so we could show her what wasn't working). She was so patient with me and our baby (no painful squeezing of new mum's sensitive chest). It took a few hours but we got our baby to latch happily and without a fight. Sabine even showed my husband how he could help out. We are very grateful. read more

Sabine helped us immeasurably with the delivery of our baby. We really appreciated how attentive and focused she was during peak moments of pain, she always had an idea of how to cope with it. When it came time to push she was very communicative and a great coach. Our OBYN though that she was "a really excellent doula". She also took amazing pictures at pivotal moments that we will always treasure. A week after we came home, she came to see how we were doing and ensure we are using breastfeeding techniques Personally, she is really nice and calm. If we had to do all over again we would absolutely use her all over again. We would totally recommend her as a doula. read more

My husband and I had our first child in May 2013. Being fairly new to the area and away from family, we decided that we needed some help in the delivery room. We sought after the perfect person to help us in our time of need and we found her! We attended a "Meet the Doulas" event and met Sabine and knew she was the one. She has such a calming presence and knows all the tricks of the trade. Not to mention, that she is very well-known in her field. My labor and delivery did not go as planned, but Sabine took the reigns and helped me focus during difficult times of my delivery, which helped avoid having a cesarean. Sabine is also a professional photographer. So, not only did she help my husband and I during labor and delivery, she also took amazing photos of all of the "firsts" just after birth. She also took our prenatal and announcement photos as well. Sabine also offers placenta encapsulation, which helped aid in my recovery. Sabine is an amazing person. We are so happy and lucky to have met her and to have her be apart of our most important time of our lives. read more

For our second child, we decided to have a doula for the extra support we were missing for our first birth. From the beginning, we loved Sabine (pronounced Sabina). She has a very warm and friendly, yet calming demeanor. The prenatal appointments were great to talk out some left over feelings from my first birth and practice some comfort measures for a natural labor (our goal). Finally it was baby time. Due to a complication, we met at the hospital at the beginning of the labor. It seemed that I was starting to have back labor again, like my first baby, which was terrible. Using a kind of wrap like a harness with me on my hands and knees, we were able to get the baby shifted in a better position and avoid back labor. What a relief! Sabine was so reassuring, calming and knowledgeable during the whole time, never leaving our side. I also enjoyed the aromatherapy she provided. Although things went differently than we had planned, Sabine was so supportive and non-judgmental; I was so relieved to have her by my side, along with my husband! I think he was also very glad to have the support. Also, our birth photos were spectacular. I doubt we'll ever show them to others but I am so, so glad to have them. read more

This is my first ever yelp review but wanted to share my amazing experience with Sabine. I'm currently pregnant with my 3rd babe and found out at 32 weeks that baby was breech. At 34 weeks I scheduled a private at home Spinning Babies class with Sabine. I had purposely scheduled an accupuncture session right before the class to strengthen the odds of getting baby to turn head down. Sabine spent 3 hours at our home going over many helpful techniques with a power point presentation on her computer which had helpful pictures and information. We also practiced each pose, stretch, and technique in person and Sabine was very patient and nurturing while I had some trouble with some poses since I am experiencing pelvic pain. After the class I had my 34 week check up and amazingly my baby was head down! I was so relieved. I can't recommend Sabine enough for all of her services! She also was our doula for our first babe 4 years ago and stuck with me for over 36 hours during a very difficult labor and birth. She also took fantastic pictures read more

As first time parents, my husband and I knew we needed extra support to make it through the birth of our daughter. First off, Sabine has this calming energy about herself. Just meeting her made both of us relaxed. Second off, Sabine is very knowledgable, gives exact information on what is asked and is very, very professional. She is also a person of intuition. She was a great source of information throughout my pregnancy. She suggested books that have been best investment of my time.. Books that helped me with the birth and are still helping me as a brand new parent. I would highly recommend to hire a doula for birth and if Sabine clicks for you, rest assured.. You are in GREAT hands! Her aromatherapy was a great help during my very quick labor. She had tons of other things to help me, however everything for me was so quick that we just didn't have time! Most of the time during labor, I was holding Sabine's hand and not my husband's!! Thank You Sabine for your support, I have gained a friend in you :) read more

My first birth five years ago did not go as planned. I had hoped for a natural un-medicated birth. I attended the 6 week pre-natal classes at Sutter, had a great family doctor who was supported of my wishes and a sister by my side who had just given birth to her 5th child, I figured that was all I needed...I was so very ignorant to how hospital births work. At 12 days past my due date I reluctantly agreed to an induction (hind sight, I would have waited until it was truly medically necessary). 36 hours and many many interventions later, I was on an operating table having a C-section. I couldn't believe this had happened to me. I had read all about the 'cascade of interventions' and the high probability of C-sections these days, but I honestly didn't think it would happen to me. Although I was elated to meet my beautiful baby, and my C-section was not a traumatic experience or anything, I was visibly deflated for not being able to bring my baby into the world the way I had hoped. I knew from that day, my second go at this would be different... Fast forward 4 years and I was pregnant and ready to try this again, but this time I would NOT be ignorant and I would do everything in my power to VBAC this baby naturally. I explored the possibility of a home birth but for several reasons that was not the best option for me at the time, so I opted for the most VBAC friendly OB I could find (Dr. Alexandra Klikoff) and a GREAT doula, enter Sabine Omvik. After speaking with Sabine the first time, I knew she was the right fit for me. Clam, sincere, and she truly listened to me. When interviewing other doulas and midwives, I often felt like they had an agenda already and a set idea of what birth should be. Sabine listened to me, she provided me additional information, but never pushed or made me feel bad if I went another way. She met with us before the birth to get to know me and my husband better and provided relaxation techniques. When my labor seemed to be getting started, she was on the phone with me giving me tips on how to help the labor get going (this was at 9 days past due...again). When my husband called her to come once active labor had started, she was there in a flash (at 5am in the morning!). Her presence at my house helping me and my husband was incredible. She provided a sense of calm and reassurance and I just felt like I didn't have to worry. Once it was time to head to the hospital, she was right there with us the whole time. Luckily, I had a great nurse at the hospital (Dominican) who was very supportive of my desire to have a natural VBAC and her and the on-call OB read and followed my birth plan with respect (Oh, Sabine also helped me with the birth plan - which was great!). During transition, when the contractions were so strong and you are walking that line where you just feel like you can't do it any more, she was right there calmly saying exactly what I needed to hear to keep me going. 3.5 hours after arriving at the hospital I gave birth to my 10+ lbs baby ..all natural VBAC, 10 days post date...to say I was on cloud 9 is an understatement. This was the birth experience I had dreamed of, prayed for, worked for, and it happened. I still to this day (almost 1 year later) feel an incredible sense of empowerment from this birth. It heeled me. Sabine is an incredible woman doing incredible work. I can't recommend her highly enough. read more

We had Sabine as our Doula for birth of our 2nd baby. Ours was a difficult pregnancy and see did an excellent job in helping us have a normal delivery of our baby boy!! Highly recommend her.. Sandeep & Divya read more