"I can say nothing but incredible things about Julie Lefmann! From the moment I met her at a meet the doulas get together, I felt that she was the right match for my husband and I in our journey to having our first baby girl. Julie has a wonderful spirit and really made the whole experience much more comfortable. Being my first pregnancy, I didn't know what to expect but Julie really came through from before my due date... always checking in on me... making sure I felt well... making sure the baby was well. She gave me that extra confidence I needed for having my baby. I think many of us as first time mothers have fears of what delivery will be like but with Julie assisting it made me have that confidence I lacked in myself reassuring me that I was doing a great job...reminding me what to do to control my contractions all until the final PUSH! I highly recommend her, not to mention I got a couple of prenatal and post natal massages and they were soooo soothing and just what my body needed. It was a blessing to have found her and that above all she was available for our due day! Thank you Julie!!! We will forever be thankful that you were there to help." read more

Julie was Awesome as our doula. I honestly wasn't sure what to expect with birth and with a doula for support and whether I needed a doula or what I needed at all since I just had my first baby. I was beyond pleasantly surprised by my birth because of the support I got from Julie and my husband, whom she coached in how he could support me as well. Birth is such a beautiful and intense process and Julie remained solid throughout the journey - a real pillar. She was calm, gentle, but firm. She stood as an advocate for us with doctor's, sticking to the plan we had discussed together, and willingly bending when were clear that is how we wanted to proceed. She stood only for us to have the birth we wanted and to feel safe and cared for in the process. During labor I found that my lower back needed the most attention and that with pressure on it, contractions felt significantly reduced. Julie used many techniques and stayed alert and with me for every contraction helping me move through the sensations I experienced. She is such a grounded, kind, and to the point person, I really appreciate that about her. Julie feels like family and a huge part of our darling daughter's life because of the labor connection we shared. It's taken me so long to review her as now my daughter is 6 months old because I have found it hard to articulate how Amazing she was in our birth and how appreciative I was to have her there! read more

My husband and I met Julie at a "Meet the Doulas" night at Blossom Birth in Palo Alto. She was confident, knowledgeable and had a calming and encouraging demeanor. I wasn't sure how a doula would respond to a mother who wasn't going for a pain-medication-free birth, but Julie was totally supportive and explained all the ways she could assist me and my husband. She came by our apartment for two prenatal visits. She talked us through what was going to happen, discussed our concerns with us and helped us figure out a birth plan. She talked us through one false alarm visit to the hospital, and she came right away when it was time for the real deal. She suggested we take the birth ball into the shower during my early labor, which turned out to be an excellent way to deal with contractions. When my labor progressed much faster than expected (and the epidural didn't wind up working after all), Julie helped me to breathe through contractions and try not to push while we waited for the on-call doc to arrive, and she was ready and willing to catch the baby in case he didn't make it! The OB did arrive just in time, and Julie helped me through pushing. Afterward, without my even really noticing it, she took several amazing photos and a couple of videos of me and my husband meeting our daughter for the first time. Julie came by afterward for a follow-up visit to talk through how things went and to answer questions. As a bonus, she also brought us cake and took a few more family photos. I highly recommend Julie as a birth doula. read more

We hired Julie as our Doula as my husband has a spinal cord injury, so would not be able to support me through a lot of the physical side of labor. We made this known upfront, and also Julie agreed that if we needed her a little earlier at home as my husband would not be able to help me walk around, be my back, stretch etc with me we would need assistance on that. She readily agreed that all that was great and could be worked in. She was not even the cheapest Doula we interviewed, but she came across as a helpful soul, and because of our circumstances we felt she was the right fit. We had only one of the two birthing plan interviews, as she cancelled the 2nd one, and was not available to rearrange it before i had my child. The day of labor came- yes 3.5 weeks early. I had started mild contractions around 11.00pm. At 12.30am my husband called Julie, and said my contractions were about every 2-4 minutes apart, and lasting about 40 seconds. I had gone from mild to horrendous contractions very quickly. My family has a history of quick births. Julies reply was call back in a few hours, even though my husband was unable to help much, and we had got a doula specifically for this reason. She was abrupt and it seemed as though she just wanted us off the phone. We were both left thinking what the heck just happened, and did she just not ant to come out like planned? We felt as though we had been fobbed off. Things progressed quickly after the call, and after another 40 minutes of being in excruciating pain- yes i know this is to be expected it's labor after all, we went to the hospital. I was admitted around 1.30am, checked and told wow your at 4 centimeters already, so was in active labor, with my early labor lasting only a couple of hours. The hospital messed around taking information and putting an iv in me. This took about an hour. We had called Julie, who said she was coming straight over. She arrived after waiting around and wondering where she was for more than a couple of hours, in this time there were no messages from her, she had said she lived just around the corner to the hospital so could be there really quickly when called, and the wait should have been less than half an hour. She virtually walked in for the last 30 minutes of labor. It had taken her that long to come over as she was at her boyfriends house and could not find her car keys, so came on a bike and was unable to bring any of her birthing equipment. Anything we discussed in our birthing plan went out the window due to this as she had nothing with her, no music, no ball, just herself in a harried and distraught manner. She apologized profusely, and took a long time to be quiet with her explanations, then was unable to really focus on the task at hand as she was all over the place about losing her car keys and how it was not like her, and how she didn't have a spare set at her boyfriends, etc etc My mum gave better help than the trained Doula did. Ok we all have problems and unforeseen things do happen, but this was beyond being unprofessional considering that we had tried to have a Doula there to help me in ways my partner could not. Thankfully my birth was fast, and relatively easy. Julie gave me a massage as a sorry for her mess up, so off a i think $1200 fee we got $100 off for our bad experience. We were still expected to pay the full bill, and afterwards she acted as though it was all ok. She was there for 30 minutes of labor, and stayed an hour afterwards. My husband said it was a shambles and extremely unprofessional how she had behaved, at the time on Mommy hormones my reply to him was "it's all ok ", but it has left a terrible feeling about her as a Doula, and i have not recommended her to any of my friends, and have told them of my bad experience. Birth should be a beautiful, peaceful and trusting experience, when the paid Doula doesn't turn up and cannot focus, it really takes away from that experience in a negative way. read more

I got a prenatal and post-partum massage from Julie. The prenatal massage was done in my home, and she even brought over some baked goods! She is a great listener, and you can tell she really loves what she does. 5/5 recommend! read more

Julie was our doula for both of our daughters' births. We value her service so much that we hired her the second time even though we had the choice of hiring just a birth photographer/doula, which would have been a more cost efficient option. We think that Julie's service is worth every penny. If you hire her, you probably don't need to attend those hospital birth classes, which in my experience is a waste of time. When she is there in the labor and delivery room, she will coach you (and your partner) through the process - when and how to breathe, when to relax, how to push. She will provide you words of encouragement, give you and your partner the mental support that enable you to think that you can give birth like a true champ. She will work with the medical staff to enhance your birth experience. We had relatively quick births. I spent 2 hours in the labor and delivery room for my first birth, and 45 minutes for my second birth. Julie wasn't there for hours because she doesn't need to be. And trust me, you don't want her to be there for long! If she's there for days, that means you, mom and dad, are putting in a lot of work to get that baby out. Any birth, how ever quick/short it may be, is one contraction too many, and one push too long. Some reviewer on this board commented on how long Julie was there at her birth. She felt that 3 hours was not fair for the price that she paid. We truly feel that the cost of Julie's service cannot be evaluated based on how long she was there in the L&D room. The real question is: does her being there enable you to have a better experience? In our case, the answer is yes. She helped me paced my breathing; she helped me to get into a more comfortable position when I'm not ready to push yet by asking hospital staff for a birth bar; when it's time to push, she corrected my posture to have more effective pushes. I think all of the above, my genes and my prenatal workout routine had helped me to have quick births. It is super nice knowing that someone experienced is on our side in the L&D room. We needed that someone because when it's time to give birth, no couple's brains are functioning at full capacity. We don't feel like 2 hour the first time and 45 minutes the second time Julie spent with us were "rip off's", as some reviewer called it, for what we paid Julie for. If you think about it, that's the difference between Fedex overnight and UPS ground. Speedy delivery should cost more and it's a good thing. And Julie charges all deliveries the same, regardless of how long it takes. We highly recommend Julie to any couple who are having kids, esp first time parents. She will be a valuable asset to you when you give birth. read more

Julie Lefmann is amazing!! She has been there for us during both births of our sons at Kaiser Santa Clara, and we couldn't have done it without her. We met Julie at Doula night at Harmony Birth Center in Campbell. Julie instantly hit it off with my husband, which was great because we were worried that hiring a doula would take away from my husband's participation during our birth experience, but it was just the opposite. Julie allowed my husband to be more present during the birth and coached us both through it. I was induced both times but had a natural, non-medicated birth both times thanks to Julie's advice in both situations. She is a part of our family now and we would highly recommend her!! Oh, did I mention she is the best pre/post natal massage therapist I've ever had!! xoxox, Tamara read more

Julie Lefmann is a wonderful, talented woman with many skills to contribute to you and your partner's birth experience. She provided enormous support by meeting with us and offering tips and advice well before the due date. But our most valued time with Julie was the birth experience itself. Having been first time parents, my husband and I tried to be as prepared as possible, but Julie's experience and steady energy made us feel so much more confident. I had a particularly long labor (as is common in my family) & birthed at Kaiser Santa Clara. Julie stayed by our side through it all, suggesting new positions, offering massage, hip pressure, as well as breathing and visualization practices. My husband and I aimed for a natural birth, but had also agreed that we were not completely opposed to an epidural should it become really necessary. Julie supported us 100% in our birth plan, was fully invested and also helped advocate for us with the hospital staff. Even with the long labor, I am proud to say that I have absolutely no regrets and I attribute this success to both Julie and my husband's unwielding support. Once I had passed into active labor from early labor, I never had more than a small handful of contractions where either Julie or my husband (or both) weren't physically assisting me, either by supporting my weight, massaging me, compressing my hips, or pushing on my back. Looking back on my labor, I am so grateful that we had Julie by our side the whole time, and both my husband and I feel strongly that Julie's presence allowed us to be successful through her guidance and skillful practice. We felt so connected with Julie by the end that we asked her to do the honor of cutting our son's umbilical cord. Julie, my husband, and I are good friends today, and we will definitely be hiring her for our next birth in a few years! read more

Julie is amazing, and I highly recommend her as a birth doula. I truly believe I would not have made it through an induced labor without pain medication without Julie's support. My husband and I hired Julie to be our doula for the birth of our second child after attending a "Meet the Doulas" event at Blossom Birth in Palo Alto. I used a doula for the birth of my first child, and had a fairly smooth, drug-free birth. I really wanted a natural and drug-free birth for my second child, and since the doula I used for my first child had moved out of the area, I began my search. Right away after meeting Julie, I knew she was the one to help me meet my goal. She exuded a calm confidence that made me feel comfortable and safe, and it turns out that was exactly what I needed during the *much more difficult* second birth! Our daughter was born without pain medication at Stanford, after a rough start. My water broke early on a Saturday morning and after consulting with Julie, I decided to wait to go to the hospital until I had stronger and more regular contractions. We left for the hospital 27 hours later. A couple of hours after arriving at the hospital and walking the halls to promote labor, I was devastated to learn that my cervix was only open 2 centimeters. Julie encouraged me to try to stimulate opening naturally with a variety of methods, but I was tired and frustrated because my labor seemed to be stuck. After discussion with the medical staff, with Julie, and with my husband, I reluctantly agreed that I needed Pitocin. As the contractions got stronger and closer together, Julie worked with me and my husband to help me through the tough stuff. A little over four hours after induction, our beautiful baby girl was born! I am so grateful to Julie for her wisdom, guidance and terrific doula skills. read more

Julie Lefmann was my doula for my second baby, and her experience and presence at my labor made a huge difference compared to my experience in labor with my first baby (where I didn't have a doula, and had a very long, difficult labor). She met with me and my husband a number of times before my due date to discuss my birth plan and various options in case things did not go according to the plan. She also gave me a pregnancy massage which was wonderful and very much needed. When I went into labor she met me and my husband at the hospital within an hour of calling her (of course it was the middle of the night), and although it was a short labor, her coaching, calming, and reassuring presence was instrumental in allowing me to have the unmedicated labor and delivery I had hoped for! Julie's guidance and experience really was the magic touch that made all the difference, and gave me an amazing memory & sense of accomplishment that I will cherish for the rest of my life. She also gave me a free massage a few weeks after my baby was born as a reward for being an "easy" labor (only 4 hours). I highly recommend Julie as a doula and masseuse! read more

We have been using Julie for the past 4 years. Our family vacations in the Parajo Dunes Resort, she comes to us sets up her table and we all get to enjoy a Massage. She is able to adjust the level of support depending on need. Very knowledgeable! Julie is enthusiastic, through and really able to get you to relax, let go and enjoy your massage!! Everyone in our family HIGHLY recommends Julie!! read more

What a great experience. Icing on cake she came to us and did a fantastic job. She takes the time to ask what she can do for you and adjusts to your individual preferences. read more

Julie is top notch! She has been my masseuse for a while and she truly knows what she is doing. Whether you are pregnant, need a postpartum massage, or just need some therapy and relaxation, I couldn't recommend her more! read more

My husband and I met Julie at a Meet the Doulas Event. She stood out from the others and we knew she was our gal- super strong, confident, experienced and we connected with her. Everything started off great. We had awesome sessions before the birth and we really felt like Julie was going to be there for us come D-Day. We paid what was a TON of money for us because we really trusted Julie and knew she would be an amazing presence during our labor. D-Day rolled around and that is where things started to get weird. Julie had talked about laboring with us at home and that didn't happen. I kept her in the loop through my whole labor; I let her know my water had broken, I had been having contractions all night and how far apart they were. The hospital had told me to come in at 10am and she encouraged me to stay at home for longer. She said by the way I sounded she could tell I wasn't in active labor. She said people can't talk through their contractions when they are in active labor and that I wasn't moaning and groaning. She also let me know that she had an important appointment she had to go to, but she would come if I really needed her, but she was convinced I didn't need her. This all was very interesting to me. We both signed a contract saying that she would be there for us on call 2 weeks before and 2 weeks after, 24-7. She even had told us at one of our prenatal visits that she didn't mind coming to our house and then having to go home and come back once I was in active labor because we live so close. I should have been more firm with her, but when the person you just hired to help you through this convinces you of something, you believe them. I felt vulnerable and like I almost couldn't be more firm with her. I am a first time mom who had no idea what was happening to her body, I can't check and see how dialated I am, I am not an expert at this obviously, and thats why we hired Julie- to be that person for us. We finally decided to go to the hospital without Julie, since she was busy with her appointment. The doctor checked me right when we got there and told me I was already at 6 cm and the baby would be here very soon!!! My husband called Julie and let her know this and she finally got to the hospital 45 minutes later. She said she had been at a massage earlier......that was her appointment she had to get to. She was supposed to helping me, yet she was getting a massage instead. Yikes. She apologized for not being there sooner and said 'normally' things don't go that fast. That was also big problem for me thinking about it later because all births are different! She has been to so many births and told us numerous times how every single one is different. I felt like she treated the birth of our child like it was like most of her other births and I was just like every other mother she has worked with. As it turns out, I wasn't and neither was our birth. Things progressed rapidly at the hospital and our daughter was born at 4:11pm. So she helped us at in labor for about 3 hours. It felt like such a rip off for what we paid for. I ended up feeling like it was a waste of money and we definitely could have done it all without her. My husband and I were way more prepared than we gave ourselves credit for. We had done our reading, talked to so many moms and dads about their stories and honestly felt confident in the whole process, but we were hoping Julie would make us feel more reassured about ourselves. My husband was the best support I could have asked for and Julie felt like a small presence in the room compared to him. She also kept saying after she was born how she felt like she really didn't do anything. She just kept bringing up how good I did and how she didn't do anything. Which I am sure she meant as a compliment, but it made me feel awful. We paid her over $1000 and for her to say she didn't do anything felt terrible. A few other weird things that are definitely worth mentioning.... Right after our baby was born, Julie was standing by my head and one of the nurses said something along the lines of "Oh you guys look like you are related! Are you her mom?" Julie took it super personally and got very offended. She retorted "Are you kidding me??? I am 36 and she is 25! Wow. I can't believe you would think that!" The nurse obviously felt terrible and apologized, but Julie couldn't really get over it. Our baby girl had just been placed on my chest and this was all happening right above my head. I wasn't thinking about it at the time because I was so immersed in our little angel, but wow, that was so unprofessional. To make it worse, when my parents and her were visiting the next day, she brought it up again!! And kept talking about how lame it was and how she couldn't believe the nurse said that. If I was not fully overwhelmed with my beautiful child I would have yelled "GIVE IT A REST ALREADY! SHE DIDN'T MEAN ANYTHING BY IT! Drop it and leave the room please." Anyways. Out of space. read more

Watsu with Julie is absolutely Heaven on Earth! I've tried several types of therapy for my chronic back pain and have never felt such relief as I did after receiving a Watsu treatment by her! Hands down, Julie's got the healing hands to make anyone feel better! Not to mention the pool in San Jose where she practices Watsu is a magical oasis with pure tropical bliss! read more

From the moment we met Julie Lefmann at a Doula meet & greet, we knew she was the right partner for us. Her warm, nurturing, and easygoing personality was a perfect fit, and I knew she would be strong enough to be my advocate when necessary. I appreciate the time she took to get to know our family and my desires for my first birth. She prompted conversation about lots of things I didn't think about, and allowed me space to form my own opinions about things. At our birth, Julie's calming presence and expertise was essential to an amazing birth experience. Her training as a massage therapist really helped my labor pains considerably, and she was wonderful at keeping me focused and breathing and calm. I find myself wanting to share my birth story with everyone I meet because it went just the way I had always hoped, and I attribute a lot of that to Julie's constant support and encouragement. We highly recommend her! read more

Julie gives the best massages I've ever had, she's also the best doula I've ever had. ;-) Julie is a very active and present doula. She beat us to the hospital since my very quick labor did not allow for us to linger at home after my water broke. She hooked me right up to her tens unit and even worked it for me a few times when contractions were strong. Julie is very experienced and knew by the timing of my contractions and my self reports that it was time to get the midwife (who had thought she might have time for a quick nap at the hospital since my water had just broke an hour and a half earlier and I was only dilated to 5). Julie left our room without being asked and got the midwife. I saw her leave and felt instant relief and support that she had my back and knew what I needed without having to be told. She's very easy to get along with and has good rapport at the hospital and with the midwives I used which also helped add a sense of calm and positivity to the room while I was going through an "easy" labor (not that any labor is easy- but this one went as easily as one can go). Very grateful for role Julie played at my son's birth. Obviously I highly recommend her. And she'll do discounted home massages for you before or after your doula appointments which are amazing!! read more

My husband and I knew right away that we wanted Julie as our doula. She exuded confidence, peacefulness and knowledge that only comes with a LOT of experience. She was our ROCK during labor and delivery. At times, she could tell I was letting my contractions consme me and she'd say "Stay on top of it! You got this", and I swear those words made all the difference to me. She had such an easy way of getting me back on track and in control of my labor pains, and let me tell you - I was in 8 hours of back to back contractions with no break. I felt like she was one of my best friends by my side, my husband and I both felt very connected to Julie and trusted her with the most intimate moments of our lives. She was in it just as much as we were and she cried just as much as we did when our baby boy was born. Julie has a deep heart, healing hands, and strength beyond words! Thank you so much, Julie - you helped make our baby's birthday just what we wished for - a joyous one!! read more

I booked a prenatal massage with Julie early in my pregnancy and I have to say it was one of the smartest things I could have done! Julie is AMAZING! She gets rid of knots I wasn't even aware I had and I am so relaxed when I leave that I can't believe I haven't been seeing her for years. As a Doula, Julie is also always willing to answer questions and is truly interested in how you are feeling and dealing with your pregnancy. I have recommended her to a number of people who are not "expecting" and have continued seeing her once my prenatal need was over. read more

Julie was referred to us from a dear friend who said Julie was invaluable as she labored and delivered her second child. We knew she was highly sought after, so we felt so fortunate when she had an opening around our due date. Julie was always available during the pregnancy, and was in constant contact those last couple weeks and as I went a week over. She always wanted to be updated on how my Dr visits went and how I was feeling, and even giving suggestions of what I could do to safely induce labor so I would not need a hospital induction. At exactly one week past our due date I went into labor around 4am, called Julie around 6am, and though my contractions were close we decided to wait a bit longer before going to the hospital and call her again in a couple hours - it could take a while since this was our first child. Labor actually started to progress rather quickly, so we called Julie back a short while later to let her know that we were heading to the hospital since it at least a 30 minute drive and rush hour. Once we reached the hospital my husband was able to perform the hip squeeze Julie taught us (I had back labor and could not sit down) and about an hour and a half before I delivered our son Julie made it to the hospital - she had to drive from Santa Cruz to Redwood City during rush hour! She was a welcome relief for my husbands tired arms. She was there for the last 1.5 hrs of labor, which doesn't sound like much, but felt like an awfully long time. She was still very necessary to give my husband a break, set up her stim machine on my low back, and having the added words of encouragement helped immensely through the pain. I was able to tune everyone out at that point and know that Julie was our advocate with the hospital staff. She took the most beautiful photos with my SLR camera, and stayed right through breastfeeding to make sure all was ok. Since my labor was so quick she also gave me an amazing post natal massage a couple weeks later, and still over a year later, we hear from her periodically to see how we are all doing. We would absolutely call upon Julie again, and would highly recommend her to anyone looking for a birth doula or masseuse, look no further! read more

Julie is marvelous! She helped me with our 4th child. I have large babies and did not want to be induced medically like had with our previous children, all of which were at least 1 week past term. I had our daughter 8 days early after just a few sessions starting at 38 weeks gestation. It was by far my quickest and most comfortable labor, delivery and recovery. 9lbs 8oz. baby girl :-) She also came to our home after the baby and did a magnificent postnatal message. I would recommend her to anyone and will be using/enjoying her services when our next baby comes in the spring. read more

Julie was an amazing birth coach for the birth of my daughter. When my husband and I first met Julie at a doula meet and greet, we were impressed by all of her experience. She had a way of making us feel comfortable and confident, and we knew that she could handle anything. We found her to be very responsive to our emails, texts, and phone calls throughout the months leading up to the big day, and she was always full of good advice. When the big day arrived, she became like family. She coached my husband and mom into becoming a huge support for me, and was very helpful in guiding us through comfort measures. She also had a TENS device to ease the labor pains, and she was a great physical support as we labored at home. We labored at home for quite some time, which was exactly what I wanted. When I decided it was time to go to the hospital, she totally respected that decision and off we went. As labor progressed, she had great techniques for every stage. Because of this, I was able to handle the labor pains pretty well and succeeded at having a natural, unmedicated delivery. She was both hands-on and super instructive, and I can't imagine going through labor with anybody else. read more

Julie was our doula during our first pregnancy, and she helped us deliver our baby in Nov 2012 at Kaiser Santa Clara. She was professional, personable, and...everything an anxious first-time parent couple needed during the whole process! She provided us with patient listening, many literary and audio/visual resources, massage for both my husband and myself throughout the pregnancy, and MOST importantly and MOST highly recommended for pregnant and VERY pregnant mommas, she provided Watsu (gentle body therapy performed in warm water---holy heaven!) We highly recommend Julie's services: Doula, Massage, Watsu, or any combination! She is fabulous. read more

Julie was awesome! She helped my wife and I do our best to create a beautiful birth. The birthing process is intense. I am so grateful we hired her to help us navigate through it. She helped me know what to do. She helped my wife feel supported. She helped the doctor be clear about our "birth plan." Without fluffing my review up with too many adjectives, I'll just say she's knowledgeable, personable, solid, and real. Big thumbs up. read more

I went to Harmony to get a prenatal massage from Julie who was also my birth doula. I had never experienced a massage before while pregnant and highly recommend the whole experience. In comparison to other massages I've paid for over the years, at Harmony I appreciated the attention to detail on the peacefulness of the room, the incredibly soft blankets and well positioned pillows that maximized the relaxation experience. The baby also got his own special Reiki massage. I highly recommend all moms-to-be take some time to treat themselves to a massage from Julie, and definitely hire her as your birth doula! I had the best birth experience you could wish for, and Julie was a big part of it. read more

Looking back on my first birth (six months ago), most of it is a blur and my concept of time is askew - yet some things stand out and will remain with me for years to come. Julie was a critical part of my birth story. My husband and I liked Julie off the bat because she was decisive, confident, and experienced. I got the sense she would not hesitate to advocate for us if we were too exhausted, vulnerable, or uninformed to do so for ourselves. That was the major role she played in my birth. Just as important to me, she stayed the course with us for the better part of 2 long days. She was a great cheerleader, gave me options for pain management (like endless hip squeezes, a TENS unit, different positions, aroma therapy...), was mindful of our playlist, lighting in the room, when trying the shower would be a good option at the hospital, when we should leave our house... so many things. I started contractions on an early Saturday morning, and by Monday, my reserves were spent. I labored naturally throughout but could not surpass 8 cm. dilated. Julie honored my wishes for a natural birth, but explained my options and the recommendations from the labor and delivery staff at Kasier RWC. Ultimately, I let go and surrendered, solely focused on getting my baby into this world. Ultimately, I took Pitocin (and simultaneously an epidural), which was very emotional for me. I had come so far, and I felt like I was getting carried across the finish line. At my most vulnerable, Julie looked me in the eye and said these tools were available for exactly the type of circumstance I was in, that I had given it my very best with grace and dignity, and no one would be disappointed because there was nothing to be disappointed about. My husband was adamantly in agreement, and a couple hours later, our beautiful son was born. Julie captured these initial moments on camera at our request. Her presence also gave my husband much needed reprieve. She is a treasure. read more

Thank goodness we found Julie; we felt so supported and cared for before, during and after my labor. We met Julie at a meet-the-doula event in Santa Cruz and she stood out as knowledgable, calm, articulate and present. I immediately knew I wanted her at my birth. In the months leading up to our labor she really made an effort to get to know my husband and I. It made such a big difference so that by the time the labor started she was no longer a stranger but a key part of our birthing process. Julie is warm, kind and extremely grounded. I honestly couldn't have asked for a better presence and support for me and my husband. She brought props and made great suggestions to help me through the process and was mindful to be there for my husband as well, which was essential for an induced labor that started at 9 am on a Friday and ended at 3 am on a Sunday. She sang with me, she rubbed my back, she got my husband food, she talked us through our options at the appropriate points in my labor and cried with us when our son was born. She was everything we needed! read more