Loving Words From Families

From the moment Lorena walked through our door, we didn’t just know that we had made the right choice — we felt like we had won the lottery! She instantly made us feel supported, empowered, and at ease. And as first time parents to a newborn, those feelings could be fleeting — but we always looked forward to “Lorena nights”, because we knew that all of us (myself, my partner, our baby and even our grizzled old dog) would be rested, and in caring and capable hands. Lorena was our overnight doula for several weeks, working with us two to three nights a week from just a few days after our baby’s birth. On our first night with her, our baby was crying and within minutes of walking through the door, Lorena sang to her and calmed her. It was amazing to watch. She also quickly figured out how to help me breastfeed despite a latch that even my lactation consultants had assumed would remain difficult. On countless occasions I was so grateful for Lorena’s incredibly proactive (yet never intrusive) approach. She anticipated our needs with intuition and empathy, then set about problem-solving with calm, good judgement. She shared invaluable tips and checked in with us even when she wasn’t with us. She sang to our baby, massaged her, and bonded with her. We felt cared for, holistically and completely. Lorena’s grounding, calming energy, her abundant passion for her work, and her outstanding ability to care make her an exceptional doula. Thanks to her, what could have been a very stressful time became something that we could weather and even enjoy. Her presence turned what could have been a chaotic and exhausting time into one of calm, healing, and connection. I can’t recommend Lorena highly enough. And I know that if we have another baby, the first thing I do will be to check if Lorena can be there!

We are beyond grateful for Cecilia. She was the best night time postpartum doula we could have ever asked for. As first time parents, we were comforted by Cecilia’s deep compassion, support, and caring spirit. Every night, the first thing she would do once she arrived was ask me how I was doing. Whether it was a postpartum issue or anything that was bothering me, she listened and offered support and guidance. Our baby girl loved seeing her and would immediately be soothed by her presence. My husband and I were so happy to see Cecilia because we knew our baby girl would be taken care of and we could get a good night’s sleep. Cecilia was always on time, would fold Olivia’s clothes ,and help keep her room organized. Bottles were always washed and she left us a detailed message letting us know how much she ate and how many diapers were changed. We will forever cherish the time our baby girl got to spend with Cecilia as a newborn. She is now a part of our family.

We had the immense pleasure of having Desola as our night doula for the first couple of months with our daughter. During our interview process it was apparent to us that Desola was knowledgeable, genuinely cared for the wellbeing of the family and truly loved babies. To say she is a great doula is an understatement, she is a gem of a person who did an amazing job. We loved her so much that we extended our contract with her twice! While she worked with us she took great care of our newborn during the nights and provided amazing support to me (the tired and hormonal mom). She guided us and even introduced bottle feeding to our little one. She allowed me to rest during the nights which was an immense help to take care of our baby during the day. Desola always had good advice on how to handle various situations that arised from being first time parents taking care a newborn (witching hours, traveling with baby, pumping, mental health, doctors appointments). She would even always check in on us during the day to see how we were doing (and still does it to this day). She was always flexible with scheduling and was extremely reliable. If you have the chance to be able to work with Desola I think it is an honor and a privilege to be able to have her help you through this challenging time and I couldn’t recommend her more!

When I began my journey into motherhood, I knew I wanted the best support team possible, and Kassondra and Melissa truly exceeded all expectations. Kassondra came highly recommended by a dear friend who had recently had a baby, and after working with her, I completely understand why. From the start, Kassondra impressed me with her professionalism and vast knowledge. She has years of experience, and it shows in the way she approaches every detail with care and precision. Her postpartum support was nothing short of incredible—she anticipated needs I didn’t even know I had, offered invaluable advice, and created such a calm, reassuring environment during what can be a challenging transition. Melissa brought a wonderfully warm and supportive energy. She has a heart of gold and was always there with kind words, a listening ear, and a genuine eagerness to help in any way she could. Her emotional support made such a difference, especially on days when I felt overwhelmed. If you’re looking for doulas who will go above and beyond, look no further. I’m beyond grateful to have had their support during such an important time in my life. Thank you, Kassondra and Melissa, for making this experience so positive and empowering!

Chris was amazing! Helped me maintain my sanity (and even get a little sleep) in those crucial first weeks.

Faith served as our post-partum doula for our newborn baby and she is amazing. She tirelessly provided comfort and care for him in his two months, while sharing lots of advice and insights from her extensive experience. Her help and coordination with Mom greatly helped with the breastfeeding process, while doing everything else for the baby the remainder of the night's to help the family get precious sleep. She is a very nice, caring, and respectful person, is always on time, and has a magic touch at getting the baby soothed. Additionally, she has been a huge help to the household in cleaning baby bottles and the kids' laundry. We give Faith the highest recommendation as doula and caretaker - 5/5! The administrative staff at Doulas by the Bay was 5/5. They were extremely responsive, answered questions / requests quickly and clearly, and did an excellent job in setting up interviews in a short window. Thanks Doulas by the Bay team!

I cannot speak highly enough of our experience with Frances. We knew immediately after interviewing her that she was the right fit for our family. Her warm, calm energy was exactly what we needed after a difficult pregnancy - and ended up being even more important after a traumatic birth and with a colicky newborn. During an incredibly difficult postpartum, we looked forward to every day that Frances was coming. She is extremely knowledgeable about postpartum recovery and provided us with support in so many ways - from the basics of helping around the house and food preparation to showing us different nursing positions, infant bathing/massage, safe contact sleeping, and positions for gas/digestive relief for our little one. She also has extensive experience with newborns and was wonderful with our fussy boy, even during long bouts of inconsolable crying. Frances also has a special focus on maternal recovery - both physical and emotional. She spent time each day supporting me through processing the trauma of my son's birth. She also made sure I prioritized time for my physical recovery - including giving me massages during each visit and carving out time for me to shower and nap. She even set up a special "first bath" for me and my son, complete with lovely flowers from our garden. I am so grateful for the time we worked with her - she's truly a special human and went so far beyond what we expected from a postpartum doula.

I wholeheartedly recommend Cassilde as a night doula. She cared for my newborn for six weeks and consistently went above and beyond. Her reliability and expertise provided peace of mind, and she taught us invaluable skills along the way. As a first-time mom, I felt safe and supported in her presence. Trustworthy and compassionate, Cassilde is an exceptional choice! I had a great experience with Doulas by the bay. The customer support team was always available and responded in a timely manner. Brandi was so helpful in answering all my Questions about lactation as well. Highly recommend!

We were matched with Desola from Doulas by the Bay, and she is a true saver for us. She came on time everytime and she certainly has some special skills for the babies, the nights she was not here we struggled a lot to put our daughter to sleep, but when she was here, baby became so calm immediately after being hold in her arm. She also helped keep detailed logs for nightly activities of the baby. Overall I highly recommend this organization and Desola!

We worked with our Doula KMO (they/them) for the first few weeks of our second son’s life. KMO is a solid communicator, a grounded presence, and a welcome help! We particularly chose KMO because they also have experience with early childhood education, so they were able to also support our 3 year old when mom and dad had our hands full with the newborn. the admin of Doulas by the Bay are also responsive and helpful. We also appreciated that we could pay with HSA funds.

Can't say enough good things about Desola. She was awesome - reliable, kind, and totally capable. We trusted her completely with our newborn. Would highly recommend her!

We matched with Faith and he helped us on nights when my husband was traveling for work. Faith is so knowledgeable, reliable and timely. She always gave me tips and answered questions that came up - which is often as a first time mom. I have already learned so much from her.

We had a great experience with Sydney who was a sibling doula for our son. Our son had never been cared for by anyone other than his parents so this was a huge change for him. Sydney was so kind and caring towards him and provided us with regular updates. Our son loved playing and interacting with her. She made sure he felt secure and safe and did an outstanding job with his care. Sydney even accommodated an extra night of support at short notice and was very flexible in supporting our family. She is a very responsible and caring doula. We highly recommend her to anyone using this service.

Agnes from Doulas By the Bay was a Godsend. I’m a second time mom and also a widow. This was my first time hiring any type of caregiver. I remember with my first child, taking care of a newborn during the nights was the hardest for me. My mom helped me out back then. Now five years later, I’m well into my 40s and my mom is getting older, I told myself I need to get some professional help for everyone’s sanity. Fortunately, I have benefits from work for postpartum care through Carrot. I reached out to DBB about a month before my daughter was born. It was cutting it close since doulas are usually booked months ahead. DBB was quick to respond and a consultation was setup within a couple days shortly followed by interviews with two doulas. Agnes took great care of my daughter. She came over the first night we were home from the hospital. I’m so glad she came over to take care of my baby the first night home. I was so exhausted from breastfeeding around the clock and looked forward to a couple hours of uninterrupted rest. I think the hours when Agnes was over helped me focus on rest and pumping which helped bring my milk supply up. Agnes brought my baby to me about every 2-3 hours to feed or provided a bottle. She did the best swaddles for my baby, changed her diapers, rocked her to sleep. I hardly heard my baby cry for the 6 weeks she was with us. There was a period when my baby refused breast feeding and preferred the bottle. Agnes said that it’s because I was making it too easy for my baby to feed from the bottle so she gave me tips on how to properly hold the bottle to make my baby work for the milk, similar to breast feeding. It worked and it saved me a trip to see a lactation consultant. Agnes is really good at pointing out anything on baby that’s concerning. For example in my case, my baby’s belly button didn’t look normal after the umbilical cord fell off and on another occasion, my baby’s congestion was getting bad. She suggested I see the doctor for both incidents. They were good calls because the doctor gave me next steps on treatment plans and gave me peace of mind on how to remedy the situation. Agnes also sent me a log on what time baby had breast milk and formula, how many ounces, when she changed diapers and if it was pee or poop. At the end of each shift, she helped me wash bottles and sanitize. We got along really well and we shared stories of our families. My 5 year old loved when she came over and was always excited to chat with her. Agnes truly helped me get through this newborn stage - I was less stressed, slept more which gave me more energy to tackle the day. We love Agnes and we highly recommend her!

Very happy with my experience with Doulas by the Bay and my doula Nataly! Highly recommend 🙂

Wonderful company helped me with my baby I was able to get cleaning done, work stuff done, and rest. I highly appreciate there services.

Where do I begin?! I am currently 3.5 months PP and still think about how helpful our doula was. We matched with Agnes as she helped us 4 nights a week for 6 weeks. I cannot express how patient, well informed and reliable she is. I honestly could have not picked anyone better and we were able to learn SO much from her. She answered my million questions and was so gentle with our little girl. Agnes truly became a part of our family and we cannot wait to have baby #2 so she can help us again! Most notably, we loved her honesty as becoming a first time parent can be difficult she always guided us. I think 3-4 nights a week is perfect as it allowed us to practice what she taught us on her off nights. Thank you so much Agnes!! We miss you!!

I am writing to wholeheartedly recommend Margaret Thaiya for her exceptional night time doula service. Since the arrival of our first baby, Margaret has been an absolute blessing to our family. As first-time parents, navigating the world of newborn care was daunting, but Margaret stepped in as our guiding light. Margaret’s support has been invaluable. Not only does she provide much-needed assistance during the night, allowing both my partner and I to rest, but she also brings a wealth of knowledge on baby care. She patiently teaches us everything from recognizing feeding cues to mastering the art of swaddling and ensuring optimal safety measures are in place for our little one. She also records meticulously about each feeding and diaper change during the night so that we can easily take the records and log into our trackings to monitor the baby’s progress and routine. Margaret’s warm demeanor and genuine care for our baby and family have made her an indispensable part of our journey into parenthood. I highly recommend Margaret for any families seeking compassionate and knowledgeable doula support. We are super grateful for her assistance and will undoubtedly turn to her service again in the future.

Outstanding Doula Services!! "Doulas by the Bay" provided us with exceptional doula services, connecting us with two amazing doulas (Sydney and Ayugi) who offered invaluable day and night support. Their care, expertise, and warmth were transformative, helping us navigate parenthood with confidence. From establishing a sleep routine for our baby to providing emotional and practical support, soothing techniques, and much more, their impact was profound. I was struggling with breastfeeding and feeling confident as a new mom, the reassurance from my doulas and community have helped me so much. We're deeply grateful for the attentive service from the organization and the personalized care from our doulas. Highly recommend "Doulas by the Bay" to any new parents in the Bay Area looking for top-notch doula care.

I cannot recommend Doulas by the Bay and Esther I (our night doula) more highly. Before our baby came, I was unsure of whether or not we needed a night doula but heard from friends that it would be the best money we've ever spent. I can now confidently say that working with Esther and DBB is the best decision we've made so far postpartum and I cannot imagine the last 8 weeks without Esther by our side. Esther joined our family as soon as we came home from the hospital and has been instrumental in setting our family up for success. From her nursery visit before the baby came, to being there on our first night home together and helping us transition from breastfeeding only to introducing bottles and formula, Esther's help has been invaluable. By the time she finished her contract with us, our baby was starting to get several longer stretches at night, only waking once or twice (which is great for 8 weeks!). She is kind, calming, loving and beyond fantastic with our son. He recognized her when she arrived and was instantly soothed by her presence (as was I). I cannot emphasize enough how fortunate we were to have found Esther and I would work with her/DBB again in a heartbeat. We miss her already. I also found the DBB free resources/ trainings and Lactation Consultant (Brandi) to be incredibly helpful and a great perk of working with DBB.

We were connected with Desola Amos as and I cannot recommend her highly enough. In addition to being reliable and flexible, Desola went above and beyond in caring for our newborn and in supporting us first time parents. I was personally hesitant to have someone I didn't know come into home at first, but from the first time we met her, Desola was a comforting presence. She was always warm, enthusiastic about our newborn, and proactively looks for ways to be helpful. She strikes a helpful balance of encouragement and also sharing lessons from her experience in a way that was understanding and constructive. We had read the sleep training classes & books, but Desola's practical tips & context were a much needed addition. She could point out potential pitfalls to look out for before they happened and had actionable suggestions when our newborn had trouble sleeping. Would highly recommend her to new parents- a wonderful doula and a wonderful woman.

Highly recommend for pp, birth and sibling doulas. The doulas are amazing. I’ve had a great experience working with dbb. The entire team is a dream in the birth world. So grateful for them all!

I had the pleasure of working with two post-partum day doulas through Doulas by the bay, Leah Hartog and Emily Pulsfus. Both were fantastic, and I am so grateful to have had them support me and my family during the first six weeks postapartum. Leah was my postpartum doula for the first three and a half weeks after the birth of my third child. She was warm, nurturing, and caring. It felt amazing to have someone so focused on the well being of myself and the baby. For example, she made sure I was well fed with whole some and nutritious lunches, and made tasty and healthy snack plates so I'd have something to eat in middle of the night while I was breast feeding. She always encouraged me to get the rest that I needed (especially as I was recovering from a c-section), and was so great with the baby! We also worked with Emily for about 2 weeks - she was equally amazing. She was incredible with the baby, and was always willing to pitch in and help to make our lives so much easier during the hectic days with a newborn and two toddlers.

I cannot say enough good things about Doulas by the Bay, and specifically Raychel, our AMAZING postpartum doula. The entire process was done in an efficient and professional manner, from receiving initial package information to interviews to the actual postpartum care. It's clear that the entire DBB team are experts in their field and take great pride in their product. We immediately clicked with Raychel, and felt super comfortable with her integrating into our lives + our baby's life. Her knowledge, keen intuition, and kindness while she was caring for us was so appreciated, especially during a very vulnerable time. She taught us about caring for our little one, and offered options so we never felt like there was only one way to steer the ship. We are very grateful for Raychel and for all of her love + care. I would highly recommend DBB to any friend, family, or acquaintance.