My husband and I loved having Michelle as part of our birth journey for our first baby. We live away from our families and wanted to have someone who has been through the birthing experience, with us for our pre-birth prep and in the hospital with us during labor. I specifically was worried about the pain of labor and how to handle it. My husband was most concerned about how to advocate for me and what we wanted in the labor and delivery room at the hospital since we've never been through a birth before. Working with Michelle before delivery, she helped us both to work through those fears. During our meetings she took the time to talk to us about how we were feeling and to understand where we were coming from. From there she used her knowledge and experience to give us advice on how to face those worries that we had. I think that was the most helpful part of having a doula - helping us understand what to expect and how to handle our fear of the unknowns.

Michelle was everything I needed her to be: kind, compassionate, warm, understanding, and invaluably helpful. She listened to the fears I had leftover from my previous traumatic birth and gave me the tools I needed to feel at peace and prepared during this new pregnancy. Perhaps most importantly, she educated and prepared my husband as well, ensuring he would be ready and well-equipped to support me during labor and birth. She shared resources with him through a variety of ways (books, video links, printed cheat sheets) and communicated with him during my three day labor at home.

I felt so much relief when she attended the birth! She helped me relax during surges by using physical techniques, giving me honest feedback about why I couldn't relax (which would resolve my tension), and providing space for my emotions. I loved how real she kept it for me after the birth when I felt disappointed in myself for using medication; Michelle was there to process those emotions with myself and my husband. We loved how she was also attentive to my husband's needs and questions. She gave a lot of space for the both of us to cuddle and do our thing, and instructed my husband on how to help set a relaxing environment.

Hiring a doula was the best decision I made during my pregnancy journey. Having her by my side made me feel empowered and less anxious. She provided me with knowledge and support that helped me navigate the uncertainties of labor and birth. With her guidance, I felt more in control, which ultimately contributed to a positive birth experience.

You empowered us every step of the way and with each session, we felt more prepared and confident; not only for the birth but the postpartum challenges as well. Our observation / admission at the hospital was extremely scary, but you were able to turn our rocky start into an overall positive birth experience. Your presence was calming and comforting. We processed the anxiety and stress together as a team, which allowed us to move forward more confidently. We truly could not have done it without you! We are so grateful for the photos and videos you captured. You are an amazing doula and we are so grateful for your support!

Having Michelle as my birth doula was the best decision we made! She exudes calmness and kindness. She is very knowledgeable and also empowers you to make the decision that's aligned with your values. She was truly my advocate during the birthing process, encouraging me to take time to ask questions and validated and supported me during a difficult and stressful labor. I had a lot of anxiety throughout my labor and she was able to validate my concerns while also making me feel safe and taken care of. She taught my wife supportive positions to help me during the labor and guided us through movement.

Michelle was just what we needed for our first birthing experience. I wanted a natural unmedicated birth and she made those dreams come true. It was a marathon and she made my husband and I feel very comfortable through the whole labor process. She remembered all of our details and was able to incorporate it flawlessly during the process. The hip squeezes were a lifesaver! She was the calm and assuring presence we needed by our sides while bringing in this new life during a global pandemic. We would recommend her to anyone!

Michelle made sure we asked all the right questions during the birth. During the pushing phase of labor I had to make fast decisions. The baby wasn’t in danger so Michelle encouraged me to think about next steps to make sure that I was making decisions with a clear head and could process the information the doctors were giving me.

Working with Michelle for my son’s unmedicated birth was the best decision I could have made for our family. Although it was my third, I hadn’t had a doula for the first two. Michelle created space to share any concerns and worries that came up. She continuously offered solutions to alleviate aches and pains and checked in often to see how i was doing. My favorite statement of hers was “Tell me more about that.” So simple, yet it opened the door to exploring my fears and wishes. In addition, Michelle encouraged an open dialog with my support team, to ensure we were all on the same page when it came to roles and responsibilities. Our planned home birth was transitioned to a hospital induction, which brought up a lot of anxiety for me. My biggest appreciation of Michelle is that she empowered me to make choices, talk through our birth plan and advocate for myself.

When we first found out we were expecting our first child, we immediately knew we wanted to explore the idea of having doula support us through our labor and delivery experience. We first met Michelle through a video visit and fell in love with her level of care and support. My reason for seeking doula support was due to a lot of medical anxiety surrounding giving birth. Michelle listened to our anxieties was so kind and understanding. I loved her trauma-informed care and she made me feel safe during my prenatal experience and in the delivery room. Michelle provided multiple visits, check-ins, and phone calls under our perinatal timeline. She kept us accountable and asked thought-provoking questions. On the evening of our delivery, she adjusted to the last-minute change of our birthing hospital and met us in Oakland instead of San Jose. Having her in an unfamiliar hospital and space made my partner and I feel safe and secure.

Working with Michelle as our doula was hands down the best decision we made when preparing the birth of our first baby! From the first consultation, we immediately felt a strong connection with her and knew she would be a wonderful support person for us. Michelle has a deep passion for helping families have a safe and comfortable birth, and her knowledge and experience made us feel much more at ease as we prepped for our little one.

Michelle helped us develop our birth plan with compassion and care, asking what our biggest fears or anxieties were, and providing helpful ways to work through those feelings. She was always organized and prepped to answer our questions and provide additional, evidence-based resources to us. We really valued that she validated our feelings and wholeheartedly supported our decisions to help us have the birth we wanted to aim for.

Michelle went through comfort measures for us to practice at home and provided us with supplies which were perfect for prepping us to labor at home. At the hospital, Michelle helped to navigate the lingo or questions staff had for us, always making sure we were feeling informed and comfortable with next steps. When I doubted myself, she helped to give me the strength to keep going, and her words of affirmation and physical help were always just what I needed to meet our baby in the way I'd always wanted.

Our labor was a truly empowering and joyful experience thanks to Michelle's guidance and support.

-Grace, Joel, and Lily

Michelle was the best decision we made for our birth— she goes above and beyond in every way. Everything from teaching us tons about labor and breastfeeding to staying by my side through more than a 24 hour birth, helping my husband physically support me through contractions with counter pressure and massage to helping me make big decisions in the L&D room, coming over to process my birth story and bringing a gift for my daughter to still texting me through mastitis three weeks later, she was an absolute godsend.

She made what could have been a scary birth experience still so positive! She helped me to trust my body, be calm in the hospital, and liaison between us and hospital staff. Not to mention she did all this and still managed to capture photos and videos we didn’t even know we needed but will cherish forever of the birth. I will always be grateful for the way Michelle supported my husband and I through this big and special time welcoming our first baby into the world! We’d recommend her to anyone, and can’t wait to hire her again!