Baby Nurses (Postpartum Doula)
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Baby Nurses (Postpartum Doula)
Night Nurse Services
Oct 2012
I am looking for night nurse recommendations to help with
our newborn due in February. I've seen a lot of postpartum
doula recommendations, and I don't know if they offer the
same services. We had a traditional night nurse for our
first child when we lived on the East Coast. I'm looking for
someone to help me take care of the baby overnight (wake me
up for feedings, soothe to sleep, change diapers, etc.). Any
recommendations or advice is much appreciated. Thank you!
zmt
Hello,
yes, you can use a Night Nurse or Night Doula services. They
will take care of your newborn the same way, and the hourly
fee in SF bay area is $20-30.
minekp
Looking for a supportive postpartum doula
July 2012
I'm looking for a post-partum doula with lots of experience; we are expecting
our first child in early January and I expect we will need help a minimum of
2-3 days a week and possibly fulltime at our home in Berkeley. I'd like
someone who has a sense of humor, is calm, nurturing and not too
''mother-earthy'' or understands a not-too-mother-earthy new mother and
father. Thank you for any recommendations for great post-partum doulas!
Christine
Hi. I'm writing to recommend our wonderful night doula, Ezdora Marando. Ezdora was
with us for 12 weeks (5 nights a week!) after our twin girls were born last August.
She was an absolute life saver and we could not have done it without her. She was a
great calming influence on us and on the girls, always on time, and always
respectful of our tiny little SF condo. We trusted her completely to care for our
girls and she gave us the opportunity the get some much needed rest. Our tiny
little girls began sleeping through the night at
6 months, and were happy, well rested kiddos during the day. We truly believe that
Ezdora helped set us on the right track. Please feel free to contact me by email
with any questions. I'm happy to give you many
many more details. You can see more at her website below: www.doulasbythebay.com
415-955-7612.
Aaron
Hiring a night doula was the best thing that happened to our family after our
twins were born!!! Shakila is absolutely amazing. She is an extremely
positive, nurturing, and competent night doula and an all around wonderful
person. She has great judgment and expertise, and will always honor what you
want for your family. I completely trusted Shakila with our twins from the
first night we brought them home. Our twins slept through the night at 4 months
old and have continued to have great sleep habits since our time with Shakila.
Besides relieving us of sleepless nights, making sure that I was taking care of
myself, and helping to sleep train our kids, Shakila was a great resource for us
as new parents...she helped us develop a schedule and systems that worked for
our twins and us. I highly, highly recommend Shakila and her mother ( she
filled in a few times) for anyone looking for some support in those first months
after giving birth. I included her contact information below...
www.doulasbythebay.com
415-955-7612
yelp.com
Melissa
Alison Dexter is a breath of fresh air - a postpartum Doula who has
raised 4 children of her own. Alison has a low-key, warm personality, and
she is hard-working and easy-going at the same time. Most importantly,
she's easy to have around (helpful for someone who will be spending a lot
of time in close proximity). Really, a lovely person, with a beautiful
English accent - my babies are grown up, or I'd hire her myself! I know
her because our children used to go to school together.
Her email is alisondxtr@gmail.com
Another Mama
I HIGHLY recommend Michelle Macarai from Juno Wellness
http://www.junowellness.com/about-us as a post-partum doula. When she
came over I felt like the whole world was lifted off my
shoulders. She's so good at adapting to different parenting styles. I
was worried someone might be judgemental coming into my house at such
a vulnerable time, but she was perfect. She's helpful physically,
mentally, with baby, and around the house. Call her NOW!
brooke
I cannot recommend Lindsay Corwin enough. I've been working with her for
2 months as I brought home my new baby boy. Recently I raised her hours
because of how valuable her help has been. My older daughter is crazy
about her as well. Lindsay does a fantastic job working with our family.
She balances providing great information with being flexible and working
to understand our needs and values as well. I feel totally safe having
her in our house and really enjoy having her around. She's completely
reliable and trustworthy as well as knowledgable and truly loves her
role. She's helped us get much needed sleep, helped us through very
difficult weeks of colic, and has been very supportive as I've had to go
back to work.
Her contact info is 925-212-9160, and website is : www.doulalindsay.com
If you have questions, feel free to contact me directly.
joanna
Post Partum Doula / Mother's Helper for 2nd baby
July 2012
Hi BPN!
I am expecting a second child within a few weeks. Our
original plans for help fell through, so I am looking for
recommendations on post partum doula or mother's helpers who
can focus on with cooking, laundry, light housecleaning
(e.g. dishes). Any recommendations in the Berkeley area?
Thank you,
Christine
I HIGHLY recommend Michelle Macarai from Juno Wellness
http://www.junowellness.com/about-us as a post-partum doula.
When she came I felt like the whole world was lifted off my
shoulders every time she came over. She's so good at
adapting to different parenting styles and is SO
helpful physically, mentally, with baby, and around the
house. Call her NOW!
San Francisco Doulas (incl. post-partum)
March 2012
Hi,
I'm expecting in August and am looking for recommendations
for a San Francisco-based doula - hopefully one who could
work with me before, during, and also after I give birth.
I'd prefer someone with experience. I am planning on a
hospital birth; it's important my doula will be able to
support me whatever my choices might be re: traditional and
nontraditional care (I suspect I will rely on a combination
of both, and want a doula who will be fully on board with
this).
I did check existing postings on this topic - but all the
recent recommendations are for east-bay-based and/or
new/student practitioners. Thanks for any help!
We had a great experience with Renata Provost. She is very open minded and
respectful of your choices. I am quite sure that she goes all over the bay.
Her website is www.thebayareadoula.com.
Anon
Post-partum doula who is also a cook
Aug 2011
I'm looking for a post-partum doula with lots of experience
who is also a delicious cook. We are expecting our second
in mid-February and will be looking for help about 2-3 part
time days a week. Someone who is calm, nurturing, easy with
babies and also enjoys cooking fresh omnivore meals is just
the person we are looking for. She need also be game to run
errands and other basic mommy helper stuff which means
having a car is a must.
I would like to recommend Shakila Marando (email
doulasbythebay@gmail.com) as a postpartum doula. Firstly, we
interviewed several doulas and as soon as we interviewed
Shakila we knew she was the one we wanted to work with. We
have since worked with a few other doulas on the side
(because we wanted to go to 7 nights of coverage) and can
say hands down that Shakila is the best. Shakila is a
wonderfully positive person who is a pleasure to interact
with. She is extremely competent with infants. She can
soothe and settle a baby better than anyone I know. She has
great advice and also works with our needs and follows our
directions. For example, I was having trouble with
breastfeeding because our son preferred the bottle. She
volunteered to go to a super slow premie flow nipple at
night (making her job harder) so that he would breastfeed
better in the morning. Shakila has worked with us for 5
months now and has been a true partner in getting our son to
sleep through the night. She has worked with us to drop the
night feedings, to get him to self soothe, and to get him
out of the swaddle, none of which came very easily. Because
of Shakila our son has developed good sleep habits without
anything like cry-it-out. Shakila is also very helpful when
Zack is sleeping. She tidies the kitchen and folds the
clothes etc. We love Shakila and I'm pretty sure that she
loves our son. Caroline
May 2011
We are looking for a night nurse or a night doula to come
and help us at night with our newborn. I have been
struggling with some issues and the nurse told me I need
more sleep. I looked at the archives and found some
references, but I wonder if I can get some more recent
recommendations? Also has anyone used the organization 'San
Francisco Night Doulas' and if so, do you recommend them? We
live on the East Bay. Thanks! --desperately needing sleep
After my daughter was born my husband had to travel quite a
bit for work. We hired Ann Regan to come over for the
evenings so that I could take a break and get to bed early -
it made a huge difference. She was very caring,
knowledgeable, and punctual. She was great with our baby -
attentive and tuned in to her needs. Ann can be reached by
phone at 510.847.9743 or email anndoula@yahoo.com. She does
nights as well as days/evenings. She is a certified doula
with DONA and Trustline certified. Stephanie
Oct 2010
I am seeking an experienced postpartum doula in the East Bay or San
francisco area.I need a doula who can also educate me with baby
soothing techniques, breastfeeding issues, sleeping issues etc...
I would appreciate any recommendations from mothers who have had
good experience with their doulas.Thanks
East Bay mom
I've had two wonderful experiences (8/04 & 8/09) with Anne
Delp. She draws from a wealth of knowledge and made us all
feel very well supported. Call her 510-557-8029. Check her out
here:
http://www.birthchoicedoulacollective.com/doulas.html#delp
doula lover
I highly recommend Carol Shattuck-Rice. She helped us after
the birth of our son. She was wonderful with us as new mother
and father, as well as with our son. She saved the day in
helping me with figuring out how to nurse son (good position
and latch etc.), was very knowledgable and helpful re: newborn
care (taught us to swaddle, helped me bathe him, trim his
nails, etc.), and loaned good books (baby as well as fun
reads) etc. Good luck!
Laura
I would like to wholeheartedly recommend Stacia Biltekoff as
a postpartum doula. We were so thrilled with her support
during our daughter's birth that we continued to work with
her postpartum. Stacia was a tremendous help during the
early days, when my husband went back to work and I was home
alone with the baby. She held and soothed my daughter so I
could shower and nap, helped out around the house, and was a
great source of information and encouragement. Stacia is on
the board of Birthways, and knows an incredible amount about
pregnancy, birth, and postpartum concerns. Plus, she's a mom
too, so she "gets it" on an intuitive, emotional level. I
think arranging for the support of a postpartum doula is
great gift to yourself, and I encourage you to get in touch
with Stacia - she's utterly fabulous. Congratulations, and
good luck!
510) 543-8411
http://www.familydoulaservices.com
When I found myself unexpectedly pregnant last febuary I
turned to a neighbor(Francine Madrid) of mine who worked as
a doula and Mom of two for some advice.
She encouraged me through my pregnancy, and made me more
confident through her ''Birthing from within'' class she does
with her partner Sadie Cooper.
My partner and I both felt more confident, and as ready as
one can be for such a major life change.
Sadie and Francine are both very down to earth, giving,
nurturing, and fun. Plus, they loved to feed us a wholesome
brunch at every class!
I would highly recommend Francine Madrid of
mariposamassageanddoula.com for her doula services, massage,
and child birth classes. We now have a healthy little baby boy, and if
he could he'd thank her too. gina
An excellent postpartum doula in Berkeley is Sabine Henrie,
510-843-2091. Gentle, compassionate and wonderfully
knowledgeable doula with lots of experience.
Happy Mom
March 2010
My sister-in-law needs to have a c-section for the birth of
her twins, and they are in a bit of a panic right now. I
would love to recommend a postpartum doula or baby nurse for
them. I would appreciate any recent recommendations!
However, they don't really understand what a postpartum
doula or baby nurse does, if you could explain how you were
helped and why you were glad to have one, that would be
helpful, too. They live in Berkeley. Thank you!
- new Auntie
Jennifer Starling was wonderful to everyone in our family including our dogs
after the birth of our younger son. She is a clear communicator and extremely
grounded. She also used to be a preschool teacher so she's great with older
siblings as well as newborns. Her number is 510-827-5781. Best wishes with
your upcoming adventure!
Lisa
Feb 2010
I am expecting our second child in late April and am
looking for recommendations for a night nurse. For our
daughter, who's almost 3, we had a wonderful woman who
came to thouse between 10pm and 6am 3 nights a week until
my little girl was about 7 weeks old. She woke me to feed
my daughter, but took care of changing her, soothing her
and I think went miles towards establishing amazing sleep
habits early on. She also eventually took one of the
feedings so I could get more than 3 hours of sleep at a
stretch! Do you have any recommendations on a wonderfully
caring person who provides similar services? Ideally, the
cost of those services also wouldn't bankrupt us
($20/hr)!
Stacy
We found a great night nurse, Shakila Marando, for our
baby girl's first three months. She came to our house
around 11pm (she's flexible) and stayed until 6 am. During
that time she slept in the baby's room to feed her, change
her, and generally comfort her. It was bliss, and her
rates are reasonable. You can reach Shakila at
marandoshakila@hotmail.com.
anon
Feb 2010
I would like a recommendation for a warm and nurturing
postpartum doula.I need someone who can help a mother with
basic needs such as changing,washing baby clothes,bringing
baby to nurse at night, sterilize bottles....doing
whatever is needed to give a mother rest and piece of
mind.I would also appreciate if she can assist with breast
feeding and sleeping issues.Thanks
richmond mom
I enthusiastically suggest you use Mary Ellen Escalanate
as your postpartum doula. She is a mother of 7, a very
experienced labor doula, and a postpartum doula for 3-4
years. Mary Ellen was my postpartum doula in 2006 for an
extended period, due to health problems I had at the
time. She offered a wealth of parenting and child care
information, loaned me books, kept my house neat, provided
me with emotional support and encouragement and was a
calm, oraganized, pleasant presence in my home. I can't
imagine how I would have managed without her. Contact her
at (707) 246-5720 or escalante7@prodigy.net. Mary Ellen
lives in Benicia, but travels all over the Bay area.
Very grateful mom
i want to recommend shakila marando as a postpartum doula.
marandoshakila@hotmail.com, her cell # 510-672-6406
i didn't use an overnight person with my first child, but when i was planning
for the second i decided that i wanted to get a few good nights' rest
guaranteed each week so that i could have the energy to handle my toddler
as well as an infant!
i am so so glad i found shakila. i trusted her immediately with our son. she is
calm and caring, super sweet and totally competent. she is a lovely tanzanian
woman, she has two young children of her own. she takes great care of our
son who loves her (i didn't think i would have her for longer than 2-3
months, but we got addicted, and therefore our son is old enough now to
know and love her).
she feeds, changes, bathes, burps, soothes and puts the baby to sleep. she
even cleans our kitchen while we all sleep! now he sleeps on his own but
shakila occasionally babysits and he gets so happy when she walks in the
door.
julie
While you have already gotten some names, I wanted to add another because I
think so very highly of her. Carol Shattuck-Rice is just amazing. She is so
knowledgeable and kind and calm. She came to take care of me and my third
child in 2005. I felt that I would need an extra set of hands... she was SO much
more. She taught me new things and integrated beautifully into our family set-
up. I was so excited to get to hire her again when my sweet surprise came
along in 2009. And I learned new things from her again! I even have family
close by, but having Carol is the best! Her contact number is 527-7210. She is
also a trainer of doulas.
Marjorie
We just had a great experience with postpartum doula
Catherine Lamm. She was extremely gentle and patient with
my fussy baby girl, and had some very good insight into her
behavior. Catherine helped us in the daytime and to our
delight, our 4-year-old daughter took to her right away.
Catherine also assisted with light housekeeping, cooking,
etc. She's available for overnights as well. Catherine is
very experienced as a postpartum doula, a foster parent to
medically fragile infants, and a mother. She can be
contacted at catherinelamm@yahoo.com or 510-755-3020.
realized I need a postpartum doula for the next 18 years!
Dec 2008
I am looking for someone to help me with my 6 week old baby. Right now my
baby eats for a short time then falls asleep on the breast. When I try to
put him down, he cries, and then I feed him again. I want to be able to
read his cues and cries better, and want some assistance on some gentle
ways to put him down for a nap. I don't need advice on the importance of
slings and carrying him all day...I am looking for someone who leans more
towards attachment parenting, but who understands the importance of a mom
needing some time to do things, and not being a ''binky with legs'', and
the importance of a baby not getting too in the habit of falling asleep
at the breast. I definitely will not let him cry it out. So any
recommendations for someone who might be able to help me and who shares
my philosophy (mostly attachment, but wanting baby to sleep on his own
for naps) and someone who can help me figure out how to get him to feed
for longer, and how to interpret his cries and cues !
more effectively. I've read so many books (Baby Whisperer, Happiest Baby
on the Block, No Cry Sleep Solution) and feel overwhelmed by the many
different suggestions...Thanks!
Oakland Mom
I can relate to being a human pacifier. I have a 5 year old
daughter who was the same exact way. I also have a 17 month old
daughter, who thankfully things are going better with. I too
practice along the lines of attachment parenting, so we co-sleep
and I also practice child-led weaning. When I made this decision
with my 5 year old, I had no idea it would mean we'd be a nursing
team for 5 years! I too read book after book trying to find
solutions for my daughter who would prefer I take a nap with her
and allow her to be latched on using me as a pacifier for her
entire nap and through most of the night! The one thing I can tell
you is every child is different, what works for one may not work
for the next.
Knowing first hand, that some children are not ''text-book
friendly'' and you can try everything under the sun with much
disappointment, I have at least one suggestion that is directly
tailored to your childs needs. I suggest you keep a diary/log of
your babies daily activities: the time he wakes up; nurses; voids;
naps; bathes; goes to bed, etc. This is actually easier than it
sounds, especially once you get into a habit. It doesn't have to
be detailed just simple entries. On days that he sleeps better,
try to include notes/entries of what you've eaten as well. This
practice can be helpful in so many ways as your child grows, it can
help you recognize symptoms to illness, some people include entries
of milestones as well, so you can also look at it as a type of
journal. Once you have a pattern of your babies sleep patterns,
you can start nursing your baby at least 1 hour before he typically
falls asleep, this should help you read his cues too. It might be
that he is
falling asleep at the breast because he is more interested in
sleeping at that time. If you try nursing him during the hour
prior to his usual nap time, he may stay awake long enough to get a
full nursing and fall asleep with a fuller tummy, and hopefully
sleep longer.
I have some other suggestions that I can share as well, but I think
the above is probably one of the most helpful things you can do. I
hope it helps! Sarah
August 2008
I am looking for a postpartum doula to help me out during
September, primarily the first 2 weeks in September.
I am 39 years old and my baby is due at the end of August. I live
near the Mormon Temple in Oakland, near Lincoln Avenue.
I need to find a doula who is sensitive to allergy/asthma issues
since I've been having lots of asthma issues due to the pregnancy.
Thanks much for any recommendations. Danielle
I highly recommend Sabine Henrie as a post-partum doula. She has
amazing experience, is very conscientious and knowledgeable. You
can contact her at SabineH@aol.com or by phone 510-843-2091.
Happy with Doula
Nicky Tilsner of Cornerstone Academy of Doula Training &
Childbirth Ed. can help you find a good postpartum doula. She can
be reached at 510-689-8116 or online cornerstonedoulatrainings.com
good luck
D. Simone, Midwife
I can't speak to her availability, but Jen Spool offers
wonderful postpartum doula services. She can be reached at
510-463-7266.
anon
March 2008
I would like reccomendations for a mom/baby nurse that you used post
c-section birth. (The family member that was going to help out cannot, so
while my husband is taking care of our toddler, I want some extra help in
the hosptial.) I had amazing nursing care at Alta Bates post my first
c-section but also had my husband. This time I am seeking a ''night nurse''
type of person. Pleaes let me know of any good or bad experiences you had
with either nurses/doulas etc, what worked, what did not work, if you would
do things differently. I am primarily concerned about the nights in the
hospital but may have the person continue when I return home. Any and all
reccomendations welcome.
I absolutely loved Sabine Henri. She was a wonderful post-partum doula after my
c-section in November. Her number is 510 843-2091.
catherine
Nov 2007
Hi. We don't have much family help nearby, and we are expecting
bundle of joy #2 in March. I'm wondering if anyone has a
recommendation for a baby nurse that they could pass along? We
are thinking of hiring someone for the first 6 to 8 weeks. How
much does something like this cost? Thank you so much.
Michelle
Tomi Knutson is an amazing post partum doula with a lot of experience.
Her telephone # is 510-502-5799. Good luck with your second!
anon
If by ''Baby Nurse'' you mean a postpartum doula, I have many
recommendations! I am a birth doula & have facilitated groups for
pregnant women & new moms & many of my clients/participants have had
great experiences with them.
Tomi J. Knutson
Birth & Post-partum Doula and Body Worker
dancingdoulabirthservices@gmail.com
(510) 502-5799
Emily Ross
(510) 224-7255
emilybrookeross@hotmail.com
Linda Jones-Mixon
(510) 917-2783
fst6wks@aol.com
Carol Shattuck-Rice
(510) 506-5383
carolshattuck-rice@comcast.net
Jenny Goyne
(510) 685-4009
jgoyne@sbcglobal.net
Peggy Hinkle
(510) 504-9413
peggyhinkle@yahoo.com
Beth Hammond
(925) 330-4567
jb-hammo@pacbell.com
Joan Taylor
(510) 482-8927
jthealing@yahoo.com
Best of luck! I'd be happy to make more referrals for you.
Virginia Duplessis, MSW, CD (DONA) vduplessis@erols.com
Nov 2007
I just had a baby last month, and I am looking for a postpartum doula.
Ellen Levitt was recommended to me. Does anybody have any experience
working with her?
anon
Wow. I didn't realize Ellen was back in the area. She is amazing. She was
my midwife for both of my home births (daughters are now 5 and 8), and I
couldn't recommend a more warm, loving, caring, and very dependable person.
She is incredibly knowledgeable - we had a few challenges and she made us
feel very supported. She had good relationships with many medical
professionals, and always came back to us with great advice. You can't go
wrong. Feel free to contact me with any further questions. -Dara
dara
Ellen Levitt did postpartum care for me and my two babies (one born at
36 weeks) and I recommend her highly. She is warm, compassionate,
responsible, extremely well-informed (as a retired homebirth midwife),
and totally gets the situation of new motherhood from personal and
professional experience. She delights in babies and their parents, and
helped me appreciate my new arrivals even more than I did on my own. I
don't know what your doula arrangement would include, but Ellen is also
a fabulous cook.
Edith
Ellen Levitt was the midwife who helped welcome our first child into
the world, and we adored her (7 years ago) and still do! Ellen is
utterly competent, grounded, and warm, and her longtime experience with
homebirth gives her a thorough understanding of what a postpartum mama
needs, even if the mama isn't able to articulate it clearly herself.
I'd say you'd be blessed to have Ellen's gentle spirit around during
such an important transition.
dleto
Dec 2006
i will need a post-partum doula in june. i want someone who is warm and nurturing
and someone who doesn't have an agenda. i'm open to any ideas but i want it to be
a dialogue. i hear that some post-partum doulas cook as well. that would be a
bonus. any recommendations would be appreciated
anon
Three years ago Amy Meyer, an RN, was just starting out as a
doula and she was just what I needed. A mother of three, without
an agenda, gentle, super smart and loving! She ''suggested'' I
nap, emptied my dish washer, made me food, sorted through some
boxes (for some reason this task seemed urgent to me at the
time) and played with my 3 year old. Hopefully she is still at
this email address: amymeyer[at]comcast.net
LSG
We worked with Stacia Biltekoff, and I bet she is the doula for you! She is awesome
with babies, and great to be around.
Her contact info is staciadoula[at]yahoo.com
Happy Stacia client
I just wrote an unsolicited reccomendation for my post-partum
doula, Mandi Dean, last week. It was a long and glowing
reccomendation and I think you should be able to find it in the
recent BPN archives. Mandi is beyond wonderful. Her e-mail is:
sweetpea02360[at]yahoo.com
Marianna
Warm, nuruting post partum doula, no agenda: Jenny Goyne. I
was looking for precisely same as you and found it in Jenny. I
can't say enough good things. I didn't ask her to ''cook'' per se
but she made sure I was always fed and hydrated and even shopped
for what I wanted (she makes a mean turkey and avocado
sandwich). Here is what I have for her: jgoyne[at]sbcglobal.net;
emilyandbrian
There was a request for a post-partum doula, and perhaps for one
who might know how to cook. I have a perfect idea for you, a
friend of mine who is the most empathetic person I know, a chef,
and a doula who enjoys post partum the most. Her name is Michele
Bloom, and her number is 559 8989. She lives in Berkeley, and I
would trust her with any concern! She was the first adult my
kindergarten son ever agreed to be with , without me.
frieda
Oct 2006
I'm looking for a current recommendation for a post-partum
doula. I've checked the archives and the latest information is
from 2004. I don't need a doula at the hospital since I am
having a c-section (alta bates), but would like a doula after
the baby is born. I have a 9 year old with special needs, so
it's been a long time since I cared for a newborn. Thank you!
a worried mom
For the doula requests--- I wanted to recommend Michele Bloom, a
doula (both for birth and post-partum) and mom of 2 boys in
elementary school with my kids. Michele is one of the very most
empathetic people I have ever known in my life! She is
knowledgeable and intuitive and just wonderful with kids,as well
as with us parents. I just recommend her so much!! My phone is in
case you have preliminary questions. Frieda
I also had a planned C Section and pre-arranged a doula to help
me. I used Jenny Goyne who is based in Berkeley. She was
terrific and I would gladly talk to you more about what I liked
about her as well as my search (I talked to several before
selecting her). At the time she was slightly more affordable
than her peers which was great although I don't know whether
that's still the case. Based on my experience, I think she
would be great with your 9-year old. She's an incredibly
gentle, warm and compassionate person. And she has a real
knack for figuring out what help you need. Again, feel free to
contact me if you like. It's a highly personal decision. Best
to you.
emilyandbrian
I'd call Stacia Biltekoff . She was my doula a year
and a half ago for the birth of my daughter, and has since
started doing post-partum doula work. In her post-partum visits
with me (as part of her birth doula services) she was amazing and
really helped me settle in to live with a newborn. Good luck!
Sofia
June 2006
My husband and I are looking for someone to help us during the first week or two after
we bring our baby home. We already have a toddler and really want to make this as
smooth a transition as possible for everyone. I am not completely sure as to what kind
of help we will need! Possibly someone to stay the first few nights? And then someone
to come in during the day. Maybe do some cooking? Please weigh in with any advice or
suggestions as to where, when and how much help we should really plan for! We have
no family here to help out this time, so it will pretty much just be my husband and I
trying to manage! And of course I am looking for names and numbers of doulas you
recommend. Thanks.
RK
We worked with Jennifer Starling (jenstarling@yahoo.com) and Treesa
McLean (treesa.mclean[at]sbcglobal.net), and both were excellent. They
truly saved our lives. Both do both day and nighttime work.
How much help to plan for? As much as you can possbily afford! We
found nighttime help to be especially useful for us, and having
someone there the night we got home from the hospital was a huge
relief.
Good luck!
Carolynn Melchert is an angel of compassion and has decades of
experience as a mother and doula.
Ann
I used a Postpartum Doula when my 2nd was born. Her main job was
to make sure that my needs were taken care of. She cleaned, she
did laundry, she made sure I had eaten and had slept, she helped
me with nursing, she was great! I felt pampered even in my state
of total exhaustion. She wasn't a ''nanny,'' though, it wasn't her
job to watch my kids, although she did carry the baby in the
sling while I slept, and my husband took care of our older child.
I used Paula Santi, she's at doulapaulasanti[at]yahoo.com and she's
fabulous!!!
Jill
Sept 2005
I'm a first time mom-to-be and am looking for a post partum
doula to help me out in October. Has anyone recently worked
with someone they like, and does anyone know what the range of
possible prices and services generally is? I don't know what
the baby will be like yet so I'm not sure what kind of support
I'll need. thanks much in advance.
cc
Hi! I would like to recommend our postpartum doula Ann Regan Haynes! She
was wonderful!!! We were first time parents last October, 2004 and it was the
best investment we made. She helped me in those early critcal days with breast
feeding positions and information. And I know that with the inital difficulties I
experienced latching our baby girl on correctly that without that personal help
at our home I would have given up. I was having back and neck pains, as well
as tenderness and soreness of the nipples. But having the right coaching made
all the difference! I am still breastfeeding our almost one year old daughter
today.
It was also important to have the extra help at nights those first weeks. I
remember so clearly the fourth night home, the baby was crying all night and
we just didn't know what to do. She had been so sweet and calm prior to that
night. I was exhusted and my husband stayed up all night walking her--but we
knew we could make it since Ann was coming in the next night.
The most amazing thing was when Ann came in the next night, not only could
we rest but she understood what was agiating our baby and calmed her right
away. We started calling her the ''Baby Whispher''. It was amazing to have
our sweet baby girl back again. Ann helped to keep us on track and was a
valuable resource for ideas and suggestions.
We were fortunate to have Ann with us for quite a lot of the first four months,
as a gift from the grandparents. She taught us so much, especially how to
listen and engage our baby, as well as baby massage which was great! The
massages helped with everything from digestion, sleep,
developing strength and coordination, to a generally happier baby. In our
case, our baby started teething very early at three months and the massages
helped a lot with the pain. We still give her massages, especially my husband
and you can really see the enjoyment in our baby's face as well as in her body
language.
email:
anndoula at yahoo.com.
We had talked with other doulas at the time, but found Ann's experience,
recommendations, and rates to be very reasonable for the berkeley bay area.
We hope to have another baby in a few years and will definitely want Ann
again! We were able to enjoy the newborn stage of our baby because we
weren't super stressed out all the time. I would highly recommend having some
help for at least a few nights, more if that is an option. Best of luck in your new
baby!
Lucie
My childbirth instructor Sabine Henrie is doing post-partum doula work. Though
she was not my doula I would highly recommend her. She's patient, sensitive,
caring, and very knowledgeable. sabineh at aol.com
Sierra
Sept 2004
I am seeking some postpartum support for the end of August. Many
of the postings for doula recommendations are outdated. If you
have had a great experience with a postpartum doula, I would
love any information. I am in the east bay. Thanks!
I want to recommend Ann Haynes as an outstanding postpartum
doula. An is warm, caring, knowledgable and experienced in all
aspects of perinatal care. She helped me and my husband through
2 days of labor: then assisted me with breastfeeding, baby care
and bathing, taught me to massage my beautiful little girl, and
made delicious meals for us.
She cared for me like my own mother who could not be with me at
this important time. Ann helped me so much with my transition to
motherhood!
I highly recommend Ann and you can contact me if you have any
questions.
Senay
I have a great postpartum Doula - her name is Ann Haynes. She
worked with me about 3 nights per week for the first 5 weeks of
my son's life. He is now 4 months old. She was caring,
knowledgeable and very easy to have around. Also, she is
certified in infant massage which is a bonus! I have only good
things to say about her - and I really don't think I would have
survived those first weeks without her help.
If you are interested, you can call her or e-mail her directly @:
anndoula AT yahoo.com
Hope this information helps.
koebels
I would like to recommend Ann Haynes as a wonderful Doula (both
birth and postpartum). She attended the birth of my daughter 3
months ago and helped make it a wonderful experience!! Ann is a
very warm, loving person and has a very calm demeanor that is
very comforting while in labor. My husband and I met with Ann
several times before the birth so she really got to know us.
During these meetings, we discussed my expectations for the type
of birth I would like. We also discussed different birthing
positions and what, in particular, I felt comfortable with. Ann
stayed with me throughout the entire labor. My labor was about 14
hours long (5 of which was pushing)and she stayed with me, gave
me massages, and encouraged me the whole way through. I cannot
say enough good things about her. We have also had the luxury of
seeing her in action taking care of the baby. She is even more
warm and loving with children. She has a special type of
interaction with children and I trust her full heartedly with my
kids. If you would like to contact Ann Haynes directly her
contact information is: anndoula at yahoo.com. Feel
free to also email me if you would like more information.
Anita
I had Ann Haynes as my Childbirth Doula and she also helped us
out with post-partum baby care. She is fantastic. I selected her
card from the corkboard in Waddle and Swaddle, completely
randomly. I couldn't be happier. She is a very gentle soul and
listened carefully to every concern. She is primarily
responsible for me chosing to have a natural birth (what an
experience). I couldn't recommend her more highly. She can be
reached at: anndoula@yahoo.com
Erin
July 2004
I'm looking for a post partum Doula in or willing to go to
Contra Costa County to help me for a couple of weeks after
the birth of my second child in early December.
Thanks!
Tracey
Hi...I would like to recommend Beth Hammond. I conduct
workshops for new mothers of twins, and she has worked for many
of my clients.
Karen
Jan 2004
Hello everyone,
We are looking for a doula (to help with delivery) and a
''postpartum doula'' or ''baby nurse'' for the first 2 weeks. I hear
so many different terms! :) I have read all of the postings for
recommendations, but am looking for more recent referrals for San
Francisco.
I would like someone who is of course incredibly competent and
knowledgeable, but who is also very compassionate and nurturing.
Any recommendations for doulas/baby nurses who work in San
Francisco would be so greatly appreciated.
Thank you so much-
Cindy
I have posted this before: Joan Taylor was our doula for birth
and post-partum. She was fantastic -- Joan has many years
experience as a doula (she also has a yoga background, and has a
grown son). To put it simply, she absolutely saved me in my
labor. I went into labor at 33 weeks, and my husband and I had
only met with Joan in our interview with her (and had taken no
birthing classes yet). Because the Drs were attempting to stop
my labor, I was directed to be on ''bed rest'' (e.g. I was not
allowed to get up, or move, at all). Joan arrived at the
hospital and helped me to go from 0 to 7 centimeters in about 4
hours, only being able to use my breath and my voice (as the
Dr's were dealing with other emergencies, and no one was
available to come by and check me -- Joan pushed to get the Dr's
to come, and when they finally did my baby's foot was in the
birth canal and I had an emergency C-section). I could not have
survived that labor without her -- she was able to help me to
use what I had available, to work with my body -- it was
AMAZING. Additionally, she did postpartum work with us when my
premature baby finally came home from the hospital a month later
(and he came home small, and on a heart monitor). Our family
was under an incredible amount of stress, and she helped support
me through my own healing, helped me with breast feeding, helped
us eat/organize/sleep, and helped us to find ways to maximize
the contact and love we were able to give to our son. She also
really loved our son and encouraged us to see how strong he was
and how great he was developing (at 9 mos he is doing super
now). She really was essential to our survival. She's a
wonderful person to spend time with, is extremely compassionate,
and also has excellent advice and counsel for a birthing mom, or
a new mom. She actually lives in Oakland, but she has worked in
San Francisco. I would call her! (510) 482 8927 or (510)
390 1737
vh
Look no further than Esther Gallagher. She rocks. She does both
delivery and postpartum, and in fact prefers to do both for the
continuity of care. She's completely about taking care of the
mommy (and to some extent the daddy) so mommy can figure out
about taking care of the baby. She saved me from having a C-
section; she got my breast-feeding started smoothly; she whipped
unhelpful visiting family members into shape (if you don't like
them forthright, you won't like Esther); she helped me and my
husband through the stress of sleepless new parenting.
Her number is 415-821-4490.
heidi
April 2003
have looked at the website recommendations for postpartum
doulas, and find that they generally describe people available
to help with daytime care, including cooking, light cleaning,
and some baby-holding. Has anyone hired a *night nurse*
instead -- someone whose only job is to take care of the baby
at night so you can rest, bringing the baby to you only for
feedings? If so, I'd love to hear some recommendations (or
anti-recommendations), and to know how this worked out for
you. Thanks!
It can be very difficult to uncover resources postpartum.
On my site, I have a section called Community Resources and I try
to keep it up to date for the East Bay.
This is the link to a section on Postpartum Care, including night
nurses.
http://www.supportgroupformothers.com/communityresources2.htm
I can give you some feedback about some of these people but would
prefer to do it privately.
Sherry Reinhardt sherryr AT there.net
[editor note] website above updated March 2005
We have a night nurse, and I can't recommend it highly enough.
Getting enough sleep is so important to me, and our nurses (we
have two that trade off nights) are incredible. They settle the
baby when she's fussy, feed her from a bottle if I've pumped,
change her diapers/clothes when needed, and generally give her
lots of love and attention. Mine have brought a huge library of
parenting/baby books for me to look at, and have even suggested
chapters/articles on subjects that I might be interested in.
They keep a nighttime log of when she eats, when her diapers are
changed, if/when she was fussy, so that I can keep tabs on
everything. They are available to do laundry and cleaning when
the baby is asleep, too. In general, very flexible regarding
timing (coming early some nights so that my husband and I could
go out) and duties. Best of all, they are incredibly caring
people, who have been a real joy to know. Their names are Katy
Remley and Christina Bernard, and they work through Bay Area
Baby Nurses and Doulas.
Good luck
ellensfraser
December 2002
I am due with my first baby on January 8, 2003 and am looking
for a post-partum doula to help out a couple of hours a day for
a few weeks. I am hoping for help on a range of things, such as
giving my baby his or her first bath, breastfeeding tips, and
laundry. I have consulted the website, but there are only 2
recommendations and they are over 4 years old. Does anyone have
any recommendations? Thanks for your help.
Sharon
We had our first baby in June 2002 - Treesa McLean was both our
labor doula and postpartum doula. She is incredible!!! Treesa
has tons of experience - she has been a doula for many years.
Among the many descriptives I would use for Treesa - she is
extremely knowledgable, calm, kind, and caring. She has a great
sense of humor and is as accomodating as possible within the
constraints of her busy schedule. She is extremely responsive
and can be paged. She assisted me when my milk came in (she's a
wealth of knowledge in treating sore breasts and positioning
the baby for maximum comfort and latching), taught me how to
use the medela breast pump, taught us how to give the baby a
bath, reassured us that ''everything was going OK'' (HUGE for
new inexperienced parents!!)after we came home from the
hospital, made sure we had fresh healthy hot meals, and
answered questions too numerous to list. I recommend Treesa
without hesitation.
Ruth
I would highly recommend Lucia Maya as your post-partem doula.
She came recommended to me by a trusted source and when I called
her references, they were excellent. Lucia is an incredibly
warm, caring, competant and intuitive woman. She's been raising
children of her own and has a great deal of experience working
with post-partem mothers (she also runs a new mothers' group).
Lucia is the kind of person that you like immediately and who
will come into your home and do exactly what you want her to do
with few if any questions asked. If you're too busy to outline
things for her, she'll look around and dive in (including making
lunch for you when you are too busy to stop and eat). I found
her to be an incredibly helpful, gentle and positive presence
for both me and my new baby (my baby absolutely loves Lucia).
Her contact information is below.
Lucia Maya
luciamaya24 at yahoo.com
Rita
Birthways is a wonderful resourse for finding labor and
postpartum doulas, as well as other birth services. You can
check out their Web site at www.birthways.org; while you aren't
getting a recommendation directly from a parent, you can call
several of those listed and get a feeling for them over the
phone, in addition to getting references.
Congratulations and good luck!
Laria Pippen, Postpartum Doula
threepippens at earthlink.net
My friend Samantha does pre and post doula work. I'm not sure
what her availability is, but if you can get her, you'll thank
your lucky stars. She's the kind of gal who you want to say ''Oh
my goodness, Stop! You're doing too much!'' to, but you won't
because you're so pleased with all that's getting done. (She also
does work as an organizer.) She's a great cook, a good listener,
and a kind soul. Contact her at lezelda at att.net.
Graham's mom
Oct 2001
I am expecting in December and want to hire a baby nurse for the first two
weeks after the birth. This is something we did in New York with our twins
and having our baby nurse at the house was a godsend. The basic duties were
to take care of all of the baby's needs in terms of changing, washing
blankets and clothes, bringing the baby to me to nurse at night (she sleeps
in the room with the baby), and if not nursing, sterilize bottles and feed
the baby. It is very common to have someone like this in New York, so much
that there are agencies solely dedicated to providing baby nurses. I have
not seen anything like that publicized in California but wonder if I am just
not looking in the right place. Does anyone know of an agency that provides
baby nurses or a baby nurse who works on her own in the Bay area?
Shannon
... I know others who have hired Lucia Meager as
a post partum doula (cooking, cleaning, holding baby, doing whatever is needed to give mother
rest and peace of mind) and were grateful that they had Lucia in their lives after the baby was
born....
March 2001
I highly recommend Jeanne Racik as a Labor Support/Postpartum Doula....
I would like to recommend Lisa Moon for a post partum doula. Lisa has worked with my son, a fussy premature newborn
(now 9 weeks old) and has truly helped us understand his needs....
Oct 1998
After I had my baby I would have been lost without the woman I found through
Alta Bates maternity ward nurse recommendations -- they all raved about Carol
Egan and she proved to be everything they said she was. I was on bedrest
because of a complicated C-section and she took care of my baby (who was
preemie), the house, the meals, all errands, you name it and she did it. She
was great. She is extremely reliable and has a 6 year old that she raised alone so she
really knows about infants. I hope all goes well for you and your family.
Linda
I used Linda Jones-Mixon. She is unbelievably wonderful. She is
kind, gentle and has a great sense of humor. I recommend her without
hesitation to all who ask and know 3 or 4 who have used and loved her
as well. I will be using her for my second child due in April. Linda
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