Berkeley Parents Network: Baby Nurses (Postpartum Doula)

Berkeley Parents Network

Baby Nurses (Postpartum Doula)

Berkeley Parents Network > Reviews > Health & Medical > Baby Nurses (Postpartum Doula)

See also: Doulas

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 510-543-8411 or 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 and her phone # is: (857)222-8176 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; 510.704.0735 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. Her phone numbers are: 559 8989 or 847 8047. 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 (510.543.8411). 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. (510) 654-2746 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.

Please feel free to contact me for more details cell:510-499-9896 or you may contact Ann Regan Haynes directly at cell:510-847-9743, 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 510-847-9743 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@yahoo.com and 510-847-9743. 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 and 510-847-9743 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. You can reach Beth at 925-939-4319. Karen

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 (800-526-9996). 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 - she can be reached at 510-581-1013. I Ruth

For the mom looking for a doula recommendation: I work as a post partum doula in Berkeley. I'm a nurse with 24 years experience in many areas including newborn nursery, post partum & ER. I used to teach all the new mother classes at a local hospital, and I'm a CPR and first aid instructor too, since 1985. I've been training doulas locally for the last 2 years. I'm quadrilingual including Spanish. My own son was born at home in 1971 when it was rare (Chicago Maternity Center pioneered in alternative birthing). I love babies and kids and delight in helping new moms and dads get the inside scoop about their brand-new infants. Great refs too. Email me anytime. Christine Vida 841-1291 in Berkeley.

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 510.524.4825 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

For the person looking for Baby Nurses, this service is available in the area - they are also referred to as postpartum doulas. Here are a couple of names/numbers:

Christie Collins (specializes in multiples) 925-458-1380
Bay Area Baby Nurses and Doulas - 800-526-9996 email: kbabynurse at aol.com
Beth Hammond 925-939-4319 jbhammon at ix.netcom.com

At The Nurture Center in Lafayette, there are many more names, and detailed profiles of postpartum doulas. Call 925-283-1346 for more info. Sherry

Re "Baby Nurse" We probably just don't use the same terminology on the West Coast as you do in New York. In Berkeley there are businesses such as "The First 6 weeks" where someone will come in and help a new post-partum mother with various infant care and household chores. And also there are a lot of Doulas who will work with a parent after a baby is born. Since I wasn't fortunate enough to have one I can't recommend any one person but there are a number of very good ones in the area. Cindy

... 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. You can reach her at 510-528-1694 (Home) or 510-464-0755 (Pager) -- 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

The opinions and statements expressed on this website are those of parents who subscribe to the Berkeley Parents Network. Please see Disclaimer & Usage for information about using content on this website.