Hiring a doula in California
A doula is a trained professional who provides continuous physical, emotional and informational support to a mother before, during and shortly after childbirth to help her achieve the healthiest, most satisfying experience possible.
Doulas are not medical professionals, but they are an invaluable asset to have on your birth team. They are there to provide support and guidance, answer any questions you may have, and help you advocate for yourself and your baby.
There are many things a doula can help with, but here are some of the most common:
1. Creating a birth plan: A doula can help you figure out what you want and need for your birth, and then help you communicate those wishes to your care provider.
2. Staying calm and relaxed: Childbirth is an intense experience, both physically and emotionally. A doula can help you stay focused and calm during labor, which can help you manage the pain and make better decisions.
3. Pain management: A doula can provide counter-pressure during contractions, help you find comfortable positions, and offer massage and other relaxation techniques.
4. Breastfeeding support: A doula can help you get started with breastfeeding, and provide guidance and support if you run into any difficulties.
5. Postpartum support: A doula can help you recover physically and emotionally after childbirth, and adjust to life with a new baby. They can also provide guidance on newborn care and breastfeeding.
Top doula businesses in California
Below are some of the best doula businesses in California:
Business Name | Rating | Categories | Phone Number | Address |
---|---|---|---|---|
Bethany Birth Services | Placenta Encapsulations, Doulas | +15593656659 | Fresno, CA 93722 | |
Karen Walker Doula Services | Doulas | +15594516615 | 2491 W Shaw Ave, Ste 108, Fresno, CA 93711 | |
Joan Sheehan Canning – Sleepytime Support | Doulas, Lactation Services, Sleep Specialists | +15107179454 | Clovis, CA 93619 | |
All Families Doula Services | Doulas | +15595548671 | 645 E Olive, Fresno, CA 93728 | |
Dutchess of Doula | Childbirth Education, Doulas | +17605904174 | 598 W Grangeville Blvd, Hanford, CA 93230 | |
Fresno Birth and Baby | Childbirth Education, Placenta Encapsulations, Doulas | +15598004944 | Fresno, CA 93720 | |
Maya Bee’s Birthing Services | Doulas, Childbirth Education, Prenatal/Perinatal Care | +15107806282 | Fresno, CA 93711 | |
Labor of Love | Childbirth Education, Lactation Services, Doulas | +15599160883 | Clovis, CA 93611 | |
Fresno Birth Collective | Doulas, Lactation Services, Placenta Encapsulations | +15595548671 | Fresno, CA 93650 | |
Emerge Birth Support | Doulas | +14086666607 | Mesa, CA 85210 | |
A Touch of Patience Birth | Doulas, Childbirth Education | +12097030723 | 171 N Washington St, Ste E, Sonora, CA 95350 |
Individual Doulas in California by price:
We have also compiled a list of individual doulas working in California and their prices. Please see this table and reach out to us if you are a doula and would like to be included:
Doulas in California
wdt_ID | Name | Clinic Name | Birth Fee | Postpartum Rate - hourly | Clients per month | Type of practice | Contact | Birth Doula Certifications | Birth Doula Experience | Postpartum Doula Experience | Doula Training | Type of Practice | Attends Hospital Births | Attends Birth Center Births | Attends Home Center Births | College Education | Relevant volunteer or advocacy work | Fee details | Phone | State Full Name | Full Address | Service Range |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
143 | Maddie Eberts | Cradle & Bloom- Birth and Postpartum Services | $400 to $1200 | $25 to $30 | 2 to 4 births and 1 to 4 postpartum families | Solo practice | https://cradleandbloombirth.com/ | DONA International, June 2021 | Type of practice: Solo practice | Attends hospital births? All Hospitals | Attends birth center births? All Birth Centers | Attends home births? Any Home BirthI attend homes births where a midwife is present, I do not offer my services to those planning free births. | I offer volunteer based services to teen mothers. For more information about this visit my website! | I offer a sliding scale approach to my fees. I believe that everyone deserves support regardless of their ability to pay. Offering a sliding scale makes my services more accessible to folks who cannot afford to pay upwards of a thousand dollars for a birth doula. For more information about my services and fees fill out an inquiry form on my website (website can be found at the top of my profile). | 7608988140 | California | Rancho Mirage, CA | 60 miles | ||||
144 | Claire Brisendine, CD (DTI), NCS | $1,775 | $35 | 2 births and 1 postpartum families | Solo practice | http://www.clairebrisendine.care | Doula Trainings International - Certified Birth Doula,Doula Trainings International - Certified Postpartum Doula | 2 years | 2 years | Doula Trainings International , February 2019 | Type of practice: Solo practice | Postpartum limits/restrictions: Working only with adults vaccinated against Covid-19, working only in non-cigarette smoking households | Attends hospital births? All HospitalsCurrently offering virtual/distance support for parents giving birth at hospitals not currently allowing doulas and/or outside the Los Angeles area. | Attends birth center births? All Birth CentersCurrently offering in-person support at birth centers with the option for virtual/distance support if clients prefer. | BA/BS | Attends home births? Any Home BirthCurrently offering in-person support at home births with the option for virtual/distance support if clients prefer. | Joy in Birthing Foundation volunteer birth and postpartum doula | 4103407774 | California | Los Angeles, CA | 20 miles distance/virtual services available anywhere in the U.S.A. | |
145 | Mikaela Lynn | MikaLynn Consulting LLC | $2500 to $3000 | $50 to $75 | 1 to 3 births and 1 to 3 postpartum families | Solo practice | https://www.mikaelalynn.com | DONA International, January 2018,DONA International, February 2018,International Childbirth Education Association (ICEA), October 2018,HypnoBirthing, January 2019,These Are My Hours, January 2019,Birth Advocacy Doula Trainings, January 2021,Stillbirthday, January 2021 | Type of practice: Solo practice | Postpartum limits/restrictions: No smokers | Attends hospital births? Some Hospitals | Attends birth center births? Some Birth Centers | AA/AS | Attends home births? Some Home Births | President, Doulas Association of Southern California (DASC) California Ambassador, DONA International | California | Simi Valley, CA | 30 miles I'm willing to travel further North or East, depending on traffic patterns | ||||
146 | Rosie Peterson | Serenity Blessings Doula Care | $1,200 | $30 to $40 | 2 to 4 births and 1 to 5 postpartum families | Solo practice | https://www.serenityblessings.com/ | The Matrona - Certified Holistic Birth Doula | 21 years and 730 births attended | 4 years and 50 families served | DONA International, February 2002 | Type of practice: Solo practice | Postpartum limits/restrictions: No Limitations. I Love animals! All kinds 🙂 Love city scapes and country roads. Love people, from the oldest and the youngest. | Attends hospital births? All HospitalsMY DOULA SERVICES DURING COVID-19 If you plan to birth in a hospital where Doulas are not allowed, I will reduce my fee to $600, provide extra doula training for dads, provide doula support in your home until it’s time for you to go to your birth place, and I provide virtual support while you’re in the hospital via phone, text, FaceTime, other. Note: As of today 12/2/20 Doulas are allowed to attend births at UCSD, Palomar and Palomar Pomerado Hospitals. I am happy to join you in labor while you are still at home to provide comfort measures, encouragement and a calming presence to you and your partner. I follow you in my car when it is time to go to the hospital or birth center. If mom wishes, I sometimes go with you in your car to continue to provide emotional and physical support and comfort measures on the drive to the hospital. I provide continual support through labor, pushing, birth and initial postpartum, including helping mom put baby to breast. When it's appropriate I leave to give your family private bonding time. This is a good time for me to fetch a celebration meal for mom and dad! Sometimes that's a 3AM burrito or a 5AM Starbucks coffee (for dad), other times it's a In-N-Out Burger! Before I leave Baby, Mommy and Daddy are fed. I make a home visit 3-10 days postpartum to check-in with your new family. How is nursing going? How is mom's recovery going? How is dad doing? I answer any questions you may have about the birth, provide any referrals that may be needed and maybe, if I'm really lucky, I get to burp the baby! 🙂 | Attends birth center births? All Birth CentersCurrently, During COVID-19, Doulas are allowed in all Birth Centers. My Birth Center services are the same as hospital (see above). | Attends home births? Any Home BirthCOVID-19 has brought with it a rise in homebirths. This allows family and doulas to attend to the mom and the siblings. Many families prefer not to go into hospitals at this time. If you have questions about homebirths please feel free to phone me for a free consultation. My home birth services are the same as hospital and birth center with the difference being we don't need to get in the car and go anywhere. I also have experience working with most of the homebirth midwives in San Diego and having that good relationship and history together brings a level of trust and confidence as we work together to serve your family. | Between 2002-2004 I was a volunteer with UCSD Birth Center Hearts and Hands Doula Program. During the period of 2002-2006 I volunteered as a Childbirth Educator at Alternatives Women's Center in Escondido http://www.awc-ca.com/. I have served on the Board of Directors of San Diego Birth Network from 2005-2009. https://www.sandiegobirthnetwork.org/ | (760) 443-6471 | California | Escondido, CA | 35 miles None | |
147 | Autumn Baker | Grace and Peace Birth Services | $300 to $1500 | 1 to 2 | Solo practice | https://www.gracepeacebirth.com/ | Self-trained, February 2019 | Type of practice: Solo practice | Attends hospital births? All HospitalsI will gladly serve alongside the other members of your birth team to bring you support, peace, and joy during your hospital birth. | Attends birth center births? All Birth CentersI would love to be another heart and set of hands to provide comfort in this setting. | Attends home births? Some Home BirthsI look forward to working alongside your licensed care provider to provide a calm and supported atmosphere in your home. | I aim to work genuinely and wholeheartedly to offer quality, unbiased, and current information to the families I serve so that they can devise their best birth goals and we can work together to ensure the birthing mother feels heard, respected, and supported before, during, and after her transition to her new season of motherhood. I offer a few package options to my clients, including full and partial services, in order to make education and support as accessible as I'm able to the women in my community. I offer a full-service doula package, a full childbirth education series, and elements of both separately as outlined on my website. | California | Baldwin Park, CA | 50 miles willing to discuss possible travel arrangements | |||||||
148 | Kym Benner | "Pampered Package" Doula Services & CBE | Not specified | 1 to 4 | Solo practice | http://www.kymthedoula.com/ | Type of practice: Solo practice | Clients per month: 1 to 4 | Attends hospital births? All HospitalsI am a DONA trained Doula. I have worked at MANY hospitals, so I can help you find the one that fits your needs. Need an OB or Midwife, I know MANY of them as well and am happy to help you with your desicion. Most of my births are in hospitals, so it is very important for my clients to know that I am first and foremost their Advocate. This birth is YOUR birth, YOUR body and YOUR baby...I am there to support you in whatever birth you want, need and desire. I do massage, I am certified in Acupressure, comfort measures, different positions and tools to use like the birth ball and I use the Rebozo which I am also certified in, emotional, physical and informational support. I am there for your partner as well, to help them feel comfortable in supporting YOU at their own comfort level to make this birth what you BOTH want and need. As your Doula I am not there to replace your husband/partner, he/she is supported throughout this process too. Having a doula let's them just be your spouse/partner and not have to worry about what is or isn't going on and what does it all mean as well as helping you understand what the medical staff is saying.I also teach Childbirth Education Classes and have been teaching for 8 years. I am also trained in Spinning Babies & Belly Mapping, ask me how to get your baby in the optimal position. I have supported same sex couples, surrogates, single moms and those choosing adoption and those adopting. LGBTQ friendly! | Attends birth center births? All Birth CentersI love to do births at Birth Centers and can refer you to Midwives and or Birth Centers. Being your Doula at a Birth Center I will keep in touch with your Midwife so you can focus on just relaxing. | Attends home births? Any Home BirthBirthing at home is the ultimate in relaxation. I have Midwives I can refer you to. I have done many home births. Being your Doula at a home birth I will keep in touch with your Midwife so you can focus on just relaxing. | I am very passionate about what I do but wanted to share that VBAC's are a specialty of mine and every one I have had have been 100% successful! I have also supported mamas who have been a VBA2C's. I have worked with teen moms, single moms, families who have done IVF & AI, adoptive parents and also given support to Antepartum moms. | (951) 218-5490 | California | Oceanside, CA | 50 miles I serve San Diego Orange and Orange County | ||||||
149 | Abbie Alvey CD(DONA), IBCLC | Nurture Doula Services | $1,900 | 1 to 3 | Solo practice | http://www.nurture-doula-abbie.com | DONA International - Certified Birth Doula | 10 years and 90 births attended | DONA International, May 2011 | Type of practice: Solo practice | Attends hospital births? All Hospitals | Attends birth center births? All Birth Centers | Attends home births? Any Home Birth | BA/BS | Member of the Mount Diablo Doula Community and East Bay Doula Group. | My services include: *Free consultation to see if we are the right fit; *Two prenatal appointments; may include birth planning, breathing and comfort measures, teach your partner to help you in labor, and what to expect before, during, and after labor; *Continuous phone support; *Be on call for you starting at 38 weeks; *Continuous emotional and physical support throughout labor; *Immediate postpartum support to help establish breastfeeding, etc; *One lactation visit *One postpartum visit in which we will go over your birth story, help with breastfeeding, and giving any necessary referrals *Continued phone support after baby is born. **If you are desiring just education and do not want a doula to attend your birth, the fee is $900.00. Please visit my site for more information www.nurture-doula-abbie.com | (925) 639-3512 | California | Pleasant Hill, CA | 15 miles I do not travel to San Francisco | ||
150 | Lindsey BS, CD(DONA), HCHD, AdvNCS(NCSA), IBCLC Candidate | Nourish: Birth + Postpartum | $875 to $2400 | $45 to $75 | 2 births and 2 to 3 postpartum families | Solo practice | http://www.nourishbirthpostpartum.com | DONA International - Certified Birth Doula,Hypnobabies - Certified Hypno-Doula | 8 years and 150 births attended | 18 years and 700 families served | DONA International, November 2017,UC San Diego Health, June 2018,Hypnobabies, November 2018 | Type of practice: Solo practice | Postpartum limits/restrictions: Smoke-free homes only. I also own Nourish, an ayurvedic meal delivery service perfect for speeding healing, nourishing the blood and lymph (which turns into to milk supply) and full of galactagogues which promote milk production. www.nourishmealdelivery.com | Attends hospital births? All HospitalsI live 2 blocks from Cedars Sinai but I doula at all Southern CA hospitals in LA County, Simi Valley, Ventura, and part of OC as well | Attends birth center births? All Birth Centers$200 birth center discount | BA/BS | Attends home births? Any Home BirthNon-smoking homes; $200 home birth discount | Doula Advocacy Task Force | 833-487-2229 | California | Beverly Hills, CA | 40 miles I am experienced in 24/7 live-in; any state and international. There is a $35/week travel fee exceeding a 20-mile radius from Beverly Hills by car. Flight fees are also incurred by the client. |
151 | Brana Ninkov RN, MSN, CLEC, Birth and Postpartum Doula | Gentle Birth Doula Services | $2525 to $2975 | $45 to $50 | 2 to 3 births and 0 to 2 postpartum families | Solo practice | http://www.GentleBirthDoula.org | DONA International, October 2014 | Type of practice: Solo practice | Attends hospital births? All Hospitals | Attends birth center births? All Birth Centers | Attends home births? Any Home Birth | MA/MS | " I do not care what kind of birth you have…a homebirth, schedule cesarean, epidural hospital birth, or if you birth alone in the woods next to baby deer. I care that you had options, that you were supported in your choices, and that you were respected." - January Harshe ~~~$ 2525 Service Package includes: 2 prenatal visits; unlimited phone calls/emails/texts; 24/7 on call starting at 38 weeks; 1 36-hour postpartum lactation session; 1 postpartum visit within 2 weeks; phone/email support for as long as needed; arrangement for a backup doula should I be unavailable ~~~$2975 Service package includes all of the above plus two additional postpartum/lactation sessions, and 2 postpartum nourishing meals (delivered at each postpartum visit) | 3232448571 | California | Los Angeles, CA | 20 miles | ||||
152 | tracy hartley | B*E*S*T Doula Service | $1000 to $3250 | 2 to 4 | Partnership with 2 or more doulas | http://www.bestdoulas.com | DONA International, May 1996,International Childbirth Education Association (ICEA), May 1998,Birthing From Within, September 1999,HypnoBirthing, January 2000,Childbirth International, May 2005,Childbirth and Postpartum Professional Association (CAPPA), March 2006 | Type of practice: Partnership with 2 or more doulas | Attends hospital births? All HospitalsI believe that women who give birth in a hospital need the most support. Many of my clients are referred to me by doctors and nurses. | Attends birth center births? All Birth CentersBirth centers are a wonderful alternative! | Attends home births? Any Home BirthI love home births -- the births tend to be faster and easier for the laboring woman. | During the past 20 years, I've served the Los Angeles doula and birthing community as President, Secretary, Treasurer, and, currently, the Director of Membership of the Doulas Association of Southern California (DASC). | During quarantine, I am providing private one-on-one virtual childbirth classes and virtual labor support. My fees are commensurate with my experience (685 births). | (818) 448-0817 | California | Alhambra, CA | 25 miles none | |||||
Name | Clinic Name | Birth Fee | Postpartum Rate - hourly | Clients per month | Type of practice | Contact | Birth Doula Certifications | Birth Doula Experience | Postpartum Doula Experience | Doula Training | Type of Practice | Attends Hospital Births | Attends Birth Center Births | Attends Home Center Births | College Education | Relevant volunteer or advocacy work | Fee details | Phone | State Full Name | Full Address | Service Range |
Doulas in California by city:
To see the full list of doulas in California by city, see some of our other posts: