Stephanie

3/1/2024

Where do I even begin?! Hiring Junko has been the best investment my family has ever made and the only downside is I didn’t reserve her for longer! This was my first experience with doula care and I’m so happy I did it. Junko is so supportive, understanding, and loving to me and my family. She taught me so much with newborn care and caring for myself. As a person who typically shames herself in asking others for help, Junko’s presence was so comforting that I was able to approach her with any need of mine. She cooked delicious healing meals which motivated and inspired me to get back into the kitchen again. She was always so gentle and loving towards my baby, she was like a second mom to her.

Junko is incredibly knowledgeable in postpartum care and fed me so much information that it gave me the strength to heal quickly and become a mother to my newborn. She helped and guided me successfully in my breastfeeding journey which I’ll be forever grateful for! My family and I love her so much and it saddens us that this experience with her has come to an end, but she’s left us with the confidence to carry on thrive as a family. I would be sure to hire her again in a heartbeat if another baby was meant to be. Junko is an amazing and talented doula and now will always be a dear friend to us.

Julia

11/10/2023

When my husband and I met Junko, we knew she was the doula for us. She is calm, caring and very experienced with body work and movement in labor, which is exactly what I was looking for. During our prenatal meetings, Junko made sure we both felt comfortable with what to expect in labor, how my husband could be the best support person and how I could start preparing my body for what was to come. During my 32 hour labor, Junko and my husband were an incredible team, working together to help me through each contraction- holding my hand, helping me breath, applying pressure on my back when I was back laboring, and feeding me/making sure I stayed hydrated. I couldn’t have done it without them and am so grateful Junko there for us. She was a godsend and brought the best energy to get me through each stage. My husband is forever grateful for her guidance and support, we couldn’t have asked for a better support person to get us through the labor of our first baby. Thank you, Junko!!!!!

Tien

11/7/2023

Our family had the pleasure of having Junko as our postpartum doula. Upon first connection with her, she has been nothing short of kind, thoughtful and compassionate. My pregnancy had it's complications where at one point I thought I would need to be induced at 34 weeks. Junko not only tried to work her schedule around the potential new due date, but also shared experiences from other moms who have gone through the same thing and offered to connect us. In terms of postpartum support, Junko was truly a godsend. She brought such a calming prescence into our home and has a wealth of knowledge on babycare and postpartum nutrition. She cooks amazing and nutrious meals that my family looks forward to weekly. We definitely wouldn't have transitioned as smoothly to a family of 4 without her support and cannot recommend her enough!

Ruby

9/6/2023

I had the privilege of having Junko as my birth and post-partum doula. I felt so lucky to have her as my doula, she's such a kind, caring, and compassionate soul. 

She was always a great source of support and care for me, throughout my difficult pregnancy and birth journey.  She provided my husband and I with so much invaluable birth and baby tips, which made us both feel more at ease and confident in facing the challenges ahead.

It was a shame that she wasn't able to be as involved in my birth as we had planned (no fault of hers), unfortunately I had a very difficult induction/delivery filled with complications which created a very unique situation.  Needless to say things did not go according to my birth plan.  But even despite all of that, she tried her best to help me as much as she can in the midst of the chaos, and was always there to support and comfort me.

As for post-partum, I don't think I could have survived the first month without her support.  She made sure that I had time for myself to rest and recover, and my mind was put at ease knowing that our son was in good hands.  Not to mention the delicious food that she kindly prepare for us, I still think about her delicious Miso soup and Salmon rice.

In short, I could not have done it without her and so grateful to have her as my doula,

Heather L

2/27/2023

I can’t sing the praises of Junko enough! What an invaluable addition she was to my postpartum experience. She effortlessly put me at ease, just being there with me. She was able to clue me in to so many tips and tricks without making me feel silly for not knowing things. She was so easy to talk to, so knowledgeable, and I really felt like I could ask her anything. Junko also prepared delicious, nourishing food for a very tired mama! The transition into parenthood is tough, but Junko was a welcome addition to our home as she eased us into this new chapter. THANK YOU JUNKO!

Daria

12/18/2022

Junko is an amazing doula! She is kind, smart, responsible, professional and hard working ??  I miss her so much. My pregnancy went so well because of her. She was like my big sister. She is very knowledgeable and I felt supported thanks to her. I had very long labors, like very long 60 hours in total. No epidural. She was there for me, barely sleeping, guiding and advocating for me and supporting my husband. I will never forget my experience with her. Because of her I feel empowered!

P.s. I want to be pregnant again so I can hire Junko, and experience my journey once again ??

Joyce

12/10/2022

Junko is a godsend. Every family’s dream. 

She was hired for her postpartum services for baby #3, and I’ll forever be grateful for the invaluable support she provided the past 2 months. Junko has a warmth to her…a calm presence that’s comforting and helpful when one’s emotions are running amok and is like a sleep-deprived zombie. My husband would ask, "Is Junko visiting today?" and if I responded with a yes, we'd both let out a huge sigh of relief. 

I largely attribute my breastfeeding success to her. It was a rough start and had it not been for Junko’s  guidance, I doubt I’d have continued trying. She was always mindful of the fine line between encouragement and pressure, and I never once felt pressured or judged. 

Now, the food. The delicious, nourishing meals. Her concoctions were one of the few things I got excited about every week. My favorites were the miso salmon; chicken, date and ginger soup; banana spinach muffins; golden turmeric ginger squash porridge; Japanese rice soup; and white bean gnocchi.

I miss her terribly, and there have been a few times where I’ve caught myself asking, “What would Junko do?” She is so patient and empathetic. Knowledgeable and sensible. Trustworthy and professional. She is amazing at what she does, and she is equally an amazing and kind human being. If I could, I would fit her inside my pocket and take her everywhere I go! My family and I cannot recommend this doula fairy highly enough. 

Brian Danihel

9/26/2022

My wife wanted to hire a doula, I thought it was pretty hippie dippie, but it made her happy and was just a one time expense, so I went with it. It turns out my wife's decision to hire a doula was AMAZING.

My wife started labor on Friday at 4 am. At 3 pm, Junko arrived, and helped my wife with stretches and took her for walks to help the process along. She stayed with us until 4 am, at which point the contractions got close enough to where we needed to go to the hospital. We drove to the hospital and she was there waiting for us. During out stay at the hospital, she was helping my wife by providing pain relief techniques, applying pressure to pressure points during contractions, etc. She was at the hospital the ENTIRE time with us, from Saturday at 4 am to Sunday at 3 pm. We slept a total of like 8 hours combined during those 2 days, it was insane. Junko provided invaluable support; my wife's 60 hour labor would have been a nightmare if Junko weren't there. We are immensely grateful for her. If you are on the fence about getting a doula; hire Junko, you won't regret it.

Lucy

9/7/2022

Junko is amazing. She is patient, kind, understanding, and has a wealth of knowledge. Our family was going through several unexpected emergencies at the time of my pregnancy, close to my delivery date. Junko was very flexible with her schedule and also very responsive via text whenever I had questions about something. She is highly recommended!!

Sophia

6/17/2022

My family and I hired Junko for the postpartum period it was the best decision we made.

After the birth of our first child, my wife and I realized how intense and overwhelming having a baby is. As a result, we decided that we definitely needed a postpartum doula once we found out we were having a second child. 

Junko is truly absolutely incredible. She is truly a fairy! She reminds me of Mary Poppins. She is incredibly professional and knowledgeable about all things postpartum nutrition, breastfeeding, baby cues, parents, etc. She always showed up early or on time, in the 3 months we worked with her she was never late or cancelled on us. She has a gift of being extremely professional but immediately feeling as if she is a part of your family with her warmth, kindness and non-judgemental demeanor.

Some highlights from our work with her:
1. Her food! She makes the most delicious meals while visiting you, and she also gifted us with meals. It was so incredible to have her work an overnight shift with the baby, only for our family to wake up to her warm and comforting breakfasts and kind notes. Amazing! 
2. The kindness she extends to your whole family. While her focus is obviously to mother and baby, my toddler absolutely fell in love with her and Junko was always attentive to how a new baby was impacting our older child.
3. Our family got Covid while Junko worked with us. Even when she couldn’t visit because of quarantine, she checked up with us daily and delivered homemade meals to our home for two weeks. It helped us so much. 

We are so sad that we “graduated” and we will miss her in our home so much, but we made such an incredible friend and support in Junko. Our family highly recommends her- in my opinion it is the best investment you can make in your family for the postpartum period. 

Maiko

9/25/2021

Junko is a caring, compassionate and hardworking doula. She supported me and my husband so much through prenatal, birth and postpartum.

It was my first pregnancy and the coronavirus pandemic posed extra challenges.

Junko was very supportive emotionally and physically, often making nourishing meals for us and allowing us some rest time.

Whenever I had questions or concerns, Junko was always accessible. She reached out to me promptly with useful advice, resources and encouragement.

She has a great understanding of the challenges that new parents face and helpful strategies to defuse anxieties.

My journey would not have been the same without Junko and we both feel very fortunate to have found her.

Emily

7/30/2021

Excellent doula!! I am so glad I choose her as my birth doula and postpartum doula.

I was so scared of giving birth without medication. I've never hired doula for my previous pregnancy, but I wanted to give a shot. Junko gave me a lot of advice and encouragement until I feel fully confident. My baby didn’t come out till 42weeks, and I was so nervous, but Junko kept encouraging me and providing me great guidance for natural labor.
As a result, I could give birth without ANY medication:-). It was just as I wrote in my birth plan!!!

In my postpartum as well, she helped me proactively how to take care of myself physically and mentally, as well as my newborn, house chores etc. She also advised me how I can comfortably nurse, how to use baby carriers wisely etc.

I am so grateful that I choose Junko as my doula. It was my best investment I’ve ever chosen in my life!!!

Emily

7/30/2021

Excellent doula!! I am so glad I choose her as my birth doula and postpartum doula.

I was so scared of giving birth without medication. I've never hired doula for my previous pregnancy, but I wanted to give a shot. Junko gave me a lot of advice and encouragement until I feel fully confident. My baby didn’t come out till 42weeks, and I was so nervous, but Junko kept encouraging me and providing me great guidance for natural labor. As a result, I could give birth without ANY medication:-). It was just as I wrote in my birth plan!!!

In my postpartum as well, she helped me proactively how to take care of myself physically and mentally, as well as my newborn, house chores etc. She also advised me how I can comfortably nurse, how to use baby carriers wisely etc.

I am so grateful that I choose Junko as my doula. It was my best investment I’ve ever chosen in my life!!!

Nisha Dattaray

5/25/2021

Junko is amazing and was very key in my postpartum recovery and transition to motherhood. I am so grateful that I had her as my PP doula.

I was initially on the fence about getting a PP doula because of the expense, but with my sister recently moving out of state, my parents being close but 2 hours away and older, and my in laws out of state--oh and a pandemic thrown in the mix, I decided to incest in myself so I could have supper during this big change. 

I selected Junko because of her similar background (I am Asian and my husband is Japanese) and I was just thinking it would automatically provide some familiarity. I also selected her since she is a mom and could offer her own insight, guidance and stories. What I found in Junko was akin to an older cousin--someone who showed kindness and warmth towards me and my baby from the moment we got home. She was focused, proactive and so caring. 

She made sure I got rest, had nutritious meals/snacks, offered comfort during the weeks of my baby not gaining weight fast enough and having UV blanket treatment for jaundice, and even the challenges of breastfeeding. She shared anecdotal stories of her challenges and triumphs when she became a mom the first time so I could learn from her, and was always so supportive during moments of doubt and low confidence. She also made sure to help take care of me at a time others focus so much on my baby that my own recovery could be easily overlooked (even by myself!).

I am so thankful I had her support after giving birth since I feel like she was key in building my confidence as a new mom. I'm also very appreciative that I can still reach out to her with updates and news to share as a friend. Junko is wonderful.

Lucy

1/10/2021

My husband and I hired Junko as our postpartum doula and it was the best decision we could have made. Having never held a baby or changed a diaper prior to having our own baby, the learning curve was steep for us! Adding to this, we are both transplants in Los Angeles and didn't have the luxury of having family or people around to help us during this time due to Covid. Junko was truly a fairy or an angel of sorts for us, we learned so much from her and couldn't have survived our first month as new parents during Covid without her! She knows so much about babies and how best to care for them; she gives fantastic research/data-backed advice when asked without any judgement or biased opinions. She cooked the most delicious, nourishing meals for our family which was a real treat - she even taugh us how to make Japanese rice balls in tofu skin - they are amazing! Junko also helped in so many ways that make a huge impact on your day and enery levels with things like: holding baby while you shower and look after yourself (or take a quick nap!), empting and loading the dishwasher, folding the laundry, cleaning and sanitizing baby bottles/supplies and generally being there to support family. My husband and I felt as nurtured and cared for as I know our precious baby, Bodhi, felt. We will be forever appreciative and greatful for Junko and her impact on our lives during this special time. Junko - thank you so much for everything! 

Anjeet & Brandon

11/6/2020

After finding out my family would not be able to help us (thanks to COVID) me and my husband were in a panic. How would we cope as first time parents without any support? We decided to hire a postpartum doula but I was still nervous about having a stranger in the house, seeing me at my worst and possibly encroaching on family time. My fears were immediately settled upon talking to Junko. We weren’t really sure what to expect from a doula but Junko made sure to explain what to expect the first weeks of parenthood and clearly communicated a plan for us which made it so much easier. That being said she was also very accomadating to on the spot needs/situations and was ready to "go with the flow" of our family. I didn’t need to worry about a “stranger” or feeling nervous about looking and feeling my worst, Junko's open friendly attitude made us instantly feel at ease, it was like having a friend or a family member there with you. Junko loves what she does and it shows with her incredibly in-dept knowledgeable about baby care - she knows literally everything!!! She made wonderful suggestions on our babies care that even our paediatrician picked up on later. She taught us so much and we are better, more confident parents because of her! We ended up buying things she recommended and they were perfect for us and saved us so much time and hassle. She is well connected to groups and gave us excellent recommendations on lactation consultants and other support services. It’s easy to feel like a failure and be hard on yourself in those first few weeks but Junko was caring, kind and supportive to me and my husband, it made all the difference. We were so sad when Junko left. In three weeks she became a saviour to our family. We honestly wouldn’t have gotten through it without her. It was hands down the best money we spent. If your thinking about a doula then do yourself/your family/your baby a favour and absolutely 100% hire Junko!