Nic James

5/29/2023

Julia was amazing during the whole experience. The prenatal education really helped us decide what we wanted our plan to be. Then when that plan went out the window she was amazingly supportive as I was rushed in for a C-section. She even came by to spell my husband the next day so he could go run errands while I was in the hospital so I wasn’t alone. After our daughter was born she came and checked in with us and the resources she shared helped me get through the first few baths and nursing. Thank you Julia!

Brianne Harkousha

4/22/2023

We honestly would not have had the best pregnancy and birthing experience without the guidance and care from Julia. She provided thorough information about pregnancy, birth, postpartum care, and breastfeeding throughout our journey with our first child. We did not have much knowledge on each subject and medical professionals can sometimes make it more confusing/impersonal. I felt so cared for when Julia educated us and knew that I could trust her information. She has the kindest and calmest demeanor that really helped when I was anxious before, during, and after birth.

Julia respected my wishes to have an unmedicated birth in the hospital and helped me accomplish that when planning/coordinating with medical professionals at the hospital. The birth plan was exactly what I wanted and she really helped me frame it in the best way possible. After birth, she was so helpful with breastfeeding tips and postpartum care. I truly felt empowered and that I could flourish during my next pregnancy/birth with her guidance. We will definitely be calling Julia to help us for our next pregnancy!

Carmen

3/6/2023

Julia was an incredible doula for me and my husband! We started working with her at around four months into my pregnancy, she educated us on all aspects of the birthing experience, she helped us define our birth plan and created a calm space for us to bond through this experience. Having spent so much time leading up to my birth we really got to know Julia and there was so much comfort with her and a friendship developed.

My baby was breech at 36 weeks and Julia worked with us on spinning babies.  She even brought a friend acupuncturist over to show us how to do Moxibustion an ancient technique on spinning the baby using incense. We tried it all and Julia was checking in regularly and using all her resources however she could to help our baby turn.

Our baby never did turn but at 38 weeks I went into labor, but because our baby was still breech we had no choice but to have a c-section. Julia supported us through text and phone calls leading up to the surgery. She reminded us that we could still have many of the things on our birth plan like immediate skin to skin, music in the OR etc. She met us in the recovery room 30 min after the birth of our daughter and she took some incredible film photos of those moments that we will forever cherish. Even though our birth did not go as planned she worked with us to have the best post birth experience we could have had.

It was amazing having her support postpartum as we were navigating the first week of parenthood, it was great to have someone to check in with that brought such a calm energy. She also took another beautiful 2 rolls of film of us as a new family in our home. Capturing that magical time so perfectly. We are so blessed to have met Julia and had her be our support through the end of pregnancy, birth and postpartum.  Julia is a great doula and wonderful kind person!

Betania

1/30/2023

Julia is a phenomenal doula. I hired her for my second birth and the quality of service she provided was miles beyond my doula service for my first birth. I chose her after interviewing 4 other doulas. She was the only one who offered  solutions and ideas for how to improve my experience. It showed just how knowledgable she is on the birthing process, the hospital system, and breast feeding. She offered a full education on how to have a healthy pregnancy, the birthing process, and many postpartum topics. I learned so much even though it was my second pregnancy. Most importantly, she walked me through every issue and decision that would arise during a hospital birth. She explained what my options were and why some people opt for one or the other. She guided me through the decision making process in advance so I didn’t have to make any decisions while in or just after labor. 

After my birth I hired Julia for additional services. She did nighttime doula care, so we could maximize sleep, and day care, so we could catch up on sleep we lost at night. She cooked wonderful food and cared for my newborn. 

Aside from all that, she has a calm, centered, warm vibe that is truly comforting to be around. 

Eva Uribe

11/9/2022

Julia was our doula for the birth of our second child. I knew that I had a lot of trauma to work through from my first birth. From our first conversation, Julia made me feel joyful and hopeful about my second pregnancy and birth. She listened to everything my partner and I had to say about our first birth, she read everything we wrote from our first birth journey, and had us write birth visions for our second birth. What really impressed me was that she remembered important parts of our experiences and brought them up at relevant times. We both felt she genuinely cared about us, which felt rare in medical settings where I usually feel like just another patient out of thousands. She and my partner gently helped me turn from a fear of repeating the past towards looking ahead with hope and belief that our second birth could be a positive and transformative experience, and it was.

Our baby was born 17 minutes after we arrived at the hospital - so fast Julia had to meet us at the hospital. Was hiring a doula worth it, if we were only together for 17 minutes before baby arrived? Absolutely, 100% yes. I believe all of the preparation we had done together significantly reduced my fear and anxiety, and helped put me in a frame of mind that allowed everything to go more smoothly during birth. And she stayed with us for hours afterwards, recounting precious moments from the birth, and taking care of all three of us. She helped position my baby in my arms more comfortably. She gave us food. Once when I was shaking from cold and adrenaline, she wrapped a warm blanket around me and rubbed my feet. She was like a fairy godmother and knew how to make everything more comfortable and happier without even being asked. Julia's postpartum care was excellent - massage, photos, birth story, care package. She made me feel valued as a human. We recommend Julia without reservations. Anyone would be very fortunate to have her as their doula. 

Kelley

11/6/2022

I am SO grateful to have been connected with Julia for my pregnancy and postpartum journey. I am a first time mom and she made my experience so meaningful. My hope was to find intention in the birthing process and she offered the support needed and more. My labor was long and challenging and Julia was by my side throughout and offered relief to my partner and guidance to us both. I look back at my birth experience with pride knowing that I had a voice and and a say in the decisions made. Julia was the perfect advocate and brought a gentle and strong presence with her. I will always look back on my birth with with gratitude for what she offered our family.

Meryl

8/6/2022

I’m a birth doula myself and one thing I knew I wanted from doula support was good pictures. I was really excited about experiencing my first labor and I wanted as much documentation as possible to help commemorate it. We interviewed four doula/photographers and Julia stood out to us as being an amazing balance of a talented photographer and a flexible and caring doula. Even though we were initially more focused on photography, we both got “good vibes” from Julia and felt like she would go out of her way to make sure we were cared for in every way possible. We very much needed that extra care and we are SO glad we chose her! 

Julia provided amazing prenatal preparation and hands on support during labor. In addition, she provided lots of extra unexpected things that were so nourishing. Late at night when I was hungry in labor she made me a delicious hot meal and juice. She decorated our dreary hospital room, fixed my hair, and kept my bath water the perfect temperature. She took beautiful photos and found just the right balance we were looking for between documenting, giving us space, and giving us support. She worked seamlessly with my husband to support me in labor and I can honestly say that some of the most intense parts of my labor where they were both supporting me are also some of my favorites! 

We also appreciated the postpartum care Julia offered. She gave us time and space to process, shared our birth story from her perspective, and did a closing session where she prepared a special bath for me and gave me a massage. It was so nice to be loved on in that way and to have the photos, birth story, and final bath and massage to close out the experience and made me feel really special! Thank you, Julia, we’re so glad you’re a part of our story! 

Crina Bordas

6/16/2022

Julia was my postpartum doula for a few weeks when I had my second baby in April. I can’t emphasize enough how helpful she was in getting me started on the right track.

She was such a delightful company and strong support in those early days. I really appreciated the breadth of knowledge she shared with me and the initiative she took in cooking delicious food with ingredients I had in the house.

She’s been dearly missed!

Thank you so much, Julia!

Alexis Joseph

4/4/2022

Julia is a magic person. She is observant, patient and kind. She not only listens she also understands and in that way she earned my complete trust immediately. She taught my partner and me everything we needed to know to navigate our induction to go smoothly and according to our wishes. Everything happened so quickly Julia was not able to be there for any of it but her voice was in my head and my partner's head regardless. We kept it calm and felt good about our decisions because of the care and prep we received from her. 100% completely recommend Julia! She's a gem of a human!

Tess

4/1/2022

My partner and I clicked with Julia immediately. She has such a calming, supportive, and non-judgmental presence. The journey with her is very thoughtful, from the initial prenatal birth education sessions all the way to the last postpartum meeting with special TLC for the recovering mama. I highly recommend her to all parents to be!

Leqi Long

3/4/2022

Asking Julia to be our doula was one of the best decisions we made in the biggest transition of our lives into parenthood. Upon our first meet and greet, we clicked with Julia immediately because of her calm and no-frills demeanor. In our prenatal visits, Julia educated us on evidence based pregnancy and childbirth, empowered us to add meditation and affirmation to our toolkit, and taught us techniques to help baby get into the optimal position for birth. When I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes, Julia was so encouraging, reassuring, and guided me towards a more nutritional diet that helped keep my glucose levels in range. Unfortunately, due to Covid variant restrictions, our hospital did not allow more than 1 support person in the delivery room. But that didn’t stop Julia from showing her dedication to our birth. When the big day came, we labored at home with Julia the entire night before heading to the hospital. These few hours ended up being the most crucial, best hours of our whole birth story. Julia did everything to help me progress and cope through the increasingly intense surges, applied counter pressure during surges to make the labor sensations manageable, and gave me massages in between to help me relax. She encouraged me to get in the shower when the surges stopped me at my tracks and taught me different positions to help get my baby down. The environment she helped create at home was calming and loving. By the time I got to the hospital, I had already made so much progress (6cm dilation and nearly fully effaced) that the nurse and OB said it’s not very common for first time moms! All the work we did at home set up for an overall easy and positive birth in the end. If I were to get pregnant for a second time, I will be so lucky to work with Julia again . And I wholeheartedly recommend Julia to any expecting parents no matter what kind of birth you envision. Thank you Julia for such a wonderful pregnancy and birthing experience!

Nancy Barrett

1/23/2022

When searching for our doula, my husband and I were looking for someone knowledgeable, supportive, and who vibed well with us as a couple. We wanted them to be gentle and warm, yet assertive enough to advocate for us when or if necessary. It was important that they understood my apprehensions about delivering in a hospital, given the high rates of maternal deaths and other negative outcomes for black mothers. Julia ended up checking all the boxes plus more! We were impressed by how naturally kind, knowledgeable, and genuine she was.

She provided us with a wealth of information and resources to put our minds at ease and help me feel physically and emotionally prepared for what was to come.

During my intense unmedicated labor and delivery, Julia remained calm and non-judgmental. She reassured me that I was doing well, encouraged me to keep going, and helped me stick to my birth plan. She approached every situation with patience, warmth, and understanding, which made me feel comforted and supported even in the most stressful moments. She was intuitive and attentive, and seemed to know everything I needed before I even knew I needed it. She also helped my husband to be more confident in his ability to support me during my labor and delivery, and reduced any stress he may have felt had she not been with us.

Postpartum, Julia and her partner Dana visited our home to check in and see how we were adjusting, then drew me a relaxing bath, followed by a full-body massage.

The icing on the cake was when Julia presented us with a thoughtfully written birth story that captured all the details and special moments of our baby’s journey into the world. I had no idea Julia had even been taking all these notes. She was able to capture memories that my husband and I had completely forgotten or may have eventually forgotten.

If I have another baby, I will definitely hire Julia and Dana without a second thought.

Samia Khan

12/13/2021

Julia supported us with incredible postpartum care this year after the birth of our daughter. Our birth was a traumatic one, we had recently moved to the East Bay with our weeks old daughter, and all in a pandemic - a combination that had left us so overwhelmed. I reached out to Julia and we just loved her warm and thoughtful demeanor, and she supported us for the next 8 weeks. She made sure I had always had something to eat, prepped (delicious!) meals, organized and tidied the new home, and lovingly cared for our baby. She was also incredibly supportive of my breastfeeding journey, helping to troubleshoot feeding challenges, helping with supplementation while I pumped to build my supply, and even sterilizing and getting me set up and comfortable on my new pump. My physical recovery was rough, and my mobility was limited in the beginning. She helped me get the baby up and down our driveway so we could take our first walk, showed me how to baby wear in my carrier, and even cared for the baby while we cleared out our old apartment as we finished our move. If she sounds like the most useful person alive, that’s because it’s true, she is! Julia approached every postpartum challenge and concern I shared with her from a place of complete non-judgement, love, understanding, and empowerment. She truly helped me feel cared for and feel like I could enjoy my baby. One day she brought a guided meditation for me, to help me process some of my birth trauma. She was there to answer anxious texts when I didn’t know why my daughter wasn’t feeding. When I asked questions about newborn care that didn’t have a definitive answer, she shared thoughtful resources with me, helping me to feel confident and holistically informed in my choices. Julia was my new little family’s champion, mentally, emotionally and physically. I feel really just so lucky to have had her join our family in that tender time, leaving such a lasting mark on our story.

Stephanie K

12/7/2021

I am very happy with my experience working with Julia as my Doula. She knows a lot about the birth process, nutrition, and helped guide me through the options and hard decisions. She is very kind, thoughtful, knowledgeable, and passionate about what she does. Our pre-labor classes were super informative, she was also able to help me with breast-feeding and postpartum issues that came up. Since my baby came three weeks early she made up for the lost pre-labor class by offering more postpartum classes, which I found to be very helpful. Overall I felt supported and was very happy with my decision to work with Julia, I highly recommend her!

Vanessa & Gabriel

10/29/2021

When selecting a doula we wanted someone that was going to be an excellent addition to our birth team, Julia Larson was exactly that and so much more. Her calm demeanor and patience helped us gently flow through our 22 hours of labor. During the labor her attention to details kept everything rolling smoothly without hiccups even under stressful circumstances. Without her expertise we would not have been prepared physically or mentally to go through the journey of being first time parents.

We absolutely loved her photography package!!

Julia is truly so thoughtful, kind, genuine and exceptionally knowledgeable. We are so glad we found her in our doula search! 

Daniel

10/6/2021

My wife and I give our strongest unreserved recommendation to anyone considering working with Julia as their Doula.

- Julia is an expert at her craft, she educated and prepped us with hands-on exercises and practical knowledge throughout pre- and postpartum.
- Julia worked with our wishes to tailor a personalized birthing plan.  She helped advocate for us at the hospital, and had the experience and flexibility to help us change course when our birth experience didn’t go exactly as hoped.
- Julia is 100% dependable and always followed through on her commitments, was always on time to our consultations, fully accommodated our schedule, and could be reached any time of day.
- Julia has a gentle and reassuring presence, which helped anchor us through the most difficult parts of labor and delivery.
- Julia is great at practical, hands-on soothing and coping techniques.  She led my wife through multiple positions during labor while providing long massages during downtime, which greatly improved comfort and facilitated faster delivery.
- Julia is highly professional and attentive — despite getting little sleep herself after the first night of labor, I was impressed by how fully attentive and present at all times she was for my wife during the grueling second day of labor.
- Julia doesn’t just focus on the technical aspects of birth, but the emotional and experiential side as well.  Postpartum, Julia wrote us a commemorative multi-page story detailing our birth journey, including many details and personal moments we would have forgotten ourselves, had she not painstakingly taken notes throughout our birth journey.  We were delighted and deeply touched by this closing gesture.

My wife and I would work with Julia again in a heartbeat for our second child, whenever that may be :)

Jamie VHR

8/12/2021

Julia joined our family when our son was 1 month old and cared for him until he was almost 7 months. Julia is an exceptional doula. She has a natural way of providing loving and thoughtful support, great intuition, and is simply excellent at what she does. Julia was so easy to have in our home and her authentic love for our son put us at ease. She's an amazing cook, incredibly organized, always prompt, takes initiative and is very reliable. We are so grateful for our time with her and we miss her presence in our home so much. Any family would be so lucky to have her! 

Lauren Andrews

7/27/2021

Long story short, Julia is absolutely amazing!!!

Hiring Julia as my doula was the best decision I made in regards to achieving the best possible outcome for the birth of my son. I decided to hire a doula later in my pregnancy. I interviewed several doulas during this process and knew from the moment we had our first zoom, that she would be perfect. She is very knowledgeable, assertive, calm, comforting, and supportive to name a few of her amazing qualities. The information I gained from her was priceless. We worked together so I could have a birth plan decided upon that was tailored to my preferences. Through all of the prenatal visits she was amazing and really helped my husband by answering any questions he had and alleviating most of his concerns. I believe she helped him almost as much me. Her presence during labor greatly reduced the stress and responsibilities that my husband would have had to do by himself had she not been there.
My labor/birth of my son was LONG to say the least but Julia was supportive and seemed to know what I needed during every step of the way. Due to covid restrictions only she and my husband were allowed. I believe that without her, there is no way I would have been able to have the natural birth I wanted. She was imperative in supporting me and my husband to make it happen. Following the birth of my healthy baby boy, the postpartum visits were also something I can not thank her enough for. The small details she provided during these visits are things I can not express enough gratitude for as it meant so much to me during that time.
I am telling any friends of mine that are or plan to be pregnant to hire a doula and to hire Julia!

Wendy

5/30/2021

Julia was absolutely amazing. We had a lot of personal issues in our lives leading up to giving birth during COVID and delayed searching for a Doula until only about 5 weeks prior to our birth but when we interviewed Julia, she was completely understanding and supportive. We got to work right away with education and preference planning and she was willing to adjust her typical approach to efficiently get us ready.

And thank goodness for that! Our baby was two weeks early and came after my water broke before labor, which doesn't happen that often. Julia responded right away and provided us all the most relevant information for our particular circumstances. The absolute best thing for us, and exactly what we were hoping for with hiring a Doula, was to have someone cut through the mountains of information and possible choices and scenarios and help us make the best decisions for US!

Sadly Julia wasn't able to be with us herself during the birth for personal reasons but was AMAZING with bringing in two back up Doulas. We met them both on zoom the day before going into labor and were beyond happy with Marie who ended up supporting us through labor and delivery. Marie was wonderful in her own right, but beyond that, I could feel the support from Julia as she had informed Marie about my preferences, my personality, and clearly gave wonderful coaching on what I might like.

After the birth, Julia came for a few visits and was soooo wonderful. In the days immediately after birth while we were still waiting on my in-laws to arrive, it was wonderful to have Julia come and give us a break, support in breast feeding, and even draw me a bath! She was also available and very responsive via text when I had questions come up.

I cannot properly express how happy we were to have found Julia. She is sweet and calm, knowledgable and a clear communicator, supportive and gentle in her guidance. I cannot recommend her more highly!

Leah and Sean

5/4/2021

Julia is everything we wanted in a doula...and more! She is organized, thoughtful, caring and intuitive. Though our plan for a natural unmedicated birth turned into a scheduled c-section, we found our time with her prior and after birth so comforting and helpful. She offered us separate services including more postpartum credit since she was unable to attend our birth due to Covid and restrictions in the OR.

I was impressed with how often she wanted to meet prior to the birth to prepare us for newborn care, labor coping strategies, breastfeeding, and birth preference planning. She was very professional and felt the urgency to prepare us for the changes and challenges of our birth story. We will cherish our memories with her and the photos she took for our newborn shoot. 

Melanie Edwards

11/19/2020

Our experience with Julia was amazing! I recently gave birth to my first baby (a boy!) and I feel like I wouldn’t have had such a beautiful birth experience without her support and education leading up to and during my delivery. I originally had the goal of having an all natural birth, so having a great doula as part of my birth team was important to me. We started meeting with Julia when I was 21 weeks. My husband and I love to have all the facts and Julia was incredibly knowledgable and helpful with preparing us during this journey! At 39 weeks my doctor recommended I have an induction due to some symptoms I was having. This was obviously unexpected and ended up being a long process (5 days!!). The entire time I was at the hospital Julia was supportive and flexible! She came to visit us at the hospital during our stay and made sure we had everything we needed. Julia knew how important a peaceful environment is to me so when she came to the hospital the first day she decorated the room with string lights, electric candles, and brought essential oils to make the hospital room feel more like home and a space that I could relax in. When I had questions about procedures, if she wasn’t with us at the time, she was just a phone call away and made sure that I knew all my options and that I was comfortable with all of my decisions. Because of the induction a 100% natural birth was no longer on the table, I had to shift my mindset, and I feel like Julia was 100% supportive of my choices along the way. When my labor finally intensified Julia was ready to go and arrived at the hospital quickly! During labor and delivery Julia was amazing at helping me cope and move my labor along (no matter how stubborn I was in pain). Even through unexpected turns I was able to have a beautiful and memorable birthing experience with Julia’s help and support. We are excited to continue working with Julia in the next phase of our journey with her postpartum services!

Rhiannon O'Leary

2/3/2020

We worked with Julia for the birth of our second son and I couldn't recommend her more. For the birth of our first son we took a childbirth class at Loving Arms (highly recommend) and were incredibly prepared with the knowledge we felt we needed for the birth. For the second - as is the theme with this kid vs the first - we hadn't prepared much. When we started working with Julia in the final month, she gave us a crash course in childbirth and quickly brought us back up to speed. She was really open to diving in deeper or skipping things, tailoring the education part of our work with her to our needs. Our education refreshed, my husband and I felt empowered with the knowledge and tools we needed to cultivate the birth we were hoping for. Further, we felt extra confident and prepared knowing Julia would be on our team through the birth. During the birth she was a huge support. I really wanted my husband to continue to be my primary birth partner, but wanted the extra support from Julia depending on what came up, how things were going, and how long things went on. Julia was the perfect mix of advocate, body worker, and friend, dipping in and fading into the background as needed but always there how we needed her. She was incredibly attentive, caring, and met us exactly where we wanted her. I highly recommend working with Julia!

Regina L Gibson

1/13/2020

My experience with Julia as my personal doula has been wonderful! She is everything I could of asked for! Becoming a new mom is hard especially when your trying to go all natural with birth and all. Julia always provided me with the best info about birthing techniques breastfeeding and natural remedies etc. her hands on comfort during my labor was the best she decorated my room added some lights massaging techniques and lavender scents to cal m me down I felt wonderful and so relaxed if I had to choose again it would be her she's the pick! Thank you soooo much bless. 

Katrina

12/21/2019

My partner and I were so happy to have had Julia with us during my labor (and as a great resource during pregnancy as well). She put us at ease and remained calm through it all. She provided three comphrensive prenatal sessions in which we went over all things birth related and had the chance to talk about anything that was on our minds. I went into labor before 40 weeks and Julia was there on a moments notice to guide me through labor. I was able to have a beautiful,  basically intervention-less birth in part because of Julia's support. She will make your labor a lot smoother and will support you however you need support at that time. We highly recommend Julia if you are looking for support before, during and after your birth. 

Kyla O'Neill

12/19/2019

We started working with Julia four months into my pregnancy with our first child. She was very generous with her time and met with us multiple times before our baby arrived. During our meetings, Julia shared valuable information about pregnancy and the birth process. She spent time connecting with us and getting to know our feelings--that wonderful mix of excitement and apprehension--about this momentous time in our lives. Her non-judgemental approach and calm demeanor provided us the space and reassurance to feel confident in our unique journey. Between meetings, Julia checked in with us and provided helpful resources based on our conversations and questions. As our due date approached she provided hands-on practice for pain management and introduced us to her back-up doula, which was reassuring in the event that she could not attend. As my labor began a few days earlier than expected, Julia reminded us of the strategies we practiced for early labor and joined us to travel to the hospital together. She helped support both my husband and me throughout the labor and delivery--she reminded us of our preferences, helped us navigate the hospital experience, provided hands-on pain management, coached us through contractions, and stayed by our side through the post-delivery process. Julia continued to check in with us in the subsequent weeks and was a huge help with encouragement and resources for the postpartum journey, which we felt less prepared for than pregnancy and birth. She visited with us a few times to reflect on the birth experience and provide support in our new role as parents. Julia was a steadfast source of calm and focus. She stayed connected with us and helped problem solve throughout labor and delivery. Julia is a natural and we feel so fortunate to have had her on our team. We recommend her without reservation to anyone looking for a positive, dedicated, knowledgeable doula.