Portal Birthwork
Santa Cruz, CA Service range 40 miles
https://www.portalbirthwork.com/
Birth Fee
$1500 to $2500
Postpartum Rate
$45 to $55
Birth Fee
$1500 to $2500
Postpartum Rate
$45 to $55
1 years and 3 births attended
1 years and 5 families served
Type of practice: Solo practice
Clients per month: 1 to 4 births and 1 to 3 postpartum families
Attends hospital births? All Hospitals
Attends birth center births? All Birth Centers
Attends home births? Any Home Birth
BA/BS
Santa Cruz, CA Service range 40 miles
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Post a testimonial for Clara Miller
10/22/2024
I cannot recommend Clara highly enough as a birth doula! She was an invaluable support during the delivery of our son. From the beginning, Clara provided excellent resources and guidance that helped us prepare for the big day.
We planned to give birth at a birth center and I spent several hours laboring there. However, after my labor stalled, we needed to transfer to the hospital where I ended up giving birth. Clara was right there with us through it all. She shone in both environments and seamlessly adapted to the changing circumstances. She offered the perfect balance of proactive support and allowed me to listen to my intuition. Her responsiveness and calming presence made all the difference during what could have been a very stressful experience.
I truly believe our birth would have been a completely different experience without Clara's support. She is knowledgeable, compassionate, and a true advocate for her clients. If you’re looking for a doula who will empower you throughout your journey, look no further than Clara!
9/23/2024
Clara was an absolute gift during my postpartum journey. I wasn't sure what to expect from a postpartum doula but from the moment she stepped into our home, her warmth and calming presence brought so much comfort during this special yet challenging time. Clara was able to support me in a variety of ways, from providing practical support like helping with laundry and making me a nourishing plate of food, to emotional care that helped me navigate the ups and downs after birth.
Beyond her care for me, she was incredible with our baby, and her gentle, patient approach always put me at ease. She offered me tips on how to soothe, burp and care for my baby and answered my questions about the breastfeeding challenges that I was facing. I couldn’t have asked for a more supportive, kind, and skilled doula. She truly made this transition into motherhood so much smoother, and I’m deeply grateful for her presence.
8/28/2024
Clara’s postpartum care was a true blessing for me and our family. From the very start, her warmth and compassion made me feel incredibly supported during such a vulnerable time. She helped me through intense emotional shifts after birth and was always just a text away whenever I needed guidance. Her bodywork was a crucial part of my healing process, and I eagerly anticipated the abhyanga massage each week. She also provided soothing herbal baths and foot soaks, and her cooking of nourishing Ayurvedic meals kept us well-fed throughout the week. Clara’s gentle care with the baby was wonderful, and I feel deeply fortunate to have had her support during the sacred six weeks of postpartum. I truly can’t imagine navigating this period without her.
7/22/2024
I can't imagine what birth + postpartum would have been like without Clara's presence through my birth journey. She has a grounded, highly attuned and intuitive awareness, which was essential for me to surrender deeply during birth. Clara is highly skilled at anticipating needs before being asked, which not only came in handy for birth but especially for postpartum care.
Some of the things that made her presence invaluable at my birth were how she showed my partner some ways to support me physically, how she set up the room so my partner could focus on being with me, and how she massaged my calves + feet after delivery—honestly that was godsend!
As my postpartum doula, I so appreciated having space held for me to process the journey into motherhood. She was a shepherd and an essential thread to how my daughter emerged into the world. It was a blessing to be able to recount the birth, to know that she was there for my baby's first breath, and to then have her presence continue in the weeks following birth.
I felt safe, seen, and comfortable to be my authentic pregnant, birthing, and postpartum self with Clara. Believe me when I say she was born to be a birthworker! :)
6/13/2024
As a first time dad, I feel incredibly lucky to have been guided through this life-changing transition by Clara. Clara has a natural, loving and calming presence that was immediately felt in our first few meetings together before the birth. I instantly felt the ability to trust her, her recommendations, and her capabilities. She is truly gifted in the work that she does.
At the birth, I looked to Clara very often to see what type of care she was providing to my partner and tried and replicate that to the best of my ability. In time, I felt very confident in my role at the birth and I knew the care I was providing was helping my partner. Ultimately, I was able to dedicate focus on my partner because Clara was taking care of everything else in the background. And when the baby finally came earthside, my only concern was soaking in the moment as much as possible and lying in bed with my partner and my beautiful new baby. I was only able do this because I knew Clara was taking care of everything else.
Birth is a single day, having a baby is for the rest of your life. I was grateful to have Clara at the birth with us, but I am even more grateful that we decided to continue her services as a postpartum doula. There were at least 3 game-changing recommendations that Clara provided that made our lives so much easier and helped us calm our (initially) fussy. She was also able to answer any, "Is this normal??" questions that bubbled up throughout the week, giving my partner and so much peace of mind. Most importantly, when I went back to work, I knew if Clara was coming by that day my partner's day would way easier. Clara was known to have the magic touch in our house and if we handed her a crying baby then the baby wouldn’t be crying for very long. ??
Clara is a talented doula and an amazing soul. I'm so grateful the universe allowed our paths to cross!
6/10/2024
Clara made all the difference as our doula in welcoming our second child via a successful VBAC. She took the time to understand our birthing concerns and expections during our prenatal visits and provided many resources to help us prepare for the arrival of our baby girl. Clara helped create a safe and peaceful environment in the hospital setting that allowed me to have the positive, empowering, and intentional birth I dreamed of. She was a kind yet assertive voice in the delivery room who advocated for our birth preferences and we are so grateful for the time spent with Clara.
5/3/2024
Having Clara's help during this transitional time was so valuable for our family. Her kind and caring support each week helped to ease the physical and mental load for me. She is a wonderful cook as well and having healthy nourishing food prepped and ready to go was so helpful and appreciated. Clara was wonderful with our new baby and our toddler looked forward to her visits with us.
4/30/2024
My son was just under 2 months old when Clara stepped in to cover a shift for our doula. The transition was seamless, she communicated with our doula prior to understand our family dynamics and needs. We had a list of priorities for that day, she addressed and completed them with ease.
4/15/2024
My birth experience would not have been the same without this amazing person. Insightful, caring, and you can feel confident and comfortable that you can ask anything. So grateful she was part of my birthing team!
4/15/2024
Clara was wonderful for our unexpected preemie birth. She arrived right away, and helped me through a very fast-and-furious labor. I really liked that she listened to me, helped me through every contraction, kept me calm and focused, and encouraged me to advocate for myself with the hospital staff. My son's birth was smooth, and I loved how she got my husband involved with the birth as well. She was a centering presence, and if I were to have more children, I would definitely hire her again.
4/15/2024
Clara was excellent, She helped us through what would have been a very stressful birth experience. Having her support and knowledge during our birth made all the difference.
= Available. Calendar last updated: 10-01-2024
= Available. Calendar last updated: 10-01-2024