Kaelan Rhys Hicks
Born: May 26, 2010
Alexander Jacob Foust
Born: April 14, 2010
“I am a big fan of both Diana and Ana. I had an increasingly complicated pregnancy and they were knowledgable and supportive, without crowding us. It was always a pleasure to met with them after medical appointments to review our decisions and hear their insights.
Ultimately, I had a scheduled c-section, so I never labored with either of them. However, they both were at the hospital with me to assist both pre and post-op which was extremely helpful and calming.”
Violet Cipriano
Born: April 9, 2010
“Ana and Diana make a great team! Both are very flexible and open to discussing and teaching what you want in preparation for the birth. We met with both of them and talked through what we wanted as well as practiced different labor positions, etc, so that we felt as ready as we could be.
Diana was the one who helped us through the labor- she did an excellent job! Even before she arrived at our house, Diana talked to us on the phone and provided some very helpful/valuable suggestions that helped us through the rest of the labor (before & after her arrival). As soon as she arrived at our apartment, Diana jumped in to help my husband and I manage the contractions- putting pressure on my back, helping with the heated rice sock, suggesting different labor positions, etc. Diana also helped when we got to the hospital- she parked the car while my husband escorted me to Labor & Delivery. Once at the hospital, Diana was also extremely helpful in making sure that we had all of the information and space needed to make any medical decisions that came up. I am very happy with all of the choices we made and how the birth turned out. We are so happy we chose Diana & Ana for our doulas and highly recommend them!” ~ Rose
“I am a big fan of both Diana and Ana. I had an increasingly complicated pregnancy and they were knowledgable and supportive, without crowding us. It was always a pleasure to met with them after medical appointments to review our decisions and hear their insights.
Ultimately, I had a scheduled c-section, so I never labored with either of them. However, they both were at the hospital with me to assist both pre and post-op which was extremely helpful and calming.” ~ Amanda Foust
Rafael Brenman
Born: April 29, 2010
“My parents wanted to hire a doula for my birth because they were planning to bring me into the world in a hospital, but without any pain medication. they interviewed many doulas, and decided to work with Ana and Diana because they were the perfect combination of knowledgeable and energetic.
My mom felt bad that she had to call diana so early in the morning when we went into labor, but diana didn't mind at all! my parents checked in with Diana by phone all morning, and finally asked her to come over around lunch time. she came right away and was extremely reassuring and helpful. She even went and parked the car when we arrived at the hospital so my dad could stay with my mom. She also took notes throughout the labor so we could remember what happened and what we said.
Diana kept my mom relaxed - and i was born just two hours after we arrived at the hospital! She took fantastic photos that captured my first breaths and moments with my parents.
My mom and dad both had a fun time bringing me into the world, thank you diana for helping make it such a peaceful experience!”
love,
baby Rafi
Shiloh Scarlett Wahl
Born: December 16, 2009
“Ana made the labor experience bearable for me which allowed me have a natural birth. The birth turned out to be a positive experience that I will look back on fondly.”
“If you want to have natural childbirth and do not have your own midwife, you will need a doula. I used Ana and Diana for my first birth. They made all the difference by talking me through difficult moments and interfacing with doctors and translating medical information. I would not have been able to stick to my goal of a natural birth if it had not been for their constant moral support. It also took a lot of pressure off my husband so he could enjoy the experience more fully. Having a doula made hospital check-in easier and I got constant attention while my husband had to do things like repark the car. Ana and Diana split up the days each month to ensure that one of them will be available for your birth. I got Ana. She was super attentive to me throughout my entire labor and talked me through the hard parts, massaged my back, and used relaxation techniques. Ana showed up at my house shortly after my water broke and spent the morning with us to keep me comfortable and to advise us when to go in. She accompanied us to Kaiser Walnut Creek and helped me try to relax in the car. Once we got to the hospital, she helped speed check-in and set the atmosphere of the delivery room with dim lights and music. As we met the midwives and nurses on staff, she made sure they understood our birth plan. Ana stayed with us after the birth through all the newborn procedures to ensure our birth plan was being followed. All this help was invaluable since my husband and I were in a daze. I highly recommend Ana and Diana!!!”
~MariaElena Conserva
Lola Junni Yee
Born: November 8, 2009
“Ana has provided much needed advice and support beyond my expectations...Ana has never missed a meeting, and was never late. She has been very proactive and enthusiastic about her work. I felt like I was the most important person in her life every time we met, and she gave me a feeling of security for the pregnancy and labor. She is very knowledgeable and was great to have with us.”
“I have known Ana for several months while she worked with me as a doula. She is a very pleasant person to work with, and she always gets things done in a very efficient manner. Ana has been very helpful prior, during, and after my labor. Ana has provided much needed advice and support beyond my expectations. Besides providing invaluable emotional and physical support during many hours of my hard labor, she has provided nutrition information for my pregnancy, offered consultations over the phone whenever I called her with concerns, responded almost instantaneously to my e-mails or calls, and met with me on several occasions to discuss our vision for the labor. Ana is very kind and soft-spoken, yet a take-charge person, who is full of creative ideas anyone can benefit from. During my labor Ana not only served as a doula, but also took professional photos, so we didn't have to hire a photographer separately. Ana is very well-informed. She knew how to help me relax, how to explain what was going on at the hospital, and how to direct my husband to be more involved in the process. After the labor Ana visited me, helped with postpartum advice, and assisted in editing the labor video and photos. I highly recommend Ana Rapoport as a doula. Ana has never missed a meeting, and was never late. She has been very proactive and enthusiastic about her work. I felt like I was the most important person in her life every time we met, and she gave me a feeling of security for the pregnancy and labor. She is very knowledgeable and was great to have with us.
I highly recommend A&D Birth Doulas!”
~ Olga Yee
Anagya
Born: September 20, 2009
"OMG it was very helpful to have Ana at my delivery. She helped me so much through my pains and worries. She is a good doula to have, I highly recommend her."~ Olivia
Skye Rose
Born: August 14, 2009
“Ana is a great Doula. Very calm and sweet. She stayed by my side the whole entire time, 38 hours. She provided me with a lot of useful information and answered all of my questions.” ~ Arlena