In te past, this page was used for testimonials before lovely clients started using Yelp. Their words mean a lot to me and that’s why I still keep this page accessible even without the option to post new testimonials. Please, to see current testimonials or post one check Yelp.

Heidi - 21st December, 2010

Renata is an amazing doula! She was such a calming energy at my birth, and she helped make the delivery as enjoyable as possible. Not only did she take care of me on the day of delivery, but she helped my husband and toddler son, as well. We were very lucky to have her services on this very special day. Thank you, Renata.


Smyrna - 26th April, 2011

I am so grateful for all of the help, advice, and support that Renata offers. During my labor she was always by my side providing back rubs and helping me in whatever way she could. Her dedication just amazes me; I was in labor for 48 hours and she never left my side! I would recommend her to any pregnant woman, especially a first time mother, who wants to have guidance and support throughout their pregnancy and during labor.


Sapana - 1st July, 2011

I wanted to have a natural child birth for my second child and thus decided to have a doula. And Renata was the best fit for me. She was really calm, focused and dedicated. She was always by my side in the labor room with back massage and whatever made me comfortable and responded to my need very well. I had a wonderful natural delivery. Thanks to Renata, she made it possible.


M and A - 6th July, 2011

Renata was amazing. I had a 26 hr labor and Renata never left my side. What most impressed was her absolute and total commitment. She will be with you every step of the way- she coached and talked me through every single contraction. We are just so fortunate and thankful that Renata was with us during labor. Her presence was so calming, her care so nurturing. We feel blessed that Renata was part of our daughter's birth.


Teresa Luna-I barra - 22nd July, 2011

I can not say enough wonderful things about Renata. She was an intergral part of my birthing team. First off she was kind enough to take me as a client even though I was close to my due date. Her kindness and confidence made my husband, mother, and I all comfortable so we all worked together seamlessly-as though she was an old family friend. We were truly blessed to have her there to keep me focused, breathing, and staying present on the day of Lauryn Rose's birth. When my stepdaughter asked my husband who Renata was and what a doula was his response was, "When you have your children you may want to have your husband and mom there, but you will need a doula to be there to help you." This coming from a man who a few weeks before meeting Renata said, "What do you need a doula for? You have me and your mom." Renata was by my side nonstop from bed to bathroom to shower back to bed and over and over again. She is simply awesome. If we have more children Renata will difinitely be part of the team.


Carol - 8th August, 2011

I interviewed a few doulas before deciding to hire Renata. She seemed the most personable and down to earth. From the time I hired her to when I delivered, she checked in on me with prenatal visits, texts, and emails to make sure I was doing my exercises and keeping me informed on what to expect during birth. When the day came, she truly helped me get through all the stages of labor and delivery. When she got to the hospital, she remained consistently by my side. I listened to her as she calmed me through every contraction. She constantly kept me hydrated throughout the many hours of labor. She was also instrumental on getting my husband to help me through the contractions. When the time finally came to push, I focused solely on her voice as she instructed me on how and when to push and finally deliver my baby girl. At first, my husband wasn’t quite sure why we needed to hire a doula if he was going to be there for me. After the baby was born, he was the first to admit that hiring a doula was worth every penny as we could not have gotten through the experience without her. With Renata there, I was able to have the drug free and intervention free experience that I wanted. As a first time mom, I wasn’t sure what to expect but overall, I had a very positive natural birth and Renata was a big essential part of that.


Andrea and Ian - 14th August, 2011

My husband and I planned on having an unmedicated home birth for our second son assisted by my midwife and two midwife's in training. My husband felt we had enough assistance to get through the process so I never really pursued looking for a doula even though a doula had been helpful during my first born's birth. Up until the very end of my pregnancy I questioned whether a doula would be helpful to me. I saw Renata's doula add and decided to interview her very last minute, two weeks before my birth; I figured I had nothing to loose by meeting with her. My husband and I really liked her personality, knowledge and approach to birth from our very first meeting. In the mere two week's time we had to work with Renata before my son's birth Renata made it out to our home two more times after our first meeting to talk about ways to prepare for the birth, talk me through some meditation as well as to do a belly cast. I was confident she would be of assistance when the time came. The day my labor began Renata arrived in our home about two hours after I asked her to come over. What I liked about Renata is she was willing to come over our home in the very early labor phase to assist. I was anxious about my second birth because my early labor with my first born had taken two entire days and I was scared this labor would be just as physically and emotionally taxing. My midwife would not be due to arrive until active labor so I found Renata's help with my early labor the most helpful. Renata was amazing during my early labor, which was about sixteen hours long. She stayed by my side the entire time, talking me through every single contraction, showing my husband how to assist me, suggesting comfortable positions for labor, teaching me how to breathe, putting appropriate music, rubbing my feet, arms, hands, head and back as needed. Renata was instrumental in making sure I stayed very hydrated during the laboring process. I found her encouraging voice and positive attitude of incredible help with managing my anxiety during the labor process. She also took photographs with our camera for us to have of my labor. Renata kept me calm and focused during the early part of my labor before my midwife and her two assistants arrived to provide additional support. My husband is a wonderfully supportive man who was very helpful during the birth process but both he and I really believe that Renata was an incredibly important part of the process because of the fact she is a woman and there is something about having another female present in the room that is very helpful during such a special time; as my husband said after working with Renata "a doula gives a laboring woman a certain level of credibility in the birthing process than even a very supportive husband is capable of." I delivered our beautiful and healthy son Caeden without any medication in our home after eighteen hours of labor. I really think Renata was a very important part of my accomplishing having an assisted home birth. I would recommend her highly to any woman who is pregnant and wants support in having a truly natural birth.


Gabrielle A - 10th October, 2011

I strongly recommend Renata as a doula not only for a woman who wants an unmedicated natural birth but also for a woman who is planning on having an epidural or medication (or at least wants a doula who is supportive of the option for pain medication during the birth).
Many women do not realize that a doula is helpful if you are planning to get an epidural/ medication. Specifically, you are typically in labor with intense contractions before you can get the epidural and after the epidural you need direction during the pushing phase. It really helps to have some advocate for you and take some of the pressure off your partner. Besides you never know what will happen since births rarely go as planned!
Renata is very open-minded to the different options women have during birth. I planned to have an epidural like I did during my first birth. Many doulas and birth educators are dogmatic and anti-medication/anti-intervention. Renata was supportive of my choice and did not pressure me in any way to change my mind. She was extremely helpful at helping me cope during contractions before the epidural and directing me during the pushing phase after the epidural (and helping me get in different positions).
Furthermore, Renata made several visits and stayed in close communication with me before the birth. We enjoyed making the belly cast (my 4 year-old especially enjoyed that). She also wrote out a birth plan for us to give to the medical staff. Renata was always punctual, patient, responsible, flexible, soothing, and pleasant. In addition, she also made a payment plan to make her service affordable.


Nancy - 2nd November, 2011

Renata was wonderful, even though it was my second birth, having her there was an amazing experience. She really calmed me down and helped me and my family through the birth.


Leticia and Arturo - 21st January, 2012

Words can't express how grateful we are to Renata. I wish we would of known about doulas with my first pregnancy. She made my partner and I feel at ease. Renata kept me grounded in the present and provided constant support through the labor and delivery process. She made sure that I relaxed during contractions to ease the pain. She stayed by my side the entire time, she talked me through every contraction and created a peaceful environment by having soft music playing and having the room lights dimmed. She kept me hydrated and comfortable by suggesting different positions and massaging my limbs and back as needed. She helped me achieve a natural child birth like we had planned, I could not of done it without her encouragement.
She was instrumental throughout the entire day. Renata is very personable, easy going and committed.
I think all pregnant women should have a doula by their side and if your from the Bay Area I recommend Renata.
Thank you so much from the bottom of our hearts.


Hillary F. - December 8, 2011

Renata is a hands-on, above-and-beyond doula! Start to finish she provided the kind of comfort, nurturing, advice, and encouragement we needed to feel confident in our birthing journey and empowered throughout. Renata has a natural ability to calm the setting and work well with hospital staff, too. The experience of having a doula, an amazing doula at that, was invaluable in my second birth experience and one I hope all women will consider! We are forever indebted to Renata for the experience she created for us in the pregnancy, birth, and postpartum of our second child.


Mary Jo B. -April 9, 2012

We love Renata. She is amazing. It was invaluable for us to have her with us while our baby girl came into this world. She game my husband and myself a huge amount of help and support throughout the process- from food to water- to just plain love. Really if you are considering hiring her- DO IT!!!! And, good luck to you and your new born!


Erin M. - June 21, 2012

I am so grateful to Renata for making the birth I had hoped for a reality. I wanted to have a natural birth but also had to have it take place in a hospital to use my insurance coverage. Hospitals are institutions I personally place a lot of trust in. When I got to the hospital, and they started asking me about what I wanted for the pain I momentarily thought I must be crazy for refusing the epidural; but Renata made it possible! She massaged, coached, supported, and guided me with positions so that natural labor was bearable and the birth went so well that I was euphoric for weeks afterward. My labor was painful, yes, but the empowerment I felt at the end was worth it! I got out of the hospital bed the next day feeling great with no after-effects or side effects of epidurals and other potential interventions. My husband also could enjoy the experience of the birth of his child knowing that there was someone there guiding me. I wouldhighly recommend having a doula whether at a homebirth or a hospital setting. Renata has a natural gift for supporting and empowering women.


Robert A. - August 9, 2012

We recently had the pleasure of working with Renata as our Doula and she absolutely exceeded our expectations. As a new father, although I was 100% motivated to be there (physically and emotionally) to support my amazing wife as she brought our son into this world, I was even more certain that I had (and would have) no idea how to do it. Despite being a second-time mother, we agreed that having some help would be well worth it in the long run. With Renata, we were absolutely correct. Beginning with our first meeting together, she really connected with us as a couple (Dad included). It was immediately clear that she is a very nurturing person, and was interested in what we thought about things - the birth, labor, interventions, her role, etc. She answered our questions, soothed our concerns, corrected our misconceptions, and gave her personal advise, but left everything up to us. She made it clear that we were going to deliver our son as a team.
When the big day arrived (about a week earlier than we expected), Renata showed up at our house ready to go. She brought soothing music, a swiss ball, massage oils, and most importantly experience and calm, soothing guidance. She coached us through most of Diana's labor in the "comfort" of our own home. When it was time to go to the hospital, she rode with us, helping Diana the whole way there - keeping her (and admittedly me) calm and focused. Once we arrived at the hospital, there was little time for paperwork, but as the nurses ran around, getting ready, we were calmly focusing on breathing - working as a team to ease the Labor, and welcome a healthy boy into the world. Renata stayed with us the entire time, giving us focus, emotional support, and confidence in our medical decisions. Erik was born on July 29th, and we're happy to say that Renata was a part of our team.
Her care didn't end that day however. She stopped by the house a few days after we came home from the hospital to check up on us - physically and emotionally, as mother, son, father, and as a family. She also dropped off our placenta pills. We asked her to take the placenta home and make it into vitamins - it's not for everyone, but it's a service you'd be hard-pressed to find elsewhere. Renata even offered to check-in with my wife while I'm away on business later this month.
Renata was nothing short of fantastic - if you are looking for a caring coach, friend and teammate in a Doula, look no further.
Renata, we can't thank you enough!
Love,
Diana, Bob, Carmen and Erik


Su K. -September 16, 2012

Renata is an angel in the flesh! Doulas obviously don't get into the profession to get rich. The amount of compassion, care and effort that are required of a doula is amazing. What Renata has done for our family is so incredible and words can't describe how valuable and critical she was in our pregnancy, labor & delivery, and postpartum process.
After interviewing a couple of other doulas, we decided to work with Renata because we loved her no non-sense, practical and non-hippie/new age approach to birthing and labor support. We were looking for someone who would give us practical advice, hands-on support, and concrete tasks/assignments and not a doula who focused on us communing with nature, birth art, and getting in touch with our inner children. Also when I hugged her, her warmth and smile instantly calmed me. She is originally from Brazil and has a sweet accent, which I love, because I am an immigrant myself. The vibe just felt right.
During our meetings, she gave us a lot of helpful information and gradually prepared us for labor & delivery as well as infant care. She helped us feel less afraid and more confident about having a natural birth and overall less anxious about the huge change that was about to happen in our lives.
My labor came on very suddenly and was very fast and furious. Renata came as quickly as she could. Her face and voice became the single source of continuity and familiarity that grounded me and helped me through each contraction. She reminded me through each contraction to breath, to remember that the peak only lasts a few seconds and I will get a brief and much needed break between each contraction. It's very hard to rest in between contractions but Renata enabled me to rest as much as I could. She also reminded me how strong I was and how well I was doing. Her words of encouragement carried me through and renewed my energy and confidence to give birth to our beautiful baby girl naturally with no pain medicine and medical intervention.
She also took some amazing photos while we were laboring at the hospital. My husband was so focused on supporting me that he didn't think to take pictures. I'm so glad Renata took photos of the labor and delivery.
After the baby came, Renata stayed with us until we felt settled. She checked in with us and came to visit to check up on us and how we were doing with the newborn. Our girl is a little over a week old now, and Renata continues to check in with us to make sure that the mommy, daddy, and baby are doing well.
Throughout the whole process, we always felt supported and comforted by her kindness, warmth and devotion. If we have another baby, we'd love to work with her again. Choosing a doula is very personal, so Renata may or may not be the perfect match for you but she has been for us and I strongly encourage all expecting parents to consider her. We certainly are grateful that the universe led us to her.


H. C. - September 19, 2012

My interview with Renata was the same day I found out I would have to be induced due to a medical condition. She was able to calm me down and restore optimism in me even over the phone. Like many women I thought that being induced with pitocin automatically means getting an epidural and this idea devastated me. I really wanted to have natural (drug free) labor. Renata's reaction was so strong when she told me that it is not true and that I can have natural labor even on pitocin.
She was absolutely right. I gave birth to my baby girl while on pitocin and never even thought about asking for an epidural.
During my labor all I remember was Renata's voice, coaching me through every single contraction. I followed her instructions and was relieved.... She was incredibly helpful in guiding my husband how to help me throughout the labor. They were both hands on, massaging me, breathing with me, compressing my hips during peaks, getting me into comfortable positions. Even the nurse at the hospital called them, or the three of us I guess, the Team A. That's how well we worked together and I feel so fortunate to have had that kind of support. I am sure it helped me relax, stay calm and thus, made my labor smooth. During pushing, I became overwhelmed and said so. Renata's words calmed me down instantly and helped me move forward, she said: "Relax, it is just your baby."
I have to say, I read reviews by other people on Yelp and never write them, but I had to break that habit and write a review for Renata. She was that awesome and I feel very fortunate to have met and birthed with her.


Lauren O. - September 25, 2012

Renata is an absolute blessing to any woman in labor!!! She provided genuine support, encouragement and advice throughout the entire process. From the first time we met at her at the interview, my husband and I knew she would lend us the positive energy we needed and the helpful techniques to guide me through the long and arduous journey of labor.
Although we were introduced to Renata as our backup doula in case our hired doula was assisting in another birth, both my husband and I had the confidence and trust that Renata would be more than capable of helping us deliver our baby should our doula not be available.
Renata maintained an active participant throughout the weeks leading up to our due date and the night I went into labor (July 19th) she joined our doula as additional support even though our doula was available. Her calming presence was immediately felt. I was comforted by her voice and take-charge attitude helping me get through each contraction with various techniques and positions. She continued to remind me to relax and breathe during contractions and inbetween contractions she encouraged me to use gravity and movement to help move the baby along in the labor. I think she had be do about 30 squats, which took my mind away from the labor and brought the burn to my thighs!!!! It did the trick and helped progress labor!!
I was impressed with Renata's confidence and her ability to assess a situation and make the appropriate recommendation. I would highly recommend her to anyone and hope she will be part of my birth experience again in the future. She has a true gift for what she does and makes you feel like you're never alone.
Our healthy baby boy was born on July 20th at 6am and because of her helpful guidance, we were able to avoid being induced with medical interventions. Thank you, Renata!


Marylou R. - November 6, 2012

Prior to meeting Renata, I interviewed 4 other doulas and no one measured up. The moment I met Renata she conveyed a level of professionalism, experience, and sensitivity that I was drawn to. I knew that I wanted to have her on my team.

Of course everyone goes into their first birth experience with a set of expectation, regardless of how many times people say to accept whatever comes your way. I expressed to Renata that I was committed to having an unmedicated birth with no interventions. I had equipped and prepared my body as best as I could by exercising, eating right, meditating and by enrolling in a hypnobabies course. Despite my level of preparedness, I don't think I could ever have imagined what that day would be like.
After 35 hours of labor with a few unexpected road blocks, I gave birth to our little boy. I cannot emphasis the value of Renata's presence. She was my calm in the storm; she filled in for my husband when he needed breaks; she guided me through different positions when we were informed that my cervix was covering a part of the baby's head; she helped translate and communicated only the essential information that we needed to know; Most importantly, she attended to everything around me that required my attention and allowed me and my husband the freedom to be present and focus on my birth. I could go on and on about her amazing contributions but it might get lengthy.

Most of all I want to thank Renata for being our hope when we needed it, for being our cheerleader when we were exhausted, and for believing in me when I thought I couldn't.

Vinita - 10/20/15

I highly recommend Renata. I hired her for my daughter's birth earlier this year. She's extremely experienced and was with me through every contraction. She was such a huge support, weeks before I went into labor and weeks after I gave birth. I felt like I had a confidante, someone who really understood what I was going through. When I spoke to her, met her, learned about her philosophy, I felt confident hiring her. She also knows the hospitals well. I delivered at Kaiser Oakland. She knows many people on the staff there and they know her. It put me at ease knowing that she could navigate the hospital and advocate for me. It's worth noting that she really goes out of her way -- you can tell she is passionate about being a doula. She is really involved from the get go. Her first visit after birth is within the first few days. You can talk to her about anything. She's warm, engaging and really cares about your well-being. She even helped me with breastfeeding tips/issues when she came to visit. She'll be there every step of the way. Thank you, Renata!