“The information Niko gave me ended up being key to my labor. She taught me the Miles Circuit, different yoga poses, and not being afraid of being vocal throughout. I think she specifically used the  word “primal” which was absolutely true. These were major tools for me.

During labor, Niko was the first to arrive. I was about 10 hours in. She read the room well and helped coax me back into a centered, focused state of mind. Niko gave me hip squeezes, and I genuinely don’t know how I would have done it without that. They were consistent and a huge huge relief.

She also made sure I continued to drink and take nourishment. I needed that nudging. She gave me a lemon ginger tea at every opportunity and that kept me going.

Niko really attended to my needs, and to things I didn’t know I needed. I am so so thankful for the home birth of my baby girl.

During postpartum, Niko was thoughtful and gentle with checking in to see how I was doing. She visited and brought her warmth and wisdom. Niko is an invaluable part of the birthwork community and I feel lucky she was present at our birth”

-Sylvie, Berkeley

“Niko took the time to learn about my birth history which was a crucial step in understanding my intentions for my 2nd birth. I feel like she really took the time to listen to me and create a birth plan that felt right.

Niko was also professional, welcoming, thoughtful and understanding through the whole planning process. She understood my busy schedule with a toddler, and kept that always in mind which I appreciated and made things feel seamless.

During my birth there were so many challenges and changes. My induction took longer than expected and she showed patience and understanding the whole time. She advocated for my needs with the medical staff and also reminded me of my birth plan and what I envisioned.

Niko was very educated and experienced and it showed during the entire time we worked together”

- Abby & Nick C, San Leandro

“From the moment I met Niko, I could tell she was knowledgeable, confident and kind. She supported me through every aspect of my pregnancy and birth. As a person that loves information, she provided me with a baseline education, as well as additional resources based on my specific needs.

Once in labor, together Niko and my husband made the perfect duo to get me through my labor. I truly felt I had the perfect team by my side and could not be more grateful for her incredible and irreplaceable doula-ing. She came alongside me and not only supported and empowered me, but she did the same for my husband as he was by my side.

I truly believe that having Niko by my side made my birth such a different experience had she not been there. She was reassuring and grounded us every step of the way. She acted as the intermediary between us and the hospital staff when decisions were needed which allowed my husband and I to feel confident in our decisions and bond without being overwhelmed. Niko truly feels like family and we genuinely recommend Niko to anyone who is expecting”

- Lauren & Stu, San Francisco

“Niko has a calming presence. That is of the essence for the birthing person! She was able to pull me out of anxious thoughts during the birthing process. During our prenatal visits and phone calls, Niko was able to answer all of our questions and alleviate our concerns by providing science-backed resources for us to go through and make informed decisions. I found Niko to be empathetic and knowledgeable in addition to being a really good listener! Her availability a few weeks before due date (being on-call) for any questions that arose or talk through fears before birth made me feel truly supported!

During labor, Niko made sure to remind me of my birth plan and advocated for my preferences. She reminded me of my mantras and was a source of support when my husband stepped out when he knew he, understandably, felt squeamish. She took photos like I wanted and noted down timestamps at eventful points during birth. It was truly a pleasure to have Niko be a part of bringing our son, Bodhi, into the world. 

Looking back at our birth experience, we really valued Niko’s calming presence, her in-depth knowledge of all things related to birth, her openness to my preferences deviating from my original birth plan and all around positive and supportive energy! We are definitely bringing her on our journey for baby #2!” -

-Shreya & Ben, Oakland

From the moment we met Niko, she was extremely kind, supportive and validating to our story. At every pre and postnatal meeting, Niko proved to be fully present in the way she held space for us. Although my labor was short and fast, Niko was committed and involved where she could be. We appreciated her encouragement to remain hydrated and fueled throughout my labor and immediately after delivery. She ensured we were fed post birth and was a great asset to our home birth team with clean up, support for me and baby, and making sure we had everything we needed. We especially appreciated our postpartum meeting where we spent time with Niko recapping and processing our beautiful birth story and experience. Thank you Niko!

-Meghan & Jason, San Francisco

“We were very happy with and grateful for the support and guidance Niko provided us! At 36 weeks our baby was breech and we worked with Niko to try safe exercises to encourage rotation. After a failed version attempt, Niko helped us rebound and replan for a second version/possible cesarean with Kaiser. I (mama) was very emotional after the failed version and prospect of doing a c-section. Niko helped us reformulate our birth plan and still find ways to make the birth experience our own. The only bummer was not having access to Niko while in the OR! She has a very calming and encouraging demeanor!”

-Josie & Chris, Richmond