Who are Peninsula Birth Companions?
We are a team of three doulas, Alexa Sockol, Audrey Kalman, and Gloria Tzuang, who live and practice on the Peninsula, supporting women and their partners during pregnancy, birth, and early postpartum. We passionately believe that women approach birth and parenthood already equipped with inner knowledge and resources. As doulas, our roles are to share information and community resources, to nurture and support, and to guide and empower our clients to choose what is right for them. For more information about each of us, view our bios.
What is a Doula Team?
Peninsula Birth Companions came about as a way of combining our resources to provide better services while maintaining continuity in your doula care. Our team is rich in ideas, life experiences, skills, tools, and perspectives, offering you more than a single doula could alone. Like many doulas, we have spent the last few years in solo practice, frequently working with each other for backup and professional support. Realizing that we shared similar philosophies and approaches to supporting families, we chose to enhance our services by teaming up to provide our clients with personalized support while offering the strength of a group.
How Does This Work for You?
When you work with Peninsula Birth Companions, you choose your primary and secondary doulas, subject to our availability. Your primary doula is the companion you have chosen to support you during labor and birth. You and your partner will develop a relationship with both your primary and secondary doulas during prenatal and postpartum appointments. Your secondary doula may attend your labor during times when your primary cannot, such as due to other births, illness, or scheduled commitments. She may also assist or relieve your primary doula during long labors, where a fresh, but familiar, support person can contribute invaluable enthusiasm, energy, and ideas. Finally, you will also will have an opportunity to meet and interact with the third doula on our team, who provides yet an additional level of backup for the primary and secondary doulas. Such pre-arranged hierarchy of support guarantees our clients consistent and familiar care at all times.