Nine Moons Doula

My boyfriend and I took a childbirth prep class with Kelly and she was amazing! She offered so much information that I know will be so useful to us! I felt that we got more out of her class than any other class we could have taken! I’m not usually one to write reviews, but she was just that great!

My husband and I took the childbirth preparation class with Kelly. We definitely got more out of than we expected. It really helped my husband and I connect on another level. She provided a safe, encouraging environment for everyone in the class.
My husband and I started the class nervous and stressed, but left excited and more knowledgeable about the new journey we were about to start.
And we really appreciated the handouts and hypo-​birth CD. I read the meditation page from her handout to myself nightly and it does wonders!
I feel so empowered and confident that I can labor how I desire!

Dads… you need Kelly as much, if not more than your partner will need her before, during, and after the baby’s arrival. Please read!
My wife initiated our doula search and of course I was more than happy to support anything she needed regarding the childbirth process. What I didn’t anticipate was how much Kelly would help ME with this process as well, as a father-​to-​be.
Even with the childbirth classes we had taken and all of the information/​conversations I had exposed myself leading up to the actual day, it was the prenatal meetings with Kelly that really helped me mentally prepare for childbirth, taught me what to expect, and helped me to understand what I could do as a partner during labor to support my wife who would be doing the real work!
Looking back, I CANNOT imagine having gone through all of this without Kelly’s guidance and support from the prenatal meetings all the way through to the end of a very long labor. Dads/​partners– I can’t say it enough, do NOT attempt to go through this alone. You need an advocate and support system there for you too during labor, and Kelly is just that. Kelly did not leave my wife’s side at all during the labor process and when she could tell that I needed a timeout, a nap, or just a break from the emotions of it all, she would tell me that I needed to rest for a bit. Kelly always had our birth plan in mind and was such a trusted adviser when we were faced with decisions and weren’t sure how to proceed.
Had we not had Kelly there with us, I would have felt so ill-​equipped to support my partner during the process and would have been flying blind. Plus, I don’t know how I would have made it through emotionally without someone there telling me that what I was doing was actually helping and that my presence was an asset.
I thought that doulas were only there to support the moms, but it turns out that they are a dad’s best friend as well! I cannot recommend Kelly enough. She is a strong, even-​keeled, calming person that supports mom AND dad from beginning to end. Don’t do this on your own– go through this process with a knowledgeable, caring individual who has both of your backs!

I strongly recommend Kelly to any expecting parents seeking a doula.
My wife began looking for a doula last year soon after getting pregnant. She knew she wanted to deliver our baby in a hospital – but she wanted to do so with as few medical interventions as reasonably possible. While a natural birth was her strong preference, she didn’t want to take any options (such as an epidural) off the table if things got out of hand. She also needed someone who could deal with her husband – known to get queasy in hospitals and at the sight of blood – and step up if he took himself out of commission. She wanted a doula who «got» all of the above, who was supportive of natural childbirth without being dogmatic or judgmental, and whose focus would be on helping her have the best delivery she could – whether it went according to plan or not.
Kelly was that doula. My wife had a wonderful, natural childbirth, with both Kelly and me at her side. She was an integral part of the birth team that gave my wife world-​class care before, during, and after labor.
Kelly is, of course, all of the things you would demand from a doula: empathetic, calm, experienced, utterly reliable. That’s a given with Kelly. Here are some additional reasons why you should work with her:
* Strong working knowledge of the birth protocols followed by local hospitals, and the way in which they work with doulas. She was particularly great at integrating with the team at St. Luke’s, where we had our son.
* Kelly takes the time to coordinate in advance how she, the mother, the father, and any other key people (like grandma-​to-​be) will work together during labor. The care that Kelly took during our two pre-​natal visits ensured that we trusted one another and worked well together when the time came.
* A note to people concerned about money: Kelly charges a competitive rate. In my view she represents the best value for money that we got at any point during the labor and delivery process – and that includes paying the hospital.
* A further note to people who, like me, are not into alternative medicine or New Agey therapies: Kelly is a good fit for you. She believes, correctly, that the evidence-​based case for natural childbirth is strong, and she knows her facts. Unlike some practitioners, she isn’t going to come at you with a lot of incense and ooh-​ing and ah-​ing if that’s not something you value.
Hire Kelly, or at the very least take her labor and delivery class (and if you do the class, be sure to go on a day when Kelly gives it in person – she really is the best for this).

Kelly is fantastic. My wife had a natural childbirth in large part thanks to Kelly’s support.
If you’re thinking about hiring a doula, do it. There are so many decisions that pregnancy brings; even if you take classes and read all the books, you’re still not fully prepared for those «in the moment» decisions that you’ll have to make.
Kelly did two pre-​natal visits with us to talk about our goals and help us write a detailed birth plan. That was crucial for us to understand and think through many of the decisions we’d have to make in the moment.
And she was available throughout the multi-​day birth process, checking in every few hours once my wife’s water broke, going to the hospital with us a for a non-​stress test, spending the entire evening/​morning of the next day helping my wife work through contractions at home, and then, finally, meeting us in Hayward where my wife ultimately gave birth (all the hospitals in San Francisco where booked for some reason).
Kelly was an invaluable partner for my wife and me. We can’t recommend her – and the role a doula can play – highly enough.

Looking at my childbirth experience in retrospect one of the key things I learned was if you want to have a natural birth free of drugs, having the right birth team is critical and having the support of an extremely intuitive and understanding doula is essential. You’re unlikely to find a more intuitive, knowledgeable, compassionate and understanding doula than Kelly Gray. I found Kelly through a circuitous circle of connections, one referral lead to another and then ultimately to Kelly. I took a look at her website and called her right away. We arranged a time to meet in person. Before we met, I had been planning on having a hospital birth, but was considering having a homebirth. When she came over and met with my husband and me, we discussed both and found out more about her role in the birthing experience. She explained that her focus is on providing emotional support and covering the basic needs of the laboring woman and her partner. Having complex and somewhat fearful feelings around birth that I knew I needed to process and release it was important to me to have support. I could see from our very first meeting that Kelly had the skills and qualities I needed to help me through this process. I didn’t realize how right I was.
In our two prenatal meetings we discussed many things, my partner’s role, how I wanted the birth to be, my issues around birth, what my own birth was like, and many other things. We had decided at this point that we were indeed going to have a homebirth. She was very supportive of this decision. We went through the comprehensive questionnaire she had us fill out and discussed some of the things that came up from it. This helped me and my husband focus on our ideas around birth.
When the time came for the birth Kelly was incredible. My labor was very long, 60 hours total. In the beginning she was just finishing up another birth and sent a fantastic backup to be there with us. In a few hours she arrived. We didn’t know it at the time but we had another day and a half to go. Through that long labor Kelly helped coach me through the contractions. The first day of labor was really rough and I was resistant to moving. The second day of labor I moved more and Kelly recommended several ideas of dealing with the surges. There were times in my very long labor that I hit the wall and didn’t think I could take anymore, but Kelly helped me stay focused and get past those grueling moments. In the early evening of the second day she and my midwife recommended I get in the birth tub to ease the contractions, just before this I had nearly had enough. I was six centimeters dilated with four more to go. After hours and hours in the tub I finally felt like pushing and my midwife checked and I was fully dilated. So we started the pushing phase. The baby was moving down lower but wasn’t coming out. My midwife asked me to go to the bathroom to empty my bladder, and just walking there was excruciating. Kelly came in and talked to me. I was at a very low point, but Kelly told me just what I needed to hear. She said I needed to change my strategy and go from relaxing and moving through the surges to being active and pushing my baby out. That moment was really pivotal for me and it wasn’t too long afterwards that my daughter finally came out to join us. Sometimes knowing what you’re supposed to do is not intuitively understandable, and when she spoke to me she did it with great compassion for the pain I was experiencing, and she was pointing me towards the way to end it, which meant doing some serious work after great exhaustion and feeling even more pain. It felt a little like a pep speech from a kinder, gentler version of a boxing coach. As if she was telling me to go back in the ring and show them what I’ve got. I did just that. My husband was on my right side holding me and Kelly was on my left when I pushed my daughter out. I’m really not sure I could have done it without her. My birth team was absolutely stellar, from my midwife, Nile Nash, her assist, Sue Baelen, my wonderful encouraging husband, and doula extraordinaire Kelly Gray. I am eternally grateful that I had all of them to help me through the journey to bring my daughter here. Kelly also made some really cool placenta prints and took our first pictures as a family.
After that intense experience, Kelly came over and met with us to follow up and to give me a great postpartum massage, which made me feel grounded again in my own body. It was my first experience of wonderful self-​care since becoming a mom. I would recommend Kelly to anyone. You will be lucky to have her on your birth team. She knows her work.

This review was removed by Kelly who obviously doens’t want people to know about the negative side of her business. I will keep posting it however because it is the truth and people should be informed before they select a doula:
I’m a single mom and I hired Kelly to help me navigate the scary first time experience. I paid her 1,400 dollars plus used her almost weekly for prenatal massage (extra 120 per week). When the big day came Kelly met me at the hospital where they began my labor around 9am. After two hours she told me she was going home to take a nap. I thought that was odd but I figured Kelly knew better than me and maybe I was in for a long one. The induction worked quickly and I was soon contracting. Kelly did not return to the hospital. Instead she texted me for an update. I advised her my contractions were coming frequently and I was trying to get relief on the birth ball. At 6pm Kelly called. I told her my contractions were every two minutes and it was getting rough. She told me to take a bath. Then she said «I’m going to bed.» I didn’t know what to say?! I was so flabbergasted that she didn’t offer to return. Why was my paid doula «calling in» my birth?! Unfortunately I was not in my right mind to call her out on it, and instead I dutifully shuffled over to the bathroom. By 8pm I was so miserable I thought about getting the epideral. I texted Kelly. She did not offer to come to the hospital. She did not offer to help me manage my pain in any other way. So, I got the epideral. By then I had spent 9 hours huddled on a birth ball. At 10pm my water broke. Kelly did not return. I delivered my baby at 6:57 a. m without Kelly. It took less than 24 hours.
A few days later when I was home, Kelly contacted me about my ‘follow up’ appointment. I told her I was not interested and told her how disappointed I was in my birth experience. I asked for half of my money back. She refused.
When I wrote her back, she ignored me. I have never heard from her again.

I was blessed to have Kelly as my doula at the birth of my daughter in January 2012. Starting with the two prenatal visits we had with her, Kelly served as an invaluable resource and support as we prepared for a natural birth. Meeting with her was so enjoyable and I never felt that she rushed things along. She was incredibly thorough when discussing our wishes for the labor, birth, and postpartum period, and she helped my partner and I make decisions about issues that we hadn’t thought of before.
Kelly was truly incredible during my long labor. She arrived at our house around midnight, after I’d been laboring for about 6 hours, and was a huge help all through the night as I needed to change positions, be talked through my Hypnobirthing relaxations, and be massaged. She really seemed to know, intuitively, what I needed to hear to deal with the increasingly strong surges. One of the affirmations she gave to me became my focus point during the uncomfortable drive to the hospital and made it much more bearable.
At the hospital, Kelly did a great job helping us to communicate with the medical staff and to make our wishes known. She helped me to try different positions to deal with the surges and gave me a wonderful hand and arm massage. When I hit the 24-​hour mark in my labor and decided to deviate from my birth plan, Kelly was very calm and collected as she talked through the decision with my partner and me. I felt supported every step of the way with her and am so glad to have had her advice as I went through my first labor and birth.
Kelly was also a major support for my partner, making sure that she ate, drank and rested during our long labor. Once my baby was born, Kelly made sure we were settled and comfortable before she left.
I also felt that Kelly’s postpartum visit with us was very useful and important. It really helped to process the labor and the birth with her and to have her as a resource as we navigated life with a newborn. When we hit a few bumps in the road as new parents, Kelly provided invaluable information and contacts to help us get the support we needed.
I can’t recommend Kelly highly enough and hope that I am lucky enough to have her as my doula if I have another child.

Woo — hoo, Kelly!
My husband & I signed up for a birth class @ Carmel Blue, and we lucked out — Kelly was our teacher.
As the class was in preparation for our first baby, we went into the class with lots of basic questions — Kelly was so supportive and no question seemed too obvious or too small. She also stayed a few minutes late each session to ensure that we fit in the desired material.
The class was a great mix of teaching, experiential learning, demos, and visuals. I loved that she allowed time to connect with your partner & encouraged us to do some of this labor prep work right there… rather than hoping we’d figure it out later.
It was clear that the class was personalized to suit our needs — she continually checked in with us to see what our wants/​needs were, and adjusted the class content accordingly. Her knowledge and comfort with the material allowed her to be flexible on the fly & I was confident that she knew what she was talking about!
All of our questions were answered & we left the class feeling as prepared as one can be for labor!
Kelly is clearly passionate about her work. Her appreciation & trust of a woman’s body is evident & proves that she’s in the right field! I’d definitely recommend her classes!

Kelly Gray was our doula when my wife gave birth in January 2012. I would recommend Kelly as a doula without question. She is supportive, warm and responsive. In our prep and follow-​up meetings, she was attentive, sensitive and focused on learning about us and what we wanted from the birth experience. While having our first child, it was wonderful to have someone so calm and reassuring on our team. She has a wonderful ability to sense the emotional energy in a room and move it in a positive direction. My wife’s labor was about 30 hours total, and she stuck with us through the whole thing. We ended up with hospital staff who were not as supportive of our birth plan as we had hoped for, and that made Kelly’s presence even more necessary, as she guided both of us to focus on what was important. As it became clear that my wife’s wishes were changing from her original birth plan, Kelly was completely focused on supporting her and getting her what she needed.
Kelly is also extremely queer-​friendly and was very supportive of my desire to be the main support for my wife during labor. I was initially skeptical about whether or not we needed a doula («Can’t I just do everything?»), but I am so, so, so glad that we worked with Kelly. On top of supporting my wife, and helping me be supportive, she also urged me to take care of myself (eat, nap, etc.), which was something I needed.

I would give Kelly all the stars in the sky if I could! Ok, that’s cheesy, but true.
I’m not entirely sure I, or my family, could have made it through without her there.
Both myself and my husband were a little uncertain about hiring a doula initially (ok my husband was downright skeptical, supportive, but skeptical ;)). We had interviewed a few people but none felt right. Either they weren’t warm, or just didn’t seem educated.
Then we met Kelly.
As soon as we sat down with her at our initial meeting over tea, we felt her calm and warm presence. Which I, as a bit of a type– a, found very reassuring, and we found she was non– judgmental, funny, and super educated and knowledgeable. Done deal.
After hiring her, we met with Kelly for two rather long «meetings» before our birth. We had planned to go as natural as possible: starting labor at home with Kelly there to help when we needed her, and heading to the hospital when it was time. But of course, as they do, our labor plan went out the window rather quickly.
I was diagnosed with a condition that required I be induced and admitted THAT DAY to the hospital for the safety of the baby. As soon as i called Kelly when we were packing our bags, she reassured me and asked if i wanted her there. Since nothing was happening yet, i told her to hold tight and we’d call her. So we were admitted and Kelly came by to check in. The induction was pushed off until the next morning, so since nothing was happening, i told her to go home and get some rest.
As soon as we found out the induction schedule, she was en-​route to be there by my side. She was my absolute saving grace and coach through 5 ours of petocin induced natural labor and 26 more of watching and waiting post-​epidural (s). My mother and husband who were also in the room, couldn’t have kept their sanity without her reassurance during that time. When i made a decision to have an epidural (also not my plan). Kelly was FULLY SUPPORTIVE of that decision, something you think a doula might not be. But she knew i was exhausted and that it was the right choice for me. LoNG story abridged: 30 hours of labor and two epidurals later, Kelly was there. Napping while i napped, talking my mom through it, keeping Brad rested and generally being all of our saviors mentally and emotionally through a long process!
We have kept Kelly in our lives because she was such an integral part of the most wonderful, though at times long and arduous, event in our lives. She was one of the first people to meet our little girl and i’m not sure I could have done it as calmly as I did, were she not there to help us all. Recently we’ve asked Kelly to be the officiant at our daughter’s blessing ceremony, something that she fervently yet humbly accepted. We feel honored.
Kelly is the best, and only doula, i’ve ever known. And if we have another child, we hope she’ll be with us again.

Kelly Gray has made me a convert. Before working with Kelly– who I contacted due to a friend’s glowing recommendation and strong urging– I would not have thought of myself as someone who would open up to anyone outside my family to get support during pregnancy. Kelly is an incredibly intuitive, calming, knowledgeable, and nurturing Doula.
I worked with her for pre-​natal massage to cope with some major pregnancy discomforts. After our first session, I felt much more physically (and dare I say it, emotionally) at ease. I work at a desk all day, and was having some pregnancy related back issues that were becoming increasingly problematic. After just one session with Kelly, who isn’t just a talented pregnancy-​specific masseuse, but an extremely informed resource and counselor who helped me work through some other more psychological pregnancy issues I was struggling with, I knew I had found a partner outside of my partner to help me through the last 8 weeks of my pregnancy.
I set up three more appointments with Kelly, and also saw her two days before I gave birth for a pressure point session to encourage labor. You will be a very lucky set of parents if you work with her! I highly and unabashedly recommend Nine Moons Doula.

Kelly Gray is made to be a birth doula. Rarely have I seen a doula fit so seamlessly into the role, as though she herself was born knowing this work. Her background and experience offer her a unique perspective on the work (ask her about it!), and that is evident in her passion for advocacy and informed choice, and in her warmth and connection with her clients.
We attended a birth together, she as doula and I as midwife, and Kelly was indispensable. She was super available to and lovely with the clients, always receptive to and respectful of my contributions as the primary care provider, and she brought a sweet, grounded, loving, enthusiastic presence to the client’s labor and birth. Her experience as a massage therapist was evident and invaluable, and she was clearly comfortable in her role as doula, offering consistent, kind and insightful physical and emotional support to both the laboring woman and her partner.
Kelly continually seeks to educate herself, asking smart questions, seeking research and resources, and establishing connections with other practitioners for the betterment of her skills and service to clients. In furthering her own knowledge and resource base, she goes above and beyond in furthering her ability to serve clients with the utmost thoughtfulness and care. I have a deep respect for her integrity, for her innate skill, for her deep passion for the work, and for her warmth and caring for her clients. Kelly tops my list of recommended birth doulas when my clients ask for names, and I look forward to working with her again.

These are the following things I love about Kelly
— Knowledgeable. Throughout our meetings she provided both of us with vital and helpful information. She also recommended helpful books and provided articles that proved to be useful through the pregnancy and labor. She was always able to answer our questions thoroughly, clearly and presented pros and cons, allowing us to make decisions on our own.
— Attentiveness — She made sure that we were both taken care of during the labor. She was much in tune with our needs.
— Personality — Not pushy or demanding at all — very comforting, and has a great ability to understand and help with our needs, fears, and wishes.
— Above and beyond– A few days after the labor, she wrote a heartfelt, beautiful email recounting the labor, not necessarily in time-​order, but more like a diary entry of all the beautiful moments. We still have not had the time to write our own account of the labor, so it is so wonderful to have that as a memento.
During labor she was simply amazing. Her knowledge, support, and her personality proved to be very useful during our labor (39 hour labor!). She was constantly in touch with what needed to be done and did so in a calm, collected way that was greatly appreciated.
I would fully recommend Kelly as a doula without hesitation.

Kelly is a magical birth doula.
I was skeptical of hiring a doula at first, but my wife was dead set on it. After one brief meeting with Kelly at a coffee shop (you have to vett everyone these days) I knew she would be great addition to our birth team (me).
Kelly is very knowledgeable about birth, extremely resourceful, level-​headed, calm (and calming), passionate, thorough, the list goes on and on. I honestly don’t think we could have done the natural birth without her. My wife is high-​strung as is, so having Kelly there was a necessity. My wife would listen to her every idea — I know for a fact I would have been yelled at had I recommended the same thing.
Kelly provided resources for books before the birth, information as it popped up, and our pre-​birth meetings were full of great nuggets of info. Talking through the whole birth process with her and understanding what we wanted regarding the labor was invaluable. Kelly listened to our likes, dislikes, fears, etc and made it all work.
During the labor, Kelly was a star birth doula. She made the process go exactly how we wanted. Calm. Quiet. Natural. Dim. Mobile (not laying in bed). She knew all the tricks to help my wife cope with the 24hr labor. Not once did my wife ask for drugs. It was amazing. If it weren’t for Kelly instilling strength in my wife, I fear my wife would have asked for pain killers. I’m sure I would have asked for some too!
If you are considering a birth doula. Look no further. Kelly is it. Meet with her once, and you will know. Good luck and have a good labor!!!

When I told people I wanted to have a natural birth with no pain meds they thought I was crazy and didn’t think I would be able to go through with it. I accomplished this and it has earned me bragging rights for life. I honestly could not have done this without Kelly. I read that hiring a birth doula can coach you through intense labor. I researched around and found Kelly. I connected with Kelly from the very beginning. Her calm, caring demeanor made me feel at ease (even though I considered myself an anxious pregnant women!)
When I started feeling my first contractions, I was pretty confident I would not be able to stand the pain and would probably ask for the meds ASAP. I was wrong! I was in labor for 23 hours and Kelly was like an angel. She walked me through multiple positions that helped me tolerate the pain. She had many amazing techniques to deal with the pain that I didn’t even learn about from my birth classes. She also couched my husband to help me through my worse contractions. Although most of my family had never heard of a birth doula, they were so impressed by Kelly and have been telling friends and family about her services. It sounds crazy, but I felt hypnotized by Kelly (in the best way possible!) She really got me through the most intense pain I have ever felt in my life and allowed me to accomplish my birth plan. I will forever be thankful and grateful for Kelly!
Kelly is also a wealth of knowledge (during my pregnancy, labor, and post partem). She is a gem!

Kelly’s postpartum visit to our home was the turning point in my ability to breastfeed. She helped me put all the competing advice I received from hospital nurses and lactation consultants in perspective. After watching me feed and assessing my positioning, she showed me how to to relax so that baby and I could have a good feeding session. I appreciated her knowledge, her calm demeanor, and especially her frankness – the first person to tell me the truth about how breastfeeding is «supposed» to feel. She made me feel confident and competent as a new mom!
She’s also an amazing massage therapist. I felt like a new woman afterwards! As a mom herself, she was well aware of my needs and where I was holding tension from nursing. She was very attentive to my preferences (including the level of pressure – I didn’t wake up the next day and feel like I had just played a game of football as I have with other masseuses). Nurturing and compassionate, Kelly is a natural caregiver – make her part of your postpartum recovery period!

Kelly Gray may be somewhat new to the business of being born but she knows that some things cannot be improved upon. While the business side of being born could use a lot of improvement in the U.S.A. she helped me to do my birth naturally and without any medication. I am testimony to the fact that it can be done and that nature intended it that way for a reason. Not only was I at the hospital for only a half hour before the baby arrived, the Midwife herself said «I didn’t do anything».
One important note… Kelly had the lovely task of running the bathwater for my water birth. The water was only lukewarm though and caused my baby and I to get extremely cold thereby having a longer recovery in the center afterwards. Experience is often the best qualifier for working with babies, I doubt that an older Doula would have been so careless.

…I have utilized these services for several years and have nothing but amazing and fulfilling experiences with the massages i have received from Kelly… I highly recommend her to anyone looking for a therapeutic and quality massage that will give you a relaxing comfort and an invigorated spirit… Naima S., Mill Valley. CA

Kelly is a truly gifted masseuse. She is deeply intuitive about where to use strength and pressure and where to be gentle and soothing. Her work with pregnant and post-​partum moms gives her a unique ability to tailor the massage to the needs of the client. Kelly’s massages always leave me with a sense of great calm and centeredness, and I would highly recommend her as both a masseuse and a doula.