Lisa Nitya Flato

I cannot possibly say enough good things about Lisa Flato! She was our doula, and a primary reason why our birth went so smoothly and felt so beautiful and easy. She has changed our lives – as doula, as a yoga instructor and now as a loving friend.
I had not considered hiring a doula before I met Lisa. I took her fabulous prenatal yoga classes (at Pomegranate Prenatal Yoga in San Anselmo, a business I highly recommend!) during my pregnancy. She holds an incredibly supportive space. Her prenatal yoga classes felt so natural – she prepared our bodies for childbirth and supported us so much in pregnancy. It comes so naturally to her. Her intuition is so keen; she is incredibly aware of what an individual or a group needs or is yearning for in the moment.
When I heard she was a doula, I immediately knew I had to have her at my birth. We had not really considered having a doula before that – my husband and I wanted a very intimate birth experience; it felt like something only we should share. We did not invite even our very close family members to the experience. But we knew immediately when we met Lisa that her incredible wisdom, love, experience with birth and immense support would make our birth experience a wonderful one.
Prior to the birth, she met with us at our house several times. We discussed our birth plan, we asked questions, we practiced some positions and breathing techniques that could help us during the birth experience.
I love many many things about Lisa. But here are some highlights:
–She is a calming supportive presence. I breathe a sigh of relief when with her. This was vital during the birth.
–She is full of love and light. Her joy is infectious. She is fun to be around.
–She knows so much about birth, pregnancy and postpartum. If you have a question, she has many resources she can point you towards.
–She believes in you.
–She brings out my best self. Somehow, effortlessly, when I am around her, I feel like a better person for it.
–She has time for you. She sees you, truly as you are. She does not project her own desires/​needs/​goals onto your meetings or your experience.
–Her intention is to support what you want from your birth. She does not push for it to go one way or another. Rather, she asks what you want and she puts her energy behind that. (This seems unusual and so lovely, as some others in the birth world might feel there is a «right» approach and push you towards that.) She is a person of such high integrity, and also she can hone in on someone else’s needs and desires and get fully behind them.
I would highly recommend Lisa – both as doula and as yoga instructor – to anyone. Feel free to message me here on Unilocal to ask any questions.
If we are lucky enough to have another baby, I know I’ll be asking Lisa if she can be my doula again. :)