"Martina worked with me and my newborn son for ten weeks. I wish it could have been ten months! Martina is absolutely excellent at her job and you would be lucky if she is available to help your family. The bottom line is that Martina is positive, incredibly knowledgeable, and a delight- even at 3 am when I was so dogged tired I could hardly stand it.

When I wasn't breastfeeding, Martina gave my son whatever he needed to feel safe, secure, and loved. That included sitting in the dark all night holding him if need be. She taught me so much about babies and sleep and I am certain she is why my son is regularly sleeping from 9 pm to 6 am at four months. Martina has such a magical touch that in the whole time Martina was with us, my son only cried once with her (that is not true for me or for the people that helped me in the day). As an added bonus, Martina was proactive about cleaning pump equipment and emptying the diaper pail."

San Francisco, CA, December 2012

"Martina is a true baby whisperer. She saved my life in the first few weeks after my beautiful son, Luca, was born. I was not inclined to trust anyone with my precious baby, but I immediately trusted her and I appreciated that she had a very organized, honest and informative approach to the interview process. Martina did far more than watch Luca so that I could get a few hours of sleep in those early days. (Although, that in and of itself would have been terrific.) She taught me how to read Luca's communication and how to soothe him. She also started me on the path to a 'no-cry' version of sleep training and encouraged me every step of the way. She doesn’t see her work as just a job, she builds a deep relationship with the parent and child. It is almost six months after Luca's birth, and we are still in touch. Luca remembers and loves her so much—I love to see his wide, gummy smile when Martina picks him up. Some other adjectives I can think of to describe Martina include: thoughtful, kind, considerate, passionate and extremely well-educated. One last note: Martina is also an amazing photographer and I was lucky to have Martina document Luca’s newborn status with a very cool series of shots that I will treasure!"

Oakland, CA, November 2012

"I don't even know where to begin, Martina is everything someone could ask for in help with the very precious cargo that is new baby! Martina was so loving and patient and taught me so much as a new mother, her extensive experience was invaluable. I trusted her more than I trusted myself in the early days and she helped me to get comfortable with a new baby.
It was obvious on day one the love she had to give our little girl and in turn our daughter took to her instantly and you could tell she felt calm and at ease. Martina really is passionate about what she does and has a huge heart, she was extremely flexible to work with and at the end of the day just loves babies and the bond you can form with them and that they so clearly form with her.
Thank you again Martina for all of your help, you are a big part of how our daughter has made it to sleeping through the night."

San Francisco, CA, April 2011

"My husband and I had our first child in late October 2010. I, of course, thought we could do it all without help, and we managed for the first month or so. But when the prolonged sleep deprivation that comes with a newborn had really taken its toll, we came to our senses and reached out to Martina, who was recommended by friends. It was a game-changer.
As first-time parents, we gained practical knowledge from Martina's expertise. She is an incredible resource. But beyond her wonderful qualifications, she has a gentleness and calm that our daughter responded to immediately. Even having her with us three nights a week made an immeasurable difference. Martina was AMAZING with our baby. My husband and got much-needed, overdue rest without having to worry about how the baby was doing, and the baby was getting great rest, care and comfort, too, under Martina's watch.
We could not have asked for a kinder, more nurturing or more knowledgeable doula for our baby girl. I only wish we'd called her sooner and had her helping us from the beginning! When we have our second, I'm reserving her in advance!"

San Rafael, CA, March 2011

"I just gave birth to my second child... I feel really blessed to have had Martina help me this time round!!! She is unbelievable to say the very least!!! I wish she was with me when I had my first baby. I was able to feel human again with each visit she made to us :)
She really helped me around the house. It was all the little things that she would do that I just didn't have time for at that moment. Like light laundry, kitchen dishes and such.....
She was wonderful with my newborn son, knowing exactly what to do with him. She was also great with my 2 year old daughter! I really felt confidant that my kids were in the best of hands when I caught up on sleep, especially during those first tough few weeks.
No matter how exhausted you are, she helps you feel energetic. She can help out with everything from sleep consulting to bathing/burping. I just think she has a talent for calming babies when they get fussy. My infant son absolutely adores Martina. She offers support, constructive advice and suggestions from her experience. I wish I could have had Martina for months not weeks!!!!!
Martina is very caring, trustworthy and informed. She has experience with twins and preemies. I would highly recommend Martina as your night or day postpartum doula."

San Francisco, CA, November 2009

"We hired Martina Smolova to be our night-time post-partum doula, and we love her! I had a rough pregnancy, and knew that I wanted support for helping me rest enough immediately post-partum. It?s clear how much Martina loves babies! She was very tender and capable, and our daughter never felt scared or irritable with her from the start. Martina was also interested in helping in the household in whatever ways she could?for instance, sterilizing bottles or folding laundry. Everything she did was a great help?and because of it I did manage to avoid exhaustion or feeling overwhelmed. We wish we could have her forever! Those who hire her as a post-partum doula will be very lucky indeed."

Oakland, CA, June 2008

"Martina entered our lives shortly after the birth of my first and only child, Colin. As a first time parent trusting in a complete stranger is quite a feat. Martina felt like sunshine walking through the front door. I loved her immediately and felt safe and comfortable in her presence. Martina gave me the break I needed in these first weeks of Colin?s life. I was able to get a few things done and have peace of mind knowing that Colin was in capable, safe and loving arms. I would highly recommend Martina to anyone with children."

Dublin, CA, June 2008

"Martina started helping me with my son when he was 5 weeks old. He was a very fussy baby and her patience and warmth were very much appreciated by me (and my son). She has an energetic and positive personality which has worked very well for us. As she's spent more time with my son, she's offered suggestions on how to help with his various issues fussiness, sleep, etc. Martina has listened to my concerns and been eager to share her knowledge and/or research further if needed. I wouldn?t hesitate to recommend her post partum doula services."

San Francisco, CA, October 2008

"From the time they were infants, Martina took care of our two daughters as if they were her own. She was with our family for four years and we trusted her implicitly from the very first day. On her last day with us, I wrote Martina a letter, and I struggled to find the right words to adequately express what she meant to our family. Here is part of my letter:
You have been such an integral part of our lives the past four years.
Thank you for giving so much of yourself to the girls, but also to me and Clay over the years. The girls are better for having you in their lives and we will be forever grateful for how warm, caring, nurturing, fun and loving you were to them. Thank you.
We will never forget you and how much you enriched all of our lives.
You will always hold a very, very special place in our hearts. We will miss you.
Needless to say, I wholeheartedly recommend Martina as a postpartum Doula. Any family would be lucky to have her grace their lives, if only for a few weeks. "

San Francisco, CA, 2004 - 2009

"Martina has been great help to our family she communicates very well with our kids. She pays attention to the little details, cares a lot about them. We feel very comfortable leaving the kids knowing that they are in good hands. Martina has looked after our kids during the day and overnight as well. She knows their routine and stays on it, which makes us very happy knowing that they have a schedule. She is flexible and fun person to be around the kids. What makes us very happy with her is the fact that when we come back from work, the kids have great smile on their face and you know that they are happy being around her. I highly recommend Martina to any family."

Danville, CA, 2004-2007

"Martina became a part of our family shortly after the birth of our son, Jaz. It took us quite some time to find a child care provider we felt comfortable with and something about Martina's eyes and smile made it easy for us to hire her to help us with taking care of Jaz. She remained part of our family for over a year and we cannot thank her enough for her help. Jaz loved her, and still does (he is now 6!), and it was very clear that he knew he was safe when with her. Martina was thoughtful of his needs, and ours, worked to help develop those early infant skills and shared in those millstones with us. We could not have left Jaz in better hands."

Oakland, CA, 2003