- Sylvia T.

Kim was an integral part of our birth team and I don’t think we could have done it without her. Kim was and continues to be a warm and caring supporter and advocate for us. When things got scary in the labor and delivery process, Kim was there for us to help provide perspective and comfort. She also helped advocate for what we want and need with the hospital, helping us understand what kind of requests we can make and also for example pushing on the nurse/medical team when my epidural wasn’t properly working and they didn’t realize it. She was also super supportive after our birth — giving us space when we needed it, but checking in every so often to see how we’re doing. In particular, I really appreciated how she helped me debrief and come to terms with and our difficult birth process. We always felt like she had our backs and that was so important for us as first-time parents. I’m so glad and thankful that Kim is our birth doula and would 120% recommend her for anyone looking for a caring and strong advocate for their birth. 

Kim was there for us to help provide perspective and comfort.

- Katie H.

The most incredible organization. I feel so deeply lucky to live in the Bay and have access to GGDA. If you're considering a doula as part of your birth experience, don't hesitate and go with GGDA. The programming, resources and community are truly world class and made me feel informed, supported and connected to a magical group of women throughout my pregnancy. Specifically our birth doula Kim Knapp has been nothing short of amazing. Her expertise is unmatched and she is so communicative, proactive and special. Working with Kim has been like having a personal birth coach who makes you feel comfortable, safe and seen. Her capacity for empathy and seeing the whole you is so magical. Highly recommend!

"Working with Kim has been like having a personal birth coach"

- sonia n.

I'm a first time mom, and we worked with Doula Kim. We loved working with Kim and would highly recommend her to anyone who is looking for a birth doula. From our initial Zoom consultation, my husband and I immediately felt comfortable with Kim and like we had a connection with her. We were struck by her empathetic but direct manner and her commitment to allowing us to have our birth, our way. Each prenatal appointment with Kim was so helpful - she was patient, extremely knowledgeable, answered all of our questions easily, and took the time to get to know us as a couple. She taught the both of us so much about pregnancy, labor, birth, and postpartum. I felt like Kim empowered us with information but never pushed us toward specific directions - she let us make our own decisions and gave us the knowledge that allowed us to feel confident in the decisions that we made.

During labor and delivery, Kim was an integral part of our birthing team. I went in for an induction and eventually needed a C-section since my labor failed to progress. During each step of the way, my husband and I had key decisions we needed to make (Did I want a Foley balloon? Did I want morphine to help me sleep in early labor? Did I want the doctor to break my bag? When did I want to get an epidural? Should we consent to this C-section?), and Kim played a big role in helping us make these decisions. We felt like we could not have done this without her and were so glad that she was there. After we had our baby, Kim came back to the hospital a couple days later to visit us and then again to our home a couple weeks later to check in on how our family was doing. 

Kim's dedication to her clients is clear. As an added bonus, we loved her sense of humor. Thanks, Kim, for being such a supportive partner on our birthing team!

"Kim was an integral part of our birthing team."

- randi r.

Kim's insights were SO helpful while I was developing my birth plan during our prenatal visits. She was able to outline the pros and cons of several options I was considering and was so supportive of my birth vision. She was SUCH a source of wisdom and comfort when I was struggling emotionally and physically at the end of my third trimester. She was also a staunch ally in the delivery room, making sure my care team was aware of my birth plan and reiterating my preferences, when necessary. My husband and I are planning on having a second baby down the road and we've already asked Kim to join our team for round two. She truly feels like part of our family! 

"She truly feels like part of our family!" 

- junghee l.

Doula Kim is a great help before, during and after my delivery. She educated my husband and I on the laboring and how to best prepare for it. In the hospital, she was there every step along the way, giving me sound advice and encouragement. After the child birth, she also shared recommendation as to how to recover. Because of her, my husband and I were able to go through the exciting and anxious journey with peace in mind, making the process less stressful and more enjoyable at the same time.

"she was there every step along the way"

- kara l.

Kim was great from the beginning. She is so knowledgeable about birthing and helped my husband and I feel educated and prepared going into birth. Due to late term hypertension and eventually preeclampsia, my labor didn't go as planned, but Kim was there and supportive the whole time (for almost 24 hours!). I believe because of Kim's presence, I am able to remember my birthing experience as challenging but not traumatic. Thanks for your support, Kim! :)

"Kim was great from the beginning."

- sabina and eli.

We are so grateful Kim was our doula. Labor went from something anxiety-inducing for both of us to something we felt prepared for through our sessions ahead of time. She cut through the noise of all the anxiety spirals and fear mongering that happens when you google things. During labor itself, Kim was so wonderful at helping me center myself, breathe, feel comfortable asking for what I needed when my epidural failed, continue pushing even when it felt hard. For my partner, she was reassuring, grounding and helped with the transition between providers. We had an immensely positive birth experience and lots of credit goes to Kim. In addition to being a wonderful doula, Kim is just a great person — very warm, direct and matter of fact, empathetic, and centered us and our needs. We would 100% work with her again.

"We had an immensely positive birth experience and lots of credit goes to Kim."

- Marianne T.

Kim is so wonderful! My husband and I are both lawyers and first time parents, so we had a lot of questions but very limited time to research things ourselves. Kim demystified the entire birthing process, answering our questions in a straightforward manner that was both thoughtful and also grounded in scientific rigor. She also had great advice and support throughout my pregnancy. She is warm and nurturing while also extremely familiar with UCSF's practices. It was very nice to have a mom-type figure advocating for us and supporting us throughout the labor and delivery process. We had several decision points throughout my labor, and it was wonderful to have Kim as a sounding board to confirm or raise follow-up questions in response to the doctor and midwife recommendations. If we have a second child, we will be using her again. 

"If we have a second child, we will be
using her again. "

- Shirley W.

Kim proved to be an invaluable resource for both my partner and me throughout our pregnancy journey. The support and understanding we received during our prenatal sessions were exceptional. In the midst of an overwhelming period in our lives, Kim skillfully guided us through the flood of information, making it more manageable and helping us make informed decisions.

When it came time for labor, having Kim by our side was truly a blessing. Her presence instilled confidence in me, assuring me that I could navigate through the experience. She brought a much-needed sense of calm to what could have been a chaotic moment. I can't express enough how vital her support was; I can't imagine going through it without her. Kim went above and beyond by also catering to my partner's needs, providing him with support (and even much needed coffee and food!) for which he was immensely grateful.

I wholeheartedly recommend Kim to anyone seeking additional support for their childbirth journey. Her expertise and compassionate care made a significant difference in our experience, and we are truly thankful for her presence during this time.

"When it came time for labor, having Kim by our side was truly a blessing."

-Britany t.

Kim was everything we were looking for in a doula and even more than we knew we needed. From the beginning Kim’s kind heart and personal touch made us feel comfortable, seen and heard. The first time we met we knew right away she was our doula, it just felt right. She went above and beyond every time we met. She helped me feel empowered leading up to the birth, during and after. She is a wealth of knowledge and helped prepare my husband and I for this transition in our lives. Hands down our birthing experience would not have been the same without her - she knew exactly how to communicate with the hospital team to help me get my needs and wants met and how to motivate me to get through the tougher parts. Everything flowed more smoothly and my husband and I were more at ease with her there. Kim helped facilitate getting my placenta to Tomi for encapsulation, making that process even easier and taking a task off of our plate. After the birth Kim was so supportive and answered all of our new parent questions and calmed our worries. We are so grateful for our doula experience and to have Kim in our lives. We highly recommend Kim, she is an exceptional doula and wonderful soul. 

"She helped me feel empowered leading up to the birth, during and after."

-Sohee and Nathan

As soon as we meet Kim, we knew that we wanted to work with her. Kim's passion and knowledge about childbirth were immediately apparent. We learned so much from her, and she made botth of us feel empowered through the journey! We would 100% recommend working with Kim!

"We would 100% recommend working with Kim!"

-eshita s.

We are so grateful for Kim to be part of our birth experience. There were several points when we didn't know what to expect and what to do next, Kim was there to guide us every step of the way. She created a great environment for the birth, she helped with pain management through various techniques. She guided the pushing to ensure that I was pushing efficiently. She advocated for us when we didn't realize we needed it. Strongly recommend Kim, she made our birth a very positive experience. 

"Strongly recommend Kim, she made our birth a very positive experience. "

-maggie m.

Kim was a great doula. She was responsive and supportive. She paid close attention to our needs and desires and was able to provide tailored support. I had an incredible experience working with Kim. Kim helped coach me during my labor especially during the pushing phase. She was a soothing presences during the whole process. I provided some info about myself and what I find to be helpful for calming myself and managing pain etc. (affirmations etc.) and she provided exactly the support I needed based on my preferences. I felt very cared for during the prenatal period and during my labor. Kim provided insights during the birth process that helped me understand what was happening. The midwife asked the L&D nurse to break the bed and Kim helpfully pointed out that this meant we were very close to meeting our baby. Overall, it was wonderful to work with Kim and I would highly recommend working with her.

"I felt very cared for during the prenatal period and during my labor."

-megan w.

I cannot imagine pregnancy or birth without Kim by our side. Leading up to the birth of our son, Kim made us feel at ease and prepared for labor through multiple educational meetings. She was also always available to answer questions outside of our scheduled meetings. Not only is Kim incredibly knowledgeable and excellent at sharing that knowledge in a way that does not feel overwhelming, Kim was a calming and compassionate presence throughout our pregnancy and birth journey. There were many times I felt so grateful we found Kim to be our birth guide, especially when complications arose during labor. Even in the scarier moments, I felt like everything would be okay because Kim was there to help us. We will be forever grateful for her care! 

 "I felt like everything would be okay because Kim was there to help us"