About Rebecca Duncan
"This work is a calling, to serve, educate and support ALL birthing persons in achieving their best birth. I am called to embrace parents with empathy, understanding, encouragement and evidence based information, to support their desires for birth and newborn parenting."
-Rebecca Duncan
As a professionally trained birth and postpartum doula, Rebecca has been serving the greater Bay Area since 2004. She is available for all of Contra Costa, Alameda Counties, as well as parts of Solano and Napa County. Virtual support is offered anywhere in the United States.
Great pride is taken in supporting ALL birthing persons, through the remarkable journey of labor, birth and the fourth trimester postpartum period.
Experienced with both hospital and home births, Rebecca provides continuous physical, emotional and educational (evidence based) support of YOUR labor and birthing desires. Simply holding space for the birthing person, while providing comfort measures, throughout labor, birth and postpartum, encourages an inward journey, tapping into your own innate and intuitive ability.
Rebecca supports parents from all walks of life in finding their own inner voice and instincts. Learning to trust your intuition will foster parents in creating attachment, harmony and a loving, close bond with their baby.
Rebecca’s background is in women's health as a Reproductive Health Specialist, Comprehensive Perinatal Worker and Accredited La Leche League Leader. She has professional training and experience in both the medical and psychiatric fields, with license and certifications, respectively.
Rebecca's experience as an accredited La Leche League Leader, supplied her with education and training in all aspects of the breastfeeding relationship. Rebecca has served the Bay Area and Eugene and Portland, Oregon area, providing her with an abundance of hands on experience, several years before becoming a professional doula.
Rebecca is also well versed in baby signs, baby wearing, continuum concept and attachment parenting. She has personally experienced both in hospital and at home births with her two daughters.
Workshops, trainings and expertise:
- Breast-sleeping with Anthropologist, Dr. James McKenna
- Spinning Babies with Lorenza Holt
- Happiest Baby on the Block by Dr. Harvey Karp
- Infant and Family Sleep Professional
- Comprehensive Perinatal Worker with Planned Parenthood
- Reproductive Health Specialist with Planned Parenthood
- The Doula School-Birth and Postpartum with Teresa Mclean LM, CPM
- The Farm with Ina May Gaskins MA, CPM, PhD and Carol Nelson MA, CPM
- La Leche League of California and Oregon, accredited Leader
- La Leche League International Conference, Orlando, Florida, with Dr. William Sears Postpartum mood disorders
- Survivors of trauma and/or PTSD
- Cloth diapering
- Advanced newborn care
- Blessingways
- Young teen specialist
- Attachment Parenting
- Baby Signs
- Phlebotomy with First Response
- Certified Medical Assistant, Boston College
- Psychiatric Technician Program (licensed), Napa Valley College
- CPR /first aid, Red Cross, trained and certified
Birth Doula Services
Because birth is not just one day
A birth doula is a non-medical person, experienced in childbirth. A birth doula is trained to provide continuous, one-on-one care as well as offering advice, information, emotional support and comfort to the birthing person, before, during and immediately after childbirth.
As a doula, with more than 14 years experience, Rebecca's passion is in supporting families in achieving the birth experience they desire. In providing the best service possible, Rebecca meets with prospective clients, for a FREE consult, to assure that she is the right fit for the family seeking support. Once it is determined that all parties feel comfortable and confident with each other, a deposit is taken to hold space for you on her calendar. (Final payment is invoiced with payment expected on the first in-home, postpartum visit)
The fees for services include two to three prenatal meetings, phone/text/email support, evidence based education and guidance in creating a working, user friendly birth plan. Rebecca will make herself exclusively available to you 24/7 on-call, starting at 37 weeks. Support is then provided for the entirety of labor and birth as well as spending one to two hours immediately after birth. This time is ideal for baby's first latch and first attempt at breastfeeding. She will guide you in finding a comfortable and correct latch as well as teaching you about the different breastfeeding positions. All of this new information can be overwhelming. Not to worry, Rebecca will be repeating all these things to you at your first postpartum visit.
At the first postpartum meeting, evidence based information on how to best care for your newborn is provided as well as addressing any breast or bottle feeding issues and postpartum recovery concerns, from a non-medical standpoint. Rebecca will guide you and demonstrate infant comfort techniques and all aspects of your newborns care, while supporting parent/baby bonding and attachment.
"If a doula were a drug, it would be unethical not to use it." John H. Kennel, MD
*Clients are referred to appropriate professionals when deemed necessary and/or out of Rebecca's scope of practice.
*Sliding scale fees and discounted rates available for teens, LGBTQI folks, marginalized folks, people of color and other extenuating circumstances. It is my goal to provide services to the underprivileged community, whenever possible, regardless of economic status.
“Rebecca brought a profound sense of calm to our home after the birth of our twins. She’s the kind o
Postpartum and Overnight Services
Every new parent deserves the professional support of a Doula
"Every baby is born singing their own unique song. With the support of an experienced postpartum doula, you, as a new parent(s), will find the harmony, and all is beautiful!
.......then, your baby will change the song. And it begins all over again"
- Rebecca Duncan
CONGRATULATIONS! You have a new, little being, completely dependent on you to meet all their needs!
Exciting? Yes. Exhilarating? For sure! Most new parents discover there's a learning curve and are eager for guidance and support they can trust. Navigating your way through the “fourth trimester” (first 12 weeks after birth) can be challenging! Daytime and overnight postpartum services are available to support you and your family during this life altering transition. You may find yourself wondering, "What are my baby's needs? How can I best comfort my baby? How do I know what my baby's different cries mean? How can I meet my baby's needs while taking care of myself?" With the professional guidance of an experienced postpartum doula life can go from sleepless nights of feeding, burping, changing and comforting your baby, every two to three hours around the clock, to feeling more rested and more at ease with this new, uncharted territory with your newborn. Many parents are a bit taken back with the energy it takes in caring for a newborn. Breastfeeding can be challenging and uncomfortable at first. Rebecca guides breastfeeding parents in establishing a good latch and proper positioning, greatly improving any discomfort and fostering a beautiful bond in the nursing relationship. You may find yourself doing nothing but cluster feeding for what seems like 24 hours a day in the beginning! In fact its expected and important in supporting the establishment of a good milk supply. Especially in the first weeks of life.
With the reassurance, experience, education, emotional and physical support of a professional, issues can be identified early on and addressed appropriately. Hence, the entire family can better adjust and bond with this new member. Rebecca is honored to be of support and information during this life changing, often stressful period of time.
“Rebecca brought a profound sense of calm to our home after the birth of our twins. She’s the kind of person you can trust with your babies almost instantly, which allowed us to finally get meaningful rest. I’m usually an anxious parent when someone else is caring for my kids, but with Rebecca I felt at ease from the very first night - I handed the boys to her without hesitation.
She is truly an expert with newborns. Her observations and insights were so thoughtful that they ultimately led us to seek additional support from a physical therapist for one of our twins. Even as third-time parents, we found ourselves learning from her. Her knowledge of newborn development and sleep is deep, and her care is rooted in evidence-based practices and AAP guidance. She is gentle, respectful, and exceptionally competent.
We often joked that Rebecca was our nighttime fairy godmother. She was a total lifesaver. She stays awake for the entire shift, which meant she was consistently alert and attentive to the babies' needs. When the twins slept, she helped with light household tasks like folding their laundry, washing bottles, and unloading the dishwasher, which made our mornings feel so much easier.
Rebecca was an incredible support during a very intense season, and we feel lucky to have had her in our home.”
What clients are saying about Rebecca
“ I feel like Rebecca literally saved our life and capacity to bond with our second son. He was beyond fussy all the time and nothing I seemed to do made it better. In desperation my wife and I reached out to Rebecca and within about 15 minutes of meeting him in person, she told us that there was something wrong and she thought our son was in pain. She suspected reflux and she was right! After he started medicines he relaxed for the first time in his life. We are so grateful to her for that wisdom and a million other pearls. Best money we ever spent!”
Kinari
"I found Rebecca on a whim, and I'm so grateful that I did. Her availability was limited she's popular for good reason!— but she still found time to help us, and I'll forever appreciate that. We first met when I was three months postpartum, and I wish she could have been with me during those early, vulnerable days. She brought such a calming presence, not just for me but for my baby as well.
Even though she started as a stranger, it never felt awkward having her in our home. It was as if we had known her for years. And even after our official time working together ended, she continued to be there for me whenever I reached out.
Genuine people are rare these days, and Rebecca is truly one of them. She adapts to whatever you need—if you're looking for confidence as a new mama, she'll help you find it. If you're unsure how to do something, she'll show you with patience and without ever making you feel inadequate. If you're uncomfortable with anything, she'll respect your boundaries and offer another solution.
You will not be disappointed having her by your side."
Rachel
"Working with Rebecca during the postpartum period for both of my sons has been one of the greatest gifts to our family. From the very beginning, she was warm, loving, and genuinely invested in our wellbeing. Before each birth, she helped us understand what to expect and made sure we felt supported and advocated for every step of the way. I felt truly cared for by her both before and after each birth, during such a vulnerable and emotional time.
Rebecca quickly became part of our family. Her presence brought so much comfort—especially on those postpartum nights when it was incredibly reassuring just knowing there was someone in the house to help me and my babies. She cared for the baby with gentleness and respect, and always checked in on me as a person, not just as a new mom.
On top of her support with the baby, she was incredibly helpful around the house while the baby slept—taking care of those little tasks that feel so overwhelming in the early days. It was an extra bonus that made a huge difference in our ability to rest and adjust to each new chapter.
Rebecca will always be a special part of our family’s story, and she would be one of the first calls I’d make if we were to have another baby. Anyone who gets the chance to work with her is truly so lucky."
Colleen
“ I feel like Rebecca literally saved our life and capacity to bond with our second son. He was beyond fussy all the time and nothing I seemed to do made it better. In desperation my wife and I reached out to Rebecca and within about 15 minutes of meeting him in person, she told us that there was something wrong and she thought our son was in pain. She suspected reflux and she was right! After he started medicines he relaxed for the first time in his life. We are so grateful to her for that wisdom and a million other pearls. Best money we ever spent!”
Kinari
“Rebecca was a godsend. She was our doula for the birth of our son and for overnight postpartum support, and we could not have imagined our transition into parenthood without her. As a queer couple, finding someone who truly understands the unique experiences, dynamics, and needs of LGBTQ families was essential to us. Rebecca showed up with deep knowledge, genuine care, and an ability to make us feel seen and understood every step of the way.
During labor and birth, she provided calm, grounded guidance that helped us feel safe and informed. She anticipated our needs, explained what to expect, and advocated for us when we didn’t know what to ask for.
During the 10 weeks postpartum, Rebecca supported our whole family. She cared for our baby so we could catch up on overnight rest, and she offered tons of helpful guidance as we navigated such a big change. We are so beyond grateful we had Rebecca. She is loving, compassionate, understanding, and so sweet. She absolutely found her calling with this type of work.
Also, Rebecca is an exceptional resource for queer families. She understands the specific emotional, cultural, and logistical layers that LGBTQ parents navigate, and she approaches this work with skill, respect, and lived experience. Her support helped us feel not just cared for, but also affirmed.
We are grateful for everything she brought into our lives and cannot recommend her highly enough, especially to LGBTQ parents seeking someone who truly understands and uplifts their journey.”
-Allie & Sara
Resources
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