Neva Hauser, Certified Birth Doula

I’m a Bay Area born and raised doula whose path to this work began in Portland, where I lived for a decade and began supporting families during birth in 2017. Since returning to the Bay in 2022, I’ve been working in birth full time in Oakland and surrounding areas.  

I provide evidence-based, trauma-informed, and client-centered care for all birthing people. At the core of my work is a deep respect for each client’s intuition and lived experience. I meet people exactly where they are—holding space for the fears and joys of the perinatal year, offering clear, thorough education around birth options and rights, and helping clients prepare emotionally, mentally, and physically for labor and postpartum.

My support style is both intuitive and hands-on. I trust the wisdom stored in the birthing body and work in close partnership with that inner knowing, offering loving, grounded touch and physical support throughout labor when it’s welcomed. With a background in sports and movement, I genuinely nerd out on physical preparation, positioning, and birth biomechanics, and I love helping clients understand how their bodies work during labor so they can move, rest, and push with confidence.

I am information-heavy by design, intentionally bridging the educational gaps many clients face in medical systems. I believe informed consent is an ongoing process, and I support clients in making decisions that align with their values—without judgment, pressure, or agenda. Humor, flexibility, and responsiveness are central to my work, allowing my support to ebb and flow based on what’s needed in each moment.

I work in all birth settings, including hospital, home, and birth center births. I am comfortable supporting first-time and experienced parents; medicated and unmedicated births; cesarean (belly) births; water births; rainbow babies; and high-risk pregnancies.

I recognize the very real discrimination, harm, and disparities faced by many marginalized people in U.S. birth settings—an ongoing emergency that demands attention and action. I believe birth work must include a commitment to decolonizing birth and improving outcomes for Black, Indigenous, POC, fat, disabled, and queer birthing people. While I am a white, cis, able-bodied woman, I am always happy to help Black, Indigenous, and POC families connect—free of charge—to a doula who shares similar lived experience.

Above all, I am committed to ensuring that clients and their families feel supported, informed, safe, and respected throughout the birth experience. This includes advocacy when needed and steady presence throughout this transformational time. I look forward to learning how I can support you!