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Science-based care. Human-centered presence.

You deserve support that truly sees you.

Bringing together the precision of medicine and the warmth of doula care — so you feel held, informed, and never alone through birth and beyond.

Hello, I'm María Gabriela Book a Discovery Call
Medical training in Latin America Certified Birth Doula Certified Postpartum Doula Pediatric Sleep Consultant
María Gabriela providing community care during her training
01The founder

Hello, I'm María Gabriela — and DrDoulaPoppins was born from my own reinvention.

I trained as a physician in Latin America, where I developed a deep respect for the biology of the human body — for birth, recovery, and the profound transition into parenthood. Medicine gave me a framework. But it also had limits I could feel.

When I moved to the San Francisco Bay Area, I began a new chapter — one I hadn't planned. I worked as a nanny, and it was there, inside the homes of real families, that everything shifted. I witnessed firsthand the exhaustion, the confusion, the moments of quiet struggle that no one had prepared these parents for. Things I had seen in the clinic — but never fully understood until I was sitting on the floor next to a mother at 3am, in her own home, holding her baby.

"The consulting room couldn't reach those moments. I could."

That experience became the seed of DrDoulaPoppins. I pursued my certifications as a birth doula, postpartum doula, and pediatric sleep consultant — and built the practice I wished had existed for every family I'd ever cared for: one that brings together medical knowledge and real, present, human support. Evidence-based care delivered with warmth, and deep respect for what your body already knows how to do.

I work with a small number of families in the Bay Area — because this work requires my full attention, and you deserve nothing less.

María Gabriela Govea
Medical training in Latin America · Certified Birth Doula · Certified Postpartum Doula · Pediatric Sleep Consultant
02Why DrDoulaPoppins

Not just support. A different kind of care.

01

The science behind the warmth

Medical training in Latin America means I understand the physiology of labor, the neuroscience of infant sleep, and the biology of postpartum recovery. Evidence, not guesswork.

02

Presence without agenda

I don't have a preferred birth outcome or a method to push. My only agenda is yours. I meet you where you are.

03

A physician who stays

Most doctors see you for 15 minutes. I stay — through the long labor night, the 2am feeding, the moment you need someone to tell you that you're doing better than you think.

03Why this work matters

The transition into parenthood is more fragile than we say out loud.

Not to alarm — to explain why steady, informed support belongs at the center of birth and postpartum care.

1 in 5

birthing people experience a perinatal mood or anxiety disorder — the most common complication of pregnancy.

Perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs) affect approximately 1 in 5 women during pregnancy or the first year postpartum — making them more common than gestational diabetes. Symptoms include persistent sadness, intrusive thoughts, insomnia, and overwhelming anxiety. With proper support and screening, PMADs are treatable — but most go undiagnosed.

Source: ACOG & PSI, 2023
84%

of pregnancy-related deaths in the U.S. are considered preventable — many in the weeks after birth.

A CDC review of over 1,000 pregnancy-related deaths across 36 states found that 84% were preventable. More than half occurred between 7 days and one year postpartum — the exact window when structured support makes the greatest difference. The leading factors were lack of access to care, delayed diagnosis, and inadequate follow-up after birth.

Source: CDC, 2022
6 wks

is often the only formal postpartum check-in — for a recovery and adjustment that lasts far longer.

ACOG called for a paradigm shift: postpartum care should be an ongoing process, not a single visit at six weeks. Physical recovery, hormonal shifts, bonding, feeding challenges, and mood changes evolve over months — yet for most families, that brief check-in is the last structured touchpoint with a care provider.

Source: ACOG, 2018
25%

lower likelihood of cesarean birth when receiving continuous labor support — across 26 trials and 15,000+ women.

The Cochrane Review — the gold standard for medical evidence — analyzed 26 randomized trials involving more than 15,000 women across 17 countries. Women with continuous labor support were 25% less likely to have a cesarean, had shorter labors, used less pain medication, and were significantly more likely to report a positive birth experience.

Source: Cochrane, 2017
41%

lower cesarean odds with doula care among Medicaid recipients — alongside shorter labors and higher satisfaction.

Among Medicaid beneficiaries, doula-supported births had a cesarean rate of 22.3%, compared to 31.5% nationally — a 41% reduction in odds after controlling for clinical and demographic factors. These families also experienced shorter labors and higher birth satisfaction, demonstrating that doula care helps reduce disparities in maternal outcomes.

Source: Kozhimannil et al., 2013
View references
  1. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. "Screening and Diagnosis of Mental Health Conditions During Pregnancy and Postpartum." ACOG Clinical Practice Guideline No. 4. Obstetrics & Gynecology, 2023. See also: Postpartum Support International.
  2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "Four in 5 Pregnancy-Related Deaths in the U.S. Are Preventable." CDC Maternal Mortality Review Committees, 36 U.S. States, 2017–2019. September 2022. CDC archive.
  3. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. "Optimizing Postpartum Care." ACOG Committee Opinion No. 736. Obstetrics & Gynecology, 131(5):e140–e150, 2018. PubMed.
  4. Bohren MA, Hofmeyr GJ, Sakala C, Fukuzawa RK, Cuthbert A. "Continuous support for women during childbirth." Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 7:CD003766, 2017. Cochrane Library.
  5. Kozhimannil KB, Hardeman RR, Attanasio LB, Blauer-Peterson C, O'Brien M. "Doula Care, Birth Outcomes, and Costs Among Medicaid Beneficiaries." American Journal of Public Health, 103(4):e113–e121, 2013. PMC.
  6. Gjerdingen DK, McGovern PM, Pratt R, Johnson L, Crow S. "Postpartum Doula and Peer Telephone Support for Postpartum Depression: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial." Journal of Primary Care & Community Health, 4(1):36–43, 2013. PubMed.

“This is exactly why I do this work — so no family moves through these months alone, unsure, or unsupported. You are safe here.”

04In their words

Held, informed, and never alone.

She was the calm in our room. I finally felt like I could exhale and just be a new mom.

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First-time parent · San Francisco

Science when we needed answers, softness when we needed reassurance. Exactly the balance we'd been missing.

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Postpartum support · Oakland

Our nights changed completely. We were rested, our baby was thriving, and we finally felt capable.

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Overnight support · Berkeley
05Services & Packages

How I support you — from the first contraction to the first months of life.

Birth Support

Essential Birth Support

Starting at $2,500

For families seeking evidence-based guidance and continuous support throughout pregnancy and birth.

  • Complimentary consultation
  • Two prenatal visits (90 minutes each)
  • Personalized birth preferences planning
  • Education on labor, comfort measures, partner support, and postpartum recovery
  • Hospital Bag Planning Session with customized checklist for parents and baby
  • On-call support from 38 weeks until birth
  • Unlimited phone, text, and email support during pregnancy
  • Continuous labor and birth support
  • Immediate postpartum support during the first hours after birth
  • One postpartum follow-up visit (2 hours)
Inquire about birth support

Birth Support

Signature Birth Experience

Starting at $3,800

Comprehensive support for families who want personalized preparation, emotional reassurance, and a seamless transition into postpartum.

  • Everything in Essential Birth Support, plus:
  • Three prenatal visits
  • Personalized Birth Preparation Roadmap
  • DrDoulaPoppins Birth Bag Blueprint™
  • Partner Preparation Session
  • Feeding & Newborn Care Foundations Session
  • Guidance for inductions and cesarean births if needed
  • Priority access to postpartum services
  • Two postpartum visits (2 hours each)
  • Customized First 72 Hours Postpartum Plan
  • Two weeks of postpartum text support after birth
Inquire about birth support

Postpartum Support

Essential Postpartum Care

Starting at $1,800

Practical, nurturing support designed to help families recover, rest, and adjust to life with a newborn.

  • 40 hours of postpartum support (daytime or overnight)
  • Newborn care education
  • Emotional support and reassurance
  • Feeding support (breastfeeding, pumping, bottle feeding)
  • Infant soothing and sleep foundations
  • Parent education and confidence building
  • Developmentally appropriate newborn guidance
  • Referrals to trusted local resources when needed

Ideal for first-time parents, recovering mothers, and families seeking guidance during the early weeks.

Inquire about postpartum

Postpartum Support

Signature Fourth Trimester Support

Starting at $3,600

A concierge-level postpartum experience combining newborn expertise, medical insight, and whole-family support.

  • 80 hours of postpartum support (daytime, overnight, or combination)
  • Personalized postpartum recovery plan
  • Newborn care and feeding support
  • Infant sleep shaping and healthy sleep foundations
  • Nursery and feeding station optimization
  • Guidance on developmental milestones
  • Support for siblings adjusting to the new baby
  • Return-to-work planning
  • Priority scheduling
  • Unlimited text support during contracted service period
  • Customized Fourth Trimester Resource Guide

Ideal for families seeking ongoing guidance, overnight support, and a highly personalized experience.

Inquire about postpartum
06Insights

Notes from the fourth trimester & beyond.

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07Let's connect

Every family is different. Let's start there.

I keep my client calendar intentionally small so I can give each family my full presence. If you're wondering whether we'd be a good fit — reach out. There's no obligation, just a conversation.

Prefer to reach out directly? I'm also available on WhatsApp.

Let's talk

Ready when you are.

A free discovery call — no pressure, just a warm conversation about you, your family, and the support that would feel right for this season.

Book a Discovery Call Message on WhatsApp

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