About Karine
I have always had a strong interest for sciences and education. I worked as a French language and literature teacher, Â and preschool teacher in France and in the United States.
The births of my children in France deepened my passion for pregnancy and birth. I instinctively supported my friends during their pregnancy to prepare them for the birth of their babies. In the US, I trained as a birth doula with DONA international and participated to the Spinning babies and breastfeeding workshops. In the past years, I have had the privilege to support several Bay Area families.
I draw from my bi-cultural, personal experience and training to support birthing persons and their family towards a positive birth experience.Â
My family and I moved to Marin County in 2006. Outside of doula work, I enjoy traveling, hiking, cooking, gardening and creating all sorts of things.
Having a birth doula
A birth doula is a trained labor companion who provides emotional, physical and informational support to expectant parents before, during and in the early postpartum period. A doula's goal is to help families have a healthy, positive labor experience.
​
Although birth outcomes cannot be predicted, studies have shown that doulas can help cut back on time spent in labor, reduce an expecting and support person's anxiety, lower the rate of medical interventions (including C-sections) and improve mother-baby bonding post-birth.
​
I thrive at exploring and supporting the unique needs and preferences of the birthing person and their birth partner(s) in order to prepare them and create an atmosphere of calm and confidence during labor.
I provide evidence based information and emotional, physical comfort measures. I help you advocate for what’s best for you.
​
​
​
​
Childbirth Doula Package
$ 2500 includes :
* Complimentary get to know you meeting
* 2 Prenatal Meetings- Includes writing your Birth Preferences, expectations for labor, pain Management, review of comfort Measures, positions for labor, and how the partner can best support the labor process.
* Unlimited text and email support throughout your pregnancy.
* Continuous support throughout labor and directly after birth including initial breastfeeding support.
* Post-Birth Meeting - Includes an opportunity to review and process the birth, breastfeeding support.
Testimonials
​
I cannot speak highly enough about Karine Mallet and her Doula services.
Her genuine warmth, nurturing spirit, steadiness and knowledgeable background helped us create exactly the birth experience we hoped for.
During the early planning stages, Karine asked questions we never would have thought to ask and was a wealth of information about everything from eye ointment to alternative birth positions.
From helping us create a clear and concise birth plan to share with our midwife and medical professionals, to exploring natural pain management / relaxation methods and discussing our wishes in case things didn’t go as planned, no details were left undefined.
She helped us explore and calm our fears and clarify our hopes and intentions.
We went into the birth process feeling confident that our wishes would known and our needs met by all those involved.
Active labor came on quickly and Karine was immediately available. I chose to birth my son in a hospital due to complications with a previous birth and Karine quickly transformed the labor and delivery room into a warm and comfortable space.
Her tenderness during contractions and flexibility in helping find the best positions and pain management techniques in the moment helped make the pain manageable. What I thought I wanted pre-birth changed during active labor and she rolled right along with it! Birth is a dynamic experience and Karine was 100% present and in tune with me and my needs.
She helped calm our concerns, explain the labor progression as it was happening and guide my husband in the best ways to help and support me. With the two of them by my side, I couldn’t have felt more loved or secure. Karine’s gentle encouragement, solidity and expertise helped me birth my son naturally, which was deeply important to me.
We are so grateful for Karine’s support during the birth of our son. She helped us achieve a perfect and uncomplicated birth and I truly cannot imagine the experience without her.
​
Ani and Ned, Corte Madera
I'd like to tell you about my friend and doula Karine. I had been assigned Karine in Marin, California she was then a volunteer as a doula at the Clinic. She could not have been more of what the doctor ordered. If I'm being honest, Karine was the real carrier of me during my pregnancy and birth. Unfortunately , at the time I did not have a lot of family near me and so my support system was small, Karine stood and sat by me during the entire process. She helped pave the road for me as a first time mother into what I should do and what I should expect. Her instincts were spot-on and exactly the kind of eclectic,worldy, and intuitive guidance that I needed. She kept me strong and calm and in good humor during the entire thing. I had felt such apprehension about going to deliver alone and was met with such capable hands and heart. More than any other face in the room Karine's was the one who kept my spirits up and kept me pushing forward. I truly thank the universe for sending Karine to me ,it's rare to have moments of such vulnerability like that and to have Karine be the one that answered the call was more needed than I could have ever anticipated. She makes the whole memory a vibrant one in comparison to what it would have been without her. I give so much gratitude to having had a doula like her.
Tara Jones, 2021
Karine has been such a tremendous help during 2 of my  pregnancies and births.
She is a warm and caring person that makes you feel comfortable about having an extra person in the delivery process.
She is very organized and wanted to know all the details of my previous birth( which was imperative since it wasn’t the best experience).She made sure she did everything possible to help me have better and more comfortable experiences.
I had 2 completely natural births and with the help of Karine and I couldn’t recommend her more . During the 30-hour labors, Karine knew a lot about pressure points and many other techniques that made the back pain etc to go away. I will forever be grateful for her help and support and I still to this day keep in touch with her !
Delia C.
"Karine was our virtual doula when we had our first-born baby boy in April 2021. We were happy Karine offered us being our virtual doula in COVID times. It was the best decision to have her in my support team. Karine helped us tremendously during our prenatal sessions, during the labor and also early postpartum. She helped us write our birth plan and prepared me and my husband mentally for what to expect. She also showed my husband how to provide emotional and physical support, which was invaluable for both of us. I had a long labor and Karine was with us every step of the way and she continued to support us even after we arrived home. Talking and sharing mine and my husband's view on our birth story helped me process my experience. She is very kind, knowledgeable, friendly, has a lot of empathy and is quick to respond. She went out of her way to make our experience nice and smooth and I will be forever grateful for it."
Tereza and Petr, 2021
Maybe you are looking for an amazing Doula, but I can guarantee you will have much more, you will find an ANGEL!
I was hoping to find someone who could help me fend for myself with the hospital staff for nature delivery and help me communicate (English is not my primary language). I was getting divorced and emotional situation very difficult. I also had gestational diabetes and high blood pressure. I was over 40 and my pregnancy needed a lot of care.
Karine started an amazing job with me. Before and after delivery she was super helpful filling my knowledge, answering real-time questions about pre-birth and a newborn baby helping me with a diet plan. During labor she was particularly amazing - she was on hand with tools and tactics that moved things around and eased my discomfort, she helped me change the plan when difficult decisions came up, and she collaborated with hospital staff and even slept on the hospital floor to stay with me and my two teenagers all night! All with a warm, loving, relaxed, and positive attitude, making my children and I feel safe, confident, and empowered throughout the entire experience. I definitely recommend Karine. Not enough words to describe my experience with her!
Regina
I’m a single mother by choice who had a baby during the pandemic and I can say that my experience would have been entirely different had it not been for Karine. I’m so grateful for the guidance she provided me throughout the experience. Before the birth, she really took the time to breakdown all the things that could happen, and prepare me to think and anticipate my choices. I felt very comforted by her evidence-based approach, and her human touch. I trusted that I could talk to her like a friend and share the questions I had at any time. During the birth I wasn’t allowed to have people to visit, and could only have one person with me during the birth. She was that person and thank god for it. My birth was long, and of course nothing worked as expected but she had prepared me and worked through the motions with me, literally holding my hand, for the 3 very long days it took to finally meet my son. After the birth, I still remember the debrief we had that made me process my birth story and I’m forever grateful for her presence on this journey every step of the way. I also owe her for the incredible birth video she was able to take of my son. Thank you will never be enough.
Magali and Max, 2021
​
Karine was instrumental in the birth of my son in early February 2022. It was during a COVID surge, but she was able to work with us to find the balance between remote and in-person coaching. When my labor started she checked in with me multiple times during the 19 hours I labored at home—giving me feedback, reminding me of tips, and even just riding out some contractions on the phone with me to assess how I was coping. Once we went to the hospital, she joined us and stayed up with us through the night. After 26 hours of unmedicated labor and very little sleep, I was struggling with motivation and will power. She discussed my options with me and my husband and helped me reach the best possible decision for myself without adding pressure either way. That was the biggest takeaway for me; labor is long and arduous, and in moments of pure exhaustion, both physical and mental, it was incredibly helpful to have a third party in the room to bring her experience and compassion to the journey. My son arrived almost 15 hours after we arrived at the hospital, and Karine was with us for every step of the journey. Thank you Karine!
Cassandra and Andrew, San Rafael
“Karine was such a gift to us during the birth of our son in February 2022. Our beloved doula Alana had a long-planned vacation, and of course we went into the hospital just before she was set to leave. Karine jumped in and supported us through almost 48 straight hours of a complicated birth process. As a type 1 diabetic, my pregnancies and births haven't been "natural" in the way I always dreamed of. And I've encountered so many people and communities that made me feel like I was failing before I even tried. Karine was amazing at not doing that. She has a way of working within the specific context of the moment that I firmly believe would be a gift whether you have the most straightforward and intervention-free birth or, like me, a birth where just about everything that could happen does. We'll be forever grateful to Karine for her adaptability (she helped us try truly everything to achieve the birth we wanted), her calm, and her deep and sincere empathy.”
Whitney and Ben
I was able to speak with Karine one time on the phone before going into the hospital with a complication at 34weeks. She was amazing and came to the hospital quickly to talk with me and my husband as soon as I told her the situation. My wish was that she help my husband through everything as he was very stressed about the diagnosis and that our son would likely be born 6weeks early. He was also just very nervous to go through the birth. She talked him through everything and kept him calm. For me she suggested a bunch of exercises to speed up labor as soon as they started inducing. Then she helped with different positions to help our son come down through the birth canal after I received my epidural. She helped me stay calm and wait until it was really time for me to push even though I was initially stressed to get him out as soon as possible due to the complication. I believe this made a huge difference in how long I was pushing. Our boy was born happy and healthy at 34weeks 2days. Karine was amazing throughout the whole process, and we were so happy to have her as part of the birth!
Kim & Mike, 2023
Looking back on my experience, I truly can't imagine pregnancy, labor, or birth without Karine. From the first time we met, Karine became an extension of our family providing endless support to us as we navigated every part of the process. During pregnancy, she spent so much time thoughtfully educating us on all things pregnancy and labor, made sure we understood every part of the process, answered our countless questions without judgement or bias, and made herself available to us as anxieties and fears bubbled leading closer to the due date. As the pregnancy became slightly more risky and an induction inevitable, Karine supported us through the process and filled in the gaps that the medical team left behind. During the 48 hour complicated labor, Karine was a godsend. She helped us advocate for the birth experience we knew was right for our family, made me feel physically comfortable, and teamed up with the nurses to provide the best care. She stayed by our side through the last 15 hours of labor, including 7 hours of active pushing. Karine continued to come up with new ways to keep me energized to keep going and provided safety, comfort, and reassurance throughout the way. Not to mention levity and laughter in moments I needed it. I can't recommend Karine enough - but be warned, you'll get more than a Doula with Karine - you'll get a fierce advocate, loyal friend, and trusted confidant.