Find a Midwife Near Me that Speaks Japanese

The Asian Doula Alliance (ADA) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to supporting and advancing the education of Asian doulas. ADA was founded to respond to such urgent needs by introducing structured training, stringent certification, and a robust ethical framework. Our certification process involves rigorous screening, continuous education, and clear accountability standards, ensuring doulas uphold the highest professional and ethical conduct.

Hello! I’m Naoko. I am a Japanese-trained midwife, birth and postpartum doula, lactation counselor, childbirth educator, and mother of four. Before moving to the United States, I worked as a midwife in Japan, supporting families throughout pregnancy, birth, and the postpartum period. Since moving to the San Francisco Bay Area, I have continued supporting families as a doula with compassionate, evidence-based, and personalized care. My approach is centered on the person giving birth. I believe every birthing person deserves to feel heard, respected, informed, and supported in making decisions that are right for them and their family. I draw on both my medical knowledge and my personal experience raising four children to provide practical, compassionate, and individualized support. I welcome families of all backgrounds, races, cultures, gender identities, and sexual orientations, including LGBTQ+ families. I support a wide range of birth preferences and experiences, including unmedicated birth, epidural birth, induction, VBAC, and cesarean birth. I also offer childbirth education, breastfeeding and lactation guidance, prenatal yoga, and bilingual support in English and Japanese. My goal is to help each family feel confident, supported, and empowered throughout pregnancy, birth, and the postpartum journey.

My name is Frances and I am the Founder & CEO of Blue Poppy Doulas and a certified birth, postpartum, miscarriage & bereavement doula. I serve families in Corvallis, Albany, and surrounding areas of the Willamette Valley, with virtual support available across the United States and internationally, including Japan. I specialize in pregnancy after loss, high risk pregnancy, pre-conception care, pumping education, miscarriage and bereavement support. I am trained and certified by Doula Unbound, Dr. Bill Chun's OBGYN-led doula training that provides me with a higher level of evidence-based clinical knowledge to support clients through their pre-conception, prenatal, labor, and postpartum journey. I support families through every stage of the reproductive journey—pregnancy, birth, postpartum, fertility, and pregnancy loss—with calm, steady, and trauma-informed care. My role is to hold space for you in moments that may feel uncertain, overwhelming, or deeply tender, while helping you feel informed, supported, and never alone in your experience.

My philosophy is centered around empowering you to trust your body and your instincts, while providing evidence-based information and guidance to help you make informed decisions. I'll be with you every step of the way, offering emotional support, physical comfort, and practical help. My goal is to help you feel confident, calm, and cared for, so you can focus on welcoming your baby and transitioning into parenthood. ‎