A bilingual Costa Rican doula. Mamasol-certified since 2019. I walk with mothers and families through the most transformative weeks of their lives.
“Birth is not just a physical process — it’s a deeply human, transformative experience. I’m here to make sure you feel seen, informed, and held through every part of it.” – María José Garro
A doula and prenatal yoga guide who accompanies families through pregnancy, birth and postpartum with presence, care, and love.
Birth isn't only a physical process. It's a deeply human, transformative experience. My approach is calm, respectful and personalised — a space where each family feels informed, accompanied and empowered along the way.
6 years
Certified
+8
Families Held
2 Languages
Spanish & English
A bit of my story
Where Costa Rican Doula began.
A surprise pregnancy at 22. A home birth at 2:49 a.m. on a Tuesday. And the slow realization that this work had been waiting for me all along.
Tap through to read how a last-minute trip to Ometepe and a quiet certainty about my daughter set the path that led here.
In 2016, on a last-minute trip to Ometepe Island in Nicaragua, I realised I was late. My daughter’s father said it immediately: “You’re pregnant.” It was a surprise — having a baby at 22 wasn’t in my plans.
On 30 August 2017, at 2:49 a.m., my daughter Marie Luna was born in a home birth. She’s eight now — healthy, full of life and full of dreams. I felt all of that before she arrived.
I was accompanied by my mother, two friends, and my then-partner. We had a nurse and a midwife guiding the process. Everything was ready in case we needed to transfer, but labour flowed naturally. I spent contractions in the jacuzzi and the shower, used a rebozo for support, and finally birthed her on my side — one of the most common positions.
During that birth I felt a profound sense that women who came before were with me, telling me: “vamos María, ya hemos pasado por esto, vos podés.”
Some time later, my then-partner told me about a role called “doula” and what it meant. I felt an immediate, deep pull. I found Mamasol Costa Rica, studied for a year, and was certified in 2019.
Coming from a bilingual family, I saw a gap — a space to accompany both local and international families. That’s how Costa Rican Doula was born: honouring my Tica roots while opening doors to many cultures.
My own birth taught me to trust the body, to release fear, to understand the body knows what to do. But it also showed me something essential: the importance of a network of support that brings calm, safety, and love into one of life’s most important moments.
Misión
Empower women and families through emotional, physical, and informed support.
We create safe spaces where every decision is informed and every birth experience is lived with respect, confidence, and care — in Costa Rica and beyond.
Visión
Build a compassionate network — especially for young mothers.
Where I work?
Based in San José — service area across Costa Rica.
I’m based in the Central Valley with a dedicated practice space inside BioHealth Concept in Distrito 4. I travel for births and postpartum work across the Greater Metropolitan Area and along the Pacific coast (Nosara, Tamarindo, Santa Teresa, Manuel Antonio).
For families outside that range, I also offer virtual prenatal preparation and postpartum check-ins by video.
San José Heredia Escazú Santa AnaPacific coast Virtual worldwide
Response time
Within a day
Most messages within a few hours. Slower if I’m at a birth.
Currently accepting
Sept–Dec 2026
Birth families. Postpartum and fertility ongoing.
On-call hours
24/7 from 38 weeks
for booked birth families. Otherwise, 8 a.m. – 8 p.m.
