As a first time mom, I highly recommend Shannon and her postpartum doula team. Shannon was very…read moreresponsive and made me feel comfortable throughout my birth journey, including pre and post birth at home visits. When it was time for me to delivery, she rushed over directly from another birth at a different hospital. Right away, she was great at coaching and remaining helpful and calm throughout the process. My nurses had a great time working with her. I couldn't have delivered my first baby without Shannon in the room. After we returned home, I worked with Whitney, Amanda and Jessica who are postpartum night doulas from Shannon's team. They rotated who was coming each time, and everyone was professional, punctual, and communicative. In addition to feeding and taking care of the baby, they also made sure I was healing better and gave us a lot of advice. I especially enjoyed working with Whitney and Amanda if you can get on their schedule. I'm really glad I went with NOVA Birth Services team!

I signed a contract with Nova Birth Services LLC in July of 2025. In order to secure the doula…read morebirth and postpartum overnight services, we paid a 50% deposit on both services totaling $3050. In November, I was diagnosed with severe preeclampsia and hospitalized. Due to my condition, I had to deliver my baby early via emergency c-section at just over 31 weeks. My baby is currently in the NICU. I wasn't able to have a prenatal in-home visit due to my hospitalization and was given very short notice of my emergency C-section due to my declining health. After my birth, I was put on magnesium, and my baby was sent to the NICU. My husband and I were both so terrified that the last thing I was thinking about was having my doula attend. I was afraid for me and my baby. I reached out to Shannon after my birth and asked if I could cancel the postpartum doula services because of the new financial strain of NICU costs/my hospitalization. She informed me that if I canceled the postpartum doula services, that both contracts would be void, and all services would be considered rendered. Remember, I did not receive a prenatal visit nor birth services due to my medical condition & hospitalization. The contract I signed stated that if the doula wasn't at your birth, you would be entitled to eight hours of postpartum services. Shannon explained that because I paid a 50% deposit on both services, none of the services were paid in full so I would receive nothing else moving forward. Although we had paid $3050 and the birth doula services were $2100, I would need to pay an additional $900 in order to receive the eight hours of postpartum services. She said I could "take it or leave it" and that she would not move money from one contract to another. I was shocked at her response. There was no solution offered where I could receive any services post-birth for the $3050 we had paid. More money had to be paid. This was literally the worst experience of my entire life, and I received no care or compassion at all from Shannon. She maintained that her responsibility was to her staff/business. During our phone call, I was talking about my hospitalization and she mentioned that all of her clients were hospitalized. I clarified that I wasn't hospitalized because I was giving birth. I was hospitalized due to severe preeclampsia and potential organ failure. Trying to work things out with her made a horrible situation even more stressful and terrible. She refuses to budge and maintains that we will not receive any postpartum services if we don't pay extra. My husband and I feel as though we have paid $3050 and have received nothing. We did not receive a prenatal appointment, doula birth services, or any postpartum care. Please see the last email I received from her.

My first massage at the Art of Health and probably one of the best! Emily was attentive to my…read morerequests and needs and did a fantastic job. Highly recommend!

I had my first prenatal massage (60-min) with Morgana on Sunday (1st pregnancy). I was definitely…read morenervous and did a ton of research and I choose right! She was an absolute angel. She read through my intake forms, asked me additional questions, explained everything thoroughly (side lying position with pillow set-up, what goes where) and asked if I had any questions for her. She had such a calming presence but also we were able to laugh. She reminded me to speak up at any point. I was incredibly comfortable the entire time. I felt heard and cared for at every step. Not to mention, she did an incredible job overall, my hip/lower back pain was instantly relieved. I was having issues with restless legs at night and I slept like a baby Sunday. I already booked my next appointment (I even decided to up my time to 90-mins, I was so comfortable). For all the nervous FTMs, Morgana is for you! For the office space overall, I found it calming (music/lighting/scent not overpowering), comfortable, and clean. Check-in and out was a breeze AND they will do an itemized FSA receipt if you need one! Booking was super easy online and you can get e-mail/text reminders. I thought the prices were reasonable, especially in this area.

I came here 5 years ago for an IUD insertion, and it was one of the most painful and embarrassing…read moreexperiences of my life due to the awful bedside manner of the doctors. But that is not why I chose to write this review 5 years later. I have since moved to New York and went to have my IUD replaced today as it had been 5 years since the initial insertion. I did not know until today that the IUD I got at Physicians & Midwives was placed incorrectly, and the doctors today spent the better half of an hour finding it inside of me let alone removing it. I wouldn't ever tell a family or friend of mine to seek any sort of service from this practice.

The front office is wildly unprofessional. I asked for my records to be sent to a new Dr and they…read moresent the wrong records. This caused me to miss a new drs appointment. I requested they be sent again and they were still sent wrong. Finally my new dr office reached out to them. 3rd time sent wrong. On the 4th time they sent the correct ones but every single page was facing a different direction. The new office even commented on the lack of professionalism. I requested the office manager reach out to me because of how outrageous this now month long ordeal was. Still haven't heard back. Mind you this is after I decided to change drs because I was not getting the care or representation I felt I should be.

Hanna is an incredible masseuse. What makes her so unique is her ability to listen to you and your…read morebody and adapt her practice to respond to what is going on with you each session. She also happens to have an awesome personality which doesn't hurt :)

From the owner: Hanna Elizabeth In-Home Health & Wellness is Alexandria's pioneer prenatal/labor/postnatal massage…read morecompany, purely honored to serve women, mothers and mothers-to-be in homes throughout Alexandria, VA and surrounding counties. Hanna Elizabeth's mission is to nurture, support, and empower women through a vast ocean of healing modalities to bring them in-line with their true luminosity and inner bliss. Hanna Elizabeth is empathetic to the immense amount of energy used to-- not only-- live life, but create and sustain life (to be a mom!) and is dedicated to help you receive energy back into your body, mind and spirit. Services: In-Home Prenatal Massage, Labor Massage, Postnatal Massage, Therapeutic Massage for Women, Reiki, Craniosacral Therapy, Acupressure, & Restorative Yoga.

While visiting Alexandria, I spent time searching online through a dozen local massage businesses…read morebefore deciding on Emerald Massage Center at 3335 Duke Street. I was specifically looking for skilled Licensed Massage Therapists, and their setup looked promising. I booked a 75-minute therapeutic session with Tatiana and it was far beyond "good." It was easily one of the best and most effective massages I've ever had! As someone who is knowledgeable about proper technique and tends to be quite critical, I was thoroughly impressed. Tatiana is simply amazing, and my only regret was not booking a full two hours! Tip for first-timers: The building is set back from Duke Street and isn't directly visible from the road, so give yourself a few extra minutes to find it. It is well worth checking out, and I will definitely be booking a 2-hour session with Tatiana on my next visit.

Great staff and very willing to work with you. Great sports massage by Tatiana! Highly recommend.read more

The womb room is amazing!! They offer so many classes for before baby or after. I took advantage of…read morethe free virtual prenatal yoga classes, pregnancy support group and baby and me yoga. Yoga is so fun to connect with my baby and also other moms. Plus Amanda is a great instructor! Some of their other classes are on the pricey side is the only thing but it's such a great resource for moms! Also their location can be a bit tricky to find but the main door is off Keswick Rd (and is stroller friendly). Walk in past the dress shop and bare to the right. There's a big parking lot in the back.

This review is is for the doula services and support groups (becoming a mom and breastfeeding)…read more I like that the becoming a mom group has a rotation of doulas who lead the group each week. That way you end up inadvertently meeting the different doulas. We went with Cara. She has a ton of experience and super chill vibe. Our hospital was not allowing extra visitors due to COVID so we signed up for a virtual doula service. She met with us a few times before the birth to review questions, birth plan, and provide support. She was also available via email for random questions that came up in between. The day of my labor I reached out to her as needed and she guided me through some of the decisions we had to make. Her support made it so that I could better advocate for myself and my baby during my labor. She was 100% supportive of all my decisions and in the end I ended up having a beautiful and quick birth. I am so happy we got a doula and recommend it to anyone no matter what type of brith you are planning on having. I found the groups to be more helpful towards the beginning of my pregnancy, especially as it was a time that COVID was just ramping up. The only issue is that the people in group vary from week to week. I think it would be nice to be able to connect with the same group from week to week so there is some continuity.

Tried out this studio as a part of class pass, and absolutely loved it!…read more I feel like any level of yoga could be practiced at the class I went to (beginner, moderate, advanced) - because the instructor offered modifications to make the poses both easier and more challenging if needed. I also loved the warm, clean, inviting vibe of the studio. Will absolutely return to try out more classes!

Address needs to be updated, I showed up to the old location, barely made it to the class. The new…read moreaddress is 1011 king street instead of 110 king street shown on Yelp. Instructor Toni was great, the only complaint I have is it's way too cold in the studio for my liking.

To be honest, when I hired Mari I had my doubts. I did not know anybody who had hired a doula…read morebefore and even after looking through all the package options I started to wonder if this was just another upscale way to turn birth into a business. But I was determined to have a natural birth and studies show that having a doula on hand can increase these chances. After finally going through the process myself I can say with confidence that Mari is absolutely the real deal. She has turned both my skeptical husband and I into believers. When arriving at the hospital, I was surprised how hands off the staff was during the actual labor -- they mostly left me to my own devices while they checked vitals every once in a while. Mari was there to ask questions to prompt responses from our medical team, massage my back, and suggest/show us different labor positions. I think my husband was a bit worried that he would be taking a back seat in the entire delivery process since I hired a doula but hiring Mari was more of a support staff for him. He was able to be the star by holding my hand and reassuring me while she stayed in the background rubbing my back, bringing out snacks when necessary and allowing us to take breaks when needed. No lie, natural labor is painful AF but Mari gave me this handy machine called a TENS unit which delivers an small electric buzz during contractions which pretty much saved me. The whole price of everything was worth it for that one machine. My birth plans took a detour when my physician suggested a C Section. I was really impressed that Mari was able to ask the right questions to see if it can be prevented or not. In fact, I even found her to be more knowledgeable than some of the staff members on board about the entire birth process. She truly was an integral member of our care team and even my doctor made a special exception for her to be in the surgical room with us after seeing how important she was to us. After the birth she came to my house and worked with me to answer any postpartum questions I had. She even helped me with breastfeeding which is something I probably would have given up on if I didn't have that private on on one time (there are lactation consultants in the hospital but everything is so hectic after birth it's really hard to get the hang of things.) Investment wise? It's definitely pricey and she does not accept insurance but I absolutely will (and hope!) to hire again.

She saved my sanity!!! Just a few days prior to giving birth…read moreto my first child I decided I needed a doula. Not just for me but also for the daddy-to-be as I thought he would need assistance just as much. So I "yelped" and reached out to Mari and thankfully she had the capacity and stopped by in the evening so we could get to know each other better. You know that feeling when you meet someone for the first time and it just clicks? That was the case here. She came and we talked and what I thought was minutes turned out to be two hours and I KNEW this was the best decision! We talked about a lot of things, pros and cons, already worked on my birth plan. When she went home my husband came home just a couple of mins after she left so she just turned around to meet him. SO awesome! When it came to my delivery it did not go as planned (as in probably most cases) but she helped me through with a variation of techniques, still I ended up with an epidural (you mums, there is no shame in this. none of us needs to be a warrior). Honestly, she was the most important person (besides my husband) in the delivery room. Though my nurse as super nice, Mari was the one that was my go to person, the one that told me to push in the way I needed it, the one that assured me everything was alright, the one I feel like I yelled at NOOOO when she asked me if I wanted to touch baby's head when he was almost out .. LOL (sorry about that again, Mari). Also her follow-up visit was really helpful, she spent a lot of time, she showed me a lot of things, explained a lot of emotions I would be going through (and sure enough I did). If I will have another child, signing her up as my doula will be one of the first things I will do for sure. If I could for before, during and after birth because it was the best.decision.ever!

I am a repeat client of Amy's and I cannot tell you enough of how valuable she is to have in your…read moreback pocket. As a second time mom, I didn't think I would need as much help this time around with Amy. I knew how to get a good latch, how to position my body and the baby, and felt confident that I only needed minimal visits, but baby #2 had other plans in mind. Baby #2 was born at 37wks and while that's considered full term, it's actually on the early side which causes a lot of complications with feeding. My baby had trouble latching and sucking because there wasn't enough time practicing these motor skills in the womb. This resulted in the baby not being able to transfer milk, even though my milk was coming in. Amy confirmed this with her before and after weighing from a 20mins feed. I was so upset and devastated, that we had to move quickly to formula feeding to get the weight up fast because baby #2 had severe jaundice and we were trying to keep from being admitted to the hospital for phototherapy. Unfortunately, we had to be readmitted and Amy coached me through protecting my milk supply, while formula feeding and getting baby's weight up. She also reassured me that this is just a blip in our breastfeeding journey and that we will get back on track when he's healthy and clear of jaundice. I ended up upgrading my package to the Luxe because of how important it was for me to get us back to the basics once baby #2 was in the clear health-wise. I not only was able to protect my milk supply while having to formula feeding for two weeks but I also needed support in making sure once I returned back to work how to maintain a sustainable stash without oversupply, as I did with my first. I am almost 3mo postpartum and baby #2 has a great latch, is thriving in all the drs appointments, and gaining weight beautifully. At my last in home visit Amy walked through our schedule to have a successful stash, pumping schedule, and ready for baby to start daycare and me to return to work. I almost cried when she as leaving because I've appreciated everything that she has done for me and my babies. Words cannot express how much she has meant to me. I am so thankful for her wisdom, support, expertise and care she brings with her to every visit. If you are considering a lactation consultant, get on her books!! She's your go-to-guru.

I had a baby less than two weeks ago, and I can already say that the most important decision I've…read moremade postpartum is hiring Amy. I found her through a friend who had an amazing experience, and I reached out in a panic on a Sunday when my milk came in and I had no idea what to do. Her insanely fast response time was much needed; I found out the next day that our son had lost more than 10% of his birth weight and to say that I was freaking out is an understatement. Amy came that afternoon and I immediately felt like I was in great hands. She taught me how to breastfeed comfortably, got me set up with my pump, did a weight measurement to see how much he was getting with each feed, and also helped get a plan in place to get my son back to his birth weight. After the appointment she has been incredible over text/Voxer and answers questions so quickly. Feeding a baby is so stressful but with Amy's knowledge and confident demeanor, she demystifies it. I immediately signed up for the luxe package and truly wish I did this before I delivered so I would have had a plan in place and didn't have to play catch up. Still I'm so glad that I reached out to Amy and probably would have stopped breastfeeding if I hadn't. She is truly the best and I'm so grateful to have her guidance for one of the most important pieces of my life!

I grew up watching a lot of Saturday morning NBC television so I am a big fan of the concept: "The…read moreMore You Know," which is why I decided to sign up the boy and I for Mama Chakra's one day, intensive boot camp class: "Having a Baby: From Soup to Nuts." The Pros of the Class: + Stephanie, the instructor clearly knows her stuff. Not only is she a two-time mama she is also a certified doula, childbirth educator, and prenatal and postnatal yoga instructor. She also happens to host tons of classes and mother focused workshops at my local yoga studio Journeyoga. + The class is held in her home which makes the environment relaxed for everyone. She is super relatable and easy going. + She is Birthworks certified which means that her philosophy is to just give all types of information so a mother can make the best decision for herself regarding childbirth. + Classes are small, we only had one other couple in our group! + She offers classes on weekends which worked great for our schedule. + Lots of cookies. I think I ate my weight in Milano cookies :) I'm due in two weeks so I took the class rather late in the gate but I actually found it pretty beneficial since all of the information will (hopefully) stay fresh in my mind. We focused on everything from the stages of labor, what to expect when you go to the hospital, pain management techniques, breastfeeding, birth plans and postpartum plans. For those short on time and/or money, a lot of this information can be found in books (which I have been devouring over the past few weeks) but it was absolutely helpful to have someone to answer my questions in an open environment. Also being able to have my partner there also seemed to open conversation as well. I also like how she spent a good time focusing on what to do AFTER the baby comes since this information is often skimmed over in books. I would highly recommend to anyone looking for that extra support.

From the owner: MamaChakra specializes in helping you feel in-tune with your body in preparation for labor and…read morechildbirth, by offering a variety of birthing classes, and workshops to meet your unique needs. Prenatal Yoga - I teach a "Baby Bootcamp" style class that gives you a great workout, and I teach more traditional prenatal yoga that will still build your strength for birth. No gentle, stretchy prenatal yoga here! Childbirth Education I am certified through BirthWorks and I teach my own independent curriculum. All classes provide you with un-biased resources to help you make the best decisions for your family's journey through pregnancy, birth, and beyond. In my birth classes, there is a special emphasis on breastfeeding and the first week home with baby. Many birth classes gloss over this incredibly important time, leaving you with so many questions, or having to take yet another class. My curriculum aims to put you at ease for what to expect after you have baby. My style as a birth educator is down-to-earth, no filter necessary, and lots of laughter preferred! Postnatal Yoga - I teach safe ways to find your abdominals again and regain strength, whether it's been a couple of months, or a year since you've had baby. I currently teach in two locations, and offer private sessions for moms that are hesitant to return to activity. Baby & Me Yoga - Coming in July 2015! A great way to begin to strengthen your body again AND be playful with your pre-crawling baby.