The Post Partum Doula support we received from Austin Born's amazing Stephanie was simply perfect. Seriously. Perfect. Stephanie is a doula and a lactation consultant, plus her sense of calm and reassurance helped us first time parents relax a little--which is saying a lot! We arranged to have Stephanie come on our first night home from the hospital with our beautiful baby. She provided lactation advice and created a priority list for me which we hung on the master bathroom door: 1. Feed baby 2. Feed Mommy (eat/drink) 3. Sleep Seems pretty simple, but after a week of sleep deprivation, the list helped stop my "one-more-thing" syndrome. For the first time in my life I was responsible for a needy, helpless, endlessly adorable baby--my baby. Who had time for sleep? Once I got into bed I was so amped up on adrenaline I couldn't shut down. My husband had to hold me tight to turn off the humming in my mind and body. I was finally able to sleep for an hour--it was a gift. My first nap after baby, along with Stephanie's unwavering, consistently calm, reassuring presence through those first days, gave me room to breathe and think again. She was there for many other firsts too in person, via phone, and via text. And I'm thankful for all of the support. There's nothing like having an expert to guide you through this miraculous journey--hopefully you'll get a chance to be as grateful as I am. Cheers to Austin Born! read more

We used Austin Born prenatal and postpartum services. As new parents, the prenatal classes we attended were very informative and empowering. Unfortunately, we could not obtain maximum benefit of support groups and attend all classes due to pregnancy related illness. We did, however, feel a huge value of using Austin Born, was in the communication and correspondence with our Doula, Kim Borchert. She answered many emails, texts and calls in a very open-minded and timely manner. We were referred to amazing pregnancy specialists such as chiropractors, twin trainers and also given pain relieving techniques which greatly reduce the discomfort and frustration of carrying twins. As new parents of twins with no family nearby, our postpartum Doula service was important. Austin Born was holistic in every sense and we felt that we had not only one awesome doula checking in and supporting us in our home each day but also had a team of doulas with vast experience behind the scenes. Without Austin Born and our doula, Juanita Sawyer, we are not sure how we would've survived. From small suggestions of types of bottles to breast-feeding struggles to reflux management solutions, there is no obstacle this team can't fix. Now that our babies are older, we look back and realize the value Austin Born services is not in how many classes were attended or how many hours of doula services were provided. The value is most definitely in the knowledge, resources, accumulated experience and open-minded approach. In short, they were amazing and invaluable to us. read more

A husband/father's perspective: Austin Born was easily one of the best decisions my wife and I made during our first pregnancy. We met with the Austin Born team and immediately felt comfortable in their space and enjoyed the dynamic they'd created together. Plus they were in our hood...in a very charming space which nudged my comfort level even further. After attending the initiation meeting with a few other couples I felt like these women offered something of value to expectant families (I'd never heard of a doula prior to this meeting which my wife initiated). Specifically, I felt perhaps they might ease a bit of my own uncertainty and when the time came I wouldn't be on my own to make snap decisions that I had no experience in a would likely be in a panic over. Not only was this accurate, but it was only the beginning of what (in our case Stephanie & *especially Phyllis) ended up providing. The initiation was followed by a home visit with Phyllis, our assigned doula. It was educational, casual, and fun all at once...this is a big deal for future dads. I'm not the type that is really into this sort of thing by nature. As I write this review at 6am, my wife sleeps and my 2-week old daughter is barely awake next to me in her bassinet. Getting to this point was unexpectedly grueling. Our labor was 72 hrs in all and went from birthing center to hospital which was not the plan...this is as much detail as I'll provide on the labor. I'm honestly not sure what I would have done without Phyllis there when we made that transition. I'm certain my wife would say the same. Simply having a friendly knowledgeable and trusted doula to be there is something I would recommend to anyone expecting...essential for the first time. For me, it will be essential if there are future siblings for our daughter. I'll end by saying that Phyllis stayed with us much longer than I believe she was supposed to. And then she showed up the next day to check on us. Followed by a follow-up visit at our home to see how things were going and to answer any questions that may have popped up during our first week back. Simply put, Austin Born proved themselves to be invaluable in our first go-round with pregnancy. *one thing I'd like to point out is that I mention Phyllis specifically, but she was who we were assigned to based on the AB schedule. We ended up spending several hours with Stephanie as well (terrific) and all three women seemed equally capable and pleasant. Good luck! read more

We LOVED working with AustinBorn! We really enjoyed the pre-natal meetings, both content and community, and were thankful we started attending so early in the pregnancy to ensure we participated in all the sessions. Scout was an amazing birth doula and we couldn't be more happy she was part of our labor team. Her yoga skills, calm demeanor and strong energy were exactly what I needed to get through the experience. I was determined to have a natural, non-medicated birth and Scout made that possible. read more

Stephanie, Phyllis, and Lacreshia make a dynamic trio of support for families going through the childbearing years in Austin. Their new space on Avenue F is tastefully appointed and the perfect setting for their groups and events from the breastfeeding cafes to pregnancy support groups. You'll love the energy of these ladies and I am pleased to have another great group of birth pros to refer my pregnant clients out to for birth and postpartum doula support. read more

Number one advice to new parents: hire ab doula! (Preferably Austin born.) Having Austin Born as a part of my birth team has been vital to the prenatal and postpartum experience I have had and I can't imagine not having them. Yaz and Stephanie were amazing at the birth of my son. They helped me power through 46 hours of labor ultimately resulting in the happiest moment of my life. Breastfeeding cafe with Stephanie and The Circle with Kim have also been essential to my postpartum transition. This community at Austin Born has truly been a life saver. Literally everyone there is amazing. I would absolutely recommend them to anyone having a baby, or who is looking for support after baby! read more

After two different friends recommended AustinBorn, I was excited to hire them. We signed up for their birth doula offering, which also included prenatal group classes that we attended regularly. After my son was born, I found great value in their weekly Breastfeeding Cafe and The Circle mother's group. In fact, I've made some of my closest mama friends through their community! AustinBorn is a team of smart, funny, experienced, and supportive women. I highly recommend them as birth and postpartum doulas, and I cannot say enough about the education, community & support they provide to the mothers and families of Austin. read more

My husband and I had an incredible birth experience with Austin Born. From the informative and social prenatal gatherings to the follow up care provided by the experienced doulas, we would recommend any mother in Austin to use one of the fantastic doulas at Austin Born. No question we will hire them again. The community of caring mothers they've created is priceless. read more

Finding Austin Born was the best thing I did when pregnant. There are a zillion doulas out there, it seems, but the AB doula group stands out from the crowd because: a) when you join you get the benefit of attending weekly groups with informative baby/pregnancy themes. I found this to be super helpful, fun and a great way to get to know the three doulas and learn from a cohort of other pregnant ladies b) Because there are three doulas, they back each other up so no matter when you go into labor, you'll be assisted by a doula you know and love. (Nicole Kier ended up being our doula and she was perfect ray of sunshine during my 20 hour natural birth). c) The doulas offer different areas of expertise that can be super helpful. In my case, Stephanie provided great lactation support postpartum. I highly recommend Austin Born! read more

My husband and I weren't sure what all we'd get out of having a doula but it sounded like a good idea so we went for it. The Austin Born rate might seem steep but it's totally worth it. We not only received great guidance through my late pregnancy, labor and delivery, but also became part of their supportive community of clients. Through their events, gatherings and family Facebook group, I'm in regular contact with other new moms, and some further along, which has been wonderful. I've received good support and advice from AB's doula and lactation consultant, Stephanie, by attending Breastfeeding Cafe gatherings, and learned great tips and suggestions from other classes and featured speakers hosted there. Phyllis was the doula on call for my labor and her minimal yet well-timed suggestions and insights were the perfect level of help for my husband and me. She was really awesome - we would have felt a little lost without her! I made it through a natural delivery thanks in part to her guidance and coaching. She never imposed anything on us, respected our wishes and was wonderfully supportive through those many challenging hours of labor. All in all, a great experience and I'd recommend Austin Born for their doula services and for their other events and services. read more

I absolutely love these women!! We moved from Germany to Austin 2 months before birth and this place was a lifesaver! We went to a couple of courses, joined the prenatel class and I went to the breastfeeding Café for the first months after birth. I had problems with breastfeeding at the beginning and was really afraid that I had to end it, but with Stephanies professionell support I still have a happy breastfed baby. I also had postpartum doula support from Jami and I couldn't have had a better person. Jami is so gently and warmhearted and always took great care of our daughter. read more

My husband and I attending the all day long birth preparation class with teachers and doulas Shelley and Amanda. This class was amazing! We learned so much and there were very powerful exercises. We went from feeling nervous about our home birth to excited, and they gave us a ton of information about hospital births should we need to transfer. This is a must take class. I was worried about the 9 hours but it went by so fast, we didn't want to leave when it was over! Thank you for offering this amazing resource. read more

Stephanie came out to our home for lactation education prior to the birth of our first child. She is an excellent coach/teacher. Stephanie's mix of evidence-based information ( the research behind why to breastfeed and all the positives for mother/baby) , hands-on learning ( how to actually breastfeed a child), and empowerment ( she makes you feel like you can and will be successful at this.) I came away feeling a deeper connection to my yet unborn child and a confidence that I would indeed have this bond with my child once he made his arrival. The information Stephanie provided, made me feel excited to breastfeed my child vs before meeting with Stephanie, my perspective about breastfeeding was simply knowing that I was interested in breastfeeding. I highly recommend this education. After returning home following the delivery of our child, Stephanie has been able to answer/ assist/ encourage when we needed her. She came out to the house when our baby wasn't gaining weight and showed us how to increase my flow and tricks with the pump. Stephanie's mantra was #1 feed the baby and #2 protect mama's milk supply. She went above and beyond. I was in tears and she came and helped. I cannot say enough positive things about our experience with her. So very glad to have found her. I would recommend her to anyone breastfeeding for the first time, anyone having trouble breastfeeding, and for mom's who just want a refresher. This would be a great baby shower gift. read more

I would highly recommend AustinBorn to any expecting parents in the Austin area. My husband and I selected their Birth Doula package and fully took advantage of the group classes that are included in the package. The classes were really helpful to get to know the doulas and also meet other expecting parents, as well as throw all sorts of questions at the knowledgeable team! We also took Chelsea's breastfeeding class and continue to use the info we learned. For our birth, Jacqueline started out with us for phone support and then Jami met us at the hospital when I went into a more advanced stage of labor. Her calm presence was incredibly helpful to keep me grounded and also help guide my husband about how he could best help ease the pain of contractions. After the birth of our son, both Jami & Chelsea were incredibly helpful and supportive as we bombarded them with the endless questions of first-time parents. I haven't yet had the opportunity to visit the Breastfeeding Cafe or The Circle mother's group, but I look forward to going as soon as I have the chance. Bottom line - having a doula at our birth was a great decision and in choosing AustinBorn, we got the added benefit of so much additional support that really helped us keep our sanity the first couple weeks. We highly recommend! read more

My husband and I had an amazing experience with Austin Born - signing up with them was easily the best decision we made regarding the birth of our daughter. I had one on one time with all three doulas - two massages with Lacreshia (awesome), a breastfeeding class with Stephanie (wonderful) and prenatal/birth/postnatal support with Phyllis - our primary doula throughout our experience. I had never heard of a doula prior to getting pregnant and for most of my pregnancy was convinced that I didn't need one - I'm so glad that we were encouraged to look into it more. Having Phyllis there for us - whether it was on the phone or in person - made all the difference in the world. We will never forget what she did for us. She's phenomenal. Our daughter is now just shy of two weeks old and I've already had an in-home postnatal visit from Phyllis - and been out to the Breastfeeding Cafe with Stephanie. It's things like this that make AB special. We're proud to be a members of the family and look forward to continued relationships with these ladies, as well as the other moms/dads/families we'll meet along the way. :) read more

hiring a doula is the best decision we made for our pregnancy, birth, and post-partum period. every woman deserves the support, wisdom, and nurturing that a doula is able to provide. we absolutely cannot imagine the birth and beginning weeks without her. we were referred to our doula, stephanie spitzer-hanks, by a friend, and she met with us for a consultation. we knew instantly that we wanted to hire her. she had the most calming presence. she really listened to us. i never felt like she had an agenda regarding our decisions about the birth which was really comforting since i had a lot of ambivalence about my birth plan. i wanted to try to give birth naturally, but i was scared. it seemed like every woman i met in the final months of my pregnancy had an opinion to share about attempting a birth without medication. meeting with stephanie before our birth gave us the opportunity to process my fears. we developed a flexible birth plan and stephanie prepared us for some of the decisions we might have to make during and after the birth. we were in touch with stephanie during early labor and she came to our house when we were ready. she gently suggested different positions to alleviate the intensity of the contractions. she knew when to step back and give me space. she helped me feel strong at my weakest moments. she helped my husband understand what was happening because my pain was at times confusing and terrifying to him which in turn helped him better support me. and when i was ready to go to the hospital, stephanie assumed the role of advocate. she helped remind us what we had decided we wanted in our birth plan. and when complications arose during the labor, she helped me stay calm and remember to breathe. i feel strongly that her support prevented me from having a c-section. when our baby was finally born, stephanie was there to assist with those first important moments of skin-to skin contact and breastfeeding. she made sure we were settled and fed before leaving. i still can't believe she was able to stay so present and supportive for that 24 hour stretch. we decided to hire stephanie after the birth as a postpartum doula. she provided SO much support with breastfeeding in that first week. i read a lot of books about breastfeeding but having in-home support was exactly what i needed to feel comfortable with positioning. she showed me how to hold him and how to prevent damage. and most importantly helped me feel confident in breastfeeding during a time when i felt really emotional and overwhelmed and unsure of myself. i am not sure i would still be breastfeeding today if i had not had her lactation support in those early days. in addition to lactation support, stephanie helped us learn how to swaddle, bathe the baby, and was available to answer any question we had about newborn care. she helped us organize our home and develop a system for our friends to help with household duties. we are so happy that Austinborn is in our community and thankful that they were part of our story. read more

Lacreshia is amazing! We hired her as our doula when she was working alone under the "Livingwell". My full review can be found by searching yelp for "Livingwell" since that was the business we hired her through. Now she is part of a small group of doulas with Austinborn. We (husband and I) met the other doulas when she joined them towards the end of my pregnancy. They all seem great, but we're partial to Lacreshia due to our experience with her. I had a rough delivery: my baby was 9 pound 14 ounces and during my labor/delivery the doctor pulled a Jekyll and Hyde, becoming condescending and nasty when I asked questions after she (my doctor) began pushing a c section. If it weren't for Lacreshia, I have no doubt that I would have had a c section. She is comforting, kind, supportive and knowledgeable. My OBGYN had me crying at one point and Lacreshia was able to make me not only feel better, but also made me believe that I could push my baby out without a c section. She's also an awesome prenatal massage therapist as well as a great teacher (we took her Birth Class). read more

I have been meaning to write this review for months, but we saw Stephanie in January of this year as a lactation consultant. This was our second child and I was having problems getting the hang of nursing with her and really needed some non-judgmental help. She came to our house first when I was feeling pretty emotional about my difficulties, and then again for a followup to reinforce some of the feedback she had given the first time. She really did make a difference. I was able to nurse my second child with relative ease after those visits and I really believe she made the difference. read more

Austin Born saved me! It really did. I was pregnant in a new city with no family around and i can truly say it has become my "village." I took the breastfeeding class before I gave birth which I highly recommend if you are pregnant. Stephanie teaches that class and she's awesome. She is relaxed and calm as well as being highly knowledgeable and she always adds a bit of humor to things. The postpartum support is exceptional and I attend as many Austin Born groups as I can. Nicole was my postpartum doula and she is terrific. Phyllis is amazing as well. Highly recommend!!!!! read more

Hiring a doula was something that my husband and I really wanted to do. We were pretty overwhelmed by all the options and he was a bit concerned that a doula would take over the jobs that he thought that he should do. We wanted an experience where we would know the doula that was coming and that she would not be booked with anyone else that week at a reasonable price. AustinBorn fit the bill with only three rotating doulas and a variety of services if one needs them. Our birth was relatively easy, but Stephanie was a total pro. She was super calm when my husband would call and gave him lots of tips. At the hospital, she and my husband played different roles in my birth and each were imperative to the ease of the birth. He now says "Why would anyone go into labor without the help of a doula?", which is exactly what I think as well. Hirinh AustinBorn was a fantastic decision and they reallt strive to give their clients a great experience. read more

Took two classes with Stephanie at Austin Born - Newborn Care 101 and Prenatal Breastfeeding. Both were fantastic! Tons of helpful information and resources to get prepared for baby's arrival, what to do once baby gets here, and how to take care of yourselves too. Super personalized - very open to questions while still getting through all the information. read more

Phyllis, Stephanie and Nicole are absolutely amazing women with a wealth of knowledge. We hired Austin Born to be our doulas at 7 weeks pregnant with our second baby. From the moment we met them on our interview we knew they were the right choice for us. We attended almost every prenatal group and never walked out without learning something new. Phyllis attended my birth a few weeks ago and was just amazing! She was with me the entire 18 hours I was in labor, she offered wonderful suggestions to help with progression, she offered support to my tired husband and even traded out with him so he could have breaks. She was right by my side as I birthed my son earthside and stayed until we were all taken care of and resting as a family in our bed. She came a checked on us a few days later and made sure breastfeeding was going well and that I was healing well. I am now participating in a few groups they offer post partum and they are just as beneficial as the prenatal classes. If you are looking for a doula for your birth, I highly recommend Austin Born. read more