As a first time mom who was also planning a low/no intervention home birth, I was overwhelmed and…read moreclueless about where to start. I started interviewing doulas and midwives when I was only 3 months pregnant. After contacting Cynthya thru the Happiest Doulas website, I spoke with her and knew immediately that I needed the support of a doula from The Happiest Doulas as a part of my birth team. I requested a consult with Jeni Standard. Jeni's biography resonated with me the most because she had studied functional nutrition, and was certified in both nutrition and lactation. As a sufferer of Celiac Disease and someone who struggled with getting pregnant, I knew she would be a great resource and offer the support and understanding I needed. And I was so right - Jeni was the calm to my storm! She was there to comfort me after after some scary experiences. She also had great reading recommendations, as I was avidly reading all the books while pregnant. We had so many questions after our son was born and Jeni was so supportive and responsive. Because she is also a certified lactation consultant, she was able to support my decision to breastfeed, despite many obstacles. She followed up with me many times after our son was born, and I still feel like I could reach out to her just to catch up! Included in my birth package were 10 weeks of birth bootcamp classes. Our instructor, Alexa Gumm, was so wonderful! Her warmth and experience made our weekly Sunday classes something that my husband and I truly looked forward to. It turned out to be a great bonding experience for the two of us. We learned so much - from what to expect during labor (we got to watch videos) to info on breastfeeding. The classes were great for me, but mostly, I wanted my husband to really understand the process. He is not the type to read books, so a class was perfect. Alexa made sure the "dads" understood ways to support their partners during the birthing process. Alexa would have been so proud of my husband because he remembered everything she taught us during class and he was really supportive while I was in labor! She even followed up with me after our son was born and gave me some recommendations that were really helpful. I am so thankful Cynthya brought together the wonderful group called The Happiest Doulas! I will surely call on them again in the future when I plan my next birth. Cynthya was so kind and helpful as well throughout. I feel as if I gained 3 wonderful friends by the end of my pregnancy.

The best decision I made during my second pregnancy was to hire Happiest Doulas. Jeni was heaven…read moresent and helped me to finally achieve the birth I wanted. The resources Cynthya provided made me and my husband feel informed, extra prepared and confident as we navigated all the choices we needed to make. From the moment we met Jeni, she made us feel so at ease and excited about our labor and delivery journey and she created such a calming and sacred space in the hospital for us. Jeni advocated for us when we needed it and provided emotional and physical support that made me feel safe and empowered the entire time to have an unmedicated birth. Her post partum visit saved my breastfeeding journey where she gave us valuable advice and almost 5 months later, I am still happily breastfeeding. We couldn't be more grateful for Happiest Doulas!!

Bre was absolutely incredible. As a first-time mom, she supported me in so many ways and gave me…read morethe confidence and guidance I needed throughout my breastfeeding journey. I truly would not have been able to breastfeed for a full year without her help. Her knowledge, encouragement, and genuine care made all the difference. If you ever need support with breastfeeding or general baby care and advice, I cannot recommend Bre highly enough--she is simply the best!

After working with multiple lactation consultants through the hospital me and babe were still…read morehaving quite a few issues breastfeeding. I finally found Bre and I am so thankful I did. She helped us diagnose, treat and work through my sons oral ties as well as educate us on how to help his reflux. She is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to breastfeeding and babies. I also love the fact that she can help give suggestions for more natural approaches prior to trying medicines. We probably would have given up on our breastfeeding journey by now if it weren't for Bre and all of her help.

The staff of Baby Steps are highly educated and comforting. It's obvious that they love what they…read moredo. I recommend these classes to anyone that is expecting a baby or is planning on having one in the future.

From the owner: Offering childbirth, breastfeeding, and postpartum classes, as well as doula services…read more Why is taking a childbirth class such an important part of your pregnancy? It may be a crucial step in avoiding unnecessary surgery and other procedures. The cesarean rate among Intuitive Birth students is 10%, which is 69% lower than the 2007 Georgia cesarean rate of 32%, and within the guidelines of the World Health Organization.

Calming and empowering experience…read more My husband still says that he can't imagine labor without the help of Melissa. Having her gentle but assertive presence helped us both stay grounded and focused. She gave me the confidence to trust my body, and him the confidence to best support me. Melissa also captured some memorable and cherished moments from birth. Which I was so thankful for as I really had wanted to hire a photographer originally! They also encapsulated my placenta and taking those really helped regulated my hormones postpartum! Love that they offered it.

Amazing. We didn't know what to expect when getting a doula as this is our first child. With that…read moresaid, I don't think we could have expected how incredibly supportive and helpful they were. Stefanie was our doula and she went with us from the Atlanta Birth Center to the Medical Center. We had a 50 hour labor from start to finish and she was there for the entire labor. We had a great labor experience with Stefanie and I am looking forward to recommending her to everyone I know in the Atlanta area. I think I would have tapped out at around 24 hour mark if it was not for her comfort and support during labor. I highly recommend this doula team. Our midwife team was also impressed with their talent and professionalism.

Zaire is fantastic--she is kno, great at answering any questions we had, and made me feel listened…read moreto throughout the whole journey. I can honestly say that my husband and I could not have had the wonderful natural birth experience we had without her. My husband and I relocated to Atlanta in the third trimester of our pregnancy, and Zaire not only helped us with our natural birth plan, but she also helped us feel prepared and empowered in our new life in a new city as parents

From the owner: Specializing in teas, tinctures, yoni (vaginal) steams, sitz baths, blends for hormone balance,…read morereproductive health and womb wellness.

(Zero stars wasn't and option)…read more Pregnant friend: "Hey, have you ever heard of Whitney Whitmore?" Friend's Doula: "Oh yeah, I've heard of Whitney... She's as sweet as could be but I'd never work with her." Pregnant Friend: "I'm not interested in hiring her or anything. I was just curious to see if you had heard of her in the home birth community. I have a friend who had a bad experience." Friend's Doula: "Yeah, she's very inexperienced and operates 100% out of fear. Which is concerning when it comes to delivering babies in a home environment. If you WERE interested in hiring her, you'd have to find another Doula " Around week 38, she started to throw red flags, which were all negated by trusted Drs. "I think the baby is breech... Go to the hospital and tell them that you haven't felt the baby move in a long time, they'll do an Ultrasound and you can ask if the baby is head down." My husband and I were a little thrown off by how unethical that ridiculous suggestion was. We didn't feel comfortable lying about the well-being of our unborn baby and opted to go to Dr. B's office to ensure that our daughter was in the proper position for birth. At the visit, Dr. B chuckled, saying that Whitney was texting him frantically asking for his advice and he continued to reassure her that everything was fine. At this point, my husband and I started to question if we'd made the right decision in hiring her... Fast forward to week 40. She had us frantically rush into the hospital, suggesting that I be induced because our baby's heart rate kept dipping down into the 1-teens (114-118). She said that she "just didn't feel comfortable" delivering a distressed baby in a home environment. We sat in the hospital for hours while being continuously monitored. The dr came into the room and couldn't figure out what the problem was... He said that heart rate variation can range, starting at 110 and that this was COMPLETELY normal. At 40 weeks, he didn't want to induce so I was sent home to go into labor spontaneously.... Whitney's response to this was, "Spoken by a person who could get you onto an operating table within 10 seconds."....... Hospitals are induction happy and they SENT US HOME (30 mins away) because our baby was perfectly healthy and not at all distressed. She was, and I quote, "the healthiest baby on this floor". We never heard back from Whitney after this. She collected all of our money, transferred us out of her care for NO reason at all and never once texted or called to discuss how we would move forward, or to check on me and my baby... Nothing... We didn't hear from her until AFTER our daughter was born stating that she would've liked to have been there in a "Doula capacity"... I would hope that a Doula would frequently check on me after surpassing the 40 week mark. Especially with claims of health issues, if that's what she truly believed... I honestly don't believe that she ever had any intentions on delivering our baby. I think that she was intimidated by the fact that I have fibroids (which were discussed before we even STARTED care and Dr. B said that they were a non issue) and decided that she would collect the money and then transfer me out of care before completing the service. We contacted her and asked that she return a small portion of the money that we paid, she lied and said that she was already planning to do that. We received nothing but an itemization of services in the mail which indicated that she had no intentions of returning what was rightfully owed back to us. At this point, my husband and I are in the process of pursuing a case with the DA in order to rectify things. Hire at your own risk.

Whitney was my midwife at my last two births. I absolutely loved all of my prenatal…read moreappointments--it was nice to get to know my birth team so personally as well as them get to know me. It was nice to be heard any time I had a concern and not treated like I didn't know what I was talking about. I felt right at ease from the moment I met Whitney. She was warm and inviting and funny and so very knowledgeable. I knew I was in good hands. My births were both fast and amazing. Whitney was great and tuned in directly to me and knew exactly what I needed at exactly right moment. She knew what I was saying beyond the words that were coming out of my mouth. I felt so very well taken care of! If I ever get pregnant again, Whitney will be my first call...then maybe my mom. ;)

I usually don't write reviews, but the help that Jennifer gave me during my son's birth was…read moreamazing. I will never go through another pregnancy without a doula by my side and my doula will always be Jennifer. Her kind spirit and heart make her the perfect person to work with Mother's and babies. Prior to delivery Jennifer was able to keep me informed of options that were not presented by my doctors. She offers a holistic approach to solving problems that arose during my pregnancy that doctors were quick to fix with medication only. Due to a family emergency she was not able to be there during the beginning of my induction but she made sure to stay in contact via phone and text. She walked me through techniques that allowed my birthing process to go faster than the normal induction. Despite her family emergency she arrived as I was going into labor. She had many pain reliving and calming techniques that guided me through labor without an epidural. With her assistance I was able to deliver in less than 6 hours after I was induced. I am sure it would have taken longer without he guidance. After delivery my son had a tongue tie and reflux which made breastfeeding difficult. Once again she was a wealth of knowledge . She knew people that specialized in treating those problems. My husband and I are forever thankful to her and her guidance.

Jennifer is incredible! She is warm, supportive, knowledgeable and kind. I couldn't have had an…read moreunmedicated natural birth without her there to help me through each contraction.

Highly Recommended! Wife and I attended a class with Guina…read moreabout 3 months before the arrival of our baby girl. She walked us through the background of the "why" and then transitioned into the "how". Many of the tips and tricks Guina provided and demonstrated were incredibly helpful during the run-up to being in labor and during our stay at the hospital. So thankful that Guina was willing to share her wisdom with us. I would not hesitate to recommend her to anyone seeking a calm, reassuring veteran to help guide them through the birthing process. Thanks Guina!

The women at Emerge are amazing! We took Guina's birth class - a must for new moms and dads. She…read morefully prepared us for the unexpected and that enabled me to stay calm when things didn't go as planned. Melanie and her team encapsulated my placenta. I did the smoothie add on and I am so thankful to have had that during recovery. The pills are clearly making a difference in my mood and I do not have the mood swings my friends have had post partum. My milk came in early and has been in abundance - our son gained over 2 pounds in his first 2 weeks! They were spot on with pick up and delivery and even included a chocolate treat. My friends and family have really enjoyed getting to see the tree of life - it is a wonderful work of art. Shari was our doula. You can read more about how much we love her on her Yelp page - Bodyworks Atlanta. She is simply AWESOME! You can't go wrong with Emerge!