My wife just gave birth yesterday and she heard a lot of the benefits of placenta encapsulation…read more After hearing about lotus birth services, she decided to have me contact Crystal for preparation of placenta consumption through encapsulation. What a wonderful person crystal was to work with. I was already stressed enough with everything following the arrival of my son, but she made it so much easier to deal with the placenta. She came to Kapiolani hospital to pick up the placenta and delivered the pills back the following day. Her method of preparation is also worry free. Definitely recommend this place if you have any questions or services for anything birthing related.

I contacted Crystal about placenta encapsulation after a close friend recommended her. After I met…read morewith Crystal I immediately regretted not having set her up as my doula for the entirety of my pregnancy. Crystal is professional yet sweet and you can tell she truly loves what she does. Not to mention, her prices are very reasonable for the care you are receiving. I had my placenta encapsulated and had a tincture made. Crystal was super helpful in explaining the process and making sure I was taken care of. I waited a few days after I gave birth to start the placenta pills because I wanted to catch up on sleep first and I only wish I had started them sooner. Since taking them I have lost all signs of baby blues, I feel great, and have noticed an increase in my breastmilk supply. I highly recommend Crystal for both placenta encapsulation and doula services.

For context, my husband and I are expecting our first child this fall. This is my first pregnancy…read moreand because of my rare chronic illnesses, I tend to have medical anxiety due to past experiences with healthcare providers not listening to my concerns/needs and facing the repercussions of that. My ideal birth would be an at-home water birth but due to limited physical space and being higher risk, I am planning to have a hospital birth. Even before my pregnancy, I knew that I wanted to do some kind of hypnobirthing practice. There are lots of resources (online articles, books, videos, etc.) these days that go over the medical aspects of labor and birthing as well as physical preparation, but being someone that is anxiety-prone, especially with unfamiliar medical providers/spaces, I knew that my main goal was to get mentally prepared. A class was ideal because I wanted to get actual practice/feedback (rather than just reading about what to do from a book) and also wanted to learn alongside my husband. He will be my sole birth companion and advocate, and I felt that it was important for us to be on the same page in regards to how we would approach stressors and challenges. Admittedly, my husband was a bit skeptical about "hypnobirthing" before our first class. He thought it would have to do with me being under hypnosis in the sense that I would be "controlled" by someone else. He also didn't want me to get scammed lol, since there are sometimes cases of "new age"/"alternative" practices that end up being scams. However, after attending classes and practicing the exercises, we can both confidently say that we are glad to have taken Vivien's class! After we registered, we received a package in the mail with the class materials. There were some aspects of the book (not written by Vivien) that came across to me as a little fear-mongery and against hospital births but Vivien does a wonderful job in her classes at emphasizing the benefits/uses of hypnobirthing for all types of birth experiences, whether you are planning for a home vs. hospital birth, vaginal vs. C-section birth, spontaneous vs. induced birth, etc. And of course, we can always prepare with visions/plans but things can happen; what's most important is that we feel confident and safe regardless of how the labor/birth actually plays out. The concepts can also be used outside of labor/birth. For example, I was recently struggling with side effects from getting my COVID booster recently. I felt miserable and was having difficulty falling asleep. My husband did some of the exercises that we practiced in class (reminders to do calm breathing, doing light tough massage, reading a relaxation script) and it was really helpful. Vivien's classes are a great mix of presentation slides, watching videos, discussions, and hypnobirthing/breathing exercises. The videos in particular were powerful for me. I realized that up until Vivien's classes I had only heard of labor/birthing horror stories from family/friends (and TV shows/movies!), including that of my own birth when my mom was pregnant with me. Vivien's classes were the first time I had seen/heard examples of such calm, peaceful births and I was grateful to see examples of hospital births too. Of course, you could still tell when the person was experiencing discomfort from a surge, but it was a complete 180 from my previous perceptions/mental images of birth where the person is screaming, red/purple in the face, crying, exhausted, and/or barely coherent. The classes also have specific materials/practices for birthing companions too, so your partner/support person can feel involved and be prepared to be your advocate when the time comes. In regards to logistical things, the location is downtown. Parking is in a private lot but Vivien provides validation. Clear directions and parking instructions are texted ahead of time. There is a clean, private bathroom located in the office so no need to worry about bathroom breaks :) I would definitely recommend Vivien's hypnobirthing classes to expecting parents!

Hypnobirthing classes with Vivi were just what I needed and were done so well and professionally…read more I'm about 2 weeks out from delivering my second daughter. I did Hypnobirthing with my first, nearly 9 years ago with no pain medication, but felt I could use a refresher. Vivien gave me one-on-one support outside of class, and during group sessions, asked me about my experiences and let me share knowledge with the group as well. We covered everything a birthing parent and their birthing partner need to know to feel ready, and if this were my first time, I would feel equally prepared. I loved the meditation sessions and have been using them to practice these last few weeks. I'm going into this birth feeling excited and enthusiastic, and with no fear whatsoever. If you would like to learn to trust your body, and have a peaceful birth without pain and fear that's nothing like the movies, Vivi is perfect for you. I will recommend her to every expecting parent I know. Thanks so much, Vivi!

For unparalleled 24/7 care, beautiful and spacious suites, a positive and nurturing birth…read moreexperience, forget all the other hospitals and register here!! I wish i had better words to describe what an amazing experience it was to have my baby at [Adventist Health] Castle's Vera Zilber Birth Center. First off, though not the most important factor, the facility is *stunning*. With the ko'olau mountains as the backdrop, lush greenery all around, a bed for your labor coach, lots of free parking for friends and family, a jacuzzi tub to labor in, delicious food- what more could you ask for? Oh, right... amazing staff and care. Well, guess what? You get that ten-fold here. At 4am on a rainy day in October 2018 at 39 weeks pregnant, my water broke and hubby and I rushed to the hospital. We'd packed our bags ahead of time and we were already registered there so very little paperwork was needed. They checked us in and ushered us to the triage room where they confirmed that my water broke and measured how dilated I was. They informed my doctor immediately and took us to our huge suite where we could get settled and comfortable. I knew the baby's head was turned a bit weird because i was laboring in my back more and so it took 9 hours of labor and *3 hours* of pushing to get my 8lb baby out! They offered me different laboring options with a bar to get baby to come down more and the wonderful jacuzzi tub to sit in with jets. I requested to do a natural, unmedicated birth and was supported the whole way through. Dr. Chapman is one of *the top* OBGYNs in the country and I was privileged enough to have her be the one to deliver my baby (and sew me up - ouch!). She really is one of the most knowledgeable and respected doctors out there. The staff is absolutely incredible. Hands down the BEST. They took the time to get to know me and offered tailored care for me, my baby and my husband. They were so attentive and respectful. Every time there was a shift change, the nurses updated the chart but READ mine beforehand and obviously spoke to the other nurses to learn my situation and what i needed. I was always greeted with a smile. The day charge nurse would introduce me to the night nurse and they always made sure that i knew who they were, what they were doing, what me and my baby needed, they helped me with my lactation issues, arranged for a lactation consultant to further assist me, made sure my husband and i were comfortable, etc. To put it simply, I wasn't a room number. I was their patient. They really cared for us and gave us the one-on-one attention that we needed. They encouraged baby-friendly tactics to enrich our bond as a family, as new parents. They gave and taught us tools that were invaluable for when we brought our baby home. I can't express enough how wonderful everyone was. We were so blessed to have our baby here and be cared for by each and every staff member. A very special thank you to the following staff members and nurses who just really shined (whose names I can remember): Melody, Candace, Ashley, Grace, Malia, Carolyn, Tamy, Leah and Regina. For a caring and VIP birth experience, choose Vera Zilber. ***Note: Each suite has a jacuzzi tub, bed for your labor coach and a fridge for your snacks and drinks. If you like, you can bring your own pillows for extra comfort. They do not provide meals for your labor coach/significant other but there is an amazing cafeteria in the hospital called the bistro. Honestly, hubby and I just shared the food they gave me because it was so much anyway and we had our snacks and a baby to keep us busy .

Nurse Marilyn, You…read morewere the best nurse for my birthing experience & couldn't have done it without you! I truly felt safe in your care and believed I could get through it because of you! I have given birth at Castle twice and both times were the best experiences. From the moment you enter til the moment you leave everything feels stress free and you're treated with the best hospitality in a hospital IMO. I love that you don't have to park far in the parking structure and your car is like 30 feet from the front door. The rooms are the biggest of all the birthing centers on Oahu (and the most comfortable). I have given birth at Queens with my first born and after being spoiled at Castle I will never give birth anywhere else but at Castle. I just can't stress how amazing nurse Marilyn was though and how I felt like she was my family member getting me through birth! I hope she sees this & I can't thank her enough for being the epitome of what a nurse should be to a patient.

We are so grateful to have found Cindy! This was my 2nd low intervention / no pain medication birth…read moreand she was the second doula we have used. We thought the first one was incredible. Cindy exceeded our expectations!! She has experience in teaching childbirth classes so was able to lead us through simulations before the birth to assist my husband to support me in labor. During my labor she was there the entire time and was good at changing positions to help keep labor progressing and my husband involved in supporting me. She was very mindful of our birth plan, for example she advocated to be sure our nurse learned how to change the bed to a squatting position with the bar in early labor. Baby came quickly, had she not done this our nurse would not have known how. She stayed and helped us move to the postpartum room ensuring breastfeeding was well established before she left. She also came to our home a few days after the birth to help out and made me a postpartum ginger soup and a egg drop one and assisted with helping me learn how to baby-wear a newborn. She has a wealth of knowledge of childbirth & postpartum care & worked well with with the hospital staff. Cindy possesses positive energy and a intuition to know how to help without being intrusive. Mahalo nui loa Cindy!! Highly Recommend!!

Hiring Cindy as my doula was one of the best decisions I made in my life. I didn't have the best…read moreexperience with the doula I hired for my first child (wasn't bad just wasn't a good fit), so when I was getting ready for my second, I wasn't so sure I really wanted to go through the trouble of finding another one. I was planning to have a hospital birth but also wanted to go without unnecessary medication, and wasn't so sure my husband and I could do it without extra support. I'm soooooo glad I searched for a doula and found Cindy! She was very intuitively sensitive of and attentive to our needs as a whole family (and not just me) and even paid attention to the needs of my older child. She didn't push any agenda on us or make us feel judged. She made every effort to listen to what we wanted with our birth and after care plan and gave us the space to figure it out when we weren't sure. She also seemed to just know what we needed without us really knowing it or being able to articulate it ourselves. The best part was how supportive she was in so many practical ways after the birth without being overbearing and invasive (like some family members can be). Even though I have pretty supportive family around, having the attentive support of another impartial, caring woman I could trust during a very vulnerable time made my second birth experience so much smoother, easier, and full of joyful memories. She met with us before the birth to get to know us, and was not only there with us before, during and after labor, but she also checked in on us a couple times in the weeks after to provide whatever support we needed at the time. My husband and I continue to talk about what a great experience that was because of Cindy. I don't regret a single penny spent on her services. I highly recommend Cindy to my pregnant friends even if they're not looking for a doula!

I can't say enough wonderful things about Kiersten. She has a servant's heart, a passion for women…read moreand families, and the giftings of so many needed services during the postpartum period. She was so kind and a resource of knowledge to me during my postpartum period. She will be a blessing to all families who invest in themselves by hiring Kiersten.

From the owner: Placenta Encapsulation. Lactation Services. Childbirth Education. Postpartum Doula Serving the…read moreNorth Shore of Oahu, Honolulu, Waikiki, Kapolei, Ewa Beach, Mililani, Wahiawa, Waianae, Kailua, Kaneohe, Queens Medical Center, Kapi'olani Medical Center for Women and Children, Birth Center at Castle Madical Center, Kaiser Permanente Moanalua Medical Center, Tripler Army Medical Center & More. Placenta Encapsulation, Lactation Support, Meal Preparation, Belly Binding and Natural Infant Care.

In general, I would not recommend this class to expecting parents who are not already affiliated…read morewith the church group that puts it on. The instructors seem very nice and likeable, and I don't mean to attack them personally, but the class is a major time commitment, and I feel compelled to share some of my concerns. First, the positives. The instructors are charismatic, and the pastor who leads it has a wonderful speaking voice. I honestly think she'd be fun to hang out with. The class includes useful instruction regarding techniques for labor, massage, writing a birth plan, etc. A lot of the stuff you're there for is somewhere in the class, so if you are willing to sit through it, you may get a lot of the information you came for in terms of feeling more prepared for your actual birth. Next, my concerns. (1) This class has a moderate to strong ideological tone and slant, especially re vaccines. You might be thinking, "well what did you expect from a free class from a group called Birth Believers?" It was honestly a bit more concerning than I had expected. A recurring theme of the class is: "your doctor is going to tell you X, but you shouldn't trust them, and in fact, you should probably do Y or even Z." The instructors will present this as them just providing you with information, but the presentation is not value neutral. You are meant to come away feeling suspicious of doctors and hospitals and favoring "natural" methods. For instance, they'll show you a 25-30 year old graphic video of how babies are traumatized during hospital births and contrast it with a video of an uncomplicated natural birth. Our experience with this was that it just contributed to our stress. One could say that this class presents a lot of their information using scare tactics and negativity. The most alarming example of this was their section on whether pregnant mothers should receive the COVID vaccine. This came up twice - in the first and fourth sessions. In the first session, the message was essentially, "there's no way to really know whether it's safe." I thought this was beyond the instructor's expertise, but I didn't really have a problem with the way she presented it. But in the fourth session, the pastor brought up the CDC's most recent guidance (that pregnant women should get the COVID vaccine) and although she faithfully conveyed the CDC's recommendation, she immediately undermined it by (in my opinion) grossly misrepresenting the study that underpinned the guidance. Audience members were reacting with outrage toward the CDC based on her representation of the data. This was infuriating and, frankly, irresponsible. It's one thing to say "we don't know," but this time, she may have been presenting data incorrectly and strongly implying that we should draw certain conclusions about the impact of the vaccine on rates of miscarriage and other events. The conclusions she was pointing to were, in my opinion, not at all supported by the data. I say irresponsible because a pastor has positioned themselves in a role of power and trust relative to students and congregants, and I suspect there are people who may not get vaccinated now because their view on vaccines is downstream of their decision to trust this pastor who has no expertise in that area. My broader point is that the instructors have an ideological agenda that goes beyond birthing and it gets in the way of what the class is supposed to be about. (2) This class is very long and does not use time efficiently. There are lots and lots of product recommendations and anecdotes in each session, and I am convinced that each session could have been 1/3 as long if it were tightened up. One of the teachers, who is very nice, told the birth story for each of her six kids. They were all very different, they were all interesting, but they were not useful to tired, working pregnant people on a Monday night at 8:30pm. Conclusion: If you're a secular person planning for a hospital birth, this class is probably not for you. This is a religious organization with an agenda beyond the nuts and bolts of birthing, and your time may be better spent with a paid class put on by the hospital where you're planning to give birth or some other organization in line with your values. If you're a religious person familiar with the ideology of this church, you may feel very comfortable in this space and this class. I would encourage you to consider alternative viewpoints regarding matters that seem beyond the instructors' expertise.

Birth Believers is a group that provides Childbirth Education, Doula Services, and Placenta…read moreEncapsulation. I don't know if you follow me / are friends with me on Yelp, or if you are just happening to see this review through looking up Birth Believers...either way, I want to make this clear: Never, in all of my years yelping, being Yelp Elite, and writing reviews, have I ever felt THIS strongly about a review, and about a recommendation. I 100% recommend this doula service. Every single fiber of my being is me telling you: Hire a doula from Birth Believers. Let's start off with some backstory: When I first became pregnant, one of my friends told that me that her biggest regret was NOT having a doula. I honestly thought she was crazy, or just had an unsupportive partner. "Well," I thought to myself, "MY husband is wonderful, and he will help me. We don't need to pay extra money on top of all these other new kid expenses!" I was just silly. Sigh. As I researched and learned more and more about the birth I wanted to have (medication free, natural, hypnobirthing) I kept seeing a theme--many women in my mom groups had traumatic birth experiences because of the medical professionals and interventions that they were forced to have. So many women in my groups were sharing horror stories, sharing success stories, and giving advice, and a resounding suggestion was--HIRE A DOULA. As I got closer and closer to my due date, I started really wanting a doula. Enter Yelp. Yelp offered us tickets to the Baby Expo, and my husband and I jumped at the chance to go! We wanted to get ideas, get more information, and just be more prepared. As we were walking the stalls of vendors and services, a friendly lady with a black Birth Believers shirt stopped me and asked if I wanted a foot massage. I sat and was quickly introduced to Melani. To make a long story short, we chatted, she massaged, and we really connected. We discussed birth, and what my plans for birth were. She encouraged me to enter the drawing for a free doula, which would be her (Melani), as well as enter the drawing for placenta encapsulation, to be done by Mari. After meeting Melani of Birth Believers, having great discussions, and thinking deeply about what we wanted for the birth of our firstborn, my husband and I decided to start saving up and budgeting to hire her. It is a professional service, so there is a cost to it--but the cost is definitely worthwhile. (We had originally wanted to get a doula and placenta encapsulation, but decided that we couldn't budget for both.) However, the same day that we made our decision, that night I received a text from Melani, informing me that I'd won the Baby Expo doula drawing, and that I'd be receiving doula services from Melani for free! She jumped right in to help me--she also invited me to church, and to meet after. We discussed expectations for the birth, and ways that I could make things smoother for myself (good stretches, nutrition, etc.) Throughout the weeks leading up to my birth, we met multiple times, she came by my house, went walking with me, and was always accessible. If I had a question about doctor's visits, nutrition, or pregnancy pains, she was always a text away. Melani was EXTREMELY accessible, and it made me feel so comforted to have someone I could ask questions to whenever I needed. She helped to review my birth plan, and made sure I knew what to expect in so many different ways. She was always there to give me advice, help, and to calm my fears. During labor, she helped beyond belief. She applied pressure through my contractions (which feels amazing, and is worth hiring her just for that!), talked me through labor, and encouraged me. I was a little worried that having her there would make my husband feel uninvolved, but he 100% was part of the birth process--and he LOVED HER! He agrees that she is worth her weight in gold-he has been telling all of his friends and family how she helped him to feel more comfortable, to know what to do to help me (she taught him hip squeezes and other techniques), and how having her there really made him feel more confident through the birth process, as a first time father. Melani really helped me before birth, through birth, and after. If you are considering doula services through Birth Believers, I STRONGLY recommend that you choose to do it. We also did the Placenta Encapsulation--I will try to update this review later to reflect what I've experienced with my placenta pills, but so far, I'm impressed! I really wish that I'd known these lovely ladies sooner, so I could have attended their free childbirth education classes. I'll definitely go next time we are expecting! If Melani is any indicator, I bet I'd get more out of these classes than the two sets I paid for through Kaiser. In summary, get a doula. Just get a freaking doula! Birth Believers is just awesome!!! I can't recommend them enough!

I have nothing but good things to say about Hawaii Mothers' Milk! They are a donation based…read morelactation service located at Kapiolani hospital. At first I was hesitant to see a lactation consultant and didn't think I would really need it as my baby latched on well when I first was at the hospital. When I returned home, things were different and I found out I wasn't producing as much milk (which can happen in the beginning). As a new mom and wanting to breastfeed my child, it was a bit stressful. Initially I contacted Mahinaona Pediatrics but they did not accept my insurance so I reached out to Hawaii Mothers' Milk and so glad I did! The staff were so welcoming and friendly. They made me and my husband feel at ease and answered any questions we had. The 2 lactation consultants I had were amazing and provided such valuable information and resources on breastfeeding/pumping and how to help increase my milk supply. Don't worry about writing anything down because they will email you all the information they talked about! What's also great is they have a very sensitive scale to weigh your baby before you breastfeed and after you breastfeed so you can see how much milk your baby is getting. Hawaii Mothers' Milk also has a lot of great breastfeeding and pumping supplies. I highly recommend Hawaii Mothers' Milk!

I originally went just to pick up pumping supplies and figured I'd check out the weekly…read morebreastfeeding support group while I was there. So glad I did! It was nice to connect with the other moms and also great to chat with the staff, they are so caring and supportive! My baby had been refusing to bottle feed for weeks and it hadn't occurred to me to ask for help. I mentioned our challenges to Victoria, the lactation consultant, and she encouraged us to schedule an appointment. We ended up returning and getting advice and support on feeding, reading baby's cues, tips on pumping, and how to take better care of baby and ourselves as parents. I wish I had visited sooner to take part in the support group and to get help with nursing and bottle feeding! Hawai'i Mother's Milk is a nonprofit and their services are free. Please if you can donate so they can continue to provide this invaluable support to the community.