As a first time parent, you literally have no idea what you're doing. The best thing I think you…read morecan do is to have a community around you who can help guide you, and Amma feels like a great first step to creating this community. We were recommended coming here by friends and our hospital, and ended up taking a one day class for newborns and breastfeeding, and a one day class for childbirth. I am also just starting my New Mama class with my month old infant (and I have heard fantastic things about the new mama class!) so I'm excited to experience that as well. Amma feels like a safe space for new parents to ask questions (I literally asked if I needed to worry about birthing a child into the toilet - a weird irrational fear I've always had, and they didn't laugh at me) and learn about this new stage of our lives. I'm really glad the twin cities has a resource like Amma. For pregnant people coming in - bring snacks to classes and consider bringing chair support - the chairs are not necessarily the most comfortable, but they do have a few yoga balls in case that is better for you.

If you haven't read any parenting books and this is your first baby, then I'd say the price is well…read moreworth it. Highly recommend the All In One Express class. They did a great job condensing key things from delivery process, postpartum, car seat safety, breastfeeding, newborn care, and putting on diapers. Due to our busy schedule the 7hr class in Edina worked for us. Don't be scared of the long session, you get several 5 min breaks and a lunch break. Their chairs weren't so bad for me, but I also had the step stool and/balance ball as an option. It was interesting hearing our instructor Tanya's personal perspective given that she's a mother and L&D nurse. She was great at getting the group to engage, so it wasn't just her lecturing the entire time. Given the good experience we might check out other classes like Infant CPR and/or Infant Sign Language.

Having a kid is scary. Beautiful. Amazing. And SCARY. As a first time mom I am thrilled to have run…read moreacross an organization that supports the many forms/styles/approaches parenting can take. And participating in E.M. s new mama group was one of the most intelligent things I could have done. (In fact, i still am!) The childbirth collective and enlightened mama were really the two most positive organizations I have run across when it comes to birthing and parenting. I highly encourage any parent to check out Enlightened Mama's wide array of classes and groups.

Liz and Gigi are incredible lactation consultants, and they are top of our list when referring our…read moreBetter Beginnings clients in need of IBCLC expertise!

Working with Justine, Ale, and Rachel was definitely the best decision my spouse and I made in our…read morebirth experience! From providing evidence-based responses to our questions to helping us advocate with providers to simply cheering us on, we were so supported by this team! Justine joined us at the hospital for labor and was absolutely essential to making us both feel comfortable and safe as mine and baby's medical situation got more complicated. We truly could not have imagined doing this without her!!

If you're on the fence about hiring a doula like we were, don't be--especially if you're…read moreconsidering Justine and her team. We hired Justine for our second pregnancy because I was high-risk, on Lovenox, and managing gestational diabetes, and an unmedicated birth felt right for us. With my first pregnancy, I had no complications and chose an epidural, so my husband was very skeptical about needing a doula this time, especially since our first delivery went so smoothly. What ultimately made us move forward was knowing that my husband, being a very logical person, wouldn't be able to give me the emotional support I'd need during labor. After meeting Justine on a video call, everything instantly felt right. She was warm, supportive, and confident from the start, and she was the only doula who genuinely believed I could have an unmedicated birth--especially considering how quickly my first labor progressed with an epidural. She also reassured my husband that her support was just as much for him as it was for me. Throughout the pregnancy, Justine and her team answered every question and helped me navigate every curveball. No matter what came up, she was there with guidance, resources, and a listening ear. On delivery day, I delivered our baby girl in under an hour--completely unmedicated, just as we hoped. Even though there were moments when I wanted to give up, Justine's calm presence and steady, encouraging voice helped me push through. It ended up being the most magical birth experience I've ever had, and I still can't believe I did it. Hiring her was truly one of the best decisions we made. TL;DR: We were unsure about hiring a doula, but Justine completely changed our minds. Despite a high-risk pregnancy, she supported us from day one, reassured my skeptical husband, and helped me have a fast, completely unmedicated birth. Her calm, steady presence made it the most magical delivery experience--we're so glad we chose her.

Erin is a great doula and educator. She helped me through my 36+ hour labor with a mixture of…read morekindness, humor, and tough love. She was there every step of the way. Her child birth prep class was also great. Definitely planning on hiring her for any future pregnancies and would highly recommend her to anyone!

From the owner: Flutterby provides HypnoBirthing classes and Doula Services for families in the Twin Cities.read more

Emily was wonderful to work with. She was so kind, helpful, intuitive, and unconditionally…read moresupportive. She has a gift for bringing calm and comfort to both parents. I was so grateful to have her as a part of my birth.

From the owner: The Tidal Doula serves the entire Twin Cities from her home in Robbinsdale. Emily is a…read moreDONA-certified birth doula who is passionate about evidence-based care and support for all birthing families. Emily's a big geek who loves to laugh in labor and create lasting connections through education and support. A doula is a nonjudgmental, unbiased, constant support system for the birthing person. Emily offer's care to everyone regardless of race, color, national or ethnic origin, sex or gender, sexual orientation, military or veteran status, ability, age, or religion. Every birth is as unique as the people who are involved, and Emily is so excited to be a part of yours! The Tidal Doula also offers sibling doula support, birth photography, and parenting classes/childbirth education for clients.

We were so fortunate to work with Terra during the birth of our second baby. We reached out to…read moreTerra on the recommendation of my OB. We suffered a devastating loss during our first pregnancy, and my OB suggested we look in to a Doula to provide emotional and physical support during the birth of our second baby. I will forever be grateful at my OB's suggestion, and extremely thankful that we found Terra. Terra has the most beautiful calm presence. She made us feel totally at ease and when she could sense we were getting nervouse or scared, she calmly reassured us that everything was normal and everything was going fine. We cannot imagine going through a birth without her by our side. My husband was originally concerned that he wouldn't be as needed with a Doula present, but that couldn't have been further from the truth. Not only did Terra support me by anticipating my needs and being by my side for the entire labor, but she also kept a close eye on my husband and reassured and encouraged him when he needed it. She didn't take over his role, she made it easier for him to fill his role in the delivery room by keeping a close eye on him, reassuring him and showing him ways to help me.  We also were fortunate enough to have Terra for some post-partum doula hours. She was amazingly helpful and always made me feel better and more confident, which is half the battle as a new mother! I have also given post-partum doula hours to a friend as a gift and she was so thankful for the support Terra provided.  I cannot recommend Terra enough. She is wonderful and made our second birth experience joyful when it could have been filled with fear and anxiety. We still talk about Terra regularly (even 18 months later!) and will always be thankful that she was there to help us when we really needed it.

Terra attended the births of both of my boys, and I will always be endlessly grateful for her calm…read morepresence, positivity, and warmth. She showed my husband how to help me through labor, and he is now a huge advocate for doulas as well! It's hard for me to explain what an immensely positive impact she had in my life, and I will never forget her!

Where do I begin? As a first time mom, I am soooo grateful we hired Amy as our doula. She educated…read moreus so much about the birth process and how to advocate for ourselves to achieve the best possible outcomes for our family. During labor, we would have been absolutely lost without her guidance. I was pretty terrified by the quick onset of my contractions and their intensity. When she arrived at the birth center, we were relieved by her calming presence. And finally, maybe most importantly for me, she helped me process our birth. It was not how I expected it to be and was pretty bewildered. I wasn't sure I could give birth ever again given the intensity of it all. But 2 days postpartum, Amy came over, crawled into bed with me and just let me talk it out. She reassured mr I did amazing and she was proud of me and my birth. We went through all 160 photos she took and pointed out my strength and how my husband was at my side comforting me every second. That time with Amy was incredibly healing for me and I don't know where I'd be today emotionally (now 5 weeks post part I'm) without her support.

I was ecstatic to have an extra set of hands and a fresh face to emotionally support me through my…read moresecond labor. I only wish Amy was a doula earlier so she could have been there when I had my first son. I love that she cares for the many facets of the mothers well being during this momentous event in their lives. She is well educated, wonderfully joyful and optimistic, and just a doula with a compassionate heart who wants to give these babies the most harmonious entrance into the world that she can.

Having JoLynda as our doula was by far the hidden miracle of our birth experience. JoLynda is…read moreextremely accepting of every woman, no matter their birth plan. She believes every woman should have access to an empowering birth experience. This was my husband and my first birth experience and there is no other person we would want by our side for our labor journey in the future. With her guidance and support, both my husband and I felt at ease and empowered to make the right decisions for our birth. JoLynda is able to use her knowledge to work with each couple to provide a unique value to their experience. Her knowledge, expertise, and amazing attitude helped us have a wonderful birth experience!

Choosing Ellee as our doula was one of the best decisions we made during the whole pregnancy. She…read moreput us at ease right away. We asked her tons of questions and she was knowledgeable, respectful, funny and very personable right from the very beginning to the end. During my labor she gave me tips and positions to try and when she joined us at our home, her encouragement is what kept me there longer - resting and waiting before going to the birth center. When I was exhausted she was kind and complimenting - it was exactly what I needed to hear. She helped me center and relax, and gently pushed me to try things I would not have done on my own. I was sad when our last visit was over. She's the kind of gal that you wish was your friend or an auntie. Thanks Ellee!!