Melissa is a very knowledgeable therapist. She has the right amount of pressure and is great at…read morewhat she does. I ALWAYS feel amazing after a treatment!!

Getting a massage by Melissa is not only relaxing but educational. While no one can afford to go…read moreget a massage everyday. Melissa teaches you what you can do to help yourself feel better. It more than just a massage, she's helpful and caring. Last time I was there she sent me home with massage oil and rice sack. She also found something that probably a doctor wouldn't have found. She deserves 5 stars because she's a wonderful massage therapist!!

They make you take 4 - 5 hr sessions about childbirth. I readjusted my schedule to attend them as a…read moresingle soon to be mom working multiple jobs and was astounded to have several comments made about how it was less hard for white women. As someone who saved their fathers life with CPR at 12 and has cared for her family, others families and worked multiple jobs since I was a bit taken a back. Mind you this was not done in an educational, factual or statistical way more in a manner of friends gossiping. I politely pointed out that people of all cultures face these and the detriments associated and suddenly I was being told in front of the whole class that it's not a class for people not of color and to find something more inclusive. I immediately left and contacted my doula to express my upset, share why I left and would no longer be attending and see how to proceed. I was met with gaslighting and told no other white people have complained. I then informed her I would be disconnecting the call if I was going to be blamed. I awoke the next morning to an email accusing me of being unprofessional and racist and firing me as a client. I chose them based on a recommendation of a Dr I know personally, turning down other doulas I frankly liked better and I'm about a month away from giving birth to my very sick child. I only hired a doula so I would not be left alone in a room of strangers, after taking my money and stressing me out making me jump through hoops and then this... that's exactly what I'm stuck with. I had even (prior to the email) contacted the owner directly so that we may have a civil and adult conversation about what occurred. That never happened. No one bothered to listen to my story or my voice and they simply copy pasted the same message my doula sent me completely gaslighting my experience. I am absolutely the last person to judge another or dimmish their experience, to treat another based on perception or not give someone the opportunity to discuss a "misunderstanding." I have worked with people of all ethnicities, abilities, gender identities, ages and whatever ever other differences might crop up and I have never treated someone differently or assumed to know anything about them based on that criteria. I am beyond appalled.

We would not have been able to have the excellent birth experience we had without Shannon and…read moreCalming Nature. Pre-pregnancy I was pretty sure this was the business I wanted to work with. Once we got the + test, I called and Shannon made it super easy to set up our pre-birth meetings. When we met in person for the first time, we walked out excited to work with Shannon for our pregnancy and the birth of our child. We selected the Queen package. I learned so much during the meetings we had. My HUSBAND learned so much. Shannon set us both at ease and built our confidence. She helped me trust my knowledge and my body, she reminded me to be patient. She was always available by text when I needed her. When it came time for my baby to arrive, Shannon came to our house and helped us in active labor at home. She then met us at the hospital when we thought we were close to transition. Turns out, we weren't that close and my labor ended up lasting 24 hours. Shannon was there the entire time - attentive and helpful, not yawning or distracted. Isia, the woman who would have been our sole doula if Shannon had been called on another birth, was also there for each pre-birth meeting and during most of my labor, learning from Shannon and being a comfort to my spouse and me. Shannon guided us in sticking to the parts of our birth plan that were most valuable to us. She was absolutely the calm lighthouse in the chaotic storm of a hospital birth. After the birth, Shannon came and visited us in the hospital to help my baby and I get the hang of breastfeeding. That was something that was very important to me but I had nerves around. We're at 4 months now and still breastfeeding like champs. Shannon also visited us in home a few days later to make sure we were getting the hang of the new parent life. She is always kind, warm and uplifting. I absolutely recommend every birthing person find a doula - and if you're in Buffalo I full-throatedly recommend Calming Nature.

Colleen is amazing! Colleen assisted me and my husband for…read morethe birth of our first daughter and our labor experience was made so much better by having Colleen there. In all our meetings before my delivery, Colleen educated both me and my husband about things we could expect when we went into labor, and everything she taught us was so helpful and practical. My favorite thing about working with Colleen is how much she cares about educating the birthing partner for what is coming, as well as the mama. Before and during my labor, she was helping my husband understand what was going on, and coaching him on how he could help me as I labored. He felt empowered and I felt so confident knowing there was someone to help us BOTH through the process. If you're looking for someone well educated who can help give you confidence before, during, and after your birth, Colleen is your girl. - Maliya S.

My husband and I are honored to have Colleen Young as part of our first birth story of our…read moredaughter. As a young woman, I have always viewed labor and delivery as a scary and painful experience, but she made me feel comfortable and even looking forward to the experience. She made it feel achievable! She was attentive and thorough in all her interactions from the initial phone call to the post partum visit. She went through all potential interventions that could happen and was able to help us feel prepared. She was timely in every response and happy to answer any questions throughout my pregnancy that I needed support on. We came up with a birth plan, one unique to what we wanted to help us feel confident going into the hospital. I am happy to report we were successful in experiencing a natural birth with no epidural (thank you hip squeezes and the shower). She really supported my husband in natural pain management techniques by education and taking over when he needed a break to give me the best shot at delivering naturally. She also supported emotionally and giving me words of encouragement each contraction. I would definitely recommend her to anyone looking for a doula. Every woman deserves someone like Colleen in their most vulnerable state.

Julia is FANTASTIC. First of all, she is so empowering. During a period where you have to pull from…read morethe depths of your being, she builds you up and encourages you to really reach within for you and your sweet babe. She's real, raw, and full of knowledge. She's always there to make you feel comfortable whatever the situation may be and you can tell that she is passionate about women, birth, breastfeeding, and everything in between. After having my little one, I was in the dark about breastfeeding and the challenges that came with it. She was always there to encourage me and give me different things to try to make me and my sons breastfeeding journey a success. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Julia if you are looking for support through your pregnancy, birth, and post partum journey!

From the owner: Enchanted Mountain Doula specializes in making birth work for you. Your birth, your way. Let your…read morespouse, family, or friends be focused solely on you and baby...let me do the rest. Birth, Postpartum, Loss, Education, and more.

Baby's Sweet Beginnings is a great resource for anyone expecting or with a new baby. I took a…read morebreastfeeding class here during the COVID-19 pandemic, so it was online. Polly, the IBCLC and shop owner made sure we knew what to do and also knew when/how to get in touch and get help if we needed it once our babies arrived. My baby arrived and I in fact did need help from someone experienced!! We got there and our baby had made a big mess of herself on the car ride over. Polly had a changing table set up for us to use and I was able to weigh my baby before and after she ate to determine how much milk she was actually "transferring." Polly helped us determine what could be making breastfeeding difficult and worked with us to make sure it would work! We walked away with a care plan and I felt empowered. I still have 3 more follow up visits that were also included in the first consultation. It was a great resource AND IT WAS COVERED BY MY HEALTH INSURANCE! I didn't have to try and figure anything out, I just brought my health insurance card with me and Polly and Mary Jo took care of everything. I can't recommend Baby's Sweet Beginnings enough.

I had a great experience today. I recently decided to try and breastfeed and my insurance suggested…read moreBaby's Sweet Beginnings as an authorized store to get a breast pump. The associate walked me through the different pumps and what my insurance covered.

I am in the process of suing this business in small claims court for breach of contract as my doula…read morewas not present at my delivery. I am a single mother but I received assurance from my doula that I would not be alone, given that my birth partner (close friend) fell ill right before I went into labor, and it was uncertain who (if any) of my friends could fill in. There were many times over the course of my labor that I felt judged by my doula and not supported in my decisions. My labor ended up being very fast and furious with contractions narrowing to less than 5 minutes apart and close to a minute long within the first few hours of labor. I essentially had the kind of contractions you expect would come later in labor, very early on. My doula acted very dismissive of the intensity of my labor in the beginning and acted as though she could prophesize everything which turned out to be very untrue in the end. I had non-stop vomiting for many hours, and needed multiple anti-nausea meds to get the vomiting under control. While laboring at home, for about 18 hours total, I was concerned that I had been vomiting for so long and I hadn't felt my baby move in a while. My doula was dismissive and assured me that decreased fetal movement was normal (she later retracted this statement when I arrived at the hospital and was severely dehydrated and the baby's heart rate was bradycardic) and she kept sidetracking me from going to the hospital, despite expressing that I wanted to go. I was supposed to have a family member drive me, but she insisted on driving me and kept delaying leaving. When she finally agreed to take me, she went to get me food that I can eat after delivery and took over an hour to return while I waited at home anxious to get to the hospital. I later learned that she had "taken a break" at that time and hadn't informed me that was her plan. I felt incredibly judged and unsupported in my decision to get an epidural. At that point, she told me that she was going to go home to sleep for a few hours and then return. My good friend had arrived at the hospital and stayed with me. My doula ended up being gone for the final 8 hours of my labor and never returned. The final events of my labor transpired quickly - the baby was in distress and I was rushed into an emergency c-section - but my doula had AMPLE opportunity to return. She was in contact with my friend and there were several updates that should have been prompts for her to return. She assured me that she would OR send a backup. At one point she said that she was sending a backup that never came. My friend was not aware of my birth plan, but my doula was, and I was left vulnerable and without an advocate and there were several points in my birth plan that could have been upheld even in a c-section had my doula been present. My time in recovery and maternity were traumatic mainly due to me being completely alone, heavily medicated, unable to use my legs, and with my newborn baby. My doula did not check on me in the maternity wing. She claimed that a backup was turned away at the hospital due to COVID which I found to be completely untrue based on speaking with hospital staff. She claimed that she was available virtually, but we had agreed upon in-person support and she explicitly told me that she would return. She claimed that I did not ask clearly enough for her to return which is unbelievable - she told me before she left the hospital that she would return. I should not have to wage a campaign for my doula to return to the hospital. During and after my labor, I was either in severe pain, heavily medicated or incapacitated and I did not have my personal belongings nearby nor the means to even access them to be able to call or text her. After my daughter was born, I was alone, without the use of my legs, and holding an infant. She communicated to my friend that she was going to meet me in maternity to make sure I was ok and help me shower. She never came.