Leah Lemelin helped me trust my body more, feel calmer, and more present with what I was experiencing. I felt more in command and confident throughout. I thought I wanted a doula just for the day of delivery but what I found was that the work we did together before delivery is what altered the whole experience. It was deeply supportive and prepared me in a way I didn't even know I needed or was possible. So, even if you are an experienced mom, you are having a traditional medical birth, having Leah as your doula will deepen your experience and give it back to you as truly yours in a profound way. I can't thank her enough for walking with me through it and guiding me into myself so I could remember my own agency and power and strength in it all. read more

Mary has been our lactation consultant for 1 year. She had been part of my support network since we saw her during an at-home visit when my daughter was 1 month old. I'd count her as one of the women that I've most leaned on as a first-time mother. She is a walking book of knowledge on everything child related. She is kind and passionate and always available. I'm not sure where we'd be without her. We are so grateful to have her in our lives. read more

I worked with Ryan Gilgenbach as my doula throughout my pregnancy and labor/delivery. I interviewed about 12 doulas before deciding on Ryan--I didn't know exactly what I was looking for, but I wanted to feel a natural connection with someone, and I knew right after talking with her that she was the perfect doula for me and my family. I had a birth plan, but nothing went as planned, and Ryan was there along with me to make me feel supported and confident in my choices. I had originally hoped for an unmedicated birth, but I ended up being induced and getting an epidural. Once I knew I was being induced, I honestly had doubts about how much a doula would really be needed--I felt like I might not need as much support as I thought I would with an unmedicated birth. I was SO wrong. As I was laboring through contractions and hoping to dilate on my own after being induced with Cervadil, things were getting intense, and I was going back and forth on getting an epidural. I was doubting myself and what I could handle and felt unsure of abandoning my original plan despite the intensity of my contractions. Ryan showed up at the hospital around that time and helped talk my through my options, and everything changed at that point--in a very positive way. Once I received the epidural, she was very hands on and had advice on positioning to keep things moving along, and it was great to feel like I still had some control in the situation and things that I could do to help my labor progress. When I reached 10cm and starting pushing, I was told by a doctor that the baby's heart rate was dropping with every contraction and every push and that I would need a c-section. I had only been pushing for 15-20 minutes at this point. I was devastated. Ryan immediately stepped up and asked questions about other options and if I could "labor down". I didn't even know what that meant, but the doctor agreed to it, and my midwife said it was a great idea. I spent the next two hours breathing through the pressure and contractions I still felt despite the epidural. The hope was that during this time, the baby would recover from the stress of pushing and move down more on their own without pushing. After 2 hours, I was able to try pushing again, and our baby was born within 10 minutes--healthy and crying and in no distress. I do not know how my birth would have gone without Ryan there. I will never forget what she did for my family--her involvement was so valuable and will have an affect on me for the rest of my life. I could not be happier with the way things went. I HIGHLY recommend Birthways, and I highly recommend Ryan, specifically. Oh, and I really love Katy Collins too--for all her help and communication along the way. This is a wonderful business with a wonderful team of women. We are a same-sex couple family, and when my wife gets pregnant next...we plan to be working with Birthways and Ryan again. read more

Worst company ever. They set me up with an overnight doula that quit after 1 month and requested off due to being sick every other week. Then they gave me a substitute that endangered my baby by falling asleep on the job. Finally, their most recent hire turned on the bathtub and failed to turn it off, flooding my entire house in the process. I requested a full refund and was denied. The worst experience ever and a shameful company. Don't use them is my recommendation. read more

There's plenty of other companies to go with so look elsewhere! The Doula we hired was noticed of my water breaking around 4pm, notified of going into triage at 10pm and notified of starting pitocin at midnight and still did not show up until 3:30am. I still had to pay in FULL. I posted this review a year ago and they offered me a small discount on a babysitter to remove my post. When I did not use their services or remove my review they removed my honest review. Terrible experience all around I would not trust them read more

We just finished our weekend birthing class with Midwife Mary Sommers! I was very skeptical about an online birthing class and was concerned with whether it would be helpful. However, this class was recommended by my midwife group and due to covid online was the only option. Overall, the class was very informative and helpful. Mary was wonderful and a wealth of knowledge. The class set up and flow kept us engaged and we learned a lot. We feel much more prepared! Thanks! read more

I would not recommend Birthways from a night nurse perspective..Carrie who is a senior night nurse was recommended to us by Claire. Carrie was far from a senior night nurse even though she has 8 years of experience. Simple tasks alluded her (keeping track of how much formula our son (2 week old) drank at night. She would literally rock our baby too hard when holding him. She also made several faux pas, which someone with 8 years of experience would know better. She forgot to take tags of baby clothes and washed them, and then after seeing all the mess in the washer, decided to rerun it, rather than cleaning it out. Lastly, she did not ask us about turning out white noise machine at night and we only found this out on the last night. Our child for 2 weeks prior was sleeping in noise and we prefer this because we want our child to handle all situations and noises around him. Frankly speaking birthways needs to do a better job at training and taking more of an active approach in training their night nurses. We would never go back to birthways! read more

I cannot recommend Birthways enough! Ryan was an INCREDIBLE doula, I seriously couldn't have given birth without her! She was so supportive and had such an impact on my experience. I am so thankful to Birthways for providing such a great experience and matching me with her. Ryan didn't take a single break through my labor, always provided helpful info, and provided exactly the position I needed when I needed it. She was extremely helpful in helping me to communicate with the provider and be able to get the exact birth I was hoping for. I am truly amazed at how much she was able to do for my husband and I before, during, and after the labor and it was clear how invested she was in my birth. Ryan's the best! We also took the weekend intensive birthing class with Mary and loved it. We left the weekend feeling so informed and it was amazing how many things stayed with us and helped us through the birthing process and after. It was super helpful she even walked us through breastfeeding info at the end. Katie was wonderful to work with through all of the administrative tasks. She was so kind and joyful on the phone. All in all, I'm so happy with Birthways and recommend it 100%! read more

Our doula, Ryan, was an invaluable part of our birthing team and helped me and my husband have the tools and knowledge to advocate for the birth we wanted. I was attempting a VBAC after a traumatic first childbirth and Ryan helped us feel confident and supported. The entire Birthways team was a pleasure to work with and they helped us find a doula that we meshed well with and could have an amazing relationship with. Their postpartum support and lactation warmline was also something I didn't really see other companies provide and they were so valuable! read more

I'm writing this review almost 11 months after my experience with Birthways because I thought that with time the negative experience I had would fade but I'm still left feeling ripped off. My Doula arrived 5 hours after I was admitting through triage and was not there to support me during my labor at all. By the tome she arrived I was already getting my epidural which was not part of my plan but like I said I had no support and was in a hospital that did not accommodate natural births which she knew. So she basically just stood there and held my leg as I pushed and helped us bring our things up to recovery. I am pregnant again and would absolutely not contact this company again because even after telling them what happened I still had to pay in full. read more

We had an excellent experience with our birth. As the husband, I was skeptical of a home birth. From the very first conversation I was at ease. I didn't know much about birth, but I knew a professional when I spoke to one. Betsy made us feel at ease and empowered to handle one of life's most profound experiences. In spite of an exhausting 70+ hour experience, we felt supported and confident the entire time. At a minimum, I recommend Birthways. More than that, I recommend everyone (especially husbands/nervous partners) get educated on how to safely give birth in their own home. I hope every birth partner gets to share in the honor I experienced: being the first hands to touch your child as they come into the world. Thank you. read more

Thanks to Claire and Leah, I had an unbelievable birth experience. They were instrumental pieces to the puzzle that lead me to have the unmedicated natural birth that I hoped for. COVID protocols didn't allow them to come to the hospital, but Leah was on Zoom the whole time and helped me through every contraction. They helped prepare me for birth and continue to support me postpartum. read more

I recently had the pleasure of taking a birthing class here taught by Mary Sommers. Birthways offers a fantastic service at a great value with these classes. Our group met weekly for eight sessions, and I truly felt this experience prepared me for a successful natural labor. The class didn't focus on a specific method or format, but rather was an open discussion of the specifics of labor, possible complications and tools for how to best deal with them and advocate for ourselves and our babies in a hospital birth. We watched a lot of videos and then dissected the positive and negative aspects of each labor experience. Mary's extensive experience in this field (assisting in over 1200 births I think?) was incredibly reassuring for a first time mom and Dad. When the time came to have our son we were well prepared mentally and had a positive experience. I'd recommend this class to anyone hoping for a low intervention birth. read more

I've waited 11 months to write this review. Do not go to the post-partum breastfeeding clinic or have these folks come to your house. Every single person I know who used them, and I, received news that our infants had a tongue and/or lip tie. In NONE of these babies was it true. Not only that, they also scare you into thinking there is only ONE doctor in the entire metropolitan area who can fix the tie. I call bull. I attended a class with my week-old baby because breastfeeding was incredibly painful. Each mom who was there received one on one attention by a very flustered lactation consultant. It was nice to feed my baby and know that she ate 2 oz of milk, because they weigh the baby after feeding at each breast. However, a woman who clearly had oversupply issues was told her son had a tie and nipple confusion (no, he couldn't get a good latch because she was engorged). Another woman brought in a breast pump for help using it, and she ALSO left with a tongue tie recommendation!!! Did they help me? Yes. I needed a nipple shield. Did they add extra stress to an already suffering woman? Definitely. We did NOT follow their recommendation to fix the tie and I will never recommend this place or their lactation services. They also told me never to bottle feed my baby (I did from week 1 and it worked out very well). They provide unscientific advice that is anxiety-provoking at best, and unnecessarily harmful at worst. My experience at Birthways makes me question the professionalism of all lactation consultants. The advice I'd give new moms is to find a Registered Nurse who handles post-partum clients through my doctor, midwife, pediatrician, or hospital. read more

This review is for Tara Romsaithong, my doula. Skeptical about hiring one? That was me, and let me assure you, it's a necessity. I was planning a home birth in Chicago and because it was my first baby my midwives insisted that I hire a doula despite me saying that it wasn't necessary. I'm a type A girl and bristle at the idea of needing extra help. Birthways did such a good job matching me to my doula. There was plenty of communication and I was pleased with the kinds of questions they asked me before suggesting a match. The post-delivery follow up was also very nice and I even received a thank you note in the mail. Tara and I had two prenatal visits prior to birth. She was so resourceful, experienced (she has kids of her own and has attended many births), and our conversations felt natural. It was like meeting a friend for coffee. We made a comprehensive emergency plan in case home-birth wasn't possible and a plan for my preferences for home. After both visits, I not only felt well-prepared for birth, but also much more confident because the "fear of the unknown" had been removed as much as possible. Birth did not go according to plan. One month and a few days early, I went into labor. She was by my side at UIC in a heartbeat. Side note: don't go to UIC. To this moment, I'm not sure how I would have done it if it weren't for the presence of my husband and my doula. It was as if she knew what I was thinking and feeling during every moment and she responded with the right words and actions. She did so many things but to name a few... when we first arrived, the labor and delivery room smelled disgusting to me (that hospital smell, you know?). Within minutes, she had set up a diffuser that transformed the scent completely and she turned on quiet music to hide the sounds in the busy hospital hallway. During contractions she applied hot compresses to my back and squeezed my hips. During breaks she made sure I was drinking water. She helped me breath and relax properly, advocated for my preferences when I couldn't speak, and communicated with my family while I couldn't. I didn't think I would need to be cheered on when labor was intense but her encouragement helped me focus and helped me believe that I could do it. She was with me after too and stayed until all was well. I'm sure there are so many things she was doing in the background that even now I am unaware of, and I am so thankful. A doula is worth every penny. I fully intend to hire Tara again if we are blessed with another child. Thank you Tara and Birthways for everything! read more

This post is a long time coming! I have been wanting to give my full review of Birthways ever since we took our first class, but have been too busy as a new mom. Finally, I get to give my full honest review. As I was in the first few months of pregnancy for my first child it dawned on me that I did not know ANYTHING about child birth. The only thing I knew for sure was that I didn't want an epidural. This lead me to research child birthing classes and thus I found Birthways. For those of you who are like me and the thought of reading mountains of baby books is daunting to you I highly recommend taking this class. It honestly prepared us so well for everything to expect when I went into labor. No amount of reading could have prepared us well enough. Mary Sommers is an experienced, knowledgeable and caring instructor. My husband literally had a hundred questions each class and she patiently answered all of them. I knew exactly when to go into the hospital when my labor started, I had the birth that I planned and didn't have any medical intervention as I wished. This class prepared me mentally and emotionally to get through labor. It does heavily focus on Non-medical intervention births or natural births, so if you are someone who definitely wants the drugs no matter what I would say this class is not necessary for you. Of other note, I also used Birthways' services to match me up with a Doula. At first I was skeptical of hiring one, but Katy the Admin Coordinator was so helpful in matching me up with a Doula who would match my personality. And she stuck to my price point. Tara Romsaithong was absolutely NECESSARY for me on the day I gave birth. We met several times so that she could understand my and my husband's needs. We cultivated not only a great professional relationship but also a friendship as well. I could not have gone through labor without her. Supportive is an understatement when describing Tara. I will be using her again for my other births! I HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend Birthways for all new soon to be parents and those who are on the fence about getting a Doula. You will not regret it! read more

I am giving four stars for the Birthways intensive format weekend birthing class. We would have preferred to take the weekly class but unfortunately couldn't make that work with our schedules and frankly it is a shame. I think the weekday class would have been even more informative and in-depth and created an stronger opportunity for community amongst the students in the class. I'll start with my constructive feedback... Heather, the teacher was not very skillful in facilitating sharing amongst the class participants or forthcoming about her role/goals in leading the class.We didn't learn eachother's names until late afternoon on the first day. As the first students to arrive for the class she didn't introduce herself as the teacher or anything but (seemed to) aimlessly wander around leaving me wondering if she was a receptionist or what and feeling a bit unwelcomed. When others arrived we all kind of sat there staring at each other awkwardly and she did nothing to facilitate introductions. The class was a lot of videos around birth and having already done some learning about birth seemed a bit redundant. I could watch Orgasmic Birth, The Business of Being Born or YouTube and gotten the gist. I understand the need for some video representation but it was a lot of how the time was used and I was really hoping (and paying) for more time with labor coping mechanisms, postnatal care and infant care, vaccination/ after birth procedures and much more in-depth exploration and information on breastfeeding. Now for the pros and there are LOTS... Despite those few shortcomings, Heather is kind, informative and experienced. She presented information about home and hospital birth in a balanced and comprehensive way. She provided full context for why certain interventions are used, how and when they might be really appropriate. I had heard Birthways can be a little pro-home-birth anti-intervention and even preachy, but did not find that to be my experience at all. The first day I didn't learn anything I hadn't already learned through reading about birth and listening to other moms talk about their experience, but the opportunity to share some time focused on the birth with my husband in this supportive environment brought us together about the process of birth in an entirely new and wonderful way. Now for the biggie! We are set to birth at a hospital with a midwife where a lot of the common hospital standards of care are more liberal and I appreciate their more open policies (though you do have to fight for them: no heplock, no iv, eat freely etc.) So we decided to take the hospital class as well, mostly just to know what the policies and procedures are and work with them effectively. What a mistake! These classes at the hospital decreased my level of confidence in the experience we would be able to have there significantly. They terrified both me and my husband and we stopped going after class #2 out of the four week series because we felt it was adding unnecessary stress to our birth experience. I am so grateful we were not reliant on these classes for our information about birth and that Birthways exists to help us navigate things. I actually felt sorry for other members of the class who hadn't had an opportunity like Birthways when they asked questions and received partial responses that were flip and not consistent with widely available current medical understanding. If you are going to take a class take it here. Period. you will be better informed about how to advocate for the birth you want, and less confused by the nurses who we found to be stressed-out poor communicators teaching the hospital classes. I could really go to town on the hospital class, but frankly it's a whole other and only one star review.... read more

Lauren W. was our Birthways doula and she was FANTASTIC during the birth of our son, Edgar. She helped me avoid a c-section, and kept me sane during the pushing stage. She also helped me immensely with pain management and discomfort during the transition stage when, it felt to me, that the epidural had completely worn off. Additionally, she was great at kindly suggesting to my husband how to help me. Here are more details in case you were interested: 1. I hired a doula because I knew that getting one would reduce my chances of having a c-section by 50%. Friends, family, and even husband rolled their eyes at my hippy-dippy ways, saying I didn't need one especially since I wasn't necessarily against epidurals. Thank goodness I didn't listen to them. This was the best investment I could have made! 2. My labor went very slowly. After they broke my water at 11am (to speed things along, and this is on top of pitocin) there was no progression. Five hours later, I hadn't dialated any more! My doctor came in and said that we'd have to get ready for a c-section. 3. After begging my doctor for more time and having the Dr. say, "Sure but it's nearly statistically impossible that you'll make progress at this point, plus there's risk of infection," Lauren kicked the doula skills into high gear. She helped me get into positions and do various exercises to get he baby to move down (and this was especially difficult since I had gotten an epidural and really couldn't use my legs). 4. Well an hour later, my doctor came in and said I had dialated nearly a centimeter more. Another hour later, two more centimeters. After another hour I was almost ready to push. NO C-SECTION NEEDED! YAY! 5. During the pushing stage which lasted two hours, I would only listen to Lauren (I was at a point where I didn't want my husband even talking to me). She kept me sane during this time (and believe me, I was starting to lose it). Overall, I'm super thrilled our doula from Birthways, and feel especially lucky that it was Lauren W. Not only was she great at coaching me through the tough parts but more importantly, I avoided a C-section! read more

Every aspect of my experience with Birthways was excellent. From the beginning.... 1) I contacted them via email while pregnant and got a call back the same day. After a conversation where I felt like I was really being listened to, I was contacted with a suggestion for a doula within the week. 2) This doula, Lauren W, was the first one we met and yes, she was a great fit for us. We ended up going with her without ever meeting another candidate. 3) We were given the paperwork and relevant information promptly. It was easy to fill out, and when I was dragging my feet a little on the last bit of it, there was never any pressure to rush and submit the form. 4) At our prenatal meetings, Lauren was always very friendly while remaining professional. I feel like we got to know one another, which is important since we wanted a home birth. Yet, I never felt like she over-shared (although I probably did!) or failed to take things seriously. 5) Most important of all, Lauren was amazing at my birth. She somehow managed to help me when I needed her without being obtrusive or even making me aware of her presence some of the time. For example, I would be going through a contraction, grab my back in pain, and lean against the wall, only to feel the pain suddenly ease. After a few moments, I would realize Lauren was rubbing my back or putting a heating pad on it. I would start walking to the bathroom and have a contraction hit, and begin to struggle, only to realize a moment later that I was once again walking, and Lauren had taken my hand to support me. I never realized that somebody could do so much with so little, just by doing the right thing at the right time. 6) Lauren followed up with a post-partum phone call and visit. Her advice for helping our little girl when she was fussy with gas has already been useful several times. If I need a post-partum doula because I get sick in a couple weeks, or need to take a class because of some specific issue that arises, I will be back on the phone with Birthways. Needless to say, if I have a second child in the future, I know they will be among the first numbers I call. read more

We had a fantastic experience with Tara as our doula! Everything went better than I expected and Tara was a huge part of making our birth experience so positive. Especially as a first time mom, having extra support from someone experienced helped me stay calm and focused. read more

This is a great resource if you are looking for a birth or postpartum doula. I will be reviewing them again after the birth of my baby, as I am in the process of using their services. So far, so good! read more

Birthways - Lactation Services Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I have been getting massages from Mandy Toavs for a while, and I am VERY picky when it comes to massages, and I feel so refreshed, energized, nurtured, and healed for DAYS after I have a massage with Mandy. She is an excellent massage therapist and worth every penny! I highly recommend her! read more

Birthways - Lactation Services Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Ryan Gilgenbach was an awesome doula and Katie Collins was a big help as an administrator. I had a difficult labor and I wouldn't have wanted to do it without Ryan. She was very helpful with all my questions and our postpartum visit was stellar. Thanks so much! read more

It's taken me 9 months to finally get to this review, but better late than never! I had a beyond exceptional experience with Birthways. Woohoo! My amazing and sweet doula, Jennifer Navarro, was the perfect match for me and my hubby. Her calm demeanor, patience and assertiveness was just want we needed to put us at ease and gave me strength for what ended up being a natural birth. Jennifer was never ever judgmental and went with the flow of our birth wishes. I will also say, prior to giving birth, I loved the "idea" of a natural birth but didn't necessarily think I'd end up doing it... and I was totally ok with that. So was Jennifer. But with her amazing physical and emotional support to both me and my husband, and hospital team, I was able to make it happen (much MUCH to my surprise)! I will never ever forget her unwavering kindness, love and calm presence at my bedside and I can't recommend her more! We also used Birthways for the weekend intensive natural birth class ( FYI - it IS intense and you'll watch about a million births, but it will mentally prepare you!) and in-home lactation consultation. Allison was so incredibly helpful and figured out my son had a lip tie. Once resolved, nursing was a thousand times better. I only wished I'd contacted her sooner. It really is an awesome organization and I'll be using them again someday when it's time for baby #2. And of course, Jennifer Navarro too. read more

I first came to the Friday breastfeeding clinic back in February shortly after both my twins came home from the NICU when they were about 2.5 months old, 1 month adjusted. At that point I was pumping about 3/4 of the time and nursing the other 1/4. We were using nipple shields and I wasn't super confident tandem nursing yet and I was very unsure of how to make the transition to exclusively nursing which was my goal. I was extremely reassured to find out they were able to take over 3oz at the breast which was determined by weighing the babies before and after nursing. With the lactation consultant Mary's encouragement to slowly replace another bottle with a nursing session every few days and to continue practicing tandem nursing I was able to transition to nursing full time (except for their middle of the night feeds) within just a couple of weeks. I came back to the lactation clinic in the end of May after experiencing some struggles with nursing and finding out at their 6 month check up that my girls were having some trouble putting on weight. I worked with the another consultant Ilana who was extremely thorough in helping strategize about how to get us back on the right track. She sent me a follow up text with 10 points that we had discussed that she thought would help us going forward. I referenced her notes several times and saw improvement within a couple of days. I'm planning to return again this week for pre and post weights to hopefully be able to return to the pediatrician with encouraging news about he girls intake at the breast. The lactation consultants and doulas who assist them are extremely welcoming, helpful and knowledgeable. Their support has helped us get this far in our breastfeeding journey. The pre and post weights gave me so much peace of mind. Being able to get answers to my questions was empowering and I hope with their continued support we'll be able to continue nursing well into the future! read more

Mary and her team are amazing! They know a lot about babies, birth and medical procedures. We attended an extensive weekend session with 9 other couples. The conversations were good and questions helped everyone. We are 6 couples who kept in touch after the class. It is a great family to have because we all share our knowledge and we now share our babies stories! read more

We took their very educational and eye-opening classes. The classes were good and educational, but you can probably get same info from elsewhere. What you won't get elsewhere is Mary Sommers. Not only was she able to give exact right pointers for the delivery to people in the class, but the above and well beyond support she provided after the class was over and paid for has been amazing! We also used their doula services, which worked out great - once again our doula (Brit Brackins) did way more than we would've expected. read more

We just completed our weekend intensive birthing class with Heather and the experience overall was disappointing. The first day largely dealt with watching videos of different labors- most natural or at home births and discussing them. Similar videos can be seen on Baby Center's website or on TLC A Baby Story (and are often times more up-to-date). Heather was very positive about natural child birth with no intervention or even a hospital visit. This makes sense considering her background before coming to Chicago was water births at a birthing center, or home water births. Although I can understand why she feels this is a better decision, I was uncomfortable with all the negative comments regarding a hospital assisted birth. Her audience consisted of mothers who where all planning to give birth at a hospital. Some of the "statistics" she gave seemed almost like fear tactics. Below are some of the take away points that stuck for me: When asked about the risk of a vaginal tear during delivery she said "In my experience with water births I had a 10% tear rate. However in the hospital setting I've seen a 100% tear rate." "Be careful if you're giving birth around May. Residents have a check off list of things they need to complete before they finish the year. Procedures like episiotomies and internal fetal heart monitors will be done even though there is no reason." She told stories of mothers suggesting other methods like nipple stimulation to bring on contractions and seeing the "doctor get angry and throw his surgical cap on the ground all because he probably wanted to get home in time for dinner". One couple asked if it were common for OBs to use emotional tactics to get you to have a C-section and she said "it's very possible". The fact that a couple even thought that this was an appropriate question to ask gives you some idea of the mood created towards doctors during this class. We were told that if we received an epidural there would be some serious drawbacks such as the baby not being able to nurse immediately, labor halted, and pushing would not be as effective. I should point out that she occasionally interjected a "there are definitely situations where an epidural or c-section is a good thing". or "I've met some good OBs". But the overall tone was negative and that the doctor would push you into whatever was better for their schedule at the cost of you and/or you baby. Overall, I can appreciate ones views on what they feel may be best. However, I feel a class structured towards dealing with a birth the best way possible in any situation- home, water, epidural, c-section would be best if that's the crowd you're advertising to. If you are planning a completely drug free vaginal birth this class is for you. However, if you're willing to trust your doctor's experience on some things and are open to pain management during your birthing experience, this class may give you an uneasy feeling. I would compare it to taking a Religions of the World class taught by a somewhat biased Catholic teacher. Let me finish this lengthy review by saying I'm not pleased to write such a negative one. Heather, although biased, was very nice- she even cooked us breakfast. Maybe Heather was trying to make us better informed to ask questions in the hospital. If that's the case it could have been presented in a better way. The lactation education was very informative. As I live in the neighborhood, I was hoping to hire their postpartum services but now I'm hesitant after taking the class and writing this review. **If you plan on a drug free vaginal birth- take this birthing class or even hire Heather as your support doula- I'm sure she'll be a good fit for you. **However, if like me you trust your doctor because you're comfortable asking questions and ultimately making your own informed decisions- this class may come off as a bit paranoid. It also may not offer you the strategies you were hoping to get from a birthing class. read more

bottom line: caring, compassionate, understanding, knowledgeable, human. it's an extraordinary business that sells humanity. i can't recommend them high enough. outstanding! extended line: i'm a dad. and really i'm a new dad. a brand new dad. i held my wife's hand and cut the cord. i made jokes about naming our baby vindaloo because indian food seemed to get everything in motion. i changed my first diaper ever in life in the hospital under the supervision of a nurse. i bottle fed our baby as my wife's milk was coming in. and i had heard of doulas. that's pretty much it. i had never heard of a postpartum doula. anyway, my wife and i had no idea how hard everything was going to be. especially breastfeeding. apparently the most natural thing in the world is not so natural to everyone. ok, let's jump ahead past the two lactation experts to our experience with birthways - the reason for writing. my wife probably experienced some postpartum depression. and that, coupled with the anxiety glued to her dna, made for a very rocky first few weeks. oh, and the lack of sleep made everything even more jagged and sharp. we were recommended birthways by friends who were friends with one of their doulas. on my first call to birthways, i spoke with someone for almost an hour. she listened, offered advice, shared her experiences. it was incredibly comforting. my wife and i felt very 'alone' once we got home from the hospital as we have no family nearby. so speaking to birthways - in any interaction with them - always felt familial and professional. so right off the bat we had someone stay overnight so we could sleep. sleep is huge. huge. but more importantly, we felt confident and comfortable with our postpartum doula. in the next few months my wife had birthways come over a couple times a week. in addition to holding our daughter so my wife could shower and brush her teeth - once you have a baby you'll know exactly what that means - the postpartum doula was there to comfort my wife by providing knowledge and a strong shoulder. once the weather got nice (and my wife was able to leave our home - emotionally) they would go get coffee or something to eat. i guess birthways is really about support. there's not a right way or wrong way to care for an infant. well, i suppose there are wrong ways. but every baby is different and there are many schools of thought on what is 'best for baby'. birthways never had an agenda to push. they had opinions, but were not opinionated. this was a big deal to my wife who felt she was always doing something wrong. of course, i would hear later how birthways would say something similar to what i had said and that it was ok to do whatever i suggested... now. but i'm the husband/dad - what would i know? but that's a whole other story. ;-) because there is my wife, my daughter and me - i will offer six thumbs - all up! huge thumbs up to birthways! read more

Birthways connected me with an incredibly competent Doula, Julie Larsen, who helped my husband and me with the birth of our first child. I wanted a delivery without medical interventions. With Julie's help, I was able to stick with that plan. Julie came to our home after I went into labor and helped us decide when to go to the hospital. She has the perfect temperament for a Doula and worked so well with the medical staff. She's also very, very knowledgeable about childbirth. I highly recommend her and working with Birthways. Birthways also connected me with a wonderful Lactation Consultant, Mary Jozwiak, who helped tremendously with my early breastfeeding questions and challenges. read more

Birthways was amazing for us! My husband was apprehensive to use "doulas" at first but once he researched the benefits and saw their work in action he and I would preach their services to anyone welcoming a new baby!! They were all very educated and experienced! They were helpful and calming during tough times! I couldn't have done it as sanely without them!! Thank you Birthways! read more

We haven't had our baby yet, but it's been a really positive experience finding a doula through Birthways. Karen and Carissa are both so positive and supportive. Working with an agency makes the process of finding the right doula and hiring her services so much easier than it would have been to do the legwork on our own. I will do my best to update this review after the baby is born. read more

I just went to the weekend intensive and I have also interviewed two doulas because I was considering working with one of them. This review is for the entire experience, not just the class. During the weekend intensive class, the midwife (Mary Sommers, I believe) was fantastic and I wish I could have had more time to work with her. I would definitely take one of her classes again. I signed up for this class because I was scared and I thought that being more informed would change that. They made us take a break from the midwife and listen to one of their doulas. I wasn't impressed at the professionalism of the doula, given that her job is supposed to be supporting the labor process. All she did was sit there and tell us about how painful the whole thing is and then smirk about it like it was funny. Just, weird. I'm trying to push her out of my mind but I remember her saying "every contraction felt like someone was stabbing me with a knife" and then smirking about it. I could never figure out why that was funny. It would be cool had this been constructive discussion about contractions like we had gotten from the midwife. "It feels like xyz because of so n so process". But, it wasn't. Meeting the 2 birthways doulas that I met was interesting as well. They were both inexperienced and had never actually gone through this process. The first one used very graphic language and the same smirk-at-it weird almost antagonizing presentation that the one at the weekend class used. I really don't understand how any of that is considered supportive or useful. The second one was very sweet and didn't talk like that, so they do deserve 2 stars here. I would work with her if the whole doula thing wasn't giving me anxiety like it is. I just don't feel I should have had to listen to nonconstructive banter which only made me hate this whole process. If my job was to keep people calm during labor, I would make sure I wasn't careless with my language. Everyone, even these 1 day old babies, knows that language can be extremely inflammatory. read more

Like many folks out there I too was skeptical about hiring a doula but in the end both my husband and I were glad that we did. Our doula came through for us in more ways than one. She answered all of our questions and reassured us every step of the way. Having the peace of mind made all of the difference in the world. I also took the extra step and signed up for a weekend intensive birthing class through our hospital. When I went into labor I felt confident and prepared. What I was not prepared for was the unplanned C-Section. Thankfully though, the doctor on call handled this well and delivered our baby girl in a matter of minutes. She is everything we had hoped for and so much more! And for that we truly feel blessed. Thank you again Tara R!! read more

I didn't have a Birthways doula for my labor, but I did use their postpartum doula services and the support I received from our doula Lauren--as well as the phone support from Birthways when I had questions about my newborn and breastfeeding--was phenomenal. I wish I had used them during labor but truthfully I wasn't even aware of them until after I delivered my daughter and a girlfriend highly recommended their caring and supportive services. I can't stress enough how helpful it was to have Lauren come in the weeks after my delivery when my husband returned to work. She gave me a chance to rest and recover, helped me learn so much about how to read my daughter's own natural signs, and was a real cheerleader for me. If you're lucky enough to have Lauren as your doula, I know you'll appreciate every minute of your family's time with her! read more

I cannot give this group enough stars! I used a doula from this organization for both of my births and it truly made the experience so much more relaxing and she was beyond helpful in two very different birth scenarios. Beyond that, she fielded emails and texts throughout pregnancy and post partum and the Birthways team followed up to ensure I had all the support I needed during the transition to motherhood and then to a mother of two. I cannot thank them enough. read more

After looking into a variety of different doulas within Chicago, I decided to go with Birthways. Why? Because I loved the option that I would be able to meet with a variety of doula until I found one that was a good personality fit for my husband and I. I also loved that the rates for Birthway doulas vary depending on their level of experience (which can make hiring doula more affordable if you're willing to have someone who has attended a few less births) and they have a mentor program for doulas in training. All great stuff! We were matched up with Lauren W., and after my husband and I met her we knew we didn't need to interview anyone else. She was great! Very chill and laid back but also matter of fact enough where I knew she wouldn't say things just to pacify me. She definitely seemed like someone who would "tell it like it is." I tend to, err, not be open to new ideas so I really needed a doula who could gently but firmly push me to try new approaches and options during labor. Laura was that person! In addition to her personality, I loved that Lauren is a massage therapist (even though I'm not a very touchy feely person, I had heard so many wonderful things about massage techniques during labor) and that she even delivered at the hospital I was to deliver at with the same midwife practice! I was fortunate that my labor was very "easy" and straightforward with no complications or interventions needed. I went into labor 2 days before my due date, labored at home the entire time and arrived at the hospital 10 cm dilated and ready to push! Lauren arrived at our home once my labor had picked up enough to where my husband just couldn't provide the support I needed; we needed reinforcements! Because my labor was so straightforward some would think that we wouldn't need a doula, but I strongly feel Lauren was integral to my success. It was her encouragement that helped me labor at home for as long as possible (which was my plan). If I said I wanted to go to the hospital, she simply asked me "Why" and helped me find different ways to feel more comfortable and ways to set goals to just make it through a few more contractions and then reevaluate. If not for Lauren I would have gone to the hospital much sooner and not been able to stay in the comfort of my own home for as long as possible. She also helped massage pressures points, had me try different positions to labor in, and called ahead to the hospital when we were on our way so my husband didn't have to worry about it. At the hospital, Lauren was a great support during the delivery. She also took pictures with our camera and provided support afterward, making sure I ate and got something to drink right away. About a week after the birth, Lauren came to our home to check in to see how we were doing. I cannot recommend enough how wonderful it is to hire a doula, and just how fabulous Lauren is! read more

We told the 8 week birthing class with Mary and she was fantastic. Very knowledgable. It has helped us come to a better understanding of our care and what goes on in birth. As other reviewers have noted, you do watch a lot of birthing videos, but I'm glad for it because it helped me understand what a normal birth looks (and sounds!) like. I gave birth to my son naturally almost a year ago now. read more

Every aspect of my experience with Birthways was exceptional. The communication with Angel from the very beginning was prompt, consistent, and personal. I felt like I was truly being listened to as I explained what I was looking for and the type of experience I wanted. She was very thorough and informative in her explanation of their process and what Birthways could offer. We interviewed two doulas based on the intake information I provided and what my husband and I were looking for. While the first wasn't quite the right fit, the second was practically made for us. Her calming presence in the interview was what resonated with my husband and me. We had taken classes through Northwestern and through Sweet Pea Studios, so we felt like we had some basic knowledge of what to expect. However, Jennifer was able to fill in the gaps, offer advice based on real-life experience and provide supplemental information that really educated us further. What I can't say enough about is the coaching, guidance and support that Jennifer provided during my labor and delivery. I was hoping to stay at home as long as possible and avoid unnecessary intervention at the hospital as I was planning on doing everything unmedicated. And that's exactly what I did. I honestly don't think I could have done it without Jennifer by my side. She kept me home, kept me calm and kept me comfortable. She coached my husband on how to support and comfort me during my long, painful contractions that seemed to be very close together for my entire labor. He loved that he could be so involved. At the hospital, she had key conversations regarding my birth plan with hospital staff that allowed me to focus on getting through the continuous contractions. The calm and serene environment that she helped to create in the room contributed to my constant progression and allowed me to achieve my goal. Without Jennifer, I wouldn't have been able to have the birth experience that I wanted. It was incredible, and I'm so grateful to have been completely present for the birth of my daughter. Thank you Birthways for making it possible. I will be recommending your services to anyone and everyone looking for support. read more

I really can't say enough about Megan Trinter, our doula. She was present for the birth of our first baby last month at Swedish Covenant hospital, and was an invaluable resource for me and my husband during labor and delivery. Megan is reassuring, knowledgeable, funny, attentive, supportive, and wonderfully empowering, and is the kind of person you want to be your best friend after you spend time with her. She did a wonderful job helping my husband and I navigate labor, hospital protocol, pain coping, decisions surrounding pain relief and medical care during labor, and she has been an amazing source of support in the first crazy month since our little guy arrived. We adore her, and are so happy we found her and she was present for the birth of our son. Thank you Megan!! read more