We're expecting our first baby in February 2026 and initially felt pretty overwhelmed about where…read moreto start with birth planning. We were even hesitant to take a birth class at all--but we're so grateful we took Lisa Greaves' class. While we're planning a hospital birth, we hope to avoid a C-section if possible, and Lisa's class truly empowered us to feel comfortable and informed about all of our options. We learned about laboring at home longer, pain management strategies both with and without medication, and how to advocate for ourselves throughout the process. By the final session, we felt much more knowledgeable about pre- and postnatal care and genuinely prepared to welcome our baby. We also really appreciated the sense of community and the additional resources the class provides. Can't recommend it enough!

Lisa is a gifted educator on all things childbirth and we're SO happy to have attended her 3 day…read moreintensive in-person classes a few months prior to our due date. I was immediately impressed by Lisa's care and high-touch approach when I saw her thoughtful response to my intake form at the time we registered for the program. And throughout the course, Lisa's wealth of knowledge, passion, and genuine desire to help really carried through. She's also a bright ray of sunshine and we really appreciated her warmth and hospitality in what could feel like a long three day class otherwise. We had snacks and drinks, were able to move around freely, sit on the floor, sit on the yoga ball, there are squatty potties in each bathroom, I mean she literally thought of everything in trying to make this experience as comfortable and smooth for us as possible. With each class, we felt more and more confident and well equipped to welcome our baby and of course the added bonus in this being in-person is that we also loved connecting with other couples that we will continue to stay in touch with. I would highly recommend to any couple who's expecting no matter the kind of birth experience you envision for yourseleves.

Sarah is amazing! She's a great communicator who brings a wealth of knowledge and a calming…read morepresence to labor and those stressful last few weeks of pregnancy. We were so grateful to have her by our side.

I used Sarah for education, labor and overnight help. I would recommend her to everyone. She is so…read moreeasy to talk to and you feel very comfortable around her. She was KEY in helping me through a long labor. Although I had great hospital care, I don't want to think what my labor would look like without her. She was also awesome at overnights when I transitioned back to work! She is so knowledgeable and experienced.

Nettle came to us from a trusted recommendation and we have already passed it along to everyone we…read moreknow starting their birthing journey. We are forever grateful for Jo and Jenna's thoughtful and enthusiastic care and support. Every visit, phone call, text, etc was always particular and intimate to our own story while being backed by informed, professional advice and conversation. From billing support to postpartum visits in their new gorgeous office, Nettle made this process easy in a medical landscape that can often be so opaque and overwhelming. As a sporadic doula, I'm lucky enough to have been present at several births and they offer a level of care that I didn't know existed. We were fortunate to have an incredible home birth in our barely one bedroom apartment and throughout felt supported but empowered, nurtured but independent. From the first meeting we knew it was the only way, and they were there for us every step. Both pre and post natal care (not to mention labor and birth support) were approached with attentiveness, warmth, and joyful tenderness. I've carried their philosophy with me into parenthood and find myself asking WW(Jo/Jenna)D for decisions beyond the health of our baby girl and myself. Their sage advice and general outlook on all things birthing and beyond offer a lovely bedrock for this new phase. Briefly, we cannot recommend them highly enough. We love you Jo and Jenna and the whole Nettle crew!

I couldn't possibly express how grateful I am to Jo and Jenna for their incredible care. I am now…read moresix months postpartum and continue to reflect daily on the fact that I feel so lucky to have had Nettle Wellness as my north star throughout my pregnancy and after. I had the home birth I was hoping for, and never for a second felt like I wasn't in the best hands possible. My experience with them was transformative. If you want to feel supported, heard, understood, if you want to ask questions without fear of feeling annoying, if you want your appointments to feel like the focus is 100% on you, this is the place to go.

Momally has been a wonderful resource for me in meeting local moms and in sharing stories/seeking…read moreadvice. There are meetings organized by Andrea, Momally's creator but also more informal meetups organized by Momally members. The meetings organized by Andrea take place at her house. It is set up perfectly to host a large group of women and babies. It is a relaxed environment and I love going to meetings. Check it out if you are an expecting or new mom in Astoria!

From the owner: Andrea Scannell, founder of MOMally (pronounced MOM-ah-lee) provides private sleep consulting and…read morelactation counseling services. She also runs groups, classes and workshops for expectant and new parents.

I wish I had a good experience like the reviews, but honestly absolute scam. I inquired about…read moreplacenta encapsulation services. I sent in deposit and kept her in the loop on scheduled c section. i was the one who kept initiating contact for pick up of placenta. she never arranged pick up and I requested a refund of deposit, which I never received. so I got scammed out of $95 because she never answered me after the last texts requesting refund again.

Shantel was a pleasure to work with, and an invaluable part of our child's delivery…read more Her industry knowledge, along with extensive experience put us at ease about the process and the options available to us as first-time parents. We ended up having an unplanned delivery, which couldn't have gone as smoothly as it did without Shantel's support and guidance. She helped bring our daughter into this world, and will always have a special place in our hearts. She was outstanding, and we highly recommend her.

My husband and I took a 2 hour private in-home class and it was AMAZING!! Vivian arrived and was…read morewarm, friendly and so easy to talk to right away. I was 37 weeks pregnant with our first child at the time of the appnt and so it was pretty late in my pregnancy to have a birthing class, but I believe it was perfect timing to keep all the info Vivian provided fresh in our minds. Within the 2 hours Vivian touched on EVERYTHING!! From stages of labor, Bradley Method, breastfeeding, vaccinations, postpartum and anything else you may have any questions and concerns about Vivian is a wealth of knowledge!! You can see her passion and sincere care for you as she teaches you and your partner coaching and positioning techniques for labor. I was able to go to my OB/GYN the next day fully knowledgeable and describe with confidence exactly what I wanted in my birth plan. If you are expecting your first child and would like an idea of what labor is all about Vivian is an expert and puts your mind at ease just to know what to expect and how to be as prepared as possible. Thank you Vivian!!

We took a private class with Vivian Cardinale to prepare for the birth of our fist child. Going…read moreinto the class, we had little knowledge about what to expect and a lot of questions. Vivian's patient teaching style and knowledge helped us to learn all we need to prepare for our child and make decisions about the type of birth we wanted to have. She's willing to answer all of our questions, no matter how out there they might seem, and offered support throughout. I highly recommend that if you are looking for a birthing class in general, or a Bradley Method class specifically, you seek out Vivian.

After my last review, Jada, the founder of Birth Day Presence, reached out to me for an honest and…read moreopen conversation about what she could do to improve not only my experience but classes there in general. Being a yoga teacher with pre/post natal experience I went into their classes already very knowledgeable so they weren't as informative as I would have liked but I think they are probably life saving for people who don't care to/don't have the time to do their own learning and research. Birth day presence and boober provide not only child birth and newborn care classes, but match clients with (and train) doulas, lactation consultants etc Most importantly though, and I got this sense from the beginning but really felt it after talking to Jada, they genuinely care about providing quality information and services to new families. They also understand that the birthing industry (because it is an industry) is far from perfect and they want to empower families and help them navigate it. I feel very grateful to Jada and Birth Day Presence and although I originally walked away feeling there was more to be desired I now feel like I couldn't recommend them more to anyone seeking childbirth/childcare education or training. Oh, and all their classes are conveniently online now due to covid.

My husband and I purchased weekend intensive childbirth education classes and we attended when I…read morewas 27 weeks pregnant with our first child at Birth Day Presence. We came here with an open mind and hoping to learn the important basics of childbirth. Needless to say, we had no idea what we were getting ourselves into. We didn't feel prepared and we were hoping this class would make us feel more comfortable of what's to come. The classes we chose were on Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 am until 3:30 pm. Jen Buice was our instructor and she was very informative and knew her stuff. We also got to mingle with other couples who were due at around the same time as us. We got to share our experiences with each other, which I think my husband and I wouldn't have gotten a chance to do otherwise if it wasn't for this class. We watched some childbirth videos, learned about different stages of labor, pain management, labor exercises with and without the ball, a little about lactation, etc. We also went around the room and did some activities so it could be more interactive and social. Bring some snacks because the classes might seem a little long at times! We did get a short lunch break. One slight complaint I have is that I got a little antsy and didn't feel that comfortable with their seating arrangements. I felt a little claustrophobic. Overall, I think we feel better and a little bit more prepared about being parents. I would recommend this class if you have a chance to take it. It's located in a beautiful part of Park Slope in a beautiful brownstone. Price is a little steep at $395 but I think it's worth it. You can't put a price on your future bundle of joy.

Taking the Birth1st Hypnobirthing course with Elizabeth was one of the best decisions I made for my…read morebirth experience! I wanted a natural delivery, but as a first time mom, I was scared! Thanks to the breathing techniques, visualizations, and overall mindset preparation she taught, I was able to have an unmedicated 7-hour labor (most of it at home, arriving to the hospital almost 8cm dilated!!) with no tearing--delivering a healthy 7lb baby girl. Elizabeth's guidance gave me the confidence to trust my body and stay calm through every stage of labor. The tools I learned helped me through my surges, stay as relaxed as possible, and truly embrace the wonder and joy of the birth experience. I'm beyond grateful for this course and would highly recommend it to any expecting mama looking for an empowering, positive birth! Our bodies were made for birth and I am so proud of what I was able to accomplish with Elizabeth's help!

Elizabeth was such a God send for us. First, she is extremely knowledgeable and clearly has the…read morebackground and experience needed to be amazing at her job. Then of course is her heart. She truly cared so much about my husband and I and took the time to walk us through each and every step. We were so nervous being first time parents about the birthing experience and she truly not only prepared us but really put us at ease. When it came time for the actual day of the labor things did not go exactly as planned and Elizabeth was right there for it all! I cannot imagine going through that whole experience without her there. My husband feels the exact same way. She also was so great with the doctors and nurses. She never overstepped but kindly had my back throughout the process. I do believe that should she not have been there, the hospital staff would have pushed me to do things that I didn't want, like a C-section. It took far more time to do a natural birth but with her support I was able to have my daughter vaginally like I very much wanted. If you are considering hiring Elizabeth as your doula, I would definitely do it! She made our pregnancy and birth feel so much safer and she really took care of us every step of the way.

We had such a wonderful experience with this service. The HFA team was incredibly responsive and…read moreproactive in connecting us with those who may be on our night nurse team which allowed for me to chat with each one ahead of time. It was our first time working with a night nurse and the whole experience made us feel at ease and in very good hands. Our night nurse, Janette, was wonderful and made us feel so confident that our newborn was in good hands that we could get some sleep back! Definitely recommend!

I am so glad to have worked with postpartum doulas through Happy Family After. We had peace of mind…read moreworking through this agency, knowing the doulas were vetted. We worked with Janice and Sara who were wonderful! On the admin side, Devon, Sondra, and Sara were all so kind and easy to work with. I was able to use my Carrot benefits with ease.

Leigh was an incredible birthing coach for us, and she kept things fun and peppy the whole time…read more We're expecting our first kid, and while we're very comfortable with babies and excited about what's to come, it turned out there was so much we had no idea we didn't know! We're so glad we had these sessions with Leigh because now we have a confidence and awareness about what to expect with the stages of labor, the processes at the hospital (especially how much agency parents have with respect to them), and the first couple of weeks at home. Leigh came highly recommended to us and now we see why. We would enthusiastically recommend her to every family expecting a new addition!

As first time parents, we were so thankful to have taken Leigh's 5-week childbirth education…read moreseries! We found the course invaluable - Leigh is extremely knowledgeable, engaging, personable, and passionate about all things birth. Her warmth and openness fostered an environment where we felt comfortable asking any question and felt supported with numerous online resources, book recommendations, and community connections. We were also able to connect with other couples expecting around the same time which has been great! Under normal circumstances, we couldn't recommend Leigh's class enough, but with covid-19 and ever-changing hospital policies/ uncertainty, Leigh really went above and beyond to keep us focused on and confident about how to navigate our birth during this stressful time. We were lucky to have completed the class in person but have since engaged with Leigh a few times virtually as well. She has been an incredible resource as we welcomed our baby boy into the world. We highly recommend Leigh!!