As we don't have family in the Tampa Bay area, for our first pregnancy/childbirth experience, we…read morewanted to hire a birth doula. After seeing so many great reviews and recommendations for Buddha Bellies, we booked the birth and postpartum doula services and honestly couldn't be happier. You get a pair of birth doulas to ensure one is available for when you give birth. Both were knowledgeable, friendly, and super supportive throughout my pregnancy. After an initial zoom call to get to know each other, we had a group text chat to check in and answer any questions I might have. They also suggested things to bring to the hospital, like an essential oil diffuser that really helped me and the nurses loved. My on-call doula on the day my son was born was Susan, and she was a lifesaver!! She arrived at the hospital promptly (despite living an hour away) and helped keep my husband and I calm. My husband had to leave for an hour to bring our dog to his boarding location, and so I was so grateful I had Susan with me during that time. I tried to give birth without an epidural, and her magical massages literally saved me and brought me to 6cm dilated. At that time, I decided I definitely did want/need an epidural, and she was very supportive of my wishes. She honestly felt like she became family that day and was so dedicated to my comfort. I can't imagine having done this without her. We're now onto the postpartum doula phase, and while we just started with our overnight care, we are SO glad that we made the decision to have a postpartum doula (kind of like a night nurse in this scenario). So far, it has been absolutely wonderful--the doula is very caring and loving to my baby boy and gives me a few extra hours of sleep each night, which is invaluable. As newbie parents, she offers advice and reassurance that things (like infant gas!) are normal. We are able to sleep soundly knowing that our son is safe with her in the other room! The Buddha Bellies support staff have also been excellent. It was very easy to be matched with and interview doulas--we hired ours on the very first try, as they were all of amazing quality, friendly, and with great experience/reviews. We cannot recommend them more!

My partner and I attended the Buddha Belly pregnancy classes for four weeks. The classes were…read moretaught by Justine and Mellisa. Both teachers were knowledgeable and provided us with essential information about pregnancy, both during and after. They taught us in detail about the steps that should be taken during and after pregnancy, which would be beneficial for both the mother and the child. We also hired doulas from Buddha Belly to assist us during the pregnancy, and they were fantastic. I highly recommend that anyone who is pregnant and their partner take the Buddha Belly pregnancy classes to ensure a smooth pregnancy and to gain the necessary knowledge concerning pregnancy.

I contacted Labor of Love, after my wife was given a full Authorization from the Bay Pines VA for…read moreall Prenatal and Birth Expenses paid, 100%, no copay etc. The VA does not provide OB/Prenatal care and leave it up to the patient to locate a provider they would like to work with. We had gone through USF IVF for IUI procedures and they were paid fully with no issue. We also had visited Bayfront Baby Place and an OB there, but were leaning toward home/natural birth instead. Our Auth included specific billing codes which were preapproved, so all that needed to be done was bill under these codes for care. I was contacted back by Judy and she immediately told us that it would be self-pay only, and they do not work with VA authorizations. I was a bit upset because of course this was new ground for both the VA, and Labor of Love, but I was requesting that we set up a time to come in, see the center, and if it seemed a good fit, we could have billing look over our Authorization/paperwork and see if the billing would work out, as it did with USF. We were not given the courtesy of a response. We were not responded to after a follow up email either. I am very sad to say that despite a glowing recommendation, and our efforts to work with Labor of Love, they are not interested. Not sure if that is because we are a lesbian couple, or because of our billing situation ... we will never know because we were not contacted further to discuss our options.

I delivered my son at Labor of Love in 2005. I also did all my prenatal care there. INCREDIBLE…read moreexperience from beginning to end. They were wonderful in every way and the entire experience of my pregnancy and birth with my first was a pleasure with their help. Janet was my midwife. Char-Lyn (spelling?) was the owner at the time and also assisted with my birth. I know midwives change and things change but I can wholeheartedly vouch for those two.

I was planning my second birth out of hospital when I met Zul, she was finishing her midwifery…read moreprogram. This hard worker midwife is the best. She educated me through the process, helped me understand everything about my pregnancy, birth and postpartum in a friendly, professional and relaxing way, I wasn't another number for her, I was a woman with doubts about home birth, she answered all my questions. My home birth was respected well cared and beautiful. Thank you Zulgeil!

I could not have asked for a more personable midwife. I moved to FL from NJ at 36weeks pregnant and…read morestarted prenatal care with Zul on my 37th week. From the start I felt very comfortable. I trusted her skill set and enjoyed her charisma. She helped me put together my birth team, recommended pediatricians, and even gave me the confidence to have a home birth (I'm a first time mom). I really like her holistic ideology. In a twist of events Zul wasn't able to deliver my baby due to various moms being in labor at the same time. However, her commitment to my care was unparalleled. She came after she was done delivering that baby and took over my care. It was everything I thought having a midwife would be.

We couldn't have asked for a better team! Bri and Rae came to our home to help us prepare for our…read morefirst birth. They showed us exercises to work on then at 7 months and exercises  to work on during labor and they were very helpful and kind. Bri was with us when I went into labor at home and because of a Florida law after waters breaking if you have a home birth and 12 hours have passed you have to relocate to the hospital to give birth. Bri was so kind enough to come with us to the hospital and stayed for the whole process including my unexpected and unplanned c-section. Not only was she knowledgeable with any questions we had in the hospital but she also gave us a sense of calm and care that we so needed during that stressful time. Bri even suited up and supported us in the operating room during the surgery. Bri even stopped by our house before we got home to drop off the placenta. Bri came to our home for a follow-up visit a few weeks after our Jack was born to answer any questions or concerns we had and to see how we were all doing. We are so lucky to have had Bri on her side and appreciate her so very much! Marie came to our home for the childbirth education course. She pulled up her slides on her computer and we connected it to our television. It was incredibly helpful to learn both home and hospital birth situations as I mentioned above we had to relocate to the hospital and make some very tough decisions. This was a two-part course so Marie came to our home on two separate occasions. Marie was also there to answer any questions we had about the birth and when baby arrived and how to care for him. If you're looking for a doula team you must choose One Love Doula. They won't disappoint. They are knowledgeable, easy to work with, come to your home, and they are very sweet and compassionate and go above and beyond the call of duty. We love One Love! -Rachel, Alex, and baby Jack

One love doula is the best!! I hired one love doula services when I was 6 months, being a first…read moretime mom and in a middle of a pandemic I feared all the time and I needed to educate myself. On our First meeting Yamel made me feel at peace, provide me with so much information that my fears went out the window, at that moment I knew I was going to have this Angel(Yamel) care for my family to be. Yamel is very professional, knowledgeable and caring. Her prices are very reasonable for the services that she provides which is excellent, I HIGHLY recommend one love Doula services for all the mommies out there. Ladies once again, Thank you from the bottom of our hearts

Rachel is a super hypnobabies doula. Our experience with her was smooth all the way…read more She is considerate, knowledgable, respectful ans very caring. She guided us through our natural birth from the pre-natal classes to our 1-1 meetings. Most importantly she gave us great guidance on the day of the birth and was with us all the way. As my wife said: "I couldnt have done it without her".

We originally picked Rachel as our doula because we were interested in a natural hypnobabies birth,…read morebut that unfortunately was not in the cards for us. We ending up needing just about every medical intervention possible (induction due to pre-eclampsia, epidural, c-section, and more), and Rachel was a rock star through out everything. She was such a positive and calming presence and provided much needed support to dad and baby while mom was unavailable. We could not be more grateful that Rachel was with us on this beautiful but difficult day. We would highly recommend her if you are hoping for a natural birth or not!

I had my dream birth with Cheryl! I needed someone who understood my background and cared about…read morewhat I wanted the birth to look like. Cheryl listened to me, cared about me and helped me achieve my incredible at home birth! I will rave about her services to anyone who wants to listen. 10/10!

Some things happen for a reason... I had to leave my OBGYN's…read morepractice at 37 weeks pregnant, for multiple reasons. I contacted Circle of Life because I was looking for an alternative. Immediately Cheryl made me feel like I had made the right decision. She has a beautiful way of making you feel protected and at the same time feel empowered. Cheryl truly cares and has an incredible passion for what she does. I absolutely believe that if I hadn't found her, I would have had a completely different birth experience. Cheryl is an amazing person who pours her heart and soul into what she does. She is incredibly knowledgeable and experienced. I feel so truly blessed to have found her. I will always cherish the special memories of my birth experience that she helped to bring to fruition. I couldn't be more grateful to have had Cheryl with us during such an important journey.

If I could give the Happiest Doulas 10 out of 5 stars I would. Cynthya and her team are so…read moreknowledgeable, non-judgmental, helpful, and accessible. Cynthya will meet with you to help match you to the best doula to suit your personality and needs. The Happiest Doulas will have served all 3 of my pregnancies and births, and I could not have done it without them. Cynthya was my breath of fresh air, my coach, my angel as I navigated unmedicated births. Their birthing course mentally and physically prepared me for what to expect, and I felt so confident going into an unmedicated birth experience. A huge piece of their role is to advocate between mom/partner and healthcare professionals, and that was also so helpful to me and my family. They're the absolute best!

From the owner: Making birthdays easy.read more

I recommend Dee and her hypnobirthing classes to anyone I know that is pregnant! She was…read morenon-judgmental, flexible, understanding, patient, and extremely knowledgeable. This was our first pregnancy after a 36 week pregnancy loss, so we were anxious to say the least. Having Dee as a resource bounce questions off of, knowing we would get an honest response based on her year of practice and knowledge, was very comforting, and lowered our anxiety during pregnancy and the birth, quite a bit. As the doctors and nurses recommended various interventions, we were able to ask her opinion on them and never felt pressured to do what she suggested. She was fantastic also at following up, ensuring we were taken care of to the best of her ability. Lastly, she helped us include our stillborn son in our birth, which made it very meaningful for us bringing our rainbow baby into the world.

This amazing woman will always have a place in my heart because of her love, prayers, and comfort…read morethrough out my labor and birth with our son. She helped make it a beautiful healing experience 100x better than my 2 c-section. I could not have done it without her. I would've not had a successful home birth if it wasn't for her encouraging words and the mental and physical support she showed me. And it was a nice bonus too that she's also very natural-minded Want a better birth experience? Contact Dee!!! #iLoveMyDoula