In general, I would not recommend this class to expecting parents who are not already affiliated…read morewith the church group that puts it on. The instructors seem very nice and likeable, and I don't mean to attack them personally, but the class is a major time commitment, and I feel compelled to share some of my concerns. First, the positives. The instructors are charismatic, and the pastor who leads it has a wonderful speaking voice. I honestly think she'd be fun to hang out with. The class includes useful instruction regarding techniques for labor, massage, writing a birth plan, etc. A lot of the stuff you're there for is somewhere in the class, so if you are willing to sit through it, you may get a lot of the information you came for in terms of feeling more prepared for your actual birth. Next, my concerns. (1) This class has a moderate to strong ideological tone and slant, especially re vaccines. You might be thinking, "well what did you expect from a free class from a group called Birth Believers?" It was honestly a bit more concerning than I had expected. A recurring theme of the class is: "your doctor is going to tell you X, but you shouldn't trust them, and in fact, you should probably do Y or even Z." The instructors will present this as them just providing you with information, but the presentation is not value neutral. You are meant to come away feeling suspicious of doctors and hospitals and favoring "natural" methods. For instance, they'll show you a 25-30 year old graphic video of how babies are traumatized during hospital births and contrast it with a video of an uncomplicated natural birth. Our experience with this was that it just contributed to our stress. One could say that this class presents a lot of their information using scare tactics and negativity. The most alarming example of this was their section on whether pregnant mothers should receive the COVID vaccine. This came up twice - in the first and fourth sessions. In the first session, the message was essentially, "there's no way to really know whether it's safe." I thought this was beyond the instructor's expertise, but I didn't really have a problem with the way she presented it. But in the fourth session, the pastor brought up the CDC's most recent guidance (that pregnant women should get the COVID vaccine) and although she faithfully conveyed the CDC's recommendation, she immediately undermined it by (in my opinion) grossly misrepresenting the study that underpinned the guidance. Audience members were reacting with outrage toward the CDC based on her representation of the data. This was infuriating and, frankly, irresponsible. It's one thing to say "we don't know," but this time, she may have been presenting data incorrectly and strongly implying that we should draw certain conclusions about the impact of the vaccine on rates of miscarriage and other events. The conclusions she was pointing to were, in my opinion, not at all supported by the data. I say irresponsible because a pastor has positioned themselves in a role of power and trust relative to students and congregants, and I suspect there are people who may not get vaccinated now because their view on vaccines is downstream of their decision to trust this pastor who has no expertise in that area. My broader point is that the instructors have an ideological agenda that goes beyond birthing and it gets in the way of what the class is supposed to be about. (2) This class is very long and does not use time efficiently. There are lots and lots of product recommendations and anecdotes in each session, and I am convinced that each session could have been 1/3 as long if it were tightened up. One of the teachers, who is very nice, told the birth story for each of her six kids. They were all very different, they were all interesting, but they were not useful to tired, working pregnant people on a Monday night at 8:30pm. Conclusion: If you're a secular person planning for a hospital birth, this class is probably not for you. This is a religious organization with an agenda beyond the nuts and bolts of birthing, and your time may be better spent with a paid class put on by the hospital where you're planning to give birth or some other organization in line with your values. If you're a religious person familiar with the ideology of this church, you may feel very comfortable in this space and this class. I would encourage you to consider alternative viewpoints regarding matters that seem beyond the instructors' expertise.

Birth Believers is a group that provides Childbirth Education, Doula Services, and Placenta…read moreEncapsulation. I don't know if you follow me / are friends with me on Yelp, or if you are just happening to see this review through looking up Birth Believers...either way, I want to make this clear: Never, in all of my years yelping, being Yelp Elite, and writing reviews, have I ever felt THIS strongly about a review, and about a recommendation. I 100% recommend this doula service. Every single fiber of my being is me telling you: Hire a doula from Birth Believers. Let's start off with some backstory: When I first became pregnant, one of my friends told that me that her biggest regret was NOT having a doula. I honestly thought she was crazy, or just had an unsupportive partner. "Well," I thought to myself, "MY husband is wonderful, and he will help me. We don't need to pay extra money on top of all these other new kid expenses!" I was just silly. Sigh. As I researched and learned more and more about the birth I wanted to have (medication free, natural, hypnobirthing) I kept seeing a theme--many women in my mom groups had traumatic birth experiences because of the medical professionals and interventions that they were forced to have. So many women in my groups were sharing horror stories, sharing success stories, and giving advice, and a resounding suggestion was--HIRE A DOULA. As I got closer and closer to my due date, I started really wanting a doula. Enter Yelp. Yelp offered us tickets to the Baby Expo, and my husband and I jumped at the chance to go! We wanted to get ideas, get more information, and just be more prepared. As we were walking the stalls of vendors and services, a friendly lady with a black Birth Believers shirt stopped me and asked if I wanted a foot massage. I sat and was quickly introduced to Melani. To make a long story short, we chatted, she massaged, and we really connected. We discussed birth, and what my plans for birth were. She encouraged me to enter the drawing for a free doula, which would be her (Melani), as well as enter the drawing for placenta encapsulation, to be done by Mari. After meeting Melani of Birth Believers, having great discussions, and thinking deeply about what we wanted for the birth of our firstborn, my husband and I decided to start saving up and budgeting to hire her. It is a professional service, so there is a cost to it--but the cost is definitely worthwhile. (We had originally wanted to get a doula and placenta encapsulation, but decided that we couldn't budget for both.) However, the same day that we made our decision, that night I received a text from Melani, informing me that I'd won the Baby Expo doula drawing, and that I'd be receiving doula services from Melani for free! She jumped right in to help me--she also invited me to church, and to meet after. We discussed expectations for the birth, and ways that I could make things smoother for myself (good stretches, nutrition, etc.) Throughout the weeks leading up to my birth, we met multiple times, she came by my house, went walking with me, and was always accessible. If I had a question about doctor's visits, nutrition, or pregnancy pains, she was always a text away. Melani was EXTREMELY accessible, and it made me feel so comforted to have someone I could ask questions to whenever I needed. She helped to review my birth plan, and made sure I knew what to expect in so many different ways. She was always there to give me advice, help, and to calm my fears. During labor, she helped beyond belief. She applied pressure through my contractions (which feels amazing, and is worth hiring her just for that!), talked me through labor, and encouraged me. I was a little worried that having her there would make my husband feel uninvolved, but he 100% was part of the birth process--and he LOVED HER! He agrees that she is worth her weight in gold-he has been telling all of his friends and family how she helped him to feel more comfortable, to know what to do to help me (she taught him hip squeezes and other techniques), and how having her there really made him feel more confident through the birth process, as a first time father. Melani really helped me before birth, through birth, and after. If you are considering doula services through Birth Believers, I STRONGLY recommend that you choose to do it. We also did the Placenta Encapsulation--I will try to update this review later to reflect what I've experienced with my placenta pills, but so far, I'm impressed! I really wish that I'd known these lovely ladies sooner, so I could have attended their free childbirth education classes. I'll definitely go next time we are expecting! If Melani is any indicator, I bet I'd get more out of these classes than the two sets I paid for through Kaiser. In summary, get a doula. Just get a freaking doula! Birth Believers is just awesome!!! I can't recommend them enough!

For unparalleled 24/7 care, beautiful and spacious suites, a positive and nurturing birth…read moreexperience, forget all the other hospitals and register here!! I wish i had better words to describe what an amazing experience it was to have my baby at [Adventist Health] Castle's Vera Zilber Birth Center. First off, though not the most important factor, the facility is *stunning*. With the ko'olau mountains as the backdrop, lush greenery all around, a bed for your labor coach, lots of free parking for friends and family, a jacuzzi tub to labor in, delicious food- what more could you ask for? Oh, right... amazing staff and care. Well, guess what? You get that ten-fold here. At 4am on a rainy day in October 2018 at 39 weeks pregnant, my water broke and hubby and I rushed to the hospital. We'd packed our bags ahead of time and we were already registered there so very little paperwork was needed. They checked us in and ushered us to the triage room where they confirmed that my water broke and measured how dilated I was. They informed my doctor immediately and took us to our huge suite where we could get settled and comfortable. I knew the baby's head was turned a bit weird because i was laboring in my back more and so it took 9 hours of labor and *3 hours* of pushing to get my 8lb baby out! They offered me different laboring options with a bar to get baby to come down more and the wonderful jacuzzi tub to sit in with jets. I requested to do a natural, unmedicated birth and was supported the whole way through. Dr. Chapman is one of *the top* OBGYNs in the country and I was privileged enough to have her be the one to deliver my baby (and sew me up - ouch!). She really is one of the most knowledgeable and respected doctors out there. The staff is absolutely incredible. Hands down the BEST. They took the time to get to know me and offered tailored care for me, my baby and my husband. They were so attentive and respectful. Every time there was a shift change, the nurses updated the chart but READ mine beforehand and obviously spoke to the other nurses to learn my situation and what i needed. I was always greeted with a smile. The day charge nurse would introduce me to the night nurse and they always made sure that i knew who they were, what they were doing, what me and my baby needed, they helped me with my lactation issues, arranged for a lactation consultant to further assist me, made sure my husband and i were comfortable, etc. To put it simply, I wasn't a room number. I was their patient. They really cared for us and gave us the one-on-one attention that we needed. They encouraged baby-friendly tactics to enrich our bond as a family, as new parents. They gave and taught us tools that were invaluable for when we brought our baby home. I can't express enough how wonderful everyone was. We were so blessed to have our baby here and be cared for by each and every staff member. A very special thank you to the following staff members and nurses who just really shined (whose names I can remember): Melody, Candace, Ashley, Grace, Malia, Carolyn, Tamy, Leah and Regina. For a caring and VIP birth experience, choose Vera Zilber. ***Note: Each suite has a jacuzzi tub, bed for your labor coach and a fridge for your snacks and drinks. If you like, you can bring your own pillows for extra comfort. They do not provide meals for your labor coach/significant other but there is an amazing cafeteria in the hospital called the bistro. Honestly, hubby and I just shared the food they gave me because it was so much anyway and we had our snacks and a baby to keep us busy .

Nurse Marilyn, You…read morewere the best nurse for my birthing experience & couldn't have done it without you! I truly felt safe in your care and believed I could get through it because of you! I have given birth at Castle twice and both times were the best experiences. From the moment you enter til the moment you leave everything feels stress free and you're treated with the best hospitality in a hospital IMO. I love that you don't have to park far in the parking structure and your car is like 30 feet from the front door. The rooms are the biggest of all the birthing centers on Oahu (and the most comfortable). I have given birth at Queens with my first born and after being spoiled at Castle I will never give birth anywhere else but at Castle. I just can't stress how amazing nurse Marilyn was though and how I felt like she was my family member getting me through birth! I hope she sees this & I can't thank her enough for being the epitome of what a nurse should be to a patient.

I've been working with Shiwa on several issues, starting with sleep apnea and snoring--something…read moreI've struggled with for many years. I had tried hypnotherapy in the past without much success and have been using a CPAP machine as well. Shiwa's approach was completely different from anything I had experienced before. First of all, her voice is incredibly effective at guiding you into a deep, relaxed state. Together, we uncovered several probable root causes, which I was finally able to come to terms with. The follow-up commitments she gave me were also very manageable and easy to stick to. What really amazed me was the immediate improvement I could see through the data from my CPAP machine. In the past, those poor sleep scores were a clear sign of how badly I was sleeping--even if I didn't fully realize it at the time. But within just three weeks of working with Shiwa, I went from 6 incidents per hour (gasping for air) to just 0.2 per hour. I no longer wake myself up at night, and my bed partner isn't jolted awake thinking I'm about to stop breathing. It's been life-changing. Now, I'm excited to move on to the next goal: stress-free driving in Honolulu! Can't wait to see what progress lies ahead.

Shiwa was genuinely invested in supporting me on my path to find greater purpose and meaning in my…read morecareer path. Her efforts and hard work showed through her attention to detail and presence. Thank you!

I was looking for a driving instructor for my teen and saw all the positive Yelp reviews for Hawaii…read moreDriving Academy. Jay was a wonderful teacher! He has a "can do" positive attitude. He was extremely responsive and answered all my questions over the phone before the first lesson. He is very patient, always came on time and had a face mask on for every lesson. After each lesson, he would message me on my teens progress. Jay was very easy to work with and I felt he and I were able to work together to achieve our goals. It was also very easy and convenient to pay for our lessons via payment app. Our teen passed on the first try!!!

Jay is an amazing instructor for both beginners and experienced drivers…read more I had to take the drivers road test after having a drivers license in the US for 26 yrs in 3 States (NJ HI CA ) , during COVID my CA license expired so the quickest way to get a HI license was to retake both written and practical tests all over again I was shocked I failed the 1st time I took the driving test in Kapolei . Since I was desperate to get a drivers license ASAP since I needed a 2nd form of govt issued ID for passport renewal so I was referred to to Jay and only spent 1 (90min) session with him to give me tips on how to pass and took me to the exact route where I was testing in Sheridan (2021) and passed ! I actually learned a lot from him despite being a licensed driver since I was 16yo (took HI drivers test at age 49) My daughter recently passed her drivers test as well and Jay made her drive confidently having had a PTSD/ fear of driving due to a car accident we had years ago when she was in 3rd grade which stopped her from wanting to learn how to drive and Jay was very patient in teaching her and now drives safely, confidently and very courteous driver on the road ! Awesome job Jay! You're very good and patient instructor ! I have highly recommended you to all my friends!

My wife booked a private lesson for my son and I (18 and 52 yrs old). We both had a great time on…read morethe water with Marco and Kainalu. They were great at pointing out what we needed to work on before each wave. We both were able to ride some waves for our first time out. Mahalo!

We surfed with Ty Gurney Surf School originally, Pete was awesome with my kids. They loved it so…read moremuch we booked again however... Marco was great with our kids, I just didn't love that we booked on the Ty Gurney website and ended up with someone from Ohana Surf Project.