Money EXTREMELY well spent in preparing for birth and parenthood!…read more Long overdue review of the wonderful team and services at Family Picnic! My husband and I took the Power of Birth class, along with Breastfeeding 101 this past winter before my son was born. Best thing we did. To say we learned a lot is putting it mildly and more importantly it helped us to frame what was important to us for the birth. It empowered us knowing what we could change and affect - and of course what you cannot, which is a lot with birth! By having the knowledge to make choices as they arose I felt more at ease with the loss of control that comes along. One of the most valuable support systems I had post baby was Sue and Rebecca with their knowledge and support around breastfeeding. Sue came for a visit when my son was just three days old to make sure he was latching and things were looking good and let us know what we should be looking for, how long he should feed for etc etc. It was so reassuring to have her in our home for the visit to see how things were going. In the months after she and Rebecca were always available via text or email when I had a question about breastfeeding or pumping. I credit Sue with keeping me calm and encouraging me to trust my motherly instincts when it came to feeding. And as an added bonus they are both just such great people!

When I was on the Bowmanville Garden Walk last year, before I even got pregnant, I noticed Family…read morePicnic in the neighborhood as I was walking around. I made note of it in hopes that I'd successfully achieve a pregnancy and might check out the programs here, and once I was pregnant signed up for their mailing list. They offer a variety of services from doula and lactation support, childbirth and early childhood classes, to various parent & baby groups. I was here because I attended a music program for babies that was held here and hosted by a partner organization. The space is really lovely and welcoming to parents and children; there are gathering spaces, chairs, pillows, and whatnot. You'll need to take your shoes off when you enter so don't wear lace up thigh high boots! There are great east facing windows that let in enough light that I think when I was here we didn't even have the lights on. I'd like to attend a group that they have here (and as of September 2023 they have a check-in offer for just that, so I hope to use it soon!). The other two parent/baby groups at the music class we went to have been in attendance here because they knew one another, and it would be great to have a community closer to my neighborhood. Parking is ample--it's not a permit zone on Damen itself, though I'm not sure about the side streets. I'd encourage any new parent to see what they have to offer.

I don't know where I would be without Linda and the Chicago New Moms Group. It was such a necessary…read moresupport system during the most vulnerable time of my life. I learned how to be a mom in public with a newborn without judgement. I have a wonderful network of moms that I ask every question to, all of which are going through the exact same stages with their baby. It's the community that you need during a highly destabilizing time, and the group continues to make me feel right at home. Thank you Linda, and I would highly recommend this experience to any new mom!

Really thankful for this group as a first time mom! The first months of motherhood can feel lonely…read moreand overwhelming at times, and this was the perfect group to meet new people, talk through experiences, ask questions, learn about local resources, and relate to other new moms in a judgement-free environment. It was also great practice gaining confidence bringing my baby out in public on my own. I feel much more confident as a mom after participating in the group. Highly recommend!

Sandra has been beyond helpful! We were struggling with how to best parent our 4 year old - from…read moredefiant behavior to staying in bed to not listening. Enter Sandra. She's a real life Supernanny without the cameras. Her approach is based on the RIE method which was new to us. We have had her come to our home weekly for the past 2 months and the change is noticeable. She will step in and coach you through how to both acknowledge your child's feelings and assert your role as a parent in a loving way. We can't imagine where we'd be without her! She's been instrumental in helping us become patient, understanding parents. Although we are still learning but we definitely are on the right path thanks to her guidance. If only we had called earlier.....

We met with Sandra to help with our two year old as we were having major bedtime struggles. Our…read moredaughter was going to bed at 11pm in our bed because she was resisting sleep so much. We were all beyond tired (also having a newborn who was waking through the night) and at a loss of how to get back on track. Sandra immediately assessed our situation and started sharing some parent coaching tips to help us know how to respond to our daughter's protests (and more importantly said, her needs). Sandra also followed up with articles and podcasts, all of which were beyond helpful. I have to say that Sandra left us with not only hope that things would get better if we continued her recommendations, but relief that we didn't have to resort to external tactics (we were using a sticker chart as reward for sleep and it was failing miserably). Instead, we found that we as loving parents have the power to respond in certain ways to help meet our daughter's needs. She started going to sleep around 9pm within days of having Sandra over. That is still later than we like but after a lot of work and many weeks we have reached a spot where our daughter no longer protests bedtime. And just yesterday she told me when she was tired and ready to go to bed! It has been a difficult journey and we probably could have gotten there sooner had we done more work with Sandra and sooner. I am so happy that what Sandra has shared with us can now be useful for other situations as well such as potty-training.

I contacted Janeen as our 9 month year old son was waking up every couple of hours, so I ended up…read moreco-sleeping as it was easier (and I did love it) but I was so over getting woken constantly to nurse him back to sleep all the time. I was exhausted and crabby and the situation had to change. He also took really short naps and as he freaked out so much whenever we tried to put him in his crib, I was nursing him to sleep in the bed and watching the monitor like a hawk for every nap and at bedtime until I would join him. I was always worried he would roll off the end of the bed or get trapped at the edges which were pushed up against the wall with the crib pushed up on the other side. So even his short nap times weren't much of a break for me, I had to sit pretty quietly close to the monitor, staring at it every few minutes with the sound on max. Quite a crazy situation I got myself into! And this was my second child! So not my first rodeo, but the first slept like a dream right away. I knew what needed to happen, he needed to learn to put himself back to sleep, not through me nursing him. And he needed to sleep in his crib. I read a lot of sleep books, and searched the internet for solutions. I didn't know which way to go, I tried CIO without a plan and it didn't work out and I just felt terrible. I tried the no-cry solutions and they didn't do much for me. I needed a one-person coach to guide me. Janeen came to our house and gave some tips on what to change with our son's sleeping arrangements. One change we made had an immediate effect, Jack took a 3 hour nap that afternoon! The first few nights of CIO with check ins (our plan chosen over 3 suggested options) were hard, but he put himself back to sleep from the very first night. I heard him wake 4 times and only nursed him once. For about a week I nursed him once, and then he started sleeping right through from 7pm-7am!!! We could not believe it. And now he takes really long naps and I am getting so much more done! I'm feeling so much better. I don't worry he's going to suffocate or roll off the bed constantly, it's such a relief. I loved having Janeen to email every day for the 2 week period, I asked tons of questions and always got a reply pretty quickly, even on the weekend days. I also had an excel chart to fill out each day which was a really helpful tool to get Jack on a schedule and to see the progress. I cannot recommend her enough! She was very nice and personable when I met her and I tell all of my mom friends with similar problems she's the lady to go to if you want to go this route. I am eternally grateful! I understand this might seem like quite an expense to some families, but for all the time she spent with coming to our house and then emailing and for all the tools I was given, it was priceless. There is so much information out there, and so many friends and family members with opinions and solutions, but if you just want a clear route with an expert with immediate and lasting results, Janeen is the answer.

We had an incredible experience with Janeen. We were basically zombies because our daughter was…read morewaking up every 90 minutes during the night. After two nights our daughter was sleeping through the night with one dream feed. Janeen was really accommodating-- and gave us various options using gentle methods. She also answered all of our questions in a timely fashion and gave us good feedback and tips throughout the two week process. I really felt in good hands and we are in such a better place as a family as a result. I highly recommend Janeen for all your baby sleep (and parent sleep) needs!

I cannot say enough to recommend Martha and her team. I have minimal family around and my husband…read morewent back to work fairly immediately to a demanding job. From the first night Martha came, I felt immediately at ease. She helped me transition into becoming a new mom and provided advice, as much support as I could want, and organized so much of my home. 2-3 nights and mornings a week of support for the first 3-4 months made all the difference between struggling and thriving during my postpartum period. She also has put in so much effort to make sure my daughter is sleeping well for when I go back to work - checking in even on her off days. We are going to miss her presence in our home immensely and hope to need her again in the future.

Martha and her team have made me a better mom. I was struggling with postpartum anxiety and my…read morehusband was looking for any resources to help me. I never thought that I would have care for my newborn or that that would be something that I would need. I reluctantly agreed to have Martha come for one evening and see how I felt, and my journey to motherhood has never been the same since. Martha, Shirley, peace, amma, Doreen and Esther all took care of my daughter, with the love that a parent would have for their own child. In addition to this, they taught me so much! They helped me with learning how to properly feed my daughter, how much food she needed, talk to me through some of my health anxieties, helped me enhance my daughter's development, and worked with my daughter to become a great sleeper. All of this while I was able to get good rest and be a better mom. I am eternally thankful for Martha and her team and if we are lucky enough to have another child, they will be my first call. If I could give one piece of advice to any new parents it would be to use Chicago Newborn Care.

Hello to all, I just saw on ABC news about your organization not paying the complete amount owed to…read moreChef Meyers for his food services. How can any trust an organization that would not pay their bill or even not being professional enough to pay the Chef the entire amount, not just $2,137.00. I do hope this is not true and if it is shame on your organization. I wouldn't believe that if you would this to him? What other unfair practices the organization would do to people that need your help. The news report was dated August 27, 2026.

My husband and I had an EXCELLENT experience with Third Coast Birth Services!! I was able to have…read morethe natural birth experience that I had always wanted, and this was due in large part to the calming and confident support that the doulas provided us all throughout our labor. During my labor with my daughter (she is now 2), I had desperately wanted to have a natural labor; however, due to several circumstances out of my control (I was induced, I was in a hospital that was not set up to support the natural labor process, etc.) I made the decision to have an epidural. Ultimately my daughter was healthy and we were happy to have her in our arms, but I had continued to hope for the chance at a natural birth. When I went into my labor with my son just a couple of weeks ago (without the need for induction, Praise Jesus!), I felt like a first time laboring patient all over again. Even though I had technically done this once before, I had never experienced the natural progression of contractions, and I needed a lot (a WHOLE LOT) of moral support. Lauren was more than willing to come in during the wee hours of the morning to walk and talk with me through the halls of the hospital as labor began. She talked me through the things that I was experiencing, what to expect, and how to advocate for myself. She eased a lot of my concerns, and helped me when I got discouraged. Shawna was the doula that came in after Lauren and labored with us up until the time of birth. She was incredible! She offered quiet, calm reassurance and assistance throughout the entire process. She never tired and never strayed far from my side. I was never in need of water, hot packs, a back massage or ANYTHING. She had great suggestions for different positions and calming techniques as I labored, and she was extremely encouraging when it got really hard. My husband and I could not have done it without her! Once our son was born, she stayed with us for a couple of hours and helped us transfer to our postpartum room. She offered help with breastfeeding, and she continued to provide comfort measures during the immediate postpartum period. On top of all of this (and I could go on and on), Shawna provided answers to endless questions before labor and she checked in on us for days afterwards. Lauren and Shawna also made sure to make a visit to our home to see how we were all adjusting to life outside of the hospital. They offered advice for adjusting to life with two children and gave me suggestions for helping our daughter adjust to having a sibling. Third Coast Birth Services were amazing throughout our entire pregnancy, labor, delivery and postpartum period, and I would HIGHLY recommend them to anyone considering having a doula as a part of their birth experience. I will say again that I could not have done it without them, and my husband and I will be calling on them for help and support in the future.

Sydney and Pippin were amazing resources. They came in at a critical time at the end of my…read morepregnancy and made me feel like I had known them the whole time. Their support in the last few weeks when new questions came up was invaluable. They shared unbiased resources and helped me to make my own personal decisions and design questions to ask my midwife team. During delivery Pippin was a godsend. She gave my partner the support he needed to feel empowered and breaks to help keep him strong while at the same time not overstepping or interfering. Her presence was so soothing both during and after birth. We feel so lucky to have found Pippin and Sydney. I highly recommend them for any pregnant person looking for labor support!

Let me just say that Janelle is a life (and sleep saver)! I've nannied for years and saw all…read moredifferent techniques done but Janelle really takes it home. She is so great at what she does! I highly recommend her!!!

Janelle is amazing! I HIGHLY recommend her if you are a tired parent. I never thought we would get…read moremy two year old out of our bed, but with her detailed and thorough guidance we did it in under two weeks. I am so incredibly grateful for her knowledge and support she provided throughout her program. Besides my toddler sleeping indepently for 10-11 hours every night in her crib, we also got our nights back. Janelle is kind and understanding and non judgemental to anything you may have been going through with your baby, and she helps you fix even when you think it's going to be impossible for your child!

I owe everything to this institution. Back in the late 80s this place made my summer breaks…read moreworthwhile. I read the classics, mastered algebra and played a variety of team sports. This place set the foundation for my college years. Hats off to you guys. I did well and owe it all to you. Thank you.

From the owner: MEF is a nonprofit organization that offers tutoring and mentoring to Chicago students 4th-12th…read moregrade.

I recently had my first baby and worked with Brandi during my pregnancy and postpartum…read more Brandi was amazing during the entire process! She always took the initiative to check in and see how we were doing, was always proactive about sharing endless resources, was always extremely prompt in answering questions I had and providing tips and was always so positive and chirpy. As a first time mom I had so many questions and Brandi made me feel so empowered in asking questions- there was no such thing as a silly question. My birth was a dream come true and Brandi was extremely instrumental in how my experience turned out! Please do yourself a favor and hire Brandi to walk alongside you during your beautiful maternity journey.

A few days ago I delivered my second baby. Brandi gave me so much support before during and after…read morethe birth. She gave me resources and made sure I knew my rights, and helped me with pain management while pushing, held my hand and encouraged me the entire time. She still checks on me and baby which means so much to me. This was my first time having a doula and It was definitely a great experience. If I were to do it again, I would want Brandi by my side! Thank you soo much Brandi for all you've done!!