I cannot say enough good things about Lia and her natural birth classes. I did the 12 week in…read moreperson classes with my husband. I really wanted to know everything I possibly could and I was also looking for a little community as I was feeling very alone in those first weeks of pregnancy (and overwhelmed with what I didn't know). AND THESE CLASSES DELIVERED! My husband is also a knowledge seeker so when I told him these were the classes I wanted he was all in. We learned so much. We joke that he didn't just learn about the natural birth process he learned how to be my "daddy doula". We still enjoy talking to people about everything we learned and how to support each other and how to speak to your doctors or the hospital nurses. Even if you aren't considering a natural birth these classes should be taken by everyone expecting a baby. You learn about the body, you learn about the different stages of labor, how to prep your body and your mind. There is even a class on breastfeeding which was invaluable those first 3 days postpartum. Lia is also an amazing teacher. If I have another I would definitely also hire her as my doula. She is a person you want in your corner during birth.

Taking Lia's 12 week Bradley Method course was the best decision I made. She was extremely…read moreknowledgable and was well prepared to give us an abundance of information from the different stages of birth to self-advocacy in a hospital setting. We took away so many positive things and I am grateful for her wisdom because I know it has prepared us for any situation that may come our way. Whether you're a first time mother or a 2nd or even 3rd, I believe all parents can benefit from taking this Bradley Method course. We are so grateful for everything you've taught us, Lia.

This is the second birth I have had with Lorraine. For both births Lorraine was AMAZING! We had a…read morephone call and a one on one meeting where we talked about my goals and fears. We went over my birth plan and baby plan as well. In between we kept in contact via txt which is fine by me since I am a busy mom! I was able to text her and ask her advice and she was always incredibly knowledgeable and responded quickly. We were even able to chat the morning of my birth and try to find out if I was in labor or not. I was I am so grateful Lorraine was able to be with us for the birth of our baby. I know that I was able to have the birth I always wanted because she consistently advocated for us. My labor started that morning and she was able to help us decide when we should go to the hospital. I arrived at the hospital and she came within a few minutes of my arriving. All I wanted to do was labor in the position I wanted to labor in. She immediately started asking my hospital team if we could move have intermittent monitoring and was answering all of their questions about my birth. She was even able to give them our birth plan because (I forgot) and answer all their questions so I could focus on laboring. I loved hearing from my husband that the staff at the hospital were to the point where they just were watching my birth. Lorraine was guiding me the whole time. They came in last minute as I was feeling pressure to push and that was it. Even then Lorraine was helping me identify that sensation and that it was ok to push if I felt like it. I'm so grateful that I was able to birth the way I needed to on my terms and no matter what it felt like there was no other option. They had to follow MY lead and that made it all the better. I know there's so many times I felt like I was going to lose my focus on pressure waves but Lorraine's voice brought it back and reminded me I could do this. Remembering my cues and to relax between pressure waves. I gave myself permission to do what I needed because she reminded me that I could. I gave birth a a very healthy baby girl 9lbs4oz and 20.5inches. I am so thankful that Lorraine was that educated voice with the hospital staff. with us and always making me feel like my wishes came first. Lorraine guided me and reminded me to listen to my body and trust it. I have no idea how I could've achieved all of that without her. She has even been able to advise me Postpartum and answer all my questions. I couldn't be happier with my experience.

You give birth once and unfortunately I had a very bad experience with Lorraine. I would not…read morerecommend it to anyone. She definitely a good marketing person of herself and she did not keep that up during the birth for me. Please think twice before you hire her. I did hire her because she has experience but sometimes it's about the excitement. She is done. She is doing it just for money and she is not even doing it right.

Wanted to provide an additional update since it's been about 3 months. On October 27,2025 I…read morerequested a receipt for the "services" and Marisol agreed. Till this day I have not received any sort of receipt for the "services" provided. Adding to my feelings of being ignored, since she got what she wanted the payment of $2,800 dollars.

This review truly breaks my heart to write. When I get pregnant with my second child and I…read morecontacted Marisol right away to book her as my Doula. I was so excited to finally meet her in person and I signed the contract right away. I immediately sent over my deposit and I requested that she provide me with a receipt for the deposit . The fact that she was initially declining my request for a receipt because she wanted to wait until after the baby was born was probably the first sign that trouble was coming. I went back-and-forth with her and asked to get my receipt for the money that I had already paid so that I could use that receipt for a reimbursement with my flexible spending account. She still refused to give me the receipt so I reached out to my flexible spending company and asked them if I had to wait for the baby to be born in order to be reimbursed and they said no. Finally, Marisol agreed to give me a receipt for my deposit. I found this quite odd since people generally get a receipt when money exchanges hands. My husband and I meet with Marisol around 36 weeks to go over the birth plan. I tell her that my plan is to have her help me labor at home as much as possible since I wanted to reduce the likelihood of medical interventions. I also asked they she capture some photos for us. Marisol explained that we should not contact her right away if labor starts in the middle of the night, only call when ready. She kept stressing this point and even emailed me a document that says to only call when we are ready for her to come. A couple of weeks later I go into labor late one night. My labor progressed quickly and we called Marisol when we wanted her to come over, no answer. I then texted her. A short time later I told her we were headed to the hospital. Labor pains got so intense that I was not able to monitor my phone so my husband and Marisol were texting. Labor pains were so intense so I requested an epidural at the hospital. Once Marisol got this information , she assumed she had more time. I guess she didn't take into account that that epidural was not completed. Long story short, she didn't make her way to the hospital until after the kid was born. Per her contract, she had 90 minutes to get to me. My labor was quick but she had a 3 hour heads up. I was actually disappointed that she came to the hospital because now it feels like a random acquaintance just showed up for one of the biggest days of your life and now you have to entertain them. She stayed with us until we got transferred to our postpartum room. At this point, Marisol was not a part of my birth story at all and I was angry. A couple days later I immediately requested a partial refund. She denied my request saying she was "available." Instead she offered me one additional 3 hour postpartum visit. I didn't accept that and said we could discuss this matter when she did her postpartum visit. During the visit, Marisol said she could tell that I "felt some type of way" and she asked me to share my feelings. I told her I felt cheated, I'm out a lot of money and she didn't have to do anything. It was her choice to not come to me right away, I followed all of her instructions. Marisol then told me she was actually on her way to me but she needed time to shower, clean her doula supplies and pack her doula bag. Once she heard about the epidural, she returned home to pack snacks. This information infuriated me....she missed my birth for this?!?! This is an area where you don't get a do over. I would imagine that with the nature of this job you would always have your supplies clean and ready. She ended up offering me 12 postpartum hours. I told her that was not what I wanted since I didn't want to think of things for her to help me with. In plus, it's easy to get help during the day. I ended up requesting my money back and threatening legal action since she breached her own contract. In the end she agreed to return 1/2 of my money ($1400) and I was able to avoid legal action. (I didn't mind taking legal action, this was an open and shut case according to the guidance I received). I'd say she still came out ahead, $1400 for 2 short visits to my house and a short 45 minute visit to the hospital after my kid was born. I am beyond bummed about this experience. So yes, I still "feel some type of way!" I'm not sure how you could say you were available yet you missed the birth. And I still can't comprehend the rationale. I'm so confused.

Wanted to update this after our third class, following empowered hospital labor we took the…read morebreastfeeding and postpartum class led by Brittany and then Emma. I cannot recommend these 3 classes enough, all the instructors were incredibly kind, empathetic and used both data/ research and their own experiences in the classes. It made me feel so much better about the future. I highly recommend these classes - knowledge is power!! You and your partner will feel so much better.

Had such a wonderful time at the Looma Birth open house! Elizabeth was so warm and welcoming, and…read moreit was really special getting to reconnect with her in this new space. The space itself is absolutely adorable--calm, inviting, and thoughtfully put together. Everyone we met was friendly and kind, which made the whole experience even better. It's clear this is a really supportive and nurturing environment for families. Absolutely will be referring our clients here :)

Meredith is a SCAM artist! I put down a $2,000 deposit for a June 2025 birth and she closed up shop…read morejust 10 days later. She promised a refund, Won't return my phone calls or emails. I've attempted 10x to get a hold of her. 100% FRAUD. DO NOT TRUST YOUR BIRTH WITH HER!!!

Meredith Bowling scammed me and many other women that were her clients at the now permanently…read moreclosed Long Beach Birth Center. We paid her over $8400 for birth services and 2 months later received an email the birth center had closed permanently. No notice or referrals or offer to help us with these services she is offering here. She will not respond to phone calls or emails asking about reimbursement for services not received from any of us. Multiple women were 37 weeks pregnant and now have nowhere to go. She deleted the website, social media accounts and access to our medical records immediately. PLEASE DO NOT TRUST THIS WOMAN WITH YOUR BIRTH! She absolutely destroyed our birth experience, robbed us of our savings, and has taken NO RESPONSIBILITY for it! I have no idea how someone could do this to people in such a vulnerable position.

Are you kidding me????…read more Sarah was in the top three of the best things that happened to us during the birth of our daughter!!! I've told her time and time again she under charges for her services, since she comes to your house more than once, she is there for the birth and does a follow up. She is the reason my wife was able to go through labor drug free and almost pain free (ask my wife she actually says its not that painful) plus she helped our cousin with a natural birth in a hospital too. Sarah is a certified Hypnobirthing doula, I should add which worked really well for us. So if your flavor is a home birth, birth center or hospital birth she is the one to call since she can work in all scenarios and without getting in the way of the Doctors, Nurses or Midwife. She is respectful of your wishes and your birth plan. Everyone should know she works all over the southland so if you are in Pasadena, OC, Westside, you name it she will likely do it. I'll happily call her for the next baby....if the wife lets us have one ;-)

Sarah is incredible.. My husband and I were referred to her by another doula friend of mine.. We…read morehad interviewed several other doulas but Sarah seemed to fit in with our needs best.. To say I had a difficult pregnancy would be an understatement... We still wanted to have the most natural birth we could and Sarah patiently walked us through all of our questions and concerns. Any time we had a question come up she was right there to walk us through it and if she didn't have an immediate answer she would point us in the right direction. We had an emergency induction and were incredibly scared. Sarah was right there with us every step of the way... This sweet woman slept in her car so she could be there the moment it was go time. There's no doubt in our minds we would have ended up in a C-Section had she not been there in my face keeping me going. She was an amazing support to my husband as well as we were not prepared mentally for what we were going through. After 33 hours of induced labor we still had the natural birth we had so desperately wanted. This woman is a god send. Why doulas arent covered by insurance is beyond me, but our investment in Sarah was worth every penny. Do yourself a favor and hire Sarah, I promise you that you won't regret it.

I decided to hire a birth doula because I knew I was going to need the emotional and physical…read moresupport for an unmedicated labor/birth (I can imagine having a doula even medicated is just as important with first baby). I labored for 18 hours and Francesca was a huge support from the moment I started to feel my contractions. She really listened to my needs, was hands on, and so helpful the entire time. Looking back I wish I even hired her for the postpartum care. I love Francesca. Thank you for doing what you do to support us mamas. You are amazing!

My very first prenatal yoga class I was 4 months and I got lucky! I met Francesca and immediately…read morefelt I'd met a genuine spirit. Not only were her prenatal classes amazing but I find out she's a doula I attended a few of Francesca's classes but sadly my schedule changed and there was a conflict of time. So I stoped attending and wouldn't you know Francesca reached out to me. Asked me how I was doing and that she missed seeing me in class. I can't tell you how special that made me feel. So I tried my best to make it to her classes .... But then in walks Covid with all its stay at home quarantine SAS! At this point I'm 7 months. And I now feel my pregnancy plan to stay active is going down the drain. But wait... there's a rainbow at the end of this freak show. Francesca to the rescue ... she starts offering online prenatal classes and I'm so happy I cry. *all those hormones* talk about hot mess. I now attend her classes just about every day AND I ask her to be my Doula She and her classes helped me get through a lot of anxiety. Being pregnant and so close to giving birth during a pandemic..... it got pretty dark there for a min. But Francesca is very informative and has this calmness about her.... She's all the good things you need/ want from a prenatal yoga teacher/ doula While she could not be with me in the delivery room she was with me through phone and text guiding me through. My husband and I couldn't have been more grateful. So in conclusion Francesca is a Unicorn! And I love her... but you'll find that out once you take her classes or have her as your doula

Kim was not only a friendly instructor but also filled with knowledge! She made our class super…read moreenjoyable and fun. We came out of each class feeling rejuvenated and ready to take on our daily hypnosis sessions. My husband and I feel very ready for the birth of our baby thanks to Kim!

Kim is an incredibly kind, accommodating, and knowledgable birth educator. From the very beginning…read moreof the Hypnobabies course, my partner and I knew we were in the best hands possible. Her breadth of experience as a doula and an educator comes through in every session, and she made herself completely available for questions and conversations outside of the class structure. My partner and I experienced several challenges in our pregnancy, and up until I started Hypnobabies I was really struggling with how to have hope and cultivate a positive mindset for the birth ahead. The Hypnobabies content and Kim's gentle yet direct approach were exactly what I needed to shift my perspective. Now, I'm enjoying the last weeks of my pregnancy and eagerly anticipating giving birth. I can't wait to apply everything I've learned and meet my baby.

Lauren is an exceptional doula and we feel incredibly grateful to have had her as part of our birth…read moreexperience. She is extremely knowledgeable about all things labor and delivery, works seamlessly with the staff at Hoag Newport, and is fantastic at collaborating with the husband (me) both leading up to and during labor and delivery. Lauren even came to our home ahead of time to see our space and provide education, which was such a thoughtful and comforting touch. She truly has a gift for bringing calm, clarity, and confidence to the birth process. She was texting us consistently leading up to going to the hospital, which made us feel deeply supported, cared for, and never alone. We would absolutely recommend Lauren to anyone looking for a doula who is skilled, compassionate, and genuinely invested in your experience.

Lauren is super nice and very attentive throughout the process! The only thing id like to mention…read moreto other mamas, is that she possibly overbooks herself. While in the pushing stage of labor, lauren was texting on her phone and took a phone call (probably another mama in labor). I totally understand there may be other things that need her attention during my 18+ hour labor, but I was disappointed she was preocupied on her phone during the pushing stage. She also video taped my birth, which i specifically told her I do not want. She told me afterwards that my husband told her to last minute, but this seems like a lie to me. I did not want to be filmed below my waist, and when i brought this up to her, she stated " well why dont you just delete the video". She also provided no breastfeeding support despite this being a contractual obligation. I bet other mamas have had a great experience with lauren, and she was an immense help throughout my labor.

I have been to a numerous amount of spiritual and metaphysical shops and find the entire…read more experience (start to finish) to be important. I walked in there early on a Friday in hopes of getting a candle as a gift for a friend. The woman behind the desk was talking at full volume about another employee she said has "bad vibes", and did not greet me. I don't claim to know the whole story, but this woman was going on and on about this other employee in such a negative manner, i coughed to let her know i was there, hoping maybe she hasn't seen me come in. She continued on gossiping and degrading this other employee behind her back. She also mentioned something about Santeria and cursing people. Wtf?!? When i approached the desk to ask her the price of a candle, she threw on a very cheery tone and immediately offered me a tarot reading. Why would i want a reading from someone who was just loudly gossiping about someone? The woman then offered to bless the candle for me! No thanks! I am telling you.... This lady has bad energy. The only reason i gave two stars is because the incense selection was super awesome. I think the owner should look into who is doing readings there because this lady had the most pious and holier than thou attitude I've come across in a while.

Called beforehand before going again because I wanted to give this place another shot. My call was…read moremissed but I got a callback confirming that they were open. I'm so glad I gave this place another shot! The woman working, Suzanne, was incredibly helpful and nice. I told her about what happened the other day and she told me she'd look into it. She answered all of my questions and gave me wonderful advice. Incredibly grateful for giving Practical Magicka another shot, shout out Suzanne!