I want to share my experience to be able to help future mothers and especially first time mothers…read moreto have the best experience possible wether its for birth or postpartum as mine wasn't what I wish It would have been. I wanted to feel supported and try for a VBAC for my second birth so I decided to work with Andrey for the birth of our daughter. Everything went good at the beginning, we had our in person interview, shortly after that meeting we decided we would be a fit for each other. After that she came over one more time and afterwards she told me she had a family oversees she was working with and would be available via phone/zoom and if needed to she would introduce me to a back up doula incase she wasn't back in time for my birth. The way she introduced us was thru text (no phone call or even an effort to do a zoom call so me and that back up doula could meet each other) no professionalism. My prenatal care was very limited nothing close to what Andrey promotes. Then I asked for a list of what to bring in my birth bag, she said she would send, I had to ask about 4 times until she sent and the reason I didn't get it was because she had sent it to a 'Victoria' how do you forget your clients name especially when you are a part of one of the most vulnerable times in their life. Fast forward to my birth Andrey ended up not being there. I ended up working with the back up doula & my first time meeting her and talking to her was her walking in my room while I laid in my bed clothe-less in pain as I was going thru my contractions (not the most ideal setting to meet someone for the first time who is going to be a part of a raw and emotional intimate time) a few days later Andrey lets me know shes back in LA and is coming to see me & baby to help with postpartum care. Then texts me cancelling because her car is in the shop (She could've taken an Uber) and cannot make it and she can come another day. She comes over a couple days after that for a few hours and tells me she will be back @10am the next day to help us some more. The next morning @9:35am she txts me she cannot make it and isn't available until the following week. I had cancelled help from my sitter to help with my newborn and toddler and my husband had left to work because we had relied on having help from Andrey that morning. At that point I was feeling extremely upset. The care and support I was expecting which Andrey advocates heavily on was nowhere close to what I was given. What was supposed to be a time in my life where I should've been given unwavering love and support turned into a time of grief and sadness for me. I decided to have a conversation with Andrey and let her know how I was feeling and I no longer felt comfortable working together. She apologized and told me I was a client that 'fell thru the cracks.' Simply she overcommitted and I was put in the back burner or was her last option sadly. She offered to bring some postpartum stuff to help with grief and overall just to help me emotionally and would drop it off in the next couple days, she never did. Unfortunately Andrey constantly overpromised and underdelivered.

Absolutely incredible experience with Andrey! From the moment we met her, her calming presence put…read moreus at ease. She brought not only warmth and reassurance but also deep experience and medical knowledge that made us feel completely confident in our birth plan and, most importantly, safe--both for mom and baby. Andrey was the advocate we didn't even realize we needed, always prioritizing our best interests over the hospital's. We genuinely cannot imagine going through the experience without her. If you're considering a doula, stop searching--Andrey is the one. Cannot recommend her highly enough!!!! Thank you Andrey!!!

All around an amazing birthing class! I am so thankful we found Madalyn. My husband and I feel so…read moremuch more prepared because of Madalyn's class. I also absolutely loved how passionate Madalyn was with teaching. She is so caring, kind and funny. Consider yourself lucky to have found her class!

My wife and I took Madalyn's birthing class series, which occurred in person, on Sundays, for 3-4…read morehrs each. About 8 couples attend. The classes were packed with info, but also created space to vocalize concerns, questions, vulnerabilities, and to laugh. Madalyn is a one of a kind educator, mother, doula, and you can tell she truly cares about what she does, teaches, and her students.

Jana is the most amazing woman I have ever met. Her classes are so informative and amazing. She…read moreknows her information and she teaches her classes with such passion and love. I would like to address the review that said Jana used a false testimonial. She is the most trustworthy, open, honest, person I know and under no circumstances would she ever do or make anyone feel or write a false testimonial. She has educated and loved hundreds of woman and I have never heard not one complain about her. She has one of the most kind hearts you can imagine. Just trust in your heart and take her class and you will see how kind she is. You will not be disappointed. I have taken her classes. I have done the birthing class and doula training. Jana only has love to give. She's a beautiful soul. Im sure the hundreds of woman will agree. Regarding the dogs she is very aware and asks everyone about the dogs. If it bothers or annoys anyone she handles it. She is not insensitive. Throughout the whole class she is on top of the dogs behavior. The bottom line is if you want to be really informed go to Jana's class because you won't be disappointed. Your birthing experience will be much better in my eyes because you will be so much more informed because of the knowledge that Jana teaches you. Trust your heart not one bad review. Love you Jana. Your the best.

Taking Jana's childbirth preparation class was one of the best decisions I made during my…read morepregnancy. From the very first session, she created an environment that felt warm, safe and supportive. Her calm, reassuring presence and deep knowledge helped ease so many of my fears around birth. Jana brought a wealth of experience into the class, which made me feel informed, empowered, and much more confident about giving birth (I'm 39 weeks pregnant now and I'm confident I want to give birth with no epidural). But beyond the facts and techniques, what made the biggest impact was how she made me feel supported. She always made space for questions and concerns with compassion and wisdom. I know I can call her anytime if I have doubts or questions. This class didn't just teach me about childbirth, it helped me believe in myself in this journey! I'm so grateful for Jana's guidance and heart. I truly couldn't have asked for a better teacher.

Stephanie is an expert in the field of doula services. She understands both the nuances of a…read morewoman's body during pregnancy and the emotional changes woman go through as they prepare to give birth. She offers a calm and informed sensitivity that supports and enhances the pregnancy and birth experience. I have referred many satisfied clients her way, she is committed. dependable and an inspiration...

When my wife, Mallory, got pregnant with our son, Milo, she knew she wanted to try for an…read moreunmedicated birth if possible. We talked to Mallory's doctor about our plan for an unmedicated birth and she was highly supportive, but suggested we would have the greatest likelihood of success if we worked with a birth doula. With this advice in mind, we reached out to our community for birth doula recommendations and miraculously found our way to Stephanie. We couldn't have known it then, but choosing to work with Stephanie was the best decision we ever could have made as we embarked on our journey to bring Milo into the world. From our initial consultation with Stephanie over FaceTime, we could tell just how experienced, knowledgeable, and resourceful she is, and we felt we would be in great hands if we partnered with her. Our instincts proved correct - following the initial consultation, Stephanie came over to our home 5 times before our due date to help us prepare for the big day. With each visit, she imparted invaluable knowledge that helped us better understand what to expect throughout the birthing process and how to get ready for it. She taught Mallory skills she could lean on to help manage her pain during labor, and she taught me skills I could lean on to help support Mallory through the experience. But perhaps the most important outcome of Stephanie's home visits was the profound bond we formed with her. Because we were able to spend so much time getting to know each other before the big day, we went into labor feeling like a team, and we knew that we could fully rely on Stephanie to help us navigate the intense experience of labor for the first time. When Mallory finally went into labor, we nested at home for hours until her contractions became too frequent and intense to ignore, and then we called Stephanie to help us determine when we should head to the hospital. Stephanie waited patiently on the phone as Mallory's breath was taken away by one contraction after another, offering soothing words when they were most needed to help Mallory get through the pain. Together as a team, we made the decision to meet at the hospital around 9PM, and from the minute the hospital staff let Stephanie into our labor & delivery room until Milo was born at 4:26AM the following morning, she never left our side. At every juncture, Stephanie knew exactly what to do, whether it was moving Mallory into a different position to help Milo navigate the birth canal, applying compression to Mallory's legs and hips to help relieve the pain, or calling on the hospital staff to assess Mallory's progress. With Stephanie's help, Mallory was successful in having a fully unmedicated birth, and we can safely say that wouldn't have been possible without her. Having now gone through that experience with Stephanie and welcoming our son into the world with her by our side, we feel more connected to her than we ever could have imagined, and we know that our little family of three will share a special connection with her for the rest of our lives. We are forever grateful to Stephanie for everything she did for us, and we can't recommend her highly enough. If you choose to work with her, trust that you will be cared for beyond measure and supported in bringing your birth vision to fruition.

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.

We had Melanie as our birth and postpartum doula with our second child. She is incredibly kind and…read moresupportive, not just with me but with my husband as well who was having back problems at the time. One of the best decisions we made was choosing her as our doula, it helped so much to have someone experienced and comfortable with the entire process as well as with our OB (Dr. Nishio @ St John's). Both my husband and I never experienced the newborn exhaustion phase because of her and we are so thankful she set us off on a good path for our postpartum journey. Although we didn't have to resort to a back-up doula for the birth (we had always known my due date overlapped with travel plans she had made long in advance), her two backups that were in contact with me leading up to the birth and one that came when I was laboring at home were both amazing and we were very reassured. Ultimately having her with us during and after the birth was so healing for me especially after the traumatic postpartum experience we had the first time round.

Melanie was our doula for our 2nd pregnancy. She offered great advice during our prenatal and…read morepostpartum visits. At the hospital, she worked collaboratively with our nursing team, created a calm environment for labor, and helped me stay comfortable and kept me moving. Melanie is knowledgeable and calm, and I'm so glad she was our doula.

Simona and Evelyn have now brought 2 of our 4 children into this world. Both of our girls were…read moredelivered at our home from Simona. As a dad I never thought this would have been possible. I can not think of anything more crazy than this. To me it is like jumping out of a plane without a parachute. But if the baby is healthy and mom is enough weeks along NOTHING in this world makes more sense than having your baby at your home. America has made it very apparent that you should be in a hospital and to not deliver there makes you stupid or naive. I can never thank Simona enough for making it all possible. I was able to help deliver my baby with my wife into this world. This is something so few people will ever be able to experience. I am forever grateful for Simona's experience and calm caring demeanor.

My husband and I had our first baby at home two months ago. We had no clue what to expect, as most…read moreparents do with their first labor. Simona and her assistant Evelyn were so amazing and supportive... I had precipitous labor and the baby came in under 4 hours! Simona handled what could have been a stressful situation with so much grace and calm and I felt so safe. My husband and I are so happy we found her and that we chose to birth at home. Thank you Simona and team for giving us the most magical experience from start to finish!

Susan is a special spiritual guide and an incredible doula and healer. She holds a divine space for…read moreyou to connect with your spirit babies and offers a wealth of knowledge both ancient and modern. She guided me to connect with my babies, to hold space for them, and she showed me the best supplements to take during conception and onward. I highly recommend Susan's gifts and offerings to women on their journey to motherhood.

Susan is an incredible postpartum doula. So nurturing and kind. I don't know how I would have made…read moreit through this difficult transition without her. She is able to hold space in such a gentle and caring way that really leaves you feeling held, heard, and supported. She takes time to listen deeply and understand... and responds with intention and care. Sometimes we just need to be heard and held to heal. Truly witnessed in our process. Having that calm, loving presence was literally priceless. On top of that, her Ayurvedic recipes, oil massage, belly binding (and more) helped me to get back in touch with my body after a difficult and somewhat traumatic delivery. Next time I will try to have her with me prenatal, delivery and postpartum. Thank you from the bottom of my heart, Susan! You are truly one of a kind... I don't think I'd be at the point in my recovery I am today without you.

Ana Paula is a wealth of knowledge and compassion. She's a beautiful mix of warm and calming with a…read morefun energy and the utmost professionalism.

Normally I'd be very reluctant to be apart of a non in person training. ANA is truly a gem. Some…read morepeople give you feelings of love within. Some people give you a genuine feel like whatever they say they mean and that is exactly what I feel with Ana Paula Markel. I spent 3 days with not only fellow woman who share the similar passions and career goals but also a leader and guide. I've been working as a doula for a year now and really trying to find a place to call home for guidance and connections and I truly have found it. I feel motivated and filled with such gratitude to have been apart of this experience. I feel more than well informed and ready to further my mission.

Words can't express how happy I am that I found TLC Midwifery. After a frustrating first birthing…read moreexperience in a hospital, I knew that I wanted an empowering, respectful experience for my second. From the start, Davi and Michelle were incredibly warm, thorough, and supportive - not to mention knowledgeable and experienced. And at every step options were presented and discussed, and my decisions were respected. I was treated as a whole human being, rather than one in a long queue of patients to get through. Davi even dropped everything on a holiday weekend to check on me and my baby after I had a scary fall in my second trimester. My pregnancy and birth were everything I could have hoped for thanks to Davi and Michelle, and I'll miss seeing them now that I'm finished with my pre and postnatal appointments!

I will be forever thankful to the universe that I came across Davi…read more This was my first baby and I knew I didn't want to give birth at a hospital after hearing horrible stories from my traumatized girlfriends. I interviewed a couple of midwifes and was deciding between giving birth here in the US or going back to Europe. Im glad I ended up staying in LA. Davi was amazing from day one and I honestly can't imagine a better person to bring my baby to the world. Every time I think about my birth I tear up. It was such a beautiful and positive experience. Thank you Davi and Amie Ray