First -- if you're on the fence about hiring a doula for your first baby, do it. And if you're…read morewondering who to choose, the answer is Shannon. As a first-time dad, I can honestly say Shannon was invaluable -- not just for my wife, but for me too. From the start, she made us feel comfortable, informed, and genuinely prepared for what was ahead. She has this calm, thoughtful, and considerate presence that immediately lowers the temperature in the room. Nothing ever felt rushed or overwhelming because she helped us understand what was happening and what our options were. During labor, Shannon was incredible. She didn't just support my wife -- she supported us as a team. She walked us through next steps, explained the choices being presented, and made sure we felt confident in our decisions. One thing that really stood out to me was how she helped me help my wife. She showed me exercises and techniques I could guide her through to ease labor and keep things progressing. That made me feel involved and useful instead of helpless, which meant a lot. After the birth, Shannon's support didn't stop. She came to our home for a postpartum visit and helped us process the entire experience. She walked us through what to expect physically and emotionally in the days and weeks ahead, what to watch out for, and answered all of our first-time parent questions without judgment. She even helped find us a pump -- such a thoughtful and practical gesture that shows how much she truly cares. Shannon doesn't just provide information -- she provides confidence. As new parents, that's everything. We felt supported, knowledgeable, and empowered every step of the way. We can't recommend her highly enough. If you're considering working with Shannon, you will not regret it.

I signed a contract with Nova Birth Services LLC in July of 2025. In order to secure the doula…read morebirth and postpartum overnight services, we paid a 50% deposit on both services totaling $3050. In November, I was diagnosed with severe preeclampsia and hospitalized. Due to my condition, I had to deliver my baby early via emergency c-section at just over 31 weeks. My baby is currently in the NICU. I wasn't able to have a prenatal in-home visit due to my hospitalization and was given very short notice of my emergency C-section due to my declining health. After my birth, I was put on magnesium, and my baby was sent to the NICU. My husband and I were both so terrified that the last thing I was thinking about was having my doula attend. I was afraid for me and my baby. I reached out to Shannon after my birth and asked if I could cancel the postpartum doula services because of the new financial strain of NICU costs/my hospitalization. She informed me that if I canceled the postpartum doula services, that both contracts would be void, and all services would be considered rendered. Remember, I did not receive a prenatal visit nor birth services due to my medical condition & hospitalization. The contract I signed stated that if the doula wasn't at your birth, you would be entitled to eight hours of postpartum services. Shannon explained that because I paid a 50% deposit on both services, none of the services were paid in full so I would receive nothing else moving forward. Although we had paid $3050 and the birth doula services were $2100, I would need to pay an additional $900 in order to receive the eight hours of postpartum services. She said I could "take it or leave it" and that she would not move money from one contract to another. I was shocked at her response. There was no solution offered where I could receive any services post-birth for the $3050 we had paid. More money had to be paid. This was literally the worst experience of my entire life, and I received no care or compassion at all from Shannon. She maintained that her responsibility was to her staff/business. During our phone call, I was talking about my hospitalization and she mentioned that all of her clients were hospitalized. I clarified that I wasn't hospitalized because I was giving birth. I was hospitalized due to severe preeclampsia and potential organ failure. Trying to work things out with her made a horrible situation even more stressful and terrible. She refuses to budge and maintains that we will not receive any postpartum services if we don't pay extra. My husband and I feel as though we have paid $3050 and have received nothing. We did not receive a prenatal appointment, doula birth services, or any postpartum care. Please see the last email I received from her.

The Haymarket and Manassas locations have gone down hill tremendously. We have been trying for over…read morea week to get a return phone call with no success. When you do call, nobody is available to answer the phone and when you leave messages, they do not call you back. The communication with this practice is horrible and I would not recommend them at all. When you see a medical professional, I do expect that they will answer their phones and return phone calls in a timely manner not over nine days later.

just nowNEW I was…read moreunder Dr Melnick care for my first pregnancy. The office is very attentive and all the staff are very friendly and helpful. Tracy who is one of the nurses there, had been helping me a lot throughout my pregnancy. (pharmacy help and check on my blood sugar regularly due to my conditions). Dr Melnick is super theral with the exams, I would definitely go back to Dr Melnick in the future. Highly recommend!

Hanna is an incredible masseuse. What makes her so unique is her ability to listen to you and your…read morebody and adapt her practice to respond to what is going on with you each session. She also happens to have an awesome personality which doesn't hurt :)

From the owner: Hanna Elizabeth In-Home Health & Wellness is Alexandria's pioneer prenatal/labor/postnatal massage…read morecompany, purely honored to serve women, mothers and mothers-to-be in homes throughout Alexandria, VA and surrounding counties. Hanna Elizabeth's mission is to nurture, support, and empower women through a vast ocean of healing modalities to bring them in-line with their true luminosity and inner bliss. Hanna Elizabeth is empathetic to the immense amount of energy used to-- not only-- live life, but create and sustain life (to be a mom!) and is dedicated to help you receive energy back into your body, mind and spirit. Services: In-Home Prenatal Massage, Labor Massage, Postnatal Massage, Therapeutic Massage for Women, Reiki, Craniosacral Therapy, Acupressure, & Restorative Yoga.

Sanu Postpartum Retreat has some positives, but unfortunately, the cons outweigh them for me…read more **Pros:** - The staff and doulas were very friendly and helpful, which was a highlight of my stay. - They offered a complimentary massage to make up for being short-staffed the first night, which I appreciated. - Baby essentials like diapers and wipes were provided, as well as postpartum necessities for mom, including pads, diapers, and a peri bottle. - They were accommodating with offers to watch the baby in-room for day naps. - The hotel itself was clean and well-maintained. - The infant classes were informative, albeit very short (around 10 minutes each). - The 24/7 open line of communication through WhatsApp with the staff and doulas was very convenient. It made it easy to get help or ask questions at any time. **Cons:** - The facility was occasionally short-staffed, meaning there were times they couldn't respond to baby care requests promptly. - The nursery camera had frequent outages and only provided a limited view of the baby's bassinet. If the baby was being changed or soothed elsewhere, they were out of sight, which was very concerning. After I complained, they made arrangements to hold my baby in a private room where she could be seen on camera at all times. While I appreciated this effort, it didn't seem to be the standard, and I had to request it again the next night. - The food quality was disappointing--overcooked dishes like mac and cheese, steak, and chicken were common. - Meal policies felt restrictive; moms were only allowed one entrée per meal (no appetizers or desserts), which differed from older welcome packets that mentioned more options. - There were also supply issues--one evening, I ordered shrimp, but they were unavailable, forcing me to choose another dish. - The menu lacked variety, staying the same throughout the stay. - The parent lounge snacks were underwhelming--just chips and granola bars. This was disappointing, especially since the hospital where I delivered offered a much better variety of snacks for free. Breastfeeding makes you very hungry, and with meals spread so far apart (7 a.m.-10 a.m., noon, and 7 p.m.), I had to order snacks from the grocery store during my stay. A more thoughtful selection of snacks would have been a great benefit. - Many appealing amenities came at an additional cost: massages, IV treatments, partner meals, parking, and more. These extras add up quickly. Overall, while the idea of a postpartum retreat is fantastic, the execution at $880/night felt far from luxurious. Too many corners are being cut, and the experience didn't feel as relaxing or premium as I had hoped. In hindsight, that money would have been better spend on a postpartum doula to come in home and help. Unfortunately, I will not be recommending this retreat to others.

Sanu is a wonderful concept and the execution delivers! My wife and I stayed here after the birth…read moreof our son so that mom could get some well deserved recovery time. From the moment you walk in you're greeted by friendly team members who walk you through every step of your stay. They're reachable all the time via a WhatsApp group, which we found convenient and helpful. The suites are comfortable and well equipped, just like staying at a luxury hotel, just with all the baby stuff you could need and more. We actually discovered some of our favorite products (baby cream and oil) from Sanu staff picks. The dinners were a great chance for mom and dad to take a breath together while the super professional caretakers watched our son. We felt at ease having them care for him, as we were given access to the Lollipop camera in case we wanted to take a look at how he was doing. The Sanu team really took great care of us and we'll look back on our stay as a fond memory during such an important time in our lives. Highly recommend considering a stay for your postpartum recovery, there's really nothing else like it.

Excellent staff, attention to detail and knowledgeable. I felt fully taken care of at the ER , I…read morefelt completely in good hands with the doctor. I can't speak highlight enough about the nurse crew especially Rhonda in the ER, she is such a blessing, caring , great listening, and gentle demeanor. Rhonda was easy to talk to and supportive. Antonio or Anthony was super sweet and took good care of me transporting me around between my MRI and the hospital. Thank you team for taking such good care of me.

eXpedited medical service; acceptable medical insurance protection, HIPAA compliant, pre-op,…read moresurgical, and post-Op follow up seamless transaction. Compared to my throat surgery at INOVA, I would rather have gone to this business instead; because of how they treat patients ((individually))) during real-time outpatient medical services.

Type of visit was for a PCP visit. Care was amazing and so was the service. Facility is top notch…read moreand very clean. Ladies at the front of the facility are very knowledgeable and make the typical office experience pleasant. Glad I have this facility to get my care from Kaiser Permanente.

I've been with Kaiser since my COBRA ended in July 2023. I only have bad things to say about my…read moreexperience. Thank god Medicare kicks in starting November 2025. The care I've received has been like I'm simply a number. My primary care physician is the worst. You can't call your doctors office. You have to send a message through the app. Those messages often go unanswered or aren't answered for days. Testing requires driving significant distances in rush hour traffic. My neurologist suddenly decided not to refill a prescription for me. No explanation. I asked my primary and she said she can't prescribe this controlled substance. News to me! I looked it up and it is a schedule V controlled substance along with about 15 drugs I've never heard of. I also discovered that there is a withdrawal component. I can't take it anymore but I'm stuck until November. Ugh!

Amazing team, very diligent and caring. They listened to me carefully and took professional action…read more I recommend to everyone in this area to prioritize this location if necessary for your health.

Dr. Beardsley was Phenomenal, I had seen a previous doctor in the practice who I wasn't to happy…read morewith and when I scheduled to make the appointment for my micro phlebectomy Dr. Beardsley was available and I took the risk, and boy am I glad I did! He walked me through the whole procedure and how it's done, was very kind and respectful. I had a million questions and he answered every one of them. I 10/10 recommend him, I suffer with varicose veins and he will be the only doctor I will see going forward! I put this procedure off for 12 years and it was always in the back of mind to get it done. Thank Dr. Beardsley, can't wait to see my final results.

I was initially suspicious whether I need a second birth class in addition to the one provided by…read morethe hospital. But it turns out that Jaely's comfort coping class is so worth it. It dives deep into the mindset, the comfort measures, the birthing positions, and everything you can do to prepare yourself for a smoother birth. I found myself benefiting a great deal from this class. It was also a intimiate in-person class that you can practice different techniques and ask all the questions you have in mind. Jaely is a great lecturer and I feel a lot more prepared after the birth class.

I am so grateful Jaely was part of the birth team for my daughter. I did a home birth, unmedicated…read moreand natural, and could not have had better emotional support from her throughout my pregnancy, and especially during the birth. Her energy is calming and her guidance was especially helpful during one of the most intense and most beautiful moments of my life. She's got an abundance of knowledge, information, and techniques to make your experience (pregnancy and birth) so much easier and feel so much more confident. Also, she took incredible photos and videos throughout my labor, during the birth, and during the golden hour that I will cherish forever. I am definitely going to use Jaely during my next pregnancy and I highly recommend her if you are looking for a doula who will take good care of you!

It's been a long time and I really needed this massage today…read moreJuliet was amazing, and she found every knot in my body, and made sure to work them all out thoroughly The facility is fantastic. It's spotlessly clean and the massage therapists are all magnificent. I just happen to use Juliet today and she was amazing but I've had many of the other therapists and they are all quite incredible. I cannot recommend them enough.

My massage was amazingly relaxing. The atmosphere here is very therapeutic, and the location is…read morevery close to my house! I was very pleased with the monthly membership program. I highly recommend getting it!

Faith and the NOVA team are truly first rate…read more Expertise is on pace with any doc we spoke to. The guidance and peace of mind was priceless. We cannot recommend them enough. Easily the best money we've spent in regards to the birth process. Joslyn has been a huge help with the baby at night and treats him like her own. She has offered expertise and little hacks here and there that have made a huge difference for us in getting acclimated as new parents (hello pace feeding). we only wish there were more of her! We feel so blessed to have found NOVA and confidently recommend them to anyone, even though we would selfishly like it if we could keep them for ourselves. God Bless!

How do you even begin to write a review for someone who has truly changed your life? I can't…read morerecommend Lauren and NOVA Birth Partners enough and feel incredibly grateful that she chose to take me on as a client. After having a C-section with my first birth, I knew I wanted a doula for my second pregnancy. My first birth had felt like something that just happened to me, and this time, I wanted a different experience. When I went past my due date, Lauren gave me the reassurance and confidence I desperately needed. When I felt hopeless, she gave me hope. Her recommendations and introduction to Faith were invaluable in helping me go into labor. She held space for me to make my own decisions. She had the confidence and experience I needed as I prepared for a VBAC. During labor, she helped me move through different positions to encourage my baby's descent. She provided hands-on support and, when I needed it, tough love. I couldn't have asked for a better person to be there in the moments after the most empowering experience of my life. I am beyond grateful for Lauren. Without her support, I know I would have ended up with a repeat C-section. She helped me take back my birth, and for that, I will always be thankful.