Village Maternity was amazing at providing me with the birth experience I always wanted. For my…read morefirst pregnancy, I choose an OBGYN based solely on convenience. I did not do any research about the type of pregnancy and birth experience I wanted and that led to an overall negative experience. Going into this pregnancy, I wanted to make sure I had a team that would support me. The midwives and registered nurses at Village Maternity not only supported me and my decisions, but they went above and beyond. They were always easy to reach listening to all concerns, answering all my questions, and providing me with numerous educational resources. They were also very supportive of my goal to have a VBAC, and helped me successfully have one! I owe my positive pregnancy, birth, and postpartum experience to Village Maternity. I am so grateful to everyone there and would recommend them to all mamas!

I feel so lucky to have found Village Maternity. They were on time for 99% of my appointments, and…read morenever rushed me once even though I frequently had 30-60 minutes worth of questions. They're evidence-based, and support natural childbirth. And they were extremely responsive via phone, email and even text 24/7. Plus, Metropolitan Hospital, where they deliver, is amazing. Every room is private (for no additional fee), they support natural delivery and don't rush your labor, and all of the doctors, nurses, and staff were extremely warm and kind.

All the office staff was so kind and accommodating. Some unexpected issues on my end came up and…read morethe front staff were extremely understanding and helped me. The nurses and dr went above and beyond during my appt. They answered all my questions and never made me feel like I was asking too much or a bother. They took their time dirong my procedure and even provided comfort during the painful parts. 20 out of 10!!!! They treated me like a person not just a patient.

I rarely leave negative reviews, but my experience with Pure OBGYN's billing department was…read moreincredibly frustrating. I went in for a pelvic pain/endometriosis visit and during the appointment was told I was overdue for my annual exam, so preventive services were completed at the same time. What was never proactively communicated was that this would result in multiple separately billed visits and hundreds of dollars in unexpected patient responsibility. After seeing the high-level claims in my insurance portal, I requested an itemized statement and billing/coding information from Lizaveta, the billing coordinator, so I could understand the charges submitted to my insurance. Instead, this turned into an exhausting back-and-forth where the requested information was repeatedly not provided. My issue is the lack of transparency, lack of proactive communication regarding billing implications, and how unnecessarily difficult it was to obtain basic billing documentation. As someone with endometriosis who unfortunately has extensive experience navigating healthcare billing and insurance, this was a simple request made unnecessarily difficult. While I have liked the doctors I've seen at Pure OBGYN, my interactions with the billing department have unfortunately left me with a very negative impression of the practice overall. Because of this experience, I would actively advise any friends, family, or other patients reading this from being seen at this practice.

I only have nice things to say about Love Child! I cannot speak for the yoga classes since I have…read morenever attended them. We have a child membership and we go to the wonderful baby-toddler classes they offer! Love Child has been a little haven for me that I look forward to go to a few times a week. As a stay at home mommy, going to school, Love Child is offering me the opportunity to step out of my bubble. Holly and Sarah-Grace are wonderful. They are so loving and creative, each class is a treat! We love French class on Tuesday, and art class on Thursday. There are also music classes on Monday and Wednesday with Corbitt and Alex. They offer Spanish classes and toddler gym. Really, this place is amazing. Every day of the week, there is an activity for your baby. It's also a great space to meet other parents, nannies and babies! It's a safe and clean environment where my baby can explore under the loving eyes of Holly and Sarah-Grace. Under Neelu's vision, Love Child is beautiful community. They offer doula services, as well as pre-post natal classes, breastfeeding circles, and a all lot of holistic baby-parent care. This place is a gem, and I will thoroughly miss it when my family moves across country in a few weeks!

This review is long over-due as Love Child has been such an amazing resource for my family! As an…read moreexpecting mother, I attended Prenatal Yoga regularly from my second trimester. I joined a weekly Prenatal Circle with a group of soon-to-be first time moms. We frankly discussed the physical and emotional toll that pregnancy and motherhood takes on you, your career and your relationship with your partner. Love Child also offers classes to prepare for parenthood. My husband and I took classes on multiple topics at different facilities throughout the city, we both agreed that the Breastfeeding course we took at Love Child was the best and most useful. The week after I delivered, Neelu came to my home to help me with early breastfeeding woes (included in the membership!) Since my daughter was born, our relationship with Love Child evolved. When she was a young infant, we were regulars at Baby and Me Yoga (the cutest thing ever), New Parents Circle and Baby Play Date. Now as a toddler, our caregiver takes her to Love Child for art, movement or music classes. Even on days she is not at Love Child, my daughter is likely on a play date with another Love Child toddler. My husband and I love taking her to weekend events (they throw great parties) or Sunday Family yoga. Love Child is so much more than a yoga studio! Neelu, Holly, and Sarah-Grace have created an amazing community for parents, caregivers and children.

Best decision I made was choosing cosmos midwifery for my home birth! From the first visit Jenna…read morewas kind, thoughtful and professional. I felt very safe and in good hands during the whole process. During the birth Jenna was calm and confident. I trusted her fully and she was very respectful towards all my preferences. Couldn't have picked a better provider for my home birth!! Thank you Jenna and Chloe!!

My partner and I worked with Chloe to try and get pregnant via IUI. Chloe is supportive,…read moreknowledgable, great with communication, and was wonderful to work with. We initially started with a fertility clinic to do IUI, but when we realized it wasn't our vibe and started working with Chloe we couldn't have been happier. I think I can definitely say it was a lot of Chloe's magic and expertise that helped me to pregnant.

Before I even heard her name or knew "Business of Being Born" existed, I knew I wanted Cara…read moreMuhlhahn to be my home birth midwife. She was recommended to me by a friend, who had two home births attended by Cara, and very highly sung her praises as an attentive, knowledgeable, caring, and intuitive midwife. Finding the perfect midwife is like finding the perfect mate: one must go and see who's out there, meet some people, and hopefully find a person you "click" with. I met with other midwives and neither felt that click with their personalities nor practices. Cara is open, honest, and understanding -- and all but one of her scheduled pre-natal visits are in the patient's home. The first appointment is an interview to see if that "click" exists and, if it does, where you fill out the paperwork, determine dates of conception (if, like me, you're not sure) and when you're due, as well as arrange for the first ultrasound exam. Cara, a certified nurse midwife (CNM), does her own blood draws and glucose testing -- in your own home. Bonus! -- but outsources ultrasounds and other "big" tests to Carnegie Imaging for Women on Madison Ave. Her office manager will call ahead to arrange appointments a few weeks apart for the first and second trimesters, then weekly as your due date nears. Again, all of these appointments were in the comfort of my own home. Cara lugs around a massive bag of medical supplies (stethoscope, blood pressure gauge, stuff for blood draws, fetal heart monitor; for births she carries oxygen and other stuff in case of emergencies) and does meticulous note-taking on her patients' progress. While she checks blood pressure and measure belly growth, she is relatively hands-off and finds intervention unnecessary when there's no need for it (mom in good health, fetal heartbeat okay, no massive weight gain, etc.). In the weeks leading up to the birth, Cara will tell you what supplies are needed (think clean towels, sheets, gauze, and the biggest most absorbent maxi-pads ever created that probably could have mopped up the Deepwater Horizon oil spill) and where to buy them (online from a provider specializing in home birth needs). She'll go through the supplies and explain what they're for and help you devise an action plan for the birth: when to call her, where you'd like to labor/give birth, who'll be there, where the linen closet is, etc. I did this prep with Cara and fully expected to have her there laboring with me in my home for a few hours, doing breathing exercises, helping me push, etc. I am, however, a very, very fast birther. I woke Cara up at 7am (at her home on the Lower East Side of Manhattan) and she got to my apartment (in Kew Gardens, Queens, aka parking hell) **twenty minutes later***. How fast she had to drive, how many lights she ran through and the number of traffic laws she broke as she drove like she was racing the devil to get to my home birth is beyond me. Cara arrived five minutes before I delivered and she literally caught the baby (I delivered standing up. Gravity: It's fantastic!!). The rest is a blur, but she checked the Apgar score, helped my husband cut the cord, washed the baby, helped wash me, got me nursing, stitched me up, measured and weighed the baby, filled out the birth certificate forms, and was out the door to help another pregnant woman in need. She called the next day to check on us and had another in home visit a few days later. Insurance companies in NY state are legally required to pay for midwives attending home births, but each company has their own way of getting out of this obligation. Cara's billing manager helped me navigate the various hoops I had to jump through to get my then-insurance company to pay for her services, but, in the end, the amount I paid was less than what I would have had to shell out for a hospital stay. If you want a birth experience that includes being poked and prodded and having to pee in a cup every few weeks, the home birth experience is not for you. If you fear that your body simply cannot due what nature intended it to do, then home birth is not for you. But if you trust yourself and trust your midwife or, like me, just don't want to make the most natural of events a clinical experience, then home birth is for you. And I highly recommend Cara Muhlhahn for the job.

Cara holds a very special place in my heart. My husband and I are eternally grateful for finding…read moreCara during the last few months of my pregnancy. She delivered my daughter in December of 2018. She made my LONG, difficult labor the best that I could've ever hoped for. Her patience, confidence, and determination are key factors that made me feel at ease during my, again, extremely long labor. I am so glad I chose her to deliver my baby girl and I hope to have her as my midwife for my next child. She made my home birth an amazing experience that I will never forget.

I am a black man in an interracial marriage. Yesterday, my wife and I went to the Prospect Heights…read moreTribeca Pediatrics in Brooklyn, NY, for the Infant CPR and safety. As the only black man and the only interracial couple in the class, I believe Geoff Gohacki gave me disparate treatment. My wife could not do the CPR on the floor because her belly made her uncomfortable to do so. The instructor told her to do CPR on the chair. I decided to be next to her because she is my wife, and I did not want her to be alone and feel inadequate. The instructor told me to get on the floor because my wife is pregnant, and I am not pregnant. That was very insensitive, rude, and uncalled for. I don't care if you were joking. You cannot make that kind of statement. My wife and I are adults and are not in high school or the military. I always tell people that my wife and I are pregnant. We are pregnant because we are doing this together. Lastly, if my wife and I are paying for the class, we don't have to look at how other people are doing it so that we can do the CPR. We could have stayed home and watched everything on YouTube. I was doing the infant CPR. I was not doing the chest compressions up to the instructor's standards. Instead of redirecting me, the instructor told me to look at the other people in the class. So you don't have a mouth to speak or are impatient to give me feedback on what I am doing wrong. My wife and I are not here to look at other people. After we left the class and walked toward our apartment, my wife started to cry about the unfortunate treatment this instructor put me through. It was distress we didn't deserve. Therefore, I would not recommend this instructor to a black man in an interracial couple.

If I could leave a 0-star review I would. I applied to be a birth doula with this service. I…read morereceived repeated requests to fill out the same video interviews. I should have stopped the process then but alas I persisted in hope this would work out. Then I I have to go through repeated rescheduled onboarding interviews with Jada because she kept having "schedule conflicts" and no respect for my time. When we met it was awkward and the discussion mostly focused on other doulas who don't want to meet with their client until they are way into active labor and then Boober worries about refunds. I do not operate in a way that would entail these risks happening. I spent a lot of time on the application and intake process for boober yet I continued to get leads for potential clients way outside of my geographic area of service. I got clients that were not serious about hiring a doula or I was one of many doulas who would meet with clients. I responded to some potential leads and sometimes wasn't followed up with, other times was matched with clients along with several other doulas or I was sent redundant messages about client requirements which I had already met. As a newer doula (with about a year of experience) I felt I couldn't compete with being matched with clients who were also introduced to several other doulas. I invested a lot of time and effort into my Boober application and profile and saw NO returns for it. I would get no responses, clients would hire other doulas or no doulas or no one from boober would follow up with me for the leads I was actually interested in. At some point I can no longer tolerate such disrespect for my time. While I believe in providing strong customer service our time as birth workers and service providers also needs to be respected and it's just not at Boober. I'm sorry I every signed up for the service. Also there are different commission structures based on race which I'm pretty sure is illegal. I'm all for birth equity but I'm not looking to be disrespected over and over again.

Frank is truly gifted…read more I've been seeing him regularly (once a week to every other week) for the past 6 months. I found him because I had such terrible lower back pain that I could barely sit, and needed emergency relief. I found his listing in Yelp and he was able to slot me in the same day! He did deep tissue massage, cupping, electro stim, infrared, and acupuncture all in one session - and YES - my back felt SO MUCH relief. The pain, of course, didn't disappear over night, but it was much less pain and slowly began to subside over the course of the next few days. Since then he's been my miracle worker. Pains, stress/anxiety, he melts it all away. Note for those who are a bit cautious/skeptical - note that he works from his home office and he has a dog (who is adorable!). This isn't your typical clinic/doctor's office so go with an open mind.

Frank is a compassionate healer and tells amazing stories to boot :)…read more He spent over an hour with me just asking me about my pain and showing me stretches. He is a physical therapist, acupuncturist, massage therapist, healer all in one. So welcoming and caring. I can't wait to go back!

Really enjoyed my experience here. I came for Monday's 5:15 Prenatal Yoga and stretch class with…read moreAnna. There was only one other person in the class so we each got a lot of individual attention. I felt very lucky that both of us had almost the exact same due date! Anna was very kind and gave us blankets for our knees to curb discomfort. Although it's mostly a yoga and stretch class, we did do some challenging things like wall sits (3 of them-each 1 minute long) and push ups (modified, but still). The space was small and intimate, perfect for a small class. Apparently the room can hold up to 11 people-but I can't imagine that. The candles in the darkness were a nice end for the relaxation shavasana at the end of class. Anna also gave us suggestions of stretches and massages for labor. The Pilates machine room looked interesting-I might want to try that at some point.

Just Like Om is a charming new Pilates studio. It offers small group classes in a space that has a…read morechanging area and a store with apparel. The owner herself teaches some of the classes which is a perk. The class I took was challenging and I was sore for days after!

The bottom line is she made me give birth flat on my back. everybody knows that's the WORST way to…read moregive birth. i kept trying to elevate my upper body and she said, "no, get back down... it's like pushing the baby out at a right angle." WTF?! and so i had tons of tearing and damage. at one point in labor, she told me to go on my hand and knees to try to turn my posterior baby. in that position, it felt really comfortable. then i had to go flat on my back to push the baby out. no sense! At prenatal appointments, she runs about an hour late, because she is scatterbrained, disorganized, and talks in circles. She wants you to take every test under the sun, and she harped how i was gaining too much weight at every appointment. i'm 5'6", started out 125 lb. i gained 42 lbs, and it was all in my stomach. At one of my early appointments, she told me to stop breastfeeding my toddler, which i didn't because i know better. She said she "knows the current literature says it's ok, but she's old school". She is all about covering her behind. At some appointments, she complained she was exhausted from getting called to births for a few nights in a row. I think she's not working in a group because she can't work with others. i do not recommend her at all.

I chose Maureen because she came highly recommended. She has been practicing midwifery for over…read moretwenty years (not sure of the exact time frame) and when I first met with her I liked her immediately. She's reassuring, calm, caring and knowledgeable. At times she is a bit scattered, and forgets things (i.e. she thought we had discussed the results of a blood test I had taken the night before my appointment and we had not), but I overlook this because of her efficiency in most areas and her warmth. If you are looking for a motherly midwife, someone who can guarantee she'll be there for your delivery (she is careful not to take on too many mothers who are expecting within the same timeframe), then Maureen would be a wonderful choice. Her offices are clean and modern. Not too crazy about the office staff. I believe that she shares them with the other doctor in the office, and they are not very personable, but they are efficient. They call every time I have an appointment to remind me. Also, I know that she is covered by most insurance, a BIG PLUS! Good luck!