So your incredible, hardworking body is transforming to create and support a tiny human being, your…read morepsyche is preparing for the entrance of a completely dependent infant who will turn your life upside down hopefully with joy and probably with sleeplessness...then there are those pesky pregnancy aches, other various side effects, and the labor....pregnancy can be stressful! Well, this review is for the balm that soothes prenatal stress: LOLOMA MAMA, aka prenatal yoga classes taught by Talei. I am currently 14 weeks along, and I have been regularly attending Talei's prenatal yoga classes taught by Talei since I was six weeks pregnant. She begins most classes with a check in where you can share anything that's going on with your pregnancy and receive helpful feedback. She'll incorporate helpful poses to address your physical needs throughout the practice. She'll share poses that are good for preparing for labor too. Talei does a beautiful job of personally tailoring the classes to fit an individual's needs, and the classes are always extended to all women. Her classes have a lovely flow, her voice is calming, and I always feel more in tune with my breath and body by the end of the class. The music in the background is good too, it adds to the class without being overwhelming. I like how Talei offers options with the props. Most importantly, I feel that Talei's classes bring me to such a deeper level of calm that it's one of the best gifts that I can give to myself and to my baby every week.

I hired Talei to teach a lunch time yoga program at our company. Talei's warmth and committment to…read moreyoga practice creates an inviting atmosphere for participants at all levels. Talei was great at tayloring her classes to the specific needs of participants and kept the classes fresh and challenging. I highly recommend Talei - she is a skilled yoga instructor and a great person.

The Terrific Twos class with Heidi was such a wonderful experience. I learned so many skills as a…read moreparent of a spirited two year old that I'm able to model some sweet Jedi mind tricks and my partner gives me credit, but really it's all Heidi and the other parents in the class. My two year old looked forward to the play zone and the kind volunteers who played with him. He enjoyed the activities and he learned to confidently separate from me. We were just in the next room but it was also really nice to have some adult interaction without an army of toddlers to supervise. (Bless you childcare volunteers.) If you're trying to navigate tantrums, sleep issues, biting, hitting, carseat battles, basically being two, this series of classes is amazing.

I'm a big fan of this organization. Not only do they provide parent and family services and…read moreprograms but they also have a drop off location for items you want to donate, which go directly to the families in need.

Stephanie is truly an amazing birth instructor. I went into the birth of our first daughter with…read morethe intention of having an unmedicated birth and I felt her class (combined with my doula, supportive partner, and midwife-Lin Lee) played a huge role in making that happen successfully. We loved her sense of humor, her straight forwardness, and her genuine passion for helping new parents on their birth journey. She gave us a very thorough picture of what we could expect, how to advocate for our needs, and how to mentally & physically prepare for an unmedicated birth and the possibility of a medicated birth without any judgement...just love and support. She even prepared dads/partners for what to expect and how to support mama and baby. Additionally, she provided use with such great service for placenta encapsulation for both births (2017 & 2021), which included pick up, delivery, and an umbilical cord souvenir. She is the first person I recommend to any first time parents who are looking for a birth instructor, doula, or placenta encapsulation. So grateful to have had her as guide on our journey.

Our family highly recommends Stephanie for classes, placenta encapsulation, and doula services. She…read morewas a fantastic and supportive coach through the birthing process. I felt prepared, informed, and supported. I learned so much about natural birthing and my own strength. I'm incredibly grateful to look back on my birthing experience as a positive and empowering one. Thank you, Stephanie, for thoughtfully facilitating such an important experience for us.

Our doula, Mo, was such a gamechanger for our family. I had a tough labor and having Mo support us…read moreduring my recovery was crucial. My postpartum anxiety was next level and she immediately put me to ease. She's such an expert at her craft and we learned so much from her - from bathing our newborn, to paced feeding, to figuring out my pumping schedule, to soothing techniques - truly so much of what we learned about caring for a newborn was learned from her. We also just loved getting to know her - she exudes warmth and we genuinely enjoyed her company. We had her 3 nights a week, initially for just the first 6 weeks, but we ended up extending for a couple more months. My husband and I are so thankful for her love and support, we truly could not have survived without her!

We had a fantastic experience with Bay City Doulas. The doula selection process was seamless and…read morecommunication was quick and professional from first contact through completion of our contract. My employer partners with Carrot and Bay City Doulas made the reimbursement process very easy. Our Doula, Theresa, was wonderful. She truly cares about providing support that suits the preferences and needs of the family. She took the time to learn about me and my goals for feeding, sleeping, and overall care of my newborn. Theresa has such a sweet and calming presence. My daughter was very happy in her care which made it easy for me to get rest. I ended up spending a lot of time with Theresa during middle of the night pumping sessions, and her company was invaluable to me during the vulnerable postpartum period. I started looking forward to her visits not only for newborn care, but also for conversation with someone who really understands what postpartum moms go through. We ended up extending our contract because we were having such a positive experience. Needless to say, when the contract did end, we were very sad to say goodbye to Theresa. I can't recommend Bay City Doulas and Theresa enough.

This review is a bummer to write, but after reading other reviews about communication delays and…read moreissues on the administrative end, it's clear i'm not the only one experiencing this issue and something needs to be seriously addressed. Alicia herself is wonderful, and we used her for placenta encapsulation in 2019. We had an overall good experience, so as we are nearing the birth of our 3rd baby, I reached back out to Alicia as a return client looking for placenta encapsulation again. It took 4 days to get an initial response to my email. Julia (Alicia's assistant) reached out to let me know Alicia is on maternity leave and had a few clarification questions to get the ball rolling with another doula. Unfortunately, I never heard from Julia or anyone else again. I've since left a voicemail and 4 follow-up emails with no response. If Born Doulas is too busy to accept me as a client, I would have appreciated hearing that upfront vs. just ghosting me, especially as a returning client. These types of customer service issues are just unacceptable, and if you are looking for a doula or placenta encapsulation company during the very delicate time of pregnancy and delivery, I recommend looking elsewhere and finding a company that cares about communication.

I can't begin to describe how wonderful, passionate, caring and knowledgeable Alicia is! From the…read morebeginning she guided us during the pregnancy, had many great tips for me, and helped me make my (right) big decisions towards the end. My birth story took longer than we expected, 40+ hours and Alicia was so supportive and strong even till the last seconds, let me correct that, even after the birth! Her stamina throughout the 40+ hours is just amazing! She was always there reassuring me that everything is going well, and making sure I'm hydrated and nourished to go on with the big game. This alone makes me want to tell every women, regardless how supportive your husband is, you still need a doula 100% especially Alicia 10000%! Before and after the birth I had many complications, that caused me to be hospitalized right after my birth, so my newborn was left with my clueless husband and mother. Alicia right away came over and helped them in so many ways, guiding and teaching them how to take care of our baby. She kept checking in on me before and after the birth regarding my condition, and helped me in all kinds of ways, sending over wonderful people to help with my condition, etc. We are eternally grateful to you Alicia! Baby M sending all his love!

We cannot recommend Neri enough. As first-time parents planning an unmedicated hospital birth, her…read moresupport made all the difference. Neri helped us prepare mentally and physically leading up to the birth -- from putting together a solid birth plan to answering questions, addressing research-related anxiety, and being a thoughtful, validating listener. During labor, she was absolutely indispensable. She joined us at the hospital and supported us through every stage with incredible skill and professionalism -- changing positions, massage, breathing guidance, aromatherapy, ice chips, and always knowing what to do next. We truly could not have done it without her. She also advocated for us with the medical team and helped make our unmedicated birth happen, even when others doubted us. Neri is calm, grounded, professional, and genuinely prioritizes her clients with personalized care. We will absolutely be reaching out to her again when we're ready for baby number two!

I feel so lucky to have had Neri as my doula. With over 20 years of experience, her knowledge is…read moreincredible, and she always provides professional guidance. During my late pregnancy, I experienced some complications, and Neri immediately referred me to specialists for check-ups. Initially, we hoped for labor to start spontaneously, but eventually, I needed induction. Neri gave me personalized advice based on my body and my preferences. I chose not to use a water ball and wanted to rely on medication to induce cervical dilation and contraction. Most doctors recommended the water ball, but Neri suggested trying Cervidil. To my surprise, it worked beautifully--I developed regular contractions and eventually experienced a spontaneous rupture of membranes. When I gave birth, my Pitocin dose was very low (only 4), and even with an epidural, I was able to push by changing multiple positions like hands and knees. Throughout the entire process, Neri's professionalism, patience, and support gave me confidence and peace of mind. I highly recommend Neri to any expecting parent--she's not only an experienced doula but also a caring and supportive guide through pregnancy and birth.

Ruth is an amazing doula--supportive, knowledgeable, and truly caring. Her calm presence and…read moregenuine compassion made me feel confident and supported every step of the way. I'm so grateful for her care and would highly recommend her to any expecting family.

Highly profesional and knowledgeable. Best investment my family and I made. She was recommended by…read moremy extended family she helped as a birth doula. I couldn't have had a better postpartum recovery if it was for her. She even made us yummy cookies and protein bars. She went above and beyond caring for me and my baby. We were truly spoiled. I will always be happy to serve her as a reference.

I would like to wholeheartedly recommend Rotem Perleson, whom I contacted about a week ago for…read morebreastfeeding advice and had an amazing experience with. Who accompanied me for several consecutive days and helped me and my daughter in an amazing way! In addition to the long support with messages and her incredible care that was felt at every moment, she came to visit us and gave me tools that I feel have changed the entire course of our day for the better. So if you are looking for someone who is tolerant, professional and supportive to help you strengthen your connection to breastfeeding and your baby From my personal experience, Rotem is the address!

* The best decision we made for our little one! *…read more As first-time parents, we were recommended Rotem by someone we trust--and working with her was truly an incredible experience. Simply put, she is phenomenal: deeply knowledgeable and experienced, compassionate, friendly, proactive, and endlessly supportive. I could go on and on. Rotem first visited us at the hospital, where her guidance was far more helpful and reassuring than what we received from the staff. She then continued supporting us once we were home, visiting multiple times a week during our baby's first month. She helped us learn what to do, supported us emotionally, and set clear expectations for what to expect--every step of the way. We are forever grateful to Rotem for the care and confidence she gave us during such an important time, and she has our highest possible recommendation.