One year ago, on this exact day I gave birth to my son (first child). Today on his first birthday I…read morecan't just help thinking of Myla as she played such an essential role on my son's birth. I was lucky to have a smooth pregnancy over the course of the nine months and had a very clear idea about my birth preferences. However, I was concerned about the strict protocol of the main hospitals of New York City. My husband and I are both Italian and birthing process in Italy is different than here. So, we started looking into doulas and interviewed quite a few of them. Myla was the one who impressed us the most. With her calm and peaceful manners but also her deep knowledge on anything related to birth, we both felt she was the right doula to assist us. Myla was really crucial in giving birth of my baby. I had a natural birth and my son weighted 11lb 10oz: a shocking news for everyone especially since I was able to deliver him naturally and with no C section. Having a natural birth was my main wish but I am aware I wouldn't been able to accomplish that without Myla's support. She helped with breathing, soothing massage and expert touch to get my baby in a lower position. My husband was engaged all the time and the three of us literally 'worked' as a team over the long hours of labor and then pushing. Myla reminded us to take our time before rushing into any decision and we truly felt reassured with her on our side. I remember one of the most experienced nurses praising on Myla as she pointed out how lucky we were on having such a knowledgable and passionate doula assisting us (and I guess she had seen quite a few over the years). And yes, we truly felt blessed in having Myla on our side. The process was painful, I won't lie, but without Myla I would not have been able to deliver my baby without a C section. I'm glad I was able to safely accomplish my wish. After my son was born Myla took the time to make sure my baby latched and she even took so many pictures of the three of us during those first moments as we wished to have a memory of those. We could count on Myla even after the birth experience, as we met her again a few days after leaving the hospital to provide guidance and helpful advice with our newborn. "Grazie Myla!" - You were a precious gift to our family.

Having a doula during the birthing process was integral to making the day of my son's birth as…read moresmooth as possible, and Myla exemplifies this. Myla was an incredibly kind, supportive guide through my pregnancy process. She helped me cut through the noise of opinions and blogs and provided the resources to know what and how to talk to my birth team (doctor, hospital, partner, etc). Pregnancy can be a roller coaster of emotions and even fears and Myla helped navigate what questions we would potentially want to ask and how to ask those questions to empower ourselves to make the right decisions. My confidence when it came time to enter into the actual birth I can absolutely attribute to Myla. During my birth itself, Myla was there to help me have a positive experience. Whether it was soothing massage to ease labor pains at home, or just reminding me in the hospital to ask for time to think about choices that I needed to make, her focus and incredible knowledge and many years of birth experience made everything easier. I felt confident that I was making the right choices because Myla was there with me. After the birth Myla continued to be a crucial resource. She is a lactation consultant and guided me in the breastfeeding process. In the hospital she got my supply started and helped me navigate challenges that continued once I was home Myla's full continuity of care from pregnancy to newborn is invaluable. I experienced curve balls throughout the entire time and was able to navigate everything and ultimately have a successful confident experience thanks to Myla.

We absolutely loved our classes with Lisa! The class was informative, supportive, and incredibly…read moreempowering. The classes are extremely comprehensive without feeling overwhelming. We came into class feeling excited but very nervous about this next chapter and left feeling so much more confident and prepared for both birth and the newborn stage. We loved Lisa's thoughtful approach - blending evidence-based information with compassionate, personalized support in a way that felt holistic, reassuring, and never fear-based. 10/10 - Highly recommend to any expecting parents looking for a childbirth class that feels both realistic and deeply supportive! Thank you, Lisa!

Lisa is a gifted educator on all things childbirth and we're SO happy to have attended her 3 day…read moreintensive in-person classes a few months prior to our due date. I was immediately impressed by Lisa's care and high-touch approach when I saw her thoughtful response to my intake form at the time we registered for the program. And throughout the course, Lisa's wealth of knowledge, passion, and genuine desire to help really carried through. She's also a bright ray of sunshine and we really appreciated her warmth and hospitality in what could feel like a long three day class otherwise. We had snacks and drinks, were able to move around freely, sit on the floor, sit on the yoga ball, there are squatty potties in each bathroom, I mean she literally thought of everything in trying to make this experience as comfortable and smooth for us as possible. With each class, we felt more and more confident and well equipped to welcome our baby and of course the added bonus in this being in-person is that we also loved connecting with other couples that we will continue to stay in touch with. I would highly recommend to any couple who's expecting no matter the kind of birth experience you envision for yourseleves.

I decided to make an appointment with Tamara since she was close to my home in Harlem as well as…read morecame recommended by a good friend who coincidentally went to her too a year ago. I am so glad I went. I was having a lot of trouble holding and positioning my newborn. During/after each feeding my nipples were in so much pain. I was in tears everyday for over a week because I wasn't sure if my newborn was getting adequate food since I was having so much pain breastfeeding that I convinced myself I simply wasn't doing it right and that I'm starving him as a result. During my first appointment she examined my breasts and nipples, as all as examined his mouth and weighed him. We then got started with breastfeeding. She showed me how to correctly position him, how to correctly position myself and my hands (I was also having a lot of wrist pain bc I was straining my wrist and hands holding him prior) and how things should feel right. At the end she gave me a take-home plan and some additional information. I went in for a follow up 2 days later for extra reinforcement and practice as I was having some trouble replicating my in-office success at home. She remained patient and adjusted my form as necessary. Definitely recommend going if you need some instruction and guidance on breastfeeding.

Tamara was very helpful and helped me troubleshoot some issues. I was ultimately able to breastfeed…read moremy son for a year, and I know Tamara's help in the initial stage was invaluable. Thank you, Tamara!

Annette will always be close to our hearts of the joyous and warm birth she assisted with our first…read moreson! I only wish we had had her for our daughter too we moved far away. Right from the start she helped to ease any anxieties we had (which were a lot). She was extremely nurturing from the very beginning through the end. She never tried to persuade me into anything. She always listened and gave me wonderful information. In fact, she still asks about our son to this day and we love catching up over lunches when we are back in the city. She helped my husband, through much sweat and sore muscles, massage my back through 5 hours of super intense, level ten contractions. She never left my side or took a break. I ended up having a c-section and she even made that so special! She was quiet, positive and reassuring at ever step. She snapped gorgeous photos and filmed beautiful video throughout (I didn't even know she was doing this). She was there through the entire labor surgery and recovery room (which was about 20 hours), and which was where she taught me, in under a minute, how to breastfeed. She immediately got the baby latched on perfectly, helped me to understand just how to position him, and I never had a problem breastfeeding, nor did our son! In her home visit after the birth, she gave us a beautifully written letter, detailing ever aspect of that day. Our doctor (who was also in credibly amazing) was so impressed with her that he asked for her contact information as well, because through her, he realized her the immense value of having a doula by our sides the whole time.

Annette is one of a kind, and I am so grateful that I had her by my side throughout my pregnancy…read morejourney, and birth of my son. To be very honest...I didn't even know what a doula is or if I needed one. But being a FTM, I had so many questions and worries about giving birth. I started to do research, and was recommended to check out Annette. And I am so glad I did! From the first conversation, I knew I was in the right hands. I am anxious and an over-thinker, but thankfully Annette's expertise and calming nature helped ease all of that. Most importantly, she helped me become informed in all of my options - so I was able to make the best choices for me and my baby throughout the whole experience - especially when dealing with doctors (which can be rather intimidating). Finally, she was also beyond helpful and reassuring to my support person, my mother...as the two of them together helped me welcome my son into this world. Annette takes on many roles while helping - a coach, a best friend, a cheerleader, an educator and many more. My family is forever thankful to her, and highly recommend having her in your corner to anyone on the beautiful, yet sometimes rather wild, pregnancy journey.

My husband and I took the Childbirth Prep class this past weekend and are so happy we did. Our…read moreinstructor Liz was amazing, she is a L&D nurse who is so passionate about what she does and educating others. The content was informative and approachable, and we feel so much more prepared!

My husband and I went to the 6 hour class by Ceridwen recently. Just some background about us,…read morewe're 39 weeks pregnant with my 2nd child, his 1st child. My son is currently 4 years old. This class not only gave me a refresher, but helped my husband and I set our expectations, and learn so many things that even I didn't know the first time around. We learned about things from fetal stations to birthing positions to self advocation to coping without pain management drugs, and more. We left the class completely confident and ready for our bundle of joy.

First off I would just like to say that if you are checking out this page and CHB doesn't have a…read moreton of reviews yet it's because I liked the weekend intensive course so much that I asked Samantha to create a Yelp account for CHB. They have been around for many years (since 2011) and are very experienced. My only "negative" feedback is that when I was looking for a Childbirth Intensive class to do I wasn't able to see any reviews on Yelp for peace of mind :) That said, pregnancy is stressful business, especially for first time parents. What to expect as we get closer to the end of the pregnancy? What's up with this or that weird thing your body and baby are doing? The stressful anticipation of the big day. How are we going to do all of this together? And not to mention the overriding sense of "oh shit when this is all done it's just going to be starting".... So professional help is very welcome and NEEDED. The Childbirth Weekend Intensive with Samantha was beyond professional. It was clear that she and Melissa, who was assisting her, were doulas and educators because they are very passionate about helping women and couples have a positive and meaningful birth experience. When I originally imagined the weekend intensive course I imagined two packed and stressful days spent just jamming information into our minds, but what I experienced was the absolute opposite. The pace of the course was perfect and didn't feel overwhelming as the term "intensive" would suggest. Asking questions at any point about anything was encouraged. The other couples at the course were hugely beneficial to the overall experience since we all brought different types of questions to the table. We all learned a lot about the biology of birth, strategies for managing paying, strategies for having a good experience at the hospital, and really we received a solid foundation for coping with everything that we had ahead of us. At the end of the weekend we did not feel overwhelmed but rather empowered. I would also like to stress that I think it's unusual to interact with someone teaching a course that seems to care so much about your experience and your outcomes. Samantha's empathy and caring really stood out for me and she was also very knowledgeable and able to competently answer all of our questions (even the weird over technical ones). So THANK YOU CHB and Samantha for getting us emotionally and intellectually prepared for the big day and beyond!

From the owner: Carriage House Birth trains top notch birth and postpartum doulas world wide and provides doula…read moreservices and childbirth education to families in LA, NYC and growing with our holistic approach to pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum care. We are honored to have served over 1500+ families in New York and Los Angeles since 2011.

Maiysha is an absolutely amazing doula and we were lucky to have her with us during my labor and…read moredelivery. She is dedicated, very knowledgeable, and one of the most zen people I've ever met. This combination is what you're looking for when labor kicks in! Most impressive was that literally everyone knew her at Roosevelt where I delivered, and someone I didn't know even stopped me in the hall mid-labor saying I was in good hands since Maiysha was my doula. My husband, mother, and I have nothing but glowing things to say about her. My advice? Book her as your doula ASAP since she is in high demand!

My husband says this was the best money he ever spent. A labor that lasted from Sunday afternoon…read moreuntil Wednesday dawn, with no drugs and no needless interventions was made possible by Maiysha's experienced and wise walk through the challenge. I've recommended her to everyone, and all that have had her by their sides at birth have been thrilled. She gives more than one imagines possible, and honors whatever experience each woman chooses. You don't have to be a Ina Mae devotee to work with her. I'm lucky to call her a sister after her loving, capable support! Feel free to ask me any questions about her.

My husband and I signed up for both the Birth Ed class as well as the Newborn care/Breastfeeding…read moreclasses with Hilary Baxendale. We are soooo glad we did! She is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to babies and parenting. We crammed in so much helpful information in just two days! She provided handouts and was open to all questions and topic discussions. Hilary is absolutely incredible. To be quite honest, she was my first experience with a doula. I always had a misconception that doulas were against any sort of medication during the birthing process and always naively pictured home births in a bath tub ;) I was so wrong! Hilary is supportive of all kinds of birth plans. The great thing about her is she has experience in all of them and never passes judgement. We highly recommend taking these classes with her... whether you're novices like my husband and me, or pros like some of the other couples who also took the classes with us and equally found it incredibly helpful. Now that we feel super prepared, we just need to safely get this baby out :) We are now hoping to use Hilary as our birth doula if she is available, as she was very calming for an anxious person like me, and seems like she would be assertive as the baby's advocate if need be. Thank you again, Hilary, for such great classes and all of the support you have provided during a very challenging and anxiously exciting time for us :)

We had an excellent birthing class with Hilary. Due to COVID19, it was moved to online but still…read morewent wonderfully. She covered a lot of topics that we hadn't even thought to ask about, was thoroughly prepared, and the best part was being able to do it while we lounged on our couch (and cast the computer screen to our big screen)! Hilary also catered to all our birthing plan ideas, without judgement or trying to push participants one way or another. Highly recommend.

Momally has been a wonderful resource for me in meeting local moms and in sharing stories/seeking…read moreadvice. There are meetings organized by Andrea, Momally's creator but also more informal meetups organized by Momally members. The meetings organized by Andrea take place at her house. It is set up perfectly to host a large group of women and babies. It is a relaxed environment and I love going to meetings. Check it out if you are an expecting or new mom in Astoria!

From the owner: Andrea Scannell, founder of MOMally (pronounced MOM-ah-lee) provides private sleep consulting and…read morelactation counseling services. She also runs groups, classes and workshops for expectant and new parents.

I used Ashe for my first birth in 2024. Emilie was my doula and Milta was her partner. Both of them…read morewere so supportive and patient during my pregnancy - they are knowledgeable and kind, never pushy and always helpful and kept what my partner and I needed at the forefront of all of our interactions. They answered every question and I had lots! Emilie and Milta were very gracious and mindful of supporting my husband, as well. I was grateful for them and their guidance throughout pregnancy, but my labor and delivery is where Emilie's sunshine beamed the strongest. She seemed to know what I needed before I could even ask her, providing physical support and pain management for me at my induction. With her unwavering help, I was able to carry through with my hopes for an unmedicated birth even with an induction and even though I was nervous! She had total faith in me and it made me believe in myself. She checked in on us at home after the baby came, and we also used Ashe's postpartum services to get a few, much-needed, nights of rest (Courtney is amazing!) Ashe does it all and they do it all beautifully. I'm grateful every day for Emilie and her team. I wholeheartedly recommend their amazing care for every step of your journey! We could not have been happier.

I am so glad that Emilie was my doula during my pregnancy and delivery experience. I knew I wanted…read morea natural birth experience, and someone who would champion for my wishes. Emilie did that and much, much more. In the months before delivery, Emilie met with me for pre-natal care, informing me about hospital interventions, medications, and decisions I'd have to make for my child. When contractions begin, Emilie coached me through the contractions and then met us at the hospital. (She was getting ready to meet us at home but my labor was very fast). At the hospital, she helped me settle into a comforting routine. With every contraction, she held my body, coached my breathing and I felt completely in control of my labor and delivery. There was no screaming, or kicking as I imagined there'd be. The nurses even commented that this was the most controlled delivery they'd ever seen -- thanks to Emilie! She kept me hydrated, massaged me, and coached my husband about what he could do. She worked incredibly well with the nurses and doctors. I was so nervous about giving birth but I was fully empowered and in control over my body. I absolutely loved my labor and delivery experience. After giving birth, Emilie visited me twice, bringing sitz baths and talking me through all the issues I was facing during that first month. It's been several months and she still checks in on me. You won't regret going with Emilie!