We found Anya through the Central Texas Doula Association and she was the first doula we met with…read more My husband and I felt almost instantly that she was the doula for us! Her passion for her work, for mamas and babies, is contagious and so comforting -- we knew we would be in the best hands through the prenatal journey and birth of our first child. And we were right! Anya was there for us every step of the way. She dedicated herself to getting to know us, getting to know our worries, wants, and wishes. I loved preparing for the arrival of our little one with her -- she shared so much wisdom and made me feel at ease both physically and mentally (the one-on-one yoga session included in our package was such a nice treat!). We were so ready when the day arrived to deliver our baby! By day, I really mean days... Anya was with us through an incredibly LONG natural labor that ended at the hospital. (But we still delivered vaginally and I owe so much of that to her!) Our journey began at the Austin Area Birthing Center on Monday night and ended on Wednesday morning. She spent every minute of that time encouraging me, supporting me and my husband (literally, like physically supporting me), standing up for and reminding me of the things I wanted and needed, and helping us make some really tough decisions. She was basically like family to me for all those days. It was bittersweet to go our own ways at the end -- sad because she had just shared with us the most momentous occasion of our lives and that kind of connection is so real, but sweet because she needed to rest too!!! Could we have done it all without her? Sure. Would we have wanted to? Absolutely not. I cannot recommend Anya enough if you're looking for a little extra support through your own prenatal/birth/postnatal journey. She's a force. You'll get so much more from your relationship than you ever expected!! We sure did.

Anya is an AMAZING force. I interviewed several doulas, but I went with Anya because of her energy…read more-- she was the perfect balance of confident, non-judgmental, calm and wise. I wanted someone who would help prepare and support me through a natural birth, but who wouldn't judge me if I changed my mind in the end. I'll never forget the thing she said to me in one of our prep meetings that really put me at ease, "There IS something -- a position or a technique -- that will help bring you relief during birth. We'll practice some options now and when the time is here, we'll find the exact one that will work for you." And we did just that. I can say for certain that there is no way we would have been able to avoid an epidural without all the prep she did with me and my husband ahead of time and without her calm, supportive presence in the room. We met with her several times ahead of the birth and she was super thorough with us, never rushed the process and made sure that we as first time parents were as confident as we could be going into this. She lent us books we could peruse if we wanted, but honestly her guidance ahead of time was so thorough and we were so ready for the big day even without taking a formal birthing / breathing class. She even did a prenatal yoga class with me in my home a couple of weeks before our baby arrived. We also hired her for the placenta encapsulation -- it was wonderful having someone who already knew us well do that for us and we opted for her to do it at our home, which sounded strange to us at first, but she scoured the kitchen before and after and in the end, it was a really cool learning process!

I can't say enough about how incredibly helpful Austin Childbirth's services were for our family…read more If you are on the fence as to whether to get a doula I highly recommend that you talk to them. When my wife first suggested a doula I was concerned that a doula might be "woowoo" or try to influence our decisions or approach. This was not the case at all. Prior to childbirth they offered unbiased information, introduced us to helpful tools and practices and took much of the mystery and anxiety out of child birth. During child birth the doula offered a steady and experienced hand so that my wife could focus on a safe delivery. Their techniques substantially reduced my wife's pain and in our case helped her have an unmedicated delivery. In short they helped us make an educated delivery plan and then used their experience to support our decisions relative to that plan during childbirth. Here are highlights of their service: - Met with us in our home and helped us prepare a birth plan and understand the birth process. - Were available to answer questions leading up to birth (which was particularly helpful in alleviating anxiety) - Met us at the hospital and advised throughout the labor. This was HUGE. Our doula helped us follow our birth plan, made recommendations for pain relief, did hands-on pain relief, gave me (dad) options for how to be most helpful, told us what was coming next, encouraged mom, and stayed with mom after the birth. - Stayed with us after birth until we felt comfortable -- What she didn't do (also important) was meddle in medical care or personal decisions, sideline dad or push an agenda. She had a great rapport with the hospital staff who clearly valued their help and were also glad she was there. I suggest that you talk with them if you want to learn more about the doula option.

My husband and I learned about this class through our prenatal care provider with Women Partners in…read moreHealth. We registered for an all day Childbirth class complete with a Seton hospital tour-- it was a wonderfully informative day that left us feeling confident and prepared for what to expect on "Labor Day". Jillian Silva, our childbirth instructor, was communicative via email and text in the days leading up to the class and welcomed us at the door upon arrival. The class presentation was delivered through PowerPoint slides, lectures, videos and hands-on demonstrations and practice. Jillian was very knowledgeable on all points discussed during the class, and had tangible hospital items for us to view and touch for further understanding and familiarity. We covered topics such as: what to pack in your hospital and baby bag, stages of labor, relaxation techniques, responsibilities of partner, options for labor pain relief (degrees of natural and non-natural options), labor aids/tools that the hospital provides and more! Jillian, who is also a certified Doula, has such a calming and confident nature. She was professional, timely, prepared and very friendly; she even made brownies for the class! Anyone who chooses to have her presence and expertise during their labor and delivery is one lucky mama. The class was from 9am-4pm with a 30 min lunch and the hospital tour from 3-4pm. The long day was totally worth it! I walked away from the class feeling equipped to do what my body knows how to do naturally, and if and when I need support, I now know who to contact. Thanks Jillian for being a great instructor!

All the things no one openly shares:…read more Despite how enamored I am with our little girl and all the cute pictures on Facebook, these first three weeks have been extremely stressful. Nursing has been anything but easy, and because our daughter is so tiny I have felt nothing but pressure for her to gain weight as quickly as possible... very difficult when breastfeeding is proving difficult. The onset of vasospasms so painful that it felt like a cigarette burning me straight through to my shoulder blade finally led me to make an appointment with My Pure Delivery. First of all, it was not covered by my insurance because Blue Cross Blue Shield sucks. But every dollar I paid out of pocket was worth the time they spent with me to ensure I felt comfortable utilizing the strategies they helped me master with their help. Additionally, they allowed me to come back periodically to weigh her at no additional cost so that we could monitor her weight without paying for yet another doctor's visit. I am forever grateful for the assistance My Pure Delivery gave me with a skill no one teaches you about, you are just supposed to inherently know how to do, and is perhaps the most stressful task I've ever had to do. MANY THANKS for the compassionate and patient help with breastfeeding.

It was very easy to get an appointment at my pure delivery. After my son was in the NICU and had…read moreissues feeding, we had all but thrown in the towel on breastfeeding. Pumping was also tanking my mental health. Having a quality appointment with a LC was worth every penny. The appointment was not rushed and everything was set right up for us upon arrival. After applying what we were taught, I was able to have a way more positive experience feeding my son

Samantha was amazing!! She came to our home and covered the last few weeks of pregnancy, labor, and…read morepostpartum period. She answered ALL of our questions, made my husband more comfortable in supporting me during labor, & made me feel way more confident in my decision for a VBAC. Please reach out to her if you need a class or Doula Services!!

Samantha was amazing! Just great to have a doula in general but loved how she came to our house,…read moreloved her firm encouragement while I was giving birth, she helped me so much and her questions for me and baby during labor toward the medical staff was so helpful. Things got done sooner or slower because she knew what to ask! So helpful! Also loved how personable she is!! I felt like I clicked so fast with Samantha!

OK this is going to be a long (but VERY honest) review so bare with me. The care I received at…read moreAustin area birthing center was indescribable, in the best way. I truly felt so supported, so respected and loved during my entire experience. I transferred to Austin area birthing center around eight or nine weeks pregnant. I had received prior care with an OB/GYN and it was very impersonal. I didn't feel like she was listening to me and appointments were rushed. For years I've always told myself I wanted a natural birth but I never knew if I'd be able to do it. During my prenatal care all of my questions were answered everyone was so friendly so supportive and kind. This was my first baby and so I did a lot of research before going into labor and birth. I knew all the things that I didn't have to do and I knew all of the things that I wanted. At my 37 week appointment I asked for A cervical check even though I know I didn't necessarily need one. I was still working full-time and was experiencing some intense cramps a few days before and so I requested them to check. I was only a centimeter dilated so I figured I had time especially because it was my first baby. 38 weeks and three days at two in the morning my water broke. When I called the midwife on call she was super calm asked me how I was feeling the color of my water and if I was having contractions which I wasn't yet. She asked if I could meet her there in a few hours unless labor intensely progressed. Around 4 AM, I threw up, but I figured it was because I ate too much lasagna! Nothing I couldn't really handle, around five I called again because they were a minute apart and she met me there a few minutes later. She asked politely if she could check me to see how dilated I was but at the moment I was uncomfortable and so I denied. I had asked for a few minutes alone with my mom and my partner and they gave me the room to deal with the contractions on my own. About 15 minutes later, I told them they could check me and I was almost at 9 cm. Things progressed pretty quickly after that and I was in active labor for about five hours before my son came. The entire time they held my hand they listened to what I needed what I wanted and I was given exactly what I needed, every single minute during my entire labor. If there are any negative reviews, which I can't even understand how there could be, please read this one!!! I beg of you! I absolutely can't speak highly enough about the care I received. My son was born in a room filled with so much love and I couldn't be happier. All of my babies will be born here!! Rachel, Janae, Ellie, Betty, and Valerry. ADORE YOU. Will forever be grateful for you all over there.

I'm athletic, normally 125 lbs, I eat well and exercise regularly. I have no health conditions and…read morethe birth was still a disaster. The months leading up to my delivery were fine. I felt supported by the midwives. It was the actually delivery that was severely botched. Looking back, isn't that all that matters? I met many of the midwives during Centering and check ups. I felt like they were helpful. On the night I went into labor, I timed my contractions, called my doula. She said to call the midwife. The midwife that night was someone I had never met. Her name was Jamie. From the second I got on the phone with her, I felt belittled. She said she didn't believe I was in labor and that I should wait. She said the fact that I could talk was a clear sign it was too early. But, she said, if I insisted that I was in labor then she would meet me at the birthing center. I dilated very early & was instructed by Jamie to push, push, push. On every contraction, push, push push. For something like four hours (until very early AM), I pushed. My room started to fill up with random people. I used the ball, I used the blow up peanut, I used the bathtub, I used the stool. In a cycle, one at time, I used each thing. Then, once I'd tried them all, I circled back around and tried them all again. Never resting. Just pushing. At some point in the early AM hours, Jamie's shift was over -- so she left! She simply walked in the room, and said "My shift is over and a new midwife will be here shortly". Erin, the new midwife showed up. I knew her and I liked her. However, her guidance simply started over from the exact same beginning place that Jamie had started from. On every contraction, push, push push. For something like four MORE hours. All over again, I used the ball, I used the blow up peanut, I used the bathtub, I used the stool. One at time, I used each thing then circled back around and tried them all again. Never resting. Just pushing. Some time the next morning, I said stop. I cannot go on. I'm dying. Call 911. "You're so close!!" They said, "Keep pushing". So, several hours later, some time around 1pm, I passed the point of exhaustion and was on the brink of insanity. I slid off the bed, onto the floor, onto my knees screaming. I prayed. I begged God, what do I do? I am dying. So, I asked the midwife, "Is the baby coming? Is she going to come out any second now?" "Oh no! No way. Not at all. We don't even see her head." The midwife said. It almost seemed like she thought the question was cute. Now, I have never given birth before and I've never been at a birth before. My experience is limited. But I knew enough to know, that was not right. That was not right! There is no reasonable medical professional, midwife or person who would instruct someone to push that hard and that long with ZERO progress. "Call 911" I demanded. "We're so close!" The midwife pleaded. "You wanted a natural birth so bad, we're so close. It will be at least an hour before you get any medication at all if you go to the hospital". "It's not the medication I want, it's my life. I'm done. I can't go on." I had pushed, in active labor, for 8 hours. Seven hours after the ambulance came and 2 additional hours of active labor, my healthy, beautiful baby girl was born. The hospital staff was incredible. They were disgusted that these midwives allowed me to push for that long and that hard with little progress. Turns out, my daughter was posterior. It took the doctor 5 seconds to determine this. How did the midwives miss this? Just keep pushing, they said! The blood vessels in my entire face were completely blown out. I looked like I had been in a boxing match. ABC was a complete shitshow. After being at the hospital and receiving the level of professionalism they offered there, this group of midwives felt like a room full of middle school girls playing "let's birth a baby". By the time I told them to call 911, my birthing room was full of 7+ people all trying to "help". I'm not saying you need to go to the hospital, but don't go here. And yes, we still had to pay 100%.

We used Austin Born prenatal and postpartum services. As new parents, the prenatal classes we…read moreattended were very informative and empowering. Unfortunately, we could not obtain maximum benefit of support groups and attend all classes due to pregnancy related illness. We did, however, feel a huge value of using Austin Born, was in the communication and correspondence with our Doula, Kim Borchert. She answered many emails, texts and calls in a very open-minded and timely manner. We were referred to amazing pregnancy specialists such as chiropractors, twin trainers and also given pain relieving techniques which greatly reduce the discomfort and frustration of carrying twins. As new parents of twins with no family nearby, our postpartum Doula service was important. Austin Born was holistic in every sense and we felt that we had not only one awesome doula checking in and supporting us in our home each day but also had a team of doulas with vast experience behind the scenes. Without Austin Born and our doula, Juanita Sawyer, we are not sure how we would've survived. From small suggestions of types of bottles to breast-feeding struggles to reflux management solutions, there is no obstacle this team can't fix. Now that our babies are older, we look back and realize the value Austin Born services is not in how many classes were attended or how many hours of doula services were provided. The value is most definitely in the knowledge, resources, accumulated experience and open-minded approach. In short, they were amazing and invaluable to us.

The Post Partum Doula support we received from Austin Born's amazing Stephanie was simply perfect…read more Seriously. Perfect. Stephanie is a doula and a lactation consultant, plus her sense of calm and reassurance helped us first time parents relax a little--which is saying a lot! We arranged to have Stephanie come on our first night home from the hospital with our beautiful baby. She provided lactation advice and created a priority list for me which we hung on the master bathroom door: 1. Feed baby 2. Feed Mommy (eat/drink) 3. Sleep Seems pretty simple, but after a week of sleep deprivation, the list helped stop my "one-more-thing" syndrome. For the first time in my life I was responsible for a needy, helpless, endlessly adorable baby--my baby. Who had time for sleep? Once I got into bed I was so amped up on adrenaline I couldn't shut down. My husband had to hold me tight to turn off the humming in my mind and body. I was finally able to sleep for an hour--it was a gift. My first nap after baby, along with Stephanie's unwavering, consistently calm, reassuring presence through those first days, gave me room to breathe and think again. She was there for many other firsts too in person, via phone, and via text. And I'm thankful for all of the support. There's nothing like having an expert to guide you through this miraculous journey--hopefully you'll get a chance to be as grateful as I am. Cheers to Austin Born!

We used multiple resources from Empowered beginnings to get ahead as first time parents:…read moreHypnobirthing Child Class, Breastfeeding class, Doula Service, Newborn sleep class, and of course the birth baby podcast. Save yourself the effort/stress of researching on your own and go straight to the experts at Empowered Beginnings. The lessons and instruction is calm, clear, and most importantly CONFIDENCE BUILDING. From day one, Empowered Beginnings helped us to enjoy the process instead of feeling overwhelmed. Our Doula answered every question, no matter how small, and gave us practical, evidence-based advice we could use immediately. We cannot imagine the pregnancy, birth, or postpartum without our Doula, Ciarra. We will use Empowered Beginnings for all of our future children!!!

Highly, highly recommend Empowered Beginnings!! Ciarra supported us through the arrival of our…read moresecond baby, and she is the best! Super informative and a wealth of knowledge, helping us to feel empowered and informed during the process. Many doulas wait for questions - not Ciarra. She was very proactive with checking in often and anticipating support needed. Her knowledge is gold and she's so generous with her time. Also, Empowered Beginnings presents a community of families and has a wealth of resources available. They are the best if you want genuine and caring support for one of the most vulnerable times for a family... 5 stars!

I used Veronica's placenta encapsulation service after my second was born and I truly believe it…read moremade a huge difference. After my first was born I felt like a mess. I was always irritated and my emotions were crazy. I often felt sad and unstable. With the pills, my overall mood was really chill and mellow. My emotions were in check and I felt happy; much more able to be present and in the moment. Pickup/delivery was easy too! 10/10 ! Would use her again in a heartbeat

I think it helped after I gave birth! I say "I think" because it was my first pregnancy, so I do…read morenot have anything else to compare it to. Delivery was fast and the packaging was super cute though! I also really appreciate her instructions and following up via email.

Amazing service and care! Ive learned so much to start my road to motherhood. Thanks for…read moreeverything. The service was patient, kind, and full of happiness. This is the type of care that I highly recommend for mommies.

Commenting for my friend Chiana who recently had a baby. Shay was very intentional with her…read moreservices and was extremely patient with my friend. This was my friend's first birth & I am so glad that she had such a wonderful doula who had her back throughout her journey. It really took away a lot of stress & feel that my friend was a lot more at ease when giving birth.

I love this place! I am a Chinese Medicine student and get almost all of my supplies from this…read morelocation. They have a great selection of needles and herbs at reasonable prices. There are also lots of other interesting things in the store as well. Though I wouldn't shop here if it weren't for the supplies I need as a Chinese medicine student. They also won't sell needles to the general public, which I like. You can, however, buy whatever herbs you like, but you should always have either Chinese medicine training or have a prescription from someone who does, because otherwise you won't know what you're doing. You can't just pick an herbal formula labeled simply for "stress" like you can in Western medicine. It doesn't work like that. I've never received any treatments from interns so I can't vouch for that, but I hear they're awesome. Their staff is very friendly and know me and my friends by name because we frequent there so much. :o) Plus! Every day they have a deal going on. I know Monday their herbs are 10-15% off, but I can't remember what the other days are.

This is an odd place. The service is sometimes snotty, sometimes good. But it's a really good place…read moreto browse for Buddha-ish accoutrements for your decor or altar if your a meditator. I got some really cool stone carved elephants on the cheap, and a neat wood happy Buddha. They have some good flavors of Dagoba bars that I can't find elsewhere (chai) and sometimes some cool zenish clothes. I also like the one on Anderson for post Korea-house sushi shopping. I know they have all kinds of herbal medicine but I have not delved as of yet.