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.

Great place, very caring and knowledgable staff- ask for Leah the Director she is great! If they…read moredo not have the resources they will help you get them. The volunteers really go out of their way to help you- and helped me in every way possible through my crisis pregnancy.

From the owner: Pregnancy support Referrals to community resources and…read moreadoption agencies, as needed Pregnancy tests Childbirth and parenting education Referrals for medical and legal assistance, as needed Maternity and baby clothes Infant food and supplies from newborn to age 2

There aren't enough words to describe how much I love Premier birth center. The staff, the care,…read moreand the sense of friendship/family you will not get anywhere else imo. I initially went here when I was pregnant with my Covid baby that was due December of 2020. The thought of going to the hospital during that time terrified me and a family member had mentioned having her baby at premier so I decided to check it out. Needless to say once I did I knew it was the right place to birth my baby. Everyone made me feel safe and welcomed. I was allowed visitors and I wasn't forced to wear a mask during my labor. Fast forward a couple years and I had my 3rd baby in October of 2023 so 2 of my babies were born there!They always greet us with the biggest smiles and they genuinely love seeing how big the kids have gotten. It feels like a family at this point. My birth experiences have been absolutely amazing with Premier and I cannot recommend them enough!

Where do I start? Everyone is incredible here! They treat you with respect and ensure you know…read moreyou're valued. They listen to your requests and accommodate to the best of their abilities. They are nice and sweet. I just love this place! It feels like a spa visit whenever I come in! None of the pressures of OBGYN offices. I usually have a white coat syndrome in OB offices. Not here. Also, the birthing rooms are awesome and are covered by my insurance. Just overall amazing experiences every time I'm here!

My experience with Angela at Body and Soul Healing Arts was excellent and rose above my…read moreexpectations. We started out with a thorough history. Angela really gets to know her clients. She asked me some details about my own birth, and we talked about what was going on with my health both physically and emotionally. The treatment involved some great bodywork and massage, energetic work, essential oils, chakra work, and more. I felt incredibly calm after the treatment and have noted that my anxiety levels are significantly decreased since the treatment. Angela has not only studied to learn her trade but she also has a natural talent and ability for the work that she does. I would find her incredibly helpful to expectant moms. I have already referred my sister, who is due Feb 1st with her second child, to see Angela before she delivers. I highly recommend this gifted practitioner!

I left my appointment with Angela feeling much more relaxed as well as physically and mentally…read morebetter prepared for labor and my second baby. She has a wonderful energy! This session was better than a regular prenatal massage, especailly since she really took time to discuss a previous traumatic birth and help me to work through some of the issues around that experience. I definietly recommend seeing her.

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.

Dr. Borrelli is excellent. The office staff is courteous and the physician was incredibly…read moreknowledgeable about my medical history so she did her homework. She presented treatment options and was completely comfortable treating me. I am a quadriplegic and do not always get the attention and care that she provided.

Dr. Prather is very professional, knowledgeable and attentive. She made sure that all my questions…read morewere answered, and I had a cleared understanding of what was going on. The office staff is always nice and profession too.

This studio is truly a gem in the area! It has a great location next to both Trader Joe's and…read moreFairfax Ice Arena. All the instructors are extremely knowledgeable and very helpful throughout each series of movements. The space is clean, beautiful, and easy to access. I appreciate the small, intimate class sizes, as they allow for more personal attention and guidance. In my opinion, the best part about this studio is the variety of classes available, catering to different levels and experiences. My first class was a prenatal series, which I thoroughly enjoyed, and it made me feel welcomed into the studio community. The best part is the owner she is extremely knowledgeable and personable but most of all informative, always attuned to the individual needs of each class, and is just a wealth of knowledge of her pilates expertise. From Profesional ballet dancers to new moms this class. I've seen an older community of women who were so strong and ushered me in to challenging movements alongside given such encouragement. The only draw back I wish there were more class times for mommas I just can't get enough..

My girlfriend and I signed up for a Six-Week Pilates Reformer Duet Session with Eurona via…read moreLivingsocial deal and were pleased with the results. I have prior Pilates experience (barre/reformer/chair/mat) and girlfriend had none, but picked things up quickly. I think Eurona did a really good job of keeping me challenged as well as focused on technique, while giving my gf the cuing she needed to understand the movements. The studio itself is tucked away in an office park off of rt 29. Actually, if you take the hot lanes on 495 (like I did) to get there the rt 29 exit drops you off almost exactly where you need to be. Epiphany Pilates offers a variety of classes; mat (levels 1-3), reformer (privates and duets), yoga and bootybarre. So there is something for everyone. They have a large open studio space for the group classes and then two smaller rooms for privates. I like the studio set up; this way, you don't feel like you are interrupting anyone's session. I enjoyed my time at Epiphany Pilates, I would recommend the private sessions to anyone wanting to learn more about form and technique. I am also interested in going back for some bootybarre. Eurona clearly has a passion for what she does, and her studio is reflection of that.

Beware of significant variability in degree of skill amongst providers. I had assumed that all…read morewould be excellent at soothing a newborn. My husband gifted me 2 consecutive weeks of a night nurse upon arriving home. It was a priority to breastfeed and I was given the baby nearly every 1-2 hours to nurse for the first 4 nights. Because the Christmas holiday required a different night nurse, I experienced a dramatic difference (was given the baby every 3 hours). As I wasn't sure if this was a natural change or due to a difference in the nurse. When I completed the additional subsequent day with the primary nurse, she continued to give me the baby every 1-2 hours, and even endorsed use of formula (Which I relented to). As the pediatrician confirmed that the baby was gaining weight well, and my lactation consultant confirmed that I did not have a supply issue, I knew that the skill of my primary night nurse was inadequate. I reached out to LMS immediately. I discontinued care with the primary nurse, and complete one night on my own (baby woke every 2 hours). While they were able to switch my night nurse to one with the ability to soothe the baby, they refused to give me a refund for the nights I had worse sleep. Instead, they provided only a $500 credit ($100 per night of poor sleep). Ultimately, I paid $1600+ and got worse sleep for 5 nights! They argued that I should have contacted them earlier, but I did contact them as soon as I noticed the differences in care. As LMS advertises skilled staff with soothing techniques and bottle feeding, the assumption is that the care delivered is standardized. I recommended that (1) the night nurses send them a summary of the schedule and (2) that they administer a survey after the first and second night to evaluate the mom's experience. This may help to reduce issues for future moms that I experienced.

Had a fantastic experience with two different night nurses while spouse was away. Excellent…read morecommunication with caregivers and coordinators. Took great care of my infant overnight. Followed instructions regarding care and feeding. Even washed pumped parts and bottles and made up bed ( sofa sleeper) I had set up. You don't need an extra bed, but we had one. Nurses had infinite patience with my fussy infant overnight. The service is expensive, but well worth it if you can swing it. I would absolutely use their service again.

I have been a patient at Meno-Start since Dr. Shannon Cothran opened her incredible practice, and…read moreit has been life-changing. Meno-Start is a concierge practice focused on women navigating perimenopause and menopause, providing expert, personalized care during this transformative stage of life. Dr. Cothran is warm, compassionate, and exceptionally skilled. We are fellow JMHS Warhawks and she is also a UVA graduate, she is a board-certified gynecologist with over 15 years of private practice experience and extensive training in menopause care. She created Meno-Start to give women the focused attention they deserve, free from long waits, rushed appointments, and fragmented care. As a CPA and a mom managing my own health challenges along with my kids' complex medical needs, the Meno-Start model has been a game-changer. Their concierge services have replaced my patchwork of specialists, streamlined my care, and saved me over $4,000 this year alone. Especially when I factor in the cost of my time going to many different appointments. So, you all know I do not recommend anything but the best of the best...Shannon is the Diet Coke of middle-aged women holistic care! Dr. Cothran's expertise and the support of her team give me confidence in my health now and for the future. I could not be more grateful to have found her! If you are looking for dedicated, high-quality women's healthcare.

Highly recommend Dr. Shannon Cothran at Meno -Start to anyone navigating perimenopause and…read moremenopause issues. She is knowledgeable, attentive and genuinely invested in her patients wellbeing!

Had a wonderful experience with Becca/Rebekah. She provided us with an introduction to parenthood…read moreincluding diapering, sleep habits, and answered our million questions. We felt incredibly supported.

Having a baby is one of the most rewarding yet terrifying things you can experience in life. If…read moreyou're a parent you already know how the hospital just sends you on your way after a few days in recovery with no instruction manual or help desk number. Luckily my wife did some research and convinced me to hire doulas. We had the pleasure of working with Betsy and her team of doulas who consistently perform magic to soothe and care for our baby. Simultaneously, they teach us parenting techniques, act as our therapist, and most importantly allow us to catch up on sleep. They truly provide care to the whole family. It's also a lot better than having in laws come "help". I definitely recommend Metropolitan Doulas. It has 100% helped me enjoy being a new dad with their help to reduce the fear and anxiety of being a new parent.