You can't go wrong hiring Tina to be your doula! She provides care before, during and after birth…read more Whether you are a first time mom or adding another player to your family baseball team, Tina will customize care especially for you, at your level. She makes herself available day or night and when you have a question or concern she won't quit until it's solved! She is a powerful, yet calming presence during the birth process. She is very intuitive and passionate about what she does! If you are looking for a birth coach to support you in every way possible, Tina is your girl!

As a military family you often find yourself away from family or needing that extra support. This…read morewas my 4th child and I felt prepared for what was to come, however, I felt I was missing that support that I craved from another woman. I didn't have family near going through my pregnancy and labor and after meeting Tina, I knew that I had support system and fighter in my corner. From the prenatal visits and lessons in my home to the labor and delivery, Tina made me feel so supported physically and mentally. I know she put her comfort on the back burner to endure my marathon labor that ended with my first girl after three wonderful boys! Having Tina as part of my pregnancy and labor was priceless. Thank you, Tina!

I solicited Rachel's services for the birth of my second son, Griffin. Upon first meeting her I…read morefelt drawn to her calm demeanor and warm presence. She distributed an educational binder full of materials I found to be more honest and thorough than the information my OB had given me. For example, OB's won't distribute a list of medical interventions you may face during a hospital labor, but Rachel did. It was essential information I wish I was armed with during the hospital delivery of my first son. Emotionally, Rachel was very encouraging when I expressed doubts regarding my ability to tough-out a med-free labor. She helped instill the courage I needed to make the switch from the hospital to my local Birth Center. She helped me believe in myself and saw a strength in me I did not see. Physically, Rachel would have been an enormous help with pain management by providing soothing massage and counter pressure during labor. My labor was mercifully short, however, and I had to rely solely on my husband for pain relief during active labor. He did a great job providing this relief by utilizing the massage and counter pressure techniques that Rachel taught him. Thanks to her guidance, he was able to be an active participant in my labor instead of just a spectator! She was a calming, guiding voice during the pushing stage of my labor and very helpful with my initial breastfeed as well. Rachel will be all the things you need during the emotionally turbelent time of pregnancy and delivery. She will be a supportive friend, a motherly figure, an educator, an advisor, a listening ear, a guiding voice and a soldier ready to fight for you. She's a nurturing old soul with a backbone of steel. A beautiful doula both inside and out. You can't go wrong soliciting her services and I can't recommend her highly enough. I wish I had given myself the gift of a doula through my first labor!

I was referred to Rachel by my midwife since I had such bad anziety about labor. I was terrified of…read morethe pain as well as getting an epidural or an IV since I don't do well with needles. I'd cry thinking about having to deliver my baby and wasn't enjoying my pregnancy because of my anziety. My husband and I had VERY different views on labor. His answer to everything was. "Get an epidural, you'll be fine." He thought anyone who didn't want an epidural was crazy. He didn't see anything wrong with interventions and thought they were there and you should take full advantage of it. Originally I wasn't against interventions, I was just really scared of them because of the needles. Over the couple months of communicating with Rachel and reading the materials she suggested I decided I wanted to try to have a natural birth. My husband still maintained that his ideal labor would be a scheduled c section. With Rachel's help he finally was on board to give the natural birth a shot, although I'm pretty sure he didn't think it would actually happen. Rachel got through to him about the cycle of epdidural/pitocin and how once you start one intervention it just creates a snowball and odds are, you're getting more. I went into labor and I labored at home and got to the hospital at 10cm! After 2 hours of pushing, my daughter was born without any interventions! Rachel gave us the knowledge/tools to be able to labor at home as long as we did. I believe that made all the difference in being able to have a natural delivery. I would have had a VERY different labor if i wasn't for Rachel. At the hosptial she was great! With Rachel by my side I felt as if i could take on anything during labor. My husband is so happy we hired her. He said if we had another baby we'd do it the same way. She's worth every penny. Her posituve attitude can get you through anything! I think about my labor every day and couldn't be more happy with it!

Cat's birthing class was amazing prep for my husband and I. We love information and having full…read moreunderstanding of what is going on, so feeling very ready to take on any birthing scenario in the hospital was important to us, as we live in a large metropolitan area. This class was informative and Cat is super enthusiastic, engaging, and down to earth, so it was very relatable and easy to take in the very detailed info. Information is all evidence based and designed to be able to participate fully in your own birthing care, advocate for yourself, and have full understanding of the birthing process. My hospital birth ended up needing many medically necessary interventions, and this class empowered us to make confident and fearless decisions for ourselves. Because of what we already knew from this class, we felt very comfortable with our care team and the information exchanges surrounding the events. Without this class, this experience may have been scary and traumatic, but the education we received in preparation made it feel very empowering and seamless. I 100% recommend this class to everyone interested in becoming well educated before their birthing experience.

My wife and I took Cat's EBB class and it was amazing! We learned a ton and now feel so empowered…read moreheading into our baby's birth. Cat was energizing, engaging, and very informative. We had many friends who took other birth classes with other instructors and none seem to have walked away feeling as calm and prepared as we did after our course with Cat.

I have been to two of Diana's classes now to prepare for my first borns birth. I had the pleasure…read moreof attending her newborn care class and breastfeeding class. I went in to both classes knowing basically the bare minimum and left feeling like I had a good handle of what I should expect. She helped me feel like the whole experience of motherhood was something I could handle and I felt very confident which is something I needed! She made myself, my husband, and everyone else in class feel comfortable asking questions and having an open dialogue. I would recommend anyone looking for clear, concise guidance for parenthood to attend one of Diana's classes!

Gathered Birth was an informative, welcoming, and fun experience! We just finished the four-part…read moreChildbirth class as well as the Newborn Care class and we got so much out of it. Our experience could not have gone better. We're signed up for the Breastfeeding class as well and are looking forward to it. Diana brings a wealth of experience as a pediatric nurse, midwife, and mother and also makes you feel comfortable and relaxed. The price is an excellent value for the wealth of knowledge that she shares. It's a very personalized experience and we would recommend it to all our friends. We're very thankful to have found Gathered Birth.

My husband and I have attended multiple classes through Main Line Family Education during our…read morepregnancy. Every class has been fantastic! We have learned so much useful information related to childbirth, parenting, and child safety and feel as prepared as possible for everything that lies ahead. Not only are the classes very helpful, but they are also fun and engaging. Nicole and her co-educators present the material in a way that makes the time fly by. We fully intend to participate in more classes with MLFEd to further our education and know Nicole will continue to be an excellent resource for tips and recommendations. I highly recommend MLFEd for any expecting individuals or new parents!

From the owner: - Childbirth Preparation Class - Newborn Basics Class…read more- Nutrition for Pregnancy Class -Breastfeeding 101 Class - Infant & Child CPR Class -Tummy Time Class - Starting Solids & Cups Class - Achieving Milestones Class - Newborn Sleep Class - Child Sleep Class - Preparing for Motherhood Class - Pelvic Floor, Core and More Class - Partners to Parents Class - New Moms: Support & Connections Group - Managing the Meltdowns - Potty Training Simplified

The womb room is amazing!! They offer so many classes for before baby or after. I took advantage of…read morethe free virtual prenatal yoga classes, pregnancy support group and baby and me yoga. Yoga is so fun to connect with my baby and also other moms. Plus Amanda is a great instructor! Some of their other classes are on the pricey side is the only thing but it's such a great resource for moms! Also their location can be a bit tricky to find but the main door is off Keswick Rd (and is stroller friendly). Walk in past the dress shop and bare to the right. There's a big parking lot in the back.

This review is is for the doula services and support groups (becoming a mom and breastfeeding)…read more I like that the becoming a mom group has a rotation of doulas who lead the group each week. That way you end up inadvertently meeting the different doulas. We went with Cara. She has a ton of experience and super chill vibe. Our hospital was not allowing extra visitors due to COVID so we signed up for a virtual doula service. She met with us a few times before the birth to review questions, birth plan, and provide support. She was also available via email for random questions that came up in between. The day of my labor I reached out to her as needed and she guided me through some of the decisions we had to make. Her support made it so that I could better advocate for myself and my baby during my labor. She was 100% supportive of all my decisions and in the end I ended up having a beautiful and quick birth. I am so happy we got a doula and recommend it to anyone no matter what type of brith you are planning on having. I found the groups to be more helpful towards the beginning of my pregnancy, especially as it was a time that COVID was just ramping up. The only issue is that the people in group vary from week to week. I think it would be nice to be able to connect with the same group from week to week so there is some continuity.

We had such a wonderful experience with this service. The HFA team was incredibly responsive and…read moreproactive in connecting us with those who may be on our night nurse team which allowed for me to chat with each one ahead of time. It was our first time working with a night nurse and the whole experience made us feel at ease and in very good hands. Our night nurse, Janette, was wonderful and made us feel so confident that our newborn was in good hands that we could get some sleep back! Definitely recommend!

I am so glad to have worked with postpartum doulas through Happy Family After. We had peace of mind…read moreworking through this agency, knowing the doulas were vetted. We worked with Janice and Sara who were wonderful! On the admin side, Devon, Sondra, and Sara were all so kind and easy to work with. I was able to use my Carrot benefits with ease.

I have had 2 fantastic massages with Jess at the MWC. She made me feel incredibly comfortable,…read moreworked at the right pressure for a wonderful whole body experience. Jess was thorough in understanding ahead of time any areas that needed particular attention. The environment is super calming - it's like being on a mini-retreat. I can't wait for next massage!! It was true bliss.

I went for a massage not knowing what to expect and I was so happy with the massage that I got from…read moreJess. She was a really knowledgeable practitioner and communicated with me so she knew if I had any injuries and the pressure I preferred for my massage. I felt very relaxed and generally great after my hour massage and scheduled my next with her and can't wait for that. I would definitely recommend her for a therapeutic massage.

I delivered my son naturally at the BirthCenter and I could not have done it…read morewithout care and attention of my nurse and midwife. I had a very intense and fast labor and they were with me every step of the way. My first birth experience was very long and horrible in a hospital setting. However, this time around I felt in control and empowered to deliver without medical intervention. I delivered my son on the toilet and into a room full of love. Thanks Lifecycle!

I transferred my care from an ob to Lifecycle because I knew people who had delivered here. I…read moredidn't want to feel like my pregnancy/birth was just something that happened to me. Throughout my journey I appreciated their patient education, empowerment, and support so I could make informed decisions about my care. I like that my prenatal visits were longer than I could expect with an ob and that they provided a binder for me to bring with assigned homework each visit. Rather than having a "birth plan" (because they usually don't go as planned anyway) we were encouraged to think about our hopes and dreams. Everyone I've met here from the nurse midwives, nurse practitioners, lactation consultants, the clinical director, etc. have all been wonderful to me and if I could do it all over again I would have become a patient here sooner. I had many questions along the way so I'm going to be detailed here so others may know what to expect. Before you can become a patient here you have to attend a seminar to learn more about their midwifery model of care, the differences between a birth in their suites vs. at Bryn Mawr Hospital nearby (you can plan to deliver there or there may be reasons you are transferred there the day of, the nurse midwife on call has the clearance to deliver there), postpartum care, and next steps to become a patient. After attending the seminar, I had to sign a medical release forms to have my records transferred from my previous provider before I could schedule any appointments. They have two locations (Bryn Mawr and South Philly) and prenatal visits could be with the same provider or different providers. The first prenatal visit is longer and billed separately while the rest of the appointments are billed to insurance together under their global plan after delivery (not after each appointment). During my regular prenatal visits they measured my fundal height and would feel my bump for the baby's position while estimating weight (they were pretty good at that)! I had to pay for lab tests and non-stress tests separately. While I had to do my formal ultrasounds elsewhere, they had the equipment to do informal ultrasounds just to check on the health of the baby and seemed to be training their staff to do these more. I was required to schedule several classes to prepare for childbirth (series of 4 classes), about lactation essentials, and about navigating your first days at home after birth. The instructors really encourage asking questions and participation, so it was helpful to have this intimate space for that. The dates and cost of these classes are available on their site but you can't schedule them until you're confirmed as a patient. After your delivery they will follow up with you (home visit if you delivered at the birth center or phone call if you delivered at the hospital). There will be a 6-weeks postpartum visit to examine you and make sure your body is recovering but also to check on your mental health (so necessary and important)! They also have weekly lactation support and new parent support groups that were happening on Zoom, I think they are also now offering in-person options too. I could tell from the session I went to that the other families really found this space helpful and were wanting to offer encouragement to newer parents like me while sharing about their knowledge/experience. Cara, one of the lactation consultants, facilitates the virtual groups and is amazing! I hope all this information helps anyone who is considering becoming a Lifecycle patient because the last thing a pregnant woman should have to worry about is the quality of care she is receiving.

I can not recommend Rupa highly enough to anyone looking for a doula to support their pregnancy…read morejourney. Rupa went above and beyond to provide fantastic support throughout my pregnancy & birth in NYC - she helped with lactation & birth prep classes, provided information on the best exercises & nutrition to support my pregnancy at every stage, helped me prepare my birth plan, and checked in frequently to make sure that I felt as prepared as possible for the birth of my first child. When I went into labor I felt I was prepared because of Rupa. At the hospital during my delivery, Rupa showed up extremely quickly (it was the middle of the night and she traveled all the way to New York City where I was giving birth) and was my #1 advocate. There were moments during labor that I was overwhelmed and Rupa helped me understand my options and talk to the hospital staff about how to best support my labor progression. She was also a huge asset to my partner, coaching him through how to help me with contractions, and how to support me as labor progressed. Throughout my pregnancy, I trusted Rupa's advice & opinions 100%. I appreciated how direct and honest she was every step of the way, and give her all the credit for how smoothly my labor went. After the birth of my child, Rupa continued to check in and provide postpartum information to help me heal. Again, I can not recommend Rupa highly enough. If you're looking for a doula to support you, look no further! Thank you so much, Rupa!

Hiring Rupa and Rashida was the best decision I made. They were incredibly patient and helpful…read morethroughout process, answered all my questions and helped with a ton of information regarding lactation, newborn care and cpr. They gave me the confidence and tools to thrive during my labor and the newborn phase. I went into labor at around 10pm and they were with me on the phone guiding me till we got to the hospital at around 2am and they left only when the baby was born and latched well. I would highly recommend them to anyone looking for a highly experienced and intelligent team advocating for you. It's a highly emotional and overwhelming process and letting someone in is so hard but these two have become like family to me.