I found Rebekkah (supported serenity) through the Birth Center of Chicago's referral list, who…read moreworks in tandem with Amber (Lorelei Lu Doula), and after browsing many doula websites, I knew right away that they were the team I wanted by my side. They supported me through my entire prenatal, birth, and postpartum journey with such steady care.When the Birth Center of Chicago temporarily closed due to a staffing shortage, I had to transfer to Burr Ridge Birth Center (also wonderful!). Amber and Rebekkah ensured the transition was completely seamless, and I still felt fully supported during such a major change at seven months pregnant. Throughout my pregnancy, they offered calm reassurance and evidence-based guidance that truly prepared me for birth. I felt confident, grounded, and ready. Rebekkah attended my birth and later encapsulated my placenta--she even delivered the capsules with homemade cookies. During labor, her clear explanations of what was happening helped me stay present, focused, and connected to what my body was capable of. I'm endlessly grateful that I found them. I cannot recommend this doula team enough!

I couldn't say better things about Rebekkah, if I did it would come off like a stalker. I love her,…read moreI have had her for both of my son's births. One with an epidural and one without. Her comfort of knowing what I needed and when I needed it was unmatched. Her knowledge about birth and positioning was amazing. She held what I valued and needed to a standard. And she was the strength I needed to continue on.

I had the most beautiful, perfect birth experience I could have imagined with My Mindful Birth…read more During pregnancy, I was always listened to closely and treated with respect and they trusted in my instincts as a mom. When delivery came, it was the same. I had so much confidence in what I could do because of how I was treated and trusted during pregnancy, and in delivery I was allowed the space and freedom to do what I felt was best for me and baby and the results were beautiful. Delivery was seamless and the aftercare was so warm and caring. They cleaned everything up, they made me food, waited to do anything with the baby until I was ready. Everything was perfect and I couldn't have asked for a better experience

Words can't describe how wonderful Isabelle is! She's delivered all three of my babies and I'm so…read moregrateful for everything she has done for us as a family! All three of my birth experiences were amazing thanks to her kind heart, knowledge, and experience. I never would have imagined I'd have a home birth, but after Isabelle delivered my first two at Rush there was no other person I would have trusted to help me bring my precious girl into the world. My home birth was the best of all three and I'd do it again in a heartbeat! Thank you, thank you, Isabelle! We love you!!

I can't say enough great things about cloud nine! We worked with the Kelsey/Valerie team and their…read moresupport was unmatched. Valerie came to our house first to talk about physical support and labor prep. She could not have been more kind, understanding and knowledgable about birth prep. Both continued to check in weekly towards the end and we're always willing to answer questions. When it got to be birth day, Kelsey knew exactly when to come before I had to ask and was the best support. She was intuitive, comforting and even in the midst of the unexpected kept things calm and gave me exactly what I needed. I cannot recommend this team enough! They truly care about making sure clients have the birth they desire and are able to support both the birthing person and support person.

Kelsey and Valerie were my doulas and they were fantastic. They were both super quick to respond to…read moreany questions I had throughout my pregnancy and they gave me tons of ideas at the end to help baby descend. Kelsey was present at the birth and she was amazing. She pushed me forward when I felt like giving up and listened to all my requests with so much love and respect. She also took a ton of beautiful photos that we will cherish forever. I did not have a doula for my first baby and let me tell ya, it makes a world of difference. Especially if you are a bit scared of birth and wondering how you will manage the pain and/or any unforeseen circumstances that arise, a doula is a fantastic way to ease that anxiety. And of course - I highly recommend choosing Valerie and Kelsey

It has been almost 2 years since I've me Lara Lasky. On summer 2020 as soon as i decided to have a…read morehome birth I was in a search for midwife and doula. As always I listened to my intuition. So first doula I found didn't click, but second one was perfect match for me. Lara was nice, very informative from our first conversation. With her help I found a midwife. I was totally new in homebirthing, very excited aboit my first pregnancy though. Lara gave me lots of information. We had signed contract at our first meeting and it was pure pleasure to deal with her. During my pregnancy we've been since each other for reiki session, for reflexology session that she does. She was always enough, non judgmental, soothing and elencouraging,, positive, fun and very much helpful whenever I had guestion or concern. With my husband we attended her birth class where she explained and showed in details what is going to happen. Even though I was tired to listen, my husband remembered it all. And in time when it's happening mind goes to rest and great spirit works in cooperation with woman's body. It's an epic experience I can say. When time came Lara arrived very quickly in the middle of the night. And then she showed her power, knowledge in action!! She was there for me all the time, somehow she also manged to support my husband in the process. She brought ger own stuff. So there was essential oils to relax me, music to calm us all. She did amazing things with my back, supporting me everywhere, keeping me hydrated. We had moments of laughter. After my son was born I was exhausted and surprisingly for me I had to give birth to placenta. Lara saw me and felt me so good. She was holding my hand and I could lean on her like she was my mother without words she showed me that deep compassion and love in her eyes. I'm beyond grateful for Lara being with at birth of my son. She also helped me with afterbirth time. She did and teach us bending. She took care of my son, so I could sleep, prepared food for me and helped with laundry. I was surprised with how much she could do for a short period of time. Another important thing that we were texting when I was struggling with motherhood first months. And again she was there for me, once she even came late evening, when what I needed was a HUG and little talk, while I was at home by myself with my son and not being able to put him to sleep. Lara is truly a Gift for mothers who needs help with birth and afterbirth. Lots of blessing to her and her family!

Working with Lara was the best decision I made for my delivery. As last minute as I was(SUPER LAST…read moreMINUTE), she made it all work with me. I'm so happy she was there, as soon as she was, I felt more at ease and more comfortable. I turned to her for knowledge and solace. It was my first baby and I had no idea what to expect and my anxiety was through the roof. She was extremely patient with me and was there every step of the way. She made sure to look out for my best interests in labor and delivery, my golden hour with my babe and helped me with latching and breastfeeding. After delivery, she came to check on us and always sent a text every now and again to see how we were and if we needed anything. I've recommended her to family and friends whenever anyone has asked for a doula. And I will continue to recommend her and her business to anyone! Thank you to this wonderful practice!

100% recommend. All I can say is WOW. This was a service I never knew I wanted or needed so…read moregreatly. Robin was an angel and a confidant. Real and trustworthy. She was there for me, my son, and my husband before, during, and after birth. Having her as part of my birth story will be something I'm forever grateful for and if I'm blessed enough to have another child, I'll want her on my team again. Ps: She offered to snap photos of when I gave birth, capturing moments I would never have had without her. What a gift.

I really wanted a great doula for a complicated pregnancy. But Robin slept through my son's birth,…read moreeven after I told her at 5 pm I was checking into the hospital the week of my due date. When I talked to Robin, she said she was at an event and didn't have a car with her so she couldn't leave to come to the hospital at that time, because she was dependant on someone else for a ride. She assured me she would come and said she'd never slept through a birth. She also told me most mothers labor for 12+ hours and not to worry since I wasn't dilated at all. I was given Cervidil. In the middle of the night my son's heart rate started dropping. Cervidil was removed, my son's heart rate stabilized and I was given two options: Do a more controlled C-section or try to labor longer and then likely have an emergency C-section. I tried to get ahold of Robin. She slept through the text and phone call. So I opted to do a more controlled C-section which took a while since I couldn't have an epidural and it took more than 30 minutes for the spinal to take. Robin never showed up to the hospital and it took weeks, months, to get a partial refund. I never got a full refund. She also didn't call a back-up doula. She made a really frustrating situation -- of sleeping through my son's birth -- even worse by having to spent weeks of back and forth emails (and my son was a NICU baby) trying to get some of my money back. More troubling she also sent an NDA to me -- which I didn't sign -- to try and make sure this wasn't disclosed. Accidents happen but the follow-up was more problematic. Yes, her father died in the weeks after my son's birth and that is awful, but sending an NDA to try and cover-up the situation of sleeping through a birth was really awful and weeks of emails to get a partial refund difficult as I was recovering from a difficult pregnancy and delivery was troublesome. This happened in the summer of 2017. It's taken me a long time to process everything. I'm sure most births aren't like this, but other expectant moms need to be aware. I would hate for anyone else to go through something like this.

I took an online course with Dana and it was great. Dana knows what she is teaching, indeed she…read moreused hypnobirthing herself and you can see she really wants other moms to experience it, since it worked really well for her. I feel it'll work great for me as well. After the course, I feel comfortable and knowing what and how and why and still practicing, so that it becomes my second nature and evolves on its own when time. If you are soon to become a mom, highly recommend taking the course.

My spouse and I really enjoyed the Hypnobirthing class, which was recommended to us by our doula…read more Despite being taught over Zoom, we were given the tools to practice at home and work at our own pace. Dana is knowledgeable and takes interest in each person's experience and pregnancy. Although our due date is still a month away, I am confident the skills we learned in this class will help not only our birthing process but the parenting afterward!

We used Parenting Partners to help find a surrogate to carry our second child. After many…read moreinfertility treatments and pursuits, we discovered I could not carry, and so we needed a solution for carrying our IVF embryos. Shirley was terrific to work with. She met with us and quickly learned a lot about what we were looking for and our perspective on surrogacy and very quickly matched us with the most wonderful woman who could not have been a better surrogate. After many years of challenges, this process went smoothly and was so much of a relief. I highly recommend Shirly and the Parenting Partners team.

From the owner: Choosing surrogacy is a very personal experience and taking the first step towards building your…read morefamily this unique way, or offering to help someone become a parent can sometimes be overwhelming. We are here to support you as you embark on this wonderful journey. Our goal is to provide information, education, matching and guidance to our clients from beginning to end. At Parenting Partners we specialize in individualized, and personal arrangements. We will help you navigate the intricacies of the surrogacy process through our extensive experience and dedication. You don't have to go to other states for a surrogacy agency. Our agency fee is only $9,000 in three installments. Easier on your budget. And your lawyer can tell you about getting a pre-birth order so you will be the legal parents from the start. Using a lower-cost surrogacy agency in Illinois has many advantages. "Partners To Parents..." We feel that working together we can reach the goal of helping people become parents through surrogacy.

When I was on the Bowmanville Garden Walk last year, before I even got pregnant, I noticed Family…read morePicnic in the neighborhood as I was walking around. I made note of it in hopes that I'd successfully achieve a pregnancy and might check out the programs here, and once I was pregnant signed up for their mailing list. They offer a variety of services from doula and lactation support, childbirth and early childhood classes, to various parent & baby groups. I was here because I attended a music program for babies that was held here and hosted by a partner organization. The space is really lovely and welcoming to parents and children; there are gathering spaces, chairs, pillows, and whatnot. You'll need to take your shoes off when you enter so don't wear lace up thigh high boots! There are great east facing windows that let in enough light that I think when I was here we didn't even have the lights on. I'd like to attend a group that they have here (and as of September 2023 they have a check-in offer for just that, so I hope to use it soon!). The other two parent/baby groups at the music class we went to have been in attendance here because they knew one another, and it would be great to have a community closer to my neighborhood. Parking is ample--it's not a permit zone on Damen itself, though I'm not sure about the side streets. I'd encourage any new parent to see what they have to offer.

My husband and I recently took the 5 week labor class, a breastfeeding class, and a new parent…read moreclass, and it was a wonderful experience all around. The owners/class facilitators are so welcoming and kind, and we learned so much as soon to be first time parents. I really liked the small group feel and that there was no judgment, they really encourage everyone to make choices that work best for them and their baby. It is also very affordable compared to some other classes I looked at. I would highly recommend all of the classes, especially the 5 week series, to any new parents in Chicagoland that want to understand the labor and delivery process better and learn about all the potential choices you'll be making together,

We love Heather and Victoria. We worked with 312Doulas as we prepared for the arrival of our first…read morechild. They were fantastic. We engaged them at about 18/20 weeks in the pregnancy and were able to take advantage of the pregnant person weekly zoom meeting (which provided a wonderful support system through the pregnancy), the birth classes (which were more evidence-based and intimate than what my hospital offered), and they were available for any questions (which gave us another opinion outside of our OB). On the day of our birth, my husband was able to engage with them via text and let them know how things were going. Heather arrived at the hospital and was able to offer comfort measures, support, and coaching that helped both my husband and I feel that we could do THIS! :) In addition, they were able to relieve my husband and let him get some sleep and they got me ice and food, etc. Just so kind. Once I started to push, Heather was there to coach us and encourage us and then take pictures of our new family when our baby girl came. Heather had to leave (they work 12-hour shifts) and Victoria slid in, so quickly I didn't realize it was happening and never felt alone. Victoria then stayed to help us breastfeed and get settled in. After our birth, we had a postpartum call to ask any questions and now participate in the new parents' weekly zoom which already has been super valuable. We'd highly recommend working with 312Doulas.

312 Doulas was recommended by a friend, and I'm so glad I listened! My review focuses on my doula…read more(Marie Weiss) and a course my partner and I took as part of our doula package. I delivered 12/19/21, and our little one is just over 2 weeks old. My doula was supportive, knowledgeable, and responsive. I expected a slow labor (first child) but had the opposite. My water broke around 4pm, and contractions came on quick and strong. All Marie needed to see was a screenshot of the app I was using to time my contractions to say, "time to go to the hospital" (my partner and I would have probably held off--so glad we listened!). I arrived 6cm dilated, and she helped me navigate an unmedicated birth (consistent with my birth plan). She offered excellent labor support (breathing reminders, holding my leg, walking me through decisions) and advocating (e.g., anytime someone walked in the room, she immediately approached them and asked who they were, why they were there, etc.). As part of our package, we took the 6-week Evidenced Based Birth course (founder: Rebecca Dekker; teacher: Heather McCullough), and we both loved it. The course meets weekly for 2 hours to discuss material presented in asynchronous modules. The material is informative, clear, and helped us make many perinatal decisions. There were many topics my partner and I would not have discussed if it wasn't for the course, and they were so important. Thank you so much 312!

Cygnus was consistently supportive and helpful. We could not have been happier. They were easy to…read moreuse, knowledgeable, and kind during what can be an emotional experience.

If you think lactation consultant scmholsuntant, you have no idea what you're talking about. Do…read moreseek out one! As for Cygnus, Jeannie is fantastic! The place is very well organized, very professional. We learned A LOT! And the price is VERY reasonable, especially for what you get, which is a lot.