If you're on the fence about hiring a doula like we were, don't be--especially if you're…read moreconsidering Justine and her team. We hired Justine for our second pregnancy because I was high-risk, on Lovenox, and managing gestational diabetes, and an unmedicated birth felt right for us. With my first pregnancy, I had no complications and chose an epidural, so my husband was very skeptical about needing a doula this time, especially since our first delivery went so smoothly. What ultimately made us move forward was knowing that my husband, being a very logical person, wouldn't be able to give me the emotional support I'd need during labor. After meeting Justine on a video call, everything instantly felt right. She was warm, supportive, and confident from the start, and she was the only doula who genuinely believed I could have an unmedicated birth--especially considering how quickly my first labor progressed with an epidural. She also reassured my husband that her support was just as much for him as it was for me. Throughout the pregnancy, Justine and her team answered every question and helped me navigate every curveball. No matter what came up, she was there with guidance, resources, and a listening ear. On delivery day, I delivered our baby girl in under an hour--completely unmedicated, just as we hoped. Even though there were moments when I wanted to give up, Justine's calm presence and steady, encouraging voice helped me push through. It ended up being the most magical birth experience I've ever had, and I still can't believe I did it. Hiring her was truly one of the best decisions we made. TL;DR: We were unsure about hiring a doula, but Justine completely changed our minds. Despite a high-risk pregnancy, she supported us from day one, reassured my skeptical husband, and helped me have a fast, completely unmedicated birth. Her calm, steady presence made it the most magical delivery experience--we're so glad we chose her.

Working with Justine, Ale, and Rachel was definitely the best decision my spouse and I made in our…read morebirth experience! From providing evidence-based responses to our questions to helping us advocate with providers to simply cheering us on, we were so supported by this team! Justine joined us at the hospital for labor and was absolutely essential to making us both feel comfortable and safe as mine and baby's medical situation got more complicated. We truly could not have imagined doing this without her!!

Having JoLynda as our doula was by far the hidden miracle of our birth experience. JoLynda is…read moreextremely accepting of every woman, no matter their birth plan. She believes every woman should have access to an empowering birth experience. This was my husband and my first birth experience and there is no other person we would want by our side for our labor journey in the future. With her guidance and support, both my husband and I felt at ease and empowered to make the right decisions for our birth. JoLynda is able to use her knowledge to work with each couple to provide a unique value to their experience. Her knowledge, expertise, and amazing attitude helped us have a wonderful birth experience!

Choosing Ellee as our doula was one of the best decisions we made during the whole pregnancy. She…read moreput us at ease right away. We asked her tons of questions and she was knowledgeable, respectful, funny and very personable right from the very beginning to the end. During my labor she gave me tips and positions to try and when she joined us at our home, her encouragement is what kept me there longer - resting and waiting before going to the birth center. When I was exhausted she was kind and complimenting - it was exactly what I needed to hear. She helped me center and relax, and gently pushed me to try things I would not have done on my own. I was sad when our last visit was over. She's the kind of gal that you wish was your friend or an auntie. Thanks Ellee!!

When I found out my husband and I were expecting again just after our second turned six months old…read moreI immediately told him I wanted to hire a post partum doula. I interviewed three companies, and chose Better Beginnings because I had heard such glowing reviews from a friend. Joy went above and beyond: providing our family with much needed support and care as well as delicious meals that I still (over one year later!) think about. We felt so well cared for and held during a vulnerable and overwhelming time.

After the birth of our second child, we used night doula support through Better Beginnings. Saideh…read moreand Eileen were our doulas and they were fantastic-- proactive in finding ways to support our family and offering gentle encouraging support as we transitioned to being parents of two. All of the communications, from the first introductory call with the owner to our pre-natal consultation to our first meetings in person with the doulas were all so professional. We don't plan on having more children, but if we did we would absolutely use Better Beginnings again!!

Erin is a great doula and educator. She helped me through my 36+ hour labor with a mixture of…read morekindness, humor, and tough love. She was there every step of the way. Her child birth prep class was also great. Definitely planning on hiring her for any future pregnancies and would highly recommend her to anyone!

From the owner: Flutterby provides HypnoBirthing classes and Doula Services for families in the Twin Cities.read more

Our doula Sarah was great when she was here to help our family but I can't in good faith recommend…read moreWelcome Baby Care and their unprofessional/disorganized admin services to other families. Not only did the owner run late and almost miss our very first meeting to get to know Welcome Baby Care & what they offer (because she admittedly slept in past our meeting time) WBC also decided that our previously arranged doula schedule was less important than another families new request for doula Sarah, despite us having had her scheduled with us previously weeks in advance (prior to this other client). I understand things happen but I feel that what I experienced from the owner & her scheduling team was very unprofessional - and left me without care and needing to scramble in order to find help with my baby and not let my own clients down for my and my husbands in home business and meetings..causing this new mama a lot of stress that was unneeded as shouldn't have been an issue because I thought I had a dependable service.

Love the staff at Welcome Baby Care! They've now helped us with two of our babies and it's such a…read morerelief to have someone trustworthy watching our newborns so we can get some much-needed sleep! The service and care are both wonderful - cannot say enough good things!

I'd like to say thank you. Treasured Births was perfect for me. I felt calm, but excited I would…read morefinally meet my child. I would do this again next time and here.

Kelly is the most caring and knowledgeable midwife. I can't even or into words what she did for my…read moredaughter during the birth of my granddaughter.

Amy was our Doula for both of our kiddos. I'm absolutely positive that my first experience was…read moregreat mostly because of her presence. Her support leading up to our birth helped me get my mind and body ready. During labor I was able to really relax because I knew between her and my partner everything was taken care of. I felt supported, safe, and calm. My second birth I needed more help with comfort measures and somehow she always knew exactly what to try to get me through the contractions. I would recommend her as a Doula without hesitation.

From the owner: Holistic birth doula support for families during the childbearing time.read more

I highly recommend the birthED lactation course with Nicole, and the Home Birth Prep course with…read moreLiz. We left both feeling more educated and empowered than we arrived. These two powerhouse females are funny, confident and really know what they are talking about. Invest in yourself and your baby -- take these courses!

My husband and I cannot recommend birthEd enough! We took both the Lamaze class as well as the…read morenewborn/breastfeeding class. Both classes prepped us better than we could have hoped. Prior to taking these classes I tried to fill out a birth plan that I found online, but did not fully understand most of the terminology. After taking the class, I was able to confidently fill out our birth plan, knowing that it aligned fully with our values and what we wanted for our birth. When we started the Lamaze class we were in the unique situation of taking class right before the stay-at-home order came out. We had our first class in person and the following classes were virtual. Liz was on top of making the class accessible to everyone. Even though it was virtual, class ran seamlessly and she still managed to keep it fun and interesting. Both Liz and Nicole are amazing instructors. They provided a plethora of great information all while making the classes fun and engaging. My husband and I constantly reference back to class saying, "What was that Liz said about...?" Each class flies by, and you can't help but fall in love with them. Taking these two classes from birthEd was probably one of the best decisions we made around preparing for birth.

Ihotu has amazing healing in her hands and such a calm, encouraging spirit. She was the doula for…read moremy first born. Ihotu came as soon as I called and was beyond helpful, supportive, and encouraging throughout my birthing process. I wanted a natural birth with no pitocin and no epidural and she encouraged me the whole way. She helped me breath through my contractions and supported my pain with massages and calming oils. She coached me threw 24 hours of labor, and never did I feel that she was tired or impatient. She involved my family and was so pleasant with my nurses. I really trusted her advices and loved that she encouraged me to stick with my birthing plan. Even weeks after my daughters birth, Ihotu coached me on postpartum mental and physical health. She also showed me how to give my newborn a massage. I have such warm, happy, and, fond feelings when I think about my birthing experience, which is largely due to Ihotu's amazing support, useful techniques and calming presence.

I went to Ihotu not only for a relaxing massage but because I have a tight muscle over my sciatic…read morenerve from childbirth. Not only was Ihotu warm and welcoming but I melted away. The pain and discomfort immediately went away and she was able to give me some pointers on stretching and yoga position to help keep the pain at bay. I'm looking forward to a combo of T yoga and massages with her to ensure less stiffness and pain in my hip area.