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.

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!!

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.

As a first time parent, you literally have no idea what you're doing. The best thing I think you…read morecan do is to have a community around you who can help guide you, and Amma feels like a great first step to creating this community. We were recommended coming here by friends and our hospital, and ended up taking a one day class for newborns and breastfeeding, and a one day class for childbirth. I am also just starting my New Mama class with my month old infant (and I have heard fantastic things about the new mama class!) so I'm excited to experience that as well. Amma feels like a safe space for new parents to ask questions (I literally asked if I needed to worry about birthing a child into the toilet - a weird irrational fear I've always had, and they didn't laugh at me) and learn about this new stage of our lives. I'm really glad the twin cities has a resource like Amma. For pregnant people coming in - bring snacks to classes and consider bringing chair support - the chairs are not necessarily the most comfortable, but they do have a few yoga balls in case that is better for you.

If you haven't read any parenting books and this is your first baby, then I'd say the price is well…read moreworth it. Highly recommend the All In One Express class. They did a great job condensing key things from delivery process, postpartum, car seat safety, breastfeeding, newborn care, and putting on diapers. Due to our busy schedule the 7hr class in Edina worked for us. Don't be scared of the long session, you get several 5 min breaks and a lunch break. Their chairs weren't so bad for me, but I also had the step stool and/balance ball as an option. It was interesting hearing our instructor Tanya's personal perspective given that she's a mother and L&D nurse. She was great at getting the group to engage, so it wasn't just her lecturing the entire time. Given the good experience we might check out other classes like Infant CPR and/or Infant Sign Language.

We just took the Labor & Birth Basics 2 class tonight with Mary at Regions Hospital in St. Paul. I…read morewould have to say that it was much needed to understand comfort measures. There were demos like birth balls, Rebozo wraps, and yoga mats. Alot of the material focuses on how control your situation and having good support partner. We did breathing exercises at first then transitioned to massage. Mary was great to explain things in her perspective of doula. Overall, my wife appreciated we took this class together. Already we got our birthing ball sized so know which one to get at Target.

Having a kid is scary. Beautiful. Amazing. And SCARY. As a first time mom I am thrilled to have run…read moreacross an organization that supports the many forms/styles/approaches parenting can take. And participating in E.M. s new mama group was one of the most intelligent things I could have done. (In fact, i still am!) The childbirth collective and enlightened mama were really the two most positive organizations I have run across when it comes to birthing and parenting. I highly encourage any parent to check out Enlightened Mama's wide array of classes and groups.

Liz and Gigi are incredible lactation consultants, and they are top of our list when referring our…read moreBetter Beginnings clients in need of IBCLC expertise!

Disappointing bedside manner. Can't handle or recognize anything going possibly wrong. Do not use…read moretcbc.

So thankful for the care I received at TCBC during my first pregnancy and birth. The team is so…read morecaring and easy to get ahold of when scheduling an appointment or reaching out about a non-urgent question. I felt supported and empowered throughout my birth experience! Highly recommend a water birth!

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

Where do I begin? As a first time mom, I am soooo grateful we hired Amy as our doula. She educated…read moreus so much about the birth process and how to advocate for ourselves to achieve the best possible outcomes for our family. During labor, we would have been absolutely lost without her guidance. I was pretty terrified by the quick onset of my contractions and their intensity. When she arrived at the birth center, we were relieved by her calming presence. And finally, maybe most importantly for me, she helped me process our birth. It was not how I expected it to be and was pretty bewildered. I wasn't sure I could give birth ever again given the intensity of it all. But 2 days postpartum, Amy came over, crawled into bed with me and just let me talk it out. She reassured mr I did amazing and she was proud of me and my birth. We went through all 160 photos she took and pointed out my strength and how my husband was at my side comforting me every second. That time with Amy was incredibly healing for me and I don't know where I'd be today emotionally (now 5 weeks post part I'm) without her support.

I was ecstatic to have an extra set of hands and a fresh face to emotionally support me through my…read moresecond labor. I only wish Amy was a doula earlier so she could have been there when I had my first son. I love that she cares for the many facets of the mothers well being during this momentous event in their lives. She is well educated, wonderfully joyful and optimistic, and just a doula with a compassionate heart who wants to give these babies the most harmonious entrance into the world that she can.

Emily was wonderful to work with. She was so kind, helpful, intuitive, and unconditionally…read moresupportive. She has a gift for bringing calm and comfort to both parents. I was so grateful to have her as a part of my birth.

From the owner: The Tidal Doula serves the entire Twin Cities from her home in Robbinsdale. Emily is a…read moreDONA-certified birth doula who is passionate about evidence-based care and support for all birthing families. Emily's a big geek who loves to laugh in labor and create lasting connections through education and support. A doula is a nonjudgmental, unbiased, constant support system for the birthing person. Emily offer's care to everyone regardless of race, color, national or ethnic origin, sex or gender, sexual orientation, military or veteran status, ability, age, or religion. Every birth is as unique as the people who are involved, and Emily is so excited to be a part of yours! The Tidal Doula also offers sibling doula support, birth photography, and parenting classes/childbirth education for clients.

I used Aly for my second unmedicated, first home birth, and she was absolutely incredible. I…read moreactually called her a little prematurely--when I wasn't quite in active labor but right on the cusp--and she handled everything with such calm professionalism, knowledge, and skill. She knew exactly what to do at every moment and truly gave me the birth experience I wanted at home. She came highly recommended to me, and I can't recommend her enough to others. I could go on and on but I'll save you the hassle - if you're looking for a home birth midwife, look no further!

I can't express enough how grateful my wife and I were to have Aly and Northstar Midwifery. Aly's…read morewealth of knowledge and her compassionate bedside manner are truly exceptional. When my son's shoulder got stuck during birth, Aly knew exactly what to do and communicated effectively with my wife and me. Thanks to her expertise, our son was delivered without any issues. What sets Aly and her team apart from other midwives and birth centers is the way they pay attention to everyone involved in the process while prioritizing the overall well-being of the mother and child. If you're deciding between Northstar and another provider, I strongly believe that choosing Northstar would be the right decision.