I didn't know much about what a doula could offer me, but knew I wanted one for support when I…read morefound out I was pregnant with my first. I interviewed a few and felt an immediate sense of calm upon talking to Codi. She's kind, calm, confident, and client centered. I had the presumption that getting a doula meant they would try to persuade you to have an unmedicated home birth, but that was far from true with Codi. She truly listened to my wants and needs and didn't try to sway me one way or another. She provided evidence based information and educated both my husband and I prior to me going into labor. I ended up needing an induction due to preeclampsia and I was scared. Codi helped ease both me and my husbands anxieties and helped me feel powerful throughout the 26 hour labor. One of the nurses during this time was awful and demeaning. Codi spoke to the charge nurse and asked for a switch for me. I did not need that energy in the room during labor! She provided comfort measures and created a plan that we felt comfortable with afterwards in terms of vaccines for the baby/after care. She took pictures of us 3 that I will forever treasure. Codi made me laugh through one of the hardest experiences of my life. At one point my blood pressure shot through the roof and Codi knew to switch up my positioning instead of just having doctors rush me to a c section. My baby girl was born healthy & perfect after 26 hours of hard work. Postpartum Codi came over to provide postpartum doula support. She helped make me yummy nursing snacks, cared for my daughter so I could shower and sleep, and provided so much TLC. Forever grateful for you Codi! The world needs more healers like you :) Keep spreading your gift and knowledge.

I take great pride and joy in the fact that the first labor and delivery Codi ever attended as an…read moreofficial doula was my sweet baby girl! Not because it was Codi's first birth as a doula but because we've known each other since kindergarten! Getting to watch Codi do what she loves while also being blessed by her incredible care, knowledge and support at the same time was an absolute honor! She was my rock through my labor and even showed my husband how he could love and support me best through this journey. She advocated for me when I couldn't advocate for myself. Her postpartum care was incredible too! Even now 3 kids in and I still call her for all my baby, postpartum, and mommy questions! Having Codi in your support corner is a blessing that is truly priceless!!!

The Mommy Center has been such a wonderful experience for both me and my daughter. Michelle and her…read moreteam have created such a fun, welcoming, and judgment-free space where moms and their little ones can connect, play, and feel supported. I've taken two of their mommy-and-baby class series, and I loved both of them. Each series includes special touches like each week is a different topica mini photoshoot, a swim party, and so much more, which makes it absolutely worth every penny. Carmen, who helped lead the group, is amazing. She is incredibly knowledgeable, patient, and always makes me feel heard. She gives thoughtful advice and truly cares about the moms and babies she works with. You can tell she genuinely loves what she does. I've also attended several music classes with Michelle, and those have been some of my favorites. My daughter absolutely loves music time, and Michelle does such a great job keeping the kids engaged and entertained. We truly love The Mommy Center and are so grateful for everything they offer!!

I had a wonderful experience taking the Baby Care class! The instructor was knowledgeable, patient,…read moreand made everything easy to understand, which gave me so much more confidence as a first-time mom. The class was practical, engaging, and covered so many helpful topics. The center also offers a variety of amazing classes for both moms and babies, making it an incredible resource throughout pregnancy and beyond. I highly recommend it to any expecting or new parent looking for support, education, and a welcoming community!

Postpartum can be a bit boring, especially during a pandemic. Baby Bee Yoga was the perfect light,…read moreand safe, activity during my maternity leave. Janeen was so understanding of the realities of recent postpartum life (position changes for breastfeeding , adjustments as needed for fussy baby, and for post c section recovery!). Amazing experience.

This was my first yoga class after having my baby. I wasn't sure what to expect and was nervous,…read moreespecially with an online class, but I felt completely comfortable as soon as class began! My instructor was warm and welcoming and was really understanding with my babies needs. I had to stop and change a diaper & nurse during the class. It was definitely what I neeI would highly recommend!

Dr. Dani is the BEST!! I started going to her for adjustments during the third trimester of my…read morepregnancy and she truly helped me to feel great, helped get my body to be in perfect alignment for labor, and helped my baby to get into optimal position for labor! After my first adjustment, I felt like I good breathe well again as I experienced shortness of breath at the end of my pregnancy! I had one adjustment in my pregnancy with Dr. Katie as well and she was AMAZING too!! I had a great labor & delivery and getting chiropractic care during pregnancy truly helped my birth experience! I went to Dr. Dani two weeks postpartum for an adjustment and it felt so great to get adjusted after birth! She also did a gentle infant adjustment on my newborn and helped me with tips to do tummy naps for her! At my newborn's second adjustment, Dr. Dani assisted with my newborns trapped gas and helped her to poop!! I truly recommend Dr. Dani and Dr. Katie to all pregnant and postpartum mamas for you and your babies!!

This review is for Dr. Katie Sakamoto! She started seeing my baby at 2.5 months old and is always…read moreso gentle and calm. Dr. Katie has this warming presence and explains all of her techniques. We notice an immediate improvement each time my baby gets adjusted. She is a miracle worker! The office is super cute too!

I was so thankful to have had Carly by my side during my 1st birth! My husband and I were both so…read morenervous and not sure what to expect since this was our 1st baby. Hiring Carly was the best decision we made! She worked with me to create a birth plan I was comfortable with and explained options to me since I really didn't know much about the process. She also checked in with me multiple times leading up to the birth and would send me checklists with helpful exercises and other things to help me prepare for birth. Once the day came, my husband texted her, and she arrived at the hospital when we asked her to come. I labored for a long time, and she was there supporting me the whole time! I loved that Carly decorated my room with lights and battery candles. It was so calming especially since I rested for a long time before I started pushing. Creating a calming space was so helpful for me to stay relaxed and rested. She also advocated for me when the nurses would come in and check on me and helped progress my labor with different positions. When it was time to push, Carly was cheering me on the entire time and offered different items to help me feel more comfortable. I was so scared and nervous about birth, but I really believe she made the whole experience a positive one for me. I cannot recommend Carly enough, you'll be in great hands if you choose her as your Doula :). Thank you Carly and The Breezy Doula!

Breezy Doula made finding a doula with insurance easy. They connected me with Valerie Godbout. If…read moreyou're thinking about hiring Valerie as your doula, do it. She was one of the best decisions we made for our birth. From our very first prenatal appointment, she was so easy to talk to. She really took the time to listen to what I wanted for my birth and even typed it up for me. My biggest goals were to avoid an epidural and Pitocin if they weren't medically necessary, and she completely respected and supported those wishes. Our prenatal visits were incredibly thorough. We talked through my birth plan in detail, went over labor positions, and discussed different scenarios so I felt prepared going into labor. When she arrived at the hospital, she completely transformed the room. She turned off the harsh hospital lights, brought a light projector, and even set up an essential oil diffuser that made the room feel peaceful. It immediately created a calming environment that helped me relax. Throughout labor, she was an incredible advocate. At one point, Pitocin was started even though I had already declined it. Valerie caught it right away, spoke up, and voiced her concerns on my behalf. Having someone who was paying such close attention and advocating for my birth preferences gave me so much confidence. She also had so many helpful techniques to keep labor moving naturally. Whether it was changing positions, offering encouragement, or giving me tools like a spiky massage ball and a labor comb to squeeze through contractions, she always seemed to know exactly what I needed. Between contractions, she kept me distracted with conversation and helped me stay calm and focused. I truly believe her guidance and support played a huge role in helping me achieve the birth plan I had hoped for. What impressed me even more was that her care didn't end after delivery. She came to our home about a week postpartum to check on both me and the baby, answer questions, and make sure we were adjusting well. Valerie is kind, knowledgeable, calming, and an incredible advocate. She made me feel heard, respected, and supported every step of the way. I cannot recommend her highly enough to anyone looking for a doula who genuinely cares and will be by your side through every stage of pregnancy, birth, and postpartum.

I found Labor of Love by doing some of my own research online. And thank God I did! My doula,…read moreKaren, was my rock throughout my labor and was 100,000 percent amazing--I'll definitely be working with her for my second! A little backstory: I was overwhelmed and so nervous about finding "the one" person to be a part of the most important event of my life. After doing my research and reading through all these bios, I honestly was left feeling overwhelmed, especially knowing how indecisive I can be. I knew I just had to trust my intuition and my gut on this one! After looking at Karen's bio on their website, I had such a good feeling. Staci (the owner), who was super friendly and professional, helped me get connected with Karen, and I booked an interview right away! Karen was so sweet and asked me about my pregnancy experience so far. We discussed how I wanted my birth to go and any concerns I had. There wasn't any pressure to hire her, and it just felt like she was already invested in me, like I was already family. I even had her video chat with my husband to make sure we both felt comfortable and vibed well together--and we sure did! Overall, Karen ended up being the perfect balance of knowledge, experience, and professionalism. It was the most perfect amount of care I could have asked for. She was also such an advocate for my birth plan to work out. Before, during, and after my labor and birth, she was always naturally in tune with what I needed. She was never overbearing, worked so well with my husband, and gave him space to be a part of my support team as well. I am so grateful to have come across Labor of Love

The business owner is quite the opposite of the type of person any vulnerable new mom should have…read moreto work with. My experience with Labor of Love was almost two years ago now but continues to upset me when thinking back on my experience. We hired Lauren as our doula, who made it clear she expected us to go far past my due date as a first time mom. While it's possible for that to happen, it didn't in my case. At 39 weeks and at 5am while in active labor and getting ready to head to the hospital, she let us know she had Covid. Her backup was Karen, who I wish we hired to begin with as she is far more caring and professional. Though unfortunately our experience still fell short and we ultimately delivered without Karen present. We were left feeling like we invested a lot of emotion and money into this process with ultimately no help. Staci has been incredibly rude to us since then and even revoked our access to watch her training videos, sending me a link to pay her once again when wanting to rewatch for our now second baby on the way. Karen herself even recommended we ask for a partial refund due to our experience, but Staci lacks the professionalism and courtesy to her clients. Truly mindblowing that she revoked access to the training videos after we had already paid for them. I would stay far away and recommend a more experienced and caring doula group.

Dr. Daniel Sternfeld is an exceptional OB/GYN and surgeon, and I truly can't recommend him enough…read more I had been struggling with severe menorrhagia for years, which led to iron-deficiency anemia so severe that I needed iron infusions every few months just to function. After discovering a large fibroid that had enlarged my uterus to five times its normal size, Dr. Sternfeld and I decided that a robotic laparoscopic hysterectomy with bilateral salpingectomy was the best course of action. I was reassured to learn that he was actually the first physician to perform robotic surgery at Saddleback Medical Center in Laguna Hills--his expertise really shows. From the very beginning, Dr. Sternfeld took the time to explain everything in detail and made sure all of my questions were answered. Even when I messaged after hours through the patient portal, he and his office responded quickly and kindly. That level of care and attentiveness helped ease any anxiety I had throughout the process. Now, four weeks post-op, I feel fantastic. I'm healing beautifully and already back to enjoying walks and light activity. This surgery has been life-changing--and I have Dr. Sternfeld and his amazing team to thank for that. If you're looking for a knowledgeable, compassionate OB/GYN who truly listens and delivers excellent care, I highly recommend Dr. Sternfeld.

Dr. Sternfeld was a knowledgeable and experienced doctor who explained medical issues clearly. I'm…read moresorry that he has retired!

Ana is very professional and knowledgeable, yet deeply caring and respectful of your opinions and…read morevalues. Even though this was my third pregnancy, I learned so much about how to care for myself and my baby. I loved that she wasn't pushy, but gave us the facts and let us make our own decisions. We often covered the importance of exercise and nutrition, and I made changes from that, which I believe contributed to a smoother and easier pregnancy than my first two. She also was so calm and professional throughout my labor and delivery. My husband noted how much he appreciated her composure during the most intense moments of my labor. She's the kind of person you'd want by your side when you're not in the right frame of mind. She also collaborated very well with her assistant, respecting her skills and experience during my postpartum assessment. We loved having her as our first midwife and home birth experience and will definitely be reaching out to her again in the future!

Ana is a godsend. When I was planning to have my 5th baby, the one thing I knew for sure is that I…read morewanted to have him at home. I interviewed so many great midwives, but as soon as I met Ana, I knew she was the right fit. She took me on late in my pregnancy (27ish weeks), and onboarding with her was so easy. The care that I received from her was supportive, kind, compassionate and steady. I appreciate how calm and nurturing she is while staying firm in her knowledge of pregnancy, birth, and of a woman's body overall. Her care is holistic and evidence-based, and she makes her clients actual partners in their care. We never did anything that I was uncomfortable with (which is almost unheard of in a hospital birth). When I started to go overdue, she was there to reassure me, and because she genuinely trusts the process of birth, she helped me trust my body as well. I had an absolutely amazing birth experience that my husband and I wouldn't trade for anything. My baby is two now (sorry this is so late!), but I still think of Ana often and so fondly. She became part of our family for the time she was with us and I will always love her for helping me have the birth experience of my dreams (even at 43 years old). Thank you Ana!

My wife and I joined the birth class a little late into our pregnancy (end of October 2020 when we…read morewere due mid-December 2020), but Meredith was so accommodating and kind about the situation! Because of the pandemic, Meredith gave us options to come in-person or attend the class virtually, and my wife and I felt comfortable enough to do a hybrid of the two. Meredith was very Covid-conscious and always made us feel safe. After looking up different birthing methods, we thought the best one that suited us was the Bradley Method course. We learned so much from it -- we know so many people who go into giving birth with zero knowledge and even though it's scary, we still felt so prepared. We learned about childbirth itself of course, but also patient advocacy, postpartum care, etc. The best part is that Meredith was still available as a resource and pillar of support when we needed it -- even to this day when our son is 14 months old! I gave birth at a birth center with a midwife but felt wholly prepared if I had to be transferred to a hospital. When it's my wife's turn to carry, we'll be retaking the course so that I can take on the role of the coach like my wife did for me.

Meredith was such an amazing birth coach. Despite the challenges she was presented during COVID,…read moreshe really managed to make the class as informative and personal as possible even though we were virtual. Her knowledge and support was beyond anything I imagined and it really equipped me in preparation for birth, informed consent, breastfeeding and motherhood. I recommend her to anyone looking for a natural holistic birth approach! She was so much more then just a birth coach and I can't thank her enough. She is the best!