As a dad-to-be, I wasn't exactly sure what to expect going into a hypnobirthing class. If I'm being…read morehonest, I was a little skeptical at first--"hypno" anything sounded a bit out there to me. But I signed up to support my wife, and I'm really glad I did. This class completely changed how I see birth and my role in it. Instead of feeling like a bystander, I walked away feeling informed, useful, and actually confident in how I can support my wife during labor. The techniques we learned--breathing, relaxation, visualization--aren't just for moms. I found myself using them too, and they've already helped us both stay calmer leading up to the big day. What stood out most was how much emphasis was placed on teamwork. I learned specific, practical ways to advocate for my wife, help her stay relaxed, and create a positive environment no matter how the birth unfolds. It made me feel like an active participant instead of just "the guy in the room." The instructor, Care, was very knowledgeable, approachable, and never made any question feel silly. She made the classes very comfortable and even pretty funny at times. The class also struck a great balance between education and hands-on practice, so it didn't feel like we were just sitting through lectures. If you're a partner on the fence about taking a hypnobirthing class--do it. Even if you're skeptical like I was, you'll come away with tools, confidence, and a much deeper understanding of what your partner is going through. Honestly, it's one of the best things we've done together to prepare for becoming parents.

I gave birth a couple months ago, and decided to go through Care's Hypnobirthing class, and also…read moreuse her for my placenta encapsulation, and I can't recommend her highly enough! From the very first class, it was clear that Care is incredibly knowledgeable and passionate about empowering expectant parents. Her approach to hypnobirthing and breathing techniques was not only informative but also calming and reassuring for both me and my partner. We completed it feeling much more prepared and confident for the birth experience ahead. Care provided a wealth of resources, ensuring we had everything we needed to make informed decisions about our birthing plan. She was always responsive to our questions, both during the classes and even after the birth, which made a world of difference in our journey. It's rare to find someone who continues to support you even after the classes are over. Overall, the entire experience with Care was amazing. Her warmth, expertise, and dedication to her clients truly set her apart. If you're looking for guidance and support in your birth preparation, look no further than Care Messer at the Birth Education Center!

Would 100% recommend. My doulas were Kim & Ella and I felt that they provided some a good…read morecombination. I had such a wonderful birthing experience and largely attribute it to them and the birth 101 class that we had. I was so informed and felt confident in the decisions I was making throughout the process. I would 1000% recommend going with this co. The other thing is that there are several different doulas that work under this agency so if one doesn't fit your vibe, there are more that they could pair you up with. Thank you BB for being part of our birthing experience.

We are so grateful to have had the dream team of Louise and Emry…read more At the prenatal visit, they kind, patient, and incredibly knowledgeable. They took their time to carefully understand our previous pregnancy and birth experience and supported us in forming the birth plan we were most comfortable with. During labor, Louise's steady presence and calm, reassuring energy made all the difference. She knew exactly when to step in to offer guidance or helpful suggestions, advocate for our needs, and even when to lighten the mood with her wonderful sense of humor. At the postpartum visit, Louise continued to show her sweet, supportive, thoughtful nature. She checked-in on all of us, answered questions, and made sure we were adjusting well to a new family member. We couldn't have asked for a better team to support us through such an important time in our lives. We would absolutely recommend Louise and Emry to anyone looking for a doula.

My husband and I decided to take Janine's class due to our holistic approach to birthing and our…read moregoal to best prepare ourselves with pain-coping strategies for a natural birth plan. Not only did Janine optimally prepare us, but we got so much more out of the class than we ever expected. Janine's approach is relatable, compassionate, friendly, kind and incredibly positive. She provided my husband and I space, in an intimate group setting, to have the tough conversations around birthing, our relationship with each other as future parents, and space to create tangible plans for prenatal care, labor and postpartum support. We would not have carved out this time to work through these topics on our own, and have so much appreciation for the tools and revelations Janine was able to help us uncover. My husband and I felt emotionally and physically ready to take on the birthing process, and felt intimately aligned as a partner duo in the process. We were especially grateful for the way Janine shed light on the birthing process due to COVID-19 and the fact that our Doula couldn't join us in the hospital as planned. My husband has such a greater understanding, respect and comfortability with supporting me in the toughest times of delivery because of Janine's curriculum. I highly recommend Janine's Birth From Love course to any conscious parents who are looking for a deeper connection, understanding and confidence in the birthing process, whether you are planning a natural birth or not. We had a smooth labor and delivery and now a happy, healthy baby girl to enjoy!

Janine is absolutely amazing! My husband and I did a private class - Birthing Again at home, which…read morewas so convenient and suitable as we are planning this birth to be at our home so it was a more appropriate comfortable setting for us. She has a ton of insight and recommendations not just about birthing/laboring the baby again, but on other topics such as postpartum plans and managing a healthy communicative relationship with your partner. Initially I thought 6 hours for a class was a bit long but it went by so fast! And we are more than happy we chose her as a guide to preparing us to do this again! Thank you Janine!!

If you are pregnant, book your class asap! I can't rave enough about their approach to preparing…read morefor birth. My husband had two kids from a previous relationship, but still was able to learn things he hadn't been present for with them. It improved our communication surrounding my pregnancy and birth, even when it took a different turn. We'd made it through four of the five classes when my son decided to he needed to get out at 30 weeks. I had so many tools in my toolbox that I felt prepared, even during the scary prospects of having preeclampsia and a NICU baby. I'm so grateful for Care and her entire team. Such a blessing!!!!

My partner and I took this class when we were in our 2nd trimester and I cannot recommend it…read moreenough! Care, the instructor, was absolutely incredible and her teaching style worked best for us. She is so funny, honest and relatable. She never sugar coats anything, but I always left class feeling more excited for my birth experience as well as less afraid. By the end of the class series, I felt completely confident to go through labor and birth with my first child and my partner and I have never been more connected emotionally, spiritually or physically. If I could take her class again just for fun, I would. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!!

Very grateful to have them with me. First time doing this and also first one in my family. My…read morepregnancy was very emotional, a lot of tears and I always felt in a safe environment when I was with them. Alix was my main midwife, so cheerful, supportive and looking for the best answer, with best answer no only to my questions but to my health, soul and mind. Can sound very promising and in reality the flow/pregnancy feels simple having their help. I guess is the very experience support that they have. I wish I could express more because words are short for my feeling of gratitude. Much love and best wishes for you. If you are already here...this is your way.

A million times over, I would choose Tema and her student midwife team to guide me on my pregnancy…read moreand birth journey. As a second time mom and healthcare practioner, i thought I had pretty good education on natural birth. Tema not only furthered my knowledge, but also made me and my husband feel beyond supported every step on the way. My whole body wellness was cared for, and having my emotional and spiritual health nourished along with my physical health during pregnancy was beyond what I expected. Tema takes the time to get to know you, your baby, and your partner, so by the time It is birth day, she feels like family. I completely trusted her at a moment that was so vulnerable to me. We hit a snag during labor, but Tema handled it so professionally and confidently and we were able to safely deliver my healthy baby boy at home. It was a beautiful experience. I am convinced that Tema's knowledge of spinning babies facilitated my labor to progress and if I had been in a traditional birth setting, it would have went differently. If you are looking for a caring and trustworthy midwife for your home birth, please choose Tema. Her passion for her calling is evident in every interaction and she is a blessing to the home birth community.

Happy Mama is owned by a larger entity called Reach Healthcare and this corporate-style of "doula"…read morecare is a waste of time for pregnant people actually interested in doula services. Thankfully, my Sharp insurance covered the 2 appointments I had with them, but this review is for those who would have to pay out-of-pocket expenses for Happy Mama (HM). When HM first reaches out to you, none of the phone admins can tell you anything specific about the three Happy Mama doulas based in SD (namely Fran, Diana, and Louise), their résumés/CVs (e.g., how many live births attended, how long they've been DONA-certified, etc.) or anything about them in general (e.g., how many clients will they have around the time I give birth to avoid time conflicts, etc.), but the staff will gate keep you from meeting these doulas unless you have a contract in place with your insurance info handed over. I was billed for two appointments: an initial intake appointment and a virtual appointment with an LA-based doula (but I'm based in SD). The 3rd appointment I would've had today at 3pm was a no-show by the doula without any communication from her (since I was not allowed her number) or the HM staff. I've even included a picture of the 6 phone calls I made between 3-4pm to different HM numbers from their website and those listed on email signatures of previous HM staff, yet no one picked up. Even 20 minutes into the appointment, I emailed the doula herself and cc'd the HM global admin email and even now there is no response. I did get a call later at 4:04 (1hr 14min) past the appointment after I told them I was no longer interested in doula services. The staff member apologized saying my scheduled doula had a personal emergency and that notifications to patients weren't timely sent out. Hard to tell if HM is horrible because of the business model, the admin staff, or the doulas themselves! Pregnancy is stressful enough and this experience added unnecessary amounts of it. Overall, I felt compelled to write this review for anyone researching this organization as an option--don't! I'd give zero (0) stars if I could.

The people have been nice, but this is not a real authentic doula practice. This is a system,…read moretaking advantage of new reimbursement for doula services within a corporate model of healthcare. I used it because it was covered by insurance, but there have been a few appointments that the patient navigator or the doula were late or were no-shows. Visits are perfunctory and follow a list of routine questions without much insight, commentary, or tangible supports. Although I have not experienced the Doula at my actual birth, at this point, I would really not feel comfortable inviting somebody from happy mama into my birthing space. The Doula's do not seem professional or skilled. If you look on their website, they don't need many qualifications at all to become a doula. I'm actually quite disappointed in models like this because they devalue other doulas who are providing comprehensive emotionally, supportive, highly skilled care to prenatal and postpartum moms.

So much gratitude to this amazing doula duo!!…read more From the first time we met with April and Joy we felt comfortable and confident in our decision to work together. We are from out of town and I came down to San Diego first as my husband had to finish work and it was very reassuring to have April and Joy as part of our birth team in case I went into labor earlier than expected. Throughout my pregnancy all the resources, check ins, and words of encouragement that April and Joy provided were much appreciated. They were also very quick to respond to any questions/concerns that I had. The morning of my delivery my surges came in very quickly. I contacted Joy and April right away and shortly after had a phone conversation with Joy to confirm it was time to head to the hospital. She met my husband and I there and it was such a relief to see and have her support during the most challenging part of my labor. Her calming presence, hands on comfort measures were invaluable and she worked so harmoniously with the hospital staff. The photos she captured of our first moments with our second born are truly priceless. After delivery I had unexpected bleeding and I'm so thankful to have Joy's knowledge on the different types of medications. She helped slowed things down and explained the benefits of them for my case and I felt confident in my decision making. I am incredibly thankful for April's belly binding offering postpartum. The foot bath and belly massage was such a treat and it was a lovely way to wrap up our time together with her. There isn't a single thing I would have changed with my birth experience. April and Joy are a fantastic team, highly highly recommend them!

Working with Joyful Roots was truly one of the best decisions we made, and I can honestly say that…read moreJoy and April are the number one thing I credit for helping me have such a beautiful, positive birth experience. Before giving birth, I was someone who felt really nervous and unsure about the whole experience. But after going through it, I genuinely tell everyone that I loved giving birth, which is something I never thought I would say! That is such a testament to the incredible support and care Joy and April provided throughout my pregnancy, labor, and postpartum experience. My hope going into birth was to labor naturally at home as long as possible and remain open to getting an epidural once I was at the hospital and further along in active labor. They helped me achieve exactly that. While we were laboring at home, April was the one on the phone coaching my husband and me through contractions, helping us feel safe and calm. She offered different suggestions for positions and comfort measures that made such a difference. My husband shared after that he would have been freaking out much more and probably would have pushed going to the hospital earlier if it was not for her guidance. When Joy met us at the hospital, I instantly felt a huge sense of comfort and relief the moment I saw her. She was tremendously helpful supporting me through contractions with her touch through different comfort measures. After I got the epidural, she continued to be so knowledgeable and helped position me in ways that encouraged baby to be in the best possible position for birth. He was more to the side before but she made such a difference in getting him in a great position. What stood out most to me was how deeply seen and understood I felt by her. She was so in tune with my needs, emotions, and what I needed in each moment in a way that felt different from anyone else present in the room at my birth. Her presence was grounding and incredibly reassuring. Even after I gave birth, when I was feeling overwhelmed by all the emotions and hormones, she noticed immediately and supported me so thoughtfully and gently. That care meant so much to me. I know hiring a doula is an investment, but truly, it was one of the greatest gifts I could have given myself, my family, and my birth experience. If you are considering working with Joyful Roots, I cannot recommend Joy and April enough.

I met Jenn Smith in February 2020 after being referred to her by my chiropractor. After meeting…read moreJenn, I decided to hire her as my doula for my first child's birth in July 2020. In addition to doula services, I also hired Jenn to teach Hypnobirthing classes and to do placenta encapsulation. After sending Jenn my signed contract and her 50% retainer, communication with her started to decrease and become more difficult. I contacted Jenn at 36 weeks to try and set up our prenatal visit and received no response. I reached out again at 37 weeks on June 22nd, and Jenn finally responded and we scheduled our prenatal visit for the following week. The following day I had a placenta abruption and I had to rush to the hospital for an emergency c-section. I contacted Jenn that morning and she was able to go to the hospital and retrieve my placenta in order to do the encapsulation. Due to the emergency c-section, Jenn's contract stated I was owed three sessions of 4 hour postpartum support. We scheduled the visits the following week on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday and Jenn stated she would bring my placenta pills with her to the visit. After leaving the hospital, I sent Jenn the remaining 50% of the payment due on our contract to ensure that I paid according to contract terms. On the first day of the postpartum support service, Jenn texted me 45 minutes before she was supposed to arrive to let me know she would be running late due to a family emergency. After not hearing from Jenn for two hours, I decided to cancel the visit for that day. Jenn no showed, no called for the postpartum support services we had scheduled for both Wednesday, July 1st and Friday, July 3rd. My husband and I tried to contact Jenn by phone and email on numerous occasions in regards to postpartum services and receiving my placenta pills with no success. I reached out to my chiropractor who I knew was also using Jenn as a doula to let her know how difficult it had been to contact Jenn and how she still has not provided me any of the services I paid for. My chiropractor reached out to Jenn in an attempt to get my placenta pills from her to give to me. I finally received an email from Jenn on August 5 stating she heard that I was trying to contact her and she didn't know why she had not received any of my emails or phone messages. She stated she still had my pills ready to go and that she still wanted to support me postpartum. I responded to Jenn that same day and to this day I still have not received any response from Jenn. I am now four months postpartum and still have not received my placenta pills or any doula support services from Jenn. She only provided Hypnobirthing classes. I have requested a partial refund per her contract terms of Failure for a Doula to Provide Services and Jenn has not replied to my refund email and denied my payment request on Venmo. For a first time mom, who had a scary birth experience, the last thing I should have to do is try to track down my doula who I entered into a contract with for birth support. Jenn's lack of communication has left a pretty bad impression in regards to the role of a doula. Even though my delivery did not go as planned, I still made sure I lived up to my end of the contract and made sure Jenn was paid the full balance as soon as I left the hospital. I would never recommend Jenn Smith as a doula and I would not trust her with my child.

Jenn is absolutely amazing! She was with me for the births of both of my girls, and I truly believe…read moreI couldn't have made it through without her. She has a calm, gentle spirit, a beautiful smile, and an absolute love of all things baby. She also is a hypnobirthing instructor - sign up for the classes!! They are SO worth it!!!!! My two labors/deliveries were very different, so I summed up each one below. **My first labor/delivery experience wasn't quite what I expected. I allowed some medical interventions that seemed to snowball and create a lot of issues with my labor, and each problem created more problems.... Jenn helped me utilize hypnobirthing methods to focus and kept my head in the right place when circumstances made it hard to focus. She helped me deliver my baby safely, and I honestly don't know how I could have made it through it without her. **My second labor/delivery was the polar opposite of my first. I took Jenn's hypnobirthing classes this time, but I was still scared that things would go wrong again (terrified actually). Jenn helped me realize that I could do it and helped me stay true to what I really wanted: No medications/no IV/ as few checks as possible... And I did it! It was incredible, and hard, and amazing and made me want to have 57 more babies! Jenn + hypnobirthing helped keep me focused and in the zone the entire time. I love Jenn, and I will absolutely use her services if my crazy hormones win out and I have 57 more babies

Sumer and Hugo's birthing class was exactly what my husband and I were looking for in a class. It…read morehelped us prepare as first time parents and made us excited about labor and birth. My husband was able to learn from Hugo, an experienced dad, on the ways that he could be involved and how to best support me during pregnancy, labor and postpartum. This class gave us the confidence about the birthing process and all the options for any decisions we needed to make during labor and birth. Sumer's prenatal yoga classes were amazing. I felt much less stressed and more relaxed after each class. I learned different poses and breathing exercises I was able to use during labor that helped with the position of the baby and the pain! I had a great labor and birthing experience thanks to everything we learned from Sumer and Hugo and all the support and guidance they provided. Sumer was always checking in on me and we even came by postpartum to her breastfeeding support class and she helped me so much with my breastfeeding journey. My husband and I highly recommend this class and can't thank Sumer and Hugo enough for everything!

We are preparing for our baby boy to arrive in July, and we just completed the 4-week birthing…read moreclass with Sumer and her husband, Hugo. They are truly amazing, and we loved their class. It was informative, intimate, empowering, and helpful. It left us feeling more prepared for the birth of our first child. My partner loved having Hugo there. Hugo brought tremendous value to him from a male's perspective, and my boyfriend could relate to Hugo and his suggestions for supporting me during my pregnancy and birth. I highly recommend Sumer and Hugo's class. The value was great for the price we paid. We are also returning soon for their "Bringing Baby Home Class"!

This is a great specialty school for students in special education. I take kids here who need lots…read moreof one-on-one attention, and the staff are very dedicated and patient with each student.