Ana Paula is a wealth of knowledge and compassion. She's a beautiful mix of warm and calming with a…read morefun energy and the utmost professionalism.

Normally I'd be very reluctant to be apart of a non in person training. ANA is truly a gem. Some…read morepeople give you feelings of love within. Some people give you a genuine feel like whatever they say they mean and that is exactly what I feel with Ana Paula Markel. I spent 3 days with not only fellow woman who share the similar passions and career goals but also a leader and guide. I've been working as a doula for a year now and really trying to find a place to call home for guidance and connections and I truly have found it. I feel motivated and filled with such gratitude to have been apart of this experience. I feel more than well informed and ready to further my mission.

I feel so fortunate to have found Janet and Rachel and the The Birth Co-Op. It has been a unique…read moreexperience to navigate pregnancy during Covid and I was a bit apprehensive to take our parenting classes via a Zoom class. I was very pleasantly surprised by the format and really enjoyed getting to know our group over the course of the 4 sessions. The class was informative and inclusive. Janet and Rachel's love for what they do and deep knowledge birth and labor was informative and heart warming. Janet and Rachel are very careful to underscore that each birth experience is unique, and that choices are personal. They present well rounded information and resources that helps guide you rather than tell you something is right or wrong. I especially liked the guest speakers (a midwife from Kaiser and a lactation consultant) who spoke about their practices and answered questions. I feel so fortunate to have found the Birth Co-Op. I feel more informed going into my birth, and know that I have an amazing resource in Janet and Rachel as questions come up in my pregnancy and after the babe arrives.

Great service, had to be done virtually and Rachael was awesome. Glad I found the birthing coop, it…read moreprepared me mentally for natural child birth also prepared me with child care. I'm a FTM and didn't know how to do so many things.. even change a diaper.. , so this was definitely a huge help. Diaper changes actually come very naturally now, after doing it so many times lol.. and Rachael did put my mind at ease on so many things I had questions on. Even on finding other services like doulas/midwife's/prenatal/postnatal masseuses etc.. very well connected. Thank you!

This review was a long time coming. My little angel came three weeks early and we have been rocking…read moreat life ever since. He is a happy and healthy baby boy. Sharon is such a wonderful person. My husband and I found her through Yelp and had a great time in her Lamaze class and early infant class. Sharon was so welcoming and made the experience as first time parents so special for us and eased a lot of our anxiety. I don't think I would have been as mentally prepared as I was if I did not take her classes. I would even say emotionally too because I had to do a lot of healing with losing my first angel. Thank you so much Sharon. Our little Rami is doing wonderful. You were such a great impact on our journey as first time parents and have our upmost respect. Please keep doing what you're doing because first time parents really need you!

I don't know where to begin except stating Sharon is the best. My husband and I both enjoyed her…read moreLamaze Class. We are first time parents and had so many questions about the birthing process. At one point, I had even considered hiring a doula! But guess what... after attending Sharon's Lamaze class, my husband became more comfortable and stepped up to be my birthing partner! So no need for a doula after all. Sharon also made the class fun by having us doing hands-on learning activities. And most importantly, she serves amazing snacks. So for all pregnant women out there, who get hungry easily like me, you are well taken care of when attending her class. :-)

Working with Jen was one of the greatest gifts of our birth experiences (for both myself and my…read morewife). She supported both of us through two births, about two years apart, and each experience was very different (including one with pre-eclampsia and the other with heart rate decels). Her ability to meet each of us exactly where we were, with such calm, confidence, and care, was remarkable. We trusted her completely. From our first phone call, it just felt right. Jen is a powerful advocate for her clients and brought a steady, reassuring presence that allowed us to feel safe, informed, and deeply supported. Her care extended far beyond labor and delivery. Her prenatal and postpartum home visits were incredibly helpful, especially as she guided us through preparing our older child for siblinghood, and she always made us feel seen as a whole family. We also loved how intentional she is about building community among her clients, helping families feel connected to one another and supported beyond their individual journeys. Her work is deeply equity-centered, and as an LGBTQ+ family, having affirming care was incredibly meaningful to us. We are so grateful to have had Jen alongside us during such transformative moments and would recommend her without hesitation to anyone looking for compassionate, affirming, and truly exceptional birth support (especially for those whose journeys end up looking differently than initially planned)!

Jennifer at Labor of Love is truly one of those people who makes you feel cared for the moment you…read moremeet her. I've had the privilege of working alongside her professionally as a peer, as well as seeing her for my own well woman visits. She is kind, compassionate, professional, and incredibly knowledgeable. Jennifer has such a calm and grounded presence that makes you feel safe, heard, and respected. The care she provides is genuine, thoughtful, and never rushed. You can tell she truly loves what she does, and it shows in the way she cares for her clients.

I really want to thank Debbie for being so wonderful. She is such a professional in her field, and…read moreso knowledgeable. In the crazy tumultuous times of labor and welcoming a newborn into your life, the last thing you wanna do is an extra task. But Debbie was ON IT. she was so well informed, kind and a great communicator. She worked with us, navigated all the Hospital paperwork, had the dried placenta pills delivered it so promptly!!!! I would wholeheartedly recommend this to all mamas to be. Excellent experience all around! Thank you Debbie and LA Birth Partners!

As first time expecting parents, the multiday course built a solid foundation for us for the birth…read more It was awesome to do the class as a couple, each person in the relationship plays a critical role. The vibe was calm and expert. With decades of collective experience across hundreds of doula's in their network, Cheryl and Khefri taught it and you just felt their commitment to your eventual birthing experience and that this was their passion in life. They are accessible and show up for you like someone who would do this good work for free because they love sharing their superpower for the good of you and your family. And people would and should pay them millions for the service and everlasting memories they empower us to have, truly a unique and life changing experience and partnership. I got a recorded meditation that I literally listened to 100 times everytime I rested or took a bath. Come time for go time, it all fell into place. They instilled in us that we are not sick, or needing external help to give birth - I truly felt that our bodies know what to do, are built to do this, and that it's a natural and easy process - not something to fear, resist, fight, or try to make go away ie the contractions are our bodies doing a job and nothing to be afraid of. In fact, what if we embraced, allowed for, and appreciated the power of the body and our spirits to see this process through? Khefri's newborn class was incredible. We did a one on one. She gave us a literal list with links if needed, of what to buy if you are having a baby lol! What you'll need within the first 2 weeks. She showed us how to swaddle and bathe, hold and care for a newborn. I attended some of Khefri's kundalini yoga sessions for expecting mothers. It was so soothing and power inducing that I ended up playing the playlists during my 6 hours of labor. I was an over 40 first time mother. With Khefri (doula) and LA Birth Partners (class) and Birthfit (fitness) and LA Midwives as my partners - we had a successful and easy home birth as well! Though all the practices we could easily have tried at the hospital. In fact, a few months ago, I assisted my sister in her first birth as well. We did it at the hospital but was able to get contractions started naturally, used calming homeopathics and techniques (like birthplan on the door, don't ask me if I need pain meds I'll tell you, candles, cover bright machinery and lower beeping, etc). We could not have done it without Khefri! Literally, we did our last class from the hospital room. Then after the class ended, Khefri became available by text and phone to help us through the contractions! We had questions about the homeopathics, dosing etc to try to start the contractions naturally. She helped with all of it! I can't thank her enough, she went above and beyond, sharing love and support and expertise even more than any actual family members! You feel like you owe so much to these amazing doula's who believe in and know what's possible with a birthing experience. Even someone like me who'd never even seen a birth before, was able to have a homebirth when our western doctors were more than ready to receive us as geriatric mothers at the hospital. None of it was necessary. And we knew that, because we kept on top of medical visits etc leading up to the big day.

I went to village birth in their bundle it was well worth the money. My husband and I did our birth…read moreeducation classes, newborn essentials, feeding and getting ready for the fourth trimester. Thru their doula match we found an amazing postpartum doula. I also did some of their prenatal circles and will be doing their post partum circle soon. Always a fun mix of women who go there, and I know the business can't control who signs up for classes but I wish more POC women and couples went. My first circle it was very intimidating being the only POC there.

My wife and I attended the childbirth class here, and I definitely recommend this place for anyone…read morelooking to learn more about what to expect from the childbirth process. Brighid was our course instructor, and she was super knowledgable, open and supportive to all types of relationships, birthing plans, and wasn't overly dogmatic by recommending a "one size fits all" approach to this very dynamic process. She was experienced and knowledgeable, answered our questions, gave recommendations, resources, and context, and we could not be happier with the experience. The office was quiet, clean, free from distractions, and the environment was comfortable and inviting. My wife had a few fears/concerns about being a first time mother, but after the class she's feeling much more comfortable now that she's equipped with so much context and information. Overall this was a fantastic experience and anyone who is feeling overwhelmed and is looking for a bit of guidance and support should seek this place out. Thank you Brighid!

Birthing Rhythm is truly the gold standard when it comes to midwifery. We were so impressed with…read morethe level of care we received from start to finish. Beth Cannon has a wealth of knowledge & treats your entire family with such compassionate and excellence. She and everyone in her circle are incredibly skilled, trustworthy & a joy to work with. Prenatal appts are so comprehensive and never rushed. You have access to loads of information and resources to help you navigate the different stages of pregnancy and beyond. Options & recommendations are offered and your decisions are always respected. ***If you have concerns about the possibility of an emergency during labor/birth, please know you are in the BEST hands with Beth and her team.*** They are educated, equipped and prepared to manage urgent situations while maintaining clear communication, respect, and gentleness every step of the way. In my case, I had a retained placenta and a postpartum hemorrhage, but Beth, Jen & Mikki went above and beyond to care for me and my family through it all. They calmly communicated my options, took swift action, and gave tons of extra support and check-ins until I was fully recovered. I truly don't think any other midwife would have gone to the lengths that they did so seemingly effortlessly. Couldn't imagine having anyone else They say it takes a village, and in hiring Birthing Rhythm, you get a village. Beth has a vast and thoughtfully built community of experts, specialists and sincere care-givers to come alongside you in whatever your journey brings!

I don't even know where to start with Beth, Jenn and team because "amazing" doesn't feel like a big…read moreenough word. I went into this birth after a previous C-section, really hoping for a HBAC but honestly not fully trusting that my body would get me there. After a few days of what felt like never-ending contractions (turns out it was prodromal labor), I was completely exhausted and starting to spiral a bit mentally. Beth helped us figure out what was actually going on--baby had flipped posterior--and gave us really clear direction on what to do next. No pressure, no fear, just calm, grounded guidance. By the time active labor hit, I was in a pretty raw place. Tired, emotional, unsure. When Beth and team arrived, everything shifted. She was so calm and steady, and I could feel that she trusted my body even when I didn't. Things moved fast after her arrival . At one point baby's shoulder got a little stuck and I remember hearing timing being called out, but Beth handled it so calmly and confidently that there was never panic in the room. Within moments, he was in my arms. It was intense, messy, beautiful, and honestly one of the most empowering experiences of my life. Every birthing person deserves the kind of experience Beth and her team provide. Coming from a previous C-section, the difference between my two births couldn't have been more opposite. This time I felt seen, respected, and truly taken care of in a way I didn't even realize I was missing before. Forever grateful for her. Would choose her again a thousand times.

All around an amazing birthing class! I am so thankful we found Madalyn. My husband and I feel so…read moremuch more prepared because of Madalyn's class. I also absolutely loved how passionate Madalyn was with teaching. She is so caring, kind and funny. Consider yourself lucky to have found her class!

My wife and I took Madalyn's birthing class series, which occurred in person, on Sundays, for 3-4…read morehrs each. About 8 couples attend. The classes were packed with info, but also created space to vocalize concerns, questions, vulnerabilities, and to laugh. Madalyn is a one of a kind educator, mother, doula, and you can tell she truly cares about what she does, teaches, and her students.

We took Lia's virtual Bradley method class, and would highly recommend it for any expecting…read moreparents. First off, it can be hard to find time to take a birth class, and Lia chooses convenient times, with multiple options to choose from. It's a very comfortable classroom atmosphere where I felt good to ask any question, or add any comment. Lia keeps it fun and interesting, and is a great teacher. Lia is also available outside of class for questions, and she is super responsive. It shouldn't really matter if a doula has been pregnant herself.... But it was really helpful to hear about her first hand experiences and to know that she has gone through it all before. I just wish we in lived in LA so that we could have Lia as our Doula.

I cannot say enough good things about Lia and her natural birth classes. I did the 12 week in…read moreperson classes with my husband. I really wanted to know everything I possibly could and I was also looking for a little community as I was feeling very alone in those first weeks of pregnancy (and overwhelmed with what I didn't know). AND THESE CLASSES DELIVERED! My husband is also a knowledge seeker so when I told him these were the classes I wanted he was all in. We learned so much. We joke that he didn't just learn about the natural birth process he learned how to be my "daddy doula". We still enjoy talking to people about everything we learned and how to support each other and how to speak to your doctors or the hospital nurses. Even if you aren't considering a natural birth these classes should be taken by everyone expecting a baby. You learn about the body, you learn about the different stages of labor, how to prep your body and your mind. There is even a class on breastfeeding which was invaluable those first 3 days postpartum. Lia is also an amazing teacher. If I have another I would definitely also hire her as my doula. She is a person you want in your corner during birth.

I have had the privilege of working with Erica as a first time mom. She did a great job with…read morehelping to work through some of the concerns that I have had that were affecting the way that I dealt with my son. What I liked about Erica was her method of questioning rather than just telling me what she thought. She asked me what my thoughts were when I shared something with her, and she helped me explore what messages my actions might be unintentionally sending to my family. She helped me come to my own conclusions rather than feeding me information that didn't ring true to my situation. She suggested a few books that could help me work through my situation. I left our session feeling like I had the tools to start making the necessary changes. It was a pleasure meeting with her in her calm and aesthetically pleasing office. She was inviting and welcoming which put me completely at ease.

I highly recommend Erica Stephenson. I took her class Presence in Parenting and learned so much…read more I found Erica to be educated, caring and the way she conveyed information was extremely helpful. In my opinion one of the best attribute about Erica is she does not tell you how you should parent or handle a situation. She identifies your parenting style and needs and presents options to you. In addition, I had a one on one consultation regarding choosing the best type of preschool for my son. Erica explained various philosophies and other key features when looking at schools. Her information has been invaluable during my preschool search.