There are times in your life that are undeniably epic. Milestones that leave indelible marks on…read moreyour mind and heart. Becoming pregnant, growing a child in your womb, giving birth and adjusting to motherhood is a phase in my life that has been exactly that. With this journey, aside from faith in God and the support of my husband, what I needed most was courage. Courage to trust that I everything my baby needed resided in me. That I could do it, become a mom- a great mom. A mom that was informed, knew her options, and knew holistic and scientifically-backed medical approaches for prenatal and newborn care. Thankfully, with a heart full of gratitude, I can write I believe I am that mom. I know I have a lifetime of learning how to best serve my child in every season of her life, but when I look back on how this beautiful chaos began there is one constant person (again, aside from my partner) who I can honestly say helped me EVERY step of the way: my doula- Joanna Guzman. Brave Birth perfectly captures what mommas most need- courage. And let me tell you: Joanna helps you tap into reserves of strength women often are unaware they even have. Please keep reading to better understand why Joanna is an excellent doula and even better person. The journey to motherhood is deeply personal. She gets that. Never pushy, but always available- she is a knowledgeable professional who isn't a mere sterile presence, but a warm, soothing, clear and gracious birth coach. And what does a coach do? Train, prepare, encourage, guide, plan and cheer you on. Joanna did just that from the moment she saw my first sonogram, where all that could be seen was my baby's gestational sac, to following up with me after each doctor's visit, periodic check-ins on my mental health and so on, all the way to holding my precious baby girl and visiting me at home during those hectic and at times nerve-wrecking first weeks with my baby. She was always just a text or call away. This meant everything to me since my husband and I experienced a miscarriage just before this pregnancy and I was drenched in anxiety at times. Even in my most vulnerable moments, she didn't shy away from any of my concerns- she would calmly let me know when to reach out to my doctor or when to just exhale and trust the process. As you can see, I can go on and on about Joanna. I am forever grateful for all she has done for my husband and I. Joanna helped give us the tools we needed to march into parenthood aware and feeling capable. She is also one of the greatest reasons I am a confident mom. I know I won't always have the answers, but I am empowered to seek them and weigh my options because of Joanna. Enjoying time with my baby and trusting my vital role in her development is a more peaceful experience because of Joanna. Looking back on my initiation into the wonderful sisterhood of motherhood was full of encouragement and wise counsel All.Because. Of. Joanna. She is a true gift to the soul of whoever she is working with and an intellectual treasure that will equip a woman to have the birth experience she desires. But not just any birth- a brave one, ushering that bundle of joy into a world with a momma who will have a heart full of courage. Thank you Joanna and Brave Birth! Love always, The King Family

I usually don't write reviews but this was a must! I always pictured myself having a baby but when…read morethe day actually came, I was in shock, partially because I knew nothing of the journey that was up ahead.  I knew I needed guidance but didn't know where to start.  When I met with Joanna at Brave Birth, I was surprised at how much information she offered me.  My labor was painful yet she was there for me every step of the way helping me cope with the pain and soothing my every need.  Now I cant imagine going through another pregnancy without a doula.  She was knowledgeable, gave me advice and gave me so much physical and emotional support.  She really was outstanding! I'm so grateful she was by my side. I mean from aroma oils to massages to Tens machine, etc, just everything was so helpful.  I would've gone crazy without any of it! Thinking back, I seriously would've been so lost if she didn't coach me through everything even simply understanding what the nurses were telling me.  Joanna not only assisted me, she also helped calm my mother's nerves.  My mom tends to be erratic when anxious and she knew the right things to do and say to help my mom, which then again helped me calm down.  She also taught my partner massages, which he didn't do as well as she did but it was good enough to soothe the pain.  Lol  I even fell asleep in between my contractions which I thought was merely impossible! It really was such a great experience because of her and I recommend using a doula especially Joanna to anyone and everyone.   It is definitely worth it!

We had an exceptional birth experience for our second child at Our Birthing Center. The design,…read moredécor, and amazing staff create a tranquil, secure environment. At our first visit, I knew I wanted my child to be born in this peaceful place - it had none of the sterile, mechanical & "busy" feeling of the hospital where our first child was born. The orientation class held by Beth Ann was very informative, and created a sense of familiarity, especially when we ended up having Beth Ann as our nurse. I was well into active labor when we arrived at the birth center, but as soon as I walked into the birthing suite, I felt a complete sense of security & confidence. We immediately got into the shower for hydrotherapy while Beth Ann prepared the bathtub. The room & bathroom were impeccably clean, and somehow everything we needed was concealed but close at hand - from a birthing ball to towels to a puke bag from the dresser drawer! The best part of the experience for us was the intimacy - my spouse, doula, nurse, and midwife were right there, focusing only on caring for me. There was no in & out of nurses, or additional personnel in the room. I felt completely safe and protected, even through the intensity of the delivery. My daughter was born in the birthing tub and I was the one to pull her out of the water and into my arms. Once she was born, everything was so relaxed and we could truly enjoy those first few moments. Beth Ann & our birthing team took such wonderful care of me after the birth, ensuring that my husband knew exactly how to care for me & my daughter at home. We left the birth center about 4 hrs after the birth and it was so comforting to sleep in our own bed that night! My recovery was much quicker than with my first birth, and I contribute that in part to the unmedicated, gentle waterbirth I was able to achieve at Our Birthing Center. Knowing now the extraordinary level of care, encouragement, and medical expertise available at the birthing center, I wouldn't give birth any other way!

the receptionist in the matronly center was very rude and unfriendly not helpful not go backread more

I cannot emphasize what a crucial part of my pregnancy and daughter's birth Stephanie was for us…read more Stephanie provided the exact support we needed; from the moment we hired her to the days leading up to my labor to the birth of our daughter to the days after and everything in between. Any question, request, guidance needed - Stephanie was there. She made us feel no shame in asking the smallest questions. She was clear about when something was evidence-based vs her intuition/experience. She never pushed us to do anything and was always supportive of decisions we made. It was important to me and my husband to have a natural birth, which was my main motivation to hire a doula. Truly could not have delivered this baby without Stephanie (I mean, I would have, of course - but likely after much more pain and decisions I would later regret). She was with us on the phone (my husband, mostly) as soon as my water broke and she was with us in person by the time contractions got heavy to get us through the later stages of labor and the pushing/delivery process. Stephanie worked so in sync with the midwife and nurse on my delivery team - it took a village! In addition to Stephanie supporting me, she was also an amazing guide and support to my husband - equipping him with reading materials before delivery and coaching him on best ways to support me throughout labor and delivery. In the days after our baby was born, we talked to Stephanie every day. She visited us to make sure baby was latching properly, showed me some other tips and tricks for feeding, and has continued to provide us with guidance on feeding and pumping and all feeding things! When I become pregnant with baby #2, Stephanie will be among the first to know - could not imagine doing a totally natural birth again without her!

Hiring Stephanie as our doula was one of the best decisions we made while preparing for the birth…read moreof our first child. When my partner and I started looking into childbirth education, we quickly realized how much we didn't know and how overwhelming it could be to research everything on our own. From our very first meeting with Stephanie, it was clear how knowledgeable she is. She focuses heavily on evidence-based information, which was exactly how we wanted to approach decisions around birth. I became interested in attempting an unmedicated birth, although I was only about 60% confident I could actually do it. Stephanie never doubted me. From that point on, all of our preparation and meetings were geared toward helping me achieve that goal. She was always quick to respond to texts and emails and provided detailed, thoughtful information whenever we had questions. Stephanie also did an incredible job coaching my partner ahead of time so he knew how to support me during labor. In our prep meetings, she walked him through different techniques and ways he could help when things became intense. Because of that preparation, he was able to really play an active role during labor. Even during labor itself, Stephanie continued guiding him on how to support me in ways that were actually helpful in the moment. When things were very intense, she would gently coach him on what to do, whether that was how to help with breathing, positioning, or encouragement. If he wasn't sure whether something he was doing was helping, she gave him feedback and reassurance so he could keep supporting me confidently. That support for both of us made a huge difference. When my labor started, I was able to text Stephanie updates and questions and she was always quick to respond and help ease my worries. At one point she had another client in labor (which we knew was a possibility), but her backup doula came to my house and provided wonderful support until we went to the hospital. Stephanie met us there and immediately helped me focus on breathing and staying calm. The moment I'll always remember most was during the pushing phase. I was exhausted having been awake for nearly 36 hours, but Stephanie's coaching and encouragement made such a difference. Her reminders to breathe for the baby and "blow out the birthday candles for the baby," along with her steady counting and encouragement, helped me push through and ultimately deliver my baby the way I had hoped. One unexpected benefit of working with Stephanie is that she is also a lactation consultant. She helped us prepare for breastfeeding, explained how pumping works, and helped us troubleshoot breastfeeding our baby a few days after coming home. I didn't expect that level of support, but it ended up being incredibly helpful. Stephanie is incredibly knowledgeable and very honest. She gives you the information and may offer a recommendation, but she never pressures you if you decide differently. She's straightforward, fact-driven, and clearly very dedicated to her clients. Working with her truly showed me how valuable doulas can be. Stephanie was wonderful to work with, and I would not want to have another child without her by my side.

We asked Taylor to be our doula for baby #2. Pretty sure I would still be pregnant and in labor if…read moreI didn't have her by my side! I was expecting an easier labor since it was my second, but it wasn't really the case. I was progressing slowly, but already at the hospital so after a while the pitocin talk started. I was exhausted at that point and started breaking down because, to me, that automatically meant c-section. Taylor helped us through the decision, encouraged us to speak up about our hesitations, and got me through labor on pitocin without an epidural. She was always ready with positions/tools and gentle but empowering words to help me keep going. Her soothing presence kept me and my husband calm. Her visits before and after were always pleasant and helpful. No matter what my fears and insecurities were about birth, motherhood or wife-hood, Taylor always validated my feelings, offered solutions and was never judgmental. She says I could have done it without her, but I just don't see how that would have been possible!

From the owner: As a doula it's my goal to help you discover and navigate your birth options and preferences, and…read moreto support you in ways that make you feel empowered and safe. My role is to provide you with information, offer continuous emotional and physical support, and be a calm and steady, non-judgemental voice as you journey from pregnancy through parenthood. Serving Northern and Central NJ and NYC.

Jamie came to my home in my first month PP and completely changed my relationship with my…read morebreastfeeding journey. She was warm, reassuring, knowledgeable, and gave specific instructions and tips to meet our goals. She provided support after our appointment via email and text, a detailed plan, referrals, and just had a genuine kindness about her that made me feel comfortable and ready to receive the help she gave. My little girl was born a month early and while I had no issues producing milk to feed her, I was totally lost when it came to how to get her to latch comfortably and had zero confidence in my ability to give her what she needed. Jamie really helped me feel more confident about my innate ability to care for her, and with her help our little girl has gained 3 pounds in a month and a half. I cannot recommend Jamie enough.

I had a fairly uneventful and easy labor, but once I got home the real challenges began. I was…read morehaving extreme pain breast feeding and my doula was a certified lactation consultant trying to help me for 3 weeks.. but still I was in extreme pain and not enjoying breast feeding at all.. and then my doula recommended Jamie to get more help. Being so cautious with Covid and still healing myself, I was so thankful Jamie offered home visits. It made things so easy having her come to our space and help us while we were in our "normal" routine. She did a thorough assessment of myself, baby, and our feeding mechanics. I immediately felt like Jamie was the person who was going to help us, I knew in my gut that she knew her craft and this was finally going to be our turning point. Jamie helped us diagnose my vasospasms and my daughters lip and tongue tie. Not only did she help during her in person visit but she's been available by phone and text as the weeks have gone on. She's invested in her patients and keeping in touch. She has communicated and supported us through our daughters recovery after her tongue and lip procedure, her slow weight gain, and now mastitis at 3 months post partum. Exclusive breastfeeding was always my goal but in the early weeks after delivering my daughter, I didn't know if I could do it.. but Jamie helped make it possible. I'm so proud and grateful to have made it this far exclusively breast feeding and it wouldn't have been possible without Jamie's expertise. My only regret.. not reaching out to Jamie day 1 for support and guidance!!!

My wife and I had our baby with Judy and we couldn't have asked for a better experience. Highly…read morerecommend

Best choice you can ever make. I am so glad I found her and called her first. I felt an instant…read moreconnection and knew this is who I wanted to stay with. She truly cares about both mom and baby. She supports you both physically and emotionally and puts your health first. Due to having twins I have to do a hospital birth which I wasn't expecting but I know it's for their safety which is more important. I would be an emotional wreck if it wasn't for knowing i have her by my side. Almost forgot to mention she's 30 minutes away from me and I'm more than happy to drive every minute of it because she's worth it. If you have insurance they should cover midwives as well.

I sought out Avalon while looking for a more natural, peaceful birth experience. I ended up with an…read moreunnecessarily traumatic birth. Donna is absolutely awful. She is only interested in profiting off of the birth and getting you out as quickly as possible. She came off as problematic in the prenatal appointments, but I figured I had a one in eight chance of getting her. Of course she was the one on call when I went into labor. She was rude and cruel and I ended up having ongoing complications because of her. Avoid at all costs.

My experience with Avalon midwives/Avalon birthing center was terrible. I was rejected admittance…read moreWhile in labor based on That you have to be 6 cm dilated to be in active labor and ready. They take this as a hard rule which doesn't make sense especially for a 3rd baby. I knew I was going to have that baby soon. I arrived at midnight, my water broke, my contractions were frequent and intense, and after checking my dilation, which was 2 cm, but my cervix completely effaced, they insisted I wasn't in active labor and should go home. I decided to go have the baby at the hospital, where I originally planned, and in fact, I had the baby exactly 3 hours later. they were rude and unsupportive of our decision, even though they were persistent we leave. They even used scare tactics like, they will have you monitored and you won't get your natural birth, this particular hospital is infested with Covid 19 etc. Donna Roosa, the head midwife, in particular was very aggressive, yelling, and insisted that we leave the birthing center immediately. It was odd but I believe it happened for the best. They are not anywhere near the peaceful and patient birth place advertised or sought after by natural-birth minded moms. I felt I heard dismissed and ultimately rejected in the middle of the night.

Rachel is Amazing!…read more My wife and I couldn't be happier that we chose to hire Rachel as our Doula/Photographer. We were skeptical in needing a doula to begin with due to the expense but now we wouldn't do it any other way, thanks to Rachel. As new parents, not only did we need a Doula, we also wanted to hire a photograper to take pictures during our special day. Rachel captured every wonderful moment without any direction from us whatsoever and the quality was amazing! Our birth plan was based upon Hypno-birthing and Rachel was a perfect fit. Her calm and pleasant style of working is exactly what we needed. Anytime we had questions or needed help with research, she responded within minutes to a day at most. We highly recommend Rachel Connolly Kwock as a Doula and Photographer. You won't be dissappointed! Sincerely, Leon (New father!)

Rachel was our birth photographer, and we couldn't be happier with our experience with her. She is…read morewarm, has calm, positive energy, and is clearly passionate about her work. Rachel went above and beyond her role as a photographer at our homebirth, stepping in when extra hands were helpful. When photographing, Rachel was unobtrusive, yet she captured our most intimate moments wonderfully. The photos are our most precious possessions. They take us back to that magical day every time we look at them. We have Rachel to thank for that and wholeheartedly recommend her!

If I can give 10 stars!! Let's just say finding Shadisha as my doula could not have happened at a…read moremore perfect time. From start (first prenatal visit/birth planning) to finish (postpartum visit) she was nothing short of amazing!! We connected right away. My husband is nonChalant with all the fatherly "need to knows" when it comes to birthing haha; but Shah made it easy for him to understand and participate. He became more hands on and enjoyed her teaching methods. Very well experienced and Great with communication flexibility understanding reliability attentiveness and reassurance. Teaches and explains everything you need to know that will help you every step of the way of the pregnancy/delivery/postpartum/lactation stages. As a first time mom, The birthing experience with her was very empowering. At the start of surges (39 weeks 3 days) we used the techniques we learned and managed to stay home until The surges were close to 5-7 minutes apart. by the time I arrived at the hospital I was already 6cm!! Those labor surges were something else but with all of the non-pharm techniques she provided and coached us, with a huge those of encouragement, I was able to birth out a beautiful 8.2 pounder baby girl (Emmanuella ) naturally!!! She stayed until I was all good and baby was good. We reviewed everything including breastfeeding over the postpartum visit via zoom, which was very helpful physically, mentally and emotionally. For all expecting moms, If You desire a seasoned, enthusiastic, passionate doula, that you can connect with, choose Shadisha!! Seeing her as family , We are deeply grateful for how God used her to meet us in our times of need. Emmanuella is 9 weeks now and doing exceedingly great. Looking forward to her doula services again with baby #2

My son was birthed by ATOM and it was an amazing experience. My doula labored with me at home and…read moredrove me to the hospital where I labored for a short time upon arrival. I had a pleasant birth experience and outcome. Having a doula by my side allowed me to release all fear and anxiety about what was happening around me and gave me the opportunity to just focus on my delivery and meeting my baby boy. I will definitely have a doula again at my next birth.