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

Normally I'd be very reluctant to be apart of a non in person training. ANA is truly a gem. Some people 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. read more

Bini Birth is a gorgeous and extremely comfortable space with many beneficial classes offered under one roof! Anna Paula, the founder, is an amazing teacher and mentor. She has created a very special center for childbirth education, doula trainings, midwives, yoga, lactation, nanny services, and so much more. read more

My husband and I took the birth prep weekend workshop with Ana Paula. She was amazing! I feel like we learned so much and really left with a new confidence in the birth process. As new parents, the whole process of giving birth and becoming parents in general is scary because you are plunging into the unknown, but with Ana's guidance and sense of humor we felt like we got a new grasp on the experience to come! I personally was very nervous before taking the class and Ana proved that knowledge is power! The class itself took place in such a neat and comfortable space, it put us at ease just being in the room with a bunch of other soon to be parents with no idea what to expect. Ana's chill and laid back personality really put us at ease and she answered all of our questions. I love that there is no judgement here and they don't focus on any "right" way to give birth but rather on all the options available to us. I feel like now, going into it I'm going to think back to all the things I learned and be so much more confident! I would highly recommend this class to any new parents! I'm actually thinking of coming back to Bini with my baby when he comes and doing some of the Mommy and Me classes. Thanks Ana! read more

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I did my Doula training here with Ana Paula, and it was nothing short of life changing. Ana Paula teaches you how to be a doula, but she is also sharing her light with us, allowing all of her students to find our own doula philosophies, and build our confidence as advocates. She discusses the inequities in birth, and is rEAL about how racism and privilege impact birthing experiences. So blessed to have been guided through this process by Ana Paula! read more

I did my doula training in person with Ana Paula the weekend before the world shut down due to COVID. In the midst of a pending pandemic, this felt like a safe space. It was such an inspiring weekend! and Ana Paula is an amazing doula instructor, there wasn't a dull moment! Highly recommend! read more

This place is absolutely amazing. My wife and I took the birthing class before our first baby a few years back and we very much enjoyed it. The woman running the class (who also runs the center) is extremely passionate and it shows. Because of them we went into our birth knowing exactly what to expect. Highly recommended. read more

Soooo, Im still twirling from the beautiful and inspiring 3 day Doula birthing workshop. First off, the place that we attended training in is such an sweet conversation piece within itself. Secondly, the energy,( very very important to me) was light, free flowing and welcoming so I felt immediately at ease. The connection of the sharing of information was absolutely incredible. The lectures were filled with humor, honesty and emotions that fulfilled all questions of genuineness , if you had any. I learned a lot, even being within the field. I def discovered new directions I wanted to walk down in regards to this path and more than anything I DEEPLY FELT THE INSTRUCTOR ", her assistant coaches, the other people taking the workshop were from all over yet the feeling of true purpose and assisting others was deep in most of our being. I can state what I want and visualize to happen but I can also say that it feels easily attainable from this point on.... Much thanks to the class for their honest participation, questions, and participation. To Ana for her utmost true blue contagious energy AND Bini Birth for making a space for others to question, utilize and delve into your various services. Im so ready to see what this path holds for my future!! read more

I just took the Doula training from Ana Paula and it was wonderful! Ana Paula is inspiring, thoughtful, spirited, warm and inclusive. The course was taught in a very relatable way. There was always room for questions and clarification. When learning from Ana Paula, I felt like I was learning from the BEST! Her experiences that she shared with us left me excited and hopeful to step into this career with confidence and support. If you are looking to become a Doula, your first stop should definitely be with Bini Birth! read more

After reading many glowing reviews about the Bini Birth childbirth classes we were very excited to take one even though it was repurposed to be online-only due to the pandemic, understandably.  Being very new to the whole process we decided to try the bundle of 4 Part Recorded Online Workshop and 1 Hr Online One on One Consultation with Ana Paula for $225. Unfortunately, our excitement ended as soon as we received the workshop "material" from Bini Birth. It was simply a Google Drive folder with 4 videos of incredibly bad production quality - Ana Paula sitting in front of super low resolution webcam while she screenshares a "presentation" which is simply an Apple Keynote deck not in full-screen "presentation" mode, details barely visible. What is worse, the audio content in the video is interrupted almost every 5 minutes by what appears to be Ana's Macbook power charging chime sound which is so loud that it mutes her voice and forces us to jump irritably. What is more, the videos are uploaded in such low encoding bit rate that it is often impossible to see any details in the video due to its blockiness and artifacts. Ignoring all the production/quality issues, we went through the videos and got some inspirational and informational content however we were not sure what exactly we paid $95 for. Nevertheless, we had some remaining questions and looked forward to getting the 1hr one on one time with Ana. We emailed Bini Birth to schedule the time however after weeks of multiple attempts we did not receive any response from them. As our baby is due soon, we could not wait any longer and got the necessary information from other sources which means that we don't even need this one on one session anymore. Bini Birth could at least communicate that they are busy and will reply with possible time slots so that we could plan around them but there was 0 effort in communication from them. All in all, our online experience with Bini Birth is a complete waste of money and time, I really wish someone reviewed it before us so that we could avoid making this mistake. Bini Birth, if you want to improve what you offer, please invest some time making good production quality videos and over-communicate to your customers, it's so appalling that you simply take the money and disappear when couples like us need you most. UPDATE: We received a full refund and apology from Bini stating that their email service may not have been working when we tried to contact them. I find it unacceptable to attempt to provide services without making sure that simple things like email actually work. Also, the video quality issue is still there so hopefully Bini can address this and then I can update my review once more. read more

I just took a weekend doula class with Ana Paula, and it was an incredible experience. The class was held over zoom due to covid but it was clear that Ana went the extra mile to make it a beautiful experience. Shes a gifted teacher and truly holds your attention, brings her stories to life, and provides endless amount of inspiration. I cannot wait to meet her in person, but have felt the love and support through zoom, email, and the facebook support groups. Thank you Ana for a magical time read more

I'm a guy, and I wanted to give a review because there might be other "dudes" out there wondering what this place might be like and I know most reviews will probably be from women, so here's a response for the dads out there (and moms too). I can't say enough how wonderful Ana Paula is here at Bini Birth. We took her birthing class and learned so much, and afterward had questions for our doctor that had been weighing over us, and long story short, our doctor ended up being very non-receptive to our questions and concerns. Basically we found out it was going to be "his way or the highway" on the day of our child's birth. We started researching more and ended up switching doctors and hospitals, and now have a team that is incredible and on par with how we would like our "labor day" to go. We would not have had the courage (or knowledge) to ask the tough questions had we not taken this class, and Ana Paula also met with us on her own time outside of class to answer questions we had and help us make the right decision. She is not only a great educational instructor, but a great PERSON. Can't recommend this place enough. Great insight into the "natural" way of doing things, but also has respect for medical intervention if/when it's necessary, and finding a happy medium between the two. We'll definitely be coming back once the baby is born for their other classes. read more

LOVE- EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS PLACE! The RIE class with Jill Getto Lee- Truly amazing work. I cannot speak highly enough about the value of this approach to seeing children. I mean it when I say I believe it "saved" my baby on so many levels, and it is giving him the best start in life any parent could wish for. It has made me see my baby with new eyes, and has completely changed my experience as a mother- I never get "tired" of a diaper change, or feeding, or the daily activities we do to care for our babies. Now I observe and relate to my son with awe and respect for the brilliance they are born with. (If we just allow). Ive learned so much from RIE, and am so grateful. Our teacher Jill Getto Lee is such a compassionate, knowledgable, gifted teacher, we are blessed to have found you all. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts! read more

I enjoyed our birth weekend workshop with Sarah. I wasn't sure how diverse the setting was going to be but turns out all kinds of families were in the group which put me at ease. We were able to take the workshop because my boss was kind enough to give me a "congratulations" gift card so we thought this would be putting it to good use. The cost isn't cheap but I think it's worth it, especially if you're splitting it between two people. My mother was an L&D nurse so I went in knowing a lot already from just hearing her talk about the hospital and visiting. My partner did not know much so it was great to go through all the scenarios of labor and options/outcomes of a hospital birth. She did also address home births/birthing centers for each point. It was also nice to gain insight into how LA hospitals tend to work--we're from NYC originally. I went in with little anxiety and still do have little fear regarding labor and the birth process but there were some women who were afraid and I think the workshop was very helpful for them. Sarah took care to understand each couple's fears regarding birth to help soothe them through knowledge. The support exercises for our partners was amazing and we practiced them at home afterward. It was helpful to have someone else explain how to support a women in labor, my partner found it very helpful. Sarah was also an L&D nurse so it was nice that she had that first hand knowledge and shared both a medical and doula perspective. Turns out she also grew up in Ecuador, which happens to be where my mother is from. The only thing that was strange from a logistics perspective is I didn't get any information beyond the initial confirmation once I paid until almost the day of. Correspondence seems very limited though I usually go through email since I spend most of my days at work and don't always have a moment to make a personal call. They may be better reached by phone if you're having troubles. I will update this after labor and let everyone know how it helped overall. Oh--and if you take one class, they will send you an email afterwards with a discount for future classes (who doesn't want a discount with a baby on the way!) I made the mistake of signing up for another class before that email was sent and, like I mentioned, email correspondence isn't so fantastic on their end so I'm assuming I missed out on the discount. So just wait for the email and hopefully they offer it again for future classes! read more

We chose this class out of convenience as it is located in the same building as our midwifes (and what a cool building it is!) and wow, did we get lucky. I didn't even realize that she is one of the top child birth educators IN CALIFORNIA when we started, we just knew that we really liked her energy and spirit. The class was formated very well and easy to understand. It covered basically everything from labor to after birth. It made us feel more comfortable with the process that will soon be taking place in our life. Less surprises I believe leads to higher confidence and less fear. The class catered to both home birth (which we are doing) and hospital births. And the information was presented without judgment. read more

This is a great place that offers so much for expecting mothers, new moms and mommy & baby classes. When I was pregnant I went here to Roza Baghdassarian who is a lactation consultant and also has a boutique where you can get custom fittings for nursing bras and apparel. It was so helpful to get measured and fitted for these bras and Roza answered all my first-time-Mommy questions in regards to breastfeeding. I also attend weekly RIE classes here with Jill Ghetto Lee. This parenting approach has been so insightful and eye-opening. My husband attends with me too and we both enjoy being so observant and present with our daughter and the other babies during class. Bini Birth is also where I attend a monthly breastfeeding support group that Roza leads. It is free and such a great outlet to receive support and meet other moms. Love this charming & magical place and all that it offers and represents for enriching both moms & babies. read more

We loved our birth class at Bini Birth. Sarah L. was our teacher, and she was so energetic - perfect for the one-day (9-5) session! She has so much knowledge, and you can tell she is passionate about the subject. We went in feeling stressed about the idea of labor and delivery and left feeling empowered and excited! Thank you! read more

After some web search, I contacted Lactation Consultant Roza Baghdassarian about my daughter's possible tongue tie. She followed up same day and addressed my concerns. I brought my toddler son and newborn daughter to her office (which is a beautiful location). She offered wonderful advice, taught me to syringe feed my daughter as another option to bottle feeding and recommended me to Dr. Murphy, a specialist in Solano Beach. Not only to she offer wonderful services, but support as well. She kept in touch via text to check in our progress. And she offered advice to my niece as well who has sparked an interest in pursuing a career as a lactation consultant. I highly recommend seeing Roza! read more

I was skeptical about attending, and especially because of the cost and I had read books on labor and childbirth. The intensive one day birth prep. course was worth every penny, and possibly saved us $$$$$ with the information and tips. We covered things you could not get in any book. The instructor, Carlie, was amazing. I would really highly recommend this class. read more

I recently attended a Birth Doula weekend workshop with Ana Paula Markel, and it was extraordinary! The instructors (Ana Paula Markel, Kathrin Auger and Rebecca Benenati) are incredibly warm, helpful, knowledgeable and experienced, both as doulas and as instructors. They welcomed us in, took us under their wings and inspired us in so many ways!Talk about empowering! To be part of he Bini Birth Family seems to be a little bit of magic! Whether you are pregnant or interested in professional education, I highly suggest looking into Bini Birth! read more

Bini Birth is a wonderful place to go (and in a beautiful building) when you are expecting, looking to meet other parents, looking for advice and knowledge from the doulas, and much more! it's a whole caring community! with my husband we attended the 6 weeks birth workshop class with Shelly and Stephanie and it was one of our favorite moment of the pregnancy. Thanks to that class, we felt very prepared and relaxed, and looked forward to the birth day. I ended having a wonderful unmedicated natural birth at the hospital as planned. thank you bini birth team and Ana Paula! read more

My partner and I attended the two day weekend birth class. It was a perfect setup for our work schedules. The class was really informative, the teachers were very organized, had a lot of information but not overwhelming which helped me a lot. I struggle with reading books and this class format was very helpful to learn. read more

Ana is the best doula I have ever met. Her business was built with love end so much knowledge. I know her doula trainings have helped so many people along their journeys and I highly recommend Bini Birth to anyone looking for a safe place to learn and grow in the doula world. read more

BINI Birth is the absolute go-to for doula and childbirth education training. I have trained as a doula and as a childbirth educator with BINI Birth, and I would go nowhere else. Ana Paula Markel provides the most comprehensive support and information I have ever experienced. Everyone I've met through BINI is incredible as well. It's a wonderful community hub for parents, expecting parents, and those wanting to expand their knowledge in this field. It's beautiful, welcoming, and warm, and Ana Paula's experience and knowledge make this place unmatched. read more

This review is about a class I took at Bini Birth that I'm told by the owner is not directly affiliated with Bini Birth. I took the hypnobirthing class here and got some good info and support. The only thing I really didn't like was the repetitive messaging raising doubts about vaccines. I took this class to learn about birth, not be indoctrinated into the anti-vaxx movement. I expressed my discomfort after we spent an unusual amount of time in multiple classes hearing about this topic. The instructor was receptive about it, but it made me question some of the other advice we'd been given since vaccines are ya know--important. It was even sadder though, when the instructor successfully convinced two first time parent couples to not get their infant vaccinated at the hospital (once they did research from sources the instructor had recommended, of course). Though the class was expensive, hypnobirthing techniques ended up being very helpful. Despite this, I wouldn't recommend taking this particular class as some hospital classes ended up covering the same ground without the unnecessary speeches about vaccines. Nonetheless, Bini Birth has a good vibe and lots of resources. Parking was easy and the space itself is clean and comfortable. read more

Bini Birth has been a great resource for me while I have been pregnant. I got excellent referrals to doulas, took a wonderful lactation class, the infant child care class was wonderful for my husband and I. He really bonded with the toy babies and is excited more than ever to hold our pending bundle of joy. We also got to learn about homebirth here and cloth diaper services. I'm looking forward to the upcoming Comfort measures class as well. Having this community has been great for finding pediatricians and other resources. They really make me feel supported and prepared. read more

I recently completed my birth doula training workshop with the remarkable Ana Paula. The workshop was nothing short of amazing! Although the workshop is condensed over 3 days and was conducted via Zoom, Ana Paula presented the material in a digestible and relatable way. She is so inspiring, personable and very knowledgeable. I'm so happy that I choose her and Bini Birth to start me on my journey of being a birth doula. Thanks again Ana Paula! read more

I recently completed my online Doula training with Ana Paula and it was nothing short of incredible. Spending 3 days on a Zoom training can be daunting, but she kept us engaged and excited every minute. I could not recommend her and Bini Birth enough. She made every person in that training feel heard, loved, respected, and a part of a community- not to mention also learning a TON about what it means to be a Doula. I feel prepared to step into my career with knowledge and confidence. Shes just the BEST. read more

Grateful Grateful Grateful! A whimsical place full of empowered women honoring other women & their chikdren. Pure magic! read more

Thank you so much, Julie! It's been a pleasure! Thank you for sending us actual scientific articles and guiding us through this incredible journey. Parenthood is definitely not easy but it's easier when you have the right guidance and group of parents to go through it together. read more

My husband and I took the 6 week Childbirth Education Class and loved every moment of it. Neither one of us has family out here in Los Angeles so we were encouraged to take a longer class to make friends with other parents and we did just that. The other couples were so great. We learned a lot which has eased so many of my concerns and fell in love with the Bini Birth educators. Bini Birth is a great resource for parents. read more

I recently attended the Birth Doula weekend at Bini Birth. I can't even begin to explain how informative, warm , exciting and valuable this training was . Ana Paula Markel and the entire Bini Birth team were welcoming and encouraging and empowering. It was remarkable how quickly we grew as a team to embrace the passion and compassion of the doula profession. I will be back for additional courses to enhance my second career as a doula. I am recently retired and was so pleased to meet with a group of men and women of all ages and backgrounds all committed to the goals of enhancing the birthing experiences of mothers and their support team. If you are interested in this training i strongly recommend Bini Birth. (and the building is as beautiful as it appears on their web site.) read more

Stars and words cannot adequately describe this experience. I was struggling with breastfeeding after 2 weeks post partum and made an appointment with Roza the lactation consultant. She sat with me, my husband and little one while gently instructing and reinforcing what we were already doing well in breastfeeding. Even before the appointment she talked me back into a calm and rational state when I was freaking out about my little one getting enough to eat. Without this experience I may have made a choice that was not medically necessary nor what I wanted, ie giving up and feeding the little one formula. Now almost 5 months in I know I wouldn't be where I am with breastfeeding. I do not know much else about this place but the lactation consultant was brilliant. read more

I took the Doula workshop with Ana Paula Markel at Bini Birth and thought it was amazing. Ana Paula is such an awesome teacher. She was informative and evidence based, she offered many resources, and most of all I felt incredibly empowered by the end of the weekend to get out there and start this new chapter in my life. read more

This is where I did most of my doula training. Paula is full of so much information don't be afraid to pick her mind or any other teacher there of any questions or concerns you think of. It's such a lovely building and has the most heart warming people that work there. The entire vibe I got was one of sharing knowledge and wanting to share the ability to help women believe in their bodies and their ability to know what is right for them. I got to meet so many other completely compassionate people who also want to help woman in their hours of need. And people in your class truly feels like a family should after ward where we all keep tabs on each other and help out anyone when we can. read more

We love Bini! We started going to Bini when we began looking for a Doula. Ana Paula was absolutely wonderful. She met with us to go over our needs, fears and wants. After gathering info she set us up with a couple interviews. We immediately feel in love with Rachel. She was just fabulous. We also attended the weekend "crash course" childbirth class taught by Ana Paula. We got sooo much out of this wonderful class. I ended up having an emergency C-section but was so thankful I took the class. I was able to use techniques taught to stay calm and in the moment. It ended up to work out really well for us! We also attended Rachel's newborn care class. What a great class for everyone but especially dads! My husband wished it was longer he enjoyed it so much. Now that I have a newborn, as soon as she is old enough I plan on taking some of the mommy and me classes. This place really is fabulous! What makes it fabulous? The wonderful women who work there. It is such a warm inviting place. I highly recommend it to anyone. FYI : I love the place so much I drive from Marina del Rey to go there!! Worth it! read more

This is a review for the Monday mommy and me class. I have never been compelled to write a review before, but feel that new mommies need to know how great this class is. The class is in a large loft room with couches, blankets, rugs, yoga balls. I usually sit on the floor with my baby on a blanket in front of me so he can visit/ talk with other babies next to him (he is 3 months old). The topics range from starting solids to sleeping. It is great to have a non judgmental place to go and ask questions you may have. Nancy and Rachel are amazing and have so much knowledge about babies. It is also nice to meet other new moms. read more

The weekend childbirth education course my husband and I took at Bini was a game changer for us! We felt ready to roll when labor began (well, as ready as nervous first-time parents can be), and used much of the wonderful information and comfort measures we learned in our class. Thanks for helping find our rhythm quickly! I'm very pleased that my hopes for a natural, unmedicated birth became a reality, but I also want to acknowledge that the class we took wasn't just geared toward the kind of birth we hoped for; it was informative about the many types of birth choices available and completely non-judgmental. read more

It only makes sense that Bini Birth just moved into a "castle" cause this place and the people inside has always been a source of MAGIC in my life - and to so many others too! I started attending different birth-related workshops and panels at Bini over a year ago and it was here that I found "my people" and such a beautiful place for community and education. I did my Doula training with the magnificent (both in spirit and skill) Ana Paula Markel and officially set off on this new career path. I have since recommended Bini Birth to every expecting couple and new mama I know. I promise you will never feel more supported, comforted and educated than when you step foot into Bini Birth. read more

My wife and I have used Bini for their Childbirth Workshop, taught by Shelly, and the Baby Care workshop, taught by Rachel. We even used the Home Birth Service of Los Angeles with Leslie Stewart and Catherine Williams, which is based in the same building. She and I could not have been happier about our continuing experiences. Bini was recommended to us by a friend with equally-positive experiences. The Childbirth Class was eye-opening, to say the least, and immensely helpful in preparing us for our child's birth. The workshop covered the essential topics from prenatal and postpartem care, breathing exercises, diapering, bathing, breastfeeding, and basic infant health care. Shelly is delight and ensures that everyone in the class has their questions answered and concerns addressed before moving through her curriculum. I would absolutely recommend this class to all soon-to-be parents, wether home- or hospital-birthing, and it is extremely couple-friendly. The Baby Care workshop is equally as important. There, Rachel (who is steward of the Bini Birth store downstairs), describes the differences and pros vs. cons of many baby products. There is a distinct emphasis on sustainable products such as 'green' baby care, cloth diapers, and for laundering. Bini's comprehensive offering of various workshops and support meetings is excellent and very inclusive. We continue to visit the Bini store as a convenient place to pick up a few frequently-used items. And as a dad, I've even found Bini to be a comfortable place to stop to feed and change my son in between errands. My review of Home Birth Services can be found on their Yelp page, because it technically a separate business. read more