We're expecting our first baby in February 2026 and initially felt pretty overwhelmed about where to start with birth planning. We were even hesitant to take a birth class at all--but we're so grateful we took Lisa Greaves' class. While we're planning a hospital birth, we hope to avoid a C-section if possible, and Lisa's class truly empowered us to feel comfortable and informed about all of our options. We learned about laboring at home longer, pain management strategies both with and without medication, and how to advocate for ourselves throughout the process. By the final session, we felt much more knowledgeable about pre- and postnatal care and genuinely prepared to welcome our baby. We also really appreciated the sense of community and the additional resources the class provides. Can't recommend it enough! read more

We absolutely loved our classes with Lisa! The class was informative, supportive, and incredibly empowering. The classes are extremely comprehensive without feeling overwhelming. We came into class feeling excited but very nervous about this next chapter and left feeling so much more confident and prepared for both birth and the newborn stage. We loved Lisa's thoughtful approach - blending evidence-based information with compassionate, personalized support in a way that felt holistic, reassuring, and never fear-based. 10/10 - Highly recommend to any expecting parents looking for a childbirth class that feels both realistic and deeply supportive! Thank you, Lisa! read more

Lisa is a gifted educator on all things childbirth and we're SO happy to have attended her 3 day intensive in-person classes a few months prior to our due date. I was immediately impressed by Lisa's care and high-touch approach when I saw her thoughtful response to my intake form at the time we registered for the program. And throughout the course, Lisa's wealth of knowledge, passion, and genuine desire to help really carried through. She's also a bright ray of sunshine and we really appreciated her warmth and hospitality in what could feel like a long three day class otherwise. We had snacks and drinks, were able to move around freely, sit on the floor, sit on the yoga ball, there are squatty potties in each bathroom, I mean she literally thought of everything in trying to make this experience as comfortable and smooth for us as possible. With each class, we felt more and more confident and well equipped to welcome our baby and of course the added bonus in this being in-person is that we also loved connecting with other couples that we will continue to stay in touch with. I would highly recommend to any couple who's expecting no matter the kind of birth experience you envision for yourseleves. read more

There's so much to figure out during a pregnancy - a birth class being one of them. We found Lisa's class online via Google; our midwife was familiar with Lisa and recommended the class. My wife and I took the 6 session Tues/Wed Birth Class and it was incredibly informative. Lisa is super friendly and knowledgeable, and her warm approach made the class fun. We took the course live over Zoom due to our schedules. Before taking the class, we thought we might not be getting the full experience online since we were not in person, but Lisa checked in with us frequently and we were free to interact with the rest of the class. We did not feel like we missed a beat. Lisa had very thorough followup emails after each week's course which had a plethora of information. Highly recommended for anyone who is looking for a birth class! read more

Absolutely one of the best decisions my partner and I made during our pregnancy journey. I have a demanding job, and I personally don't like to spend my free time reading. However, I was terrified of giving birth. My husband suggested taking a class so that I could learn in a way that better suited my style. We took Lisa's 3 week twice a week Tues/Thur class in person. Immediately we felt her warmth and openness to create an environment meant for everyone. Before taking her class, I had very little knowledge of what to expect. I previously thought that the day of my daughter's birth, I'd head to the hospital quickly, get an epidural, and do whatever the doctor suggested. After taking her class, I realized the many benefits of laboring at home longer, using coping methods, and advocating for myself. I am happy to say that in November I had a positive birthing experience. Without Lisa's class, it would have been very different and I am so grateful for those 3 incredibly educational weeks of classes. read more

Great class and highly recommend. It's obvious Lisa is passionate about the subject matter and continues to refresh her materials + knowledge base. read more

I could not be more grateful for my decision to do birth classes with Lisa in her cozy home. I thought it would be more than I really needed in terms of information, time etc - but I feel SO MUCH more equipped to handle my upcoming birth, which no longer feels daunting with all I've learned and all the tips I'm taking with me. Lisa is a true expert and the kindest person. I can't recommend this class enough and wish I could do it all over again! read more

My partner and I just graduated from Lisa's six-class All-in-One Childbirth Series in-person course. I feel so well-prepared for the "wide range of normal" that my partner, our families, and I are experiencing and are about to experience. I highly recommend that expecting parents in the area take this course - you will come away from it feeling ready. It is obvious that Lisa has honed her craft of teaching over many years. The density and amount of information that she presented made me feel exhausted sometimes - but the experiences from which I learn the most are those which leave me exhausted. My unborn child and I thank you, Lisa! read more

I feel really lucky to have taken Lisa's 3-day class. I think it was just perfect for me and my husband, as my husband is very practical and info-driven and I can veer into the spiritual, floofy feelings side of things. This class was a great balance of both. Lisa keeps up to date on all the latest birthing research and presents facts intelligently, and also has such a positive and uplifting presence that you can't help but feel empowered. I feel better prepared after taking this class, and I feel my husband has a better understanding of my side of things, too. Definitely recommend! read more

My husband and I waited to have a child until we felt ready. However, after getting pregnant, I realized I had no idea how to cope with labor, take care of a newborn or even care for myself after giving birth. A friend of mine recommended Birth Matters NYC and I can't thank her enough. Lisa has a beautiful way of making people feel empowered. Her classes were engaging and so well researched. My husband and I "graduated" from her class today, we genuinely feel like we are prepared to handle the difficulties of being first time parents. If you are looking for a way to connect with other first time parents, Lisa goes above and beyond to organize meet ups/events to help build community for her students. read more

My husband and I recently took Lisa's 3 day in-person birthing course, and we couldn't be more pleased with it. We left each class feeling inspired and more confident about the upcoming birth of our 1st child. Lisa has a vast breadth and depth of knowledge about all things prenatal/birth/postnatal, and she organizes everything in a way that it really makes sense and sticks with you. She also provides many additional resources, including a text book, videos and extra reading. Not only that, she is so warm & engaging, and you know she deeply cares about her work and each participant in her class. Anytime I've reached out to her with questions she is quick to respond and so generous with her time and resources (ie, helping me find a doula). We also really enjoyed meeting other soon to be parents (we are now all in touch and plan to meet up after the birth of our babies-- how cool is that?). I have already recommended the Birth Matters courses to several expecting friends and patients of mine! read more

This class was truly a gift for my partner and I. It was full of relevant information, interesting discussion, best practices, and compassionate trauma informed approaches to this transformative time in our lives. I felt really heard and held in a safe space that was welcoming and non-judgmental about your choices during pregnancy and your future birth plan. Lisa was forthcoming with the shortcomings in our medical model around giving birth and provided the class with priceless tools and resources to ensure the best birthing outcomes for you and your wishes. The course content aside (which was amazing) another perk of this class is the intimate community you build with the other couples in your class and the support that comes from this experience. This class also brought my partner and I EVEN closer and more connected going into this life changing transition which will prove priceless moving forward. This is the foundation we were seeking and the class was worth it in every way. read more

My husband and I just completed the all in one childbirth series and it was probably the most important thing we have done to prep for our baby's arrival. Lisa is truly the best - she covers every angle and is never judge-y or closed-minded about how someone may want to approach birth. She also worked hard to reframe birth from something scary to something magical and entirely possible! That was so important to me. I also loved the focus on partners and the conversations between my husband & me that class inspired. I don't know that we would have talked about some of those things without this class. It's also so nice and beneficial to meet other local first time parents! And truly, Lisa could increase the price of this class by a lot - the amount of hours and the amount of work she puts into it (there are SO MANY online resources, videos, worksheets, etc.) it is beyond worth it. Thank you, Lisa & Birth Matters NYC! read more

We just finished Lisa's course and could not be happier with how everything went. We were a little curious as to how it would work out with the Zoom format, but the class was highly interactive and the experience overall was amazing. The wealth of knowledge provided through this class (and all of the reference materials as well) went above and beyond. Lisa was super attentive and responsive to any questions or concerns we had. The birth classes were something we looked forward to every weekend. Lisa equipped us with the tools and knowledge which helped us approach our experience with more confidence and a more enthusiastic vibe. I highly recommend this class to anyone looking to educate themselves and take part in something really fantastic before giving birth! read more

I highly recommend Lisa's 3-day intensive class for any expecting parents, even if you've hired a birth doula! My husband and I are expecting our first baby in about 1.5 months and just finished Lisa's 3-day intensive course. For context, we already hired a birth doula (who had recommended Lisa's class to us) and both had done quite a bit of self-education leading up to the birth class, so at first we weren't sure how additive the course would be for us, but we were oh so wrong. Nothing quite beats in-person learning to reinforce the things we already knew, and having access to Lisa's incredible breadth of knowledge and experience that spans prenatal to birth to postnatal was so valuable. Her course is thoughtfully laid out and well-organized, and it's really nice to have a single, comprehensive and trusted place for all the resources you might need/want in anticipation of the daunting experience and journey into birth and parenthood. A few other thoughts: I had done quite a bit of research on birth and newborn care classes in Brooklyn and NYC but nothing seemed quite as comprehensive and well-rounded as Lisa's 3-day intensive course. For us it was totally worth the 1-hour subway ride to Astoria from Brooklyn! Personally, given how thorough and information-packed the 3-day intensive course is, I'm glad we took it closer to our due date so the information is fresh in our minds leading up to our expected due date. I also felt that this class was especially valuable for both birthing people AND their partners because of her emphasis and inclusion of how partners can be physically, emotionally, and tactically supportive both during birth but postpartum once baby has arrived! She's also done a wonderful job creating such a warm and welcome setting for the class in her own home, which was a big plus. The cherry on top is being able to meet other expecting parents in the area and I really appreciate Lisa's efforts to foster a sense of community both during and after the class. read more

This class was by far the most informative and eye opening class regarding child birth and pregnancy in general! I highly recommend this class especially for 1st time parents and even as a refresher for experienced parents. read more

My pregnancy started at the same time as the pandemic and I was very sad not to have the opportunity to attend birth classes with my husband to meet other couples, emotionally prepare, and bond over this experience. However, I was so glad to have found the Birth Matters online curriculum. While I was skeptical at first of the online experience, the videos made a really wonderful replacement for live birth classes. I appreciated just how much information was included. I thought Lisa catered to a wide variety of birth experiences that people may or may not choose with no bias or judgement towards those choices. While my actual birth was far from smooth, I felt much more confident in my body and aware of what was happening throughout the process than if I hadn't had the videos. I hope to take a live class with Birth Matters for my next child! Thank you for the resource Lisa! read more

Lisa's Birth class was absolutely fantastic! I could not recommend her enough! She is extremely knowledgeable and provided resources from reliable sources for you to learn more about each topic as needed. My husband and I took the virtual course of 6x classes total and they were very interactive and gave us a chance to meet other expecting parents. The class has helped prepare us for our baby's upcoming birth in ways we never would have been prepared for otherwise. I found the Amazon list of supplies helpful for birth especially helpful as well as the textbook she provides that goes into detail on every topic we review in class. I would definitely recommend this course!! Thank you Lisa!! read more

My husband and I took Lisa's class virtually, due to the Covid19 citywide shutdown. I was initially skeptical when the class was converted to virtual. I've been taking other classes (yoga, etc) from providers moving offline to online, and the experience has been so-so. But Lisa's course, both content and virtual delivery, really blew me away! First, the content - Lisa is clearly super knowledgeable about all things birth and newborn care. Her course was chock full of useful information, as are the many supplemental materials and resources she provides. I went into the class feeling clueless and scared and came out feeling much more prepared! Second, the delivery - as mentioned, I was really surprised by how smoothly the class went virtually. Lisa set up a Zoom, and I could clearly see her, her presentation slides and the other participants in the class. Lisa herself was very articulate, has a great sense of humor, and honestly it was pretty fun and entertaining for my husband and I to participate in. The only thing we regret about the virtual experience is that we didn't get to try Lisa's home-baked cookies! I highly recommend Lisa's class, including the virtual experience! read more

My husband and I took this class in February and March with our April baby and it was one of the most valuable things we did. We walked into the end of my pregnancy and the birth of our child armed with a ton of information and ready to face whatever was coming next. By the end of our course, we were well armed with all sorts of information and felt well versed in everything related to the upcoming birth, hospital stay, and post natal care. I felt so prepared and well informed and that made going into the next steps so much easier. I cannot recommend this class highly enough. read more

I can't say enough good things about Lisa and her class. As a first time parent there are so many things to consider especially at a time like this. Because of the Pandemic our class (which came extremely highly recommended by other parent in our neighborhood and other birth workers who we interviewed with) was held virtually. Although it would have been nice to meet other new parents and get to meet Lisa in the flesh her virtual accommodations were handled so gracefully. My wife and I are such huge fans of Lisa, her energy, her spirit and the education she provides. This is top tier, cream of the crop birth education at its finest and I can not recommend it highly enough. I give it 10 stars! read more

We took Lisa's birth class right when COVID-19 situation started. All of the three sessions turned into a virtual one (the first one still had a choice - and we chose to participate online). We really loved the input we got - I believe it was around our 26th week or so (relatively early compared to other participants). Having gone through her sessions and also being able to rely on her website's resource page (and various organizations it was connected to) made us feel so informed while navigating through the uncertain times during COVID-19 in New York. We are now going back to her online course for a refresher. I really love how she loves her work and continue to stay on top of what is most relevant and the latest. We are so grateful that we found this and decided to go with it. Highly recommended! read more

Lisa was amazing. her deep knowledge and cheerful demeanor made this class (these classes!) SUPER helpful. as a nearly new dad, i had some concerns, and unknowns that made the upcoming birth of our child a bit nerve wracking, but i must say i feel significantly more equipped to get into this. (my wife also enjoyed the class and found it beneficial). i can't recommend spending the time to do the three 4 hour sessions with Lisa. it seems like so much time but she covers so much and it's ALL vital info. do yourself a favor, if you are expecting, take the class. worth every penny. Thanks Lisa! looking forward to reunions and hearing about how everyone in the class does as they enter the new phase of their lives. read more

Absolutely loved Lisa's birth class! She is a wonderful and fun teacher with a wealth of knowledge and practical tips. Her info is up to date and she truly provides unbiased information. For more holistic minded people, she is a great resource providing info in a modern way. I especially loved the hands on, interactive parts of the class where we got to practice massage, infant care, and many other things. Highly recommend her courses. read more

I recently finished Lisa's 6 session in-person class and had a great experience. It is our first child and I was feeling overwhelmed so was happy to find a class in the area that covered birth as well as post-partum. Lisa's class breaks it down into manageable sections -- it is a lot of information to absorb but you can always go back and re-read and reference the information later. I liked especially how she frames birth as a natural and special process -- she is realistic and down-to-earth about the hard parts but also emphasizes it as positive experience. Lisa is also a doula so tends toward natural childbirth and pain relief, but she gives all options and was non-judgemental if you do not choose an all-natural route. It was a cozy setting in her living room and it was great to also meet local soon-to-be-parents as part of the class. read more

Loved this class! As a first time parent / pregnant woman with frankly very limited knowledge of the process, I felt that the discussions and topics covered were extremely helpful in taking some of the mystery out of it for me. Of course, I believe there are still plenty of things that I won't truly know until I am "in it", but I do feel much better equipped and less afraid to enter into labor and delivery after taking Lisa's class. Lisa was very welcoming, kind, thoughtful about the topics addressed, and took time to answer any questions we had. Highly recommend to anyone looking for some birth "prep"! read more

Cannot recommend this class or Lisa enough. I searched for hours for a comprehensive birth+newborn virtual class and so happy with my decision. What I loved about this course is I was guaranteed to get Lisa as the instructor, who is knowledgeable, funny, warm, flexible and empowering (whereas with other courses, there's not always a guarantee who will be teaching you). She also has an incredible podcast so her virtual zoom class (due to Covid) was seamlessly and professionally set up. She had a good "radio" voice, microphone, great internet connection, great visuals, good lighting and organized class materials for following along virtually. In fact it was almost better doing the class virtually because I could stay in my pajamas on my couch! Lastly, I like her eye towards balance. She doesn't overwhelm you with information but provides a ton of priceless tips you couldn't get from any book. As well as gives you the option to read additional resources/videos. She also doesn't judge you for birthing in hospital or using medications, but leans more towards Ina Gaskin style of nature knows best and advocate for yourself! Overall class was perfection and you can do yourself a favor and stop searching now! read more

Lisa offers a WEALTH of information. As expecting new parents, we are excited, scared, clueless, and open to learning. This class was perfect! We enjoyed the class size and the welcoming atmosphere. Lisa made us feel as though no question was too dumb to ask and she is extremely genuine and non-judgmental. The class was also super inclusive addressing people of color and men/partners. Another thing that really impressed me was that she continues to educate herself and is very involved in the Birth community making her aware of the latest trends and outdated practices. Totally worth the investment!' read more

Lisa is an amazing birth educator. She is compassionate, empathetic and informative. She has great guidance to offer anyone preparing for a baby. Lisa presents it in an easily accessible manner and provides the right balance of info for you to make informed decisions about your health. One thing I especially like is she covers newborn care as well. This helped my husband - who had previously not been around babies - be prepared to take care of our newborn from day 1. I am so glad we took this class, with its holistic approach to labor and postpartum. read more

Really great class. Covers birth preparation as well as postpartum and newborn care. Lisa is extremely knowledgeable, passionate and on top of every subject matter. We took the intensive 3 weekend course which was perfect for our busy schedules. If you have more time, I would recommend taking the regular length course as it is not only a wealth of information and very reassuring, it's also a great way to bond with your birthing partner. We graduated feeling empowered and ready to enter this new chapter of our life. read more

My wife and I are expecting our first child soon, and like most first timer parents, we slammed through all the books, read all the googles (don't, for the most part...), and sucked up as much advice as we could from friends and family who have done it. So we figured we were pretty much good to go, until my wife happened upon Lisa's childbirth education class! At first we weren't entirely sure if we really needed to take it. In this time of draining bank accounts* preparing for the baby, did we really need to spend more to have someone tell us everything we read already? After some thought, we decided why not. At the very least we'd get to meet some other expectant couples. Since we're the first of our close friends to be having kids, this would be nice. Lisa offers several different options for classes. Because we are due relatively soon, we went with the intensive 3-day, 4 hours per day, option. We arrived to Lisa's very comfy home, received our day 1 name tags, met the other five couples who we would be classmates with for the whole course, and got settled in for the class. Snacks and beverages were provided for the first day, and then the group split bringing snacks the second and third days. With tasty treats in hand and introductions done, we dove in. That little mention above about having read everything and was good to go? Throw that notion out the window. Lisa's discussions on the actual process of labor as well as the various ways to manage both the pain and anxiety associated with it was incredibly valuable. We just didn't learn that from any book. And having someone who has been through it both personally and professionally made everything feel so much more real and human. By that I mean that the books can all be very scientific and matter of fact, when there is so much more that goes into it. After the first day, we felt so much more confident going into this. I cannot express enough how important that is to us. The following days were fantastic as well. I'm not going to go into details about what we learned (go take the class!), but I will say the only "negative" (and I use that loosely) thing I ran into was feeling a little overwhelmed with info by the third class. That said, that is the nature of an intensive 3-day class. It's a ton of info to absorb and remember. If you can, go with the less intensive, more spaced out classes. Regardless of which you take, know you will leave feeling awesome. Lisa also provides you with follow up e-mails, class materials, youtube videos, etc that you can reference back to afterwards, which is a huge help when you start to feel overwhelmed. read more

My wife and I just wrapped up Lisa's 3 week evening series for Childbirth Education. We cannot say enough good things about her. We absolutely loved the class and are very thankful for her because we were truly clueless. Without any close friends who have had children, our only resource was our parents. Like many of your parents, our parents had us during very different times. With so many new innovations and an advanced understanding of heath and medicine, it is important to get an "up to date" perspective on how the birthing process works. Lisa is such an excellent teacher. She presents the information in an easy to understand manner and is always open to questions. Her home, where the classes are held, is so inviting. The group setting is great for meeting other couples going through the same thing as you. As a lesbian couple, we were a bit nervous about how we would be viewed or treated, but Lisa made us feel right at ease. She treated us just like every other couple and was always careful about referring to the un-pregnant partner as the "partner" and not the husband or father. She is just awesome :) Keep up this amazing work Lisa! We all greatly appreciate you. read more

My husband and I attended Lisa's childbirth class and we both found it to be very helpful. She was excellent at putting us at ease and helping us understand what to expect, even though everyone's experience is different. She answered all our questions, even the silly ones and was very patient. She's been great even post our baby's birth with references. I would definetly recommend all new expecting parents to attend her class and have all the resources for the big day. read more

Lisa's course is incredible! There is so much my husband and I never expected to learn surrounding giving birth to our first child and the first several days of our newborn's life. Lisa equipped us with a plethora of resources that we can continually refer to as we finish up our last few weeks of pregnancy and launch into parenthood. Especially lovely was that the classes are located in her home in our neighborhood. This allowed us to connect with many other first time parents who are in the area. Thank you, Lisa! read more

Lisa is FANTASTIC. Like another reviewer, we schleped all the way from East Flatbush, Brooklyn to Astoria because of all the rave reviews we read. And it was well worth it. Lisa is unbiased, educated, warm, supportive and well organized! I felt like she cared about each of us and took to really get to know our situations and preferences. We also read several natural childbirth books, and it was great to reinforce and/or clarify things we had questions about. We also viewed a couple of videos that we found very helpful as well. It was also lovely to meet other expecting parents and I hope that we will stay in touch. Also, a word about location and the home. It is super convenient off the BQE if you drive, with plenty of parking, and Lisa's home is comfortable, homey and welcoming. We always had snacks (which she provided the first time and then we all took turns after), beverages, etc at our disposal. All in all, we left the course feeling very empowered and informed. Thanks Lisa! read more

Would definitely recommend this class to expecting parents! My husband and I came in already having done a lot of our own research, but it was still useful to have it talked through by Lisa who is super kind and engaging. She was also a great resource for any questions we had. While we miss the opportunity to do these classes online, virtual actually worked out great! read more

Lisa Taylor is an absolute joy to know. It just so happens that she is also a wonderful teacher! We were so happy with her comprehensive birth class, offered in her cozy living room. At first I felt a bit daunted by the information we needed to cover but as soon as we stepped into her house I felt at ease. Lisa gives you a wealth of reference information to draw from, but boils it down to very manageable sections. The class seems to go by very quickly and the information she provides is interesting, practical, and at times hands on. After completing the course Lisa continues to make herself available to you. I recently reached out to her for help finding an IBCLC and she got back to me within hours. I cannot recommend her enough. Lisa gave us the confidence we needed and helped us to enter into the experience better informed, calm, and ready to start our new adventure! read more

We took Lisa's class at Birth Matters and could not be happier with the experience. Lisa is a warm and exceptional teacher, having a wealth of knowledge which helped greatly on this daunting journey of becoming first time parents. The class was virtual and we felt instantly connected to her and the other pregnant couples, just as if we were in the same room. We left feeling doubly confident and empowered after each class. Love love love - the perfect birth class! read more

I highly recommend this class for parents who are unsure and uneducated about labor and postpartum. I learned a ton of new information and had plenty of time to go over any and all questions my partner and I had as well as the rest of the class. Lisa is engaging and very knowledgable! read more

Lisa Taylor's Birth Matters class was in-depth and eye-opening in so many ways. Prior to attending her class, I felt a great amount of fear surrounding the idea of giving birth, as this is somewhat the norm in our culture. However, in attending her class, the amount of information I received gave me the necessary knowledge that I needed to feel confident and prepared for this life-altering event. No longer did I feel unprepared or fearful, but reassured and even excited to have my baby boy! Knowledge truly is power, and I believe that educating myself on the various aspects of childbirth was part of the reason I had a seven hour, unmedicated birth for my first child. If you or a friend are expecting, you must take this class! read more