My wife and I had Lauren come to the house for a private childbirth class. We really appreciated…read morethis option, as we have busy schedules, and it was nice to not have to coordinate going anywhere for once. Lauren was very prepared and we learned a lot from her class. Once the class was over, she followed up to make sure we didn't have any lingering questions. We highly recommend her to anyone looking for an affordable option for an excellent childbirth class.

From the owner: Birth & Postpartum Doula -- informational & emotional support throughout pregnancy, childbirth &…read morethe postpartum period. Prenatal appointments offered in-home. Available for hospital, birth center, or home births. VBAC, scheduled cesareans, and/or high risk pregnancies supported. Postpartum availability for day shifts or overnights to provide hands-on support for the whole family in the healing from childbirth and the adjustment of caring for a newborn. Multiples support available. Certified Childbirth Educator -- offering modern childbirth education classes for couples choosing hospital or out-of hospital births. Small group or private in-home classes available.

I HIGHLY recommend this class! My husband and I attended Amy's 2-day childbirth class ahead of…read morehaving our first baby, and both agree this class is a MUST for expecting parents. Amy has a wealth of knowledge regarding all things childbirth, post-partum, and breastfeeding. Amy is extremely easy to talk to, which helped me feel comfortable asking her my millions of questions. Above all else, Amy is engaging. She was born to teach. We were never once checked out or bored during this two-day intensive. Amy's class is worth every penny. THANK YOU Amy! p.s. Amy is also one of the funniest people I've ever met, which just adds to the experience of Planet Childbirth!!

Amy was knowledgeable, experienced, personable and made the whole day and a half class fun! She…read morethoroughly explained all the options for the birth plan and process, whether in the hospital or birthing center, without bias. As a chiropractor who also works on pregnant women, I will be recommending her class to all my pregnant patients moving forward! And as a first time mom, not only did she give more confidence in laboring & delivery of this baby, but she also REALLY equips the husbands to support their wives well. My husband, having 2 kids in a previous marriage, said he didn't realize how much he didn't know & how much more he could've done to be more supportive through his other children's births. That spoke volumes! We were recommended to take a different 12 week class, but just didn't have the time to do it. I'm so thankful our midwife referred us to Amy instead! This is the class we were meant to take! 10/10 recommend. Thank you Amy!!

Samantha was amazing!! She came to our home and covered the last few weeks of pregnancy, labor, and…read morepostpartum period. She answered ALL of our questions, made my husband more comfortable in supporting me during labor, & made me feel way more confident in my decision for a VBAC. Please reach out to her if you need a class or Doula Services!!

Samantha was amazing! Just great to have a doula in general but loved how she came to our house,…read moreloved her firm encouragement while I was giving birth, she helped me so much and her questions for me and baby during labor toward the medical staff was so helpful. Things got done sooner or slower because she knew what to ask! So helpful! Also loved how personable she is!! I felt like I clicked so fast with Samantha!

My husband and I learned about this class through our prenatal care provider with Women Partners in…read moreHealth. We registered for an all day Childbirth class complete with a Seton hospital tour-- it was a wonderfully informative day that left us feeling confident and prepared for what to expect on "Labor Day". Jillian Silva, our childbirth instructor, was communicative via email and text in the days leading up to the class and welcomed us at the door upon arrival. The class presentation was delivered through PowerPoint slides, lectures, videos and hands-on demonstrations and practice. Jillian was very knowledgeable on all points discussed during the class, and had tangible hospital items for us to view and touch for further understanding and familiarity. We covered topics such as: what to pack in your hospital and baby bag, stages of labor, relaxation techniques, responsibilities of partner, options for labor pain relief (degrees of natural and non-natural options), labor aids/tools that the hospital provides and more! Jillian, who is also a certified Doula, has such a calming and confident nature. She was professional, timely, prepared and very friendly; she even made brownies for the class! Anyone who chooses to have her presence and expertise during their labor and delivery is one lucky mama. The class was from 9am-4pm with a 30 min lunch and the hospital tour from 3-4pm. The long day was totally worth it! I walked away from the class feeling equipped to do what my body knows how to do naturally, and if and when I need support, I now know who to contact. Thanks Jillian for being a great instructor!

Brandi and Jillian are both amazing. Like another yelper wrote, "where to even begin?"…read more We engaged with Austin Childbirth for birth doula services. They come highly recommended, from my wife's OBGYN as well as some of the Seton Hospital staff and Shelley, also of Seton, who taught our "ABC's of Childbirth" class (recommended). I was skeptical at first. Being a traditionalist... and fearing the costs for, well everything as I stand on the edge of the financial abyss of having my first child. My wife wanted to go "all natural" for her birth which means NO PAIN MEDS. #scary At first we were considering birthing centers but that was a bit "too natural" for me. We compromised on getting a doula and having a hospital birth. The biggest benefit to me going in was that a lot of the pressure of what goes on during "go time" wouldn't be on my shoulders alone. In a large way, the doula was joining "team dad" to support mom. Having a professional who knows massages, counter-pressure exercises and other techniques to alleviate pain naturally is NOTHING SHORT OF MAGIC. Even small things like reassuring my wife that "this will pass" and coaching breathing techniques SEEMS like a small thing but when the rubber hits the road, you want that support; TRUST ME. Jillian and Brandi work as a team. From the beginning until after baby comes, Jillian and Brandi communicate via WhatsApp for any quick questions or concerns you may have. Brandi was personally present for our long session in the hospital. Brandi ... is ... AMAZING. So much so that I not only cried when hugging her as she was saying her "goodbyes" at the hospital but I also welled up a bit when she visited to check in on us after we brought baby home. (I just got a little emotional writing this.) ALTERNATIVE PAIN COPING TECHNIQUES: Brandi brought a calm positivity which is hard to explain. Early on she worked magic with massage and compression techniques, some of which she and I did together. She gave my wife coping techniques which brought her pain from an 8 down to a 3 WITHOUT MEDICINE. AGAIN: IT WAS LIKE MAGIC. The hospital staff looked on with admiration as she supported my wife, coaching her though contractions while doing lunges in the hallway at 8cm. ADVOCATE FOR MOM / FEWER INTERVENTIONS: Another thing that's important which can't be understated is that a doula is able to be an advocate for mom and her birth preferences. No slight meant for the medical staff here. The medical staff have their set of tools and protocols that they know and they will try to get you to accept them because that's their playbook. My wife was pretty adamant however about doing the fewest amount of medical interventions because each intervention makes you more statistically likely for more interventions as you careen down the rabbit hole to an unplanned c-section. A doula can help you stick with your birth preferences just by asking the right questions. Just having Brandi in the room was empowering because her goal isn't to get you in and out quick, but rather help you have the birth that you want. TENS FTW: Part of the package is that Austin Childbirth will loan you a TENS (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation) unit for pain during your last few weeks of pregnancy and then also for use in the labor / delivery room. It works by This also was something that cut down on my wife's pain considerably. The units they provide has a "surge" button which, when pressed, will go into higher strength mode for use during contractions. My wife swears by it. Brandi stayed with us through it all and then was even willing to keep us company as long as we wanted post-partum. Both Brandi and Jillian engaged with us after we were home just to check in and Brandi even came over to our house a week afterwards to check up on us and see how things were going / see if she could help out. While we aren't planning on having another, if we do, I can't imagine not calling up Brandi and Jillian to join us on our journey.

People don't think that they need a Doula sometimes because they have maybe support here or…read moresomebody to hold their hand but it makes such a huge difference to have somebody there that knows different interventions and knows how to reassure you. I contacted Molly later in my pregnancy because due to coronavirus, my boyfriend could not come home from his deployment. Molly gladly agreed to help. It was honestly the best decision I made with my pregnancy. She gave me support while I wasn't sure if I started labor, and was with me pretty much all the way through my 33 hour labor Process. She is a wealth of knowledge,and she is non-judgemental. Some people that work in this field are very biased or lean towards one or the other but she was just there to help you make a decision that would be best for you. She has also supported me after birth via text message, has reassured me through the entire process even if she isn't technically "on" for me anymore- she still answers my texts and checks on me! You will not regret having her by your side. On top of this, she took a lot of pictures, wrote down my experience and also educated my son while I was in labor regarding the process. She is just truly amazing!

I was originally on the fence about hiring a doula but I am SO SO glad we did. Molly provided…read moreemotional support and evidence-based resources throughout my pregnancy. I am especially grateful for her support during the last month of my pregnancy and as I began showing early signs of labor. As a first time mom, her calm, encouraging nature helped me feel at ease. 10/10 would recommend her to anyone.

Highly, highly recommend Empowered Beginnings!! Ciarra supported us through the arrival of our…read moresecond baby, and she is the best! Super informative and a wealth of knowledge, helping us to feel empowered and informed during the process. Many doulas wait for questions - not Ciarra. She was very proactive with checking in often and anticipating support needed. Her knowledge is gold and she's so generous with her time. Also, Empowered Beginnings presents a community of families and has a wealth of resources available. They are the best if you want genuine and caring support for one of the most vulnerable times for a family... 5 stars!

Ciarra has been our doula twice and my wife had two very beautiful births. Our kids both came…read morequickly and Ciarra was there both times to support us through the process but also in dealing with the hospital staff who did their jobs but needed to be reminded to allow my wife the space to have the births she wished to have. I didn't know what to expect when my wife first approached me about wanting to practice hypnobirthing and have a doula but I am completely sold on the idea at this point. I'm very grateful for the work that Ciarra did for us and for teaching both me and my wife about the practice of hypnobirthing. Should we have another child, we agreed that we wouldn't change a thing.

This class was truly a life saver. My husband and I were clueless to most things being this is our…read morefirst child. Kristen really took the time to explain everything we needed and wanted to know. She is so personable and kind and easy to follow. It was an interactive class even though it was a private class. She kept us engaged and made me as a soon to be mom feel SO encouraged and empowered to feel confident about my birth plan. I now know that I can advocate for myself and I few great going into the birth! We also learned a lot about breastfeeding. This class was so worth it. Please take this class!!!!

Owner's response was not helpful and did not address issues with the course. She spent time during…read morethe middle of the class talking about what she watches on Netflix and her boyfriend, among other things. No where did I speak about the course starting late, that was not an issue. I was saying that it was frustrating to rush to a course that you hope will be helpful, only to have the instructor go off on tangents unrelated to the class. Owner's email to me was brief and implied that I should have taken better notes. All materials she provided appear that they can be obtained for free. I have since taken another lactation course (at a similar price point) and I learned so much more! It really emphasized the weaknesses in this class. I really didn't want to update this review, but I felt her response glossed over concerns raised in my initial review.

"The important thing is, the nurse I had for the last 8 hours of labor was AMAZING and didn't leave…read moreus until my daughter was born... she would also make a rad doula." ^ That's what I wrote about Maureen in my review of the hospital where I birthed my daughter in 2015. I didn't go into details in my review of the hospital, but I'll expand here: I had been in induction and (natural) labor for more than 24 hours when I had begun what were to be many hours of transition labor. I'd stopped listening to my husband. Maureen walked into our hospital room at the beginning of her shift, and her voice and demeanor got me back to reality and focused on delivering my baby. She managed to get a very difficult patient (me) to cooperate with relaxation and pain management options, calmly guided me through difficult contractions, and reassured me when she said, "I'm not leaving you until your baby is born." For those last eight hours of my labor, she was supportive and encouraging. Any new options were always presented clearly, and she laid out options, advantages, and disadvantages quickly (and so I didn't have to listen during a contraction!). It was a total change from the previous nurses I'd had. In terms of empowerment, there were two things Maureen did during this experience that definitely stand out. The first was when she confidently said, "You are having this baby by lunchtime." Up until that point, I had no idea what time it was, and didn't want to ask about a finish line. Once she told me the end was near, I became more focused on my role in completing labor. It was just what I needed to hear. The second thing was, after delivery, when she was pushing me in the wheelchair to antepartum, she spoke with me on the walk about the whole labor process. I asked her if I was really in transition for about 10 hours, and she confirmed it, and added, "You tell everyone that. You are an amazon." Those words were something I reflected on often in the next month as I transitioned into life with a newborn. I'm excited that Maureen is now available through Empowered Birth Austin. We are planning to have another child, and figured the chances were slim that we'd manage to snag Maureen as our nurse for a second delivery at the hospital. She will definitely be a part of my next pregnancy and birth experience.

I vividly remember the phone conversation we had a few weeks before my first son's due date…read more Maureen gave me tons of info about the birth process and tips for both me and my husband. I looked over all these notes again leading up to my second delivery, and she was also able to tell me how things might be different the 2nd time around. She was my go-to person to text with during the very confusing time when I thought I felt labor starting mere hours after my OB said it wasn't going to happen anytime soon (and baby did arrive later that night!). Also helpful for providing trouble shooting and advice when I thought I might be having mastitis/clogged duct. Maureen is extremely knowledgeable and caring, and I'd recommend her to anyone!

All the things no one openly shares:…read more Despite how enamored I am with our little girl and all the cute pictures on Facebook, these first three weeks have been extremely stressful. Nursing has been anything but easy, and because our daughter is so tiny I have felt nothing but pressure for her to gain weight as quickly as possible... very difficult when breastfeeding is proving difficult. The onset of vasospasms so painful that it felt like a cigarette burning me straight through to my shoulder blade finally led me to make an appointment with My Pure Delivery. First of all, it was not covered by my insurance because Blue Cross Blue Shield sucks. But every dollar I paid out of pocket was worth the time they spent with me to ensure I felt comfortable utilizing the strategies they helped me master with their help. Additionally, they allowed me to come back periodically to weigh her at no additional cost so that we could monitor her weight without paying for yet another doctor's visit. I am forever grateful for the assistance My Pure Delivery gave me with a skill no one teaches you about, you are just supposed to inherently know how to do, and is perhaps the most stressful task I've ever had to do. MANY THANKS for the compassionate and patient help with breastfeeding.

It was very easy to get an appointment at my pure delivery. After my son was in the NICU and had…read moreissues feeding, we had all but thrown in the towel on breastfeeding. Pumping was also tanking my mental health. Having a quality appointment with a LC was worth every penny. The appointment was not rushed and everything was set right up for us upon arrival. After applying what we were taught, I was able to have a way more positive experience feeding my son

I have followed Assemble Cocktail Workshop on Instagram and have always thought it looked super…read morefun, so when a friend wanted to do a private party for her birthday - it was a no brainer! We arrived a bit early and Lillian quickly whipped us up a welcome cocktail which she called "A Walk in the Garden". It was a prosecco based cocktail and absolutely delicious (and pretty). While we enjoyed this cocktail and looked around the shop... she prepared the workshop space for the lesson. The birthday girl had been given a list of cocktails in advance and was able to select the ones she wanted to learn how to make (she selected the Blackberry Smash & Bee's Knees). One thing I loved about this class is that Lillian gave options with each cocktail so that everyone would end up with a drink they loved. For example, if you don't like bourbon which is typically in a Bee's Knees... you could use gin instead! Then we had the options to make it spicy/sweet/herbal/ etc. By the end of the class... we all had different and personalized cocktails. In addition to the cocktails, Lillian prepared a large bowl of popcorn with specialty seasonings and showed us some of the fun tools that can be used for different prep methods. We also had downtime between making each drink to enjoy them and chat amongst ourselves. This class made for the perfect outing... we're already talking about doing another for the next girl's weekend. I cannot recommend this class enough and will absolutely be back!

What's not to love about making delicious and fun cocktails with friends?!…read more Lillian's cocktail workshops are a great interactive activity for anyone who is looking to up their cocktail game. I was doing a birthday weekend with friends in Boerne and came across Assemble Cocktail via Visit Boerne. I booked a private Tiki session for 7 of us and it was the perfect way to celebrate with friends. If there's only one or two of you, you can book an open session that's available. We made Mai Tais and Painkillers - both were delicious. Since I had a couple of folks who were preggo, I notified Lillian and she made sure to have two setups with zero-proof "spirits." Lillian was a great teacher and host. She has aprons and leis so the vibes were perfect. The location is a cute bungalow tucked behind another business on Main Street (kind of easy to miss if you're looking for it right on Main Street). The business started at the beginning of the year, so it's fairly new, but add it to your list of things to do if you're in the Boerne area!