My husband and I took a birth class with Helen O'Keefe with Fledgling Families this past April, and…read morewould highly recommend her as a resource for expecting couples, particularly those who are planning on delivering at Mount Sinai, where Helen works as a nurse in the Labor & Delivery Department. Helen did an excellent job in explaining what to expect in the time leading up to, during and after labor and delivery, all in an extremely thorough yet accessible manner. Helen also has a great "bedside" manner - she is warm, has a wonderful sense of humor, and patiently answered all of our (many) questions. Helen was on duty when I had my son, and was able to work with me as one of my nurses; I had a very quick labor, so it was incredibly reassuring for me to see a familiar face when I got to the hospital. Helen also made a point of visiting me to check in the day following my delivery which was extremely thoughtful of her, and made me feel very well taken care of.

We had an excellent class at fledgling with Helen. It was very instructive and she gave us lot of…read moreadvises about labor , and for before and after birth so we felt very reassured and confident after her class. She could answer all our questions. Helen is very professional and has lot of experience. She knows a lot about babies. She was also very helpful after birth when our baby had problems for feeding , she spent time with us and she found a solution, she guides me and I'll always be grateful for what she did. she's really dedicated to her work. Thanks again Helen! Siah, Sol and Eva.

After my last review, Jada, the founder of Birth Day Presence, reached out to me for an honest and…read moreopen conversation about what she could do to improve not only my experience but classes there in general. Being a yoga teacher with pre/post natal experience I went into their classes already very knowledgeable so they weren't as informative as I would have liked but I think they are probably life saving for people who don't care to/don't have the time to do their own learning and research. Birth day presence and boober provide not only child birth and newborn care classes, but match clients with (and train) doulas, lactation consultants etc Most importantly though, and I got this sense from the beginning but really felt it after talking to Jada, they genuinely care about providing quality information and services to new families. They also understand that the birthing industry (because it is an industry) is far from perfect and they want to empower families and help them navigate it. I feel very grateful to Jada and Birth Day Presence and although I originally walked away feeling there was more to be desired I now feel like I couldn't recommend them more to anyone seeking childbirth/childcare education or training. Oh, and all their classes are conveniently online now due to covid.

My husband and I purchased weekend intensive childbirth education classes and we attended when I…read morewas 27 weeks pregnant with our first child at Birth Day Presence. We came here with an open mind and hoping to learn the important basics of childbirth. Needless to say, we had no idea what we were getting ourselves into. We didn't feel prepared and we were hoping this class would make us feel more comfortable of what's to come. The classes we chose were on Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 am until 3:30 pm. Jen Buice was our instructor and she was very informative and knew her stuff. We also got to mingle with other couples who were due at around the same time as us. We got to share our experiences with each other, which I think my husband and I wouldn't have gotten a chance to do otherwise if it wasn't for this class. We watched some childbirth videos, learned about different stages of labor, pain management, labor exercises with and without the ball, a little about lactation, etc. We also went around the room and did some activities so it could be more interactive and social. Bring some snacks because the classes might seem a little long at times! We did get a short lunch break. One slight complaint I have is that I got a little antsy and didn't feel that comfortable with their seating arrangements. I felt a little claustrophobic. Overall, I think we feel better and a little bit more prepared about being parents. I would recommend this class if you have a chance to take it. It's located in a beautiful part of Park Slope in a beautiful brownstone. Price is a little steep at $395 but I think it's worth it. You can't put a price on your future bundle of joy.

Gili is wonderful! I learned so much in this class. So happy I got to do work with her. She helped…read moreme and my husband find focus and grounding energy and orient our intentions around positive, empowering, birth visions rather than fears. I recommend this class to anyone who is preparing for birth and parenting!

Gili is the best! Her hypnobirthing class has been utilized throughout my birthing experience and…read moreimpacted my labor in the most positive way. Her support to new mothers in the post partem period really is a true reflection of love for motherhood and childbirth. Thank you Gili

We weren't initially considering having a doula but when we spoke to our ob/gyn about our desire…read morefor a natural birth he recommended that we look into it and I'm so glad we did. Rosie was such a special part of our birth experience and now I just can't imagine it without her. She met with us in the weeks before to get to know us and to talk about our desires for our birth and techniques we hoped to use during labor and delivery. She was available 24/7 from 37 weeks, kept in touch about my weekly doctor appointments and also sent me links to things she thought I'd be interested in or things that would help me and baby. She met us at the hospital when we asked her to join us. She was such a calm and confident presence during my labor, offering me and my husband support and reassurance. She was polite and courteous towards the staff when requesting that I come off the continuous monitor and move around. We were able to have the natural hospital birth that we hoped for and our happy and healthy baby girl arrived beautifully. Rosie stayed with us to offer help with initiating breastfeeding and then paid us a number of visits at home postpartum to spend time with us, to talk about the birth and to help us in practical ways. She will always have a special place in our hearts and I am delighted to recommend Rosie as a doula!

Excellent person to assist you with giving birth. Helped me through my second birth and he words of…read moreencouragement really helped me get through giving birth the second time after having a c-section the first.

This Bradley Method preparation class is amazing! I chose Bradley Method over hypno birthing or…read moreLamaze because as a long-distance runner it's approach to pain made more sense to me. Also, it seemed like a method that fully incorporated the partner and I wanted the birth experience to be for both of us, and for my partner to not simply be a mildly supportive by-stander. I chose Mary Esther's class based on the recommendation of the midwifery practice we are with and signed up months before it started. By the time it started I was sorry I'd chosen such an intensive class. 8 weeks instead of the couple of hours one session that most people I know had chosen for their birthing class! I was worried it was a waste of time and money, a rookie mistake from being a little too gung-ho at the beginning of the pregnancy. Those fears were gone by the end of the first class. We'd chosen the Sunday afternoon class since the weekday evening classes seemed too hard for this early bird (how does dinner work?) Our group was a a great and diverse mix of hospital/birthing center/home birth going with midwife/ob. We were surprised by just how diverse it was in terms of childbirth choices. The classes themselves were tremendously enjoyable. Mary Esther keeps a relaxed energy going through the class and from the beginning mentioned we should eat, drink and go to the bathroom as we wanted. With so many pregnant ladies in the room, we all did! I was worried about having to sit for so long, but though the main seats are uncomfortable, there are plenty of props to make yourself comfortable on the mat, and there are these little chairs that don't look very comfortable but are surprisingly comfy pregnant ladies. (I'm actually trying to figure out where I could get one for home. They're adorable and could double as kid's seats for later.) Plenty of people simply would simply lie down on the mat when they felt like it. But the main reason I recommend this class is for the effect it has had on me, my partner, and our relationship through this pregnancy. We've learned so much, and we're approaching this birth with a sense of joyful calm excitement I don't see in others who have not taken this class. As a type A, make the list and check it twice, and boss everyone around kind of person, it's been hard to get used to not being able to do everything I used to do before my pregnancy. But it seems like pregnancy and birth go much better when you learn that you can't control everything. You have to trust your body, and trust those around you. Learning to lean on my partner more has helped deepen our bond, and having my partner be so involved and so knowledgeable about what helps and what doesn't and giving me nightly massages (it's part of the homework! true story!) has helped me relax and go into this knowing I've done all I can, and that I'm in the best hands.

I hated this class with Mary Esther Malloy. Hated. I actually threw up from how much stress this…read moreclass caused me, not once but TWICE. So we quit after 4 sessions even though it meant forfeiting the $450 fee (although ME said she would refund it if I took down my review...). I had heard great things about this class before enrolling. This review is my opinion and you should feel free to trust other people as you see fit. I am having a hard time organizing in my head all of my issues with this class and with ME so I will just try to make a list. Some things might not be that carefully explained though so send me a message if you want more information on anything I say. 1) ME spends a lot of time telling stories from births where she has been the doula. She does not spend enough time with the students on preparing for their own birth experience. She spends a short period of time going over labor positions and a short period of time on techniques to deal with pain. She never in any way ties in the Bradley Method with the stories she tells. 2) The Bradley Method is very partner oriented. AKA, I felt fairly unimportant in the class. I felt like my husband could have gone to the class without me and when he got home asked me to hold ice for a minute while deep breathing. That sounds super useful in labor. Wait, no it doesn't. 3) ME is really condescending. She showed scientific pictures to the class and asked the class to guess how dilated the cervix was in those pictures. In one picture my husband guessed "5" and she laughed. Actually laughed. Then a doctor and a midwife also taking the class said they thought 5 or maybe 6. And she let it go. There was no answer on the picture but if a doctor and a midwife agrees, I think you should apologize to my husband for laughing at him. Twice in the first class I felt like it was better to keep my mouth shut than to offer an answer. And so I really did become mute. Oh, then after the class I cried. At least it wasn't on the first day of class when I threw up. 4) Everyone in the class is expecting a different birth experience. Some were using a birth center, some a hospital and just me and my husband were planning a home birth. I felt like she taught the class for those using a hospital and glossed over the other options. She would teach something oriented to being in a hospital and then as an after thought say how it would differ in a birth center or at home. So I felt really confused taking in all of this unnecessary information and trying to identify what actually applied to me. 5) ME is entirely unreachable by email or phone. She might reply a week later - Depends what her three kids have going on that week, you know? The contract for the class states that she would be accessible by email or phone throughout the class but that's laughable. 6) ME ignores the needs of pregnant women taking the class. I was signed up for the summer intensive course which is 8 classes that are each 3 hours long. She would take a break where people would gobble down some dinner at around 8:15pm. She didn't take any other breaks. The chairs are super uncomfortable but so is sitting on the floor. No pregnant woman can really sit still for 3 hours. By the end of the classes my back and stomach would be killing me. There was nothing I could do to make sitting for 3 hours comfortable. 7) ME never told us to bring the binder she handed out to every class. In fact, looking through it it seems like extra information (which it for the most part is) so I was never even sure what pages from it she might want us to bring to the next class. Stating that to the class would be really useful. Again, ignoring the needs of pregnant women (to not carry around an unnecessary binder of articles that barely matter). 8) The materials are very outdated. The creators of the Bradley Method should be embarrassed to show videos from the 1970s and videos where the words "civilized people" are uttered. 9) It is hard to wrap my own head around why this class caused me such extreme stress so bear with me. If you are a Type A person like myself, you like to feel in control. Now, with labor, there is a lot you can't control. I get that. But the idea that I have to hand over control to my husband or I will fail at my natural childbirth is really disarming. It caused me to feel physically ill to think that the success of my birth plan really has very little to do with me and a lot to do with how well my husband interprets my needs. 10) After quitting this class we decided to purchase Hypnobabies. Hypnobabies puts me squarely in control of my ability to completely relax and treats my husband like the support person that he is. It is a way better fit and apparently what ME used herself!

I took Maeva's group course leading up to the birth of my first baby and she was an instrumental…read moreresource. Maeva helped me prepare for little things I could do now to help prepare for an easier labor - like certain sitting positions, yoga moves, and meditations - and made me feel strong and ready as the event approached. She was a wealth of knowledge about everything having to do with childbirth and her tips helped insure everything went smoothly when the time arrived. I recommend Maevas course to all my pregnant friends!

Working with Maeva during my pregnancy was the best choice. She taught us hypnobirthing technique,…read moreSpinning Babies, and coping strategies. We were able to go into the birth of our first baby confidently and without fear. Maeva's presence during my labor and delivery was invaluable - I truly feel I couldn't have done it without her physical and emotional support and calming presence. I would hire Maeva over and over again! Highly recommend her!

Trisha was great! The classes were informative and fun. It is also nice to be with other new first…read moretime moms to hear their experience. I highly recommend this class!!

My partner and I attended Tricia's 5-week group classes at her home in Bay Ridge while I was 6-7…read moremonths pregnant. We learned about many things like mis/perceptions about birth and labor, preparing for labor mentally and physically, and the stages of labor. We loved how she integrated different ways the partner could have a role in labor; it was important for us to share as much as we could of the experience of our child's birth. Her sessions on nursing and newborn care, helped get us through the first few weeks with our new baby. She also talked about different ways of birthing - I was planning a homebirth, and another student was planning a hospital birth. She customized the material to support both of our plans. And, I was grateful for the information about hospital births, epidural, Pitocin, and c-sections, as I was transferred to a hospital during my labor! As a teacher, she's well-prepared, kind and patient, and the material is well-organized, pulling the students into the discussion, giving the 3-hour sessions a nice rhythm and they don't feel too long, boring or text-bookish.

I'm sure this isn't true (since women have been giving birth for a number of years), but I do not…read morethink I could have made it through my daughter's birth without Jamie (or my husband and best friend). The birth did not go according to plan due to complications that developed in early labor and I was in an inordinate amount of pain for a long time without dilation progress. Jamie's comfort techniques helped soothe this pain over the course of many hours. She stood by us through the entire labor. Jamie was also very helpful by asking smart questions to the doctors and hospital staff--questions my husband and I were too exhausted/in pain to remember to ask. The day we got back home from the hospital, we were confusion about breastfeeding and Jamie over to assist and reassure us. This visit was separate from our post-natal meeting that occurred a few days after that. I cannot recommend Jamie more highly to guide any woman through her birth.

My daughter was posterior as she came out, so my labor was particularly long - 43 hours, of which…read moreJamie was there for 19 - and difficult. Jamie was the calming and stable presence that I needed as things became incredibly intense, especially since I had opted to forgo medication. The positions she suggested to ease pain, encourage regularity in my contractions, and to help me rest were invaluable, and I am pretty sure she massaged my lower back for at least 10 hours over the course of labor. I really do not think I could have gone through all that pain and uncertainty, especially as a first-time mom, without Jamie. Every step of the way as I was ready to freak out because I thought something was wrong, Jamie was supportive and assured me that what I was going through was completely normal, which helped me calm my mind and steel myself for the next level of intensity. At the same time, she was never intrusive or judgmental, and she had a great sense of when to switch off and just be in the background in order to conserve her own energy for the long haul. My husband also loved her - Jamie helped him feel like their roles in the birth were complementary and he never felt useless. I highly recommend Jamie and her services!