We cannot speak highly enough of Midwest Doulas! Justine and her team are supportive in all the…read moreright ways and have developed a comprehensive program that supports new parents. Justine collaborates with other birth educators to provide classes on birth, CPR, and lactation which we highly recommend for first-time parents. We are always amazed at how fast Justine, Ale, and the whole team are to respond to any text messages or phone calls. When they can't provide the expertise, they are connected to someone who can. The pre-birth support is incredible. But the very best part of Justine's care is the way she supported me during birth. She walked into the room and instantly began to advocate for me with nurses and hospital staff. She asked about medication options while waiting for the epidural, supported the nurses, and guided my partner. She talked me through the steps for birth and then led my positioning for pushing while encouraging me the whole time. I do not know how I would have done it without her. If you're looking for someone who will thoroughly support you throughout your birth process, Midwest Doulas is the best choice!

Hands down the best investment I made in my pregnancy and birth. Justine and her team were…read moreincredible to work with. Their support gave me the courage I needed to trust in my vbac even when medical concerns had me doubting it. During labor Justine was the grounding force I needed to stay locked into my vision and have the confidence to push back on unnecessarily rushing my induction. She was a quiet force in the room that allowed me and my husband to work as a team through contractions. When I started to panic as I transitioned she held my focus and reminded me I'm almost there. 20 minutes later I was holding my baby girl. It was the redemptive birth I dreamt of and I am grateful for Justine's unwavering support and confidence. We felt so taken care of from the initial call through delivery. I wouldn't do it again without her. Worth every penny and then some.

I used Aly for my second unmedicated, first home birth, and she was absolutely incredible. I…read moreactually called her a little prematurely--when I wasn't quite in active labor but right on the cusp--and she handled everything with such calm professionalism, knowledge, and skill. She knew exactly what to do at every moment and truly gave me the birth experience I wanted at home. She came highly recommended to me, and I can't recommend her enough to others. I could go on and on but I'll save you the hassle - if you're looking for a home birth midwife, look no further!

I can't express enough how grateful my wife and I were to have Aly and Northstar Midwifery. Aly's…read morewealth of knowledge and her compassionate bedside manner are truly exceptional. When my son's shoulder got stuck during birth, Aly knew exactly what to do and communicated effectively with my wife and me. Thanks to her expertise, our son was delivered without any issues. What sets Aly and her team apart from other midwives and birth centers is the way they pay attention to everyone involved in the process while prioritizing the overall well-being of the mother and child. If you're deciding between Northstar and another provider, I strongly believe that choosing Northstar would be the right decision.

I moved into Lowertown this summer from out of state and was looking for a yoga studio that I could…read morewalk to. I am a ClassPass member and I saw Northern Yoga Center was both close and on ClassPass. The first class I went to was lead by JQ, the studio owner. I instantly knew I had found my yoga-home in Lowertown. JQ, Kristy, Adam, and Alexandra all have a sharp and clinical focus on big and small body movements and will use anatomical terms which really helps to visualize and feel the proper alignment in each pose. There is a huge focus on proper alignment and excellent build-up to full poses. The space itself is lovely, huge windows that let in great light, there's always music, and often the option for essential oil to be placed on you in Shavasana. Not to mention the frequent and unique workshops offered. This is a special space and I wish nothing but prosperity for JQ and each of the instructors. Thank you for creating an environment that feels like home.

JQ Williams is hands down the best yoga guruji there is. She knows what she is doing and is so…read moremuch fun too!

Jennifer is absolutely thee best Doula. I had my first child oct, 2016. She was not only supportive…read moredoing the active labor but leading up to giving birth. One thing she said that stuck with me the most was preparing to have the baby. When your in the room with all the nurses and doctors, most times they encourage their beliefs etc. Jennifer empowered me to speak out and inform the doctors of what I want and how it should be done. Jennifer has great practices. She encouraged me to get my placenta encapsulated ( she also gave me connections to get them encapsulated at a reasonable price) she came to visit me again a week after having my new born. Great advice on breastfeeding (life saver, lol). Jennifer gave me healthy breast milk in case my milk didn't come in in a timely manner. Healing after birth can be a pain, she informed me about this bathing substance that goes into the bath water called ( after birth, in which she gave me! ). Going through postpartum depression is definitely hard to go through alone. Jennifer was there when I called or texted at 2am or 4am lol. Being a new mom, breastfeeding, recovering from having the baby is not easy doing it alone! I'm am so grateful to have had her by my side the entire ride! Thank you Jennifer!!!!! Oops almost forgot she also helped with taking pictures of my newborn

Jen is awesome! I was so hesitant about having my first all natural birth in a birth center, but…read moreshe helped me stay calm and positive! My birth went AMAZING, and I can't thank jen enough for being a part of it and helping us through it!!

Cute place. Gabby, the owner, is very friendly but not overbearing. She lives in the neighborhood…read moreand is committed to improving it. Plans are in the making to provide learning activities for kids after school or weekends. And the coffee is great too! It will probably be a weekly hangout for us.

Kate was the most wonderful resource I could have asked for during my first pregnancy. I looked…read moreforward to each visit with her, knowing I'd walk away from it feeling more excited, empowered and educated. She does a wonderful job of balancing evidence based options with empathy and flexibility. Kate's presence and expertise through a difficult labor kept us safe and energized. She was the leader of our team, helping us navigate childbirth while working beautifully with our doulas and family. We feel so fortunate to have found Kate and Twin Cities Midwifery and will never forget her role in bringing our child into this world!

My husband and I recently enlisted in the services of Birth Made Beautiful for the birth of our…read moresecond child. We worked with Cassanda and Kara Jo and both women made us feel safe, valued, respected, and cared for. Despite having a wonderful, uncomplicated and unmedicated birth with my first child, during my pregnancy with our second, fear and doubt began to set in. I really began to believe that all of the positives associated with my first delivery and birth were a fluke and that I either would not be able to get through a second unmedicated birth or some sort of medical emergency would arise. Kara Jo met me initially and spent a long time with me unpacking what was leading to these fears. Based on our conversation, she suggested that Hypnobirthing might be a good fit for me. Had Kara Jo not suggested Hypnobirthing, I never would have sought it out. Our initial meeting with Kara Jo's careful listening, experience, and intuitive sense for what needs to be done set the stage for the rest of our time with Birth Made Beautiful. She brought all of those same qualities to my birth. We primarily worked with Kara Jo but did do a prenatal visit with Cassandra. She felt like hanging out with an old friend who has a lot of knowledge surrounding birth. She was quite helpful in refreshing us in the Three Sisters of Balance positioning and showed my husband how to do certain types of support touches to be used during labor. (We did end up using everything she showed us so thank you very much Cassandra!) It was somewhat amusing actually as the Hypnobirthing techniques were working so well, I didn't recognize that I was as far along into labor as I was. When I thought I might need to contact the doulas for a heads up via text, Cassandra called us within minutes at about 3:00 AM. It had been decided between the two of them that Kara Jo would attend my delivery so I think Cassandra also reached out to Kara Jo. We spoke on the phone and despite my insistence that I didn't think I was in anything past early labor, Kara Jo could tell this wasn't the case. We credit her to me not having our baby on the road or in the parking lot. Thank you Kara Jo! Once at the hospital, Kara Jo took charge in terms of making sure my birth plan was executed. It was so nice to not have to bring up my preferences to the nurses or ask if certain things could be done. She was just on top of it. She was so calming, uplifting and caring. Both my husband and myself were impressed and appreciative of Birth Made Beautiful's services. Additionally, Kara Jo took a series of high-quality birth photos. She'd asked us if this was something we wanted prior to the birth. I was excited about the prospect and said "yes please" but gave some preferences in terms of what would/wouldn't be shown. While photography obviously isn't the doulas main role, I absolutely cherish these pictures showing the first moments our child entered the world. They are so sweet. Also, we were provided with a detailed timeline after the birth which we appreciate. Things are such a blur in the moment, it is really special to be able to look back at what happened and when. We would hire both doulas back in a heartbeat. They were an important part of why our second child's birth was as positive, empowering and lovely as it was. From our entire family, thank you.

Kara Jo was our Doula for our 3rd baby (a successful VBAC at 41w 6d, 10lbs 11 oz) - we had doulas…read morefor our first two as well. If we have a 4th we will definitely be asking Kara Jo to be our Doula again! What made her so different was the amazing support she provided before (processing my second birth which didn't go well, spinning babies, natural labor induction tools and pros/cons, etc) and after the birth (breastfeeding support, pt and postpartum recommendations)- although she was amazing during labor and delivery as well (hip squeezes through every contraction, coaching through different positions to progress labor, helping my care team follow our birth plan, etc)! After birth she provided us the beautiful photos she took and a write up of the birth and timeline. I am so thankful that our doctor recommended Kara Jo!!

New space so I thought it'd be helpful to do a new review, especially now that I'm maybe considered…read morean OG in the class (wuhaha)! I was having a bad day at work earlier this week but went to class and was reminded why I continue to love Major Body Fitness. It is the people & because I have fun every time! It seems like Melissa & Chloe's (owner/instructors) purpose is to make every single one of us in class laugh, smile, & let loose each time! I feel re-energized, more centered, powerful, & feminine every single time. I also usually feel sore the next couple days which means I'm workin it. You'll learn a lot about different exercise moves, stretching, & even some dance moves. I honestly doubted I would ever be able to twerk but one day I shocked myself (& Melissa lol) by finally learning how & if I can, then it's within reach for everyone! About the New Space: Major Body is no longer in its stand-alone studio. All classes now take place at the Oxford Community Center. This means the instructors spend less time on building maintenance & more time in designing our classes. The building has a free and open parking lot & locker rooms that we are able to use. Note that there aren't single stall showers tho and are instead like middle school where there's a bunch of spouts in one room. The class is on the second floor. You don't need to sign in at the front desk, just go up the stairs on your right when u enter & follow the music and flashing lights. To get in the locker room, just tell the front desk ur with Major Body & they'll buzz u through the doors. Go to Major Body's website for the latest class schedule. Right now the classes are weightlifting (Major Power) on Mondays, Major Bounce on Wednesdays with a follow-up class that differs from week to week, & strength-building at 10am on Saturdays. It's super easy to sign up for class online. You can pay for classes in a bundle online too which is a better deal than paying for a single class. You should also follow Major Body on Facebook & Insta. This will be your best bet in knowing about any free classes or special events they offer once in a while. The instructors still love what they do & that feeling is infectious. If you're looking for motivation to workout while loving your body & having fun, you've got to try these classes out! Thanks Melissa & Chloe & the whole fitfam for creating this unique space! Here's to more health & healing & loving ourselves and each other in the new year!

Took the BUTI Yoga class and man was it a great work out. I'll be honest, it was intense,…read moreexhausting, and I was watching the clock the entire time. However, when it was done I had a jolt of energy. The class fused dancing (like Zumba) to Caribbean, Latin, Hip Hop and Dance music, with yoga stretches, and moves like planks and pushup to build muscle. While it may seem like a lot (to some), it all came together well and with the intense dancing, the other moves provided a bit of rest...while still working out. The instructor, who had lots of energy, had us kicking high, whining our waist, jumping...and for some of us nearly crying (feeling the burn). It was a fun, impactful class and a lovely studio that I would DEFINITELY recommend. A few things to note: -there is a parking lot attached -bring your own yoga mat, but if you forget there are rentals -bring your own water bottle...already filled as there's no drinking fountain, but they sell water -there isn't a locker room (or I didn't notice one), but if you need to change there is a bathroom -come with a positive attitude as it really help(ed) make the experience that much better -they also offer spin class (and other workouts) which I heard is fun