I've been to a few parent and me classes and this one really stood out. I was looking for an…read moreoutdoor class given these covid times and this one was perfect as it's a nature based program that meets in either Griffith park or Elysian park. While many parent and me or mommy and me classes are run by great people few are actually trained educators. I was impressed by the credentials of the leader, Melissa. The outdoor setting was really calm and soothing not just for my baby but for me too! It also is one of the longest sessions too you can stay for 2 hours. I met a few parents which was nice too.

I can't recommend Village Birth enough. So many amazing practitioners, so much helpful information…read moreall in one place, and a great community to boot. My husband and I took several classes at Village Birth leading up the birth of our baby, and I found my amazing lactation consultant, Hideko, after taking a very informative breastfeeding class with Yvonne. Hideko was an invaluable resource to me after the baby was born and continued to be for many months afterward. There was no way I would be able to breastfeed as long as I have if it weren't for her. Separately, I worked with prenatal chiropractor Dr. Jenny Stofer as well, who is also part of the Village Birth group now. I had experienced quite a bit of discomfort in my back during my pregnancy and she always made me feel at ease, listened to my concerns, and took care of any issues I had quickly and gently. I always left my sessions with her feeling energized, supported and like my baby had more room in there! It was incredible. Village Birth is made up of such a thoughtful, supportive and kind group of individuals who are talented and passionate about their work. If you're nearby and having a baby, it is the best place for top notch care and information!

I went to village birth in their bundle it was well worth the money. My husband and I did our birth…read moreeducation classes, newborn essentials, feeding and getting ready for the fourth trimester. Thru their doula match we found an amazing postpartum doula. I also did some of their prenatal circles and will be doing their post partum circle soon. Always a fun mix of women who go there, and I know the business can't control who signs up for classes but I wish more POC women and couples went. My first circle it was very intimidating being the only POC there.

I cannot say enough good things about Jennifer...I worked with other lactation consultants before…read moreand they couldn't help me with my son's latch. Jennifer came to my house and showed me how to do it right immediately!! 10000% an expert, hands on, practical and super responsive to any additional questions. She also routinely reached out to me to check in and make sure we were doing well. I am recommending her to anyone I know. Super easy to make appointments with and very punctual which you will definitely appreciate when your baby is young and nurses frequently. I even texted her months after our sessions ended for help with my mastitis and she was super helpful, she is a great resource!

Jennifer is amazing. She is very thoughtful and not judgmental at all. A lot of LCs seem to treat…read morebabies like robots as if they should all behave one specific way, and I liked her approach of treating babies as individuals. Her after-care has also been incredible - she has continued to provide thoughtful and quick responses to my various questions after our initial in-person consult.

I had my first (free trial) of parentcirkle today and was blessed to be coached by Arielle Nobile…read more First of all, keep in mind that I found out my garage was flooded (due to a washing machine issue) five minutes prior to my session. Also I'm 7.5 months pregnant, super hormonal, and at work while all of this is happening. I signed up for the multi- tasking class- talk about stars aligning. It was such an incredible experience. I was a neurotic mess for a couple minutes during the intro of the call, but after a few deep, guided breaths by Arielle, I found myself shutting off the world (and pressing the "ignore" button on my cell as the nanny/husband/plumber tried to call me). I could go on and on about my session in particular, but instead I will share why I will be signing up for membership into this amazing experience. 1. It makes you feel less alone. You can fill in the blank as to what your issue/challenge/experience is, and you can count on connecting with others going through the same thing or get advice on what helped them overcome it. 2. Its a place to find resources- Arielle suggested some great reads and a guided meditation app which I will certainly look into. I'm one of those people who likes suggestions, buys things based on amazon reviews, trusts friends who have tried things first etc., etc. 3. Safe place to vent- it's like talking to your friend, but better because there is no fear of any form of judgement and is focused on YOU! 4. Reminds you of the importance of taking care of yourself, and (almost) more importantly, remembering not to feel guilty along the way. I loved my first class and look forward to meeting new coaches and parents within this supportive Group!

I recently participated in 2 of our sessions and wanted to relay my positive experience. It may be…read moretoo short for a blog but feel free to add. Maybe you can use it as a Testimonial: It's so refreshing to be able to take an hour out of my busy day to have adult conversation. I love my children dearly but I alos need to have meaningful tlaks with other lik-minded individuals. Thank heavens for Parentcirkle! It's a platform that allows me to express myself and receive great life-tips from others, without leaving my house and while still wearing my casual clothes. Recently, I participated in the sessions "Coping with Stress" and "Sleep Deprived Parents." Both sessions provided applicable tips and steps to help with stress management and sleep deprivation. These sessions have helped me mentally and make me feel that I'm just a normal parent who is experiencing the same challenges as other parents. Parentcirkle truly does help to heal the healers. Even if it's just an hour a week, Parentcirkle is an amazing platform for me to meet other parents and just be myself.

Parenting classes are extremely helpful for new parents. The classes will educate parents with…read moreimportant child development knowledge along with provide many resources and tools to help parents navigate the normal stress and rigors of parenting. Edlin is a great facilitator of this class with lots of knowledge and experience working with parents and children as well.

I took classes with Edlin last year and the knowledge that she empowered my partner and me with has…read morebeen nothing short of life-changing! The way that we communicate as a family has changed for the better across the board. I spend so much less time saying "NO" and feeling frustrated because Edlin gave me the tools to learn how to have a real dialogue with my child and problem-solve. Edlin is a wonderful person- smart, funny, observant, and empathetic. I can't recommend her classes enough! *Another fun fact is that Edlin is a green thumb and has awesome recs for plants and activities you can do together with your kids. She rules!

I started going to Stroller Strides when my LO was 9 weeks old and the instructors gave me…read moremodifications to help me ease back into fitness at the pace I needed to go. My LO is now 7 months old and I am more fit than I was before pregnancy! I am so happy to have found an exercise plan that I can do WITH my kiddo in tow that entertains her while I get fit. Being a mom is tough. Finding time to take care of yourself is tough. Stroller strides is the perfect place to reconnect with your new body and role while bonding with your new little one! If my daughter and I could write this review together we would say: Mama mama mama mama strong!

This is a great way for moms of all stages to get in a great workout WITH their kids. The…read moreinstructors are patient and high spirited. When the kids get fussy, AND THEY DO GET FUSSY, the instructors don't shun the mommies or kiddos but rather entertain and distract them with songs, bubbles and toys. They'll even hold your babies so you can relax and focus on the workout. The workouts includes cardio, strength and abs; a full body "boot camp" with all levels of intensity for everyone. What I love best about Fit4Mom is the real community and the other great mommies you meet here. We all have similar health goals and we know how hard it is to achieve that with babies/toddlers. The kids get to interact with each other too so we all get to socialize. Wins all around!!

Currently enrolled in RIE at the Pasadena location. It has fundamentally changed the way I parent…read moreand interact with my daughter for the better. Jill is an amazing teacher and always takes the time to answer our questions. I feel very lucky to have found this education for my baby. Only regret is not starting sooner.

I'm typically skeptical of "baby groups" but this is not your average baby group. RIE has helped me…read morebecome a better caregiver to my daughter. I love the RIE approach but I cannot recommend the classes enough. It's one thing to read the literature and another to witness and observe your child in the space. I love Ruth Anne Hammond. She is filled with important information and knowledge. Plus, the babies love her and she loves them. Kira subbed for a class I was in once and she was fantastic as well. The Pasadena facility itself is beautiful. The babies love the trees that line Green St. But any "yes" space would do with RIE. It's the best!

Wow! Natalie is the baby whisperer! I took my baby girl to private group lessons for a number of…read moresessions and each time we learned new skills to help her development. I was bummed when I returned to work and could no longer attend the sessions. Each one was extremely helpful and Natalie was always insightful and tailored in her advice and assistance. My daughter really blossomed following our use of Natalie's thoughtful recommendations. I highly recommend sessions with this calming and natural teacher.

My daughter, husband & I have worked with Natalie for over 6 months and I have found each session…read moreto be just delightful! She is able to quickly asses & teach us just the right style of touch & interaction to support our daughter as she learns to explore her world. Our sessions (both in group & private lessons) have been wholistic, therapeutic & rejuvenating. They inspire me as a parent. She helps me see my baby and support her through her developing/growing body so I can be better attuned to her needs. We have used the Child'Space methods of touch and vocal exercises to improve our communication & bonding with our child in her pre-movement and beginning crawling/walking stages with great success. It has been wonderful to learn new methods of interacting with our child and I am very thankful to have studied with Natalie.

We are not first time parents, and have explored many different childcare options and Cheerful…read moreBeginnings is at the top of our list! Our son needed full time care due to our busy schedules working in healthcare and Julia was so wonderful accomodating our schedules. My son loved his teachers here and Julia's experience and education in childcare is exceptional. My son felt right at home and sometimes wasn't ready to leave at pickup! They have an organized curriculum, access to app for daily updates and healthy meal plans. I have already recommended them to my coworkers!

Cheerful Beginnings is the best daycare. My daughter started going when she was 5 months old. We…read moreare first time parents so we were so lost. Julia was so patient and supportive. My daughter LOVED going to daycare in the morning. We get detailed reports on feedings, naps, pictures and videos. The food they make is very healthy too. I'm so sad that we have to leave because we are moving out of state. There really isn't anything nearly as good as CB.

I heard about General Assembly classes because they list them on Facebook and it popped up in my…read morefeed as a targeted ad. I'm glad for this as that is how I signed up for a free 2-hour introductory class to coding. The class covered HTML and CSS and was designed to just a quick intro to see if you would be interested in taking a full class. Still I was surprised how much I learned in just a free intro course. Our instructor Allie covered a ton of theory so we understood the big picture and how the different developer languages (HTML, CSS and Javascript) played different roles. Much of the class was her guiding us through actually creating a mock webpage by immediately applying the coding principles and info she taught. I highly recommend bringing your computer for the hands-on portion. Also, Allie listed additional resources for us to explore on our own time, and we were promised the slide deck after. Being totally new to coding, I was able to take what I learned from the intro class and actually fix an issue THE NEXT DAY on the website that I manage for work! I rely on website templates but don't understand the HTML and CSS behind it so I was able to override the template that doesn't even allow me to change font attributes on hyperlinked text. Once you sign up for a class they send you promo emails with discounts, so I will probably look into taking a more full class. TIP: this is located right in the heart of Little Tokyo so there is plenty of sushi, ramen and snack options available before or after going to class here.

I have mixed feelings about GA…read more Pros: 1. This is one of the few places left where you can get actual, in-person instruction. If you're one who can't stick to learning on your own online, face-to-face instruction is the way to go. 2. I also like that they offer a wide variety of topics from web development and digital marketing to project management, sales pitching, and communication skills. 3. The instructors I've had so far have been knowledgeable and nice. 4. They have many free talks in the evenings, sometimes even with free nibbles. I attended one on the art of sales pitching. I think it was called something like "How to Sell Anything to Anyone." The speaker was excellent, and he gave really good tips. 5. The DTLA location has convenient parking ($5 evenings and wknds) at Joe's Garage a few doors down. I also like that you can enjoy the many Little Tokyo restaurants before or after class :) Cons: 1. Cost. If you want to take their multi-day courses, expect to pay $$$. That's what you gotta expect for in-person classes from a private school. I'd love to take more classes, but I can't be spending more thousands of dollars. Yes, they have a payment plan, but you still gotta pay them back. 2. If you're looking to start a new career, don't expect to be "career ready" after you've spent all that money. The classes don't go into much depth. They're more of an overview, just enough to get you started. Then comes the hard part - studying on your own by following all the blogs and video content out there. THAT takes discipline, and nobody can help you there. I wish knowledge could just be implanted in my brain without my having to exert effort. Just being honest. 3. They never answer the phone. The only way to get a response is via email. If you're on your way to an evening or weekend class and need to reach someone, you won't get a response if it's outside normal business hours. Conclusion: If you're disciplined and highly motivated, save your money and take advantage of the overwhelming number of free resources online. But if you're a lazy a-hole like me and you're willing to spend some serious money, take a GA course to at least get you started and pointed in the right direction.