When I found out my husband and I were expecting again just after our second turned six months old…read moreI immediately told him I wanted to hire a post partum doula. I interviewed three companies, and chose Better Beginnings because I had heard such glowing reviews from a friend. Joy went above and beyond: providing our family with much needed support and care as well as delicious meals that I still (over one year later!) think about. We felt so well cared for and held during a vulnerable and overwhelming time.

After the birth of our second child, we used night doula support through Better Beginnings. Saideh…read moreand Eileen were our doulas and they were fantastic-- proactive in finding ways to support our family and offering gentle encouraging support as we transitioned to being parents of two. All of the communications, from the first introductory call with the owner to our pre-natal consultation to our first meetings in person with the doulas were all so professional. We don't plan on having more children, but if we did we would absolutely use Better Beginnings again!!

Our doula Sarah was great when she was here to help our family but I can't in good faith recommend…read moreWelcome Baby Care and their unprofessional/disorganized admin services to other families. Not only did the owner run late and almost miss our very first meeting to get to know Welcome Baby Care & what they offer (because she admittedly slept in past our meeting time) WBC also decided that our previously arranged doula schedule was less important than another families new request for doula Sarah, despite us having had her scheduled with us previously weeks in advance (prior to this other client). I understand things happen but I feel that what I experienced from the owner & her scheduling team was very unprofessional - and left me without care and needing to scramble in order to find help with my baby and not let my own clients down for my and my husbands in home business and meetings..causing this new mama a lot of stress that was unneeded as shouldn't have been an issue because I thought I had a dependable service.

Love the staff at Welcome Baby Care! They've now helped us with two of our babies and it's such a…read morerelief to have someone trustworthy watching our newborns so we can get some much-needed sleep! The service and care are both wonderful - cannot say enough good things!

Having JoLynda as our doula was by far the hidden miracle of our birth experience. JoLynda is…read moreextremely accepting of every woman, no matter their birth plan. She believes every woman should have access to an empowering birth experience. This was my husband and my first birth experience and there is no other person we would want by our side for our labor journey in the future. With her guidance and support, both my husband and I felt at ease and empowered to make the right decisions for our birth. JoLynda is able to use her knowledge to work with each couple to provide a unique value to their experience. Her knowledge, expertise, and amazing attitude helped us have a wonderful birth experience!

Choosing Ellee as our doula was one of the best decisions we made during the whole pregnancy. She…read moreput us at ease right away. We asked her tons of questions and she was knowledgeable, respectful, funny and very personable right from the very beginning to the end. During my labor she gave me tips and positions to try and when she joined us at our home, her encouragement is what kept me there longer - resting and waiting before going to the birth center. When I was exhausted she was kind and complimenting - it was exactly what I needed to hear. She helped me center and relax, and gently pushed me to try things I would not have done on my own. I was sad when our last visit was over. She's the kind of gal that you wish was your friend or an auntie. Thanks Ellee!!

Working with Justine, Ale, and Rachel was definitely the best decision my spouse and I made in our…read morebirth experience! From providing evidence-based responses to our questions to helping us advocate with providers to simply cheering us on, we were so supported by this team! Justine joined us at the hospital for labor and was absolutely essential to making us both feel comfortable and safe as mine and baby's medical situation got more complicated. We truly could not have imagined doing this without her!!

If you're on the fence about hiring a doula like we were, don't be--especially if you're…read moreconsidering Justine and her team. We hired Justine for our second pregnancy because I was high-risk, on Lovenox, and managing gestational diabetes, and an unmedicated birth felt right for us. With my first pregnancy, I had no complications and chose an epidural, so my husband was very skeptical about needing a doula this time, especially since our first delivery went so smoothly. What ultimately made us move forward was knowing that my husband, being a very logical person, wouldn't be able to give me the emotional support I'd need during labor. After meeting Justine on a video call, everything instantly felt right. She was warm, supportive, and confident from the start, and she was the only doula who genuinely believed I could have an unmedicated birth--especially considering how quickly my first labor progressed with an epidural. She also reassured my husband that her support was just as much for him as it was for me. Throughout the pregnancy, Justine and her team answered every question and helped me navigate every curveball. No matter what came up, she was there with guidance, resources, and a listening ear. On delivery day, I delivered our baby girl in under an hour--completely unmedicated, just as we hoped. Even though there were moments when I wanted to give up, Justine's calm presence and steady, encouraging voice helped me push through. It ended up being the most magical birth experience I've ever had, and I still can't believe I did it. Hiring her was truly one of the best decisions we made. TL;DR: We were unsure about hiring a doula, but Justine completely changed our minds. Despite a high-risk pregnancy, she supported us from day one, reassured my skeptical husband, and helped me have a fast, completely unmedicated birth. Her calm, steady presence made it the most magical delivery experience--we're so glad we chose her.

I thought it over, and despite everything that made me unhappy, my overall experience was worth…read moreevery penny I paid for. And this Doula is very kind and patient.

Brieana was my doula for my first and only (so far) baby girl! I had originally hired another…read moredoula, due to it being the holiday season I was introduced to Brieana as my "back up doula". My experience was wonderful. Due to severe pre-eclampsia I found out at my 37w apt that I need to be induced asap. Brieana was called and she dropped everything and I mean everything to drive to the naval hospital at Camp Pendleton. My husband was deployed during this entire time and I was in desperate need of a guiding light. Brieana knew my wishes to have an unmedicated/natural birth and helped me overcome the pain so I had the birth I wanted. brieana stayed the during the entire process, even notifying me when a new nurse had uped my pitocin by several levels without telling me !!! She was by my side to give me a massage, breathe me past pitocin surges and she made every person that came into my room read my birth plan! This woman even was calm when my waters broke on her ! Brieana is amazing. She helped me to have my baby latch immediately, also one thing I'll never forget.... she said to me " im not leaving here until you tell me you feel safe " That is a big deal, something I needed to hear. She also checked in on my baby before she left ( my girl was in a SIU for an evening). Following birth, Brieana checked on me almost daily ! She took my placenta home to encapsulate and she delivered them to me the very day I was home from the hospital. She typed out a beautiful birth memoir for my daughter and shaped a part of her cord into a heart for her baby book I feel Incredibly blessed to have had Brieana as my doula. She is very caring,knowledgeable and dependable. I mean, she even had me laughing during some of my most painful surges ! Should I ever be pregnant again, I would want Brieana by my side.

Emily was wonderful to work with. She was so kind, helpful, intuitive, and unconditionally…read moresupportive. She has a gift for bringing calm and comfort to both parents. I was so grateful to have her as a part of my birth.

From the owner: The Tidal Doula serves the entire Twin Cities from her home in Robbinsdale. Emily is a…read moreDONA-certified birth doula who is passionate about evidence-based care and support for all birthing families. Emily's a big geek who loves to laugh in labor and create lasting connections through education and support. A doula is a nonjudgmental, unbiased, constant support system for the birthing person. Emily offer's care to everyone regardless of race, color, national or ethnic origin, sex or gender, sexual orientation, military or veteran status, ability, age, or religion. Every birth is as unique as the people who are involved, and Emily is so excited to be a part of yours! The Tidal Doula also offers sibling doula support, birth photography, and parenting classes/childbirth education for clients.

Our birth with Roots Community Birth Center, from the first day to the last in home postpartum…read moreappointment, was absolutely phenomenal. This was our first child and the entire experience was new for us. We wanted a more holistic and natural birth while still assisted by trained and educated professionals. The entire Roots staff made us feel welcomed, cared for, and most importantly--heard. Their center provided many opportunities for free educational classes and opportunities to meet other families going through the same process we were. Every appointment felt personal and included extra time to focus on talking through our questions, concerns, and the emotional feelings of the pregnancy and preparing for the delivery. The birthing experience was more than I could have hoped for. I was surrounded by support and understanding in a warm and comforting environment. I felt that everyone advocated for my best interest and the wishes I had shared when the situation arose. I never felt scared of birth, I went in to it feeling fully prepared and ready. Extra ready, because this baby was was almost a full two weeks late! My labor was long but beautiful and intensely personal. We can't say enough how thankful we are for Roots helping us guide our healthy boy into this world . It is an experience we will never take for granted and if fortunate enough, would return again!

Roots was critical in my pregnancy journey last year. We confirmed we were pregnant early 2019 and…read moremy research began. I'd initially been interested in a home/water birth but my husband wasn't on board since this would be our first baby. I knew i didn't want a hospital birth, it all just seemed so sterile and mechanized plus i've never been a fan of actual hospital facilities, they always invoked feelings of despair in me. So i started looking to see if there was a happy medium. Initially i'd learned about birth centers from Instagram but since i'd recently moved to MN i wasn't sure there were any around me. A few more months into my pregnancy, i decided to look up birth centers on Yelp (as a new resident, Yelp was my lifeline to finding anything in Minneapolis). Roots Birth Center came up but it said "unclaimed" so i figured it probably didn't exist or used to exist but had been closed down. By then i was having hip issues (around 36 week) so i went to a chiropractor and while getting adjusted she asked where i'd be delivering. I told her we were currently registered at Mercy Mother and Child but i'd have preferred a birthing center since i really wanted a water birth. She then mentioned Roots and told me she'd heard really good things about it and i just knew that was my confirmation!!! I googled Roots, found the address and Hubby and i scheduled an appointment. Luckily they were able to take me on as i think the cutoff for admission was 37 weeks (the universe works in amazing ways). We were thrilled to find out Roots was covered by our insurance too; we registered for classes - childbirthing, cloth diapering, breastfeeding/lactation, classes for partners/support people etc (which were tremendously cheaper than Amma). We got a tour, so i got to check out where i'd be delivering, all hubby's questions were answered and he felt reassured that we had nothing to worry about (plus Roots collaborates with North Memorial Hospital which was like 10mins away should there be a need to transfer to a hospital - which ended up being our case). My widwives got to know me personally, we felt so comfy and at home during check ups, met other couples and bonded during classes. My delivery story is one for the books lol. Water broke, we came into Roots and i started laboring in the water (100% recommend for anyone on the fence about water births, contractions are a lot more tolerable in the water); unfortunately my lil guy was quite comfy in the belly and i wasn't dilating much. My midwife and doula were tremendous in keeping me comfy and trying different approaches, i walked, did stairs, bounced on the medicine ball, tried different positions etc. Eventually labor started to progress but still not dilating much but then baby's heart rate started to drop and after about 10mins my midwife thought it best to call for an ambulance. Ambulance came, we got in and headed to the hospital; My midwife and doula met us as the hospital, informed the doctor of my birth plans and were with me throughout till my little guy arrived. My widwife was actually the one who came up with using the towel tug o war method to help me deliver after everything else had failed and the doctors were pushing for an epidural (which i didn't want). After 40+ hours of labor, i was overjoyed to be holding our baby and blessed to have been able to do it as i'd planned in my birth plan, with a few tweaks here and there lol; all thanks to my midwives and doula who were my advocates and backed up everything my husband and i asked for. Second baby is on the way and you already know which birthing center we'll be going back to!

From the owner: Roots Community Birth Center was born out of a vision to make out-of-hospital birth accessible and…read morewelcoming for all families. Our space was created to make you feel comfortable, welcomed, at ease, and at home. You have access to midwifery care, reproductive health care, newborn care, doulas, and waterbirth.