We worked with Lisa, and while she is nice, she is not a good communicator. My husband and I had a…read moresession scheduled for 1:1 prenatal birth classes, and 5 minutes before the session, she messaged and said she wasn't coming because a client was in labor. Ok, that is fine. I understand that. We rescheduled for the next night. 15 min past the hour, I messaged her and asked if she was coming since she still wasn't at our apartment. She messaged back 45 min later, "No, not tonight." What! not tonight?? What does that even mean? I have never had a professional message me something with such a laissez-faire attitude. That may not seem like a big deal by rescheduling one appointment last minute and then not showing up to another. However, I would not want that from my doula. What if I was in labor and couldn't get in touch with her, or she just dropped the ball because she was tired from previous labor and didn't attend? I think it's important to communicate and even overly communicate with prenatal and especially clients later in their pregnancy. I want to be clear that we didn't hire Lisa as a doula for labor, only for prenatal sessions. However, we strongly considered hiring her as our labor doula and are very disappointed with this outcome. Also, my feedback for the prenatal 1:1 sessions is that they are not customized for your birth. We wanted to focus on when the baby comes home, and we did two x2 hour-long sessions and never touched on that. Lisa also moves slowly through the material. There is wasted time rather than moving through the material in a structured manner. I found myself getting frustrated by the amount of time we spent on side conversations rather than the material at hand. At times it felt awkward. I wish our experience with TBC was different.

Lisa was an invaluable support during the first few weeks of having a newborn. She was kind,…read morehelpful, and knowledgeable about every aspect of postpartum care. After a very difficult birth, she was exactly what we needed to gain our footing as new parents. She helped with breastfeeding, bonding, and took care of the baby so we could get a few extra hours of sleep. We will be forever grateful to Lisa!

One year ago, on this exact day I gave birth to my son (first child). Today on his first birthday I…read morecan't just help thinking of Myla as she played such an essential role on my son's birth. I was lucky to have a smooth pregnancy over the course of the nine months and had a very clear idea about my birth preferences. However, I was concerned about the strict protocol of the main hospitals of New York City. My husband and I are both Italian and birthing process in Italy is different than here. So, we started looking into doulas and interviewed quite a few of them. Myla was the one who impressed us the most. With her calm and peaceful manners but also her deep knowledge on anything related to birth, we both felt she was the right doula to assist us. Myla was really crucial in giving birth of my baby. I had a natural birth and my son weighted 11lb 10oz: a shocking news for everyone especially since I was able to deliver him naturally and with no C section. Having a natural birth was my main wish but I am aware I wouldn't been able to accomplish that without Myla's support. She helped with breathing, soothing massage and expert touch to get my baby in a lower position. My husband was engaged all the time and the three of us literally 'worked' as a team over the long hours of labor and then pushing. Myla reminded us to take our time before rushing into any decision and we truly felt reassured with her on our side. I remember one of the most experienced nurses praising on Myla as she pointed out how lucky we were on having such a knowledgable and passionate doula assisting us (and I guess she had seen quite a few over the years). And yes, we truly felt blessed in having Myla on our side. The process was painful, I won't lie, but without Myla I would not have been able to deliver my baby without a C section. I'm glad I was able to safely accomplish my wish. After my son was born Myla took the time to make sure my baby latched and she even took so many pictures of the three of us during those first moments as we wished to have a memory of those. We could count on Myla even after the birth experience, as we met her again a few days after leaving the hospital to provide guidance and helpful advice with our newborn. "Grazie Myla!" - You were a precious gift to our family.

Having a doula during the birthing process was integral to making the day of my son's birth as…read moresmooth as possible, and Myla exemplifies this. Myla was an incredibly kind, supportive guide through my pregnancy process. She helped me cut through the noise of opinions and blogs and provided the resources to know what and how to talk to my birth team (doctor, hospital, partner, etc). Pregnancy can be a roller coaster of emotions and even fears and Myla helped navigate what questions we would potentially want to ask and how to ask those questions to empower ourselves to make the right decisions. My confidence when it came time to enter into the actual birth I can absolutely attribute to Myla. During my birth itself, Myla was there to help me have a positive experience. Whether it was soothing massage to ease labor pains at home, or just reminding me in the hospital to ask for time to think about choices that I needed to make, her focus and incredible knowledge and many years of birth experience made everything easier. I felt confident that I was making the right choices because Myla was there with me. After the birth Myla continued to be a crucial resource. She is a lactation consultant and guided me in the breastfeeding process. In the hospital she got my supply started and helped me navigate challenges that continued once I was home Myla's full continuity of care from pregnancy to newborn is invaluable. I experienced curve balls throughout the entire time and was able to navigate everything and ultimately have a successful confident experience thanks to Myla.

Kasia is a breath of fresh air - much needed - when you're getting ready to bring a baby into the…read moreworld. I especially appreciated her Theta healing. I had a toddler while pregnant with my second and my work with Kasia created space for self care. Additionally Kasia provides guidance on nutrition and anything else you might need both prior to birth and afterwards. She's a wonderful resource. Birth is one of life's greatest transformations of energy. Having Kasia in the room made me feel supported on all levels. Her genuine presence made me feel safe and relaxed. I cannot recommend her enough.

Kasia epitomizes the name of her company- Honor Nature. She has facilitated me in having the most…read morebeautiful natural birthing experience with confidence. She is very knowledgeable, caring, warm and is there to truly assist you in any way possible. I also had a Theta Healing session with Kasia, her calming presence and genuine intentions will help you ground and reconnect you to your higher self. Being an expectant mother can feel overwhelming and scattered at times, she has helped me to restore myself and paved a way for the big day. During my vulnerable moments, I know that I can always count on her. I don't know how I would've been able to endure the entire labor process without her, seriously! She is a godsend to me!!!

Annette is one of a kind, and I am so grateful that I had her by my side throughout my pregnancy…read morejourney, and birth of my son. To be very honest...I didn't even know what a doula is or if I needed one. But being a FTM, I had so many questions and worries about giving birth. I started to do research, and was recommended to check out Annette. And I am so glad I did! From the first conversation, I knew I was in the right hands. I am anxious and an over-thinker, but thankfully Annette's expertise and calming nature helped ease all of that. Most importantly, she helped me become informed in all of my options - so I was able to make the best choices for me and my baby throughout the whole experience - especially when dealing with doctors (which can be rather intimidating). Finally, she was also beyond helpful and reassuring to my support person, my mother...as the two of them together helped me welcome my son into this world. Annette takes on many roles while helping - a coach, a best friend, a cheerleader, an educator and many more. My family is forever thankful to her, and highly recommend having her in your corner to anyone on the beautiful, yet sometimes rather wild, pregnancy journey.

It's hard to even know where to begin. Last summer we welcomed our son into the world. Knowing that…read moreI was hoping to have an all-natural birth, and also knowing that my partner's tolerance for seeing me in pain is quite low, I was insistent on having a doula be a part of our birth story. I did a lot of research and we interviewed two potential doulas. Both seemed beyond qualified, but from the minute Annette entered our living room, it was like having a long lost friend come over. We chatted very easily. She guided our discussion, asking pertinent questions to make sure the fit was mutual. We had another sit-down a month or so before my due date to go over questions and review our desires. She went over our birth plan and reassured us that it would all go well. Fast forward to my water breaking and contractions starting. My wife was in constant contact with Annette throughout the night. The next morning when my labor was progressing, Annette came over. She was amazing. Reassuring and calm, her presence was the perfect blend of taking charge and letting our birth story unfold naturally. She guided me through breathing and various positions. When my contractions plateaued, she encouraged us to walk the dog around the block to get them started again. Her soothing and knowledgeable demeanor was encouraging and the exact support not only I needed, but my partner needed as well. She guided my wife to being the perfect support throughout. She knew exactly when to call the Lyft. We got to the hospital and our baby arrived 45 minutes later. I was hoping to be in the birth center at Mt Sinai West (which has since shut down), and found out it was closed. Thankfully, Annette guided us to laboring as much at home as possible - which was my requested goal. She was in the delivery room, and stayed until our baby learned how to latch (and he learned well - a year later he's still a breastfed baby). She was available for questions throughout the next few weeks. She came over two days later to make sure all was going well. I cannot rave enough about the virtues of having a doula throughout the birth experience - Annette was the perfect one for us!

Nubia brings all the warm, encouraging, supportive vibes that truly helped make my birth experience…read moreas positive as it was. Having birthed my first at an incredible birthing center in another state, I was nervous about birthing in a hospital setting knowing I'd want to go the unmedicated route. Nubia's presence and support were nothing short of deeply empowering - for both me and my partner. She is a real gem. Get her on your birthing team if you can!

Nubia has been providing exceptional postpartum support since the day I was discharged from the…read morehospital. During the first few days, our baby was crying a lot, but Nubia took care of her with incredible patience and care. Thanks to Nubia's professional advice and guidance, our baby has been improving, especially during the night. We can't imagine how we would have managed without her support. Her assistance has allowed me to sleep and rest much longer. We are extremely grateful for everything she has done for us.

I am a black man in an interracial marriage. Yesterday, my wife and I went to the Prospect Heights…read moreTribeca Pediatrics in Brooklyn, NY, for the Infant CPR and safety. As the only black man and the only interracial couple in the class, I believe Geoff Gohacki gave me disparate treatment. My wife could not do the CPR on the floor because her belly made her uncomfortable to do so. The instructor told her to do CPR on the chair. I decided to be next to her because she is my wife, and I did not want her to be alone and feel inadequate. The instructor told me to get on the floor because my wife is pregnant, and I am not pregnant. That was very insensitive, rude, and uncalled for. I don't care if you were joking. You cannot make that kind of statement. My wife and I are adults and are not in high school or the military. I always tell people that my wife and I are pregnant. We are pregnant because we are doing this together. Lastly, if my wife and I are paying for the class, we don't have to look at how other people are doing it so that we can do the CPR. We could have stayed home and watched everything on YouTube. I was doing the infant CPR. I was not doing the chest compressions up to the instructor's standards. Instead of redirecting me, the instructor told me to look at the other people in the class. So you don't have a mouth to speak or are impatient to give me feedback on what I am doing wrong. My wife and I are not here to look at other people. After we left the class and walked toward our apartment, my wife started to cry about the unfortunate treatment this instructor put me through. It was distress we didn't deserve. Therefore, I would not recommend this instructor to a black man in an interracial couple.

If I could leave a 0-star review I would. I applied to be a birth doula with this service. I…read morereceived repeated requests to fill out the same video interviews. I should have stopped the process then but alas I persisted in hope this would work out. Then I I have to go through repeated rescheduled onboarding interviews with Jada because she kept having "schedule conflicts" and no respect for my time. When we met it was awkward and the discussion mostly focused on other doulas who don't want to meet with their client until they are way into active labor and then Boober worries about refunds. I do not operate in a way that would entail these risks happening. I spent a lot of time on the application and intake process for boober yet I continued to get leads for potential clients way outside of my geographic area of service. I got clients that were not serious about hiring a doula or I was one of many doulas who would meet with clients. I responded to some potential leads and sometimes wasn't followed up with, other times was matched with clients along with several other doulas or I was sent redundant messages about client requirements which I had already met. As a newer doula (with about a year of experience) I felt I couldn't compete with being matched with clients who were also introduced to several other doulas. I invested a lot of time and effort into my Boober application and profile and saw NO returns for it. I would get no responses, clients would hire other doulas or no doulas or no one from boober would follow up with me for the leads I was actually interested in. At some point I can no longer tolerate such disrespect for my time. While I believe in providing strong customer service our time as birth workers and service providers also needs to be respected and it's just not at Boober. I'm sorry I every signed up for the service. Also there are different commission structures based on race which I'm pretty sure is illegal. I'm all for birth equity but I'm not looking to be disrespected over and over again.

Melissa was excellent throughout my labor and delivery. In the weeks leading up to the big day, we…read moremet in person to create a birth plan, answer any questions my husband and I had, and to practice various techniques to help reduce the pain during contractions. The hospital can be a very daunting and unwelcoming place. My nurse was actually a bit of a nightmare but thanks to Melissa, I was able to stay focus, remain calm, follow my birth plan and most importantly deliver a healthy baby. It would have been a very different experience without her warmth and care. She helped me advocate for myself which I found to be very empowering. I first heard of Melissa and Mindful Birth & Wellness when I began my research online. A veteran doula who I initially wanted to work with referred Melissa to me after she was unavailable and I am so thankful!

We were inspired to hire Amethyst as a Doula because we wanted someone experienced who would be on…read moreour side during the delivery day. We felt it was important to have someone on our team that we knew was looking out for our interest and not the hospital's. What we ended up getting was that and so much more. We are so grateful for all the help that Amethyst provided. Prior to the delivery day, Amethyst had two prep sessions with us at our apartment. These sessions made us so much more comfortable about what to expect on delivery day. She also guided us on preparing our birth plan. I get emotional when I think about how helpful Amethyst's support was on the delivery day. I don't know what we would have done without her. I can confidently say that hiring Amethyst was one of the best decisions we ever made. After the delivery, Amethyst helped us by preparing placenta pills and coming over for a follow up session. In this session she not only provided great tips on taking care of our newborn she facilitated a conversation that helped us get closure on the entire labor day and delivery process. I would 100% recommend Amethyst to anyone who is pregnant and considering getting a Doula.

Let me start out by saying that Amethyst and everything and anything you can hope/wish/want in a…read moredoula/friend/support system, etc during this special time in your life! If you're thinking about a doula, debating it, stop what you are doing and say to yourself - yes I need this/ I deserve this! As a first time mom, I can say I had an easy pregnancy but towards the end my pregnancy got risky and I had to be induced 4 weeks early. Without the help and support from Amethyst I'm not sure I would have been as calm, cool and collected during my experience. But let me explain how I met Amethyst - throughout my pregnancy I can say I can a fairy good pregnancy. I gained a healthy amount of weight, I stayed active, no cravings, the usually morning sickness the first trimester, etc. the only slight difference is my blood pressure was slightly higher than what it was pre pregnancy. No big deal right? With my routine check ups my blood pressure stayed the same. So towards the end of my pregnancy and realize oh sh*t this is real - like this baby has to come out - I started to freak out! Are we prepared for this? What do I need? Do I know everything I need to know etc? So I started looking into hiring a doula. Mind you I didn't know 100% of what a doula does. I did a lot of research (midwife v doula), I asked my friends who had doulas what their experience was, the credentials, etc. of course I went searching at the usually search engines, google and yelp! And that's when I came across Amethyst profile, read her reviews, her credentials, and it was weird feeling but compared to the other profiles I just kept gng back to hers! Law of attraction people! Listen to it! :-) Anywho I gave Amethyst a call, she picked up right away, we had s great conversation and we set up an initial date to meet! I was so excited! She came to my home in westchester and my husband and I had about a little over an hour meeting with Amethyst. We spoke about our backgrounds, how she got into this field, our fears, etc and as soon as she left I remember both me and my husband looked at each other and said - we need her! This was on a Tuesday But that Friday - due to my blood pressure raising to risky levels - I had to be induced! So talk about timing! 40 hours of labor, with drugs pumped into my left and right because I wasn't dilating etc then ended up having a c section, amethyst was my rock! Yes my husband was there and was my rock as well but it's different. She was there for me and my husband from the moment I was induced to the moment I was being sent out for surgery! The entire time I was so thankful and thinking wow what timing! Someone I met literally 72 hours ago and I feel like I know her forever! She has a magical spirit! She explained the process of being induced, what to expect, some of the medical terms the doctors used, she was such an amazing support system, I just simply can't thank her enough! She saved me! So if you are hesitating - don't! Give her a call! It's a special time in your life! Us women don't really talk about pregnancy (pre/post) often but we should! What happens to our bodies, our spirits, etc we should be vocalizing it! It's not a negative thing' like we just accomplished something so badass as giving birth we should be praising ourselves! And amethyst is there for you! So go ahead and do it! You'll be happy you did!