We've had such great luck here. Joey consistently offers wise guidance and brings the perspective…read moreof someone far beyond his years. We're so grateful for his thoughtful care and expertise in guiding our family to have better communication. "Growth isn't linear" Thank you Joey Even through job changes and insurance shuffling, the team has been incredibly gracious and committed to making sure our experience remains seamless and supportive. If I could give more stars I would.

I have gotten to know a mix of therapists at Smart Love over the past couple of years. It is a…read moremixed bag. Some are fantastic- Dr. Bill Pasola and Blaire Paulsen are AMAZING. I can't say enough wonderful things about Dr. Bill. He is kind, empathetic, and just a wonderful human being all around. He helps me put things into perspective when things can seem hopeless. Miss Blaire has been seeing my son for over a year and he really likes her. She is patient with him, has taught him coping skills and I trust her. However, there was one therapist who left the practice after 1-2 sessions with my son. That was a complete waste of time and we had to start all over again with a new therapist. I met with a therapist (prior to working with Dr. Bill) who was HORRIBLE. I believe that she was in training and should not have been paired with me since she did more damage than help me. After one session I refused to see her again. Smart Love as a whole depends on the individual therapist. Do your homework in advance and thoroughly vet the therapist. You cannot go wrong with Dr. Bill since he is my absolute favorite.

I have had 4.5 years of sweat and laughter with this group. They've seen me through two new…read morechildren and helped me raise all three. It's been the best group of ladies I could have asked for. Like the name says, it's for moms, by moms. Everyone might be in a different stage of motherhood but the empathy runs high and there is something for every mom: exercise, social connection for kids or self, even a monthly book club!

Awesome workouts and community. I have been working out with FIT4MOM Oak Park - River Forest since…read moremy second maternity leave three years ago. There have been class options to fit my needs throughout my motherhood journey. I started with weekday stroller classes when I was on leave and now attend after-work classes and weekend classes. I love that there are options for stay-at-home moms and working moms and a variety of times and class formats. The instructors and other moms are so welcoming--there are even moms' night out gatherings and playgroups. FIT4MOM allows me to get strong and connect with moms going through similar experiences at the same time.

Let me just say that Janelle is a life (and sleep saver)! I've nannied for years and saw all…read moredifferent techniques done but Janelle really takes it home. She is so great at what she does! I highly recommend her!!!

Janelle is amazing! I HIGHLY recommend her if you are a tired parent. I never thought we would get…read moremy two year old out of our bed, but with her detailed and thorough guidance we did it in under two weeks. I am so incredibly grateful for her knowledge and support she provided throughout her program. Besides my toddler sleeping indepently for 10-11 hours every night in her crib, we also got our nights back. Janelle is kind and understanding and non judgemental to anything you may have been going through with your baby, and she helps you fix even when you think it's going to be impossible for your child!

I recently had my first baby and worked with Brandi during my pregnancy and postpartum…read more Brandi was amazing during the entire process! She always took the initiative to check in and see how we were doing, was always proactive about sharing endless resources, was always extremely prompt in answering questions I had and providing tips and was always so positive and chirpy. As a first time mom I had so many questions and Brandi made me feel so empowered in asking questions- there was no such thing as a silly question. My birth was a dream come true and Brandi was extremely instrumental in how my experience turned out! Please do yourself a favor and hire Brandi to walk alongside you during your beautiful maternity journey.

A few days ago I delivered my second baby. Brandi gave me so much support before during and after…read morethe birth. She gave me resources and made sure I knew my rights, and helped me with pain management while pushing, held my hand and encouraged me the entire time. She still checks on me and baby which means so much to me. This was my first time having a doula and It was definitely a great experience. If I were to do it again, I would want Brandi by my side! Thank you soo much Brandi for all you've done!!

I cannot say enough to recommend Martha and her team. I have minimal family around and my husband…read morewent back to work fairly immediately to a demanding job. From the first night Martha came, I felt immediately at ease. She helped me transition into becoming a new mom and provided advice, as much support as I could want, and organized so much of my home. 2-3 nights and mornings a week of support for the first 3-4 months made all the difference between struggling and thriving during my postpartum period. She also has put in so much effort to make sure my daughter is sleeping well for when I go back to work - checking in even on her off days. We are going to miss her presence in our home immensely and hope to need her again in the future.

Martha and her team have made me a better mom. I was struggling with postpartum anxiety and my…read morehusband was looking for any resources to help me. I never thought that I would have care for my newborn or that that would be something that I would need. I reluctantly agreed to have Martha come for one evening and see how I felt, and my journey to motherhood has never been the same since. Martha, Shirley, peace, amma, Doreen and Esther all took care of my daughter, with the love that a parent would have for their own child. In addition to this, they taught me so much! They helped me with learning how to properly feed my daughter, how much food she needed, talk to me through some of my health anxieties, helped me enhance my daughter's development, and worked with my daughter to become a great sleeper. All of this while I was able to get good rest and be a better mom. I am eternally thankful for Martha and her team and if we are lucky enough to have another child, they will be my first call. If I could give one piece of advice to any new parents it would be to use Chicago Newborn Care.

Holly's birth prep class is absolutely outstanding. This is my second pregnancy, and my only regret…read moreis not finding her the first time around! She's engaging, funny, knowledgable, honest, and her main focus goes far, far beyond facts and information (which are also rich and helpful). The exercises in pain coping were excellent. They became even more powerful when paired with the exercises for couples to help us to understand our fears, expectations, hopes, etc. Yeah, I think couples therapists may learn a thing or two sitting in on Holly's classes! Discussing the smells, sights, sounds and other details about childbirth are not a regular part of mainstream Midwestern culture. Somehow, Holly made the information and exercises approachable and not at all weird to do in front of a group of other people. Holly is a great facilitator. A lot of great ideas and discussion came from members in the class because she made space for participation, thought, and sharing. This class involves making art. Normally I think that kind of stuff is total hippy BS, but I really enjoyed it. Maybe I had some pent up stuff from my previous birth experience, but whatever it was, it was awesome. I totally surprised myself with that. I uniquely appreciated Holly's class because she was totally welcoming despite the fact that I was the only one in the room that already had given birth once (emergency c-section not at all what was in my "plan"), and also the only one without a partner in class. Holly made it easy for me to be there, and to participate even though there was a lot of partner work. I really looked forward to coming home to share and practice with my partner. Holly also shared information and guided discussions in such a way to help the couples to manage their expectations and understand all of the possibilities and interventions that can occur, including c-section. She also spent time helping folks in the class to understand their emotions and expectations of themselves and each other. I'm paraphrasing, but she focused on helping us to prepare for the birth that gives us our babies, versus the 3-page plan of stuff that we "want." One thing is not "better" than another, only different, and understanding how to navigate it will make for the most positive birth experience. Holly has spent time at all of the area hospitals, so her tips on productive communication with staff and doctors at the hospital, as well as what to remember to ask for ( eg. squat bars, fresh batteries for the fetal heart monitor) were totally awesome. I'm so happy I took this class with Holly. I'm due in a few weeks, and my partner and I both feel far more prepared for how to navigate our way through the labyrinth, whatever path that may be.

My husband and I took Holly's Birthing From Within Childbirth class and really enjoyed it. We both…read morehad read and connected with the book Birthing From Within so the class seemed like a natural extension. We went to Holly's house for 3 Saturdays and covered what to expect physically and emotionally in labor. I was impressed with Holly's overall knowledge and passion and how she was able to get all of the couples to participate so thoughtfully. I recently gave birth to our first child and throughout my labor I was able to connect with things that Holly had said and so was my husband. Even though she constantly told us that labor is unpredictable, I had some mile markers in my head from what I had learned and it was very helpful. I highly recommend this class! Thank you Holly :)

If you want to FEEL better just walk into this magical healing place. Your soul will savor the…read moremassage and your heart will Welcome the love.

A beautiful journey in self care! Chiquita is a natural, gifted Reikki master. Marta is a…read morebrilliant, accomplished massage and reflexology practitioner. Love their energy! I feel wonderful. CB