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!!

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!!

Do yourself a favor and hire Heather. She is PRICELESS. The birth of my son had a few significant…read morecurveballs and she was a calm steady presence through it all. From helping me through contractions to helping me navigate all the changes as they arose, Heather was just excellent. My husband and I are so glad she was on our team. Birth is an awesome event and people like Heather make it even more amazing.

From the owner: Hi, I’m Heather! I’m a birth and postpartum doula serving New Ulm, Hutchinson, and the Twin Cities…read more My commitment is to support families during birth for the purpose of “healthy moms, healthy babies, and healthy birth memories”, but more than that, I am passionate about seeing entire families healthy, joyful, and genuinely connected over time. Although I've never birthed a baby, my pre-doula career was in international development in Afghanistan, where I gained a true appreciation for trauma and facing difficult things. Aside from the birth world, I’m a lover of rooibos tea and cardamom ice cream, a language geek, and a world traveler. In my free time, you can find me studying a language or two, learning some random new skill like wool spinning, going for a lazy walk in nature, or just chilling in my pajamas at home. I look forward to connecting with you!

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!

I cannot overstate how indispensable Grace was as our doula for the birth of our first child! Her…read moreintuition and extensive knowledge made such a huge difference for my husband and me in the whole birth experience. She trained my husband before the birth in counter pressure and labor position helps so he felt empowered to be there for me. We ended up giving birth at home (unplanned) and Grace not only provided pain relief with massage and position coaching, but also captured some perfect family moments on camera for us after delivery, then ran out to get us some supplies we needed. If you ask her to do something, she's quick and efficient. I rarely had to ask for anything because she has a knack for knowing what's needed without being asked. We will absolutely be hiring Grace for the upcoming birth of our second child!

What can I say, Grace from The JWC was so key in our daughter's safe and joyful arrival! I cannot…read morerecommend Grace enough. I took her Daddy Doula class beforehand which was great in giving me resources as well as helping to wrap my brain around what to expect with the upcoming labor. She was also able to be with us in my wife's labor and followed us to the hospital. Having her there allowed me to be better in my focus on my wife, my daughter, the staff, the event, etc... She provided guidance and an empowering calm that was greatly appreciated. I had never heard of a doula before meeting Grace and we are so blessed that she was able to be there for our daughter's birth. You can better believe she will be at all of our future children's births as well. If your upcoming labor is your first or your 4th, do yourself a favor and obtain the services of Grace as your doula. Our daughter arrived safely thanks to Grace!

I'd like to say thank you. Treasured Births was perfect for me. I felt calm, but excited I would…read morefinally meet my child. I would do this again next time and here.

Kelly is the most caring and knowledgeable midwife. I can't even or into words what she did for my…read moredaughter during the birth of my granddaughter.

As soon as I got pregnant I was looking for a birth center where I get good quality prenatal care…read more All the staff and the midwives are friendly, knowledgeable and make you feel like home. My baby was born in the water as I wanted. No complications, midwives knew exactly how to help me and what o need and allowed me my space at the same time. I highly recommend the new birth midwives!

Jenny is a very caring person. She did a good job in the birthing process. We were one of her first…read morebirths in her new venture alone, and as one of the first on her own she performed skillfully. We have had trouble getting our records from her since the birth was over. We know life goes on. She sent an email saying she attached them, but they weren't attached. After repeated attempts to get them, our next midwife (her mentor) requested them. The requests were ignored. This does not instill confidence in the medical industry, since our awesome family doctor would like to see them and hasn't. Both midwifes we've used required payment in full up front. Well, due to the lack of follow through from both of them after the birth is over, I would strongly recommend, as with all services (I own my own business and live this), put 50% down and 50% upon completion. At least leave something on the table to make sure everything is finished out and both parties are satisfied. It puts you in the game while it holds them accountable. If having a well educated person doing the birthing process was the only concern, it'd be a no-brainer to go with Jenny again!

Kelly Rae was our doula and an intern midwife for the duration of my pregnancy, and was there to…read morehelp catch my daughter as she was born in our home. For nine months, Kelly Rae was available to me as a constant support, a teacher, a calming presence, and a friend. She answered any and every question I had, and if she didn't know the answer, she'd research it and get back to me as soon as she had an accurate and well-studied answer. This gal knows her stuff more than anyone I have met in this profession! Kelly Rae would show up to our house with nutritious teas, books about pregnancy/delivery/self-care, and her adorable and loving presence, whenever I needed her. When she was there, she was THERE-always focused on me and my baby and my family! I had several bouts of prodromal labor-each time, no matter what time of day it was, Kelly Rae showed up to help me stay calm, she rubbed my feet and my back, and helped me work through pain. I knew she'd be there for me no matter what! On the night I went in to labor, Kelly Rae was the first one at my door. She guided me through my contractions, helped me stay collected, and was the one to say "Reach down and catch your baby!" when my daughter made her arrival! She was there at every follow up appointment, and helped me through a few days of difficult breastfeeding, as well as the concerns many moms of newborns have! I couldn't have had such a positive birth experience without her. Kelly Rae also encapsulated my placenta! I wish I had done this with my first child, but I'm SO GLAD I did this last time. She had the capsules back to me less than 24 hours after she took it to process! I still take a tincture she taught me to make, 6 months postpartum! Overall, I felt fantastic, and I genuinely credit my experience mixed with my placenta capsules to this. Ladies-use Kelly Rae. I can't sing her praises enough! She's a rock star, and you'll be grateful to her for the rest of your life-I promise!

Kelly was an amazing doula for my first labor and birth. She guided me through my pregnancy with…read moreincredible knowledge, especially during the last trimester when nothing seems to help the aches and pains and other pregnancy side effects, and when it came time to go to the hospital she was so helpful and comforting. I had a few complications during labor and Kelly did such a great job in keeping me focused and at ease. I highly recommend her.

We were so fortunate to work with Terra during the birth of our second baby. We reached out to…read moreTerra on the recommendation of my OB. We suffered a devastating loss during our first pregnancy, and my OB suggested we look in to a Doula to provide emotional and physical support during the birth of our second baby. I will forever be grateful at my OB's suggestion, and extremely thankful that we found Terra. Terra has the most beautiful calm presence. She made us feel totally at ease and when she could sense we were getting nervouse or scared, she calmly reassured us that everything was normal and everything was going fine. We cannot imagine going through a birth without her by our side. My husband was originally concerned that he wouldn't be as needed with a Doula present, but that couldn't have been further from the truth. Not only did Terra support me by anticipating my needs and being by my side for the entire labor, but she also kept a close eye on my husband and reassured and encouraged him when he needed it. She didn't take over his role, she made it easier for him to fill his role in the delivery room by keeping a close eye on him, reassuring him and showing him ways to help me.  We also were fortunate enough to have Terra for some post-partum doula hours. She was amazingly helpful and always made me feel better and more confident, which is half the battle as a new mother! I have also given post-partum doula hours to a friend as a gift and she was so thankful for the support Terra provided.  I cannot recommend Terra enough. She is wonderful and made our second birth experience joyful when it could have been filled with fear and anxiety. We still talk about Terra regularly (even 18 months later!) and will always be thankful that she was there to help us when we really needed it.

Terra attended the births of both of my boys, and I will always be endlessly grateful for her calm…read morepresence, positivity, and warmth. She showed my husband how to help me through labor, and he is now a huge advocate for doulas as well! It's hard for me to explain what an immensely positive impact she had in my life, and I will never forget her!

Having a kid is scary. Beautiful. Amazing. And SCARY. As a first time mom I am thrilled to have run…read moreacross an organization that supports the many forms/styles/approaches parenting can take. And participating in E.M. s new mama group was one of the most intelligent things I could have done. (In fact, i still am!) The childbirth collective and enlightened mama were really the two most positive organizations I have run across when it comes to birthing and parenting. I highly encourage any parent to check out Enlightened Mama's wide array of classes and groups.

I haven't taken any of the Enlightened Mama classes yet, except for prenatal yoga, which was kind…read moreof 'meh.' (Too gentle, and too much lying on your back for pregnant women!). But they do have a nice variety of educational classes, which I will be taking advantage of. The people are really nice, too. What I have used is the Childbirth Collective, which is a non-profit that operates in the same space and offers free lectures on various pregnancy/birth topics, and brings together many members of the natural childbirth community. The lectures are hit or miss, some I thought were awesome, and some just ok, but the good ones were WELL worth it, and the networking opportunities to meet other parents and care providers is fantastic. The only thing I really wish they'd update is the seating. The couches are pretty uncomfortable, and many people have to sit on the floor on pillows, since there isn't enough seating. But other than that, the space is beautiful, clean, very nice. Recommend checking them out if you're in the area. Update: I took the Infant CPR class at Enlightened Mama, and while they did get the information across, I wish I'd done it somewhere else. They were disorganized, and spent the last 30 min discussing "natural" remedies for common childhood illnesses, some of which were goofy, and others which frankly, were dangerous in my opinion. If you are the "crunchy mama" type, you might be into it, but if you are looking for a medical-type class, this is not it. Still giving it 4 stars, but only because of the Childbirth Collective. I'll be taking my other classes elsewhere.