In general, I would not recommend this class to expecting parents who are not already affiliated…read morewith the church group that puts it on. The instructors seem very nice and likeable, and I don't mean to attack them personally, but the class is a major time commitment, and I feel compelled to share some of my concerns. First, the positives. The instructors are charismatic, and the pastor who leads it has a wonderful speaking voice. I honestly think she'd be fun to hang out with. The class includes useful instruction regarding techniques for labor, massage, writing a birth plan, etc. A lot of the stuff you're there for is somewhere in the class, so if you are willing to sit through it, you may get a lot of the information you came for in terms of feeling more prepared for your actual birth. Next, my concerns. (1) This class has a moderate to strong ideological tone and slant, especially re vaccines. You might be thinking, "well what did you expect from a free class from a group called Birth Believers?" It was honestly a bit more concerning than I had expected. A recurring theme of the class is: "your doctor is going to tell you X, but you shouldn't trust them, and in fact, you should probably do Y or even Z." The instructors will present this as them just providing you with information, but the presentation is not value neutral. You are meant to come away feeling suspicious of doctors and hospitals and favoring "natural" methods. For instance, they'll show you a 25-30 year old graphic video of how babies are traumatized during hospital births and contrast it with a video of an uncomplicated natural birth. Our experience with this was that it just contributed to our stress. One could say that this class presents a lot of their information using scare tactics and negativity. The most alarming example of this was their section on whether pregnant mothers should receive the COVID vaccine. This came up twice - in the first and fourth sessions. In the first session, the message was essentially, "there's no way to really know whether it's safe." I thought this was beyond the instructor's expertise, but I didn't really have a problem with the way she presented it. But in the fourth session, the pastor brought up the CDC's most recent guidance (that pregnant women should get the COVID vaccine) and although she faithfully conveyed the CDC's recommendation, she immediately undermined it by (in my opinion) grossly misrepresenting the study that underpinned the guidance. Audience members were reacting with outrage toward the CDC based on her representation of the data. This was infuriating and, frankly, irresponsible. It's one thing to say "we don't know," but this time, she may have been presenting data incorrectly and strongly implying that we should draw certain conclusions about the impact of the vaccine on rates of miscarriage and other events. The conclusions she was pointing to were, in my opinion, not at all supported by the data. I say irresponsible because a pastor has positioned themselves in a role of power and trust relative to students and congregants, and I suspect there are people who may not get vaccinated now because their view on vaccines is downstream of their decision to trust this pastor who has no expertise in that area. My broader point is that the instructors have an ideological agenda that goes beyond birthing and it gets in the way of what the class is supposed to be about. (2) This class is very long and does not use time efficiently. There are lots and lots of product recommendations and anecdotes in each session, and I am convinced that each session could have been 1/3 as long if it were tightened up. One of the teachers, who is very nice, told the birth story for each of her six kids. They were all very different, they were all interesting, but they were not useful to tired, working pregnant people on a Monday night at 8:30pm. Conclusion: If you're a secular person planning for a hospital birth, this class is probably not for you. This is a religious organization with an agenda beyond the nuts and bolts of birthing, and your time may be better spent with a paid class put on by the hospital where you're planning to give birth or some other organization in line with your values. If you're a religious person familiar with the ideology of this church, you may feel very comfortable in this space and this class. I would encourage you to consider alternative viewpoints regarding matters that seem beyond the instructors' expertise.

Birth Believers is a group that provides Childbirth Education, Doula Services, and Placenta…read moreEncapsulation. I don't know if you follow me / are friends with me on Yelp, or if you are just happening to see this review through looking up Birth Believers...either way, I want to make this clear: Never, in all of my years yelping, being Yelp Elite, and writing reviews, have I ever felt THIS strongly about a review, and about a recommendation. I 100% recommend this doula service. Every single fiber of my being is me telling you: Hire a doula from Birth Believers. Let's start off with some backstory: When I first became pregnant, one of my friends told that me that her biggest regret was NOT having a doula. I honestly thought she was crazy, or just had an unsupportive partner. "Well," I thought to myself, "MY husband is wonderful, and he will help me. We don't need to pay extra money on top of all these other new kid expenses!" I was just silly. Sigh. As I researched and learned more and more about the birth I wanted to have (medication free, natural, hypnobirthing) I kept seeing a theme--many women in my mom groups had traumatic birth experiences because of the medical professionals and interventions that they were forced to have. So many women in my groups were sharing horror stories, sharing success stories, and giving advice, and a resounding suggestion was--HIRE A DOULA. As I got closer and closer to my due date, I started really wanting a doula. Enter Yelp. Yelp offered us tickets to the Baby Expo, and my husband and I jumped at the chance to go! We wanted to get ideas, get more information, and just be more prepared. As we were walking the stalls of vendors and services, a friendly lady with a black Birth Believers shirt stopped me and asked if I wanted a foot massage. I sat and was quickly introduced to Melani. To make a long story short, we chatted, she massaged, and we really connected. We discussed birth, and what my plans for birth were. She encouraged me to enter the drawing for a free doula, which would be her (Melani), as well as enter the drawing for placenta encapsulation, to be done by Mari. After meeting Melani of Birth Believers, having great discussions, and thinking deeply about what we wanted for the birth of our firstborn, my husband and I decided to start saving up and budgeting to hire her. It is a professional service, so there is a cost to it--but the cost is definitely worthwhile. (We had originally wanted to get a doula and placenta encapsulation, but decided that we couldn't budget for both.) However, the same day that we made our decision, that night I received a text from Melani, informing me that I'd won the Baby Expo doula drawing, and that I'd be receiving doula services from Melani for free! She jumped right in to help me--she also invited me to church, and to meet after. We discussed expectations for the birth, and ways that I could make things smoother for myself (good stretches, nutrition, etc.) Throughout the weeks leading up to my birth, we met multiple times, she came by my house, went walking with me, and was always accessible. If I had a question about doctor's visits, nutrition, or pregnancy pains, she was always a text away. Melani was EXTREMELY accessible, and it made me feel so comforted to have someone I could ask questions to whenever I needed. She helped to review my birth plan, and made sure I knew what to expect in so many different ways. She was always there to give me advice, help, and to calm my fears. During labor, she helped beyond belief. She applied pressure through my contractions (which feels amazing, and is worth hiring her just for that!), talked me through labor, and encouraged me. I was a little worried that having her there would make my husband feel uninvolved, but he 100% was part of the birth process--and he LOVED HER! He agrees that she is worth her weight in gold-he has been telling all of his friends and family how she helped him to feel more comfortable, to know what to do to help me (she taught him hip squeezes and other techniques), and how having her there really made him feel more confident through the birth process, as a first time father. Melani really helped me before birth, through birth, and after. If you are considering doula services through Birth Believers, I STRONGLY recommend that you choose to do it. We also did the Placenta Encapsulation--I will try to update this review later to reflect what I've experienced with my placenta pills, but so far, I'm impressed! I really wish that I'd known these lovely ladies sooner, so I could have attended their free childbirth education classes. I'll definitely go next time we are expecting! If Melani is any indicator, I bet I'd get more out of these classes than the two sets I paid for through Kaiser. In summary, get a doula. Just get a freaking doula! Birth Believers is just awesome!!! I can't recommend them enough!

My wife just gave birth yesterday and she heard a lot of the benefits of placenta encapsulation…read more After hearing about lotus birth services, she decided to have me contact Crystal for preparation of placenta consumption through encapsulation. What a wonderful person crystal was to work with. I was already stressed enough with everything following the arrival of my son, but she made it so much easier to deal with the placenta. She came to Kapiolani hospital to pick up the placenta and delivered the pills back the following day. Her method of preparation is also worry free. Definitely recommend this place if you have any questions or services for anything birthing related.

I contacted Crystal about placenta encapsulation after a close friend recommended her. After I met…read morewith Crystal I immediately regretted not having set her up as my doula for the entirety of my pregnancy. Crystal is professional yet sweet and you can tell she truly loves what she does. Not to mention, her prices are very reasonable for the care you are receiving. I had my placenta encapsulated and had a tincture made. Crystal was super helpful in explaining the process and making sure I was taken care of. I waited a few days after I gave birth to start the placenta pills because I wanted to catch up on sleep first and I only wish I had started them sooner. Since taking them I have lost all signs of baby blues, I feel great, and have noticed an increase in my breastmilk supply. I highly recommend Crystal for both placenta encapsulation and doula services.

I really love doctor b. He's a very chill laid back doctor but is thorough and cares about his…read morepatients. He's delivered both of my children and really took care of me in multiple emergency situations throughout both my pregnancies. My husband and I are very grateful for him. Also if you are looking for a doctor/ob office that will actually respect your patient autonomy this is a great place to go. I'm a very holistic minded person and I always felt respected here and not judged for my choices. Thank you doc!

It was a terrible office experience today with provider Dr. Eesha…read more Bhattacharyya or Dr. B. For short at Ko'olau Women's Healthcare in Honolulu. First of all, Dr. B. is an unprofessional, inconsiderate, lazy doctor. Why do I say this? Well, first of all, i went to see him today for my follow up appointment, and in the exam room, Dr, B. suddenly started coughing a lot when talking to me. I was sitting across from him, in close proximity, sitting on the exam table. So, I asked Dr. B. to put on a mask. Dr.B. didn't cover his mouth, and he wasn't wearing a mask either. To protect me and his patients, many of whom are pregnant, Dr. B. should have had sense enough, as a doctor, to at least wear a mask to protect his patients from his germs and coughing. But he failed to do so. Next, he suddenly left the room to tend to a patient that was feeling faint. What about me as a patient? Why did you leave me hanging doctor in the exam room, with no explanation, and no apology as to whether or not I was supposed to wait for him to return or not? Lastly, Dr. B failed to help me with the medical situation that I went to see him for in the first place, and was unwilling to do the training I needed that could have helped me, thus the low rating I have given him. For all these reasons, I would not recommend Ko'olau Women's Healthcare or Dr. Eesha Bhattacharyya to anyone, and I see that several other patients have also given him one star ratings as well.

She's been a great gyno the last 3 years but once I had a "surprise" pregnancy she walked into the…read moreroom after my confirmation pee test and asked me, "Is this a good thing?" with a face that seemed to almost judge me. I mean, at the last appt i told her that we were going to wait until I was at least 30 and well i'm 2 yrs early. We're newlyweds for gosh sakes and it happens. When she examined me and did an initial ultrasound to figure out the age of the fetus since I had no idea when conception might have occurred - she said, "That's weird, it looks like you have liquid in your uterus." Then she went over her concerns like tubal pregnancies and how I could have been pregnant and lost it but my body's still acting as though it's pregnant. She then told me to get a wk's worth of blood work done to check my HCS levels and sent me on my way all scared that A) I wasn't pregnant or B) something was wrong with my prenancy. I took a camera phone pic of the ultrasound went home and verified on the internet that that glob, which she referred to as liquid in my uterus, was actually my little 5 wk fetus. So i followed up with my appts and she verified a month later that my little tadpole was a fetus and was NOT in my tubes and as it should be - in my uterus. But the poor husband, we was so excited, he asked if it was a boy and she snapped treating him like an idiot and rudely replied that it's not possible to figure that out just yet. The first trimester went on and I visited her just two more times where I found that they refer you to a sheet of paper for questions on the pregnancy and spotting and other worries you have as a first time mama and in the back it says, "NO BIRTH PLANS ALLOWED" or something or another like that. Basically, it's not up to you how you'd like your birth to be, instead it's really up to her. So I ended up changing OB's. It's amazing - i loved her as my gyno but her OB care was not as warm and informative. I'm not sure if it's cause she's not a mom, but she was not very nice to me, my husband, or even to the thought of our unborn child once mamahood came to fruition. Otherwise, she's got a highly efficient office and she's got patients all the time but that's what they are to her "patients".

I have been going to Dr. Wang for 8 years and she delivered both my kids. The staff are great and…read morevery personable. Dr. wang is very thorough and informative. She always have time for my questions and she does necessary testing for both of my pregnancies. She suggested queens medical center for my second child which was a much nicer experience.

I really wanted to leave a positive review because Dr. Bhattacharyya's administrative and support…read morestaff have always been kind, friendly, and compassionate. Unfortunately, my overall experience has been overshadowed by the office's consistent inability to stay anywhere close to schedule. I've been to both the Kailua and downtown offices at least five times over the past several months, and nearly every appointment has involved waiting 45 minutes to an hour after my scheduled appointment time. I completely understand that Dr. Bhattacharyya is an OB and that laboring mothers and emergencies must take priority. That said, this has become the norm rather than the exception, and it feels like the practice has taken on more patients than it can reasonably accommodate. Whether that means hiring additional providers or adjusting the schedule, something needs to change. If you value your time, this is something to seriously consider. Like many patients, I'm balancing work, childcare, and other responsibilities. I make every effort to arrive early and plan my day around these appointments, so repeatedly waiting close to an hour after my scheduled time is frustrating and, frankly, disrespectful of patients' time. My final experience was today at my second post-operative appointment. My appointment was at 7:30 a.m., yet it was already apparent the office was running significantly behind before the morning had even really started. After waiting 15 minutes with no indication of when I would be seen, I had to leave because I had work and childcare commitments. It was disappointing to miss an appointment I needed simply because the schedule was already so delayed. I was also concerned about patient privacy. Both offices are quite small, and I've frequently seen patients standing because there aren't enough chairs, with others waiting in hallways or sitting on the floor. On more than one occasion I was placed in an overflow office area where I could clearly overhear staff discussing other patients' medical information. I also observed passwords written on sticky notes in plain view. While I understand healthcare offices can be busy, these experiences made me uncomfortable and raised concerns about patient confidentiality. I appreciate the kindness of the staff and understand that obstetrics is an unpredictable specialty. However, consistently running 45-60 minutes behind schedule and allowing patient privacy to be compromised are issues that deserve attention. I hope the practice is able to address both, because patients deserve compassionate care that also respects their time and confidentiality.

Dr. Bhattacharyya is clearly very intelligent and prioritizes safety, but I found him to be lacking…read morewarmth and engagement. Unfortunately, this is not an OB/GYN office I would return to for future pregnancies. The midwives, however, were wonderful -- compassionate, attentive, and helped provide some of the warmth I felt was missing during my interactions with Dr. B. Experiencing a miscarriage is difficult enough, and it became even harder when I felt out of the loop regarding what was happening with my body and what follow-up care I should expect. I was brought in for two follow-up visits. At the first, Dr. B performed an ultrasound and identified retained clots. At the second visit, I was left waiting in the back office room for about 20 minutes while listening to a healthy, active fetal heartbeat from the neighboring room -- an extremely painful experience under the circumstances. When he finally came in, I was asked if I was done bleeding and then told I was "good to go." There was no repeat ultrasound and no HCG testing. While I respect Dr. B's clinical knowledge, I believe compassionate communication and thoughtful follow-up are essential during pregnancy loss. Unfortunately, that was missing here.

I really love doctor b. He's a very chill laid back doctor but is thorough and cares about his…read morepatients. He's delivered both of my children and really took care of me in multiple emergency situations throughout both my pregnancies. My husband and I are very grateful for him. Also if you are looking for a doctor/ob office that will actually respect your patient autonomy this is a great place to go. I'm a very holistic minded person and I always felt respected here and not judged for my choices. Thank you doc!

Wonderful doctor. He was very patient and thorough. I would highly recommend and I will definitely…read morebe going back when necessary. The staff is Great!! Thank you very much for all your help

There isn't enough words to express how grateful I am for the care I received from Dr. Beair. I…read morehave had my share of different OB-GYNs, another of which delivered my first child, but I never felt like the connection was quite right. With Dr. Beair, I felt so at ease from the very beginning. My first labor and delivery, I suffered many different, and at the time, unknown medical complications. So I was ridden with anxiety with my 2nd pregnancy. Dr. Benton Chun referred me to Dr. Beair after a successful frozen embryo transfer at IVF Hawaii, promising me that I would be in the Best hands. He was right. If you know anything about the seasoned Dr. Chun, you know he doesn't say this about just anyone. At the initial visit, it was clear she had studied my chart and already knew my history. I recall apologizing to her that I was a complicated case and she said, "Don't worry, TOGETHER we will make sure you and baby are healthy". From that visit on, she meticulously took care of me. Unlike other doctors I've worked with, she took the time to know me. I didn't feel like just a number in the office or feel like she was rushing in and out of the room. Her assessments were thorough and she found things early in my 2nd trimester so we were able to adjust/add medications, diet, and activity level. It was also around that time that I had a pregnancy scare and I had a small breakdown during a follow-up visit. I was able to see her compassionate side and feel empathy from her as she comforted me. Dr. Beair stayed true to what she said at the first visit. Together, we were able to better prepare for a healthy baby and delivery. With her expertise and knowledge, she guided me on this journey. She was able to prevent certain things from happening again and for the things that couldn't be prevented due to my health history, she had a clear plan on how to minimize the problems to make sure my baby and I were ultimately safe. I completely recommend Dr. Beair to anyone looking for an intelligent, professional, thorough and WARM HEARTED OB-GYN.

It's taken me years to find an ob-gyn that I don't like, but LOVE. If not for my previous ob-gyn…read morekicking me out as a patient since he no longer did deliveries, I wouldn't have seen Dr. Beair. Luckily he referred me to her. Dr. Beair is professional, knowledgeable, caring, and compassionate. I never feel rushed in my appointments, she takes the time to listen to my concerns, answer all of my hundreds of questions, and put my mind at ease. During my pregnancy I had a few scares that required hospital visits. Dr. Beair was calm and reassuring, talking me off the ledge as I was overanalyzing what could go wrong each time. When it came time to delivery day, her knowledge, and calm, cool, and collected demeanor kept my anxious nerves at bay. Her warm bedside manner is just what I needed. Dr. Beair's staff is amazing too. I love going to her office not only to see her, but also her awesome and friendly staff.

Dr. Sword is amazing! She is friendly, knowledgeable, open minded and takes her time. I never felt…read morerushed during my exam. She listened to all of my (numerous) issues and made sure to ask all the right follow up questions. She ordered tests that no other ob/gyn before her bothered to order even though my symptoms aren't new. She was also very up to date about the latest options for issues associated with menopause and perimenopause and didn't feed me some old school B.S. about hormone replacement being public enemy #1. The person who gave her a bad review bc of a billing issue really did her dirty! It sounds like they had an issue with the practice's biller, not with Dr. Sword's performance as an employed physician of the practice. When I met her today I was just so shocked someone would ever give her less than 5 stars! She is just the sweetest, kindest, person. Highly recommend!!

I started going to Hawaii Women's Healthcare after I felt my last OBGYN was not addressing my…read moreconcerns and brushing me off. I have been a patient for over a year, and the care I have received from Dr. Sword and everyone I have seen has been incredible. Since I met her, she has listened to my concerns and provided me with educated guidance that has suited my needs. When I voiced concerns about getting pregnant due to my family history, she immediately set me up with a plan to find out if it was possible. Come to find out, I was pregnant while we were having that conversation. Dr. Sword made my pregnancy journey a smooth one. She answered all my questions and ensured I had the best care even when she was out of the office. I appreciated Dr. Sword setting up what they called "Meet & Greet" to ensure I was familiar with all the doctors in case I needed something while she was away. After I had my baby, I had some complications, and Dr. Sword immediately got me in for an appointment to ensure everything was okay. She continued to take great care of me until I was in the clear. The clinic nurses are very friendly and helpful, too. Pregnancy can be a scary journey, but I looked forward to all of my appointments. Being around doctors with great personalities and a sense of humor made me feel very comfortable asking any and every question that popped into my head. They even entertained and played along with my husband's silly jokes when he made them. I am grateful to have found a place and a Doctor who truly cares about their patients.