Cristina is a wonderful doula, she is experienced and very knowledgeable about a broad range of…read morebirth-related matters. If you have a question, she does have an answer. She did a great job of putting our fears to rest when we met with her, and she was always very quick to respond to any messages we sent her way. She helped my wife through a particularly difficult birth in October 2021, and her presence was instrumental in aiding my wife through the birth process. Her thoughts and actions show that she cares about her clients and truly wants to help them however she can. She sent us articles and tips along the way, and they were always super relevant to what we had just asked. You'll be doing yourselves a big favor in hiring her as a doula, she is just splendid.

Cristina is amazing! She was our doula for the birth of our daughter in August 2021. We…read moreinterviewed a number of doulas and actually almost hired one but after talking to Cristina, we thought she was a great fit. Her energy, experience and knowledge all made her the perfect choice. She sent us articles and tips to get us prepared for labor as well as provided lots of advice on that 4th trimester that most first time mothers are ill prepared for (we focus so much on just giving birth). Cristina was with us at the hospital from the time we got there, encouraging, reminding me to breathe, ensuring i was hydrating, providing counter pressure massage, having me change positions, even held my leg during pushing and stayed until well after the baby was born. I wouldn't have been able to have my unmedicated (wonderful) labor and birth without her. We also used Cristina's placenta encapsulation service. She came to the house and did the process there (about 1-2 hours over 2 days) and during that time we were able to continue chatting and she continued to provide helpful advice on postpartum. The placenta capsules worked great for me, I have plentiful milk supply and feel energetic (pretty sure it helped with postpartum recovery). We will definitely use Cristina again and I will recommend her to all my pregnant friends.

The Arlington Heights office is not functional. They don't have enough staff and frequently call…read moreto move appointments to one of their other offices the morning of. They also can't do most procedures at the AH location so you have to go to one of the other locations anyway. I get mixed information from receptionists/nurses and I haven't seen a doctor since my initial meeting (over 3 months ago). I would not recommend.

My husband and I tried to conceive for 3 years with no luck. I have PCOS and difficulty ovulating…read more I decided to get help from this fertility center. We tried the Clomid cycle with the Hcg injection and scheduled intercourse twice. We wanted to start with medications first. We worked with Dr. Catenacci and her team of nurses. Dr. Catenacci has great bedside manner, she's respectful and honest. I felt she always had my best interest in mind. I can say the same for the nurses. The nurses and secretary were always friendly and there to help. The first cycle I miscarried at around 6 weeks and the second was a successful pregnancy. We just welcomed our healthy little boy this past February. This is a great clinic, a bit hidden from the other places in Chicago, a gem. If you plan on going through fertility treatments just make sure you have a good support system ready, expect ups and downs. We will definitely be going back for our second child when we're ready.

We decided to go the home birth route after researching our options in the early months of…read morepregnancy. Our Midwife gave us a few choices, Sam was one of them, which we interviewed and ultimately chose Sam. The main reason was she was so down to earth that I knew she could get along with my fiesty husband and take charge at the same time if something was to go wrong. We also liked the fact that she could still come along with us if we had to go to the hospital to give birth. We were impressed and comforted by her great amount of expertise which we learned from taking one of her child birth classes. The day of the birth we called Sam at 2 am and she comforted our anxiety and asked us questions that would help her understand how far we were. As the labor progressed she came over and gave me little exercises like going up and down the stairs and swaying my hips to help move the baby around. She was the one who passed along the info to our midwife of how far along I was. My midwife came over and 30 minutes later we gave birth to our son. Sam was there adjusting my pillow, helping me drink water, and encouraging me while I pushed. After the birth, she checked on us frequently and gave us tidbit of info to help that we still use today. I would recommend Sam to anyone whether home birth or hospital birth to have by your side. We will use her again in the future and wouldn't think to go elsewhere!

We hired Samantha as our doula for the birth of our first-born, who arrived this past February. I…read morecan honestly say that had it not been for Samantha...despite my best intentions...I would not have had a natural childbirth. Although my labor was relatively short for a first-born, it was very intense and happened somewhat suddenly. Within an hour of me calling her to let her know I needed her, she was at my home and helping me work my way through it. The biggest challenge for me was fear, and she had a number of different techniques to keep me focused and relatively composed. Also, she incorporated my fiance into everything as well. It was such an amazing experience for him as well. By time we reached the hospital, I was fully dilated and our son was born just two hours later. Without Samantha, I would have given up and gone to the hospital much sooner and probably given in to getting an epidural. In case you have any doubt about whether you should go natural or not, within 15 minutes of giving birth I was up and walking around. My recovery time was quite short, which allowed me precious additional time to get to know my baby and adjust to my new life as a mommy. She was wonderful from start to finish, and I couldn't be happier with how things turned out. Thank you, Samantha!

HORRIBLE SERVICE. This practice is terrible. They are always running late. I routinely wait 30-45…read moreminutes past my scheduled appointment time before I'm even taken back to a room. Then there is another 15-20 minute wait. The main waiting room/lobby is dirty and unpleasant. The rude and sloppy office staff has managed to lose my medical records at one point and recently, after taking TWO copies of my insurance cards in less than a month, they managed to bill the wrong insurance company. They initially blamed me and expected me to clean up the billing mess. Only after I had them pull my (new, because they lost the old one) chart and showed them I gave the right info did they agree to handle it. It took several months to resolve. The male doctors are rude and Dr. Eisenberg in particular has a horrible bedside manner. If you are forced to go to this practice because of insurance coverage, only see the female doctors. This practice is so bad I'm considering paying out of pocket to go elsewhere, even though my insurance company covers my visits to this office at nearly 100%. That's how bad they are at Women's Healthfirst.

I went here for the first time today. I live in the city, but work in the suburbs, so I was trying…read moreto cram an annual appointment during my lunch break. I arrived at 950am for my 1015 appointment. After finishing all the paper work by 1005, I waited patiently. The receptionist was not very friendly, and was quite rude to the rest of the staff. At 1025, I asked if I was going to be seen soon because I am kind of in a hurry, she said sure. I didn't get into a room until 1035, the PA didn't come in until 1050. At this point, I have already been here an hour and have yet to be examined! I do not understand why they make the appointments so close, knowing that people will most likely have questions, so to allow themselves more time. The PA was pleasant, but nothing to rave about. I think I will continue searching for another OB/GYN.

I had a terrible experience with Dr. Scanlon, she was incredibly rude. I went for an annual exam…read moreand her instruments were getting a little painful. I requested if she could please reduce to a thinner sized instrument, and she replied "you're not a virgin anyway, it doesn't matter". I couldn't believe how unprofessional she was. She continued on with the appointment in the same rude attitude, being snappy with her replies to my questions. Some questions I couldn't even finish asking because she would cut me off. I was very close to walking out of the middle of the appointment (I've never done that before). Was she having a bad day and took it out on me? That would be the only reasoning I could possibly come up with for having one of the worst doctors appointments (and doctors) I've ever had. I will never be a patient of Dr. Scanlon again. I switched to Dr. Farhi, who was in the same office for The Women's Comprehensive Center, and she was great. Dr. Farhi was very accomodating to my comfort and concerns as a patient, she is the best.

Dr Scanlon was great at my appointment. Knowledgable and caring. She explained all the options and…read morespent a lot of time with me. The best is that she solved my problem. I highly recommend her.

If you are debating a doula, debate no more! Hillary Scharmann is exactly what every pregnant mama…read moreand expectant papa need. She'll walk you through the what to expect and prep you for delivery. She'll answer your questions, and if she can't, she'll find someone that can. Her commitment to supporting your family is 100%. We elected to deliver our baby boy in a hospital. While we had several concerns about being in a big medical space, Hillary put us at ease. She listened to all of our concerns. She took note of our fears and comforts. She was honest about the realities of delivery and the time leading up to it. While we feared induction and a long labor, she prepared us for what to advocate for to make it as natural and comfortable as possible (and thank goodness she did). Labor was no piece of cake. It was 36 hours from induction that our little guy arrived. Hillary spent 25 hours of that time with us. She was an advocate for us, asking all the questions we couldn't think to ask. She remembered those things that we said provide comfort to us and transformed the room to make it what we needed. She helped ease the pain with massages and encouraging movement (and that awesome peanut ball). She assisted in delivering the best part of our lives! We couldn't imagine those last 25 hours without her! Her services don't end when your baby arrives. She provides invaluable postpartum support. She is there when you are most vulnerable. She arrives to your house with treats and does your dishes, while she listens to the new parent woes. She makes you feel that you are normal. Normal is something we yearned for for those first six weeks. Birth is an incredible adventure, and no one person should experience it alone. If you are wavering on hiring a doula, do it no longer. Hire one! If you want the best, professional, personable, caring one out there hire Hillary Scharmann at HEART Birth & Baby.

One of the best decisions my husband and I made during pregnancy was to hire Hillary as our doula…read more As this was a first pregnancy and our first child, my husband and I were understandably nervous as to what the birth experience would entail. We wanted to ensure a calm, healthy and intervention-free delivery and Hillary helped us achieve that. The night I went into labor, Hillary arrived at the hospital a few minutes after my husband and I did and sprung into action immediately. She knew I wanted the environment to be calm and she somehow managed to create a spa-like atmosphere in the middle of a hospital. She dimmed the lights, turned on a relaxing playlist, provided aromatherapy, fluids and - most importantly - a heating pad for my aching back. She supported, encouraged and talked us through labor and because of her quick thinking, helped us avoid a C-section. I truly believe I was able to deliver my son the way I wanted because of her ability to work with my midwives. Hillary also provided us with the most precious gift - photos and videos of us meeting our son for the first time. I had no idea she was filming the first moment they laid my son on my chest and discovered it days later at home. I still cry every single time I watch the video. Most importantly, Hillary was a huge support after we took our baby home. I was beginning to show signs of postpartum anxiety and so my husband reached out to Hillary who, in turn, called me right away. She provided me with a lactation consultant (breastfeeding was the source of my anxiety) and a hotline for PPA help. Because of her quick action and support, I was able to very quickly overcome my breastfeeding challenges and my anxiety disappeared days later. If it had not been for her, I feel as though I really would have struggled through those first weeks. I cannot praise or thank Hillary enough for being there for us during this special time. I would wholeheartedly recommend her - I can't imagine delivering any future babies without her by my side.

The Best Doula and Photographer -- Natalie Made My VBAC Dream Come True!…read more I cannot say enough about Natalie -- she was truly the reason my VBAC was such a success. She stayed by my side for over 24 hours, never once losing patience or energy. She guided me through every contraction, changed my position constantly, and did everything possible to help me stay strong and focused. Her calm, knowledgeable presence gave me confidence when I doubted myself, and I'll forever be grateful for her support and expertise. On top of being an incredible doula, Natalie is also an amazing newborn photographer. She came to our home just days after the birth and spent extra time making sure every shot was perfect -- never rushing, always so gentle with our baby. She went above and beyond by giving us additional photos and getting them back to us in only a few days. The images are absolutely stunning and capture this precious time so beautifully. Natalie is one of a kind -- dedicated, compassionate, and unbelievably talented. I can't imagine my birth or these first memories without her. If you're considering a doula or newborn photographer, Natalie is the one you want by your side.

Natalie was AMAZING for the birth of my second child. Throughout my entire pregnancy she was always…read moreavailable and made me feel confident with her wisdom. Her Christian background also allowed me to experience the labor and birth that I always envisioned. I would highly recommend Natalie as a doula!

I took an online course with Dana and it was great. Dana knows what she is teaching, indeed she…read moreused hypnobirthing herself and you can see she really wants other moms to experience it, since it worked really well for her. I feel it'll work great for me as well. After the course, I feel comfortable and knowing what and how and why and still practicing, so that it becomes my second nature and evolves on its own when time. If you are soon to become a mom, highly recommend taking the course.

My spouse and I really enjoyed the Hypnobirthing class, which was recommended to us by our doula…read more Despite being taught over Zoom, we were given the tools to practice at home and work at our own pace. Dana is knowledgeable and takes interest in each person's experience and pregnancy. Although our due date is still a month away, I am confident the skills we learned in this class will help not only our birthing process but the parenting afterward!