This Bradley Method preparation class is amazing! I chose Bradley Method over hypno birthing or…read moreLamaze because as a long-distance runner it's approach to pain made more sense to me. Also, it seemed like a method that fully incorporated the partner and I wanted the birth experience to be for both of us, and for my partner to not simply be a mildly supportive by-stander. I chose Mary Esther's class based on the recommendation of the midwifery practice we are with and signed up months before it started. By the time it started I was sorry I'd chosen such an intensive class. 8 weeks instead of the couple of hours one session that most people I know had chosen for their birthing class! I was worried it was a waste of time and money, a rookie mistake from being a little too gung-ho at the beginning of the pregnancy. Those fears were gone by the end of the first class. We'd chosen the Sunday afternoon class since the weekday evening classes seemed too hard for this early bird (how does dinner work?) Our group was a a great and diverse mix of hospital/birthing center/home birth going with midwife/ob. We were surprised by just how diverse it was in terms of childbirth choices. The classes themselves were tremendously enjoyable. Mary Esther keeps a relaxed energy going through the class and from the beginning mentioned we should eat, drink and go to the bathroom as we wanted. With so many pregnant ladies in the room, we all did! I was worried about having to sit for so long, but though the main seats are uncomfortable, there are plenty of props to make yourself comfortable on the mat, and there are these little chairs that don't look very comfortable but are surprisingly comfy pregnant ladies. (I'm actually trying to figure out where I could get one for home. They're adorable and could double as kid's seats for later.) Plenty of people simply would simply lie down on the mat when they felt like it. But the main reason I recommend this class is for the effect it has had on me, my partner, and our relationship through this pregnancy. We've learned so much, and we're approaching this birth with a sense of joyful calm excitement I don't see in others who have not taken this class. As a type A, make the list and check it twice, and boss everyone around kind of person, it's been hard to get used to not being able to do everything I used to do before my pregnancy. But it seems like pregnancy and birth go much better when you learn that you can't control everything. You have to trust your body, and trust those around you. Learning to lean on my partner more has helped deepen our bond, and having my partner be so involved and so knowledgeable about what helps and what doesn't and giving me nightly massages (it's part of the homework! true story!) has helped me relax and go into this knowing I've done all I can, and that I'm in the best hands.

I hated this class with Mary Esther Malloy. Hated. I actually threw up from how much stress this…read moreclass caused me, not once but TWICE. So we quit after 4 sessions even though it meant forfeiting the $450 fee (although ME said she would refund it if I took down my review...). I had heard great things about this class before enrolling. This review is my opinion and you should feel free to trust other people as you see fit. I am having a hard time organizing in my head all of my issues with this class and with ME so I will just try to make a list. Some things might not be that carefully explained though so send me a message if you want more information on anything I say. 1) ME spends a lot of time telling stories from births where she has been the doula. She does not spend enough time with the students on preparing for their own birth experience. She spends a short period of time going over labor positions and a short period of time on techniques to deal with pain. She never in any way ties in the Bradley Method with the stories she tells. 2) The Bradley Method is very partner oriented. AKA, I felt fairly unimportant in the class. I felt like my husband could have gone to the class without me and when he got home asked me to hold ice for a minute while deep breathing. That sounds super useful in labor. Wait, no it doesn't. 3) ME is really condescending. She showed scientific pictures to the class and asked the class to guess how dilated the cervix was in those pictures. In one picture my husband guessed "5" and she laughed. Actually laughed. Then a doctor and a midwife also taking the class said they thought 5 or maybe 6. And she let it go. There was no answer on the picture but if a doctor and a midwife agrees, I think you should apologize to my husband for laughing at him. Twice in the first class I felt like it was better to keep my mouth shut than to offer an answer. And so I really did become mute. Oh, then after the class I cried. At least it wasn't on the first day of class when I threw up. 4) Everyone in the class is expecting a different birth experience. Some were using a birth center, some a hospital and just me and my husband were planning a home birth. I felt like she taught the class for those using a hospital and glossed over the other options. She would teach something oriented to being in a hospital and then as an after thought say how it would differ in a birth center or at home. So I felt really confused taking in all of this unnecessary information and trying to identify what actually applied to me. 5) ME is entirely unreachable by email or phone. She might reply a week later - Depends what her three kids have going on that week, you know? The contract for the class states that she would be accessible by email or phone throughout the class but that's laughable. 6) ME ignores the needs of pregnant women taking the class. I was signed up for the summer intensive course which is 8 classes that are each 3 hours long. She would take a break where people would gobble down some dinner at around 8:15pm. She didn't take any other breaks. The chairs are super uncomfortable but so is sitting on the floor. No pregnant woman can really sit still for 3 hours. By the end of the classes my back and stomach would be killing me. There was nothing I could do to make sitting for 3 hours comfortable. 7) ME never told us to bring the binder she handed out to every class. In fact, looking through it it seems like extra information (which it for the most part is) so I was never even sure what pages from it she might want us to bring to the next class. Stating that to the class would be really useful. Again, ignoring the needs of pregnant women (to not carry around an unnecessary binder of articles that barely matter). 8) The materials are very outdated. The creators of the Bradley Method should be embarrassed to show videos from the 1970s and videos where the words "civilized people" are uttered. 9) It is hard to wrap my own head around why this class caused me such extreme stress so bear with me. If you are a Type A person like myself, you like to feel in control. Now, with labor, there is a lot you can't control. I get that. But the idea that I have to hand over control to my husband or I will fail at my natural childbirth is really disarming. It caused me to feel physically ill to think that the success of my birth plan really has very little to do with me and a lot to do with how well my husband interprets my needs. 10) After quitting this class we decided to purchase Hypnobabies. Hypnobabies puts me squarely in control of my ability to completely relax and treats my husband like the support person that he is. It is a way better fit and apparently what ME used herself!

I had a fantastic healing session with Atthena when I visited NYC. I was having a lot of intense…read morelower back pain and round ligament pain from my pregnancy as well as general anxiety from prior pregnancy losses. I have previously went to Atthena for yoga many many times. I had never tried energy healing but I thought why not give it a shot. During the session I felt a lot of warmth and tingly sensations and an overwhelming sense of calm. Atthena is so gentle and attentive. She could sense exactly when I was uncomfortable and needed to be adjusted. When our session was over my muscles were left warm and relaxed. I would highly recommend seeing Atthena whether you're very familiar with Energy Healing or have never tried it and want to try out alternative healing options!

Atthena made me fall in love with practicing yoga. I never…read morethought I will enjoy it this much! I started last August and have improved tremendously. Atthena really challenges you and is not afraid to help you push deeper into your stretches. Each class is different and I am always learning something new. I am beginning to find my own flow and have gained a lot of strength and flexibility!

I couldn't have asked for a better care team with Rebecca and Jasmine! they are an incredible team…read moreand extremely experienced. Each interaction with them from the consultation. to the post partum visits was respectful, encouraging, and very informational. I felt empowered through my entire birth experience. We delivered at a hospital and it was invaluable to have Rebecca with us to navigate that system and ensure that our birth preferences were followed as best as possible. My partner has said multiple times that having our doulas there to support is was transformational and we would not want to have done it without it them! I highly recommend their services and am so thankful for all they provided us and our family :)

We had the most pleasant experience with our doula, Rebecca, and felt compelled to share it…read more As first-time parents during the harsh circumstances of the Covid-19 shutdown, we were plagued with questions and paralyzed with anxiety. How could we manage to do this, unplanned, during a period of national quarantine? The prospects were daunting, but we had those worries melt away with Rebecca's calm and practical, take-it-easy style. Her energy helped soothe ours ... and we found her breadth of knowledge to stretch the vast corners of newborn care. We found Rebecca to be thoughtful, careful, attentive ... and always readily available. Rebecca was an integral part of our birth plan and we were more relaxed first-time parents for having worked with her. She laid out a clear and concise action plan that worked wonders from the beginning. She is a pleasure to work with. I now understand why she came so highly recommended to us.

I have a high-risk pregnancy and asked one of the doctors at Maternal Fetal Medicine Associates for…read moref they could recommend a place that does prenatal classes, and the only place they recommended was BabyZone. I am so glad they did! My husband and I took three classes: Baby Basics 101 and a Childbirth class with Dominique, and infant and child CPR with Evelyn. They were both amazing and not only have tons of experience, but are really big on evidence and research based recommendations, which are invaluable. Being pregnant and high risk is scary (especially as a soon-to-be first-time parent), and having the science presented is so reassuring that I will know what to do that isn't the opinion of someone on the internet. You have no idea how important that is, and essential that is, and how rare that can be to find in a class. Classes are small, too! We had a max of 6 (3 couples) in Dominique's classes, which was great and allowed the classes to be tailored to the needs and concerns of the parents (and babies!). As a bonus, both Dominique and Evelyn are amazing, kind, and generous people who will stay after class to answer any and all of your questions. I cannot more highly recommend BabyZone!

I was referred to Baby Zone NYC through my OB and I'm so glad we did these classes! Both the…read moreChild/Infant CPR class and the Childbirth Prep: Crash Course were incredibly insightful and helped us better understand what to expect and feel more confident and prepared. After our baby was born I was looking for a lactation consultant who would do home visits and ended up working Dominique - not only is she incredibly knowledgeable with literally anything related to babies, she's also such a kind, encouraging, and supportive person to be around. I felt so comfortable with her during a very challenging and emotional time, and I cannot recommend her enough!

Adele has been a yoga instructor, yoga for labor educator, and labor doula for me throughout my…read morefamily building journey with 2 children over the past decade. She is knowledgeable, professional, attuned, and flexible--all crucial qualities needed for a supported and empowered birth experience. Her calming presence and wise, down-to-earth feedback is a breath of fresh air. She was born for body and birth work, and is truly one of the best. I cannot recommend her highly enough.

I can't express enough how helpful Adelle has been as a yoga and movement teacher, both for me and…read moremy baby. She leads her classes with a sense of calmness and careful eye on what stage everyone is at and has an uncanny knack for introducing the perfect poses for whatever your body needs that day. I've been going to her classes for over five years and still learn something new every time, whether it's an insight about the body or a new pose that hits just the right spot. So lucky to have her working with my baby now and to guide us through the stages of infant movement and development!

Best decision I made was choosing cosmos midwifery for my home birth! From the first visit Jenna…read morewas kind, thoughtful and professional. I felt very safe and in good hands during the whole process. During the birth Jenna was calm and confident. I trusted her fully and she was very respectful towards all my preferences. Couldn't have picked a better provider for my home birth!! Thank you Jenna and Chloe!!

My partner and I worked with Chloe to try and get pregnant via IUI. Chloe is supportive,…read moreknowledgable, great with communication, and was wonderful to work with. We initially started with a fertility clinic to do IUI, but when we realized it wasn't our vibe and started working with Chloe we couldn't have been happier. I think I can definitely say it was a lot of Chloe's magic and expertise that helped me to pregnant.

Inna is the most knowledgeable, supportive, and responsive support I could have ever asked for as a…read morefirst time mama! There is a lot of confusion about breast feeding, pumping, and too many distractions in the market place that encourages formula over breastfeeding... or anything that is a profit center really. Thanks to Inna, I was able to establish a healthy supply day one, and we are still going strong at 10 months! I am so thankful to her for being there for me at 8 months pregnant and then immediately after birth. Any time there were bumps in the road over the last year of breastfeeding, she has been super responsive and encouraging with evidence based solutions. I can't say enough positive things about her. Not surprising she has all 5 star reviews here!

Absolutely horrible experience. Avoid if you're a new mom in need of real support…read more I made an appointment with Inna from NYC Breastfeeding Solutions when my baby was just one week old. After filling out an extensive onboarding form and confirming a 3:00 PM visit, I asked her to inform me of any delays ahead of time since timing a feeding is critical when dealing with latching issues, which I had clearly explained. She didn't respond until 3:00 PM, simply saying she was "on her way but might be a little late." I asked for an ETA since my baby was already hungry and distressed. She didn't reply again until 3:40 PM with "it says 3:57." She finally showed up one hour late with no prior notice and, worst of all, no apology. Instead, she brushed it off and told me I needed to "relax" because trains are delayed. I have lived in NYC for 10 years, and a full-hour delay within Manhattan is highly unlikely. This was deeply unprofessional and completely lacking in empathy, especially in a field where timing and emotional sensitivity are critical. Within five minutes of her arrival, it was painfully clear she was unqualified to help. I was shocked and asked her to leave. Despite this, she still billed my insurance for the session, a session that never truly happened. If you're a new mom looking for real help, please think twice before inviting this person into your home. My baby and I went through an incredibly stressful experience that could have easily been avoided with a basic level of professionalism and care.

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!