My husband and I went to the 6 hour class by Ceridwen recently. Just some background about us,…read morewe're 39 weeks pregnant with my 2nd child, his 1st child. My son is currently 4 years old. This class not only gave me a refresher, but helped my husband and I set our expectations, and learn so many things that even I didn't know the first time around. We learned about things from fetal stations to birthing positions to self advocation to coping without pain management drugs, and more. We left the class completely confident and ready for our bundle of joy.

Amazing experience with Liz!! She was so knowledgeable and amazing at answering questions. We…read morereally felt supported in the class and came away feeling much more prepared.

Betty was incredible. She helped me with my breastfeeding journey in quite literally one hour,…read morebrought an arsenal of tools and advice, and did it with such care and compassion during a super vulnerable time for me. She responded quickly and came the next day, which I also really appreciated. Betty saved me - I can't recommend her enough!

Betty is so wonderful!! My son was born at 37 weeks and weighted less than 5lbs. We had trouble…read morewith him gaining weight and latching. Once i reached out to Betty she was able to see me a few days after at home! since then my boy has packed on half a pound !!! Anytime I've reached out with a question or concern, she was quick to respond and made two home visits! My older kiddos loved her. Amazing energy and so gentle with her guidance and advice. Highly recommend

I have 2under2. And I have used The Happy Sleeper (faithfully) with both of them!…read more Last night I took my husband out to comedy for his birthday. The babysitter had to put both girls to bed. And she reported that "both went to sleep with no problems and no tears". What more could a parent want?!?! Now off to buy more copies to CONTINUE giving it to any pregnant lady I meet. This book improves lives!

I have to give HUGE thanks to The Happy Sleeper. My family's entire night time experience has…read moretransformed thanks to a now solid and effective bedtime routine for my daughter ( age 3.5 years). No fussing, or at least nothing that lasts longer than 2 minutes, and we just happily get bedtime done. And now that my kid is well rested, mornings are a joy too. She is no longer asking like a teenager to sleep for "5 more minutes!". She gets up when her body is rested which is 7:15ish give or take 10 mins. And the real cherry on top of this ice cream sundae is that my daughter's tantrums have pretty much vanished. I had "fix tantrums" on my to do list after sleep, but they are gone - hooray! So my child was just walking around sleep deprived and cranky before, and with some rest her true personality is shining through. She is far more easy going and we all have a lot more fun together as a family. So...thank you Happy Sleeper 100 times over for the amazing gift of sleep and for helping restore my sanity. I was holding on by a thread. I'm in MUCH better shape bc I'm more rested now too. Ha! I did the 90 minute sleep consult with Julie. She was extremely thorough and the email coaching was the same. I asked her specific questions in very long emails and she answered them all. I didn't coach with the other consultant, but they follow the same program. And I should mention, my child can be stubborn and feisty, but this worked. My kid whined a lot, but no crazy crying or tantrums. It was a gradual process and it worked. I am just thrilled! I was worried that maybe the program was just for infants, but they advise for toddlers too and it absolutely worked. My kid follows her routine and falls asleep in 10 minutes each night!

PYC is an absolute treasure!! I went to my first class at 26 weeks, felt it was a little early,…read morewent to another class at 30 weeks, and then started to really go regularly the following week. I am just over 37 weeks now and can tell prenatal yoga is helping me a great deal. Deb is wonderful, so compassionate, knowledgeable, loving, and grounding. I try to go to her classes twice a week and I will continue until I deliver. I have also taken classes with Ellyn, Lital, and Jessica, all of which are wonderful in their own way and bring different approaches to the classes. Every time I flip over in bed, I think about Lital's lesson on knees and how to use them to your advantage... such a gift! I have also taken some prenatal classes at PYC, including the Comforting Touch (Yiska is a dream come true and taught my husband and other partners to aid comfort in the prenatal and birthing process!), Childbirth Education (Ceridwen was a dream come true, as well, and I wish I could hug her right this second!!), Newborn Care and Lactation (this one was helpful, offering good insight and assurance of the choices my husband and I have made, -- natural / homeopathic / minimalist route -- but not as engaging as the other two), and then we are set to take Infant Safety & CPR this weekend! The community we have at PYC is so supportive, loving, exciting, and fun. Since it is an independent yoga studio, the clientele is of a similar mindset and all-around loving and tender with one another. I am looking forward to doing the postnatal and baby and me classes once this little nugget makes its debut!!

The Prenatal Yoga Center is just the most warm, supportive place to be when you're expecting a…read morechild. The teachers are caring, patient and so knowledgeable. You feel great at the end of class, both physically and emotionally. I'm not a particularly crunchy person (I'm all about the epidural, for example) and had been expecting to be put off by the general "woo woo" nature of the whole thing, but it was such a positive and happy experience that I found myself going back week after week and then again with my second child. I'd recommend any mom-to-be give it a shot.

Jennifer was fantastic! I went to Jennifer shortly after my little one arrived. Jennifer was very…read moreknowledgeable, positive, compassionate, and just an all-around lovely person with a calming and warm presence. She makes you feel very comfortable from the start, which is essential for the work that she does. She took time to understand the challenges we were facing with nursing and work with both me and my baby to develop a plan that we could use to work on breastfeeding. My little one also had some issue with tongue-tie and Jennifer gave us a wonderful recommendation for a specialist who could help us. I am convinced her encouragement to go see the specialist (who ultimately corrected the issue) helped us avoid a lot of pain and nursing trouble. Jennifer was very easy to book, with a responsive assistant who was quick to get us in to see her. I am so glad that we worked with Jennifer and would highly recommend her to any mom interested in getting help with breastfeeding.

Jennifer is the BEST! I took my son to see her when he was 3 weeks old. He was a preemie, born 6…read moreweeks early and wasn't latching for being born so soon. He had to be bottle fed in the NICU so I was worried he wouldn't be able to latch. Jennifer made me feel comfortable and confident at our visits and helped us reach our nursing goals. She is super knowledgeable and I recommend her to anyone seeking help with lactation.

If I could leave a 0-star review I would. I applied to be a birth doula with this service. I…read morereceived repeated requests to fill out the same video interviews. I should have stopped the process then but alas I persisted in hope this would work out. Then I I have to go through repeated rescheduled onboarding interviews with Jada because she kept having "schedule conflicts" and no respect for my time. When we met it was awkward and the discussion mostly focused on other doulas who don't want to meet with their client until they are way into active labor and then Boober worries about refunds. I do not operate in a way that would entail these risks happening. I spent a lot of time on the application and intake process for boober yet I continued to get leads for potential clients way outside of my geographic area of service. I got clients that were not serious about hiring a doula or I was one of many doulas who would meet with clients. I responded to some potential leads and sometimes wasn't followed up with, other times was matched with clients along with several other doulas or I was sent redundant messages about client requirements which I had already met. As a newer doula (with about a year of experience) I felt I couldn't compete with being matched with clients who were also introduced to several other doulas. I invested a lot of time and effort into my Boober application and profile and saw NO returns for it. I would get no responses, clients would hire other doulas or no doulas or no one from boober would follow up with me for the leads I was actually interested in. At some point I can no longer tolerate such disrespect for my time. While I believe in providing strong customer service our time as birth workers and service providers also needs to be respected and it's just not at Boober. I'm sorry I every signed up for the service. Also there are different commission structures based on race which I'm pretty sure is illegal. I'm all for birth equity but I'm not looking to be disrespected over and over again.

I am a black man in an interracial marriage. Yesterday, my wife and I went to the Prospect Heights…read moreTribeca Pediatrics in Brooklyn, NY, for the Infant CPR and safety. As the only black man and the only interracial couple in the class, I believe Geoff Gohacki gave me disparate treatment. My wife could not do the CPR on the floor because her belly made her uncomfortable to do so. The instructor told her to do CPR on the chair. I decided to be next to her because she is my wife, and I did not want her to be alone and feel inadequate. The instructor told me to get on the floor because my wife is pregnant, and I am not pregnant. That was very insensitive, rude, and uncalled for. I don't care if you were joking. You cannot make that kind of statement. My wife and I are adults and are not in high school or the military. I always tell people that my wife and I are pregnant. We are pregnant because we are doing this together. Lastly, if my wife and I are paying for the class, we don't have to look at how other people are doing it so that we can do the CPR. We could have stayed home and watched everything on YouTube. I was doing the infant CPR. I was not doing the chest compressions up to the instructor's standards. Instead of redirecting me, the instructor told me to look at the other people in the class. So you don't have a mouth to speak or are impatient to give me feedback on what I am doing wrong. My wife and I are not here to look at other people. After we left the class and walked toward our apartment, my wife started to cry about the unfortunate treatment this instructor put me through. It was distress we didn't deserve. Therefore, I would not recommend this instructor to a black man in an interracial couple.

This place is stunning. I love the interiors. Gorgeous. I feel so warm, safe and comforted in a…read moresophisticated classic setting. The staff are phenomenal The best in the field I had a miscarriage and i deal with fertility issues and Seleni is absolutely incredible. I love my therapist

After signing up to see a psychotherapist at the Seleni Institute and being on a waitlist, the…read moreoffice manager wrote to me in early April to tell me that they could take me off the waitlist. She said that I would see one of their "clinicians," Ramaa Reddy. At no point did Ms. Reddy ever mention that she was a student intern practicing psychotherapy as part of her studies. I was led to believe that Ms. Reddy was a licensed psychotherapist. During our sessions with Ms. Reddy made me uncomfortable. She pressured me to stop taking my antidepressants, she pressured me to use an online pharmacy named Hers, and she pressured me to change medications. In doing this, Ms. Reddy acted outside the scope of practice a licensed Mental Health Counselor and violated professional ethics. Ms. Reddy did not comport herself as a professional psychotherapist. After several weeks of this behavior, I googled Ms. Reddy and was distressed to find nothing about experience in psychotherapy. A search of the Office of Professions' database revealed that Ms. Reddy was not listed as having any type of license or permit authorizing her to practice psychotherapy. The insurance claims for our sessions were filed by someone named Dr. Patricia Harteneck, who I have never had any kind of contact with whatsoever. When wrote to Seleni and called the office to ask for Ms. Reddy's license number and NPI, the office manager refused to give me the information and forcefully asked me whether something was wrong or if I was unhappy. I was very uncomfortable, but I explained the situation; she offered to pair me with a different therapist. However, I wanted to know whether Ms. Reddy had a license or not. To this, the office manager responded: "Of course, she has a license. Otherwise, that would be highly illegal." I asked again for Ms. Reddy's license number and NPI, and she said that she would email me the information. The next day, the office manager wrote to me that Ms. Reddy did not have a license to practice, but that she did have a limited permit as a Mental Health Counselor. I consulted the State's database again but did not find Ms. Reddy on the list of MHC limited-permit holders. When I told the office manager, she responded that Ms. Reddy did not have a limited permit, but was in fact, was a student enrolled in a Mental Health Counseling "bridge program" at Alfred University and was working at Seleni as a student intern under the supervision of Dr. Harteneck. I asked Seleni to provide documentation of Ms. Reddy's enrollment in this program, and they said they would provide documentation via email. Seleni has provided no such documentation, although Alfred University confirmed that Ms. Reddy is a student there. This experience has jeopardized my mental health. My trust, privacy, and confidential medical information were violated. No one disclosed to me that Ms. Reddy was a student at any point in time. I never consented to being treated by a student. Ms. Reddy is still working there unethically. The founder of the clinic called to speak with me about the incident and did not offer a refund or any kind of compensation for the harm done by their negligence. She directed me to an online database for therapists and said, "when you use insurance you usually get an inexperienced therapist" and "none of the good ones take insurance." This is classist and offensive. Seleni's cavalier and elitist attitude towards fraud and negligence is dangerous. The Seleni Institute is a wealthy woman's vanity project for the rich and well-heeled. If you are a working person trying to access therapy, expect to be humiliated and abused at Seleni because of your socio-economic status. My insurance company has launched a fraud investigation and I reported the clinic and staff members to the New York State Office of the Professions.

After my last review, Jada, the founder of Birth Day Presence, reached out to me for an honest and…read moreopen conversation about what she could do to improve not only my experience but classes there in general. Being a yoga teacher with pre/post natal experience I went into their classes already very knowledgeable so they weren't as informative as I would have liked but I think they are probably life saving for people who don't care to/don't have the time to do their own learning and research. Birth day presence and boober provide not only child birth and newborn care classes, but match clients with (and train) doulas, lactation consultants etc Most importantly though, and I got this sense from the beginning but really felt it after talking to Jada, they genuinely care about providing quality information and services to new families. They also understand that the birthing industry (because it is an industry) is far from perfect and they want to empower families and help them navigate it. I feel very grateful to Jada and Birth Day Presence and although I originally walked away feeling there was more to be desired I now feel like I couldn't recommend them more to anyone seeking childbirth/childcare education or training. Oh, and all their classes are conveniently online now due to covid.

My husband and I purchased weekend intensive childbirth education classes and we attended when I…read morewas 27 weeks pregnant with our first child at Birth Day Presence. We came here with an open mind and hoping to learn the important basics of childbirth. Needless to say, we had no idea what we were getting ourselves into. We didn't feel prepared and we were hoping this class would make us feel more comfortable of what's to come. The classes we chose were on Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 am until 3:30 pm. Jen Buice was our instructor and she was very informative and knew her stuff. We also got to mingle with other couples who were due at around the same time as us. We got to share our experiences with each other, which I think my husband and I wouldn't have gotten a chance to do otherwise if it wasn't for this class. We watched some childbirth videos, learned about different stages of labor, pain management, labor exercises with and without the ball, a little about lactation, etc. We also went around the room and did some activities so it could be more interactive and social. Bring some snacks because the classes might seem a little long at times! We did get a short lunch break. One slight complaint I have is that I got a little antsy and didn't feel that comfortable with their seating arrangements. I felt a little claustrophobic. Overall, I think we feel better and a little bit more prepared about being parents. I would recommend this class if you have a chance to take it. It's located in a beautiful part of Park Slope in a beautiful brownstone. Price is a little steep at $395 but I think it's worth it. You can't put a price on your future bundle of joy.

I cannot emphasize what a crucial part of my pregnancy and daughter's birth Stephanie was for us…read more Stephanie provided the exact support we needed; from the moment we hired her to the days leading up to my labor to the birth of our daughter to the days after and everything in between. Any question, request, guidance needed - Stephanie was there. She made us feel no shame in asking the smallest questions. She was clear about when something was evidence-based vs her intuition/experience. She never pushed us to do anything and was always supportive of decisions we made. It was important to me and my husband to have a natural birth, which was my main motivation to hire a doula. Truly could not have delivered this baby without Stephanie (I mean, I would have, of course - but likely after much more pain and decisions I would later regret). She was with us on the phone (my husband, mostly) as soon as my water broke and she was with us in person by the time contractions got heavy to get us through the later stages of labor and the pushing/delivery process. Stephanie worked so in sync with the midwife and nurse on my delivery team - it took a village! In addition to Stephanie supporting me, she was also an amazing guide and support to my husband - equipping him with reading materials before delivery and coaching him on best ways to support me throughout labor and delivery. In the days after our baby was born, we talked to Stephanie every day. She visited us to make sure baby was latching properly, showed me some other tips and tricks for feeding, and has continued to provide us with guidance on feeding and pumping and all feeding things! When I become pregnant with baby #2, Stephanie will be among the first to know - could not imagine doing a totally natural birth again without her!

Hiring Stephanie as our doula was one of the best decisions we made while preparing for the birth…read moreof our first child. When my partner and I started looking into childbirth education, we quickly realized how much we didn't know and how overwhelming it could be to research everything on our own. From our very first meeting with Stephanie, it was clear how knowledgeable she is. She focuses heavily on evidence-based information, which was exactly how we wanted to approach decisions around birth. I became interested in attempting an unmedicated birth, although I was only about 60% confident I could actually do it. Stephanie never doubted me. From that point on, all of our preparation and meetings were geared toward helping me achieve that goal. She was always quick to respond to texts and emails and provided detailed, thoughtful information whenever we had questions. Stephanie also did an incredible job coaching my partner ahead of time so he knew how to support me during labor. In our prep meetings, she walked him through different techniques and ways he could help when things became intense. Because of that preparation, he was able to really play an active role during labor. Even during labor itself, Stephanie continued guiding him on how to support me in ways that were actually helpful in the moment. When things were very intense, she would gently coach him on what to do, whether that was how to help with breathing, positioning, or encouragement. If he wasn't sure whether something he was doing was helping, she gave him feedback and reassurance so he could keep supporting me confidently. That support for both of us made a huge difference. When my labor started, I was able to text Stephanie updates and questions and she was always quick to respond and help ease my worries. At one point she had another client in labor (which we knew was a possibility), but her backup doula came to my house and provided wonderful support until we went to the hospital. Stephanie met us there and immediately helped me focus on breathing and staying calm. The moment I'll always remember most was during the pushing phase. I was exhausted having been awake for nearly 36 hours, but Stephanie's coaching and encouragement made such a difference. Her reminders to breathe for the baby and "blow out the birthday candles for the baby," along with her steady counting and encouragement, helped me push through and ultimately deliver my baby the way I had hoped. One unexpected benefit of working with Stephanie is that she is also a lactation consultant. She helped us prepare for breastfeeding, explained how pumping works, and helped us troubleshoot breastfeeding our baby a few days after coming home. I didn't expect that level of support, but it ended up being incredibly helpful. Stephanie is incredibly knowledgeable and very honest. She gives you the information and may offer a recommendation, but she never pressures you if you decide differently. She's straightforward, fact-driven, and clearly very dedicated to her clients. Working with her truly showed me how valuable doulas can be. Stephanie was wonderful to work with, and I would not want to have another child without her by my side.

I delivered both my babies with Maternal. The kind of care and attention you get here is unlike any…read moreother. The doctors are all phenomenal. Dr Abdelhak is a high risk pregnancy doctor, and I felt at ease under his care. Dr Ratzerdorfer delivered my first and he's truly gifted at what he does. Complicated delivery with so much ease and confidence, that I trusted the process and his decisions comfortably. Dr Resnikoff delivered my second, and she made the whole experience so smooth. She was very calm and approachable throughout the pregnancy and delivery. Highly recommend this practice.

Great doctors, staff and setup. Had two high risk pregnancies and births go very well.read more