When I was on the Bowmanville Garden Walk last year, before I even got pregnant, I noticed Family…read morePicnic in the neighborhood as I was walking around. I made note of it in hopes that I'd successfully achieve a pregnancy and might check out the programs here, and once I was pregnant signed up for their mailing list. They offer a variety of services from doula and lactation support, childbirth and early childhood classes, to various parent & baby groups. I was here because I attended a music program for babies that was held here and hosted by a partner organization. The space is really lovely and welcoming to parents and children; there are gathering spaces, chairs, pillows, and whatnot. You'll need to take your shoes off when you enter so don't wear lace up thigh high boots! There are great east facing windows that let in enough light that I think when I was here we didn't even have the lights on. I'd like to attend a group that they have here (and as of September 2023 they have a check-in offer for just that, so I hope to use it soon!). The other two parent/baby groups at the music class we went to have been in attendance here because they knew one another, and it would be great to have a community closer to my neighborhood. Parking is ample--it's not a permit zone on Damen itself, though I'm not sure about the side streets. I'd encourage any new parent to see what they have to offer.

My husband and I recently took the 5 week labor class, a breastfeeding class, and a new parent…read moreclass, and it was a wonderful experience all around. The owners/class facilitators are so welcoming and kind, and we learned so much as soon to be first time parents. I really liked the small group feel and that there was no judgment, they really encourage everyone to make choices that work best for them and their baby. It is also very affordable compared to some other classes I looked at. I would highly recommend all of the classes, especially the 5 week series, to any new parents in Chicagoland that want to understand the labor and delivery process better and learn about all the potential choices you'll be making together,

Being newer to Chicago, I was very excited about meeting new moms and making friends. I was able to…read morenot only accomplish this, but was able to learn a lot from Linda. She is extremely knowledgeable on all baby/mama topics and has lots of resources (including local ones) to share. I highly recommend this group and will plan on doing it again if/when it is time for baby #2. Thank you Linda!!

If you have a baby under six months, join this group!! It's a great way to get out of the house and…read moremeet new other moms going through the same thing as you. Linda is a master facilitator. As a mom herself, she knows what you've gone through, and has clearly helped so many parents navigate the challenges of raising young babies in those early days when you're second guessing everything. I did the second time group (and wish I had done the first!), and learned so much from listening to other moms navigate some of the same challenges I was experiencing. Linda was so validating as we discussed some of the struggles and offered tangible solutions.

Sandra has been beyond helpful! We were struggling with how to best parent our 4 year old - from…read moredefiant behavior to staying in bed to not listening. Enter Sandra. She's a real life Supernanny without the cameras. Her approach is based on the RIE method which was new to us. We have had her come to our home weekly for the past 2 months and the change is noticeable. She will step in and coach you through how to both acknowledge your child's feelings and assert your role as a parent in a loving way. We can't imagine where we'd be without her! She's been instrumental in helping us become patient, understanding parents. Although we are still learning but we definitely are on the right path thanks to her guidance. If only we had called earlier.....

We met with Sandra to help with our two year old as we were having major bedtime struggles. Our…read moredaughter was going to bed at 11pm in our bed because she was resisting sleep so much. We were all beyond tired (also having a newborn who was waking through the night) and at a loss of how to get back on track. Sandra immediately assessed our situation and started sharing some parent coaching tips to help us know how to respond to our daughter's protests (and more importantly said, her needs). Sandra also followed up with articles and podcasts, all of which were beyond helpful. I have to say that Sandra left us with not only hope that things would get better if we continued her recommendations, but relief that we didn't have to resort to external tactics (we were using a sticker chart as reward for sleep and it was failing miserably). Instead, we found that we as loving parents have the power to respond in certain ways to help meet our daughter's needs. She started going to sleep around 9pm within days of having Sandra over. That is still later than we like but after a lot of work and many weeks we have reached a spot where our daughter no longer protests bedtime. And just yesterday she told me when she was tired and ready to go to bed! It has been a difficult journey and we probably could have gotten there sooner had we done more work with Sandra and sooner. I am so happy that what Sandra has shared with us can now be useful for other situations as well such as potty-training.

We had an incredible experience with Janeen. We were basically zombies because our daughter was…read morewaking up every 90 minutes during the night. After two nights our daughter was sleeping through the night with one dream feed. Janeen was really accommodating-- and gave us various options using gentle methods. She also answered all of our questions in a timely fashion and gave us good feedback and tips throughout the two week process. I really felt in good hands and we are in such a better place as a family as a result. I highly recommend Janeen for all your baby sleep (and parent sleep) needs!

Recently worked with Janeen to sleep train our 4.5 month old daughter and had great results. Going…read moreinto the process she was sleeping in a weighted sleep suit in a bassinet in our room with one or more wakings during the night. By the end of the two week process, she is now sleeping in a sleep sack in her crib through the entire night on her own. Aside from the initial consultation which is very helpful, we found the active feedback Janeen provided through a shared Google spreadsheet to be a super valuable part of the process that helped us apply and reinforce the tools we were learning. Overall, it was money well spent and we highly recommend!

I cannot say enough to recommend Martha and her team. I have minimal family around and my husband…read morewent back to work fairly immediately to a demanding job. From the first night Martha came, I felt immediately at ease. She helped me transition into becoming a new mom and provided advice, as much support as I could want, and organized so much of my home. 2-3 nights and mornings a week of support for the first 3-4 months made all the difference between struggling and thriving during my postpartum period. She also has put in so much effort to make sure my daughter is sleeping well for when I go back to work - checking in even on her off days. We are going to miss her presence in our home immensely and hope to need her again in the future.

Martha and her team have made me a better mom. I was struggling with postpartum anxiety and my…read morehusband was looking for any resources to help me. I never thought that I would have care for my newborn or that that would be something that I would need. I reluctantly agreed to have Martha come for one evening and see how I felt, and my journey to motherhood has never been the same since. Martha, Shirley, peace, amma, Doreen and Esther all took care of my daughter, with the love that a parent would have for their own child. In addition to this, they taught me so much! They helped me with learning how to properly feed my daughter, how much food she needed, talk to me through some of my health anxieties, helped me enhance my daughter's development, and worked with my daughter to become a great sleeper. All of this while I was able to get good rest and be a better mom. I am eternally thankful for Martha and her team and if we are lucky enough to have another child, they will be my first call. If I could give one piece of advice to any new parents it would be to use Chicago Newborn Care.

Sydney and Pippin were amazing resources. They came in at a critical time at the end of my…read morepregnancy and made me feel like I had known them the whole time. Their support in the last few weeks when new questions came up was invaluable. They shared unbiased resources and helped me to make my own personal decisions and design questions to ask my midwife team. During delivery Pippin was a godsend. She gave my partner the support he needed to feel empowered and breaks to help keep him strong while at the same time not overstepping or interfering. Her presence was so soothing both during and after birth. We feel so lucky to have found Pippin and Sydney. I highly recommend them for any pregnant person looking for labor support!

My gratitude for Third Coast knows no bounds! I loved their three person team approach and felt so…read moresupported by not one but three knowledgeable and kind women. I thought doulas mostly just helped you during your delivery but no, they were with me the WHOLE time. Throughout my entire pregnancy Lauren, Shawna, and Renee were there to answer questions, give me resources, and talk me through my fears and concerns. When my son was born and had to go to the NICU, they stayed in close contact with me the whole time. I never felt like a client but like a friend that they cared for. What a gift. And then when my baby came home (he's doing great!) that's when Lindsay and Jennie, our postpartum doulas came into our lives. Literally how can so many awesome ladies be in one company? It's really hard to hand over your newborn, especially one that's been in the hospital, but I felt so comfortable with them. They cared for him AND for me so well. I don't know what we would have done without them! Third Coast is really like family to me now. I'm so happy to have found them and had them with me on this journey.

Let me just say that Janelle is a life (and sleep saver)! I've nannied for years and saw all…read moredifferent techniques done but Janelle really takes it home. She is so great at what she does! I highly recommend her!!!

Janelle is amazing! I HIGHLY recommend her if you are a tired parent. I never thought we would get…read moremy two year old out of our bed, but with her detailed and thorough guidance we did it in under two weeks. I am so incredibly grateful for her knowledge and support she provided throughout her program. Besides my toddler sleeping indepently for 10-11 hours every night in her crib, we also got our nights back. Janelle is kind and understanding and non judgemental to anything you may have been going through with your baby, and she helps you fix even when you think it's going to be impossible for your child!

I recently had my first baby and worked with Brandi during my pregnancy and postpartum…read more Brandi was amazing during the entire process! She always took the initiative to check in and see how we were doing, was always proactive about sharing endless resources, was always extremely prompt in answering questions I had and providing tips and was always so positive and chirpy. As a first time mom I had so many questions and Brandi made me feel so empowered in asking questions- there was no such thing as a silly question. My birth was a dream come true and Brandi was extremely instrumental in how my experience turned out! Please do yourself a favor and hire Brandi to walk alongside you during your beautiful maternity journey.

A few days ago I delivered my second baby. Brandi gave me so much support before during and after…read morethe birth. She gave me resources and made sure I knew my rights, and helped me with pain management while pushing, held my hand and encouraged me the entire time. She still checks on me and baby which means so much to me. This was my first time having a doula and It was definitely a great experience. If I were to do it again, I would want Brandi by my side! Thank you soo much Brandi for all you've done!!

100% recommend. All I can say is WOW. This was a service I never knew I wanted or needed so…read moregreatly. Robin was an angel and a confidant. Real and trustworthy. She was there for me, my son, and my husband before, during, and after birth. Having her as part of my birth story will be something I'm forever grateful for and if I'm blessed enough to have another child, I'll want her on my team again. Ps: She offered to snap photos of when I gave birth, capturing moments I would never have had without her. What a gift.

I really wanted a great doula for a complicated pregnancy. But Robin slept through my son's birth,…read moreeven after I told her at 5 pm I was checking into the hospital the week of my due date. When I talked to Robin, she said she was at an event and didn't have a car with her so she couldn't leave to come to the hospital at that time, because she was dependant on someone else for a ride. She assured me she would come and said she'd never slept through a birth. She also told me most mothers labor for 12+ hours and not to worry since I wasn't dilated at all. I was given Cervidil. In the middle of the night my son's heart rate started dropping. Cervidil was removed, my son's heart rate stabilized and I was given two options: Do a more controlled C-section or try to labor longer and then likely have an emergency C-section. I tried to get ahold of Robin. She slept through the text and phone call. So I opted to do a more controlled C-section which took a while since I couldn't have an epidural and it took more than 30 minutes for the spinal to take. Robin never showed up to the hospital and it took weeks, months, to get a partial refund. I never got a full refund. She also didn't call a back-up doula. She made a really frustrating situation -- of sleeping through my son's birth -- even worse by having to spent weeks of back and forth emails (and my son was a NICU baby) trying to get some of my money back. More troubling she also sent an NDA to me -- which I didn't sign -- to try and make sure this wasn't disclosed. Accidents happen but the follow-up was more problematic. Yes, her father died in the weeks after my son's birth and that is awful, but sending an NDA to try and cover-up the situation of sleeping through a birth was really awful and weeks of emails to get a partial refund difficult as I was recovering from a difficult pregnancy and delivery was troublesome. This happened in the summer of 2017. It's taken me a long time to process everything. I'm sure most births aren't like this, but other expectant moms need to be aware. I would hate for anyone else to go through something like this.