Kimm Sun and Kateryn Nunez of Heart Science Midwifery were my midwives for my third home birth, in…read moreJuly 2020. I loved the experience and recommend them highly. Kimm and Kateryn are certified nurse midwives and provide complete prenatal, home birth and postnatal care. They have a friendly office in Brooklyn for pre-natal appointments. I had my baby during COVID, so for the last half of my pregnancy they switched to a more-Zoom approach, while still having me come to the office for key in-person checkups. They do most testing (including COVID) in house, but refer you to specialist clinics for the 20-week ultrasound and one of the early blood tests. They work with an insurance billing specialist who works with many other NYC-area midwives. My previous two babies were also home births without analgesics, so I have (ahem) low expectations of labor and delivery... hopefully this won't come as a surprise to most people reading this... it pretty much sucks. I do it at home not because it doesn't hurt, but basically for safety reasons, as my mom had 4 C-sections and had a lot of health problems as a result, and hospitals do tons of unnecessary C-sections. Good recent research to look up on this topic is Hutton 2019's meta-analysis of intended home birth, and Scarf's 2018 meta-analysis which also includes data about safety to mothers. In any case, back to the birth, my water broke at about 3am, labor started (slowly) at about 3pm, and the midwives came around 8pm when I thought things were really far along. I like to take my time and not push too hard, so that everything has time to stretch the way it should. But the baby's heart rate decelerated over time, from about 140bpm to about 90bpm, and at that point Kimm and Kateryn told me "the baby is telling us that she wants to come out." They helped me change positions for the next contraction, change for the next contraction again, and then Kimm said "you can push her out on the next one"... and I could, and did, just before midnight. The best part about home birth is after the baby arrives. I snuggled our new little one and my mom and two older daughters came to meet her. Then my husband and kiddos took the baby to bond with her some more, I delivered the placenta, and then took a bath while the midwives cleaned up. We had a champagne toast and dessert, and I took a nap on the couch while the midwives chatted with my mom and did the newborn exam. (Everyone was wearing masks of course.) Then Kimm and Kateryn headed home and we all went to bed. I wanted to include a note on some medical questions people ask me about home birth, although please recognize I'm not a doctor and you shouldn't believe everything you read on the internet. My understanding is that no home birth midwives offer medicines for pain relief during labor, because the side effects of those drugs, like lower blood pressure, need a hospital setting to manage safely. However home birth midwives do bring medical supplies to your birth, including supplies for newborn resuscitation and to prevent hemorrhage. About 10-15% of home birth moms transfer to the hospital, usually because they're tired and labor is lasting a long time. Midwives solve the "cord around the neck" problem all the time, with their little finger, just like OB's do - my first two kids both had the cord looped around their neck. And midwives solve a declining heart rate by delivering the baby, which based on this experience I would say they know how to do effectively. Thanks Kimm and Kateryn for a great birth experience! Expectant parents reading this, all best wishes for finding the right people to take care of you and your family during your birth!

The minute I saw Kateryn in a YouTube video about NYC midwives, I knew HeartScience was the…read morepractice I wanted to support me through my first pregnancy. And my instincts were on point! Kateryn, Eva and Kimm were EVERYTHING I needed to help me through my prenatal, homebirth and postpartum journey. And I am 100% sure they will be an incredible support to you and your family as well! Their approach is genuinely YOU-centered and holistic. They gave me the care, education, tools and resources that I needed to maintain my mind, body, and spirit. And I know they will do the same for you! They also created the space for my partner and family to be a part of the experience, which I loved! I am forever grateful for their care, attention and expertise.

I'm sure this isn't true (since women have been giving birth for a number of years), but I do not…read morethink I could have made it through my daughter's birth without Jamie (or my husband and best friend). The birth did not go according to plan due to complications that developed in early labor and I was in an inordinate amount of pain for a long time without dilation progress. Jamie's comfort techniques helped soothe this pain over the course of many hours. She stood by us through the entire labor. Jamie was also very helpful by asking smart questions to the doctors and hospital staff--questions my husband and I were too exhausted/in pain to remember to ask. The day we got back home from the hospital, we were confusion about breastfeeding and Jamie over to assist and reassure us. This visit was separate from our post-natal meeting that occurred a few days after that. I cannot recommend Jamie more highly to guide any woman through her birth.

My daughter was posterior as she came out, so my labor was particularly long - 43 hours, of which…read moreJamie was there for 19 - and difficult. Jamie was the calming and stable presence that I needed as things became incredibly intense, especially since I had opted to forgo medication. The positions she suggested to ease pain, encourage regularity in my contractions, and to help me rest were invaluable, and I am pretty sure she massaged my lower back for at least 10 hours over the course of labor. I really do not think I could have gone through all that pain and uncertainty, especially as a first-time mom, without Jamie. Every step of the way as I was ready to freak out because I thought something was wrong, Jamie was supportive and assured me that what I was going through was completely normal, which helped me calm my mind and steel myself for the next level of intensity. At the same time, she was never intrusive or judgmental, and she had a great sense of when to switch off and just be in the background in order to conserve her own energy for the long haul. My husband also loved her - Jamie helped him feel like their roles in the birth were complementary and he never felt useless. I highly recommend Jamie and her services!

I knew in the first minute of our initial conversation that Lauren was who I wanted by my side…read moreduring this process. She had such a calming presence over the phone, I felt confident she could help manage my anxiety. Lauren far exceeded our expectations. She arrived at our house at 2am, right when my labor entered the height of its intensity. She used all kinds of coping methods for the next 6 hours while my contractions were 3-5 minutes apart. She encouraged me to make all the decisions on my own and supported my choices. She was there to offer her insight but not to interfere. She then stood my our side for the next 12 hours at the hospital until our daughter safety entered the world. My husband and I would have been at a total loss without the aid of Lauren. We credit our positive labor experience to her and are forever grateful for her guidance.

Laura was incredible throughout the entire process. My wife and I went with Laura for our doula for…read moreour first child. The peace of mind that comes from a knowledgeable and calming presence before, during and after delivery is worth their weight in gold. I know, I know. I'm the husband in the situation but what many people don't realize is that a doula gives me peace of mind as well. I was able to ask her questions on how best to support my wife and I knew we had someone who would be with us every step of the way. My wife chose Laura because others in our circle had used her and couldn't stop raving about her. My wife was asked would she use Laura again and she said, without pause, "Absolutely." We are thankful for Laura and her guidance throughout the process and whole heartedly recommend her and her services.

The first time I met Laura, I knew she had what it takes to be a great doula. She was very patient…read moreand understanding when helping me to prepare for the process of giving birth. She listened very carefully and responded very thoughtfully to all of my questions and concerns. The "fear" was the biggest hurdle for me - and Laura definitely helped me to confront and feel more at peace with the unknown and unexpected factors that may occur during the birthing process - giving birth was definitely the biggest fear in my life. Specifically, Laura helped to reduce my anxiety with demonstrations and examples of her techniques in advance of the birth. Then she utilized many of these techniques during the actual birth to help me get through it all. I was a lot less anxious and a lot more prepared and calm thanks to her! She knew the right words that I needed to hear while giving birth, and she knew how to give me the right massage, so that it would be less painful. I basically had no epidural in the hospital until close to the very end of the process, and I would not have been able to accomplish that without her. She also helped to explain to my husband how he could help me through the process, as he had no idea of what to do initially. She guided him through different methods of helping me to deal with the pain, and each of these proved to be successful. At the end, it all worked out very well. The baby was born happy, healthy and with a lot of energy! Without her, it definitely would have been a much more difficult and painful process. We are so thankful and feel so grateful that we were able to find Laura in advance of our special day.

My husband and I chose to work with Cristina as our doula for the birth of our first child in…read moreSpring 2021. Having her guide us through the process was one of the best decisions we made. Her counseling and presence before and during birth provided me with so much comfort and confidence and allowed me to enjoy the birthing process (as much as you can enjoy labor). Cristina provided us with emotional and educational support throughout pregnancy and birth. She did this by being available at any time to answer questions and by providing classes, one on one sessions, and constant communication during the process. We learned everything we needed to know about birth and about newborn infant care and we both felt prepared for what was in store. She helped me become prepared on a broad level, such as practicing comfort measure strategies for labor, and on a micro level, such as providing us lists of what to pack in our hospital bags. She arrived the day I went into labor, went to the hospital with us, and stayed with me until my baby was born providing emotional and physical support and was she also great company! Many people think, I have a fantastic doctor so what would a doula help for? I also had a fantastic doctor who I would recommend to any birthing person, but even the most attentive doctors and nurses are busy with multiple patients and responsibilities. Having Cristina with us the whole time dedicated solely to our experience was priceless. Her presence allowed me to have a minimal stress birthing experience and I 100% recommend her services.

Heather is an incredible birth doula and photographer. My husband and I interviewed many doulas in…read morethe NJ/NY area prior to the birth of our first baby and not only was Heather experienced and confident in her ability to provide support, but she was also relatable, reassuring, and kind. We knew immediately that she was the right match for us. Leading up to the birth, Heather was extremely communicative and spent time both in person and over the phone providing us with helpful resources and guidance not only about the birthing process, but also comfort measures and postpartum expectations. Her ability to provide both physical and emotional support was unmatched. Heather's support allowed me to release a lot of the anxiety I had and helped my husband and I solidify what we hoped to get out of the experience by working through our birth preferences. In addition to providing support and reassurance, Heather took candid, beautiful photographs that we will treasure for years to come. They are so moving and capture every emotion of the day so perfectly. Heather was not only great at preparing me for birth, but she was also great at preparing my husband for his role leading up to, during, and after the birth. He was so involved but it was amazing to have another advocate to ensure the best experience possible. Heather seamlessly created a team mentality where I felt that my well-being was front and center. I honestly felt so calm and at ease, which is the exact opposite of what I imagined I'd feel several months ago. She was incredibly level-headed throughout the labor and delivery process and supported every decision I made about my care after providing guidance on how each decision would affect my birth. I felt like I was in control and was informed and empowered. Our baby was welcomed into a world full of love, compassion, confidence, and support. I couldn't ask for a better experience. I would highly recommend Heather and her doula services to other expecting families in a heartbeat. Having her by our side was one of the best decisions we made!

I had my first baby in May and knew I wanted a doula because the idea of birthing was so scary to…read moreme. I'm not a crunchy hippy dippy type but I knew I didn't want any drugs (no pitocin, no epidural) but I didn't know much else. Enter, Heather, who I found from googling and decided upon solely from these Yelp reviews. I cannot recommend her enough. She educated me on things I didn't know I didn't know. We created a plan and I had exactly the birth I wanted. She advocated for me at the hospital at a time when everything is new and scary and I was too overwhelmed with being in labor to know how to advocate for myself. Contractions are earth shattering and not fun but Heather gave me the strength and conviction to carry out my birth plan, to have my baby without an epidural. I had a safe birth the way I wanted. At the end, my doctor and the nurses were so impressed they all asked Heather for her business card! Also, CHOOSE TO DO THE PHOTOS! It's so crazy and fulfilling to be able to look back at that day. You won't regret having them, but you might regret not having them.

Yael is the best! My wife was having our first baby at home and we knew that we needed some extra…read moresupport. Yael came over twice during the pregnancy to talk to us and answer any questions we had. She assisted us not only with preparing for the birth, but also with newborn care basics. During my wife's labor she was a calm spirit, who helped my wife feel comfortable and helped support me in knowing how I could help best. She was the best decision we made. In fact one of the first things my wife and I said the day after our daughter was born was that we didn't pay Yael enough. She is worth every penny! My wife is pregnant with our second child due this Winter and we are thrilled that Yael will be part of our birth team again.

Yael lives, breathes, dreams, and loves all things babies and mamas. She's insanely knowledgeable…read moreabout everything from pregnancy to birth to nursing and early babyhood. Her demeanor is calm, sober, empathetic, supportive, and pretty silly if that's what you're in to. She anticipated my needs before I knew I needed them and made me feel like I was the only person who mattered in life - and of course, my son too :). I recommend Yael to anybody looking to have the best, most authentic birth possible. And even if breastfeeding is going fine, it can always go better with Yael's help and attention. I love her. My little family and our birth experience wouldn't have been the same without her.

I had my daughter 6 months ago and my family and I had the pleasure of having Nancy as our doula. I…read moredidn't take any birthing courses so Nancy sat down with me and my husband and thoroughly went through the birthing process, including the many scenarios we could encounter. We read books and watched videos and she answered all of our questions with much detail. She really helped to prepare us for the day our daughter was born. We ended up with a very intense labor that ended in a c section and we are so thankful to have Nancy's compassion and expertise through the process. She was also very supportive to my family when they needed her most. After we came home from the hospital, Nancy cleaned and prepared our house for our arrival. I'm a new mom, so she taught me important steps for taking care of my baby. She cooked for me and our family and just truly made our transition into parenthood so easy. I would highly recommend Nancy of maternal instincts doulas. Her service, skills, knowledge, attentiveness and work is priceless!!!

Nancy helped me as a post-partum doula following the birth of my daughter in 2013. I was recovering…read morefrom a planned c-section for a breech baby. Nancy showed so much care for me, my husband, and my baby. She taught us a great deal about parenting and assured us with answers to our many questions about caring for a newborn. One of the things I will always remember is how she communicated with our many family members who came to visit in the first days following the birth. She helped them to be sensitive to the privacy I needed as I recovered, and the bonding time that we needed with our new baby. (Not to mention the sleep!) I am still in close touch with Nancy. She is funny, loving, and incredibly trust-worthy. I still go to her with questions about my now 14-month old!