the receptionist in the matronly center was very rude and unfriendly not helpful not go backread more

We had an exceptional birth experience for our second child at Our Birthing Center. The design,…read moredécor, and amazing staff create a tranquil, secure environment. At our first visit, I knew I wanted my child to be born in this peaceful place - it had none of the sterile, mechanical & "busy" feeling of the hospital where our first child was born. The orientation class held by Beth Ann was very informative, and created a sense of familiarity, especially when we ended up having Beth Ann as our nurse. I was well into active labor when we arrived at the birth center, but as soon as I walked into the birthing suite, I felt a complete sense of security & confidence. We immediately got into the shower for hydrotherapy while Beth Ann prepared the bathtub. The room & bathroom were impeccably clean, and somehow everything we needed was concealed but close at hand - from a birthing ball to towels to a puke bag from the dresser drawer! The best part of the experience for us was the intimacy - my spouse, doula, nurse, and midwife were right there, focusing only on caring for me. There was no in & out of nurses, or additional personnel in the room. I felt completely safe and protected, even through the intensity of the delivery. My daughter was born in the birthing tub and I was the one to pull her out of the water and into my arms. Once she was born, everything was so relaxed and we could truly enjoy those first few moments. Beth Ann & our birthing team took such wonderful care of me after the birth, ensuring that my husband knew exactly how to care for me & my daughter at home. We left the birth center about 4 hrs after the birth and it was so comforting to sleep in our own bed that night! My recovery was much quicker than with my first birth, and I contribute that in part to the unmedicated, gentle waterbirth I was able to achieve at Our Birthing Center. Knowing now the extraordinary level of care, encouragement, and medical expertise available at the birthing center, I wouldn't give birth any other way!

We had such a wonderful experience with this service. The HFA team was incredibly responsive and…read moreproactive in connecting us with those who may be on our night nurse team which allowed for me to chat with each one ahead of time. It was our first time working with a night nurse and the whole experience made us feel at ease and in very good hands. Our night nurse, Janette, was wonderful and made us feel so confident that our newborn was in good hands that we could get some sleep back! Definitely recommend!

Worth EVERY penny we paid, and then some. We had HFA doulas with us starting from the night we…read morebrought each of my children home from the hospital (2021, 2023) until each was about three months old. I literally and metaphorically slept better with the HFA team there. As first-time parents -- it's so comforting to have expertise and support at every moment as you're navigating life as a parent for the first time. When you have no idea what's going on, you're healing and tired and hormonal, your doula is a rock. As second-time parents -- LIFE-SAVING to have someone there to let me sleep as much as possible so that I could be semi-human for my toddler in the morning, and gave my husband and I some much-needed normalcy in the evenings. Everyone I've ever interacted with at HFA (Devon, Sara, Kate, Tiffany, Latoya, Norah, Erika ... the list goes on) was courteous, professional, kind, hyper-responsive and I never had any doubts that we all were in great hands. Give yourself the gift of sleep and peace of mind. I did and would do it again in a heartbeat.

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.

Lisa is a gifted educator on all things childbirth and we're SO happy to have attended her 3 day…read moreintensive in-person classes a few months prior to our due date. I was immediately impressed by Lisa's care and high-touch approach when I saw her thoughtful response to my intake form at the time we registered for the program. And throughout the course, Lisa's wealth of knowledge, passion, and genuine desire to help really carried through. She's also a bright ray of sunshine and we really appreciated her warmth and hospitality in what could feel like a long three day class otherwise. We had snacks and drinks, were able to move around freely, sit on the floor, sit on the yoga ball, there are squatty potties in each bathroom, I mean she literally thought of everything in trying to make this experience as comfortable and smooth for us as possible. With each class, we felt more and more confident and well equipped to welcome our baby and of course the added bonus in this being in-person is that we also loved connecting with other couples that we will continue to stay in touch with. I would highly recommend to any couple who's expecting no matter the kind of birth experience you envision for yourseleves.

We absolutely loved our classes with Lisa! The class was informative, supportive, and incredibly…read moreempowering. The classes are extremely comprehensive without feeling overwhelming. We came into class feeling excited but very nervous about this next chapter and left feeling so much more confident and prepared for both birth and the newborn stage. We loved Lisa's thoughtful approach - blending evidence-based information with compassionate, personalized support in a way that felt holistic, reassuring, and never fear-based. 10/10 - Highly recommend to any expecting parents looking for a childbirth class that feels both realistic and deeply supportive! Thank you, Lisa!

Emily was my doula for the birth of my second child - she is incredible! I did not have a doula for…read moremy first child, and this experience was so much more positive. Prior to the birth, she met with me and my husband multiple times, and gave us excellent guidance, including how to manage contractions, and understanding what I could say "no" to in the hospital (like having an IV placed at the start of labor). I wanted to avoid and epidural and have fewer interventions during the birth, and thanks in large part to Emily I was able to have the labor that I wanted. Throughout my pregnancy and then postpartum, Emily was communicative and caring. She came to my home after the birth and showed me some additional strategies for breastfeeding, and has checked in on me multiple times just to see how I was doing. If you're looking for a doula who is really knowledgeable and passionate about birth work, don't hesitate to contact her!

The birthing world is filled with so much information for first time parents, but Emily made sure…read morethat we had all the knowledge we will need to have a successful labor and delivery. We did the Hypnobirthing class with Emily, and my husband certainly thought I was crazy for signing us up for 15 hours of training, but we came out of each session with so much information and thought provoking conversations that could help us make well-informed decisions for our upcoming birth. Emily made herself available to us during the class, but also in the weeks following, to act as a support for any other questions that came up. We are so lucky to have found her!

I had an absolutely incredible experience with Bahia. She was our birth doula and honestly without…read moreher I could never have gotten through it. My multiple day hospital birth was a doozy. And she was there every step of the way! I am forever grateful to her and the guidance on our journey.

This was more than a Thai yoga massage; this was a full body and soul experience. Her expertise…read morewith the body is exquisite, the ambience is so tranquil, and I left feeling balanced and complete and at ease. My body felt wonderful in the weeks after, and I'll be making this a monthly appointment at least! Worth every penny to work with a practitioner of this caliber.

We asked Taylor to be our doula for baby #2. Pretty sure I would still be pregnant and in labor if…read moreI didn't have her by my side! I was expecting an easier labor since it was my second, but it wasn't really the case. I was progressing slowly, but already at the hospital so after a while the pitocin talk started. I was exhausted at that point and started breaking down because, to me, that automatically meant c-section. Taylor helped us through the decision, encouraged us to speak up about our hesitations, and got me through labor on pitocin without an epidural. She was always ready with positions/tools and gentle but empowering words to help me keep going. Her soothing presence kept me and my husband calm. Her visits before and after were always pleasant and helpful. No matter what my fears and insecurities were about birth, motherhood or wife-hood, Taylor always validated my feelings, offered solutions and was never judgmental. She says I could have done it without her, but I just don't see how that would have been possible!

From the owner: As a doula it's my goal to help you discover and navigate your birth options and preferences, and…read moreto support you in ways that make you feel empowered and safe. My role is to provide you with information, offer continuous emotional and physical support, and be a calm and steady, non-judgemental voice as you journey from pregnancy through parenthood. Serving Northern and Central NJ and NYC.

The services at Bend & Blossom were incredibly comprehensive for me and my husband. I took a…read morebreast-feeding class (if you are thinking about it, definitely do it! So helpful!) we were also very lucky to have the owner of Bend & Blossom, Nicole as our Doula. My daughter's birth and our care at the hospital was effortless with Nicole's support. I highly recommend working with Nicole and her staff at Bend & Blossom!

Very unprofessional. Told my friend and I a lot of information about other students in the class…read moreand other like businesses in the area that was inappropriate and negative. The actual yoga class was not great either when she didn't cancel it. Not worth the money. Look for better options in the area and don't waste your time. As you can see from her response below, very unprofessional. Stay away!

Located next to Montclair Bread company, I just had to see what this place was all about. I…read moreassumed it was a day care. Nope. Not at all. Its a place where new mothers can go for all sorts of classes. These caught my eye, but check the website for far more detail. Pre and Post Natal Breastfeeding Yoga Toddler Yoga - Get them nice and stretched out before nap time? Babys First Foods - (thinking of future Yelpers for you Yelp!) The space is inviting and the people seemed lovely when I dropped by. I don't have toddlers or live in Montclair, but if you do have babies, or have one coming, for cure check this place out. And then go eat a donut next door, you are, after all, eating for 2 ;) Street parking.

We love Kelly. She is the best Doula anybody can have. She helped us with the birth of our…read moreMadeline. Thank you so much for everything. We recommend Montclair Baby and Kelly specifically without reservation.