Stop searching. You found the one. I am so incredibly grateful to Amanda at Mamahood for helping me…read morewith my lactation support because my initial lactation consultant made me feel and believe that my nursing journey was over it like six weeks. Now I'm going on eight months of nursing, my baby thanks to Amanda's help. Amanda helped me with a newborn and continue to help me with our baby. I'm not even sure how Mamahood doesn't have five stars. I went through lactation support groups and classes and had a different lactation consultant before finding Mamahood and struggled so hard. I wish I would've started with Mamahood to begin with. I see a lot of other reviews that are upset because their baby got diagnosed with tongue ties from Mamahood and their pediatrician or another doctor didn't catch the tongue tie, but I'm here to say that Mamahood caught my babies ties EVEN though OUR PEDIATRICIAN didn't think my baby had them. Well, after we saw a pediatric dentist and got my baby's ties cut - everything was so much better. My milk supply went up and my baby was able to eat better even out of a bottle. Getting my babies ties cut was a really hard decision in the moment but one of the best decisions we've done for her and I am so thankful for Mamahood for leading me in the right direction.

First of all, I want to mention how cute this shop is. It's bright and clean and the staff are…read morealways so nice. In addition to having an adorable selection of maternity clothes- seriously going in makes me want to get pregnant again just so I can shop there- they have a delightful alcove of toys my son adores. I've been taking my almost 2 year old son to Toddler and Momma yoga on Friday mornings for almost 6 months and we love it! I my past before baby life I went to yoga classes several times a week, but now that I have a little guy and limited childcare, I've had to content myself to my daily quick morning practice. Although it's not the same as an adult class, it's a great opportunity to introduce a little one to yoga, and as mine says, "see babies and mommies" (and sometimes daddies too). I always appreciate how Miss Casey, the instructor, sets a casual, fun mood for the class with fun songs and movement for the kids. My son likes it too, and lately has been peppering our days with his favorite snippets from class, and ever time we drive by The Mama'hood, he points and says his name, followed by mommy go yoga. Which, when you're not quite 2, is a 5 star review for sure.

My husband and I took Amanda's hypnobirthing class and are so glad we did! First of all, it's so…read moremuch more than just hypnobirthing. We learned so much about the birthing process as a whole and left feeling informed, empowered and ready for birth. Amanda is someone who very obviously loves her job and it shows in the enthusiasm she brings to each class and the personal connections she makes with everyone she works with. She takes time to answer any and all questions which made for a very comfortable and welcoming class environment. We loved every minute of this class and would highly recommend it to anyone seeking a natural or low intervention birth.

Very kind, chill and knowledgeable instructor! Was a perfect place to get BLS certified.read more

Merrie is incredible! Not only is she the best Birth Doula I have ever worked with, her passion,…read moreher love and dedication to the entire family through the birthing journey shines through. I will be flying to Denver shortly to meet with Merrie and to accompany her as my mentor. I'm so excited to learn from Merrie all of the things a Doula brings to the moms and families she works with. Thank you Merrie! I cannot wait to see you. xx, Tammy Schmoyer

Our birth experience with Merrie as our doula was incredible and I absolutely would not have been…read moreable to have the empowering birth I had without her support and guidance. She is an expert. She came over after I had gone into labor and helped us stay home as long as possible before transitioning to the hospital, where she further assisted me in laboring for several more hours without pain meds before it became obvious that things had become stalled and I needed an epidural. After that point she easily guided the transition to later stages and made suggestions to the care team that almost certainly helped me avoid a c-section. After going through this I can see how easy it would be to have a really scary and traumatic birth experience, but with Merrie by my side it was super empowering and positive. I am so grateful for her expert advice and calm, grounded presence.

My husband and I loved having Danielle be a part of our birth experience. We met her through child…read morebirth classes we were taking and loved her outlook on child birth and labor. We asked her to be our Doula, and we are so glad she was with us on the day we met our sweet baby girl. One of the main reasons we love Danielle is her attitude and perspective towards giving birth. She helped us have an amazing natural birth, but she also made sure we were all on the same page with the choices that come up during the process. She wants you to feel comfortable and prepared for wherever the labor process takes you : ) Danielle is very relaxed and matter of fact, which was exactly what I needed to keep me sane. Secondly, her focus is on a team effort. This makes Mom and Dad center of attention and helps us be the best team we can be rather than take the place of Dad. In order to do this she helped my husband understand what I might need and provided advice on how to get through tough points during the day. Obviously it is not all rainbows and sunshine, but when I thought I couldn't make it she helped us problem solve and get through it. Her postpartum visit was so sweet and pre-visits were very helpful. She can come to your house before or meet you at the hospital. I wish all you mamas amazing birth experiences, and if you have any doubts (like ALL first time moms I assume) hopefully Danielle can be there for you too!

Danielle and her team made us feel relaxed and confident with the birth of our first child. I would…read morehighly recommend Roots to Nest for all of your childbirth needs. Danielle made it a point to meet with us a couple of times beforehand; spending over 1.5 hours each time, answering all of our questions and explaining what the process could potentially look like. She even made sure we had multiple birth plans so all of our bases were covered. Most importantly though, we felt like we had an invaluable resource during the labor process. From finding the most comfortable position for myself as things progressed, coaching my husband on what was normal (it's all so foreign when it's your first), to what he should say/do to provide the most support was not something we could have done on our own. (Can you really imagine navigating all of that on your own? No thank you.) In the end, my husband and I felt like we were their only clients (not the case, there was another birth the same day/around the same time!). But the love and care showed to us even after our daughter's birth made us realize how authentic Roots to Nest was and is. Do yourself a favor and hire a doula. Hire Roots to Nest!

My husband and I attended Mandy's class and absolutely loved it. My sister had gone through the…read moreHynobabie classes before and so I was already excited to be attending. However, the classes truly exceeded all my expectations and I am so thankful for all the tools and learning provided. My husband also loved the classes, I was little nervous that he would be upset having to go to 3.5 hours of classes every Sunday, for six weeks during football season. But he enjoyed the classes as much as I did and felt it was worth the time commitment. We both feel very excited and prepared for our birthing time, thanks to Mandy and Hynobabies!!

Mandy is incredible! I don't have enough good things to say about her as a person and as an…read moreinstructor! She is so knowledgable about hypnobabies techniques and teaches with confidence and grace! She is definitely someone you want on your team! She is empowering, trustworthy and has the voice of an angel. (Something you definitely want in a person helping to prepare you for your birthing time!)

Stacey is hands down the best! When I decided to hire a doula for my labor and delivery I…read moreinterviewed 5 ladies before I met Stacey. From our first interaction I knew she would be the one by my side during such a special time in my life. Stacey is not only experienced and wise in her practice, but her caring personality shines through every part of her work. She was available to answer any of my questions leading up to the birth, she anticipated every one of my needs during labor, and she made sure me and my son were off to a great start at our post natal apt. I would highly recommend Stacey to any woman wanting an exception experience during their birth. I know I will be calling her for any future kiddos I have!

Stacey is absolutely amazing! I feel so lucky that I found Stacey to be our doula for the delivery…read moreof my first baby. From the minute my husband and I met her we instantly felt comfortable in her presence and we both naturally gravitated towards her, she seemed like someone we would have been friends with for years. Looking back on the entire experience, I know I would not have been able to do it without her. I ended up having a natural birth and Stacey was there to help me through it all. There were several times that I did not believe in myself or think I could do it and Stacey knew exactly what to say and knew exactly what to do to help make me feel mentally strong and physically better. I have told all my friends about Stacey and strongly encourage them to use her when they decide to have a baby. I know for sure my husband and I will be calling on Stacey when we go to have baby number two. Stacey is incredibly knowledgable and so easy to relate to and get along with, I was able to be completely myself with her and was able to talk with her like I'd known her for years. I was so happy to have her by my side when the nurses asked me questions or advised me on things that I wasn't sure about. Knowing Stacey's resume, background and years of experience I knew I could trust in her advise and opinion. I knew she was looking out for what was best for me and that ultimately it was my decision but she was there to help me understand all my options. All in all, my husband and I would have paid five times as much to have Stacey there, she truly was so amazing. Thank you Stacey!

Anna is an incredibly grounding and knowledgeable resource. She is available to answer questions…read moreany time and is super flexible with her schedule. She has such an approachable demeanor and is able to educate without it feeling overwhelming. She gave me so much confidence and is an amazing calming presence. I would recommend her to anyone to make their experience a lot easier.

I cannot recommend Anna enough for lymphatic massage and women's care. From the moment I stepped…read moreinto her space, I felt completely nurtured and cared for. She took an extended amount of time working on me, and the results were nothing short of miraculous. The very next morning, I woke up feeling completely refreshed--no soreness, no fatigue, full range of motion in my arms, and I literally hopped right out of bed. I felt like myself again--rejuvenated, energized, and so at ease in my body. I recently had my one-month post-op appointment, and I can confidently say that Anna's work made a huge difference in my recovery. Having to go back to work just two weeks post-op was brutal, but the care and attention she gave me was absolutely mesmerizing. If I could have given her $500 for the magic she worked, I would have in a heartbeat. Anna's hands are pure healing, and her dedication to her craft is unmatched. If you're looking for true, intentional care, you need to book with her. She is truly a gift.

I will be going into my second birth after a traumatic unplanned c section. I want to have an…read moreunedmedicated vbac but preparing for the birth was leaving me terrified of dying in childbirth, unmanageable pain, and with nowhere to turn for advice. I took Ann's childbirth class remotely, and I can honestly say that when I have my baby in a week or so, I will not be afraid and I will even welcome the whole process with excitement. Ann is down to earth and extremely knowledgeable in childbirth practices and especially in emotional support in labor, and being a mom herself she knows exactly how to relate. I'm extremely impressed with Ann's ability to get to the bottom of my fears and help me work through them! She knows exactly what to say and when to say it, promoting an atmosphere of feminine strength and confidence. I now feel like I have the tools to manage my pain as she's taught me first hand what each stage of labor is like (I had an epidural last time), and many positions and other tools to help ease pain and move the baby into position. The exercises including birth art and ice practice have gotten me to feel confident and prepared to tackle contractions without fear. I highly recommend Ann to anyone who is preparing to have a baby, especially if they are preparing to give birth after a bad experience. I live in Maryland and the ease of the remote classes was wonderful. If I lived in Colorado I would absolutely be hiring Ann as my doula!

I came to having doula services through Ann Kaplan quite by accident and completely against my…read morewill. I only wanted someone to keep me company while I received better and more thorough drugs than my previous traumatic child-bearing experiences, which persons educated childbirthing these days will tell you is no longer en vogue. The reality is that while I was thrilled to be having another child, the idea of getting that child out of me was so incredibly terrifying that I could not envision a situation where that could happen, without it filling me with dread. As my due date was getting closer, my panic really started to rise. So to jump way ahead, it was my husband who had heard about Ann Kaplan, from a colleague, also a husband. He came home and wanted to call this "birth coach", this "miracle worker" he'd heard about from a fellow GUY, who had sung Ann's praises. He said their birth experience had changed their lives, that his wife's fears were not only dissolved but it was this amazing bonding beautiful whole-family transformation to have their baby, completely naturally (!!!). No, no, no. I do not know what words were exchanged but my normally suspicious and totally impervious husband wanted to call her. I did not, and I cried and was more terrified than before. Somehow, we called her, she reluctantly agreed to meet with us, and then she waved her wand and she just simply changed our lives. Ann and her approach and education of us as a couple and family changed pretty much every belief I held about giving birth, and reigned in my out-of-control fears in a way I didn't think was possible. She never said I had to do this naturally, she said she'd be there if I wanted drugs. She said I would want to move around though, I'd want to find what soothed me(like a warm bath) and I couldn't do that with an epidural in ( she would turn out to be correct). She drove next to us on the highway in the middle of the night, with me backwards in the passenger seat, with her shouting encouragement to me. She walked ahead of me in the hospital and protected me, advocated for me, stayed with me every second, talked me through every contraction. Beautifully, naturally, incredibly guided us, as we welcomed our babies with love and a total lack of fear. To say that my daughters' births, coached by Ann and my husband, were some of the most powerful, healing and transformative experiences of my life is a pathetic understatement. I am a different person because of what Ann did for our family. We are a different family, because of Ann's gift in supplying that safe and educated space for us to expand. I wholeheartedly believe we have a different bond with our daughters than we would have without Ann. Without dipping into sappy, or metaphysical, or religious, or other realms that might make your eyes roll, having had both medicated "paralyzed" births and supported, coached, and empowered births, I promise you there is a huge and powerful gift in being present and participatory in actually "giving" birth... I am so proud of myself, having accomplished this and provided this for my children, and infinitely more aware of my own ability to make choices for myself and my family. So I'm the unlikeliest of clients and now one of the biggest converts to the idea of Doula-supported birthing, and I passionately encourage you to go through Ann Kaplan even if you, like me, were only considering a better epidural. I PROMISE, you will not regret it.

These women are absolutely incredible. I found them in the last month of my pregnancy, and I'm so…read moregrateful I hired them. They offer prenatal visits, birth support, and postpartum visits. I hired them mostly for support during birth, but I ended up having a quick labor and a very challenging postpartum period. They were there for all of it in every way I needed them. Each woman brings a different set of skills to the table, but they all offer exceptional prenatal/labor/postpartum support. If you're considering hiring a doula for your birth, do yourself a favor and allow these women to help make it a beautiful experience.

Since you are reading this, I assume you have decided that a doula is a good idea for your birth…read more But if you are unsure, let me help you - the answer is YES. Especially if this is your first baby, after going through it, doing it without a doula is simply unimaginable. More on why below. Boulder and environs are not short on doulas as we learned when we moved here two months ago, seven months pregnant). Boulder Doula's Circle was recommended to us by a friend, but we were hesitant at first - like many health providers, on the "big day" you do not know which of the three doulas you might end up with. What if we had a favorite or were not crazy about one of them? This is intimate family stuff after all. However, after a 1:1 meeting and attending one of their monthly birth circle open houses at the Mamahood, we knew it was not just a case of being the "right fit" for us, but so much more. Suddenly we felt incredibly supported by these three very wise, very experienced, and very fun women. Each brings a unique set of skills to the table that will benefit you, not just on the big day, but throughout your pregnancy. Whether it was herbs, exercises, guiding us to other resources in the community, pre-natal home visits, or post-partum visits, Amanda, Rachel and April gave way more than we ever imagined. We were clueless, but by the time labor arrived we were super-educated, prepared, and confident. And the benefits of their support during labor cannot be overstated. Its difficult to express how grateful we are to these three. Another aspect of the team-doula approach: you can't end up in a situation where your one doula is on vacation or at another birth, leaving you in the lurch. Or, if, heaven-forbid, you have a marathon labor, you can get a hand-off, where one of them will come in as relief. A final thing to add - while we were on board with their approach, we saw other couples who had different ideas of what they wanted (or didn't want) and all three of the doulas were really non-judgmental and supportive. I suppose that in this world thats normal, but there was something genuine about it - its not that they were hiding what they really thought, but that they were truly not judging and wanted to do whats best for their pregnant mamas and their babies. In this incredible, exciting, daunting process of starting a family, I cannot stress how great it was to have these three as counsel. If this sounds too good to be true, message me and Ill be happy to share more details of our experience. Nikko

Liz was amazing from the get-go. We met her for a brief meeting and hired her on the spot. We felt…read morethe connection and that she understood us. We were looking for a 'less hippy' experience and Liz understood that. She was cool and collected but also had so much information to share with us. At the birth she was there quick (we were 10 days early and called her at 330am) and really was everything we talked about in our pre-meetings. She helped direct my husband in ways to support me and when I needed it she looked me in the eye and reminded me of how I could do this and all the things we had discussed. I'm so glad we hired her and will do it again for our next child!

We hired Liz to assist us with the birth of our first child in April 2016. She was fantastic to…read morework with and a great resource for information about a range of issues as we prepared for the arrival of our daughter. As first time parents there are so many questions and unknowns and it was wonderful to have Liz as a guide. We were challenged by several issues during the pregnancy and Liz was a source of strength and encouragement. It was very reassuring to have Liz as an integral part of our pregnancy and birth.