Paige and Margaret shared in welcoming my first born child into this world. It was a beautiful…read morepeaceful experience in the comfort of my home. Their tender loving care was everything I hoped would accompany a natural labor and delivery. I can't imagine how a clinical environment would have altered my birthing plan. There were no fear based pressures only encouragement and the education of choice. I would recommend Modern Midwifery to every woman creating life. If you want to trust your body to function as it's intended during child birth, learn more about the process, and have a voice with a choice; then these ladies will be a gift in your life that you will always treasure!

Margaret's holistic approach was right for me and my family. She understood our concerns and…read moresupported our decision to include our son in the birthing experience at Atlanta Birth Center. She helped me prepare. Her info packet was practical and asked concrete questions about pain, coping skills and post-partum issues. I felt comfortable taking her homeopathic recommendations and herbal infusions (yummy Nora tea!) Critically, she was always available for checking in. It was easy to talk with her and I sought her advice about an ongoing problem I experienced with a particular midwife. (Since she both volunteers and gives massages at ABC, she's well-known there and familiar with its routines/rhythms. This put me at ease because I was a new client.) Margaret's post-partum help with tricky nursing issues proved equally invaluable. Margaret's a skilled licensed massage therapist who specializes in Arvigo Maya abdominal work. I was bigger this time around so the last trimester was tough. Having weekly massages in my last month was such a treat. Her massages were restorative, relieved me of the constant pain and worked to center me. The birth of my 2nd son was highly unusual but through the expert knowledge and skills of Margaret and the rest of my birth team, I experienced a safe and empowered natural birth. My son was born at 10 lbs and face first, quite a rare and challenging presentation. His labor was long and slow (3 days). Once we learned his presentation, we required a transfer to the hospital. We all worked together as a team to make his birth go smoothly and safely. Throughout all of this Margaret remained calm, focused on my well-being, supportive of my decisions, patient, positive and helpful. I couldn't have had the beautiful birth that I did without the team that I had. Having Margaret as part of my birth team made for an overall positive pregnancy, birth and post-partum experience. I feel truly blessed. Thank you Margaret!

I drank raspberry leaf tea and did okra suppositories for all 9 months. 12:01am on my due date hit,…read moremy water broke and I went from 0 to 10 cm within 30 seconds. That bitch shot out like the greased pig through my arms on a slip n'slide at vacation bible school in the summer of '03. This place is kush. Push??? Baby will damn near fall out thanks to them. 10/10 reccomend. Hubby and I were in and out in under and hour and a half. Didn't even have time to fill the pool.

**I do NOT recommend Atlanta Birthing Center based on my experience.**…read more I debated whether to write this review, but after everything that happened during my labor and delivery, I feel that other mothers deserve to know about my experience and be able to make an informed decision about where they receive prenatal care and give birth. I went into labor early in the morning. Around 4 a.m., I called the midwife on call before shift change, who gave me instructions on what to do while I was in the beginning stages of labor. As my contractions became more intense, we called again around 6 a.m. The midwife on call was Jeanine Jones. She told me I still had a long way to go but said I could come in around 10 a.m. to be checked. When we arrived, I was 2 cm dilated. She gave me advice and sent me back out. Since we lived about an hour away, my husband and I decided to get a hotel nearby so we wouldn't have to travel back and forth. After several more hours, my husband drove me back to the birthing center to be checked again. I was 4 cm dilated. Jeanine offered me a shot to help me sleep between contractions. We went back to the hotel, and I was able to sleep for a little while. Once the medication wore off, everything changed. My contractions became extremely intense. My husband and my amazing doula supported me through everything. While I was laboring on the toilet and then in the shower, my husband and doula noticed that I was experiencing **heavy bleeding and passing large blood clots, some approximately the size of golf balls.** My husband called the midwife and explained what was happening. We were told that the bleeding could be normal and to call again once my contractions became worse. About an hour later, my husband decided to take me back to the birthing center. Because he was focused on helping me through the contractions, he forgot to call ahead and tell them we were on our way. When we arrived, I was already **9 cm dilated**. The first thing we were questioned about was why my husband hadn't called to let them know we were coming. At the time, I was the only patient there, which made the focus on that especially upsetting given how much I was struggling. My husband showed the midwife a picture of the bleeding and clots I had been experiencing. Her response was, **"Oh, that's not normal."** I was then told to get into the shower while they prepared the birthing tub and that I would be able to get into the tub in about 20-30 minutes and begin pushing. My water had still not broken. What happened next was extremely difficult. Instead of 20-30 minutes, I remained in the shower for roughly **two hours**. I could feel my contractions changing from regular contractions into the overwhelming urge to push. My pain became unbearable. I repeatedly asked my mom what was happening because I didn't understand why no one was coming to check on me. She was told they were at the desk, but when she asked what was happening, no one would give her a clear answer. I eventually started pushing. Nothing was progressing, and my water still had not broken. Someone eventually came in and checked me using a mirror. When I asked what we were waiting for, I was told they were waiting for the baby's head to "pop out." I continued pushing for approximately another hour. Finally, my doula came in and told me that they would only check me if I specifically asked them to. At that point, I was exhausted, in extreme pain, and had already been laboring for approximately **20-22 hours**. I asked to be checked and was taken to the bed. The midwife told me that I was fully dilated but that **something was blocking my cervix**. She suggested breaking my water to speed up the process. My husband asked what was blocking my cervix and whether there was any danger or risk to me or the baby. We were told there wasn't. At this point, I was exhausted and in so much pain that I agreed to have my water broken if it would help move things along. When my water was broken, the fluid was dark. The midwife initially told me that because it wasn't "too dark," I was fine to continue delivering there. Two other staff members came in and commented that the fluid appeared too dark. The midwife then said she needed to look something up and would return. About 20-30 minutes later, she came back and told us that, according to protocol, she needed to recommend transferring me to the hospital. She then told us that I had a **3 cm hematoma blocking my cervix**, that I could potentially bleed out or that the baby could become stuck, and that there was **meconium in the fluid**, which could put the baby at risk of infection. At that point, I had been in labor for approximately **23 hours**. I was exhausted and terrified. I immediately told her to transfer me because I was not willing to risk my life or my baby's life. I asked how long the transfer would take and whether there was anything I could receive to help with the pain while we waited. I was

I'm surprised that no one has reviewed Brenda Parrish, as she's been around for a while in Atlanta…read more I had a homebirth with Brenda in early 2014 and it was the best thing I've decided! She is such a fantastic midwife who practices holistic care. I had all of my prenatal check-ups with her (with a few extra thrown in at See Baby for ultrasounds). There's a lot of emphasis on nutrition, exercise, and preventative care. The feel working with a midwife is completely different than an OB/Gyn. Brenda will sit with you for the entire hour of the appointment and just answer questions, share wisdom and experience. At the OB office, after waiting for the doctor, it's a quick in & out and you're gone. She can do almost everything an OB can do, and often better. Brenda is warm and caring, kind of reminds me of my nice grandma. I loved my pregnancy and birth experience because of working with Brenda. As a first time mom, I had a lot of reservations. But again, this was the best decision I made. Check with your insurance whether they cover homebirths. Mine didn't (it would count towards the out-of-pocket deductible, which I wouldn't have reached anyways), but I have heard of people successfully getting private insurance to pay. Even if insurance doesn't cover, the cost is still more than reasonable and I think worth every penny. Nothing but love, love, LOVE for Brenda Parrish and her practice Traditional Birth Services!

Brenda Parrish of Traditional Birth Services has been our midwife for all three of our home births…read moresince 2014. We just had our third. My wife and I are so so so so thankful for Brenda. She is such an absolute professional, amazing encourager, wise guide, and patient teacher through the entire birth process. Awesome. Awesome. We love Brenda and could not recommend her more highly.

Insert anxious and angry mommy with her birthing partner somewhere across the country in between…read moreSalt Lake City, UT and Champagne, IL. Yeah, no fun. I call Corinna based on a recommendation from a lovely couple that I met on a hospital tour of North Fulton Hospital. They had RAVE reviews of her HypnoBirthing class, and services. Now I have my own to share. I hired Corinna for an in-home weekend intensive session, and I had to cancel it due to a last-minute furniture shipment that consumed my family room. She eagerly accommodated the move, and we met at an alternate location. The space had lit candles, aromatherapy and the ambiance was definitely calming. I needed it too, coming off of 285 weekend construction traffic. We spent the day together learning about anatomy, doing relaxing techniques, learning how my anxious body keeps my muscles and organs in fight-or-flight mode, which all does NOTHING for a happy baby or speedy delivery. I can go on and on about things that I learned and heard for the first time, but the long story short-- Corinnna: made me address my concerns, supported me, helped me identify the cause of anxiety, helped me with affirmations to replace the worries, and equipped me with so many tools that I feel ready to tackle anything. Her class is awesome, she continuously provides herself and future classes as a resource for past students, and doesn't leave any mom-to-be or birthing partner-to-be feeling inadequate or unprepared for the lovely joy of labor. I would wholeheartedly recommend her as a doula, fitness coach, and childbirth educator to anyone in my family, close circle of friends, and of course, to you all, my Yelp family. Trust me, you will not be disappointed. If you have further questions, just message me!

When my wife found out that she could not have an epidural, her OB recommended that she find a…read moredoula. She researched and we found Corrinna, and we could not be more pleased. We attended Corrinna's informative hypnobirthing class and learned so much about the process. She came to our house and helped us prepare for the big day, and was there in the hospital with us to coach, massage, and most importantly, calm my wife as she delivered our son naturally. I can honestly say that having Corrinna on our team was the best decision we could have made. She is incredible, and we highly recommend Ambiance Birth.

So far, our experience with Intown has been just fantastic. We were referred to these kind ladies…read morethrough many close friends and it couldn't be a better fit for what we would like with our first kiddo on the way. The best news is that the office is attached to AMC and is less than a mile from our residence. That definitely sweetened the deal for us, too. The team at Intown is awesome. They do an amazing job of balancing incoming families and make everyone feel so welcome. Their team is made up of five different practitioners and each visit is with a different midwife. They are all very kind and have different personalities, but their level of professionalism is all the same. Huge high-five to Lindley who made us feel really comfortable on our first visit. She was just the best. So far, we've only visited twice and my wife had her labs done, general checkup, heard our baby's heartbeat, and we have also done a few of the group discussions. The group sessions are really nice and can give some great insight. For us, they have been really cool and comforting with this being our first go at bringing another human into the world. I'll definitely update my review in the coming months. Really happy to be in the kind care of these folks!

Not my best experience with hospitality. They were more concerned about when I pay them, than…read morechecking on my baby or health. I sat at appointments longer than talking to the doctor. It did start off welcoming, however it transpired into bs unless you have money.

As a first time mom who was also planning a low/no intervention home birth, I was overwhelmed and…read moreclueless about where to start. I started interviewing doulas and midwives when I was only 3 months pregnant. After contacting Cynthya thru the Happiest Doulas website, I spoke with her and knew immediately that I needed the support of a doula from The Happiest Doulas as a part of my birth team. I requested a consult with Jeni Standard. Jeni's biography resonated with me the most because she had studied functional nutrition, and was certified in both nutrition and lactation. As a sufferer of Celiac Disease and someone who struggled with getting pregnant, I knew she would be a great resource and offer the support and understanding I needed. And I was so right - Jeni was the calm to my storm! She was there to comfort me after after some scary experiences. She also had great reading recommendations, as I was avidly reading all the books while pregnant. We had so many questions after our son was born and Jeni was so supportive and responsive. Because she is also a certified lactation consultant, she was able to support my decision to breastfeed, despite many obstacles. She followed up with me many times after our son was born, and I still feel like I could reach out to her just to catch up! Included in my birth package were 10 weeks of birth bootcamp classes. Our instructor, Alexa Gumm, was so wonderful! Her warmth and experience made our weekly Sunday classes something that my husband and I truly looked forward to. It turned out to be a great bonding experience for the two of us. We learned so much - from what to expect during labor (we got to watch videos) to info on breastfeeding. The classes were great for me, but mostly, I wanted my husband to really understand the process. He is not the type to read books, so a class was perfect. Alexa made sure the "dads" understood ways to support their partners during the birthing process. Alexa would have been so proud of my husband because he remembered everything she taught us during class and he was really supportive while I was in labor! She even followed up with me after our son was born and gave me some recommendations that were really helpful. I am so thankful Cynthya brought together the wonderful group called The Happiest Doulas! I will surely call on them again in the future when I plan my next birth. Cynthya was so kind and helpful as well throughout. I feel as if I gained 3 wonderful friends by the end of my pregnancy.

I was pregnant in 2015, FTM. It's been awhile but I was so traumatized by what happen with this…read morecompany I couldn't express my feelings about my labor gone wrong. The happiest doulas, Jenny Bennett, nor Cynthia showed up. I saw Jenny as I was groggily being rolled out of my c section after laboring all night alone. Which is why I sought out a doula. Never again. I want to make people aware of what can happen with this practice especially after seeing a few other reviews say the same thing. They would Also Not refund any of my money after not showing up. I never seen these women at all during my pregnancy. Hopefully after this time they got together.

I went there for the first time last Friday for my annual and so far so good! I liked Dr. Bennett a…read morelot, she was very nice, gave me great advice and listened to my concerns with patience. Her nurse was also very nice and friendly, I'll definitely be back.

There is a mix of great and not so great about this Clinic. Front desk is friendly and the nurses…read moreand doctors I interacted with were gentle and kind. I'm deducting stars for some shadier billing practices. Examples: reception - I repeat RECEPTION - will have you pee in a cup before seeing your doctor, and without explanation. Apparently it is procedure to test ALL women for pregnancies, which sets the tone of how must they trust your knowledge about your own body, and how they will listen to you. To top it off, you will get billed for it. And in that vein of billing, they will bill you for time waiting to see your doctor, not just time with your doctor. I was moved from the first waiting room, to a second waiting room, where I was left sitting for over 30 minutes. That time was included in my final bill as time with my physician, which is no small fee. So prepare your wallet accordingly!

We were fairly new to GA and I procrastinated so bad on finding a doula we actually met Melissa…read moreafter baby Declan was ready here (he decided to come early and I am the queen procrastinator). I found her on Yelp and she was my savings grace. Always on time, upbeat, and encouraging me to sit down, relax, go nap/shower and offering me help. Upon first meeting we hit it off so well but I'm a slight introvert so her first time arriving to my home to help I was nervous and didn't really know what to expect but sure enough she showed up with a smile and some comfort for me and my kiddos. Day 1 she came with some toy dinosaurs for my older (2yo) to play with- I thought it was the sweetest gesture to think of him. She happily baby wore 3w old Declan while cleaning around the house and filling in so I could get in some much needed self care. Look no further y'all Melissa is great!

I am so happy to have had Melissa as part of my birth team. We were on the fence about hiring a…read moredoula, but after talking with Melissa both in our initial interview and then later during our home visit, we knew that having her as an advocate was worth the investment. We interviewed a few doulas and decided to work with Melissa because she brought the most experience and professionalism to the job. Not only was she able to bring her extensive knowledge of pregnancy and birthing to all of my questions, she also, when appropriate, could chime in with her personal experience as a mother. While I was pregnant and after my son was born, Melissa was always available to answer any questions and address my many worries as they came up. What I have really valued was that she was proactive- she would reach out frequently just to make sure things were going ok. This was especially helpful in the weeks after birth as I was struggling with breastfeeding and being a new mom in general, and Melissa was able to be a sounding board for all of my concerns. I always know that I can reach out to her with seemingly trivial questions and have her validate my concerns, listen, suggest solutions, or provide additional information. Finally, Melissa was wonderful during the birth! When things started to go off plan, Melissa helped me think through and feel comfortable with what was happening. During the labor, I will never forget Melissa's cool hands and soothing words swooping in to calm both me and my husband. Somehow, in the middle of helping me labor, she was also able to take pictures on her phone of the whole birth, and the first moments of our son's life, that we will cherish forever. After the birth, she was there to help me breastfeed for the first time and stayed with us until we were ready to go to the recovery room. I recommend Melissa to anyone who is looking for a doula!