One year ago, on this exact day I gave birth to my son (first child). Today on his first birthday I…read morecan't just help thinking of Myla as she played such an essential role on my son's birth. I was lucky to have a smooth pregnancy over the course of the nine months and had a very clear idea about my birth preferences. However, I was concerned about the strict protocol of the main hospitals of New York City. My husband and I are both Italian and birthing process in Italy is different than here. So, we started looking into doulas and interviewed quite a few of them. Myla was the one who impressed us the most. With her calm and peaceful manners but also her deep knowledge on anything related to birth, we both felt she was the right doula to assist us. Myla was really crucial in giving birth of my baby. I had a natural birth and my son weighted 11lb 10oz: a shocking news for everyone especially since I was able to deliver him naturally and with no C section. Having a natural birth was my main wish but I am aware I wouldn't been able to accomplish that without Myla's support. She helped with breathing, soothing massage and expert touch to get my baby in a lower position. My husband was engaged all the time and the three of us literally 'worked' as a team over the long hours of labor and then pushing. Myla reminded us to take our time before rushing into any decision and we truly felt reassured with her on our side. I remember one of the most experienced nurses praising on Myla as she pointed out how lucky we were on having such a knowledgable and passionate doula assisting us (and I guess she had seen quite a few over the years). And yes, we truly felt blessed in having Myla on our side. The process was painful, I won't lie, but without Myla I would not have been able to deliver my baby without a C section. I'm glad I was able to safely accomplish my wish. After my son was born Myla took the time to make sure my baby latched and she even took so many pictures of the three of us during those first moments as we wished to have a memory of those. We could count on Myla even after the birth experience, as we met her again a few days after leaving the hospital to provide guidance and helpful advice with our newborn. "Grazie Myla!" - You were a precious gift to our family.

Having a doula during the birthing process was integral to making the day of my son's birth as…read moresmooth as possible, and Myla exemplifies this. Myla was an incredibly kind, supportive guide through my pregnancy process. She helped me cut through the noise of opinions and blogs and provided the resources to know what and how to talk to my birth team (doctor, hospital, partner, etc). Pregnancy can be a roller coaster of emotions and even fears and Myla helped navigate what questions we would potentially want to ask and how to ask those questions to empower ourselves to make the right decisions. My confidence when it came time to enter into the actual birth I can absolutely attribute to Myla. During my birth itself, Myla was there to help me have a positive experience. Whether it was soothing massage to ease labor pains at home, or just reminding me in the hospital to ask for time to think about choices that I needed to make, her focus and incredible knowledge and many years of birth experience made everything easier. I felt confident that I was making the right choices because Myla was there with me. After the birth Myla continued to be a crucial resource. She is a lactation consultant and guided me in the breastfeeding process. In the hospital she got my supply started and helped me navigate challenges that continued once I was home Myla's full continuity of care from pregnancy to newborn is invaluable. I experienced curve balls throughout the entire time and was able to navigate everything and ultimately have a successful confident experience thanks to Myla.

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!

Tamara was very helpful and helped me troubleshoot some issues. I was ultimately able to breastfeed…read moremy son for a year, and I know Tamara's help in the initial stage was invaluable. Thank you, Tamara!

We found Tamara Hawkins online and was able to quickly make an appointment for a lactation…read moreconsultant. We took a taxi up to Harlem about 3 days after I gave birth. Super clinical and zero emotions or warmth. After 5 minutes she just said I can't help you; zero milk. I felt bad for about 2 days then did formula and gave up on breastfeeding. Best thing I ever did was formula feeding my baby.

Annette is one of a kind, and I am so grateful that I had her by my side throughout my pregnancy…read morejourney, and birth of my son. To be very honest...I didn't even know what a doula is or if I needed one. But being a FTM, I had so many questions and worries about giving birth. I started to do research, and was recommended to check out Annette. And I am so glad I did! From the first conversation, I knew I was in the right hands. I am anxious and an over-thinker, but thankfully Annette's expertise and calming nature helped ease all of that. Most importantly, she helped me become informed in all of my options - so I was able to make the best choices for me and my baby throughout the whole experience - especially when dealing with doctors (which can be rather intimidating). Finally, she was also beyond helpful and reassuring to my support person, my mother...as the two of them together helped me welcome my son into this world. Annette takes on many roles while helping - a coach, a best friend, a cheerleader, an educator and many more. My family is forever thankful to her, and highly recommend having her in your corner to anyone on the beautiful, yet sometimes rather wild, pregnancy journey.

It's hard to even know where to begin. Last summer we welcomed our son into the world. Knowing that…read moreI was hoping to have an all-natural birth, and also knowing that my partner's tolerance for seeing me in pain is quite low, I was insistent on having a doula be a part of our birth story. I did a lot of research and we interviewed two potential doulas. Both seemed beyond qualified, but from the minute Annette entered our living room, it was like having a long lost friend come over. We chatted very easily. She guided our discussion, asking pertinent questions to make sure the fit was mutual. We had another sit-down a month or so before my due date to go over questions and review our desires. She went over our birth plan and reassured us that it would all go well. Fast forward to my water breaking and contractions starting. My wife was in constant contact with Annette throughout the night. The next morning when my labor was progressing, Annette came over. She was amazing. Reassuring and calm, her presence was the perfect blend of taking charge and letting our birth story unfold naturally. She guided me through breathing and various positions. When my contractions plateaued, she encouraged us to walk the dog around the block to get them started again. Her soothing and knowledgeable demeanor was encouraging and the exact support not only I needed, but my partner needed as well. She guided my wife to being the perfect support throughout. She knew exactly when to call the Lyft. We got to the hospital and our baby arrived 45 minutes later. I was hoping to be in the birth center at Mt Sinai West (which has since shut down), and found out it was closed. Thankfully, Annette guided us to laboring as much at home as possible - which was my requested goal. She was in the delivery room, and stayed until our baby learned how to latch (and he learned well - a year later he's still a breastfed baby). She was available for questions throughout the next few weeks. She came over two days later to make sure all was going well. I cannot rave enough about the virtues of having a doula throughout the birth experience - Annette was the perfect one for us!

My husband and I took the Childbirth Prep class this past weekend and are so happy we did. Our…read moreinstructor Liz was amazing, she is a L&D nurse who is so passionate about what she does and educating others. The content was informative and approachable, and we feel so much more prepared!

My husband and I went to the 6 hour class by Ceridwen recently. Just some background about us,…read morewe're 39 weeks pregnant with my 2nd child, his 1st child. My son is currently 4 years old. This class not only gave me a refresher, but helped my husband and I set our expectations, and learn so many things that even I didn't know the first time around. We learned about things from fetal stations to birthing positions to self advocation to coping without pain management drugs, and more. We left the class completely confident and ready for our bundle of joy.

First off I would just like to say that if you are checking out this page and CHB doesn't have a…read moreton of reviews yet it's because I liked the weekend intensive course so much that I asked Samantha to create a Yelp account for CHB. They have been around for many years (since 2011) and are very experienced. My only "negative" feedback is that when I was looking for a Childbirth Intensive class to do I wasn't able to see any reviews on Yelp for peace of mind :) That said, pregnancy is stressful business, especially for first time parents. What to expect as we get closer to the end of the pregnancy? What's up with this or that weird thing your body and baby are doing? The stressful anticipation of the big day. How are we going to do all of this together? And not to mention the overriding sense of "oh shit when this is all done it's just going to be starting".... So professional help is very welcome and NEEDED. The Childbirth Weekend Intensive with Samantha was beyond professional. It was clear that she and Melissa, who was assisting her, were doulas and educators because they are very passionate about helping women and couples have a positive and meaningful birth experience. When I originally imagined the weekend intensive course I imagined two packed and stressful days spent just jamming information into our minds, but what I experienced was the absolute opposite. The pace of the course was perfect and didn't feel overwhelming as the term "intensive" would suggest. Asking questions at any point about anything was encouraged. The other couples at the course were hugely beneficial to the overall experience since we all brought different types of questions to the table. We all learned a lot about the biology of birth, strategies for managing paying, strategies for having a good experience at the hospital, and really we received a solid foundation for coping with everything that we had ahead of us. At the end of the weekend we did not feel overwhelmed but rather empowered. I would also like to stress that I think it's unusual to interact with someone teaching a course that seems to care so much about your experience and your outcomes. Samantha's empathy and caring really stood out for me and she was also very knowledgeable and able to competently answer all of our questions (even the weird over technical ones). So THANK YOU CHB and Samantha for getting us emotionally and intellectually prepared for the big day and beyond!

From the owner: Carriage House Birth trains top notch birth and postpartum doulas world wide and provides doula…read moreservices and childbirth education to families in LA, NYC and growing with our holistic approach to pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum care. We are honored to have served over 1500+ families in New York and Los Angeles since 2011.

Maiysha is an absolutely amazing doula and we were lucky to have her with us during my labor and…read moredelivery. She is dedicated, very knowledgeable, and one of the most zen people I've ever met. This combination is what you're looking for when labor kicks in! Most impressive was that literally everyone knew her at Roosevelt where I delivered, and someone I didn't know even stopped me in the hall mid-labor saying I was in good hands since Maiysha was my doula. My husband, mother, and I have nothing but glowing things to say about her. My advice? Book her as your doula ASAP since she is in high demand!

My husband says this was the best money he ever spent. A labor that lasted from Sunday afternoon…read moreuntil Wednesday dawn, with no drugs and no needless interventions was made possible by Maiysha's experienced and wise walk through the challenge. I've recommended her to everyone, and all that have had her by their sides at birth have been thrilled. She gives more than one imagines possible, and honors whatever experience each woman chooses. You don't have to be a Ina Mae devotee to work with her. I'm lucky to call her a sister after her loving, capable support! Feel free to ask me any questions about her.

My husband and I signed up for both the Birth Ed class as well as the Newborn care/Breastfeeding…read moreclasses with Hilary Baxendale. We are soooo glad we did! She is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to babies and parenting. We crammed in so much helpful information in just two days! She provided handouts and was open to all questions and topic discussions. Hilary is absolutely incredible. To be quite honest, she was my first experience with a doula. I always had a misconception that doulas were against any sort of medication during the birthing process and always naively pictured home births in a bath tub ;) I was so wrong! Hilary is supportive of all kinds of birth plans. The great thing about her is she has experience in all of them and never passes judgement. We highly recommend taking these classes with her... whether you're novices like my husband and me, or pros like some of the other couples who also took the classes with us and equally found it incredibly helpful. Now that we feel super prepared, we just need to safely get this baby out :) We are now hoping to use Hilary as our birth doula if she is available, as she was very calming for an anxious person like me, and seems like she would be assertive as the baby's advocate if need be. Thank you again, Hilary, for such great classes and all of the support you have provided during a very challenging and anxiously exciting time for us :)

We had an excellent birthing class with Hilary. Due to COVID19, it was moved to online but still…read morewent wonderfully. She covered a lot of topics that we hadn't even thought to ask about, was thoroughly prepared, and the best part was being able to do it while we lounged on our couch (and cast the computer screen to our big screen)! Hilary also catered to all our birthing plan ideas, without judgement or trying to push participants one way or another. Highly recommend.

Momally has been a wonderful resource for me in meeting local moms and in sharing stories/seeking…read moreadvice. There are meetings organized by Andrea, Momally's creator but also more informal meetups organized by Momally members. The meetings organized by Andrea take place at her house. It is set up perfectly to host a large group of women and babies. It is a relaxed environment and I love going to meetings. Check it out if you are an expecting or new mom in Astoria!

From the owner: Andrea Scannell, founder of MOMally (pronounced MOM-ah-lee) provides private sleep consulting and…read morelactation counseling services. She also runs groups, classes and workshops for expectant and new parents.

CPM is a beautiful practice! They are a group of highly experienced and SUPER smart midwives…read more I had all three of my children with Elaine and had a lovely experience through it all (from my first pre-conception planning meeting in 2018 to the birth of my third child in 2024). My first child was a c-section after a very long labor. After this, I was determined to have a VBAC (and did so with my next two kiddos). They were all so supportive of everything I wanted to do to help make this happen. Each birth experience was different but progressively easier and more peaceful. My favorite things: They are up to date on every single piece of relevant baby / mama research and any question you throw at them via text, email or in person always proves as such. They are warm and comforting - zero shaming or judgment of any sorts. No changing of gowns required -- just a cozy blanket over your lap. Each meeting (because it doesn't feel like a traditional "appointment") is initiated with a catch up on the coziest couch. Each summer there's a new baby picnic in Central Park. It's so nice to catch up under the sun and always so nice to hang out with the person who welcomed your baby into this world. They are all such genuine and caring people. Any mama would be so lucky to have such a wholesome and loving pregnancy + birthing experience.

I would love to write a lengthy detailed review including the thousands of reasons Central Park…read moreMidwifery was the best decision I made during my pregnancy but I have a baby and I don't have time so I'll get straight to the point! This was my first pregnancy and I was sort of clueless at the beginning and filled with anxiety about what to expect. Christina, Elaine, and Chloe supported me in a way I have never felt before in a medical setting. With these 3 incredible women I felt safe, I felt heard, and I felt loved. Before AND after birth they will be there for you every step of the way. I also must say the staff at mount sinai west was also incredible. Thank you Central Park midwifery, I am so beyond grateful for you.