I signed a contract with Nova Birth Services LLC in July of 2025. In order to secure the doula…read morebirth and postpartum overnight services, we paid a 50% deposit on both services totaling $3050. In November, I was diagnosed with severe preeclampsia and hospitalized. Due to my condition, I had to deliver my baby early via emergency c-section at just over 31 weeks. My baby is currently in the NICU. I wasn't able to have a prenatal in-home visit due to my hospitalization and was given very short notice of my emergency C-section due to my declining health. After my birth, I was put on magnesium, and my baby was sent to the NICU. My husband and I were both so terrified that the last thing I was thinking about was having my doula attend. I was afraid for me and my baby. I reached out to Shannon after my birth and asked if I could cancel the postpartum doula services because of the new financial strain of NICU costs/my hospitalization. She informed me that if I canceled the postpartum doula services, that both contracts would be void, and all services would be considered rendered. Remember, I did not receive a prenatal visit nor birth services due to my medical condition & hospitalization. The contract I signed stated that if the doula wasn't at your birth, you would be entitled to eight hours of postpartum services. Shannon explained that because I paid a 50% deposit on both services, none of the services were paid in full so I would receive nothing else moving forward. Although we had paid $3050 and the birth doula services were $2100, I would need to pay an additional $900 in order to receive the eight hours of postpartum services. She said I could "take it or leave it" and that she would not move money from one contract to another. I was shocked at her response. There was no solution offered where I could receive any services post-birth for the $3050 we had paid. More money had to be paid. This was literally the worst experience of my entire life, and I received no care or compassion at all from Shannon. She maintained that her responsibility was to her staff/business. During our phone call, I was talking about my hospitalization and she mentioned that all of her clients were hospitalized. I clarified that I wasn't hospitalized because I was giving birth. I was hospitalized due to severe preeclampsia and potential organ failure. Trying to work things out with her made a horrible situation even more stressful and terrible. She refuses to budge and maintains that we will not receive any postpartum services if we don't pay extra. My husband and I feel as though we have paid $3050 and have received nothing. We did not receive a prenatal appointment, doula birth services, or any postpartum care. Please see the last email I received from her.

First -- if you're on the fence about hiring a doula for your first baby, do it. And if you're…read morewondering who to choose, the answer is Shannon. As a first-time dad, I can honestly say Shannon was invaluable -- not just for my wife, but for me too. From the start, she made us feel comfortable, informed, and genuinely prepared for what was ahead. She has this calm, thoughtful, and considerate presence that immediately lowers the temperature in the room. Nothing ever felt rushed or overwhelming because she helped us understand what was happening and what our options were. During labor, Shannon was incredible. She didn't just support my wife -- she supported us as a team. She walked us through next steps, explained the choices being presented, and made sure we felt confident in our decisions. One thing that really stood out to me was how she helped me help my wife. She showed me exercises and techniques I could guide her through to ease labor and keep things progressing. That made me feel involved and useful instead of helpless, which meant a lot. After the birth, Shannon's support didn't stop. She came to our home for a postpartum visit and helped us process the entire experience. She walked us through what to expect physically and emotionally in the days and weeks ahead, what to watch out for, and answered all of our first-time parent questions without judgment. She even helped find us a pump -- such a thoughtful and practical gesture that shows how much she truly cares. Shannon doesn't just provide information -- she provides confidence. As new parents, that's everything. We felt supported, knowledgeable, and empowered every step of the way. We can't recommend her highly enough. If you're considering working with Shannon, you will not regret it.

We used Kathy and Peacock Midwifery Services for our 3rd pregnancy and could not recommend her…read morehighly enough! This was our first time doing a homebirth and we had a lot of questions and concerns going into it. Kathy met with us, answered all of our questions with professionalism and kindness and immediately made us feel at ease and even excited! From the prenatal care all the way up to the birth and postpartum care, Kathy was an absolutely fantastic medical professional and care provider. Can not recommend her highly enough!

I can't recommend Story and Fairfax Home Birth enough. I had the water birth of my dreams at home…read more I'm forever grateful for that truly wonderful experience. Story is calm, encouraging, and knowledgeable. She knew just the right things to say during my labor and created such a peaceful environment. I felt very confident in her knowledge and skills as a midwife. It was important to my husband & I to have a provider where there could be such a high level of trust in making decisions. I love how supported I've felt by Story and the other ladies and mothers at Fairfax Home Birth. I wish I still lived in the area so I could have all my babies with this team!

My husband and I worked with Alanna and Story for the birth of our first baby in January. I don't…read moreeven know where to start with how amazing they were. Alanna was our primary midwife so I will mostly speak of her care below. I started out with an OB/midwife practice when I first found I was pregnant and was very unsatisfied with their care. I connected with FHB and was instantly confident that we wanted a home birth with Alanna. She is a perfect balance of medical care/intervention in birth when needed, but also honoring physiological birth at home when safe to do so. She seemed genuinely interested in me, my baby, my questions, and my concerns. She always welcomed my questions and answered without bias or judgement. I never felt pressured to do/not do any kind of testing or procedures. She gave her recommendations and her reasons but fully supported my decisions. She has a calm and confident energy that puts you right at ease. When I got Covid at 38wks and felt reduced fetal movement I called her late at night and she didn't sound the slightest bit frustrated. Instead, she told us to grab some N95 masks and meet her at the office right away for an NST. She guided me on how to manage my symptoms and reassured me that baby was ok. We had a complicated and very long birth and she was by my side offering encouragement from the moment she set foot in our home. I'll skip the details of the birth but long story short we ended up with both Alanna and Story (as well as our fabulous birth assistant and our doula) for the final few hours due to some complications, and they were just incredible. I truly believe that my birth experience would have caused long-term trauma if it weren't for my amazing team. I'm almost certain we'd have had a c-section (or at least forceps delivery) if we were in a hospital setting. The midwives continued to monitor me and baby the whole time and make sure that we were ok and that we were safe to continue a home birth. Their level of skill in their field is impressive. After the birth, despite the fact that she must have been exhausted too, Alanna was smiling and cheerful and just generally warm and friendly and encouraging. I will be forever grateful for her care and can't wait to work with her again if we have another baby in the future. Additionally, Emily in the office was on point. She always responded very quickly with the right answer to any questions we had. Her emails were worded perfectly and she made the entire process smooth for us.

Hiring Ashley, Michelle and Jackie was the best decision we made in planning for the birth of our…read morefirst baby. We had a lot of questions and issues toward the end of my pregnancy and having them available to us was truly invaluable. The team was constantly on hand to talk through whatever came up and to help us navigate challenging situations. Having Jackie at the hospital with us was amazing - she worked seamlessly with all the doctors and nurses at GW and lifted our spirits after several challenges during labor and delivery. We can't imagine going through this process without her. The services provided are well worth the price. The classes and workshops were extremely helpful and informative. They also helped to eliminate some of the fear of the unknown for first-time parents. I can't recommend Jackie, Ashley and Michelle enough - you will not regret working with them.

Words truly cannot do justice regarding how amazing Michele is and how much my husband and I would…read morerecommend her and Ashley's services. Run, don't walk, and hire her! :) Not only is Michele knowledgeable and talented regarding anything and everything prenatal, labor/delivery, and postpartum, but she brings the added layer of being approachable, honest, hilarious, and unbelievably encouraging. She is there to support the type of birth that *you* want - whatever that might be. She made me feel empowered, strong, and prepared. We found the three classes that they taught to be very helpful - giving us the right amount of information, as well as the right type of information. It also connected us to others in the community in similar stages of life. I always looked forward to attending. Additionally, during the labor and delivery, it seemed as if Michele almost served as a family member, doula, nurse, midwife, *and* doctor - she wore so many hats - all while making me feel extremely comfortable and supported. At every step along the way, and every decision point, I looked to her first for her insight and opinions. I also heard firsthand from both a nurse and midwife how much they appreciated having her as support to them as well. Choosing Michele was single-handedly the best decision I made during this journey and I cannot recommend her (and Ashley) enough. I will definitely use them again if/when we have another child.

We went to Dr. Sharara after having multiple failures with a different clinic. Not only did he…read moretreat us with absolute care and compassion, but he was extremely thorough in exploring the causes of our infertility and treating the underlying conditions that could be impacting us. I am so grateful to Dr. Sharara. He was very honest and straightforward with us, and I really appreciated that. Our other clinic told us we had unexplained infertility, but Dr. Sharara actually did the investigative work to see what was going on. Through changes in lifestyle and medication, we were able to get five embryos! I cannot tell you how happy I am to have a chance at another pregnancy due to Dr. Sharara's diligence and care.

I cannot say enough amazing things about my experience with VCRM. From the very beginning, I felt…read moresupported, cared for, and truly seen during such an emotional journey. After dealing with infertility for over 7 years, I truly never thought I would be able to conceive. Dr. Fady Sharara changed my life for the better--he gave me hope when I felt like there was none, and I will forever be grateful for that. His expertise, compassion, and dedication made all the difference for me. I'm so thankful for the protocol he created that worked for my situation, and I genuinely hope he can continue to help others who are just like me find their own success and happiness. A huge thank you to his wonderful nurses, Jill and Jessica, who were always there with kindness, patience, and reassurance whenever I needed it most. They made such a difference in my experience. I also want to recognize Maggie and Trisha at the front desk. No matter what kind of day I was having, they always greeted me with warmth and a smile, making me feel welcome and cared for. This journey isn't always easy, but having a team like this behind you makes all the difference. I'm beyond grateful for everyone at VCRM for their support and dedication, and I'm so excited for this new chapter ahead.

The midwives at M.A.M.A.S. are absolutely wonderful! They not only are qualified medical…read moreprofessionals, but amazing companions and confidants in the journey to welcoming a baby. Prenatal appointments are thorough and not rushed, and care is all encompassing beyond just the growing baby. Postnatal care is frequent and truly feels like care, rather than a checklist. Beyond their care alone, the midwives create a beautiful community not only during the prenatal period but long after. We love each of the midwives and feel so lucky to know them and been under their care. I'd recommend the M.A.M.A.S. care team to anyone looking for compassionate, evidence based care, whether for home birth or well women's care.

The MAMAS midwives offer thorough, empathetic prenatal care and postpartum support. Emily and…read moreLuisely supported me expertly through a fast, intense birth, and I am so grateful to them. MAMAS is an out-of-network practice for many, and I wish there were more guidance offered about how to navigate the insurance hurdles. Admin staff is only part-time and many of my emails went unanswered. I asked a lot of questions in person as well, and I didn't receive some key information about gap exceptions that would have made the process less stressful. As expected, I received only a small reimbursement from my insurer, and it took several months of emails and calls for MAMAS to realize they had received the check from my insurer and forward it to me.

Sanu Postpartum Retreat has some positives, but unfortunately, the cons outweigh them for me…read more **Pros:** - The staff and doulas were very friendly and helpful, which was a highlight of my stay. - They offered a complimentary massage to make up for being short-staffed the first night, which I appreciated. - Baby essentials like diapers and wipes were provided, as well as postpartum necessities for mom, including pads, diapers, and a peri bottle. - They were accommodating with offers to watch the baby in-room for day naps. - The hotel itself was clean and well-maintained. - The infant classes were informative, albeit very short (around 10 minutes each). - The 24/7 open line of communication through WhatsApp with the staff and doulas was very convenient. It made it easy to get help or ask questions at any time. **Cons:** - The facility was occasionally short-staffed, meaning there were times they couldn't respond to baby care requests promptly. - The nursery camera had frequent outages and only provided a limited view of the baby's bassinet. If the baby was being changed or soothed elsewhere, they were out of sight, which was very concerning. After I complained, they made arrangements to hold my baby in a private room where she could be seen on camera at all times. While I appreciated this effort, it didn't seem to be the standard, and I had to request it again the next night. - The food quality was disappointing--overcooked dishes like mac and cheese, steak, and chicken were common. - Meal policies felt restrictive; moms were only allowed one entrée per meal (no appetizers or desserts), which differed from older welcome packets that mentioned more options. - There were also supply issues--one evening, I ordered shrimp, but they were unavailable, forcing me to choose another dish. - The menu lacked variety, staying the same throughout the stay. - The parent lounge snacks were underwhelming--just chips and granola bars. This was disappointing, especially since the hospital where I delivered offered a much better variety of snacks for free. Breastfeeding makes you very hungry, and with meals spread so far apart (7 a.m.-10 a.m., noon, and 7 p.m.), I had to order snacks from the grocery store during my stay. A more thoughtful selection of snacks would have been a great benefit. - Many appealing amenities came at an additional cost: massages, IV treatments, partner meals, parking, and more. These extras add up quickly. Overall, while the idea of a postpartum retreat is fantastic, the execution at $880/night felt far from luxurious. Too many corners are being cut, and the experience didn't feel as relaxing or premium as I had hoped. In hindsight, that money would have been better spend on a postpartum doula to come in home and help. Unfortunately, I will not be recommending this retreat to others.

Sanu is a wonderful concept and the execution delivers! My wife and I stayed here after the birth…read moreof our son so that mom could get some well deserved recovery time. From the moment you walk in you're greeted by friendly team members who walk you through every step of your stay. They're reachable all the time via a WhatsApp group, which we found convenient and helpful. The suites are comfortable and well equipped, just like staying at a luxury hotel, just with all the baby stuff you could need and more. We actually discovered some of our favorite products (baby cream and oil) from Sanu staff picks. The dinners were a great chance for mom and dad to take a breath together while the super professional caretakers watched our son. We felt at ease having them care for him, as we were given access to the Lollipop camera in case we wanted to take a look at how he was doing. The Sanu team really took great care of us and we'll look back on our stay as a fond memory during such an important time in our lives. Highly recommend considering a stay for your postpartum recovery, there's really nothing else like it.

We cannot say enough wonderful things about DCBD. This was my/our first pregnancy, and we truly…read morefelt supported every step of the way by their team. Especially in those last 1-2 months, we leaned so heavily on the birth doulas and they responded to all of our questions and concerns immediately. We learned the most about how to care for our daughter and what was happening in my body from DCBD. I went into labor and the birth experience feeling ready and excited, and that's because of the experience, information, and kindness that were shared with us ahead of time. The birth - nearly 4 months later, and we are still talking about Camille! We are going to remember her forever - she was such a wonderful presence during my entire labor and after, and we don't know what we would have done without her. She made sure my husband and I knew what was happening, she advocated for us, she ensured I was comfortable (well, as comfortable as you can be in labor), and she really rooted for us the whole time. I felt safe because she was with us. And Ella - we were shocked that someone who didn't *have* to be there, stayed for the entire labor, participated, and stayed after when we were transferred to the postpartum room! She will be (or already is) a phenomenal birth doula. We felt so lucky to have Camille and Ella. Post birth - Lolonyo came to our house the very first night we were back from the hospital, and what a gift she is. She taught us how to soothe a baby, how to change a diaper (I'm sure they showed us in the hospital... but I could not remember haha). We had her for several nights during those first 2 months and we were so, so grateful to wake up the next morning refreshed, rested, and with the knowledge that our daughter had been held in loving arms all night long. She was never judgmental and was always supportive as we navigated breastfeeding, safe cosleeping, and everything else. We also had Joanna for several daytime visits. She always made sure to check in on my mental and physical health, which was so appreciated, and she was so helpful. We always felt like we were able to reset a bit after her visits, because she'd leave behind clean bottles and pump parts and a rested (and sometimes still sleeping) baby, and we would have had time to ourselves to shower and get a little more organized. She made our chaotic lives feel lighter, and we loved her for that. As a DCBD member you'll also have the opportunity to be part of a postpartum circle of other parents going through what you did. Shaleen and Elizabeth gave us space to talk through birth and everything that comes after, while feeling supported and safe. I'm still friends with some of the parents from my circle. In closing - DCBD is worth every single penny. Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts!

Rebecca from DC Birth Doulas was absolutely incredible. From the moment we first connected, I…read moreimmediately felt comfortable with her and the entire team. She has such a warm, genuine presence that made it easy to ask questions and talk through everything honestly. She was always responsive and gave thoughtful, real answers that helped me feel informed and confident throughout the process. I was hoping for a VBAC, and with Rebecca's support we were able to have a successful one. She provided amazing support not only for me, but also for my husband. During labor she was calm, encouraging, and incredibly knowledgeable, helping us both feel grounded and supported every step of the way. Having Rebecca there made such a difference in our birth experience. I'm so grateful for her care and for the support of the entire DC Birth Doulas team. I would highly recommend them to anyone looking for a compassionate, knowledgeable, and truly supportive doula