I would like to wholeheartedly recommend Rotem Perleson, whom I contacted about a week ago for…read morebreastfeeding advice and had an amazing experience with. Who accompanied me for several consecutive days and helped me and my daughter in an amazing way! In addition to the long support with messages and her incredible care that was felt at every moment, she came to visit us and gave me tools that I feel have changed the entire course of our day for the better. So if you are looking for someone who is tolerant, professional and supportive to help you strengthen your connection to breastfeeding and your baby From my personal experience, Rotem is the address!

* The best decision we made for our little one! *…read more As first-time parents, we were recommended Rotem by someone we trust--and working with her was truly an incredible experience. Simply put, she is phenomenal: deeply knowledgeable and experienced, compassionate, friendly, proactive, and endlessly supportive. I could go on and on. Rotem first visited us at the hospital, where her guidance was far more helpful and reassuring than what we received from the staff. She then continued supporting us once we were home, visiting multiple times a week during our baby's first month. She helped us learn what to do, supported us emotionally, and set clear expectations for what to expect--every step of the way. We are forever grateful to Rotem for the care and confidence she gave us during such an important time, and she has our highest possible recommendation.

I have been participating in Jackie's Mind Body Moms yoga class for more than 15 year. It has been…read moreone of the most precious experiences in my entire life. Jackie is a pioneer in creating a yoga group focused on supporting mothers with children of different ages - from new born babies to adults. This focus on motherhood as an everyday life phenomena makes Jackie's teaching unique and vitally important. Jackie is a very gifted teacher! She integrates gentle yoga practices with profound psychological and spiritual messages. This makes her teaching both deep and powerful. Being a part of Jackie's yoga group has provided me with indefensible support for many years. Jackie's professional talent and her personal qualities as a wonderful human being are incomparable. I am very fortunate to be Jackie's devoted student and her follower.

I joined Mind Body Spirit Moms Group after I had my son. I was invited by a good friend of mine to…read morejoin the group after becoming a new mom. I was very hesitant about it at first, as I knew I would be out of my comfort zone. I decided to give it a try because I knew how important it was for me to receive support and guidance. I had gone through a rough pregnancy and became a new single mom. My life had changed dramatically in one year! I went from being single, going in and out of a relationship then becoming pregnant unexpectedly. I had to prepare for this life change quickly and at the same time, deal with all the relationship and family stress issues, not to mention being pregnant for the first time. In the span of 3 weeks, I had had a baby, moved to a different city, and pretty much discontinued my relationship with my son's father. I was overwhelmed and in retrospect, I am not quite sure how I managed! Jackie and the moms group was highly instrumental during my process of loss, grieving, joy, change, motherhood, and taking better care of myself. I feel that it was such a blessing for me to be apart of this group! I can not tell you how much it has changed my life for the good. Since attending the group regularly for the past 2 1/2 years, I have gained so many skills such as: how to regulate my stress levels, deal with anger, cultivate compassionate, become more forgiving individual, learning parenting techniques that cultivate a loving and present nature, and mostly loving and accepting myself for where I am at. Jackie is like a mortal angel...I always joke around about that, but its true! You don't meet people like her often, so I cherish that my life and my sons life has been touched by her. Because of Jackie and the group, I can honestly say that I am a better mom, friend, partner, daughter, sister, and human being. All of the women in the group are genuine, real, raw, and supportive. The amount of strength I have received from being apart of this group is unmeasurable. Life is tough at times, and Jackie's group is a nourishing and peaceful place where you leave feeling resorted and empowered. If you are a mom that is looking for a group that offers support, meditation, connection, and parenting ideas without all the fake, fluffy, and stuffy junk other moms groups can sometimes be about... then check out the Mind Body Spirit Moms Group, it's BAD ASS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Jamee is the BEST. If you're looking for a calm, kind and caring doula, which I'm positive all…read morepregnant women are-- look no further!! She was all of that and so much MORE. Being a first time mom with no family around me, nerves and no idea what to expect, Jamee made me feel so reassured and confident. She is knowledgable and patient. Jamee is attentive and answered all of our questions before, during and after delivery. My husband and I still don't know what we would've done with out her. She has the skills and experience to help guide you. AND she made me feel very comfortable in any and all situations, which is so important for this very vulnerable, life changing experience!! Having Jamee at my baby boy's birth made me feel safe and I wouldn't have had it any other way. If I didn't say it enough, THANK YOU JAMEE!

Jamee was such an incredible support for us throughout our pregnancy and delivery. From the…read morebeginning, she brought such a calm, reassuring energy that instantly put us at ease. She took the time to answer all of our questions (and we had a lot!), and made sure we felt prepared going into birth. I'll also say...I initially thought a doula was only for a natural birth, and I knew I wanted an epidural. Jamee helped me realize that's not the case at all. She supported my choices completely and made me feel confident in the kind of birth experience I wanted. Because of her, we felt confident and grounded, not overwhelmed. She helped us create a birth plan that the hospital team actually complimented, which says a lot about how thorough and thoughtful she is. During delivery, Jamee was exactly who we needed by our side. She stayed calm, encouraging, and completely present the entire time. She coached me through pushing in a way that my husband could never do! I would recommend her to anyone who is looking for an amazing doula. We are definitely going to use her for our next baby!

I worked with Tanushree for prenatal yoga during my pregnancy and would strongly recommend her. I…read morewas entering pregnancy barely recovered from severe back and hip pain that arose from a prior exercise related injury. Tanushree's 1:1 in person sessions gave me confidence that I could safely exercise during pregnancy as she could adjust sessions to my particular needs and abilities, and keep a close eye on my form at all times. I was able to gain muscle strength during my pregnancy while being in less pain during my pregnancy than I has been in most of the year prior. I additionally found it beneficial that she could adjust sessions to my energy level on a given day. Further, while I did not initially expect to need this, I believe that the fact that she was willing to come to my home for sessions enabled me to stick to the exercise program longer than I otherwise might have.

I couldn't recommend Melissa more. She is knowledgeable and really makes you feel seen. She's…read morerealistic about the pressures and stress of breastfeeding and postpartum and really works with you to come up with an attainable plan. Her kind, warm and calm demeanor put you at ease. I had low supply with my first and struggled through triple feeding and ultimately wasn't able to boost my supply enough and felt like I wasn't getting a personalized plan working with lactation consultants through my insurance and would always leave feeling a little confused and like I wasn't making progress due to something I wasn't doing right. With my second baby, I found Melissa, who was recommended by a friend, and the difference was night and day. Rather than feeling like I wasn't doing enough, she made me validated and we worked together to come up with a realistic plan to try to meet my goals. She answered any and all questions I had and provided a lot of support. Again, I couldn't recommend her more.

Melissa is honestly the best and I wouldn't have survived my breastfeeding journey without her. My…read morefirst had a tongue/lip tie and I was having a really hard time nursing. I also had mastitis but my OB and urgent care had misdiagnosed me with the flu. My doula referred me to Melissa and she immediately helped me navigate the healthcare system and gave me tips on how to improve breastfeeding. It all worked and I was able to nurse for 19 months. I would have honestly given up if it wasn't for her. Five years later, I am having my second and knew to have her come by immediately for help. Highly recommend her!!

After a really difficult start to my breastfeeding journey, I was exhausted, discouraged, and…read morehonestly ready to give up. Working with Liz completely changed everything for me. From the very first appointment, she made me feel seen and heard -- not judged. She met me exactly where I was, acknowledged how hard things had been, and helped me understand what was going on in a way that finally made sense. Her warmth and patience created a safe space where I felt comfortable asking questions I was embarrassed to ask anyone else. What sets her apart isn't just her expertise (which is exceptional), it's the way she genuinely cares. She helped me reframe my entire relationship with breastfeeding -- turning something that had felt stressful and defeating into something I now cherish. I walked away from each session feeling more confident and more hopeful than I had in weeks. If you're struggling and feel like you've hit a wall, please reach out to Liz. You deserve support like this. She's not just a consultant -- she's an advocate for you and your baby.

Liz is very accessible and helped me have a solid start to my breastfeeding journey. I am very…read moregrateful for all of the information she provided to me over 4-5 sessions. She is very adamant that natural/unmedicated birth is key to a successful breastfeeding. Which was ok for us since we were taking that route anyways. I appreciated her willingness to keep the sessions to the 45 minutes allotted by my insurance. She does charge a travel fee separate from insurance which I didn't love but makes sense for an independent business owner.

My last review was removed because I didn't provide enough "details" about my experience employing…read moreMelissa Dean as my midwife. So Yelp reviews have set standards in terms of the number of details you must leave now? Let me give you more details. These are my OWN PERSONAL EXPERIENCES. DO NOT REMOVE THIS REVIEW. 1. Melissa was busy with other births all scheduled around the same time as mine. There ain't no way of scheduling your birth to be when someone else's birth isn't. FYI - it's her and Ricki. That's it. So when you in the middle of a 48hr labor and Melissa's been gone for 12hrs since you crawled on your hands and knees into SCVMC. Just realize that things could have gone differently. 2. If your baby has any number of problems that could be detected with modern tech, she cannot help you with that. She'll put you in touch with other facilities for ultrasounds etc. (all extra costs) but that should be a red flag. She really ain't scientifically or medically equipped to make decisions for you or your baby. All of your visits will be soothing and cozy. But your just paying for nothing more than contact with someone who has delivered babies away from hospitals. That's great. But sometimes problems can be prevented. 3. You will be charged the full amount no matter whether or not she does anything at all when you deliver apart from direct you to SCVMC hospital. 4. If you end up needing to go to the hospital she will ask you to drive yourself to SCVMC. And by the way, there are some really smart and talented medical staff there. In the end I owe them my life. But, are there also some not so great staff there? Most definitely, in my opinion. Will you have any idea who will be there? No. The doctors will also tell you point blank that you were naive (that's the nicest way I can think of describing what I was told by multiple nurses and doctors) to put your trust in a midwife like Melissa Dean. Hopefully you don't pay for that decision with your baby's or your own life. You won't need to be told that, you'll get that exact vibe from everyone there the minute she walks in. 5. If you end up at SCVMC, and there's a bed available for you after a few hours, and you get a doctor who isn't completely disgusted with you that you endangered your own life and the baby and now you're there begging for your life to saved.... *If* that happens, and if it does happen, and you're lucky to get away with your health and the baby's health. That's awesome. But if like me, you could be separated from your baby for a week because you almost died (doctor's words not mine) and your baby is on a ventilator in the NICU as a direct result of the trauma caused from not seeing a doctor earlier. 6. Finally, you'll have paid Melissa Dean and you will have to pay her 100% of her costs. But you should budget and figure out whether your insurance is accepted at SCVMC and what your costs will be for delivering there. It might be best if you don't have insurance because it is a teaching hospital and as far one of the doctors told me they won't turn away patients in need regardless of if they have insurance or not. How the bills work out afterward for everyone, I have no idea. But the bills I got from an emergency C section and a week in the NICU were, as you can imagine, astronomical. Why two stars and not one? Because she doesn't mean any harm and she's a nice person who believes what she's doing is a great service to people who want to deliver at home or with a midwife at a birthing center. But that's not always the case. My point in leaving a "review" that gives a different side to the one that Melissa Dean tells you is so that you can be informed and ask questions. Don't go into this process without having some sort of check on the facts of what you're getting yourself into. With hindsight, if I was to give advice and you really want to deliver at home, don't be afraid of it. But also have a plan B organized. And that means having a doctor that supports your decision and also can provide you with immediate care and deliver your baby for you at a moments notice. Check in with that doctor regularly. Ultimately I blame myself for not preparing in this way for my delivery. A doctor that can tell you it's okay for Melissa Dean to leave now and he/she can take over. And does that have enough detail? Or Will Melissa Dean complain again and have the review taken down again?

I had been hoping to have a home birth for a really long time, so when I got pregnant, I knew I…read morewanted to find a midwife who would help facilitate that. After our initial interview with Melissa and her assistant Ricki, my husband and I really liked them and felt like they would be a great fit for my pregnancy. My husband is fairly skeptical of any kind of hippy, holistic medicine, but Melissa was great at balancing the holistic and scientific sides of midwifery, and I really appreciated that she never pushed me to try any of the more woo-woo aspects that can come up with a home birth (such as anything to do with the placenta that didn't involve disposing of it as medical waste or telling me that I need to eat any kind of specific diet or buy expensive products). All throughout my pregnancy, Melissa and Ricki were super supportive and answered all my questions really clearly and provided so much reassurance when I started feeling anxious. They were great about responding to texts and emails, and provided me with great care. I really liked having one hour appointments, so I had time to chat with them and get all my questions answered. I was able to get all the standard testing done through their office; Ricki drew my blood to get genetic testing done at 13 weeks at my regular appointment, and when it came time to do the gestational diabetes test, they sent me out to eat pancakes before they drew blood at my appointment - no nasty orange sugar drink for me! When we were nearing the end of my pregnancy, they visited my house to help us figure out the best place to set up their inflatable birthing pool, and answered all our questions about what it would look like when I went into labor. When my baby was overdue and then my water broke but labor didn't start, they gave me suggestions for how to try to naturally induce labor, and checked in with me every day to see how things were going and listen to the baby to make sure we were both staying healthy while we waited for labor. Unfortunately, none of that worked, I ended up having to be induced at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, but I was so thankful to have them on my side. They were there with me when we checked in at the hospital and prepared us for what the medical team was going to do to get labor going. Ricki was there to support us when my contractions were getting really strong, and Melissa made sure I only had the best doctors checking in on me. When my labor didn't progress as quickly as we were hoping, Melissa was there to answer all our questions about when they would start talking about c-sections and what that experience would be like. She was so supportive and caring as I watched all my birthing hopes and plans went right out the window. Perhaps the most important thing Melissa did, though, was to make sure my baby was able to start nursing as soon as possible. She checked on him in the nursery and told the nurses that they needed to give him to me right away to nurse. She then came and helped him latch on and showed me how to hold him and get him situated so I could do it on my own later. We have had so many friends who did not have that advocacy after their births who really struggled to breastfeed their babies, and I am so so thankful that Melissa was there to make sure we didn't miss the window to feed in the first hour. My baby has been a champion breastfeeder ever since, and we had so many fewer struggles in that regard. I also really appreciated that we had Melissa and Ricki to check in on us in the days and weeks post-partum. They texted, called, and visited us at the hospital and at home to see how we were doing and to answer any questions. I really feel like they helped get us off on the right foot, and I would absolutely use them again to try for an at home VBAC.

100% recommend to anyone that is looking for breastfeeding help or wants more education around…read morebreastfeeding. As a first time mom, I am so grateful for her! I found Lazara through a Google search & what sold me was the fact she was highly recognized by the mama flow owner (the prenatal/postnatal yoga/sculpt studio) & that entire community. Lazara & her team were extremely responsive through emails & text messages. I opted for an in-person visit & Lazara drove to my place. She respected our requests of taking her shoes off & wearing a mask in our home which we appreciated since our baby was 4 weeks at the time. She quickly resolved the breastfeeding challenges I experienced & the pumping questions I had & provided so much feedback & tips that I never read online (& still haven't stumbled upon online). We learned so much from her during her visit & she provided so many useful PDF resources & also invited me to be part of her baby tribe community where moms ask questions about breastfeeding. The knowledge Lazara shared was not limited to breastfeeding; she educated us about baby massages, postnatal supplements & mom & baby craniosacral facial therapy. Lazara is passionate, intelligent, helpful, kind, personable & funny. All that plus the fact she is a neonatal nurse at Stanford truly makes her one of the best lactation consultants to hire! (PS - i have united healthcare & her services were covered through there).

I was searching for an in-home lactation consultant (LC) to help with weighted feedings, but I…read morestruggled to find one who accepted Aetna or wasn't too far away. I'm so grateful to have found Lazara through the Aetna site. I had a very challenging breastfeeding journey with my first baby and even consulted with multiple lactation consultants. This time, I wanted to avoid the same struggles and was determined to improve my experience. I wish I had found Lazara back then--it would have made my breastfeeding and pumping journey much smoother and more enjoyable early on. Lazara is not only a highly experienced and knowledgeable LC, but her 30+ years as a NICU nurse mean she has a deep understanding of everything related to babies. She evaluated far more aspects of my situation than the LCs I worked with a couple of years ago. She quickly provided numerous evidence-based suggestions, including methods, supplements, and more, to address my new challenges with my second baby. I saw improvements almost immediately with just one visit. She also offers sleep training and baby massage, which is such a wonderful bonus! Can't wait to have follow up appointment with her to have a successful breastfeeding journey this time.