Jessica Chapman is a wonderful teacher! I would recommend her to anyone! My husband and I attended…read moreher Birthing from Within class in July and she definitely helped us to understand that birth can be a wonderfully natural, beautiful experience. Olivia was born on Aug 12 at 1012 pm. She weighed 7 lbs 12 oz and was 21 in long. I began having contractions at 4 am and my water broke at 630 pm. The hard labor was intense but I did it with no medications, and we had no complications! She was/is perfectly healthy thank God. Her class was instrumental in helping me to go forward with no medications. I couldn't have asked for a better birth (unless I can get one with absolutely no pain) haha. Anyway, thank you again to Jessica!! -CC Oronoz image1.JPG

I will never forget my experience with Jessica's birthing class - it's incredible how someone can…read morewalk you into a situation where you're faced emotionally with what's to come during birth. That's about as close to it as you can get without yet experiencing it. Facing natural childbirth is something she clearly has a WIDE range of experience with and it was so comforting to be a part of that learning experience with my husband. We left feeling closer to each other and more understanding of our strengths, weaknesses, fears and needs, which really does hold a tremendous amount of weight when going through labor, birth and bringing a child into the world together. I had quite a few people roll their eyes when they heard about my 4 Saturdays spent at birthing classes as if it was a "hoo-hoo-hee" Lamaze type of class, with responses like "None of that shit does any good when you get there." Little do they know what we were able to take away from this wonderful experience together on such a deeper level than some generic breathing technique. I feel more confident in my (and my husband's) emotional and physical ability to get through this naturally, assuming we have that opportunity :) Jessica is unfortunately unable to be my doula as she was booked with another Mommy-to-be the same week (which is this week!), which is a super bummer as my connection with her was on point (to say the least), so don't hesitate when reaching out and scheduling a consultation as she's well sought out! Also, my birthday fell out on one of the Saturdays of our class and she made a chocolate ganache cake for me and our class. Her delivery of it was so so special, she is just an absolute gem who has 100% found her calling in this world.

A friend introduce me to this mommy and I class when my baby was 2 months old. I have attended…read morethese classes since then and my baby is 9 months old now. I highly recommend the Butterfly center. Rina is very knowledgeable, caring, patient, and friendly. These classes have helped my son become more social and these have also helped ME be better prepared as a new mom. It can be isolating staying at home taking care of a little one (and quite scary not knowing what to do as they grow). These classes have given me peace of mind and both my son and I get a lot from them. It also offers and opportunity to see other moms and learn from each other's experiences. Highly recommend!

We LOVE The Butterfly Center! I have taken 3 different series of classes with Rina and loved every…read moreone of them. I don't know how I would have gotten through the first year of my daughter's life without the guidance and support of Rina and all the wonderful moms that I have met through this program. Highly recommend!!

I'm not sure I have the words to fully describe how incredible Mary is. After our daughter was…read moreborn, my husband said that the three birth essentials are diapers, wipes, and Mary--and I couldn't agree more. Mary's prenatal yoga classes are incredibly calming and create such a beautiful sense of community. You meet wonderful moms and moms-to-be, and Mary has a gift for transporting you into a place of peace and relaxation during a time that can feel overwhelming and uncertain. Her prenatal doula appointments are never rushed and provide invaluable education, guidance, and preparation for birth. Throughout my pregnancy, I was able to text Mary with questions, concerns, and fears, and her insight and support were always incredibly valuable. When it came time to give birth, Mary was truly indispensable. She started as a calming presence during contractions, helping distract me from the intensity, keeping me focused, and providing constant encouragement. During pushing, she guided me through different positions and became my biggest cheerleader. After 4 1/2 hours of pushing, I had reached a point where I felt completely defeated and ready to give up. Mary never let me lose faith in myself and helped me find the strength to keep going. I truly believe that without her support, my birth experience would have looked very different and likely involved more interventions. Her care didn't stop after delivery. During postpartum visits, she arrived with delicious homemade goodies, checked in on my recovery, and continued to provide reassurance and guidance when I needed it most. Mary is a wealth of knowledge, compassion, and support during one of the most transformative, vulnerable, and sometimes scary experiences of your life. Having her by my side was one of the best decisions we made, and I genuinely cannot imagine going through pregnancy, birth, and postpartum without her.

I cannot recommend Mary Skinner enough. She is not just a doula--she is an angel sent from heaven…read moreto make your labor and delivery experience as smooth, supported, and empowering as possible. From the moment we connected, Mary's depth of knowledge, warmth, and intuition put me at ease. She met with my partner and me before delivery, spending hours walking us through what to expect, how to prepare my body, and how my partner could actively support my experience. No question was too small, and she answered my endless stream of inquiries with patience, wisdom, and zero judgment. When it came time to labor, Mary was by my side every step of the way. Even though my birth was not what we planned, Mary advocated for me and created a calm and sacred space with soothing massages, body oils, and sound bowls. When I think back to my labor and birth story, I literally see her face... she practically labored WITH me through her hands on support, coaching, encouragement, guidance, and unwavering empowerment. It carried me through. And her care didn't stop there. Postpartum, Mary showed up at my home with a bundle of thoughtful recovery goodies. She not only provided a healing full-body massage and prepared a soothing sitz bath, but she also cleaned my (very messy) postpartum bathroom--without hesitation or judgment. Her level of care, both physically and emotionally, is unparalleled. Mary was truly a godsend during my first pregnancy, and I will undoubtedly hire her again for every one of my future births! If you're considering working with her, don't walk--RUN to book her. She is simply the best of the best.

After a negative and somewhat traumatic birth experience with an OBGYN during the birth of my first…read morechild, working with Meaghan under the midwifery model of care was truly a breath of fresh air. From pregnancy through labor, delivery, and postpartum, the entire experience was filled with so much love, respect, and compassion. Meaghan is a genuinely beautiful human--inside and out--who makes you feel deeply heard, held, and seen. Her extensive knowledge and experience immediately put me at ease and reassured me that I was in the very best hands. She has a profound understanding of and reverence for physiologic birth, as well as a deep respect for the innate strength and power we hold as women to bring our babies into the world. Even my husband, who initially had doubts and fears about doing a home birth, made a complete 180 after our first meeting with Meaghan. Throughout my entire pregnancy, her level of expertise, confidence, and experience gave him the reassurance he needed and allowed him to feel fully confident and supportive of our choice. Where my previous OB created fear and doubt around birth, Meaghan did the opposite--she instilled confidence and empowered me in a way that helped me realize I had that strength within me all along. Under her care, I experienced the beautiful home birth I had always dreamed of, and I am endlessly grateful for her unwavering love and support throughout the entire journey. My hope is that every pregnant woman gets to feel as loved, supported, and empowered as I did. Thank you, Meaghan--our entire family adores you, and you will always hold a very special place in our hearts.

Meaghan is amazing and such a beautiful soul! She was the second midwife I've worked with and was a…read moreworld of a difference. She makes you feel so comfortable and supported. I looked forward to seeing her every time and consider her a great friend. Meaghan empowers YOU to make the best decisions for you and your family. She is so knowledgeable on midwifery, health, herbs etc. and took excellent care of me and my baby... really the whole family! I gave birth to a beautiful 10.8 lb baby at home! I was so glad to have her there with us. I felt safe and supported the whole time. Truly a great experience and I hope to use her for any future pregnancies!

If you are even the slightest bit open to a birthing center/home birth please do research and…read moreconsider this option. I watched "the business of giving birth" (2008 documentary) a decade ago and this was the start of potentially being open to this option (midwife/birth center/home birth). (Highly recommend this documentary, wish there were more!!!) Robyn is phenomenal. She is an expert. She knows what she's doing and is an excellent midwife and human. What a blessing My experience was her being extremely responsive and supportive. Ask ALL the questions!!! Sometimes we don't know what all to ask which is okay too, she informs you on so much. Especially home aftercare. Regardless of what decision one makes on giving birth it's a magical and empowering one. Sending health and happiness to all mothers and expecting mothers. If anyone has questions I'd love to be an advocate for this hospital alternative so please send a message.

We are so Glad we decided to go with Robyn as our midwife. I had a horrible birth experience with…read moremy first child and needed something positive for the second. She is so knowledgeable in what she does, does not rush you and respects all your decisions. I had a vbac at the birth center and was beyond pleased with how smooth it went. Thank you Robyn for giving us a great birth experience!

I've been taking pre-natal classes with Katie since I was 10 weeks, this week I'm 39 weeks!!…read moreKatie's approach is gentle, empowering, and meets the needs of each attendee. I appreciate when she opens with a mama focused intention and supports a community by having us check in and support each other. I've been able to make some new mama friends and have enjoyed having Katie as part of my birth support team. Looking forward to the baby and me post-natal classes !

Katie was my yoga instructor for the entire duration of my pregnancy with baby boy #2 and post…read morepartum - baby is currently 3 months old. We did private sessions together and met at various locations in the community. Katie would create a session that focused on my individual needs. For example, if I was having lower back pain that week then we would focus our session on that. Our sessions also included helpful tools such as meditation, yoga props, music, chants, motivational quotes, and visual imagery which were all used later during labor. Katie has a special gift for yoga. I even did the majority of my labor at the comfort of my home and the park! I was truly empowered by this experience as it is such a pivotal time in a woman's life. I am currently enjoying the post partum classes where I can bring the baby with me, takes breaks to nurse, change diapers, and still have the baby close to me while doing yoga. Yoga classes with Katie has been such a huge blessing in my life and has helped alleviate a variety of symptoms such as insomnia, posture, headaches, fatigue, stress, anxiety, and muscle/joint pain. Yoga is now a part of my everyday life and my children are enjoying it too. Thanks Katie! Namaste.

Words can't describe the vibes & energys that was on our birth room ..my wife was having her birth…read moreexperience to the fullest and exactly like her birth plan and all of that couldn't happened without Cynthia's services Cynthia is well educated in all of birth world and know everything about woman's needs in this precious time of newborn coming to the world she made our birth room look like a yoga class in a spa and our minds clear of fear allso as a husband i felt much more confident and secure to have a professional educated and highly sensitive doola that listen to my wife's needs ( and allso giving me my sleep time :) .. me and my wife moved into California not long time ago and our families are over seas it was so important to us to have a natural birth experience she was giving birth in a hospital and we were afraid to deal with medical intervention i really believe and know that we couldn't do that without Cynthia's help Thank you Cynthia for giving us the opportunity to have an amazing experience of life

From the owner: The Birth Whisperer, Cynthia Marie, PhD, has a passion for the birth process and wants to support…read moreevery woman in having the birth they choose with as few interventions as possible. She encourages each client's partner to be involved as little or as much as they are comfortable with. She offers doula and lactation support during conception, prenatal, birth, and postpartum She supports all births including Natural/Non-Medicated/Minimal Interventions, VBAC, C-Section, Home Birth, Water Birth, HypnoBirth, and Birth Center. She offers special sessions in Couple’s Birth Preparation, Childbirth Eduaction, Child Development, Reiki Energy Healing, The Fourth Trimester, The First Forty Days, Attachment Parenting, Safe Bedsharing, and Effective Child Discipline. Clients may attend sessions with a partner or solo. Birth the way you choose... Get attached to your birth plan... Happy mama, happy baby, happy family.

If you have been considering a natural home waterbirth as a possibility for your next birth…read more Seriously... you can look no further. Pick up the phone and call Birthwell... RIGHT NOW! Words can not begin to describe the appreciation I have for Mari and her team. The care I received from Birthwell exceeded all of my expectations and I felt like I was in this big bubble of love during every visit. I know that sounds a bit sappy, but when you have been working so hard being pregnant and preparing for that perfect birth, feeling supported with love and acceptance really makes a difference. And that is exactly what I was blessed with- an absolute perfect birth. I had been receiving prenatal care through my insurance provider at a local hospital, not very happy with the rushed, impersonal experience of being there. After my first ultrasound, doctor after doctor told me that my placenta was too low for a home waterbirth- it wasn't quite a previa, but "too close for comfort" in their eyes. At 36 weeks they were adamant about scheduling me a c-section (the last thing you want to hear when you had been committed to a natural birth), so I demanded one last look. I had been praying so much that my placenta move just the 2 millimeters out of the way. My OB really didn't think it was going to in only two weeks since the last ultrasound, but low and behold, it had! I took this as a sign to get a Midwife and do it the way I wanted from the beginning - at home and in the water. Mariposa of Birthwell was recommended to me by two difference sources - coincidentally the first two people I had asked. I knew that choosing a midwife was a very personal and important decision, so I did my research and looked at all the different midwifery service providers around LA. Before I gave Mari a call, I went on to her website to check her bio. The second I saw her amazing eyes, I was overflowing with tears. I knew right away she was the one. It was a great bonus that she ended up having so much Labor & Delivery experience and that she was super-sweet an empowering. I don't think I've even told her this, but she had me at the online photo :-) After an in-person meeting with her and my partner, we "tied the knot" and she put me to work. There was so much preparation my body needed for the birth that I had no idea about. I was shocked my OB hadn't told me even a fraction of tricks Mari filled me in on. From the yoga moves, to the borage oil, to the squats- I was on a daily regime that got me ready for the big day. One night at around 10:00pm, just after finishing Mari's prenatal yoga video and downing some fresh coconut juice, it started. The contractions were happening every 6 or 7 minutes, but they were pretty manageable. I called Mari up and she told me to call her every hour to tell her how far a part they were at each hour increment. I was pretty surprised, considering it was already so late at night and worried I was going to keep her up all night with phone calls until it was time for her to come (I have a family history of 30-40 hour labor "marathons", so I knew it was going to be a while). After a few hours, I ended up falling asleep somehow. At 5:30am I woke up to my water breaking in bed (luckily Mari had given me a checklist for preparing my home for the birth- including a full waterproof bed pad we had on the bed ready to go!) I called up Mari and she said she was on her way over. She lived pretty close and was at the house within 20 minutes. The contractions weren't that bad, but they were happening every 2 minutes or so. She checked me and we both couldn't believe that I was already dilated 8 centimeters! I got in the water (we had a hot tub prepared on the deck) and she called her assistant to come. Less than 3 hours later, our precious little girl was born. It went so perfect in every way and Mari & Beth were a true blessing. Mari taught me how to breath, low and slow, and she made me feel fearless and so powerful. I was able to birth my daughter in the water and Mari talked me through how to birth most of her by myself- something I really wanted to do. It was the happiest moment of my life. It's been 3 months and, safe to say, Mari is definitely a part of the family.

The level of pre and postnatal care I received from Mari was beyond my expectations. I began my…read morecare with Birthwell at 10 weeks pregnant and just delivered my healthy, beautiful boy on 7/21. He was born at home, in the water, drug free-Just how I imagined. If you want a beautiful, empowered, natural birth with a practitioner who brings the energy of a professional nurse as well as a supportive best friend-She is your girl.