We feel beyond lucky to have then helping us with our newborn. Dr. Stephen is AMAZING, refreshing,…read moregentle but thorough, intuitive... and pretty darn funny, he's always a relief and an encouragement to see. We've had plenty of first time parent concerns and he's tackled them all super timely and with a way of explaining things that calms us and gives us more confidence every time. And we were amazed with Katie, the Lactation Consultant. she has decades of experience, she CHANGED our world!! we brought in our 5 day old baby and she completely turned me around with her knowledge base. I brought him in with me and nursed him with her help so that she could observe. She reframed so much of what the hospital told me generically and tailored it to me and our son based on how and what she saw. and she was spot on! he was happier, less frustrated and trusted me to read his cues correctly and get what he needed. it was an instant fix, I can't get enough of her!! She makes herself available by phone too if tou can't make it to her in person. She and Dr. Stephen are in this with you every step, honestly we couldn't have asked for more caring human beings to help guide us.

Ok so I don't know about the rest of you moms who grew up in the 80s and 90s but I hated going to…read morethe doctor as a kid. They were nice and all but it just sucked. My kids LOVE going to the dr. They literally ask to go. Even if there are shots involved they like being there. When the heck does that ever happen? Dr. Nikki is more than a doctor. She is someone my 13 year old daughter looks up to and my 7 year old son wants to marry. I trust her and when it comes to your kids that is something you need to have for peace of mind. If I could give more than 5 stars I would.

I could not have asked for a more capable, supportive, and wonderful doula than Sooo-z, who played…read morea huge role in helping me achieve the birth experience I wanted. She was a source of immense comfort and reliable expertise at every step, starting with early labor while I was at home, and then over the course of a 15 hour day in the hospital. She came equipped with all kinds of labor support tools that she used at various points throughout the journey, but her gentle, steady, and encouraging demeanor played the most critical role. I felt that she was connected to me the entire time, physically through gentle touch or guiding me through various positions, as well as mentally, offering mantras, listening carefully, and helping me navigate tricky decisions as my labor presented some challenges--she felt like my ally and advocate at every moment, never putting pressure on me, letting me lead and supporting my instincts. Ultimately, we achieved the tremendous feat of an unmedicated natural birth together, and I absolutely know that I would not have been able to reach that goal without her help. One key strength of hers was the way she skillfully navigated working with the rest of the L&D team. Our doctor told us afterwards how impressed she was with Sooo-z's professionalism, her ability to collaborate smoothly with the nurses to get me what I needed, and her absolute focus on me--something they don't always see with doulas. She's also just a delightful person, easy to spend time with, caring and kind, un-fussy and down to earth. I'd recommend her a thousand times over!

I did not have a birth doula, but I contacted Sooo-z in a panic after my daughter was born and…read moredesperately needed support. If I could go back in time and have Sooo-z with me during both my births, I would. In a time during which everything revolved around taking care of my newborn and my toddler, Sooo-z made sure someone was caring for me. From helping with some nursing challenges, to making sure I was nourishing my body (her lactation cookies and spinach smoothies are amazing), to watching my baby so I could sleep, even to washing pumping parts - Sooo-z was a true gift. While I'm over the hump of sleepless newborn nights and days without routine or breaks, I still reach out to Sooo-z for questions, recommendations, or just to chat. She is one of a kind, and anyone who can include her in their birth or postpartum plans is truly lucky.

I've now worked with Nicole from Latchsmith for both lactation consulting and potty learning…read more Nicole is so kind, patient, and supportive. When I had issues nursing, Nicole was with me every step of the way. She helped me with techniques to get through it. Now my son is 3 and we came back to Nicole for potty training assistance. She was incredible helping us put together a plan. She was also on call via text the whole weekend. I was so nervous to potty train, but knowing I had Nicole's support was so comforting. Three days later, our kiddo was full potty trained!

Nicole really listened to me and validated my feelings. I had such an easy time breast feeding with…read moremy first child 5 years ago, but my second child has been a challenge, due to reflux. She provided me with tips and tricks that have turned things around in our Brest feeding journey. She also reminded me of things I'd forgotten about pumping and corrected misinformation that I'd received in the past. I feel so much less anxious and more confident, as we continue along.

Dana is incredible!!! After a painful and stressful day due to complicated nursing issues and…read moredoctor visits, Dana completely saved the day!! She is so skilled, knowledgeable, and helpful!! She made me feel really comfortable right away, and was so thoughtful and easy to talk to. My husband and baby were so at ease too! Dana was amazingly organized and resourceful, and provided such useful and insightful feedback and hands-on support. I could not have had a better experience, and I am so grateful we found her! Life saver!!! So thrilled and relieved to be nursing again so smoothly, and would not be here without Dana! I can't thank her enough.

From the owner: IBCLC breastfeeding support to help you reach your breastfeeding goals…read more Some common issues that I can help with are: - breastfeeding questions - latch and positioning - nipple pain/trauma - low/under supply - oversupply - weight gain concerns - tongue or lip tie affecting breastfeeding - fussy babies - twins (or more!) - this one is near and dear to my heart :) - returning to work planning - prenatal breastfeeding planning - weaning

Franciska was a match made in heaven! I am a single mom by choice. I hired Franciska to be part of…read moremy Post Partum Doula support team. She was so much more. Unfortunately, my labor/delivery Doula became unavailable and her backup was not around either. Franciska ended up picking me up from my home and taking me to the hospital as I was in active labor and I was alone (Due to unfortunate failures on the other doula's not affiliated with Fran). She stayed with me for a couple hours at the hospital while I was continuing to labor until a back up doula arrived. Her methods to sooth me during labor (without epidural) were very helpful. Franciska then returned a couple of days later on my day of discharge to take me and the baby home. She spent the next 8 weeks supporting us day and night. She set the bar so high that anybody else always fell short. My daughter and I adore Franciska. Her foods and snacks were delicious and it helped me significantly recover postpartum and while I was breast-feeding. She also paid very close attention to my health when my OB's dropped the ball on so many things. I ended up getting preeclampsia postpartum and if it wasn't for Franciska, I might've ended up hospitalized. Truly, owe my life to her! She is absolutely amazing!

Fran was an incredible source of support, knowledge, and care throughout my pregnancy and the birth…read moreof our son. My first pregnancy took place during COVID, so I didn't attend any classes or have a doula. For my second pregnancy, I knew I wanted a completely different experience--one where I felt informed, prepared, and supported. Fran exceeded all my expectations. She listened attentively to what would make me feel most comfortable and confident on delivery day, offering tailored guidance on preparatory exercises, essential information, and day-to-day tips for navigating the journey. Her expertise in birth preparation and support was invaluable, and her warm, compassionate approach made all the difference. I feel so fortunate to have had Fran by my side. I only wish I had worked with her during my first pregnancy! Any future pregnancies for myself or others would undoubtedly benefit from her outstanding doula services. I cannot recommend Fran highly enough.

Taking the Birth1st Hypnobirthing course with Elizabeth was one of the best decisions I made for my…read morebirth experience! I wanted a natural delivery, but as a first time mom, I was scared! Thanks to the breathing techniques, visualizations, and overall mindset preparation she taught, I was able to have an unmedicated 7-hour labor (most of it at home, arriving to the hospital almost 8cm dilated!!) with no tearing--delivering a healthy 7lb baby girl. Elizabeth's guidance gave me the confidence to trust my body and stay calm through every stage of labor. The tools I learned helped me through my surges, stay as relaxed as possible, and truly embrace the wonder and joy of the birth experience. I'm beyond grateful for this course and would highly recommend it to any expecting mama looking for an empowering, positive birth! Our bodies were made for birth and I am so proud of what I was able to accomplish with Elizabeth's help!

Elizabeth was such a God send for us. First, she is extremely knowledgeable and clearly has the…read morebackground and experience needed to be amazing at her job. Then of course is her heart. She truly cared so much about my husband and I and took the time to walk us through each and every step. We were so nervous being first time parents about the birthing experience and she truly not only prepared us but really put us at ease. When it came time for the actual day of the labor things did not go exactly as planned and Elizabeth was right there for it all! I cannot imagine going through that whole experience without her there. My husband feels the exact same way. She also was so great with the doctors and nurses. She never overstepped but kindly had my back throughout the process. I do believe that should she not have been there, the hospital staff would have pushed me to do things that I didn't want, like a C-section. It took far more time to do a natural birth but with her support I was able to have my daughter vaginally like I very much wanted. If you are considering hiring Elizabeth as your doula, I would definitely do it! She made our pregnancy and birth feel so much safer and she really took care of us every step of the way.

I called to inquire about something and received the most disgusting customer service! There was a…read morelack of phone etiquette, I was rushed off the phone before I even finished asking my questions and when I called back to let them know how disheartening the experience was, the person on the other line was still nasty and rude. Find another Agency! If they're this disgusting over the phone I can only imagine how they will treat your children when you're not around.

Summary: Couldn't trust the nurse with our newborn and the…read moreagency had a poor response. She fell asleep while our baby was on her and the agency expected us to pay. The second night our baby nurse was with us, we caught her asleep with the baby on her chest. At 5am, I called out her name multiple times to initiate breastfeeding and for her to bring the baby to me. When she didn't respond, I realized she was asleep. Immediately concerned, my husband turned on all the lights in the room and yet still had to rouse her awake. We felt deeply uncomfortable finding her in a position that put our two week old baby in danger - any healthcare worker for babies would know that sleeping with the infant puts the baby at a greater risk of SIDS. When my husband told her she wasn't needed anymore and should go home, the nurse asked if she did anything wrong. She didn't know? Then she blamed me for her falling asleep with the baby. What was also upsetting was that the agency pushed us hard to still compensate the nurse. We got a lot of agency pushback, even on the secondary issues outlined below. They were more interested in siding with the nurse rather than hearing our concerns. They fed us a line mentioned by another reviewer here "we have never had any issues with this nurse before". I really did not buy that, and I found it unsettling the agency had so many lines to back their nurse even when their own promises to the client were unmet. The agency still expected us to pay the nurse, however if they felt strongly she should be compensated, then they should front the bill... not the consumer. How else are poor practices going to be corrected? Initially they were only willing to credit their agency fee, but we were adamant and eventually we reached an agreement to pay for the first night only -- which we had said from the start we were willing to do. There were also a few issues with this baby nurse at the onset - the agency asked for personality that would be a good fit and 'takes initiative' with 'provides coaching' were top of the list. Services like 'maintaining the nursery space' were not followed through on - after the first night, for example, I was cleaning poop off the wall and diaper caddy from a 'projectile' diaper change that had happened in the first half of her shift (the agency in her defense: "Had this happened on multiple occasions?"). The nurse had no issues spending her time watching videos from her phone. She also provided 'coaching' based on outdated medical practices (such as cleaning the umbilical cord site with alcohol) so my husband and I felt we were doing most of the coaching. And her assistance with breastfeeding made it clear she didn't know the basics. She also interjected to the lactation consultant I was meeting with virtually- never mind I hadn't invited her to partake in the calls. All this despite 20 years with the agency... There were also issues with the agency. We were not provided a method of communication for over the weekend in the event issues like this arise. We were just given the nurse's name, but no phone number. We received no email confirmation of the booking. We had no indication of how to pay and we were not sent a contract. The booking was made for Friday and I couldn't speak to anyone until business hours Monday. There is no email listed online and no one available outside business hours. When I called first thing Monday morning, they asked why I hadn't left a voicemail. But how would I have known to do that when their automated message says to call back during business hours? Fortunately I'd sent a message via their website's contact form detailing the issues the morning we let the nurse go. Of course the nurse had already called and had a different story. The agency was proud of their low turnover rate - I suspect there was no reprimand for this nurse. I'd never work with this agency again.

I attended Patricia Fitzpatrick's class in 2017. It was a very disappointing experience. She asked…read moreme what brought me to her class. I trusted her and innocently told her that my husband and I wanted to find out the proper etiquette on a few things because we had some different understandings. After asking a few questions, Patricia gave me the look that my marriage was in trouble. She asked how long my husband and I have been together. And then with an evil smile on her face, she asked the class how long did everybody think my marriage would last. The class didn't respond and she repeated her question. I believe the class either didn't hear the question or thought that was inappropriate and ignored her again. In the class in front of everybody, she told a man that he was overweight and he needed to lose weight. She called that her advice to him. After the class, a woman politely invited the class to take a group picture. Patricia was very reluctant to do that. She asked that woman, 'Didn't we do that over lunch already?' The class had lunch together after the first session. After we we finished dessert, Patricia took out her lipstick and mirror to apply at the dining table. That looked really weird. I haven't seen anybody doing that for a long time already. It is absolutely an unacceptable table manner.

Last weekend, I traveled to New York to attend Patricia Fitzpatrick's Finishing School for Adults…read moreprogram. There were eleven of us attending the class, with students from all around the country and diverse career backgrounds. This is a valuable program, evidenced by people traveling from afar to attend. Speaking from experience, Patricia has given me life-altering skills to practice on my own. Right after class, I told my husband that the important thing was not necessarily what I learned in class, but that I learned about how much I do not know. In the future, if I anticipate dealings within my social or business arena, I will research etiquette from where another person is from to see if my manners match theirs. If it leads to one contract, one sale, one friendship, or a positive memory, then the class and research would all be worth it! Indeed, the class teaches what to do in certain situations, but more importantly, how to respond when someone else is not exhibiting proper behavior in said situations. There were many 'common sense' discussions, however, many people (including myself) are not mindful of these approaches until there is a discussion about them. It really does boil down to treat others the way you would want to be treated. But I think the edge that Patricia's program has is to teach us that we need to learn how others' wants differ from our own. The class I took was a Saturday workshop, combining four sections into one day. There could have easily been four separate days. Every section was riveting. I felt the environment was conducive to the participation of the students, tying concepts to our own life experiences. We asked some great questions. Patricia is a fine adult educator and maintained her poise at all times, teaching by example. At lunch I realized that many of us all had the same fear prior to the class. I was sweating getting ready for class, thinking that my image would be criticized from my head to my toes. Patricia did not criticize. She explained things. She focused on positive attributes and how to accent them. Then she spoke about how to handle less appealing attributes and showed photos of before and after shots of people doing the same. She taught me a valuable lesson. Classy people never make others feel bad about themselves. Thank you, Patricia! Several of us have a greater amount of self confidence and comfort in our styles moving forward.