I've really appreciated this class, as a new parent it's great to have things to do during tummy…read moretime, and all the info about baby movement has been great. And now, during quarantine, it's great to have a scheduled meet up and a chance to see other parents with babies around the same age and see what everyone can do. This isn't my best written review because of new baby/ lack of sleep, but if you I thinking of taking the class I would definitely recommend it. :)

Dan teaches a truly unique class. My daughter has attended all precrawler to crawlers and cruisers…read moresince she was just 4 weeks old. She recently graduated at 15 months and we miss Dan already! The class provides gentle guidance for parents and child with great songs and activities. My daughter was on the later side of physical milestones and it felt good to learn simple but very effective ways to encourage movement in her. The biggest thing that we took away from the class are the songs that will remain in our family forever.

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.

After my last review, Jada, the founder of Birth Day Presence, reached out to me for an honest and…read moreopen conversation about what she could do to improve not only my experience but classes there in general. Being a yoga teacher with pre/post natal experience I went into their classes already very knowledgeable so they weren't as informative as I would have liked but I think they are probably life saving for people who don't care to/don't have the time to do their own learning and research. Birth day presence and boober provide not only child birth and newborn care classes, but match clients with (and train) doulas, lactation consultants etc Most importantly though, and I got this sense from the beginning but really felt it after talking to Jada, they genuinely care about providing quality information and services to new families. They also understand that the birthing industry (because it is an industry) is far from perfect and they want to empower families and help them navigate it. I feel very grateful to Jada and Birth Day Presence and although I originally walked away feeling there was more to be desired I now feel like I couldn't recommend them more to anyone seeking childbirth/childcare education or training. Oh, and all their classes are conveniently online now due to covid.

My husband and I purchased weekend intensive childbirth education classes and we attended when I…read morewas 27 weeks pregnant with our first child at Birth Day Presence. We came here with an open mind and hoping to learn the important basics of childbirth. Needless to say, we had no idea what we were getting ourselves into. We didn't feel prepared and we were hoping this class would make us feel more comfortable of what's to come. The classes we chose were on Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 am until 3:30 pm. Jen Buice was our instructor and she was very informative and knew her stuff. We also got to mingle with other couples who were due at around the same time as us. We got to share our experiences with each other, which I think my husband and I wouldn't have gotten a chance to do otherwise if it wasn't for this class. We watched some childbirth videos, learned about different stages of labor, pain management, labor exercises with and without the ball, a little about lactation, etc. We also went around the room and did some activities so it could be more interactive and social. Bring some snacks because the classes might seem a little long at times! We did get a short lunch break. One slight complaint I have is that I got a little antsy and didn't feel that comfortable with their seating arrangements. I felt a little claustrophobic. Overall, I think we feel better and a little bit more prepared about being parents. I would recommend this class if you have a chance to take it. It's located in a beautiful part of Park Slope in a beautiful brownstone. Price is a little steep at $395 but I think it's worth it. You can't put a price on your future bundle of joy.

So you're going to have a kid! That's cool. Among the hundreds of pieces of advice you're going to…read moreget, people will also tell you to take a birth class. If you take it at Parent Craft, that was good advice. Our class was small (three couples) and intimate, just the six of us in Casey's home. Casey graduated the nurse-midwifery program at Columbia, and accordingly has lots of letters after her name (CNM, RN, MSN, BSN and LCCE). She is knowledgable, sweet, funny, and a surprisingly gifted actress when it comes to imitating birth sounds. With the RN and the midwifery background (as well as years of experience dealing with intense Park Slope parents), she has both the clinical medical knowledge and the hippie sensibilities that many of us are probably looking for. No judgment either, just education. The one-day intensive birth class was full of useful information. Casey will take you through the whole process (while drawing fun diagrams), and answer all the questions you've [n]ever had about birth balls, spinning babies, water breaking, comfort measures, breathing exercises, positioning, stages, forceps, poop, epidurals, pain medications, episiotomy, hep-locks, cord-clamping, and more. Did I fall asleep during one of the videos AND the guided meditation? Yes, but I don't recommend taking a 7-hour class after a red-eye. Was our entire birth plan was thrown out the window where it was run over by a garbage truck thanks to circumstance? Absolutely. But I'm still glad I learned things here at Parent Craft. You will be too.

I am so grateful I did the newborn and breastfeeding group with Natasha. I'm a new mom, my baby was…read morea few weeks old and I was drowning in questions, loneliness, the need for connection and support. I called Casey to ask about this group I heard about from other new moms and she was like a breath of fresh air. I showed up to the group with five other moms a week later and I knew I was in good hands. This group focused on feeding and just the basic struggles of being a brand new parent and not knowing much at all. I came out of the last group four weeks later a new person. I felt confident and I had a new group of incredible women to fall back on. I highly recommend giving Parent Craft a try.

I LOVED this class so far! My first pregnancy, so I am nervous about it naturally, but going to…read morethis course has really put my mind at ease. The instructor, Maureen is a doula (or was one and also is a nurse I think). She's super friendly and a wonderful character. She has a way of putting us at ease and no judgement! If we want an epidural, fine, if not, fine! The cost is about $320, but it's 3 hours for 5 sessions, I think it's totally worth it! I read the other reviews, and have not had the same bad experiences at all. Will update as we go along!

Summary: Birth preparation class was very informative but…read morea bit expensive. 4 stars. Prenatal breastfeeding class was not a good use of time or money, and the teacher called me a "Dairy Queen" in front of the class instead of answering my question. 2 stars. The birth preparation class with Robin Douthit was comprehensive and made us feel more confident going into the labor experience. Robin had a great deal of experience and shared both her own experiences, and experiences as a doula with us to understand the range of experiences that we could have. The class was taught from the Lamaze perspective, using the 6 Lamaze principles, such as that labor should start on its own and to stay out of the hospital as long as possible. The class didn't take a definitive stance on the question of pain relief. I did get the message that women who don't end up being able to breast feed probably did something wrong, which seems to be an unfair message for a couple of women I know who tried everything and still had to use formula. A class full of first-time parents-to-be would seem like a natural setting for people to bond, but the participants didn't seem interested in getting to know each other. During the class's 10-15 minute dinner break, people would just talk with their spouses. The class cost $300, which was almost double the cost of birth preparation classes at the hospital in Park Slope. As good as it was, it is hard to say that it was worth so much. We learned some NYU-specific information on the session dedicated to the "virtual tour", but I think that I could have gotten that information from just going to their "virtual tour" alone. The lactation class was somewhat informative, but it was not worth $40 and 3 hours of time. The teacher covered breastfeeding very superficially, and spent lots of time showing us the materials in a stapled packet for us to read later, and also told us to buy some books about breastfeeding, 3 of which I already owned after seeing them recommended elsewhere. She spent about 30-45 minutes at the beginning going around the room asking people for their concerns about breast-feeding, and telling us why we shouldn't worry. That seemed like a huge waste of time, and something she could have addressed in the class itself. She spent lots of time telling us the benefits of breastfeeding, which I would assume that most of the class already knew, because why else would we spend $40 to learn how to do it? She was pretty even-handed about the fact that sometimes women aren't able to breast-feed, and it's not their fault, but she also seemed surprised to hear that even women who breastfeed might end up getting osteoporosis. She would not answer questions about pumping. She said pumping questions were best addressed 3 weeks before we went back to work. She promised to send us an email with extra information so that we could contact her with questions about issues like pumping, but never sent that email. She has a real beef with drinking milk. She said that we do not need to alter our diets in most ways (coffee and wine are fine in moderation), but we should consider drinking less milk because our babies may end up being allergic to milk. Cheese is fine, for some reason. She showed us a slide of bloody diapers from milk-allergic babies. I raised my hand and asked whether there was a maximum amount of milk that we should drink. Oddly, she didn't answer my question, but she asked me if I was a "Dairy Queen", and then straight-out called me a "Dairy Queen." That was just inappropriate. She mentioned several times that we're the only species that drinks milk from other animals. We're also the only species that farms and, for that matter, has hospitals and lactation consultants.

Kim and the team at Brooklyn Schoolhouse have created a place of nurturing, exploration and fun…read more We could not have hoped for a better introduction to school for our twins. The kids are excited each day to see their teachers, their friends and their classroom and come home bursting with stories to tell of group art projects, dramatic play and physical achievements in the yard. The teachers really get to know each child and family and facilitate parental engagement with class blogs, the regular "all school sing", birthday celebrations and evening classes on parenting and child development. In its first year, Brooklyn Schoolhouse has succeeded in building a wonderful community and our family is very happy to be part of it.

From the owner: Brooklyn Schoolhouse is founded on the conviction that children have an innate desire to explore,…read moreplay and learn and are naturally competent and capable learners. It's easy to see if we look. Watch them build a nest from straws. See how they pick bins up to test their strength. Hear them ask where an ant lives after seeing one on the sidewalk. At Brooklyn Schoolhouse, our teachers and on-site naturalist notice each of these small learning moments and respond to children's inquiries with attention, warmth and guidance. Our thoughtful, play-based programming is offered to children ages 2 to 5 and includes early childhood classes, preschool, after school, summer school and/or nature school. Ask us anything at info@brooklynschoolhouse.nyc. And follow along as we play at @brooklynschoolhouse on Instagram.

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!

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 had such a wonderful experience with this service. The HFA team was incredibly responsive and…read moreproactive in connecting us with those who may be on our night nurse team which allowed for me to chat with each one ahead of time. It was our first time working with a night nurse and the whole experience made us feel at ease and in very good hands. Our night nurse, Janette, was wonderful and made us feel so confident that our newborn was in good hands that we could get some sleep back! Definitely recommend!

Worth EVERY penny we paid, and then some. We had HFA doulas with us starting from the night we…read morebrought each of my children home from the hospital (2021, 2023) until each was about three months old. I literally and metaphorically slept better with the HFA team there. As first-time parents -- it's so comforting to have expertise and support at every moment as you're navigating life as a parent for the first time. When you have no idea what's going on, you're healing and tired and hormonal, your doula is a rock. As second-time parents -- LIFE-SAVING to have someone there to let me sleep as much as possible so that I could be semi-human for my toddler in the morning, and gave my husband and I some much-needed normalcy in the evenings. Everyone I've ever interacted with at HFA (Devon, Sara, Kate, Tiffany, Latoya, Norah, Erika ... the list goes on) was courteous, professional, kind, hyper-responsive and I never had any doubts that we all were in great hands. Give yourself the gift of sleep and peace of mind. I did and would do it again in a heartbeat.