She said: The only reason I am giving Two Doulas four stars is because I have not had my baby yet! I am hoping once we have our baby, we will have used some of the techniques and I will return and change it to 5 stars! I loved the class. We just finished our last class this week and I am actually sad we don't have any more classes. I am looking forward to staying in contact with Leah and Becca and hopefully the other couples from our class. He said: coming soon! read more

My husband and I are just about to finish our 5-week class series at Two Doulas Birth. I can honestly say that this is the only class that we could have taken - my husband works quite a lot and a 12-week class is simply out of the question for us. 5 weeks is a reasonable amount of time, and it's also very convenient for us being on an evening during the week. Leah and Becca are both fantastic educators. The classes are full of information and focus on the most important topics (anatomy/physiology of birth, medications during labor, breastfeeding, postpartum, etc.), with helpful videos, handouts, and in-class exercises. Plus, there is always time for questions. Even though Becca is also our doula, I found the classes very helpful because I had a chance to think about different potential situations and hear feedback from other couples. Even though we are planning an unmedicated birth with minimal interventions, it was essential that we learn about all different types of medical interventions so that we can make informed choices when the time comes. Regardless of your birth preferences, this class will be very useful. I could not recommend the classes enough! read more

What an amazing birth class! Megan is fun, easy going, and makes class very enjoyable. My husband and I absolutely loved this class and wished that every couple would have as much fun learning and getting about birth & parenting as we did! Thanks Two Doulas! Totally recommend it! read more

A couple of new mothers told me that their hospital birthing class focused more on the hospital's perspective (liability issues, delivery interventions, etc.) and not so much on the perspective of the mom and baby. A couple of people recommended Two Doulas as an open-minded alternative and I'm so glad we enrolled. Because of my partner's work schedule, we did the two-day birthing class: one weekend, six hours each day. I knew it would be intense but we were so delighted with how quickly the time flew, how much information Becca packed into each day, and how much knowledge and experience she shared about the birthing process & about newborn baby care. There were no judgements about what kind of labor you wanted -- whether it was a home birth, at a birthing center or in a hospital with an epidural. I felt like she had seen it all and had an open and informative perspective about everything. Another benefit was how plugged in they are to the local pregnancy and baby "community." In the information packet, they include a long list of recommended practitioners for all things pre- and post-natal. And since the class, I've emailed them questions about day cares and other pregnancy and baby-related things and have always gotten a quick and very helpful response with a long list of referrals. They're great resources to have on hand as you try to navigate life as a new mom. I can't recommend them enough! read more

Practices unsafe and unsanitary medical practices. Birthing classes are based on unproven facts and the owners really have no idea what they are doing. Go to a midwife that actually knows what they are doing. read more

My husband and I took the Two Doulas birth class Nov-Dec 2015 with Dayva and Julie as we prepare to be first time parents in early 2016. The instructors were very knowledgeable and really broke down the birth process for us. The five week class was exactly as promised- non judgmental, open to questions, and structured to help everyone understand more about different birth choices ie. medical interventions vs. natural birth, hospitals vs. birthing centers, and recommendations for things such as local doulas, acupuncture, massage, chiropractors, breastfeeding classes, etc. We really enjoyed meeting other pregnant couples and loved breaking into small groups to talk about birth preferences. I wish there had been more small group activities early on & during each class because it was nice to hear the perspective of other first time parents and get to know them better. I appreciated when parents from a previous class came in with their little one and talked about what their hospital birth experience entailed; it really put my mind at ease about what is to come. We liked learning about massage techniques, how to use the rebozo/birthing ball, and exercises for pelvic floor muscles. I also appreciated Julie and Dayva's input on various topics including their own birth experiences, a non judgmental view on pain relief during birth, and how they answered so many of our questions. We never saw the "elk" video people mentioned below.. so maybe it's not part of the course anymore. Dragonfly Dulou in Los Feliz was an easy and convenient location coming from Silverlake with easy parking. I'm really glad to have participated in this class, thank you! read more

My husband and I took the home-birth classes with Leah and Becca over a year ago. At the time it was held at Margo's (midwife) office in Highland Park. There were 5 other couples besides us, and we were all first time parents hoping to have a home births. We found the class to be very informative and helpful. In fact, we eventually hired Becca to be our doula, and she was absolutely amazing. The class went over what would happen in the event of a hospital transfer, and that proved to be helpful as we eventually found ourselves needing one. I labored at home for 48 hours before transfering to a hospital. Once there, I was still able to have a vaginal birth thanks to Dr. Wu. We bonded with the other couples in the class, and we still keep in touch for playdates and get togethers. read more

My husband and I are completing the 5-week birth class tonight. We have both really loved the experience and would recommend to anyone who is open to learning about the birth process, different options for labor & delivery, and infant care. Going into the class, I was sure that I would have an epidural - most of my friends have had one and it just seemed to be the go-to way to give birth. However, after taking the class, our preference is to try for the least amount of interventions as possible (for my sake and for our baby's). What has been really key to the evolution of our decision is that Leah and Becca provided a wealth of information without judgement. They teach that each birth is different and that what is right for one couple is not always the same as what's right for another. I really appreciated this style and though it didn't occur to me before, I doubt I could have had this type of open-minded education through the hospital courses. The ladies are also great at distilling what's important to know in a concise fashion. There is so much to keep track of for a first-timer and their style of teaching has left me feeling prepared and excited as opposed to overwhelmed and unsure. Side note: After the second week of class, we decided to hire Becca as our doula. A good friend had used a doula for the birth of her two children but the idea sounded a bit over the top to me before I learned what they really do. I implicitly trust my doctor on the medical side but knowing that Becca will be there to provide emotion support (derived from a wealth of experience) to me and my husband really completes our team for the birth of our daughter. In addition to being very open to answering questions in class, both Leah and Becca are very available to respond to one-off questions their students may have in between classes. They have really perfected an open, welcoming environment and I couldn't be more pleased with our choice to use them as our child birth educators. read more

My husband and I were blown away by this course. Becca and Kate taught every class with sensitivity, humor, and a depth of knowledge and experience that far exceeded our expectations. The course itself is incredibly well-designed. We were amazed by how much information was packed into the classes, but never felt overwhelmed. We were also impressed with Becca and Kate's ability to go with the flow and answer a huge variety of questions while always returning to the topic at hand with ease. Well worth the time and money. A bargain at twice the price. Nichole (and Mark) Stepro read more

We took a birthing class with Alyson Carroll. She was amazing! She came to our house in the evening and did a course on topics we were uneasy about a couple weeks before our due date. The exercises she had us do were impactful and helped us prepare for the birth both mentally and physically. She was very warm, kind hearted, and knowledgeable. We are grateful for her time and all that she taught us! Our birth went exactly as planned and I don't know that this would have been possible without the Two Doulas Birth class! read more

Leah and Becca are very nice but they just aren't experienced enough to be running these classes. Much of the class came straight out of the book "Birth Partner" and some youtube birth videos. They have a very simplistic and one-sided view of birth and labor. Going into this class I was 100% interested in a "natural" birth. I had even considered a home birth but after actually going through my own birth experience and watching a friend almost die from a Strep B infection turned septic (she had a home birth) I realized birth is something to treat with the utmost respect. Women used to die in childbirth all the time, it is unsupportive and unrealistic to insist that hospitals do nothing but "ruin" a perfectly good birth. It is irresponsible of them to say mothers shouldn't get a strep b test because "it will just lead to antibiotics during labor and a medicalized birth" I now see how naive they are. This class is great if you plan on having an uncomplicated, perfectly smooth labor and delivery. They will teach you how to breathe through contractions etc. BUT if you have anything other than that, this class will leave you feeling like you failed. Women always judge each other but it is unfortunate to experience this in a birthing class. I would highly recommend finding another place to take the class, preferably with someone with more experience of different kinds of births. read more

My husband and I took a five-week childbirth education class from Leah and Becca in preparation for our home birth, and the experience helped us enormously. I had already done quite a bit of reading on my own, but the classes helped crystallize and commit to memory the most essential bits of information my husband and I needed to know about birth, comfort measures, newborn care and breastfeeding. I didn't have a doula on hand for my birth, but if I had another child I would want these ladies by my side for the experience. Both women are full of knowledge, experience and heart. read more

Though this class provided us with some knowledge we might not have known to access otherwise and we met some nice people there, overall our experience was bittersweet. First, it was really overcrowded. There were a total of 15 couples in our class -- no way to get to know even half of them and no time to answer everyone's questions. I was hoping for an intimate experience and to get to know some other couples, and it just felt like they were packing us in. Second and more importantly, the tone from the instructors was very specific. I took this class with the understanding that they would be non-judgmental about an individual's preference for childbirth. From the beginning, there was a very heavy emphasis put on natural childbirth with no interventions, including epidural use. The tone from the instructors and materials (elk video -- if you know what I'm talking about, you know) was condescending -- rather than being honest about their preferences, they pretended to be OK with various choices while clearly preferring their "Business of Being Born" approach. The reasons they gave for avoiding any interventions or pain relief options were outdated, but scary enough to seem credible -- i.e. once you get started on one (pitocin, epidural, etc.) it's a slippery slope toward more and more and an eventual c-section, which no one wants. There was very little talk of why a person might need a medical intervention, and when it was mentioned (a vacuum was passed around at one point), it was clearly with a very negative slant. I tried as hard as I could to avoid interventions at my birth (we are talking DAYS of "natural" laboring) but in the end, for reasons beyond my control, I had to have an emergency c-section. A doctor later told me that had I started pitocin right away, I might have been able to avoid the outcome I had, but who knows. It all matters a lot less now that I have a healthy, beautiful baby. What I do know is that while it would be crazy to blame the class for what happened during my birth, I really wish that they could have discussed the very real reasons for needing certain interventions. I wish they would have been less judgmental, in an effort to make it less scary for those of us who WILL end up needing some of these, regardless of how hard we try to avoid it. I wish they had pointed out the increased risks that older mothers face for complications (the docs told me that being over age 32 was a risk factor in what happened), given that well over 3/4 of the class was in that category. But mostly, I just wish the tone had been a little more honest. P.S. I'm editing this to add that though I had complaints about the class, most of the doulas I met through this network were/are wonderful, warm and supportive women that I would highly recommend if you are looking for a doula to support you in your childbirth experience. read more

My husband and I just completed the 5-week Two Doulas Birth course with Becca and Julie. This class was fantastic! We had 7 couples in the class with us. The class covered topics from labor and birth, to immediate post-partum, to breastfeeding and infant care. Becca and Julie were engaging instructors and they really know their stuff! Becca and Julie both have a bunch of real-world practical experience and book/statistical knowledge. We really looked forward to coming to class each week. We feel so much more prepared for this whole crazy process because of the great instruction and information given to us! Becca and Julie provided tons of information with no judgment at all. They explained the different methods, options, etc. and explained that each couple had to make the choices that worked best for them. It was great to hear about all of the experiences both have had as doulas too. Also, the price is right compared to a lot of classes that only teach on one topic. I can't recommend this class enough! read more

My partner and I took this class with Becca and Haley. The class was excellent -- thoughtfully designed and warmly taught, the course promoted an emotionally and intellectually transformative experience for us. Perhaps the best quality of the course was how it encouraged us to engage with our preconceived ideas about birth and to face our fears. I found this very empowering and loved hearing from my partner as we participated in the class. We met several stellar couples who we remain in touch with and adore. We felt the class helped us prepare for our birth, which was a challenging but profound experience (I already feel excited to do it again). We recommend the Two Doulas class to all of our expecting friends! read more

I hired Julie to be my doula for my son's birth in June 2009. I can honestly say that it was a huge mistake. She provided good education at our 2 scheduled meetings before the actual birth (both about 1 hour long), but for my actual labor she was barely there at all. I went into labor around 10pm in the evening, and I waited to call her until the next morning around 8am. She told me that she would come over later. I called her again at noon and again at 4pm by when my contractions were very strong and painful and close together. She never came to my house at all. I received all of my labor support from friends and family members for many long hours of labor. At 8pm, I finally decided to head out for the hospital, and she had still never arrived. She met me and my family at the hospital, where it was decided, 45 minutes after we arrived, that I would have a C-section. I was extremely tired and disheartened at that point. Julie asked me if I wanted her to wait through the surgery. I said yes, and looking back now, that was a terrible decision, since she refused to give me any level of refund whatsoever since she sat in the waiting room during the surgery. My mother said she made phone calls and did her own business during that entire time. After the surgery, she basically said good luck and nice to know you and was out the door. I paid her over $1000 for these "services". Later I asked her if she would refund at least some of my money, since she did nothing at my actual birth. I mean nothing. She never came to my house during my labor. She said that because she had waited in the waiting room at the hospital that she would not refund me anything. I wish that I had taken her to small claims court after this experience, but it would have meant dragging my infant son all over town, and at the time I was so humiliated and discouraged that I just dropped it. When I look back at all the things I could have paid for, for my child with that money, I am heartsick. It was a complete and utter rip-off and I consider her to be a very dishonest individual. If I could save even one person from having to go through this experience, then writing this review is worth it. It still leaves a bad taste in my mouth. There are a lot of good and honest doula's out there who will charge you a fraction of the price that she charges and give you excellent care. But my experience with her was very negative. read more