My husband and I signed up for both the Birth Ed class as well as the Newborn care/Breastfeeding…read moreclasses with Hilary Baxendale. We are soooo glad we did! She is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to babies and parenting. We crammed in so much helpful information in just two days! She provided handouts and was open to all questions and topic discussions. Hilary is absolutely incredible. To be quite honest, she was my first experience with a doula. I always had a misconception that doulas were against any sort of medication during the birthing process and always naively pictured home births in a bath tub ;) I was so wrong! Hilary is supportive of all kinds of birth plans. The great thing about her is she has experience in all of them and never passes judgement. We highly recommend taking these classes with her... whether you're novices like my husband and me, or pros like some of the other couples who also took the classes with us and equally found it incredibly helpful. Now that we feel super prepared, we just need to safely get this baby out :) We are now hoping to use Hilary as our birth doula if she is available, as she was very calming for an anxious person like me, and seems like she would be assertive as the baby's advocate if need be. Thank you again, Hilary, for such great classes and all of the support you have provided during a very challenging and anxiously exciting time for us :)

We had an excellent birthing class with Hilary. Due to COVID19, it was moved to online but still…read morewent wonderfully. She covered a lot of topics that we hadn't even thought to ask about, was thoroughly prepared, and the best part was being able to do it while we lounged on our couch (and cast the computer screen to our big screen)! Hilary also catered to all our birthing plan ideas, without judgement or trying to push participants one way or another. Highly recommend.

I worked with Emily for a variety of services throughout my pregnancy and post partum. She is…read moreincredibly knowledgeable in this space, and provided me with comfort (both physically and emotionally) around the birth of my son. She is professional, evidence based, and I happily trusted her during my most vulnerable state in life. I specifically took advantage of Emily's prenatal doula support, prenatal massage, post birth body work, lactation support and coaching. In the first few months after birth, the *only* thing I left the house for was post partum massages with Emily. She helped address built up stress and pain I had throughout my body, and offered great advice on stretches or other resources I could take advantage of at home. During my prenatal massages, I also asked Emily a ton of questions about the birth process and her experiences as a Doula. (Please note you absolutely do not need to talk during your massages I just had so many questions!) No matter where you are in your pregnancy journey, I highly encourage you to leverage Emily's services.

Getting a massage from Emily is like everything she is or was or will be is touching everything you…read moreare or were or ever will be. (Too much? Lol) She's the best. She genuinely cares about every aspect of the care she's offering and it shows. She's also very professional and makes it very easy/convenient to do business with her. I couldn't recommend her more. Note: she only takes female/female identifying clients at this time.

I cannot emphasize what a crucial part of my pregnancy and daughter's birth Stephanie was for us…read more Stephanie provided the exact support we needed; from the moment we hired her to the days leading up to my labor to the birth of our daughter to the days after and everything in between. Any question, request, guidance needed - Stephanie was there. She made us feel no shame in asking the smallest questions. She was clear about when something was evidence-based vs her intuition/experience. She never pushed us to do anything and was always supportive of decisions we made. It was important to me and my husband to have a natural birth, which was my main motivation to hire a doula. Truly could not have delivered this baby without Stephanie (I mean, I would have, of course - but likely after much more pain and decisions I would later regret). She was with us on the phone (my husband, mostly) as soon as my water broke and she was with us in person by the time contractions got heavy to get us through the later stages of labor and the pushing/delivery process. Stephanie worked so in sync with the midwife and nurse on my delivery team - it took a village! In addition to Stephanie supporting me, she was also an amazing guide and support to my husband - equipping him with reading materials before delivery and coaching him on best ways to support me throughout labor and delivery. In the days after our baby was born, we talked to Stephanie every day. She visited us to make sure baby was latching properly, showed me some other tips and tricks for feeding, and has continued to provide us with guidance on feeding and pumping and all feeding things! When I become pregnant with baby #2, Stephanie will be among the first to know - could not imagine doing a totally natural birth again without her!

Hiring Stephanie as our doula was one of the best decisions we made while preparing for the birth…read moreof our first child. When my partner and I started looking into childbirth education, we quickly realized how much we didn't know and how overwhelming it could be to research everything on our own. From our very first meeting with Stephanie, it was clear how knowledgeable she is. She focuses heavily on evidence-based information, which was exactly how we wanted to approach decisions around birth. I became interested in attempting an unmedicated birth, although I was only about 60% confident I could actually do it. Stephanie never doubted me. From that point on, all of our preparation and meetings were geared toward helping me achieve that goal. She was always quick to respond to texts and emails and provided detailed, thoughtful information whenever we had questions. Stephanie also did an incredible job coaching my partner ahead of time so he knew how to support me during labor. In our prep meetings, she walked him through different techniques and ways he could help when things became intense. Because of that preparation, he was able to really play an active role during labor. Even during labor itself, Stephanie continued guiding him on how to support me in ways that were actually helpful in the moment. When things were very intense, she would gently coach him on what to do, whether that was how to help with breathing, positioning, or encouragement. If he wasn't sure whether something he was doing was helping, she gave him feedback and reassurance so he could keep supporting me confidently. That support for both of us made a huge difference. When my labor started, I was able to text Stephanie updates and questions and she was always quick to respond and help ease my worries. At one point she had another client in labor (which we knew was a possibility), but her backup doula came to my house and provided wonderful support until we went to the hospital. Stephanie met us there and immediately helped me focus on breathing and staying calm. The moment I'll always remember most was during the pushing phase. I was exhausted having been awake for nearly 36 hours, but Stephanie's coaching and encouragement made such a difference. Her reminders to breathe for the baby and "blow out the birthday candles for the baby," along with her steady counting and encouragement, helped me push through and ultimately deliver my baby the way I had hoped. One unexpected benefit of working with Stephanie is that she is also a lactation consultant. She helped us prepare for breastfeeding, explained how pumping works, and helped us troubleshoot breastfeeding our baby a few days after coming home. I didn't expect that level of support, but it ended up being incredibly helpful. Stephanie is incredibly knowledgeable and very honest. She gives you the information and may offer a recommendation, but she never pressures you if you decide differently. She's straightforward, fact-driven, and clearly very dedicated to her clients. Working with her truly showed me how valuable doulas can be. Stephanie was wonderful to work with, and I would not want to have another child without her by my side.

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!

We're expecting our first baby in February 2026 and initially felt pretty overwhelmed about where…read moreto start with birth planning. We were even hesitant to take a birth class at all--but we're so grateful we took Lisa Greaves' class. While we're planning a hospital birth, we hope to avoid a C-section if possible, and Lisa's class truly empowered us to feel comfortable and informed about all of our options. We learned about laboring at home longer, pain management strategies both with and without medication, and how to advocate for ourselves throughout the process. By the final session, we felt much more knowledgeable about pre- and postnatal care and genuinely prepared to welcome our baby. We also really appreciated the sense of community and the additional resources the class provides. Can't recommend it enough!

Amazing service for getting a reliable and professional night nurse…read more Amanda was so easy to talk to and I told her exactly what I was looking for in a night nurse. I already had a terrible experience with my first and had to let her go. Amanda sent over Bianca who was the best. She handled by gassy, fussy baby with love and guidelines. She was very professional and left notes for us daily. She even pointed out things to change as my baby was growing. She left her nurse extra clean and organized. She also prepared bottles for the day and did my laundry. Of course my baby needed extra attention so baby comes first before anything else. I slept in peace knowing my girl was in good hands. Bianca was God sent and I wish she could have stayed with us longer. You do have to book with them way in advance because they are booked out. We only had Bianca 3 days a week because she only works those days and we were on waitlist for another night nanny but couldn't get another person. Very professional and great with new born.

The Bella Nurses were truly a life saver! Not only were they amazing with my twins but they…read morecomforted and pampered me!! I recommend them wholeheartedly!

One year ago, on this exact day I gave birth to my son (first child). Today on his first birthday I…read morecan't just help thinking of Myla as she played such an essential role on my son's birth. I was lucky to have a smooth pregnancy over the course of the nine months and had a very clear idea about my birth preferences. However, I was concerned about the strict protocol of the main hospitals of New York City. My husband and I are both Italian and birthing process in Italy is different than here. So, we started looking into doulas and interviewed quite a few of them. Myla was the one who impressed us the most. With her calm and peaceful manners but also her deep knowledge on anything related to birth, we both felt she was the right doula to assist us. Myla was really crucial in giving birth of my baby. I had a natural birth and my son weighted 11lb 10oz: a shocking news for everyone especially since I was able to deliver him naturally and with no C section. Having a natural birth was my main wish but I am aware I wouldn't been able to accomplish that without Myla's support. She helped with breathing, soothing massage and expert touch to get my baby in a lower position. My husband was engaged all the time and the three of us literally 'worked' as a team over the long hours of labor and then pushing. Myla reminded us to take our time before rushing into any decision and we truly felt reassured with her on our side. I remember one of the most experienced nurses praising on Myla as she pointed out how lucky we were on having such a knowledgable and passionate doula assisting us (and I guess she had seen quite a few over the years). And yes, we truly felt blessed in having Myla on our side. The process was painful, I won't lie, but without Myla I would not have been able to deliver my baby without a C section. I'm glad I was able to safely accomplish my wish. After my son was born Myla took the time to make sure my baby latched and she even took so many pictures of the three of us during those first moments as we wished to have a memory of those. We could count on Myla even after the birth experience, as we met her again a few days after leaving the hospital to provide guidance and helpful advice with our newborn. "Grazie Myla!" - You were a precious gift to our family.

Having a doula during the birthing process was integral to making the day of my son's birth as…read moresmooth as possible, and Myla exemplifies this. Myla was an incredibly kind, supportive guide through my pregnancy process. She helped me cut through the noise of opinions and blogs and provided the resources to know what and how to talk to my birth team (doctor, hospital, partner, etc). Pregnancy can be a roller coaster of emotions and even fears and Myla helped navigate what questions we would potentially want to ask and how to ask those questions to empower ourselves to make the right decisions. My confidence when it came time to enter into the actual birth I can absolutely attribute to Myla. During my birth itself, Myla was there to help me have a positive experience. Whether it was soothing massage to ease labor pains at home, or just reminding me in the hospital to ask for time to think about choices that I needed to make, her focus and incredible knowledge and many years of birth experience made everything easier. I felt confident that I was making the right choices because Myla was there with me. After the birth Myla continued to be a crucial resource. She is a lactation consultant and guided me in the breastfeeding process. In the hospital she got my supply started and helped me navigate challenges that continued once I was home Myla's full continuity of care from pregnancy to newborn is invaluable. I experienced curve balls throughout the entire time and was able to navigate everything and ultimately have a successful confident experience thanks to Myla.

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 hope this service improves as I want to support local businesses, but this one truly harmed our…read morefamily. This service seemed helpful at first. In the end, it not only wasted our time and thousands of dollars, but most distressing, we got stuck with a nanny who made us and our daughter deeply unhappy for several months. My husband and I were trying to secure a nanny, and the first that we hired through Family Helpers had misled us on a few critical items. It turned out the nanny did NOT want to work with a newborn, showed up reeking of cigarettes, and was mean to our daughter. We asked Family Helpers to send us more candidates. Family Helpers repeatedly sent us candidates who could not meet our scheduling or budget needs. In short: * Family Helpers' vetting failed as it sent us a nanny unwilling to work with 2 kids * Family Helpers' vetting failed as it sent us a candidate unwilling to work within our discussed budget (i.e., less than $25/hour) * FamilyHelpers' vetting failed as it sent us a candidate unwilling to work the hours that we stated we were looking for * FamilyHelpers' vetting failed as it recommended a nanny who could not detect something was off when our daughter, who she had gotten to know over 8 weeks, lay on the couch for hours with a very high fever. Additionally, we were frustrated at Family Helper's guidance to increase our budget to $25/hr, which is 25%-33% more than peers using Family Helpers service, what several strong candidates we evaluated were willing to accept, or what we see online. Even more hurtful, Family Helpers blamed us for not being clear about the hours / pay, even when faced with email evidence to the contrary. After weeks and weeks of no good candidates, Family Helpers audaciously recommended we simply fire the current (bad) nanny, with no coverage at all. I was flabbergasted--what kind of plan was this, for two working parents? In the end, we found a few wonderful nannies through friends. My husband and I requested a substantial refund given Family Helpers failed to send vetted candidates that met our criteria and we paid $1,600 severance to one of their nannies, but Family Helpers refused. Family Helpers refunded us 50% of our fee, whereas we thought 95% would have been appropriate. I am a big supporter of local businesses, but I am a bigger advocate for the parents and families in my community. It is for this reason I share our recent experience with Family Helpers.

We were referred to Family Helpers by a friend and colleague. We were very surprised to see the…read morequality of nannies to be extremely poor. We were informed that Susan was available and reliable as a resource .... we found this to be untrue. Susan was always out of the office and the information she shared with us and the referrals was incongruous. Her nannies were extremely inexperienced and they were requesting a salary comensurate with an experienced well trained nanny. I would never recommend Family Helpers to help find someone to care for the most treasured people in the world to us, our children. In addition, Susan charges a consultation fee and their consultation services were a falasy!! Everything Susan said during her limited "consultation" did not match the qualities the nannies portrayed or the expectations the nannies had during the interview!! Run as fast as you can!!!

Jenny with Bluebird Doulas is absolutely wonderful! She's patient, knowledgeable and quick to…read morerespond. I highly recommend her!!!

From the owner: Bluebird Doulas is more than just another birthing agency. We offer our services throughout the…read moreHudson Vally and surrounding areas catering to teens and adults with every step of your pregnancy. We work with you and your family to insure you are heard and feel as prepared and informed as can be for whatever the occasion in the form of education and physical support starting from pregnancy through postpartum. We also offer sibling support during your labor and delivery as well as postpartum as this allows the parents and newborn as much time as needed to connect and enjoy the first few moments of life and help the family adjust to the changes. We take great pride in what we do and get no greater feeling than helping with the enormous undertaking of parenthood at its earliest stages.