Best Childbirth Class Cary Near Me

Falon Simpson: I worked with EmDo leading up to the birth of my daughter and during her labor and delivery at Duke Regional Hospital. I very much appreciated having support during pregnancy and delivery for whatever would unfold and very much felt supported every time I spoke with my doula team. We were able to meet in person before the birth to help aid my level of comfort, which helped me feel calm and comforted. Shauna was a big help to me during the birth of my daughter and I have no regrets recommending her to be a part of your doula team if you want a calm and reassuring presence to help guide you through labor and delivery.Thanks again, ladies!

Jillian Buckley: Emerald Doulas came highly, almost exclusively recommended to me when I was pregnant, and now I see why -- our experience with EmDo is difficult to put words to for its enormity, how deeply their support changed my pregnancy, labor, and postpartum periods. We worked with Abigail and Shauna, who answered all of my (very specific + anxious) questions during pregnancy, had wonderful and invaluable senses of humor, and felt like close, wise friends during a time that company and wisdom felt like the most important things. And I can't imagine how anyone has a baby without Abigail, whose instincts are otherworldly, and whose attention and support made my labor exactly what I hoped it might be: as gentle as possible, bedrocked by community, and far from lonely. My husband and I would hire her again & again & again, and feel very lucky to be a part of the EmDo family.

Alejandro Peña: Our experience with Emerald Doulas was absolutely fantastic, we recommend their services as highly as possible. As a group, they are incredibly organized and diligent, very knowledgeable, kind, and supportive. Individually, we worked with Isabel and Abigail who both went above and beyond to help and make us feel supported. Abigail, who was with us during both of our sons' labor, made all the difference. We are both immigrants in the US and have no family around. Abigail's warmth and knowledge made us feel cared for and gave us the confidence we needed to make decisions and navigate the whole process, from the water breaking all the way to the postpartum room. Abigail's emphatic and tactful help in liaising with nurses and midwives during labor was key for us to be able to express our needs and wishes, and for these to be respected without any inconveniences. Having Abigail as a postpartum doula was also a game changer. During this particularly sensitive time for our family, her proactive, resourceful, and committed support was exactly what we needed. We are so happy we found EmDo!

Abi Bissette: I so appreciated the support I got from my doulas at Emerald Doulas during the birth of my first child! They were knowledgeable, empowering and kind. When my induction was not progressing quickly enough, one of my doulas came and guided me through a series of exercises that I honestly think got me into active labor. When I was struggling with starting breastfeeding during my first week postpartum, they were empathetic and encouraging. Couldn't recommend them enough!

Rachel Damiani: We had an amazing experience with Emerald Doulas! Sybil has such a versatile skillset and calm approach. She helped me navigate the postpartum period as a new mom, and our baby boy was so at ease with her. After Sybil’s afternoons with us, the whole family felt recharged. Highly recommend!

Liz Warren: We had the best experience with Emerald Doulas from the first time we spoke with Melanie about the whole process, to the community prenatal meetings, birthing class with Vanessa, and having Allie and Erika as our doulas. They were such a great support system throughout my pregnancy as this was our first baby. They were always there to answer any questions of mine or my husband's, and Allie had such a calming presence during my labor and delivery. She was very knowledgeable and made sure we understood everything going on and helped us communicate with our nurses and doctors during more intense moments. I would highly recommend Allie and Erika to anyone needing a doula.

Sandra Beth Brown: If you are considering going with Emerald Doulas do it! I can't imagine going through pregnancy and birth without them! The experience was highly personalized, starting with a call from one of the owners, Melanie, in response to my initial inquiry. We spoke for over an hour- she was excited to get to know me and seems to understand immediately what kind of birth experience I was hoping for. Once I partnered with them I was assigned a team of two doulas so I could get to know both of them throughout my pregnancy (rather than having a "back up" person I didn't know well potentially attending my birth). Erin and Michelle were both amazing! They started a group text immediately and were available at any time for questions and support. This included helping to access evidence based articles on various topics, which was super helpful. They also provided tips for the hospital stay, including a packing list, and went over my birth preferences in detail. They helped me think through what to ask my provider ahead of time to have the best chance of my birth preferences being honored. My husband and I took the monthly classes provided as part of signing with EmDo and it was a great way to get to know other couples and introduce us to various topics in a relaxed, nonjudgemental, and positive way. Our parents also enjoyed a separate class ("Modern Grandparents"), which gave a great update on various topics of baby care. The day of my birth, my doulas were incredible. They kept in touch with me constantly from the first sign of labor. Michelle attended the birth and made the room feel much more welcoming with Christmas lights and an infuser. She helped me get into various different positions to help labor progress and showed my husband how to help as well. I appreciated the emphasis that was also placed on his well-being. I also rented a TENS unit from EmDo that was super helpful for pain management. Although my birth wasn't exactly as I had hoped it would be, I was still really happy with the experience overall. In the days and weeks after, my doulas continued to check in with me and I started taking advantage of the free virtual support groups. I definitely plan to hire EmDo again for any future pregnancies!—Updating after second birth—My first birth with EmDo was so positive I booked them for my second as soon as I found out I was pregnant, long before we even told our families!Melanie and Vanessa were a dream team. They checked in frequently to get to know me and my husband and provide encouragement and resources.My two hospital births were very different- one 48 hrs with pitocin and an epidural, the other 5hrs, unmedicated. I treasure both as empowering experiences where I felt loved and supported the entire time. In my second birth, I don’t know how I would’ve coped with such an intense, rapid labor without Melanie coaching me through contractions, especially while my husband was tied up madly trying to find someone to watch our toddler last minute!Melanie and Vanessa reviewed my first birth, and preferences for the second, in detail. They tailored their support to my personality and goals. EmDo again rented me a TENS unit, which was clutch for pain management.Hiring EmDo was the best investment we made for both pregnancies!

Janet Russell: Emerald Doulas gave me the most peaceful birth experience I could have asked for! I have told every friend who will listen about then and are quick to recommend them to any pregnant friend or family member. If we choose to have another baby I will ABSOLUTELY be coming back to them for support!

Julie Wesp: I am so glad that we worked with Emerald Doulas for the birth of our first child. We are a bilingual family and were excited to work with Vanessa and Delmar as our doula team to ensure that there would be at least one Spanish speaker at the birth. They were always quick to respond to questions that we had and would send resources for us to think about throughout the pregnancy. The community prenatal meetings were also a great chance to learn more on topics that didn't seem to be covered in other courses (like helping pets adjust to life with baby) and meet other new parents in a respectful and diverse environment. Delmar ended up being the doula present at our birth and she is incredibly knowledgeable with a lot of experience. They helped with adjusting to different birthing positions and kept a sense of calm that we wanted for our natural birth. Our doulas continue to be a great source of information in the postpartum period and connect us with local resources and other new parents. I highly recommend EmDo, you won't regret it!

Sree Pattabiraman: Just saying thank you doesn't seem enough when we think about the care provided by the doulas at Emerald Doulas, prenatal, during birth, and postpartum.Being first time parents, my spouse and I had various questions and concerns, and hiring EmDo is easily one of the best decisions we have made in our lives. Before we even chose Abigail and Shauna to be our birth doulas, Melanie was thorough in walking us through the process and provided us sufficient time to make our decision.My pregnancy and birth experience was empowered by the care provided by Abigail and Shuana. Both Abigail and Shuana were a wealth of knowledge and provided so much evidence-based guidance for us during pregnancy.Abigail was on-call when I called her thinking my water had released, and her presence and support made such a huge difference. Shauna was with us at the hospital when we had our baby, and she ensured that she provided utmost care and support to us and made our birth experience so enriching. The way she created a calming environment and cheered on me through each surge, I will forever be grateful for her support and encouragement. Even after we had our baby, Abigail and Shuana continue to check-in on us, two months postpartum.Our postpartum doula, Jenna also provided so much support, especially during the initial few weeks as parents. From answering our lactation questions to helping us organize our nursery, she is a rockstar in every sense. She makes the most delicious energy balls and I continue to gorge on them during all the late night feeds and pumping. She is so gentle, kind, and thoughtful with the baby and we wouldn't think twice before recommending her to anyone.I would be remiss if I didn't mention Vanessa, who provided the childbirth education and helped encapsulate my placenta. She was so patient in answering so many of our questions during the childbirth education class that helped us tremendously to prepare ourselves for labor and postpartum.Overall, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to state that EmDo folks made our pregnancy and childbirth experience the one we had hoped to have and beyond. Thank you EmDo for the work you are doing and the community you are building. It will certainly help enrich the lives of so many people like us!

C. J. Cardina: Hiring Emerald Doulas was one of the best things we did for our first pregnancy! Our amazing doulas Shauna and Erika were so responsive, kind, warm, helpful, and supportive for months on end. Shauna spent 8 hours with us at the hospital and she did so much for us. We also really benefitted from the free monthly webinars and support groups that EmDo offers. We urge new parents-to-be to join this wonderful community!

Ruth Goldstein: We LOVE Emerald Doulas. Melanie and Vanessa run the administration with love and care. The business structure is one that my partner and I have come to appreciate even more after entering the world of day care. Meeting with Melanie, we felt confident about our Emerald Package. Our zoom meet and greets with our birth doulas, Erika and Allie was a great way to begin our journey. And we are still in contact! We couldn't imagine our birth experience without them. It just so happened that Erika attended our birth in person and Erika is MAGIC! Allie had sent us amazing resources for body positioning but after my epidural (which didn't take on the left side of my body), Erika physically moved me into different positions and I was able to fully numb and progress to 9cm! After our child was born, Erika and Allie supported us and continue to check in. We love them!Sybil and Jenna took care of us postpartum. We so appreciated the gentle yet clear guidance. Sybil came over the day after we returned from the hospital. We were exhausted. By the end of the four hours, our kitchen was spotless, there were fresh blueberry muffins (the BEST snack at 2am between chestfeeds), and I got a hot shower and a NAP! Jenna and Sybil continued with us until the 3 month mark. Jenna would always check in to see if we needed anything before coming over. It's like she knew what we needed before we did! Our child loved both Sybil and Jenna - so happy in their arms. Sybil even came to a horse barn with me so that I could start riding again. Pure gold.Our birth experience and fourth trimester couldn't have been better. We credit Emerald Doulas for the knowledge and love that nourished us.

Ellen Allen: I wish words could express how grateful I am for Emerald Doulas. I work as a Labor and Delivery nurse, and their support was and still is invaluable. Melanie and Erika made me comfortable from day one, and I consider them family even now, three months postpartum. Without their support, I’m not sure my birth experience would have been as wonderful as it was. They continue to reach out and check in on me, and I’m honored I was able to work with them.

Courtney Cannon: We loved our doula experience with Emerald Doulas!! Melanie and Vanessa were unimaginably supportive throughout the entire experience. We especially loved how frequently they checked in and provided emotional support - starting months and months before the delivery. They were each a wealth of knowledge and provided so much guidance and reassurance when needed. Always super quick to respond. Our delivery was quick but still their presence was invaluable. Would absolutely recommend Emerald Doulas to all of my friends!

Maggie Zeillmann: My husband described our doula Allie as “indispensable” during the birth of our son. She was absolutely wonderful at supporting both of us, providing comfort measures and a calming presence, and she even stayed with us for several hours after he was born to help me transition to the postpartum room while my husband went with baby to the nursery for blood sugar monitoring. I felt instantly comfortable and safe around Allie and had no hesitation whatsoever to be emotionally and physically vulnerable with her during my labor. Allie also took pictures and videos for us when I was in “labor land” and couldn’t think to ask for them. Before the birth, Allie and Erika were a wonderful source of support during some difficult moments in my pregnancy, and after labor they helped both of us process the intense experience of labor and delivery. This was my first pregnancy, and I will be using Emerald Doulas for all my future pregnancies as well. Highest recommendation!

Anneka Sylvain: I am so lucky to have had the privilege of working with Emerald Doulas for my recent birthing experience. I was carrying as a surrogate for a wonderful family, and I had a "perfect birth" all planned (with the help of Vanessa and Melanie at Emerald Doulas). Well, as life goes, the birth did not go as planned and if not for the support of Vanessa to hold my hand, rub my back, and give me evidence-based advice on what was happening and what options I had, I don't know where I would have been. Not only did they support me but also my partner and parents when they had questions or just needed a listening ear during the experience. If I were to have another baby, I would definitely depend on the support of Emerald Doulas.

Morgan Clark: Hiring Emerald Doulas for post-partum support was one of the smartest decisions I have made in my life! They are wonderful and their support was so helpful to have in those first few months - they provide so much that family and others cannot. Their grandparent class was also immensely helpful for my parents. I would work with them again in a heartbeat!

Emma Sternlof: I am so glad and grateful that I chose Emerald Doulas for my first pregnancy and the birth of my son! My doula team, Shauna and Talitha, was incredible. They talked me through the neverending third trimester and provided great resources. On the big day, when things were moving VERY quickly, they coordinated seamlessly to support my husband and me. Talitha made me feel so safe and powerful during labor, helping me achieve my goal of an unmedicated birth. And in the postpartum phase, both continued to check in - and seemed to text just when I most needed it. I cannot recommend them enough!

Maya Mc: Emerald Doulas is an amazing organization and is worth every penny. I purchased their postpartum doula services and their services are life changing for new parents. They really supported me in many ways after a difficult and traumatic birth. I also appreciate how thoughtful how my doulas, Jenna and Lauren N., were in making sure we were all safe from illnesses and were so considerate to leave our home better than they found it. I felt completely supported and not judged even when I was second guessing myself as a mom of 2. They always communicated how many sessions I had left and were always open for feedback. Overall, I was so happy that they worked with me and my family to support us during those precious but wild first few weeks.