Birth Day Presence — Local services in New York

My rating is based on a referral for a doula that was recommended by BDP, so it is not solely reflective of their services. They do contract out for doulas.

I had a horrible experience with DENISE BOLDS as a doula and ended up deciding to not use her days before my birth. She was unprofessional and tried to back out of agreed upon arrangements for my labor support. Her contract specifically stated that she would be there to support me during labor as soon as I felt that I needed her. I expressed my expectations from day one and she initially agreed. Once she was paid in full, she then said she would decide when she would show up during my labor and even said she would just meet us at the hospital and not labor at home at all. This arrangement was completely unacceptable, especially when the primary reason I wanted a doula was to support me during labor.

I hired DENISE BOLDS months before my due date. Not one time did she call or text just to check on me and see how I was doing. While this was my first experience with a doula, I know that it is not unreasonable to expect regular communication, based on input from other doulas that I spoke with after. Especially not from someone who is hired to support you during the most intimate experience of your life. When I brought this to her attention, she said it’s not her job to communicate with me and that I should reach out to her....

It was a difficult decision to not use her just days before my due date, not knowing if I would be able to find support. But her energy was something that I could not have in my presence because it would have done more harm than good.

I reached out to BDP and informed them of my issues with Denise and the owner, Jada, called me back that same evening. She was very understanding and supportive. She assisted me in finding someone else to support me during labor and Melissa ended up being a perfect fit! She also offered me $250 towards her fee and reached out to Denise to try and have her refund half of the $1950 fee. She agreed to do so, but never did.

Although my experience with DENISE BOLDS was horrible, I was satisfied with Jada’s willingness to support me. I realize that when you contract outside people you don’t have full control. I regret that I did not do more research about the doula that I chose beforehand. She talked a good game during the interview but did not deliver on her promises. I certainly would hate for anyone to have to go through what I experienced. I basically paid her $1950 for 2 hour long prenatal visits and a $15...

Great experience!! I went into the weekend intensive class believing that I would need a 100% medical birth due to my own fears. I left with knowledge and understanding that my body has ways to help me cope and that I will have time to decide if and when (epidurals) are needed. Our instructor, Robin did an excellent job teaching us to be our own advocates in how we want our births to go - to speak up and ask questions. Robin was a fun, knowledgeable instructor who took extra time after class to discuss any questions we had, and also shared her contact info for any other questions that may arise after leaving. I recommend this class to anyone looking for childbirth education - my husband and I feel more...

We were very happy with our BDP experience. We took 3 of their classes, the weekend intensive class re what to expect for labor and delivery, the newborn care and breastfeeding class and the infant CPR class. All of the instructors were professional and knowledgeable, and my husband and I came away feeling more confident, and armed with a list of questions to ask our practitioner, as well as a better understanding of what we could and could not control come delivery time. The classes were also relatively small, which helps ensure your questions and concerns are dealt with. I highly recommend BDP...