Yelp Reviews of Heather

5 stars- 6/6/2011 by Vera B.

We took childbirth preparation series with Heather as well as Baby Prep class at Blossom Birth with Heather and they were both outstanding. I learn much better in a class environment rather than doing research on my own and Heather is wonderful. Not only she provides comprehensive information during the class but he also has enormous amount of information available on her website that you can refer to after the class.

I went into the childbirth prep series with minimal knowledge of what is going to happen and being pretty freaked out by the idea of labor to be honest but now I am actually looking forward to it! I have friends who had completely different experiences with childbirth classes and left scared rather than excited about giving birth, so I couldn’t be happier. Heather’s approach is very informative and empowering – if you believe that women are meant to give birth, she is the right instructor for you.

I had a similar experience with baby prep – after 4 hours packed with information I feel that I know the basics. Still a lot to figure out about specific types of blankets, etc but I’m pretty sure I’d manage if I were to bring a baby home tomorrow.

My husband, who tends to be skeptical about advanced preparation for something “this natural” also thoroughly enjoyed both classes and now he just cannot wait to practice his new baby care skills on the actual baby.

5 stars- 5/29/2011 by Melanie L.

My hubby and I took Heather ‘s childbirth prep course which was great. Lots of information, plus she makes it interesting with hands on techniques and practice. My favorite part was the actual practice sessions where our partners were made to massage us, rub our backs and necks, and look lovingly into our eyes!
Heather has such a calm, caring presence about her; she gives you lots of tips and up-to-date statistics. She really knows her stuff, but at the same time seems very open to learning new things.
I highly recommend her childbirth prep series.

5 stars- 4/11/2011 by Karla S.

My husband and I took a childbirth preparation class with Heather.  She is extremely knowledgeable and has a comfortable and confident teaching style.  She takes as much time as needed to answer questions and review things with you.  Her website has an invaluable wealth of information for pregnancy, birth and postpartum and she also makes herself availalbe to answer questions via email and provides detailed and fast responses.  Heather is an amazing resource within the community.  I highly recommend any of Heather’s classes.

5 stars- 4/15/2011 by Marcellina T.

Last weekend, my husband and I just completed a 3-day childbirth prep class with Heather at Los Alto’s Physiofit…  She is thorough, well-prepared, knowledgeable and clearly very passionate about the subject!  We also took a separate baby-care class with her, over at Blossom Birth, in Palo Alto, which was also a great wealth of information.

I would highly recommend taking any course with Heather, and agree with the previous review that she makes herself readily available via email, answers questions freely and easily, and has a TON of information on her website: http://www.birthlore.com.

5 stars- 4/6/2011 by Vanessa N.

My husband and I were very happy with Heather Ward’s Birth Preparation class.  Heather presents a wealth of information but in an easy to digest and interactive forum.  Her teaching style is a blend of theory and practice which we found helpful.  Most of all she is a wonderful resource and creates a comfortable and fun environment for the class.  She loves what she does and it shows.

5 stars- 3/11/2011by Vidya M.

I’m surprised to see that Heather has just one review on yelp – come on people she deserves more!

We took childbirth classes with her and we left with that ‘we can handle it’ feeling. What I really like about her is that she obviously spends time researching and staying on top things. She is definitely well informed and does a good job in passing on the information. Also, the class is paced well and you never feel too tired or bored or overwhelmed. We still haven’t had our baby but we do feel better prepared and I’m sure that makes a big difference!
I would highly recommend her.

5 stars- 5/6/2011 by Irene S.

Last weekend, my husband and I took the “Childbirth Refresher” class with Heather Ward at Blossom Birth in Palo Alto.  This was our second class at Blossom Birth, and the first one we took with Heather.  After this class, I have a lot more confidence that I will be able to go through the natural birth process, which is what I was hoping for.
Heather is absolutely great – she goes through any part of the labor process that you’re interested in, she presents material in an easy to follow way, very thorough, answers any questions you may have, she is extremely knowledgeable.  I can go on and on, but, in summary – I highly recommend Heather for any class around childbirth or sibling preparation (we spoke about that in class as well).  I’m very satisfied with this class and the value that it has brought.  If anyone is interested in a natural birth, or, to get prepared for the childbirth experience – I recommend taking a class with Heather and also checking out her web site: http://www.birthlore.com.

5 stars- 3/30/2011 by R.D.

We attended Heather’s 6 hours Child Birth Prep class at Blossom Birth Center in Palo Alto. . She is very  knowledgeable and is up to date on the latest research. She taught useful and effective techniques and made me feel very comfortable. I came into it feeling scared, and after the class I thought, birth– its doable!

5 Stars- 2/2/2011by Preeti K.

My husband and I attended Heather’s (midwife centric) childbirth preparation class and her Newborn care class. Heather is a very engaging teacher and both classes were of really high quality. She is very knowledgable and her handouts have a plethora of information. We left the class feeling well informed and confident. We highly recommend her classes.

Email Reviews/ Thank You Letters

By J.K. March 2010

Hi Heather,

Thank you! Thank you so much for the amazing classes that helped prepare us for labor and taking care or our precious baby! Thank you for your amazing energy, incredible support for me and M. all 18 hours of labor, and learning to breastfeed! I could not have done any  of it without you. I had no idea what I needed to know and needed to do to have an amazing birth and your help was priceless. You even sold M., he is telling everyone who is pregnant to take your classes and hire a doula.

Love JK, MK, and LK

By Julie  September 2009

Luke and I just wanted to say thank you again for your help! After Jasmine was born it was such a whirl wind that we hardly had time to think. We could not have made it through that birth and postpartum without your calm presence and expertise. The moment we found out we were pregnant again we had no doubt we wanted to hire you again. Your ability to keep me calm even though I was feeling so unsure for this fast and furious birth was exactly what I needed. Your help in preparing Jasmine for wee Jasper was great too. We are almost sad that we are not having any more children, just so we can have you around!

By Liza S. August 2008

Heather Ward is a SUPER doula and we couldn’t have done a natural
delivery for our 10lbs 4oz daughter without her support!

Her prenatal care was amazing:
She took her time during our appointments, really getting to know me
and my husband – asking us some hard and deep questions that allowed
all 3 of us to learn how we wanted to birth this baby. She wouldn’t
leave until all our questions were answered and we were feeling good
about the techniques/info she covered, and she was quick to return any
emails sent between appointments.

When she says call anytime, she means it:
Just after hitting term we had a scare one Sunday and Heather put her
life on hold and met us at the Hospital to make sure all went well and
that me and the baby were OK… and we were !

Birthing my way:
Heather empowered me to birth my way and allowed me to have the
birthing experience I wanted even though things didn’t go as planned -
we had to go to Hospital asap due to meconium in the waters and also
then had only 18 hours to birth (to avoid the NICU). We started by
walking the halls, then we used a TENS machine,  in different positions all over the
room, and as I moved into Transition we went into the bath where
Heather or my husband sprayed my belly with water during each
contraction and we stayed there until it was time to push. During the
2.5 hours of pushing, Heather had us slow dancing, on a birth ball,
and then when I got into bed and Lin had us use the rubber rings for
the final pushes, Heather held one of my legs. It was AMAZING! During
Labor Heather also made sure that Hospital staff didn’t do anything
that would not support me or our birthplan.

After Lola arrived:
After sharing hugs and tears and congrats, Heather made sure
breastfeeding was going well and then headed home after a job VERY
well done. She visited us the next day, bringing with her a keepsake
newspaper from my daughter’s birthday and a CD of the amazing and
beautiful photos she took during our birth. Our final postpartum
visit was just last week and Heather gave me some great resources for
dealing with all that has come up and a huge vote of confidence.

Heather, THANK YOU for all that you are and all that you do! You are
an invaluable resource for this community and a dear friend, you will
forever be part of our family!!!