Boston Prenatal Massage and Hypnobirth

After having a breech baby / transverse baby for 2 wks. I was referred to Bonnie by my doula. Bonnie and I chatted via phone over the weekend on a Saturday night and then she got me in Monday afternoon ASAP for an apt. at her home studio.

Bonnie has magic hands and actually massaged my belly which felt amazing. We talked to baby a little bit and she also showed me every move from spinning babies (the ironing board one) along with doing some other gentle sways of the hips. Bonnie encouraged me to swim - literally lay on a kick board at a pool and just allow my abs to relax.

I went in for my ECV procedure 2 days later and low in behold... baby flipped! I did everything Bonnie suggested (which did require me to sneak in a hotel pool to find a pool!) and I am so grateful I got in with her.

Breech / transverse babies are tough and they also require radical acceptance that you may need a C-section but also a commitment and determination to flip the babe. YOU CAN DO IT!

Go to Bonnie! She is amazing.

~Tamara

We had a fabulous birth experience, all thanks to Bonnie. When I ended up being induced, I was expecting to labor for 24+ hours as a first-time mother. Thanks to Bonnie's guidance, our total time from induction to delivery was 12 hours, and the birth was one of the most empowering and joyous experiences of my life. Bonnie is a wonderful advocate and we couldn't recommend her more strongly as a doula!

Deciding to work with Bonnie was one of the best decisions we could have made to ensure that I achieved a vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC). Bonnie has loads of experience and helped me feel confident that together we could make it happen. She was available for any questions and support leading up to the birth so I knew that no matter what came up she would calmly know what to do. Once I went into labor Bonnie came over quickly and helped me get through to active labor, then we traveled to the hospital together (I was so relieved to have her help in the car!) and once we arrived at the hospital she helped me and my husband advocate for the birth experience that we wanted. Bonnie knows how to navigate the hospital system very politely but is also insistent on getting the Mother what she needs. I feel so grateful that we were able to work with Bonnie!

We asked Bonnie to be a part of our birth journey as our Doula after speaking with several different Doulas. After meeting her, we knew she was the right birth partner for us - Bonnie is extremely knowledgeable, thoughtful, and supportive, and we knew that her experience with Hypnobirthing, Spinning Babies, and Shiatsu massage would be invaluable to us as we prepared mentally & physically for a natural birth.

Throughout the pregnancy and leading up to the labor and birth of our baby, Bonnie was always available to help us, and every time we spoke with her, we were so thankful we had chosen her as our Doula. She always brought recommendations & insights that we wouldn't have been aware of as first-time parents, and when we were recommended a medical induction when an unexpected circumstance came up, she was there with us every step of the way to aid us in our decision-making process; helping us have all of the information we needed to make our decision, and respecting the choices we made.

I recommend Bonnie as a Doula to all expecting parents - we initially thought we didn't need a Doula, but after meeting Bonnie we had changed our minds. I am so thankful we did and that we had her as a birth partner, as I was able to have the birth I always dreamed of having, and Bonnie was such a large part of our story in helping us make that a reality. Thank you so much Bonnie - we certainly could not have done it without you!

Outstanding! My wife went into premature labor unexpectedly and had to go to the hospital where there was lots of commotion and energy in the labor room. Bonnie arrived like a night in shining armor and completely shifted the energy in the room and my wife's state. She set a calming, supportive environment through lights, music, massage and gentle but confident coaching. My wife had the natural birth she had hoped for and I truly don't think this could have happened without Bonnie's wisdom and calm, guiding presence. She worked wonderfully with the medical staff at the hospital to advocate for my wife's wishes while balancing safety and inputs from the medical team. Several of the nurses remarked on how easy she was to work with as a Doula and how much everyone enjoyed the way everything evolved. 5 stars and really don't know what we would have done without her. Bonnie is GREAT at what she does and I can't recommend her highly enough!

I thought for a long time whether I should write this review, as Bonnie has already apologized to me and issued a refund. I accepted her apology as genuine, but decided to write the review in the end because several people encouraged me to write it so that this does not happen to anyone else, and I do believe impact matters more than intent. This will be a long review, as I wrote it the day after the incident took place, but waited a month to edit it to make sure my emotions were not still running high. I also wrote almost all of this in an email to Bonnie the day after my appointment, so it will not come as a surprise to her.

I went for my first ever prenatal massage, a birthday gift from my mom, on 9/15. From the moment I entered, Bonnie said that my belly was too big. She said this repeatedly, at one point claiming she was "not a body shamer" but that she had seen hundreds of pregnant women, and mine was the largest belly she had seen at 22 weeks. She further said, "When I see a belly like that, I immediately think gestational diabetes." Besides the fact that she is not my doctor and has no right to make a diagnosis, I am active, was not overweight pre-pregnancy, and everyone in my family carries our pregnancy weight the way I do. Bonnie then asked me to tell her exactly what I ate every day, and when I was vague about it (because I wanted to get to the massage, and because she was not my nutritionist or my doctor and I didn't see why she needed a detailed breakdown of what I ate) she told me I probably ate a lot of carbs and needed to cut them out. When I kept looking for reassurance--asking if it was okay that I had a larger belly, suggesting that it was because I had just eaten a meal and my belly did look larger as the day went on--she refused to give me any, instead continuing to insist that my belly was abnormally large.

I have recounted this experience to several friends and family, my OB, my nutritionist and other providers. They all uniformly reacted in horror and indignation that anyone would say these things to me, let alone someone trained as a doula. If you're reading this and you think these are acceptable things to say to a pregnant woman, then feel free to discount my entire review.

At this point, I was feeling horrible about myself and my body, and downright fearful for my baby. Bonnie then asked me about my birth plan. I did not yet have one, preferring to be flexible. She disagreed with me, and with my choice to birth at Brigham with an OB. She told me that Brigham was mostly for high-risk cases and had a 30% C-section rate, while her 2 preferred hospitals had a 13% C-section rate. (As an aside--of course a hospital that deals with more high-risk cases would have a higher C-section rate. This doesn't mean that a low-risk woman entering said hospital faces a higher chance of a C-section!) When she concluded by telling me I had made wrong choice to birth at Brigham with an OB, I broke down crying and she could not understand why. She honestly asked me if it was something she had said. I left without getting a massage, and I am proud of myself for leaving, despite her attempts to get me to stay.

Four weeks on, I am still feeling very self-conscious about my body, but more importantly, I have spent the last month scared of having a condition that would harm my baby and make my pregnancy high-risk. I've been terrified of making the wrong nutritional decisions and have been second-guessing everything I eat, even though my nutritionist has assured me that my diet is good. My nutritionist told me she wishes I had never met Bonnie, and I agree. Bonnie told me that she was an expert in two things: "birthing and Boston." Even though I knew then and know now that she is not a medical professional and had no right at all to proclaim that I was going to develop gestational diabetes (something no one can tell by looking at someone), this was a scary thing to hear from someone who was also presenting themselves as an authority on pregnancy.

This has had a lasting impact on me. It has changed the whole tenor of my pregnancy.The apology Bonnie wrote me seemed heartfelt and I did appreciate it, but I wanted to write this anyway, as I do not think this was not a small thing to do to someone and I am not positive she understands how damaging her comments were or how hard they have been for me to shake. I hope she learns from this and never comments on what another pregnant woman's body looks like again--or offers an amateur diagnosis on a serious medical condition--as I would hate for another woman to feel like this. I truly was only looking for a massage.

I first visited Bonnie for a massage at the beginning of my second trimester earlier this year. Her space was cozy and comfortable and her massage was exactly what my body needed. After a rough first trimester, I was dying for a gentle but strong massage and it really hit the spot! I unfortunately couldn't see her again until late in my third trimester due to Covid-19 but left that session so much more relaxed. The constant headache basically went away and a lot of built up tension was released throughout my body after just one visit.

After seeing her that day, my husband and I decided to hire Bonnie as our birth doula and we were so happy to have had the opportunity to have her by our side for the birth of our second son. Her presence was so calming and there is absolutely no way I would have made it through without her. She knew exactly when and where to massage and apply counter pressure, and provided constant reminders to breathe and relax into contractions. Throughout labor, she suggested different techniques and positions to help me cope with the pain and pressure. Thanks to Bonnie, I was able to stick to my goal of avoiding any form of medical intervention and best of all, my husband was able to remain calm and confident and provide me with the support I needed from him. If I can convince my husband to have a third, first thing I'll do is call up Bonnie!

Bonnie was an excellent doula for us. Even though we hired her pretty last minute she very quickly orientated us and helped us prepare for our birth. During the labor she and my husband tag teamed to help me and throughout the entire 14 hour labor she was so on top of it. I don't know what I would've done without her to help manage the pain. She was awesome and we're so grateful to her!

I have an auto-immune disease, so inflammation happens in my spine that causes ton of pain often. Apart from my rheumatologist, I've been relying on my blair chiropractor regularly to manage my pain for past two years. However just recently, my right side hip, lower back, and right leg were hurting a lot and chiropractic visits weren't helping for some reason. Very unusual. I couldn't put my weight on the right side for over 3 weeks. So I decided to give Bonnie a try wondering if massage therapy would help.

Bonnie asked good questions regard to my condition and gave me some good thoughts and warnings on how deep-tissue massage could actually bruise inflamed areas if not careful. She had very good knowledge about it, so I felt very good about the visit.

My lower back was in a lot of pain and very sensitive to touch, so I wondered how I'll feel afterward. Bonnie knew exactly where to put more pressure and where not to. I walked out feeling so much better. I was able to put my weight on the right side again without feeling pain. I slept so well that night, which I needed because I haven't been able to sleep due to back issue. I look forward to going back to get treated again soon.

Bonnie was the absolute best doula I could have asked for during the birth of my second child. She is a genuine person who is passionate about what she does, and sincerely cares about helping you achieve your best possible birth experience. She put so much time and effort into educating and getting to know me and my husband while I was pregnant, and when I went into labor, she was a true advocate for me in the labor & delivery room. She is well-versed in hypnobirthing and spinning babies techniques, and bonus, she is a massage therapist and gives the best prenatal massages! Bonnie is now a friend for life, and if I end up going for baby #3, Bonnie will 100% be my go-to.