Blossom Birth Services

This place is amazing. They offer a ton of classes to choose from. They also have a little shop if you need a few lightly used baby items. If you’ve got any supplies you no longer need, consider donating them here! Let’s keep this amazing resource thriving. Check out their website for all of the wonderful classes they offer. If you plan to make an in-​kind donation somewhere consider this business.

We had a very negative experience with Twins Birth and Parenting Preparation class with Sabrina McGrath. The instructor seemed to be unprepared and unsure what to talk about. She neither sent us any fliers nor did she print them out. She promised to send us them later (one of the ladies asked her to do so) during the next couple of days, and she did not retain her promise. Her presentation contained errors, she constantly looked at the clock asking us when we finish the class! The worst thing is that there WAS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING about TWINS! The class provided some general information regarding what to eat during pregnancy and how to take care of yourself. Go to PAMF for an introductory class like this! We paid $ 69 for it and learnt NOTHING about twins birth and parenting. That was very disappointing. There were 3 couples who expected twins, they shared some valuable information, and that was the only benefit of wasting your time and money. Overall, I do not recommend this class because you don’t get anything for the price that you pay.

Blossom is a wonderful resource. I took pre-​natal yoga, mom & baby yoga, family yoga, baby sign language, breast feeding basics, and newborn care classes all through Blossom. All of their classes are taught by very knowledgeable and caring people, and their facilities are great. I’ve bought so many clothes for my son at the Beanstalk, and the quarterly rummage sales have great deals.
I really can’t say enough good things about this organization. In the middle of hyper-​expensive Palo Alto, I feel like this is a little oasis of sanity for pregnancy, birth, and baby information.

An incredible resource for pregnant and new moms. An amazing gift to the entire community.

Wonderful resource for the community! I loved classes with Hillary, so nurturing and calm. We also learned a lot from the infant CPR classes and our baby enjoyed the Music Together here. Agree with other reviewers that the quality of some of their classes can be hit or miss, but overall I am so grateful for this resource. Mona does tremendous work in sustaining this as a community for new and expecting parents.

We feel lucky to have had a place like Blossom Birth in the area. It was definitely worth our time to take their natural childbirth prep class, but the most important influence for my natural birth was yoga instructor Veronica Agosta. Her prenatal class prepared me mentally and physically. As a fellow runner, she helped me think of the entire process as a marathon. I got to the finish line because of all the mind and body training.
I also enjoyed Veronica and Hillary’s mom & baby yoga class, as well as Sarah Harding Traverso’s postpartum fitness class. There are infinite resources at Blossom to support new parents and new babies!

A wonderful resource for new moms. I had a clash with a staff member but we worked it all out, and to their credit, they made sure I felt heard and understood, which is really all anyone wants, right???

We did not have a good experience with the Comfort Measures class. We specifically took the class at Blossom because we were told (by an employee) that the classes were kid-​friendly. We arrived at the class with our toddler and the reaction from the teacher was very negative (she asked why we thought it was OK to bring our daughter and seemed very taken aback); she polled the class to see if everyone was OK with our child being with us. The other students were very friendly and welcomed us, but we offered to leave. We ended up staying for 3 of the 4 hours of the class and did get some useful information, while of course trying to keep our kid as quiet as humanly possible for a toddler.
The problem was simply that we were told kids were welcome, and it turned out they weren’t. But the disapproval we got from the teacher made us feel terrible, and there was no way we could fully take in the content of relaxation techniques.
To the teacher’s credit, she did reach out to us later in the class and assured us that it was OK that we were there, but by then we felt too out of place.
Clarity on their policy of bringing children to classes would have prevented this problem, and a very stressful day for us.

Now on my second child, I bought a three month pass, and this review is specifically for the magic that is Michelle, the lactation consultant who has a group 1x per week.
So I first attended the nursing/​lactation support group because I was told by a pediatric advice nurse that my son had symptoms of reflux. I thought to check this against a lactation consultant. Lo and behold, Michelle had me nurse him in front of her, took one look at my sputtering son and quickly pointed out that I was «firehosing» the baby with a fast let-​down! So, she eliminated those symptoms immediately with a few practice tips.
Later, I needed to start pumping for work but was only able to get 1oz at a time! First, Michelle looked at my breastpumps — yes, I hauled them in, multiple pumps, plugged them in, and she watched me operate. Immediately she saw that the phlange size was incorrect, and gave me a shopping list of parts. The hilarious part was where I flashed her, she squinted her bionic lactation consultant eyes and sized me at a glance: _​_​_​_​mm, I needed size _​_​_​phlanges; important super power for a lactation consultant!
OK, so now that I had selected my most powerful pump with her help, and had all the right parts, I was now able to pump 2oz at a time. So I returned to her group, worried about how I’d manage to pump enough for my son to be fed for the 10 hours I’m away from him each day. Now, Michelle gave me a list of galactagogues to use to increase my supply while working. I wrote them down, followed them to a T — even though the brands recommended were a little tough to come by (and none sold by Blossom — she has no commercial interest in her recommendations). She doesn’t just tell you «pop fenugreek», she will recommend a brand or two, and based on the brand of a product you’re using she’ll adjust her recommended dose. Well, within 2 weeks of following her recommendations, I was pumping 4−6oz every 3 hours! Now into my sixth week back at work, I pump between 10−16oz to send with my son to daycare, depending on my water intake and stress levels.
Although I am working, I’m able to continue breastfeeding my son and hopefully for the full year. This review is my huge thank you to Michelle for helping me feed my son, and overcome the new obstacles and challenges I had this second-​time around! She’s a gem, ladies — don’t hesitate to attend the lactation group, even if you’re an experienced pro

I’ve had very mixed experiences here. As a soon-​to-​be dad, my wife and I have taken multiple classes here. I had a really good experience at the «Dads’ Labor Prep» class, but a very poor experience at the «Childbirth Prep Intensive» class.
I’ll first complement the Dads’ Labor Prep class. It was very informative, well-​balanced, and non-​judgemental (aspects that are part of Blossom’s mission and initially drew us in the first place). The instructor (who was a teacher by profession) was clearly unbiased in his discussion of all types of labor situations — home births, epidurals, Cesarean births, etc. He gave us a great overview of how we could best support our birth partners during labor — pain coping techniques, ways of helping manage the room/​people/​atmosphere, and what to expect overall.
(Here’s one concrete example of the non-​judgemental nature of instruction: he made it clear that despite the incoming birth plan, Cesarean births may happen some fraction of the time for medical reasons, like fetal distress — so it’s important to realize that they are still a birthing process (so we should use the term «Cesarean birth» rather than «C-​section»), the mother should still be feel a connection to the birthing process, and there’s no reason to attach a stigma to it.)
The reason for the two-​star review is another class I took, the «Childbirth Prep Intensive» class. This class was led by a Doula. At the onset the class was billed as unbiased, evidence-​based, and intending to help new parents understand risks and make informed decisions. Yet the class was loaded with fear-​mongering and misinformation. The instructor had a clear bias towards vaginal delivery (which won’t work out for everybody) and a bias against hospitals. Many times she reiterated the «dangers» and «risks» of epidurals. Yet for each issue she mentioned, she was unable to give any specific risk probability (even estimated) to help us know how concerned we should be about each factor. This was especially concerning given more than half of the audience clearly stated they were planning on having epidurals.
She gave us several techniques and suggestions without being able to give us specific evidence that they work (e.g. «I’ve seen perineal massage work great for so many mothers»). She said many things that were simply untrue when we consulted our doctor («most hospitals won’t let you eat during labor» and «if antibiotics are needed, they will have to start them 8 hours before delivery»). In each case she played up the negatives of the hospital /​medical delivery process, and the positives of the non-​institutionalized process.
From a technical standpoint, this was also a six-​hour class, but most of the time was spent with the instructor reading from a folder (which we couldn’t see), rather than putting up slides or something that would’ve been easier to follow.
In the end I was very disappointed with that class, and left feeling like we paid for a 6-​hour sales pitch for labor and postpartum doulas. Some of the information was helpful, especially a few videos she showed that were much less biased and gave us a realistic picture of the hospital labor/​delivery process.
Just want to make sure everyone gets a clearer picture of the classes one might pay for here.

we spent lots of time here in preparation for our baby! we took the prenatal class with lori, who was great, and made it a fun as well as informative class. she took the time to field questions out of left field (from my wife, mainly) and even answered questions by email. she truly loves her job and it shows. we also had the infant care class which was very good. we liked our teacher too altho that class was just a half day thing so we didn’t get to know everybody quite as well. prices are pretty reasonable.
we’ve also attended the rummage sale and the bean stalk and found them to offer things we needed. great location on california st.
my wife participated in the prenatal yoga and really liked that.

I have attended two things here. One of them was great and the other was best avoided hence the lower rating.
1) The prenatal yoga classes were awesome. The instructors were informative and being able to connect to other pregnant women was great. Of all the instructors I liked Tanya the most.
2) The breast feeding class I took hardly gave me any information. In fact the instructor was very cynical if I asked any formula feeding questions. I have exclusively breast fed my baby till now (5 months) but in preparation I would have expected some response. What I didnt like was the misinformation given out in the class. The instructor said that the only difference between organic and non-​organic formula was the sugar. That only the sugar was organic. While thats completely wrong. The cow’s milk used in making formula comes from organic milk. Its one thing to act cynical about formula feeding but to give away wrong information is in my opinion a red flag. Blossom seems to be a great place and I hope that they would screen the instructors who teach at their place.

Blossom seriously saved my sanity during the initial postpartum period. I really struggled with the transition to motherhood in the first few weeks after having my daughter, and even though I thought I never would be «one of those» moms who needed a support group, I decided to attend the 0 – 6 month group out of desperation. That group embraced me immediately, and comforted me through my tears and fears. Eva, the facilitator, is incredibly skilled and non-​judgmental (she also leads the postpartum moods/​disorders group).
I also attended the breastfeeding support group. The lactation consultants (Michelle and Audrey) were not only fantastic for troubleshooting, but also for continuing to reinforce my confidence in taking care of my child.
I also took an infant massage class here, which was great.
Blossom is a fantastic, SAFE space for parents (you can hang out as long as you want as long as the rooms aren’t being used, and even then, people don’t seem to mind if you’re «crashing» their group). I am saddened that since I have returned to work, I am no longer able to attend regularly, but hope to take a few classes or come to their special events in the future.

I love this place.
They propose a lot pre and post natal classes: Yoga, childbirth preparation, breastfeeding, «doulas’ nights» and so much more.
I am currently taking prenatal Yoga and the instructors are really nice and great. They know what they are doing and have a lot of great tips and experience to share related to pregnancy, labor, birth.
I would definitely recommend this place to all expecting mums (first timers or not). Yoga does help me a lot to alleviate some pains, stretch and relax.

I’m writing this review purely for the pre-​natal yoga classes. i’ve taken classes taught by Michelle, Hilary, Jackie & Veronica. They all have slightly different styles but I thought they were all great. The classes starts with a round of sharing by all the moms about what they are going through, and if they are any trouble areas. The intstructors then focus the class on a problem area if many moms are experiencing it. I’ve never done yoga prior to this but was able to ease into it. I see how it can be extremely beneficial for child birth since they really tailor the flows and poses to the areas that we need it most.
The facility itself is adequate although mirrors would be nice. They do have sufficient props available so that’s good as well. The unlimited monthly plan for $ 99 is quite an incredible deal. I’m going to do it when I go on maternity leave and plan to go every day if I can. it’s probably the only place that offers a pre-​natal yoga class every day!

I went to their Pre-​natal yoga class this afternoon and it was an ok experience. I did not like the fact that they did not focus on pelvic floor exercises and the class seemed rushed. It would be to their advantage as well to purchase some white bolsters too and actually use the block that they have available. May not go back for these classes.

This review is only for Blossom Beanstalk, their little store that sells gently used, donated clothing for newborn-​3T. They have a decent selection, all in pretty good condition, with easy pricing: $ 3 for any item, or $ 10 for any 4 items. There are also shoes, hats, bibs, etc starting at $ 1. Not a bad way to stock up cheaply. Plenty of Gap, Carter’s, and other common brands, and even a few items with original tags still attached.
The store is only open M-​F 10am-​2pm.
More info at

I was about to pen my review and then read the 12÷17÷10 review by S.M. and I couldn’t have said it better! I feel the EXACT same way with regards to the «negatives» (ie «The birthing class was extremely alienating for participants who were skeptical of «Business of Being Born”-type propaganda. And, yes, the way this class was structured and taught made me feel as if I were in some Huxleyan reprogramming class. Personal anecdotes and ideology were always presented over fact-​based scientific evidence.»).
I’m an older educated mom (35) with a JD and PhD and could not believe the lack of scientific/​medical information provided in the childbirthing class I attended. Granted, it was the instructor’s first class, but it really seemed like they are much more interested in furthering an anti-​hospital agenda than providing information with which mothers can make informed choices. I can’t think of 1 thing I learned in that class that I didn’t already know, and the prices are way too steep for that. BTW our instructor ended up giving birth in a hospital and acted like it was the worst thing that could ever have happened. Which was weird considering her beautiful healthy baby boy was there with her through the whole class…
I also attended several classes with my baby after he was born. At this point you should know that breastfeeding wasn’t successful for us, despite numerous consultations with lactation specialists, la leche league, etc. So I pump all his milk and he drinks it out of a bottle. WELL, you should’ve seen the faces of the women and instructors at blossom when I pulled a bottle out of my diaper bag… horrified is an understatement. A normally self-​assured person, I couldn’t believe I found myself feeling the need to explain what was going on and reassuring everyone that it was indeed breastmilk in the bottle. Needless to say I didn’t feel any sort of connection with the fellow blossom-​goers. Just wanted to put that out there to save other women like me time, money, and emotional energy.

Blossom Birth has been a great resource for parent education on breastfeeding, babywearing, and a wonderful staff to facilitate groups
It’s a great non profit organization for parents I went to other programs in the area after I gave birth to my son and found Blossom to be down to earth — very supportive, and I immediately felt comfortable there. I attended the 0 – 6 month Parent/​Baby group and was immediately embraced by other Moms. It was nice to listen to other moms’ experiences and it helped a lot on getting questions answered about what to do with a newborn and also just a great emotional support too.
My husband and I attend the Breastfeeding class. And I’ve also attended the Baby Story time, Slings and Things, and a new group that just started on Elimination Communication. Now as I look at my work schedule… I’m trying to leave a day open so that I can actually make it to some weekly groups at Blossom Birth.

I found out about Blossom when I was searching for Newborn Care classes in the area. I’m so glad I did! They offer a variety of pre and post natal classes as well as a really supportive community and network of new moms.
I attended the newborn care class here as well as «surviving the first 6 weeks» a workshop to help you and your partner prepare mentally for the new adventure of bringing a baby into the world. Now that I have a small baby, I attend the 0 – 6 months parents group as well as the breastfeeding support group.
All the facilitators and teachers are incredibly experienced and knowledgeable as well as being empathetic and caring. I particularly cherish the advice I have had from Cindy who facilitates the breastfeeding support group. If you are new to breastfeeding, I encourage you to go along to the group and pick up some tips.
Before I went to Blossom I was concerned that they may be a little too ‘alternative’ for me but this was certainly not the case. In fact, what I have found is that they are extremely supportive of whatever way you choose to live your life and bring up your child.