Labor With Love

Atoosa is amazing. We took her class at the Pump Station in 2008, when we were expecting our first, and wound up asking her to be our doula then and then again in 2010 for our second! She helped me in so many ways, and simply has the most caring, reassuring energy imaginable. She’s lovely.

Atoosa was my doula for the birth of my daughter and she was a dream come true! I interviewed many doulas and no one seemed to fit what I was looking for. I had gone through labor and childbirth 2 years before with my son so I was very clear as to what I was looking for in a doula.
Someone suggested I meet with Atoosa because she taught a wonderful childbirth education class. As soon as I met her I knew she was the one. She is incredibly calm and caring and I felt as if I had known her for years. My husband felt the same way and we were comfortable with her right from the start. She was always available for me whenever I had a concern or a question. She helped to mentally prepare me for the birth I had always hoped for and was exactly what I needed during the most difficult parts of labor. Thanks to Atoosa and my husband I was able to experience the beautiful natural birth I have always wanted. In fact Atoosa had me journal what my ideal birth would look like and it went almost exactly as I had envisioned it. The relaxation techniques and mantras we practiced along her with calm and peaceful presence helped me through the most difficult moments during labor.
I realize that finding the right doula is a such a personal thing but I can’t imagine finding anyone more perfect than Atoosa! She will always hold a very special place in my heart.

Take this class! You will be so happy you did. No need to look for another instructor, either. Atoosa is beyond an amazing instructor. I feel like I have gained a friend, someone who sincerely cares about me, my wife and my baby girl.
My wife and I enrolled in Atoosa’s Bradley class hoping to become as prepared as possible for the upcoming birth of our first child. By the 2^nd or 3^rd class, we were hooked. Atoosa has a tremendous knowledge base and experience level. But she also has a obvious passion for what she does, which translates into informative yet interesting/​exciting classes. My wife and I actually looked forward to our weekly 2.5 hour classes, which always seemed to go by fast. (in fact, we missed the last 2 classes because our little girl decided to enter the world several weeks before expected… we were bummed we missed the final 2 classes). After each class, we felt a little more confident in the labor process, the tools we needed to succeed, how to advocate for the birth experience we envisioned, and had a growing peace of mind that we were ready for our baby to arrive.
Besides the labor process, Atoosa helped my wife and I make other important decisions. She offered her insight and recommendations regarding different/​local hospitals, specific doctors, pediatricians, and other health care professionals that would be helpful for our specific interests/​concerns/​complications/​etc… She was such a tremendous help every step of the way… and continues to be a wonderful resource weeks after our baby was born as I write this review.
The single most thing I would say about Atoosa and her class is that I am THANKFUL. I am thankful for the knowledge I gained, thankful for the peace of mind i found, thankful for the extra care/​attention she gave when my wife and I needed it most, thankful for the friends we made in class, thankful for the friend we now have in her, and thankful for the readiness we achieved by attending her class.
Our birth story, in the end, did not go as we had planned/envisioned…a crazy tornado of events occurred in a very short period of time, resulting in an emergency c-​section. However, Atoosa’s classes had prepared us so well that even in a chaotic situation, we were able to relax, think clearly, and make important and well-​informed decisions.
We will always be grateful for Atoosa.
Do yourself a huge service and enroll in her class.

We took two classes with «Labor With Love» prior to the birth of our daughter — and were so glad that we did! The groundwork of knowledge which Atoosa gave us was essential — and, whilst we had planned (and trained) for a natural birth, she made sure we had the tools and information to handle other eventualities too (which was very useful for us!).
Atoosa is not only lovely to be with — but she is knowledgeable, experienced, open and very professional about all aspects of her work. She was patient with our ‘rookie’ questions — and always took time to listen and explain as needed.
Through her experience she provides (discreetly of course!) perspectives on many situations she has seen in the birthplace. She shares knowledge of local hospitals/​doctors — and provides recommended contacts where possible; both from her experience as a doula/​educator — and also as a mother.
We took the «Childbirth Preparation» and «Breastfeeding» classes as private lessons at our home. Her classes not only include visual prompts/​props and easy-​to-​understand posters; but you are also encouraged to do some ‘homework’ (e.g. specific reading, or dietary research) to help keep you on track with nutrition and knowledge.
I would 100% recommend her to anyone needing support and preparation for childbirth and beyond. Thank you Atoosa!

I am a scientist. I come from a family of doctors. In general, I am trusting of doctors and hospitals. I was (and still am) under the impression that as far as procedures that happen in the hospital, birth is a very safe one that is well understood. I figured that people have been birthing for about 50,000 years, it is a well known process.
When my wife came to me and told me she wanted to take a natural childbirth class that involved 12 two and a half hour classes, I thought she was insane. I spoke to some father friends of mine and they thought this sounded insane as well. I figured that in 30 hours of training, instead of going to the hospital to give birth, we could go to the hospital and help others give birth. Nonetheless, I love my wife, and she was definite that this was important to her. So, despite my misgivings, I agreed to take Atoosa’s class.
Of course, (and this is not easy for me to say), I could not have been more wrong. Preparing for the birth of our baby was not just about getting through the day when my baby boy was born. The trick was that the preparing was about my wife and I learning about communicating and learning more about each other. I learned about her desires for birth, but also for raising our child. I learned about ways to make her feel relaxed. I learned to ask her for guidance to help her without feeling judged. She learned to ask for help. We learned to advocate for ourselves in a medical setting. The list goes on and on. This class is not just about labor and delivery, it is about couples working together as a team.
It was my wifes desire to have a natural unmedicated childbirth. While this is our choice, Atoosa makes it clear in class that while the Bradley method tends to be extreme in pushing for unmedicated birth, there are many appropriate ways to give birth, and it is important for each couple to find the right choice for themselves.
We were successful in having a beautiful unmedicated birth. There was no c-​section, no pitocin, no epidural and no other medications. Part of this is due to the luck of having an uncomplicated birth. However, I can say with strong certainty that without the help of this class, we would not have gotten through labor without an epidural at the very least. The techniques we learned helped us to deal with labor one step at a time. It made us aware of what options would be available to us, and what our choices would mean. We learned how to advocate for ourselves and make the birth exactly what we wanted, given that no medical need were to arise. Without the class, we would not have understood what was going on in the hospital and things would have been very different.
Atoosa is well educated, smart, dedicated and caring. She gives you her cell phone number and encourages you to call if you need anything. Just by being around her for a few minutes, you realize that if you have a problem or question related to labor, she will be of tremendous help. Her wisdom and knowledge in the area of child birth is quite amazing. I would recommend not only this class, but using her as a doula as well if you choose that route.
And finally, I would be remiss if I did not point out that the class itself is fun. It is interactive and very interesting. There were things I disagreed with, but Atoosa was open to these alternative points of view and educated on the alternatives as well. If she did not know the answer to something, she would do research and find an answer. The couples in our class have become our own little community. The men have been going out to watch football games and bond over our shared experiences. The women have gone out to dinner to bond similarly. This is the class that keeps on giving.
Thank you Atoosa, this is as good as a learning experience can be.

I’ll start by saying at first I was super sceptic and didn’t think I needed to take a course. I even had my husband tell Atoosa that we were only going to be taking the first half of her course because we were planning a home birth and I didn’t need the information from the second half of the course. Being who she is (super sweet and kind) she accepted. However, it didn’t take her long to win me over. Her class was seriously the best thing I did during my pregnancy!
She made me feel super confident in the process and also taught when I should trust my body and when I should open up to listen to outside advise. She gave all the tools needed for me to feel like I know exactly what i am doing with such an unknown experience. Needless to say I had an amazing birth and I owe most of it to Atoosa’s birthing class.
Bottom line… I tell all my friends and family to go to her. The ones that listened felt the exact same way. I had other friends that decided to go on their own path and take the classes that their insurance companies provided through the hospital and all of them hated it and most of them did not have good birthing experience.
Like I said I did a home birth and found her class to be awesome, but all my friends that used her did hospital births and felt the same way.
Do yourself a your baby a big favor and take her class, maybe even hire her as your doula… you won’t regret it!

Atoosa was the absolute best. We took her 12-​week Bradley Method class at The Pump Station, and we also hired her as our doula. The class was wonderful, but the one-​on-​one with Atoosa we even better! My wife did NOT have a straightforward delivery, and Atoosa made what could have been a traumatic experience the most memorable experience for all the right reasons. We loved Atoosa from the start because she kept our plan in mind, and she obviously teaches Bradley Method so we were trying for a 100% natural birth. But we also trusted Atoosa’s instincts to be practical. After 48-​hours of labor in the hospital with severe contractions, we all agreed it was time for an epidural. Atoosa was our coach, our champion in the hospital, our vote of self confidence, and never left our side. My wife delivered a month early, so we didn’t get the chance to have the two private sessions. Atoosa graciously stopped by post-​pardum on two occasions and we more than made up for it. Not only did we have an amazing doula, we now have a wonderful friend. THANK YOU ATOOSA.

Atoosa really knows her stuff. I felt somewhat informed being an acupuncturist. But my husband wasn’t sure if I was being too liberal in the options that I presented to him. Through Atoosa’s class we grew together as a couple and feel very informed about the process of childbirth. My husband and I both loved the class. If anyone is nervous about the Bradley method you should take Atoosa’s class. She is amazing at presenting all your options and giving you solid evidence based information. I can not recommend her enough!

Three words of advice if you’re an expecting parent, «Take Atoosa’s class!». My husband and I were really late in researching/​signing up for birthing classes, and our midwife recommended Atoosa. We took her Bradley Method class on Monday evenings at the Pump Station. Since our due date was two weeks prior to the final two classes, Atoosa offered to review the material from those two classes (before meeting us or receiving our deposit) halfway through so we wouldn’t miss anything important. And it’s a good thing she did… our bundle of joy decided to enter the world two weeks earlier than our expected due date!
Atoosa clearly loves what she does and is a passionate instructor. Her classes were fun, informative and just overall amazing beyond our expectations. It is clear that she sincerely and deeply cares about each couple and individual that she works with. There was one class where we had a sub because she had to attend a birth (she is also a doula), and her stand-​in was great. however, having another instructor for just that one class really solidified how above and beyond awesome Atoosa is.
If you are considering Atoosa’s classes, I wouldn’t hesitate for a second in giving her a ten star recommendation.

Atoosa Benji was our Bradley teacher and our Dula, and she was incredible. I was hesitant to pay the money for a dula, but it really was the best money I’ve ever spent. Her nature is comforting and calming, she is trustworthy, she is professional, and best of all is ALWAYS there when you need her. She eased my worries leading up to labor and got me through 9.5 cm of unmedicated labor. She was the best, and anyone who takes her class or hires her as her Dula would be lucky! I would recommend her to all my closest prego friends. She has a gift!

My husband and I opted for Atoosa’s private childbirth classes as it was difficult on our schedule to guarantee attendance to the evening ones. From the get go, Atoosa was kind and friendly and we set up three 2 hour sessions.
Atoosa arrived with so many props, handouts and so much knowledge & experience. She takes the time to get to know you and understand what you want from the classes and your delivery. Atoosa is neither for/​against the way you want to deliver, I did not feel judged in anyway (not always the case as people have their own beliefs on how you should deliver), only supported. Atoosa takes you through all possible scenarios and the implications of your decisions. No question is a silly one and as a first time mother I had many questions about the great unknown. She understood that it is how you feel on the day and how you cope. Atoosa listened to what we wanted from our delivery and offered us all of the information around this from coping/​relaxation strategies, pain management (do I/don’t I, and if so, at what stage is best!) and the final push!
Her wealth of knowledge is hugely valuable, we were well informed and every piece of information was highly valuable in the delivery room. When the time came (11 days early) we were both ready and completely aware of what was about to happen which allowed us to stay calm and empowered. We really enjoyed our classes with her and would (have already) highly recommend them.

There are not enough stars or adjectives to describe how Atoosa Benji impacted my two incredible births, my husband and our now growing family (5 year old little boy and 3 year old little girl). Atoosa was our doula with both births, and she is without a doubt, the only reason we had two natural and beautiful child births. No interview or pre-​meeting can prepare you for how incredible Atoosa is in labor and delivery. You simply cannot imagine. She was the voice and the touch I could hear, she was the support for me and my husband, she was soft at times and powerful at times. She had a way of capturing me and holding me and keeping me together. My first labor was 23 hours, and she was with us every single minute, guiding us through the process, keeping us together. My second delivery was under 4 hours, and again, I only remember Atoosa’s eyes and voice. We love Atoosa, and would not under any circumstances advise anyone to have a baby without her. For the mom, for the dad, for the baby on the way. You will never regret it, I promise.

Atoosa Benji was our amazing Bradley Teacher and Doula. Over the course of 12 weeks, we learned about what to expect in labor and how to prepare for a natural childbirth. We felt so connected to Atoosa by the end of the class, there was no question about also hiring her as our Doula. Atoosa was an incredible assistant during our labor. As first time parents, we knew we wanted reinforcement at the hospital. Atoosa helped us navigate the intimidating hospital environment and allowed us to create a peaceful homelike setting in the hospital. Atoosa ensured that every choice we made during labor was an informed choice. She was instrumental in helping us try different laboring positions to allow my body to progress naturally. Atoosa’s knowledge as our Bradley Teacher and her years of experience as a Doula allowed us to feel confident in having the birth of our choice. Atoosa played a pivotal role in bringing our healthy daughter into this world and we are forever grateful.

Multiply the five stars by a thousand and it will not come close to rating Atoosa as a matter of fact Unilocal needs a new rating system just for her. So read Berkley C’s review because we were in the same class and she def writes better than me. We were prepared and educated to meet any challenge. However my wife and I felt we just had to have her as our doula. She is the yoda of doulas. You know just by talking to her that she’s unique. she was by our side from 6am Sunday until 8am Monday at UCLA and not once did we feel pressured to do anything we didn’t want to. She was a true advocate and a true caregiver. I know I’m not doing her justice but believe me when I say she is one wing short from becoming an Angel.

My wife and I took Atoosa’s Bradley Birthing class. We enjoyed the entire experience and Atoosa. We learned so much and felt prepared for labor after we completed our classes. Atoosa was always warm, upbeat, realistic, and taught us the real facts that she was able to further explain with real life stories. Atoosa truly prepared us to have the labor that my wife imagined. We highly recommend taking Atoosa’s class and including her in your birth planning.

Atoosa Benji is nothing short of a miracle worker. My husband and I first met her as a Bradley instructor. I was impressed by her vast knowledge and relaxed teaching style. Though I have been trained as a doula myself, I was able to learn more from her. At the end of the class, I thought my husband would be of little help to me because he seemed to always be on his phone and ipad. Atoosa really got through to him because he knew all the answers on the last day! When labor arrived, he was right there with me. Atoosa was not our doula for that birth, but we used all the tools we learned from her to have a drug-​free vaginal birth of our first child.

When we got pregnant with our second child and it was time to choose a doula my husband declared «I want Atoosa!» There was no hesitation on my part. Atoosa met with us several times to refresh our memory. She was available to answer MANY questions and for UNCONDITIONAL support throughout a tumultuous pregnancy and pre-​labor. The sense of relief upon seeing her when the elevator doors opened at the hospital will stay with us forever. Atoosa is a GREAT doula. She helped us once again to have a drug-​free vaginal birth. At a follow-​up appointment she asked if there was anything she could have done better. No, there wasn’t.

Atoosa has a passion for her work that hasn’t diminished in her years of service. It is no coincidence that her business is called Labor with Love. You will feel it!

(I had a problem with my account and this is my actual review)
My husband and I took a 12 week Bradley Birthing class with Atoosa and it was phenomenal. If you want to be well informed on the birthing process, how to navigate hospital protocols, and have a warm, knowledgeable hand to hold yours, Atoosa’s is the class to take. She is so wonderful and spunky. There’s never a dull moment in her classes. And she makes sure that all of your questions are answered and all your needs met. She is a wonderful resource and is well connected in the Los Angeles birthing scene. We’re a couple who feels the need to be educated and informed about everything, and Atoosa was able to make us feel empowered.

My spouse and I took Atoosa Benji’s Bradley Method Birth class at the Pump Station before the birth of our child in September.
Although I explored other ways to prepare for the birth (hypnobirthing, mindful birthing), the Bradley class, and in particular ATOOSA’s Bradley class was the single best preparation for not only myself, but also my partner, and working with my partner through labor and even in managing our expectations for early parenting.
As a first time mother searching for answers, Atoosa’s class exceeded our expectations for a birth prep class. She gives you the information straight, no b.s., and is very engaging while doing so. First time mothers in particular are so vulnerable to bad advice and getting sold on everything under the sun, it’s hard to find trustworthy experts. Atoosa is someone to trust! She is energetic, well prepared, and very knowledgeable and passionate about all things birth and baby related.
I can’t recommend her or her class highly enough. If I got my act together earlier, I know that she would have been an amazing doula for us. Maybe for my next kid! Feel free to contact me directly if you have specific questions. You can count me as a member of the Labor with Love/​Atoosa Benji fan club!

My husband-​to-​be and I searched high and low for a group class but since we were looking about 2 months out from our due date we were out of luck. However, we were informed that Atoosa Benji did house calls on an individual basis so we jumped all over for her availability!
Needless to say we were SO PLEASED to have found her… and who doesn’t love the convenience of having someone come to teach you in the comfort of your own home!?! We broke the information into two 2-​hour sessions which were short but we made it work. It’s a LOT of information so if you have the ability to stretch it out in one of her group classes or perhaps 3 sessions we would recommend doing so. However, she was very thorough and took into consideration the type of delivery method we were shooting for while setting our expectations and filling our brains with much needed info!
She provided a lot of good documentation that reviewed the information discussed in class in addition to much more in case we wanted to cover any additional topics on our own time. The end result, I feel so darn informed (albeit I had to call her for clarity after our sessions were over but she responded quickly and ever so nicely)!! This being our first of course, both my future husband and I are in a much more comfortable place knowing all our options and having a better understanding of the overall birthing process. HIGHLY recommend Atoosa to anyone looking to take educational classes!
Now for the little bambino to make his debut…

My husband and I took Atoosa Benji’s Bradley Method Birth Class (Husband Coached Childbirth) at the Pump Station to prepare us for the birth of our first child. It was a phenomenal experience. We found ourselves incredibly well prepared for our daughter’s birth. One doula we interviewed joked that it was like we were getting our masters in birth, given the thoroughness of the class — which we loved! We were so well prepared that there was no fear of labor and delivery at all. I was able to deliver my daughter naturally with no interventions in a hospital setting, even though I had back labor — and it was an amazing experience.
Atoosa came our home and gave us a refresher course our second time around that was tailored to our needs and desires. Again — I had an amazing birth.
Atoosa’s a doula as well, and a passionate educator. I’d recommend her and her classes to anyone. The class is amazing and she’s a wonderful person to boot!