My wife hired Abigail Vidikan of Heart to Home Midwifery for a homebirth. She handled our prenatal care and was on call from 37 weeks. Throughout the pregnancy, Abby reassured my wife that it was very common for first-time mothers to go past their due date, that everything was normal until 42 weeks, and that the baby would come when ready. Our daughter was born at almost 41 weeks. When my wife went into labor, it took Abby three hours to arrive. When she did, she brought an assistant my wife had only met once and wasn't told would be attending the birth. Not something you want sprung on you during one of the most intimate and vulnerable moments of your life. By the time Abby arrived, my wife had been having intense contractions lasting 2-3 minutes without rest in between for over three hours. She was in distress. Abby checked her, said she was 2cm dilated, and within minutes said "I gotta go" and left. She didn't clearly explain she was leaving for another birth -- we had to figure that out on our own. The entire visit lasted roughly five minutes after a three-hour wait. After Abby left, my wife lost all confidence and trust in her care and we had to rush to the hospital -- an 80-minute drive with my wife in severe pain, vomiting, and in total despair. As her husband, I felt completely powerless. I didn't know what to do. It was the most traumatizing experience of my life. She went through that car ride because her midwife wasn't there. Two hours after Abby left, my wife was at 6cm at the hospital -- the exact threshold Abby herself defined as "active labor" in her contract. She misjudged how fast things were progressing, and she misjudged how much we needed support and presence from our main caregiver. Abby was not present for the hospital transfer, not present during the birth, and never showed up at the hospital -- despite telling us multiple times during prenatal consultations that if we ever had to transfer, she would be there for us. After the fact, she blamed my wife for delivering late -- the same wife she had spent months reassuring that going past 41 weeks was completely normal. When we reached out about a partial refund of the $9,600 we paid, she offered $1,600 for unused postpartum visits only, arguing she had delivered the contracted work because my wife "was NOT in active labor." We countered at $3,000 -- roughly a third -- which we felt was more than fair. She declined and cited her contract's no-refund policy for hospital transfers -- even though the transfer only happened because she left. The whole reason you hire a homebirth midwife is to have someone you trust by your side through labor and delivery. That didn't happen. My wife carried the emotional weight of being abandoned in labor into the hospital with her. It affected what should have been the most important moment of our lives. I wouldn't recommend this experience to any expecting family. -- Guy read more

Abby is one of the most delightful people I have ever met. Always greeted with a smile and good laughs during visits. Abby honored my choices, never infantilized me, and it truly felt like I was in control. Her trust in my choices empowered me and even when I doubted myself, she gently guided me back to the place where I could trust myself. During my birth, she was a beacon of joy and calm and seamlessly included my parents and older child. Her faith in my body and my baby continued throughout my labor and when I needed her to assist with a shoulder dystocia, she did so calmly and with such knowledge - I birthed my over 10lb baby in the tub, no tearing, no alarmist energy, and my husband caught baby - it was absolutely what I wanted. The level of care Abby brings is top level and i could not imagine anyone else being my midwife. I am so grateful for her willingness to follow my lead and her expertise when I needed it. I could write a whole book about how amazing Abby, as a midwife but also as a person whose love of birth shows in everything she does. read more

Abby Vidikan - I wanted a hands off birth but when I needed assistance, Abby did so without alarm and kept me calm and in control. - Midwives Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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Although my husband and I ended up going with a birthing center for financial reasons, I still feel the need to review Abby for her genuine care and customer service. In addition to her quick responses, out of all the midwives I interviewed, she was the kindest when I told her our financial reasons for not being able to do a home birth. She responded with a warm email including helpful advice and resources to working with insurance for reimbursement, which helped me understand the process amidst anxiety and overwhelm. I can tell Abby truly loves what she does and I'd love a chance to work with her if I manage to get pregnant again in the future! read more

Abby was one of the midwives at the birth of my daughter. I had the opportunity to get to know Abby at my prenatal appointments and we clicked immediately. Abby is so friendly and incredibly knowledgeable, I really looked forward to talking with her at our visits. My labor was fairly quick but very intense. It was Abby who kept me grounded and calm when I was struggling; she gave me strong counter pressure on my back, whispering encouraging words into my ear with each contraction. After my daughter was born, she assisted me with breastfeeding, which was so helpful! Abby was very supportive during my postpartum weeks, checking in with us regularly and offering advice. We love Abby, she's like a member of our family now! I would highly recommend her as a midwife. read more

We came to Abby for my second pregnancy. I wanted a smaller, more intimate experience than a hospital or birth center could offer me, and I was instantly attracted to Abby's kind demeanor and bubbly personality. My son's birth at home, under Abby's guidance and care, was a truly beautiful experience. Abby and her assistant Melanie knew how to hold space and allow a woman to labor naturally and efficiently. They were there when I needed them, with a soft touch or gentle guidance, and they backed off when I needed my space to focus my labor inward. Looking back, I couldn't have pictured a more peaceful, loving, and SAFE way for my son to have entered the world. These women respect the power of the female mind and body, and they empowered me to embrace it and let it do it's sublime work in laboring and birthing my son. I will never forget the care Abby provided, and the love and support she has continued to offer since my birth. If you are looking for a midwife who will empower you with her words, who will respect your choices and provide you with evidence based research and care, Abby is your midwife. I cannot wait to see her for number 3! read more

I knew I wanted an intimate homebirth experience and started researching midwives and birth centers before we even got pregnant. When my husband and I first met Abby, we clicked immediately. She had the perfect balance of knowledge, compassion, practicality, and a positive spirit. I knew I could trust her to have my and my baby's best interests in mind throughout my prenatal care, labor and delivery. My labor was long, and at one point I was worried that I wouldn't have the strength and perseverance I needed. Abby stayed by my side, talked me through contractions, and helped position me in a way to get Baby to advance down the birth path. Just her presence during my labor brought an amazing sense of calm. Her guidance and knowledge helped bring our sweet Rose into the world safe and sound. She helped us initiate a breastfeeding relationship and offered the most comprehensive and communicative postnatal care that I could imagine. She was quick to respond via email/phone/text and seriously helped my husband and I feel confident as new parents. I enjoyed our appointments so much and looked forward to chatting with her each week. I feel like I could write a novel and still not sing Abby's praises enough. We will absolutely use her for our future Little Ones. I cannot recommend her enough. We love Abby!! read more

Abby gave me confidence in my ability to birth at home when I've never been confident about my abilities in anything in my life ever before. I am truly so grateful she was my midwife for the birth of my first child, the most meaningful experience of my life. My fascination with birth and research ahead of my own pregnancy led me to Abby's wonderful Instagram page before I had even conceived. I thought eventually I might be in a position to ask her to be my midwife; then a few months later, we had a surprise positive pregnancy test! I sought Abby out immediately. I originally had a dual care set up with Abby and a hospital setting for the "just in case" our society tells us we need to look out for in birth - the "just in case" that makes birthing at home so "dangerous". As a risk averse person, I found it odd how confident I felt throughout pregnancy and going into the birth thanks to my hour long appointments with Abby where she carefully assessed me and my baby, listened to all my concerns (all of them! Those who know me would say this is a Herculean task), and assured me everything was perfectly situated for a home birth. And she helped me realize that I feel safest at home and to follow my instincts that that's where I'd feel most comfortable to birth. So in my second trimester, I went solely into Abby's care, and it was the best decision I ever made. I have never felt so cared for and valued in an ostensibly medical setting as I have with Abby. Every appointment I looked forward to with giddy anticipation because I knew we'd get to chat (she's so fun to talk to!), and I'd get to hear my son's heartbeat while also seeing Abby's eyes light up as she found him with the doppler and gently palpated my belly, with full respect and consent. It's clear how deeply passionate she is about babies and pregnant people. With her help, I was more sure than ever that I could do a home birth for my first child. And we did! My labor came on fast; and Abby made it to our home, through LA rush hour, just in time to help me in a long, challenging pushing stage. I trusted Abby implicitly despite being too in my head, and she kept me tethered to the goal of getting my baby out when I was overthinking things having pushed for close to three hours. It was hard but I always felt safe in her and her fellow student midwives' hands. They all stayed and cared for me, my son, and husband when the birth was over and the postpartum care began. I just loved being in my home surrounded by these amazing women who made me feel loved, cared for, and respected, all who made birthing a joy and something I hope I can do again with them some day. Abby is always adamant that I am the key to my birth, but I know that the reason I felt deep down that I could do it was I knew I had her skilled presence in my life, at my back, supporting me. When I earnestly say "I couldn't have done it without you!" she lightheartedly responds that I probably could have, but even so, I would never have wanted to! Abby will always be a crucial element to the success of my son's home birth; she is a truly amazing woman and midwife. read more

Abby was the midwife for our second child. We had a free consultation with her when I was 17 weeks along in May 2017. My husband and I knew right away that she would be the perfect midwife for us. We had interviewed a couple other caregivers and even considered a birth center, but once we met Abby, we knew a home birth was officially good to go! We explained to her that we were a single income family that really desired to experience a home birth after the hospital birth of our first daughter. She was more than willing to work with our financial situation and our Medi-Cal insurance. You could tell right away her goals were not financial but to help us have the best pregnancy and birth we could possibly have. Abby provided prenatal visits at our home in Long Beach along with several postpartum visits after our daughter was born. She is caring, compassionate and professional and her bed side manner is top notch. She was always kind to our 3 year old daughter who was present for all of our appointments. She was respectful of all our personal decisions and we never once felt judged or pressured to do anything we did not want to. I would highly recommend Abby to anyone looking for a midwife and a positive home birth experience. Though we plan on this being our last little one, if I ever did have a 3rd child, I would hire Abby right away! Thank you for the wonderful experience Heart to Home Midwifery! read more

I had no idea what a doula was until a few months after I got pregnant with my son Sebastian. I don't have any family in California and I didn't want to go it alone with just my husband. It was tough justifying the cost to my husband. I was worried, after meeting many postpartum doulas, that they were all "crazy hippies" (my husband's words) that were going to offer to encapsulate my placenta (he cringed at the thought). But Abby struck me as super practical, down-to-earth and funny. She instantly put me at ease, which is exactly what I was looking for during my very high risk first pregnancy. Abby was really intuitive about our needs. My husband hit it off with her easily and it turns out the two Angelenos had even met as children. Throughout many months of my son threatening to come early, Abby figuratively and literally held our hands. Between pregnancy tips, baby care tips and bonus marriage counseling, she became an integral part of our lives. We found ourselves wondering "What would Abby do?" at many stages of the pregnancy and she was quick to respond via email and phone and even drop by to check in on us throughout. Abby went out of her way to do her own research on my rare genetic condition. She helped us find a postpartum doula and convinced my husband that we needed it because of an expected lengthy recovery. Her experience as a student (at the time) midwife came in handy not only throughout the pregnancy as well as the surprise delivery. She came to visit us several times after my son was born. I have highly recommended Abby to anyone looking for a doula or midwife in the greater Los Angeles area. read more

Hands down AMAZING experience with Abby at Heart to Home Midwifery Services! I'll be recommending her to all of my girlfriends and if we have a third child, I'll use her from the start! All I wanted was to be able to birth my children without any medical interventions (epidural, pitocin, etc) After going through the birthing process with my first child in a hospital and having a very long labor that left me exhausted and asking for an epidural, made me all the more want a natural birth with my second child. I thought that I would be able to achieve a natural birth through the hospital but as my second pregnancy progressed with visits under my obgyn I came to realize that I wasn't being heard and medical interventions including being induced were already being suggested. At 30 weeks pregnant, I hired Abby and I couldn't be happier that I did! We discussed my first labor and deliver, she looked at photos of my first son at birth and could see that he wasn't in an optimal position and she gave me "homework" to achieve this with my second pregnancy and hopefully lessen the length of my labor. Abby was so respectful and encouraging of my birth plan, my choices with everything including natural remedies to ward off GBS and the use of essential oils. I really enjoyed having in home appointments to monitor myself and baby as my first son was able to be a part. She settled not only my fears regarding delivery but discussed how she would handle all the possible "complications" that my husband feared with a home delivery. When labor started she came as soon as I felt I needed her, which was only after being in labor for an hour and a half. She and another midwife, Melanie, arrived within 30 minutes to my home (during the start of rush hour) and they moved quickly assisting my husband with the birthing pool and getting everything set to go. Three hours into labor, I got into the birthing pool where they used encouraging words to keep me calm and breathing through each contraction while my husband and mom massaged my back. My son was born after six hours of labor so my homework of getting baby into a optimal position paid off! I could not have asked for a better experience from pregnancy to labor and delivery and now to the postpartum care of myself and baby. Thank you so much Abby!! read more

It's obvious that Abby is truly passionate about this work & that she goes way above & beyond, even for people who aren't her clients! Although I did not end up choosing a home birth, she took the extra time to help me navigate the world of midwifery & insurance. I was so confused & disheartened before talking to her, even after speaking with other midwives. She helped me understand my options & find a birthing center that will work for me & my family. I am so grateful! Thank you Abby! read more

We hired Abby as our doula because of her knowledge around prenatal care, child birth, and even after birth (breastfeeding, taking care of baby). This really helped set us up for success around achieving the birth experience we were aiming. Abby's calm, supportive and in control demeanor helped make the whole birthing experience go pretty smoothly even though in the moment it felt pretty crazy to us. We also loved that Abby herself has gone through the birthing experience in similar fashion and that really helped us relate to her and vice versa. We would definitely recommend Abby's services as a doula and midwife to parents looking for such services regardless of what type of birth method you are going with. read more

Abby is amazing. We hired Abby to be our doula when our daughter Mason was born. She was always there for us. She gave us so much information and taught us so much before our birth. When my wife went into labor she was at our house immediately and helped us through the whole process. She stayed calm (kept us calm) and walked us through step by step until my daughter was born. She helped us achieve our perfect birth plan and I don't think we could have done it without her. Having her there with you will be the best choice you could ever make. read more

Abby is one of the most caring, compassionate, knowledgeable, and fun women I know. She assisted me throughout my pregnancy and attended the birth of our daughter. She taught me about breastfeeding, baby care, self care, and how to labor effectively. I felt completely at ease and in control of my labor and birth with Abby by my side. My labor and birth were everything I had hoped they would be and I believe that Abby played a huge part in making me feel comfortable and capable. If you are looking for someone to take exceptional care of you, someone to advocate for your health and the health of your baby during your pregnancy and after, and someone who is incredibly knowledgeable and passionate about pregnancy and childbirth, look no further. Abby is an incredible midwife, mother, and friend; you would be very fortunate to welcome her into your life. read more

Having worked with Abby professionally, I can tell you first hand that she provides the highest quality of care to her clients! Abby is compassionate and respectful and embodies the midwifery model of care. She presents outstanding education to her clients and uses evidence based practice. I HIGHLY recommend Abby's services to anyone seeking a midwife. read more

I was so blessed to have Abby as my midwife!! She took such great care of me and my son throughout the entire process. Writing this review now I think back to 3 years ago and just how beautiful my birth was and how it totally melts my heart and makes me so thankful that I chose a home birth. I have Abby to thank for this!! She helped make my birth beautiful, calm, stress free and everything I wanted it to be. She was extremely loving, compassionate, caring, patient, understanding, honest, knowledgeable, very reliable, attentive and very in tune with me. At every appointment, her first question was how are you?! Followed up with how's your stress?! During pregnancy you can sometimes feel alone and I never felt alone having her in my life. These are just a couple of attributes to name a few. One of my fondest memories of my birth was feeling extremely exhausted after being in labor for 29 hours and I just didn't think I could go on any longer. Abby crawled into bed with me, held my hand through every contraction and gave me a sense of peace and security while my husband got some rest. Abby made me feel safe, strong, empowered and wouldn't let me quit. She was by my side cheering me on up until the pushing point where she caught my beautiful baby boy. I couldn't be more thankful for Abby and our long lasting relationship because of our amazing journey and her midwifery qualities. I would recommend her a million times over. read more