I cannot recommend Grace more for those wishing to have the best prenatal care where you are…read morepresented with all of the information and options and supported in your decisions. After experiencing both types of births: the standard conveyor belt hospital (complete with emotional and physical trauma) for my first baby and an empowering home birth with my personal midwife, I would never go back to the hospital unless I really had to. I wish I had been more educated about birth options because I would have wanted the home birth for my first! I would have really appreciated having this level of support for all of my questions as a first time mom as opposed to the 15 minute appointments with the OB, who never remembered me, answered my questions pithily and wouldn't even be the person during labor or birth. Appointments with Grace feel like you're catching up with a best friend who just happens to have years of experience and knowledge about birth and she is sharing all of that information with you. If you need a provider like a chiropractor, pelvic floor therapies, acupuncturist, the recommendations she shares are for those she uses herself. She also just has this calming presence and a peaceful aura that never failed to put me and my anxious husband at ease. The level of care and thought she gives with her responses makes it apparent that she has a relationship with each of her expecting mamas! It was really surprising for me to receive a response from a provider that was more than a few sentences with links to hospital websites that really didn't answer my questions. Also many of the doulas that I interviewed shared that they love working with Grace and/or that Grace was their midwife for their own birth, which I think truly shows she is one of the best! How your birth goes can influence your postpartum and while I had postpartum issues after my first, I had none whatsoever after my home birth. My decisions were respected and nothing was forced or done unnecessarily because of "hospital policy." Not to mention, being able to sleep in your own bed and not having nurses interrupt you every hour was the absolute best! Grace came over for nearly all of the postpartum visits as well which was so lovely and so convenient, especially since we also had a toddler. I held off on scheduling our last postpartum appointment because I didn't want our visits to end! If you're considering home birth for whatever reason or if you want care from a midwife of your own choosing, I highly recommend Grace! If you have any questions, feel free to message me here. It's never too late to change providers if you are having doubts about your current provider and you will never regret listening to your intuition. Everyone remembers their births for the rest of their lives, and it is so so worth it to have a birth where you feel respected, heard, and empowered with your decisions.

I cannot more highly recommend working with Grace! We spoke with her early in our pregnancy when we…read morewere just starting to consider a home birth. She was very easy to talk to and had an easygoing demeanor, but spoke with a lot of authority and clearly had deep knowledge of pregnancy, birth and postpartum care. It made both of us feel confident enough to move forward with a home birth. Throughout my pregnancy, Grace provided excellent and thorough care. She would explain any decisions that came up (like what tests I was taking, various parts of the birth plan, etc) and offer nonjudgmental advice where needed. For the actual delivery, Grace was a hero and saw us through as best as we possibly could have asked for. She was very careful to explain things in great detail so we wouldn't feel stressed - "coughing is totally normal, he's clearing out his lungs", or "that color is totally normal until he gets some oxygen!". Finally, the postpartum care was above and beyond what I could have hoped. She came to us in the comfort of our home, was available by text for any little questions we had, and was a constant source of assurance for us as new parents and someone who had recently given birth. The whole time we worked with her, we felt like we were in very capable hands and well cared for as individuals and as new parents. We are so grateful for Grace and will definitely work with her again when it is time for baby number 2.

Takeaway: Call Community Birth Works asap! They are amazing…read more Three and a half years ago my partner and I were pregnant with our first child and exploring the idea of a homebirth. My mom and grandmothers all had c-sections, so I held a narrative that my body just wasn't made for a natural birth. I didn't want that to be my narrative, but when I toured the hospital, I wasn't sure I'd be able to fully relax there. We started interviewing midwives. Cynthia and the team (back then it was Hannah) answered all of our questions about emergencies confidently and gave examples of worst case scenarios and how they handled them in the past. My epidemiologist's mind was put to ease. Next they shared about their prenatal, birth, and postpartum care and I could feel my body relax. I was so excited to sign up for a home birth. While pregnant with our first we planned and had a wedding and were doing major home improvement projects all while working full time. Their sage advice and loving care during prenatal visits helped me manage my stress and health. Our first birth was fast and furious and we got to bring our little one into the world with a water birth. Something I had dreamed about since I was 14! I had broken the narrative. A couple years later Cynthia supported us through a miscarriage and then, finally, the pregnancy and birth of our second daughter. As soon as we found out I was pregnant I emailed Cynthia to save us a spot for Summer 2023 :) It was so wonderful to have our prenatal care visits in their nice outdoor yard while lying on a chaise lounge. While I was sad Hannah had taken a leave, we loved working with Cynthia's new partner Sophia just as much. Sophia is fun, knowledgeable, empathetic, and most importantly an extremely skilled midwife. She expertly coached my partner how to catch the baby during my pushes. Their student midwife Sonia was a blessing to work with as well. We liked her so much that we even hired her as our doula and she was my rock during all my challenging back labor contractions. Cynthia, Sophia, and Sonia's amazing combination of coaching, support, friendship, and care got me through morning sickness, naturally managing gestational diabetes, spinning the baby during back labor, navigating planning the birth with a 3 year old in mind, and supporting us during a stressful first few weeks since baby came 3 weeks early. Having prenatal care where the partner is so deeply involved in each visit I believe truly makes for improved co-parenting once the baby arrives! We feel so fortunate to have had the care, expertise, compassion, guidance, and confidence that we found in the Community Birth Works team. We couldn't be happier with our experiences through pregnancy and of course the support and outcome of our two home births. We encourage anyone who's considering home birth or looking for outstanding midwife care to consider CBW. They are the best! :) PS Also want to give a shoutout to Isele - the CBW administrator who supports clients with all the forms, paperwork and billing support in a prompt and professional way - they are always super helpful. And Maggie who supports CBW clients with insurance billing and reimbursement. She's an important part of the operation to make CBW more accessible to folks.

I am so thankful to have found Community Birthworks, Cynthia, Sophia, and their amazing team, who…read morehelped me to have a home birth to deliver a beautiful baby girl. Cynthia is very experienced and always gave me sound advice and reassurance. Sophia's friendly and open nature always made me feel at ease, and helped me realize that giving birth is not scary, but actually very beautiful. They were open to our values and ideas and were always flexible. It was my first pregnancy, and their help made me feel very comfortable. The most important thing is that their postpartum care was excellent. I am so grateful that they came to my home and gave me all kinds of help, from breastfeeding advice to how to interact with my baby. Especially since I came to the US as an immigrant, my husband is the only family I have, and without them, I would not have been able to survive my first time giving birth and taking care of my newborn. They are an amazing team that not only focuses on taking care of your body, but also making sure you have as much peace of mind as possible. If I ever have another baby, I would definitely go back to them.

I cannot say enough wonderful things about Morgan and Evaly. They supported me through my…read morehomebirth, and even four years later I still look back on that experience with deep gratitude and respect for their care. My baby boy is now 4 years old and absolutely thriving--and a huge part of that is because of the knowledge, skill, and calm presence they brought to one of the most important days of my life. From the beginning, Morgan and Evaly were patient, attentive, and incredibly supportive. They took the time to truly listen to me, explain everything clearly, and make sure I felt informed and empowered throughout my pregnancy and birth. Their confidence never felt rushed or arrogant--it was grounded, reassuring, and deeply professional. After I pushed my son out, I experienced a situation that could have quickly turned into a serious medical emergency. Morgan and Evaly handled it with remarkable skill and composure. They recognized what was happening immediately, acted decisively, and supported me through it with such calm and competence that I felt safe the entire time. Their ability to manage that moment made all the difference, and I truly believe their expertise prevented a much worse outcome. They are extraordinary midwives and incredible humans.

Morgan is an insanely talented and skilled midwife whom I would put my life into. She navigated my…read moredeepest fears in prenantal care as I have a long history with loss. She also navigated both of my difficult births with such strength, confidence and precision. There's no one on this planet I would walk into birth with other than Morgan. I will forever call her the Vanessa whisperer. I stand with her in all her future endeavors. She is a mother to us all.

I had always heard that having a doula throughout one's pregnancy and birth would be beneficial…read more But, I didn't realize how much of a difference it would make until I met Nattasha. I interviewed several different doulas and went with Nattasha because of how open and straightforward she was during our initial conversation - her warmth coupled with passion for creating a memorable birth experience drove me to choose her for our journey! Nattasha is incredible, to say the least! She was so caring from day one and provided so many insights for all the questions I had during our prenatal visits to ensure that my husband and I felt empowered to make the best decisions for our family. The prenatal visits were not only educational, but also provided an opportunity for us to develop a relationship that felt comfortable. With Nattasha, I felt cared for and supported 100%! She was a true advocate for what was best for me and I can't begin to express how important that was for me to feel ready to give birth. I can't emphasize how useful it was to have Nattasha in the room with us during labor -- her presence was calming and energizing at the same time. As soon as she thought I needed her physically present with me, she joined my husband and I at our place (and later in the hospital) to help me get through the hardest part of labor. And, for that, I'm forever grateful. Since this was our first pregnancy, I was overwhelmed and anxious throughout the process, but Nattasha eased my nerves not only during our prenatal sessions, but also during birth. I felt empowered, connected, and present throughout the experience, which is what I had visualized. Thank you Nattasha for being so phenomenal in every way -- we could not have had such a beautiful experience without your varied support. If/when my husband and I decided to have a second little one, I would, without a doubt, want Nattasha on my care team again!!

I honestly didn't know exactly what a doula did until I spoke to one of my mentors and she…read moreenlightened me (and thank God she did!). I quickly asked fellow moms in my area for referrals and after meeting with a few over zoom, I felt this deep connection with Nattasha and decided to go with her. I was planning a VBAC and Nattasha supported my decision from day one. She was kind, attentive, warm and knowledgeable. I did have a traumatic birth experience with my first born and Nattasha was always very eager to listen to my fears and my hopes for my second birth. To prepare for the birth, she came over to our house a couple of times to discuss the process of labor, practice comfort measures, and generally talk me and my husband through our plans and emotions. I was especially grateful for how she worked with my husband, gently teaching him ways to support me in and around labor. It was nice that she included my partner in the process because they also need support to navigate all of this. From 37 weeks on, Nattasha was always available if I needed her. We exchanged texts and I constantly felt supported by her. When I went into labor at 39.5 weeks, she was ready to meet me whenever the hospital let her. During labor, my husband and I felt extremely supported by Nattasha. There was a lot of waiting and decisions to be made and Nattasha reminded me of all the things we talked about and never forced a decision on me. She took care of me like a mother would and I'm forever grateful. My husband was able to be fully focused and present because he was somewhat rested and had the support from Nattasha as well. In the end, I did have the most beautiful birth experience and we know that Nattasha was a huge part of it! After giving birth, Nattasha continued to support us by coming over to the house to talk and check in on us. We talked about my concerns and she provided a wide range of information that really helped me. If you are on the fence about hiring a doula, don't be. It was the best investment we did during this pregnancy and we highly recommend Nattasha!

Being under the care of Collective Birth was one of the highlights of my pregnancy and birth. Aimée…read moreand Jas walked beside us with so much care, humor, and respect through every physical and emotional shift. They listened deeply, answered every question, made space for all feelings--from "I hate being pregnant" to "I feel like a goddess"! Appointments were unhurried, thoughtful, and deeply personal. They were always available by text, email, or phone, and quickly understood how best to support me. They cared not only about my physical well-being, but also about the emotional journey my partner and I were on. No matter what your intentions or hopes are for your birth, they will meet you there and support you fully, without judgment. On the day of our daughter Aurora's birth, Aimée and Jas brought an incredible combination of patience, expertise, and calm. They turned every possible stone to support a vaginal birth and saved me and my baby from a C-section. My partner was able to receive our baby himself, an experience we will cherish forever. I will never forget their genuine joy when Aurora finally arrived after a long and challenging labor. In one of the most vulnerable moments of our lives, they made us feel safe, supported, and deeply cared for. By the end of our journey, they felt like family. We left every appointment grateful we had chosen them, and we miss our visits dearly. I cannot imagine having gone through pregnancy and birth with anyone else, and I would choose them again without hesitation. I would wholeheartedly recommend Collective Birth to first-time parents, seasoned parents, and anyone looking for deeply personalized, compassionate, and empowering care. --Cami, Zach, and Aurora

We welcomed our third child 6 weeks ago and could not have asked for a better prenatal and birthing…read moreexperience than we had. We credit so much of that to the care we received from Flo, Jasmine, and Aimée. I can not recommend them highly enough. For context, I delivered at 44 years old with an IVF pregnancy. From the get go we felt in such good hands. In approaching the care of mom, they make space for the whole person (and the the partner/family experience). At each appointment my husband and I felt heard and seen as we moved through the process. They ask questions and listen deeply. They tend to not just your physical state but your emotions - your head, heart, and soul. This was critical in healing from the trauma of our second birthing experience and making space for a different kind of experience. Their care is based in expertise, research, data, and professional experience and they also leave room for our primal knowledge and intuition. This allowed us to trust my body while also having medical experts alongside us. A month before our child was due, my father died. This was an unexpected emotional wave at an already emotional time, and they held space for me to process and integrate this grief into the final weeks of pregnancy and labor. Our delivery experience was exactly what we hoped for - and I know how rare that is having had two previous experiences that did no go as we had hoped. Flo, Jasmine, and Aimée are an incredible team who helped us manifest a safe and healing delivery. (Some background: Our second child was born during the depths of the pandemic. We had a stressful pregnancy and a traumatic birthing and immediate postnatal experience, during which we received subpar care from a team of doctors. Coming into this third pregnancy we were intent on having a different experience, hence choosing midwifery care. After interviewing two different teams of midwifes we chose Collective Birth.)

Working with Emma throughout my pregnancy, birth, and postpartum was a wonderful experience…read more Meeting with her several times in advance of the birth to talk and create a set of birth intentions helped me and my husband feel more confident and excited about the prospect of the birth and transition into the early days of parenthood. It's so easy to get caught up in the anxiety and fear that come with all the unknowns of pregnancy, but from the first time we met with Emma I felt more calm. She helped us prepare for what to expect emotionally and physically, how to best think through the decision making process at the hospital, and what we would need in the postpartum time. She makes it very clear that the right choice (and there are so many when you are pregnant- home birth, birth center, hospital birth, epidural, etc etc etc etc) is whatever feels right for YOU! She is incredibly kind and open minded, and does not bring any sense of judgment for whatever kind of birth you are wanting to have. On the day of my labor and delivery Emma was a calm presence throughout the day. The labor and delivery nurses were even commenting to us in the elevator on the way to the postpartum floor what an incredible doula we'd chosen (they commented that some doulas expect to only show up when you're about to push, and that couldn't have been farther from our experience!) And she took some wonderful photos for us :) I have already recommended Emma to my pregnant friends, and would highly suggest working with her if you are looking for a birth doula, it is an investment worth making!

Emma is nothing short of incredible and working with her was one of the best decisions we made to…read moreprepare for birth and postpartum. She met with my husband and I several times in person ahead of the birth to help us think through our plans and honestly educate us on everything we could expect since we were first time parents. Genuinely found her much more helpful in learning what to expect than any of the birth prep classes or books I read. She gave us options without judgement and with lots of follow up research so we could make the right decision for us. When we unexpectedly had to pivot to an early induction, I was so thankful to have Emma to call. She calmed me down and really helped me plan for this big change so I went in ready and confident. During the birth, she was my all seeing guardian angel. She was very respectful of the doctors and nurses but would give me translations for why they might be pushing for certain measures and what all my options were. She spotted dips in my blood pressure and baby's monitor not working at 4am while I was asleep and made sure the nurses acted (I'm really thankful for that!). My husband who is the ultimate pragmatist is a big fan of Emma and we both give her so much credit for taking what could have been a scary and overwhelming experience and making it extremely positive. She was there for our postpartum too and helped troubleshoot some of those new parent worries. Emma is caring, kind, grounded, and an excellent listener and advocate. Cannot recommend her more highly!

I am so glad that I worked with Laura! When I came home from the hospital, my baby suddenly stopped…read morebeing able to breastfeed. I was very stressed, and I reached out to Laura. She was able to come to my house the next day! Laura had the perfect vibe for our exhausted household. She helped us try many different strategies. After following her advice, it took less than a week for our son to pick up breastfeeding again. Laura is easy to work with and provides a balanced set of options for feeding. I would definitely recommend her to any new parents!

Laura was amazing. I'm so glad my doula connected me with her. I had just had my second baby, and…read morehad been planning on using the same LC I used for my first baby, but she was out of town for the week . Things were not going well with breastfeeding and I needed help ASAP - she was able to squeeze me in and see me just a few days postpartum. I immediately knew she was phenomenal - such a warm presence, so knowledgeable about all things feeding, and most importantly reassuring and not pressuring and finding ways to support me and baby that felt natural and doable. I had her come back a few more times to make sure we were on the right track, and with every visit I appreciated her support and help and knowledge even more. Can't recommend her highly enough. Plus home visits makes it SO much easier.

It's 8pm on a Saturday night and I am relaxing on my couch having a glass of wine. My little man…read morehas been sleeping in his crib since he fell asleep there, ON HIS OWN, SEVEN minutes after we put him down - without a peep. You read that right. Since I have such ample time, this review will be a long one. I gave you fair warning. I'm not so rigid to think or expect that every night will unfold like tonight. There will be teeth! walking! talking! more regressions to come. However, a month after starting this process, it has become a reasonable reality for me to expect that on more days/nights rather than not (meaning NAPS and bedtime), he will go to sleep. It is a work in progress, but Dahlia guided us through it with the confidence and clarify we ourselves needed to provide to our son for the process to work. The backstory: At 11 weeks old, my son morphed from our lovely sleeping newborn waking twice a night to waking EVERY HOUR, needing to be soothed back to sleep...while sleeping in our bed. As the weeks dragged on, it became clear he was not going to outgrow this hiccup in an amount of time that would preserve my sanity (or marriage lol), and things were snowballing from bad to dreadful (more on that below). He eventually settled on a pattern of waking 4-7 times per night; however, he started having negative sleep associations to most every soothing trick in the book. I won't waste time listing such strategies or the gimmicks I bought on Amazon. Well-meaning folks always shared their soothing strategies. Well, if you can envision it, we tried it. Don't start to tell me about white noise and black out shades. Eventually, NOTHING WORKED except the boob. So sleep - meaning all naps and bedtime plus the night wake ups - became an hour long battle with raging, screaming, kicking, tears. All of which did not guarantee an outcome of sleep in the end! This was a vicious cycle on repeat at least 4 times daily which went on for almost two months (give or take some days where baby was so exhausted he slept well for a night or two). On top of this, I had impending abdominal and oral surgeries. Just icing on the cake. We knew we had to sleep train. After pouring through blogs and books about the various sleep training techniques and studies, I still had reservations (and extreme anxiety subjecting my baby to this), and needed someone to lead me through its ups and downs. Alright I'll be honest - sleep training is mostly down. It is painful. Gutwrenchingly PTSD painful if your baby is anything like mine. Enter Dahlia. She is honest, positive, supportive, respectful, and above all, will use her knowledge to SEE YOU THROUGH IT. She makes herself available and genuinely wants to help you. I cannot thank her enough and I definitely promise you will not get that from a blog. So dread. I used to DREAD naps and bedtime. The clock would hit 5:30pm and my heart would sink a little. My soul would wail a sad song. Now, I think about the time I can spend writing long reviews and blogging while he's sleeping. And the biggest plus? The little man wakes up RELAXED and RESTED and happy to see me. THANK YOU DAHLIA!

Dahlia is the BEST! We hired her for 3 months of postpartum work, which is no small task with…read moretwins! She was so caring, nurturing, and gentle with our babies, her experience was only outweighed by her sweetness and profound gift for "twinning". I feel so lucky to have had her work with us, she taught us (first-time parents) so much, from swaddling to bathing to infant massage! Every morning when Dahila arrived it was a ray of sunshine and positive energy, my babies responded so well to her songs, her feeding techniques, and her cuddles. We were so sad to say goodbye to her when it was time, and are almost jealous of the next family that gets to work with her! :) :)