I can't say enough good things about Charlie. I was planning my second home birth when I found out my baby had some health concerns and would need to be born in a hospital. I started calling home birth midwives for doula referrals, and I was so lucky to connect with Charlie. She truly brought a piece of the home birth experience into the hospital room. Charlie was a fierce advocate, not only for me, but also an incredible source of support for my husband. She brought a sense of peace and calm to what felt like a very unknown and overwhelming situation. I felt completely safe with her by my side. Charlie helped us talk through every decision, making sure we felt informed and confident in our choices. Her support didn't end after the birth either, she consistently checked in postpartum and continued to care for our whole family. I truly can't recommend Charlie enough. She is an amazing, steady, and calming presence. Whether you're planning a home birth or just looking for strong, compassionate birth support, you are in the very best hands with Charlie. Her care extends beyond just mom, she supports the entire family. read more

I'm currently in the process of taking Barefoot Birth to court for money I prepaid for their services. I made a prepayment before 36 weeks and it is not being returned. I informed them I would be transferring care at 32 weeks. I told the owner that I would pay for any prenatal appointments I went to, but she made a bill with fees I was not aware of. My invoice was the exact amount I prepaid which is very suspicious. The invoice even said my $500 deposit was a charge for some reason instead of applied to my balance like the contract states. The invoice seemed to be made in a rush and its purpose to zero out my account so they could keep my money. I will add my entire experience after court. In the meantime, if you choose this midwifery, ask them to outline their fees and what you owe after every appointment to avoid this. Overall disappointed with Charlie's (owner) handling of this issue. read more

They are super VBAC supportive and I had a great experience with all midwives! (I got my VBAC )

they will gladly welcome you and seem nice at first then they will take you all the way to your third trimester, take all of your money and say "sorry we can't help you anymore" by that time It's so far into the pregnancy. You'll have a hard time finding anyone to care for you. The whole process was so traumatic for me. I'm finally putting a review on here. They are awful and momeyhungry. read more

From start to finish, Charlie, Erica and Bennett we're so helpful and informative. Every appointment I was met with a smile and felt at ease with all the ladies. They answered any/all questions I had and I was well prepared for my labor. Even when we ran into some issues with my insurance, they were kind, patient and provided other options for me. I can't say enough about the day of the delivery. Erica and Bennett are awesome! My husband and I were blown away with their professionalism, warmth and care. Honestly I want to get pregnant again just to have these girls take care of me and my baby!! read more

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I do not often take the time to write a review or share my "experiences" however I could not bring myself to select from the options given on the website for contact. Honestly, without good communication, all is for not. Literally two days ago at 3pm we had our initial consult with Charlie. We felt good about the visit, the people we met at the house they work out of where very nice, atmosphere is welcoming. As we are sitting there in the office, we are told to go for an ultrasound, and that she (Charlie) was sending the referral. Upon leaving the site there in Tampa we did just that! Scheduled an appointment for 8am the next morning!! We were so excited to be getting this done. Show up the next morning for the ultrasound only to find out we needed a prescription from the referring doctor to get the ultrasound. Made a call to Barefoot, and I didn't know what extension to select to reach a human being, options where not very clear. Also it says on the site they open at 10am. So we are stuck, and cannot change the situation, and the opportunity for the ultrasound this week is lost, due to availability. We still need a prescription so I made another call later in the day, and at this point, I'm staying positive and not loosing my cool as is normally not the case, and again, not sure what extension to choose, chose "0", big mistake. I'm not sure if the lady answering the phone was having a bad day or not, but she was quick to let me know I had dialed the wrong extension, in a very unfriendly way. I think I got in a "sorry to bother you" before she hung up, but not entirely sure. The lack of communication is unbelievable and unbearable, and this is in the "dating" phase, what would it be like when we really need them? So, we have sat with a representative of Barefoot and have no contact info, direct phone, email, nothing. We are extremely let down by this experience when we should be on "cloud nine". Sadly and most probable, all we will receive in return for trying to retain a service is a list of things we, the consumer, did wrong. Wasted time and missed opportunities. Back to shopping around. Thank you Barefoot. read more

I honestly don't even know where to begin. The midwives at Barefoot Birth are simply amazing. My wife and I struggled through fertility treatments. Once I finally became pregnant, the reality of a pregnancy gave me extreme anxiety. I truly couldn't believe I was actually pregnant and this continued through the majority of my pregnancy. Unrelated, I've always known I wanted a natural home birth with midwives and a doula; I had reached out to Charlie before we even started fertility treatments, just to get a feel of Barefoot Birth. She was so kind and supportive - our main concern was finding providers who were accepting of our same-sex marriage starting a family. At only 7 weeks pregnant, we attending the Meet the Midwives event at The Roots and we immediately secured our spot with Barefoot! They made us feel so comfortable, answered all our (millions of...seriously, I had a huge list) questions. Every home visit was professional and informative but also fun! We really connected with Erica (because we saw her most frequently) and looked forward to seeing her and catching up. Our visits with Charlie and Bennett were great, too! My prenatal care was pretty simple and routine. However, there were one or two instances where I needed to be seen in between regularly scheduled appointments and there was no fuss about it! The team truly wants to make sure Mama and Baby are healthy and will do anything. I also had to call Bennett on the on-call line occasionally and even though sometimes tired from a birth, she was more than accommodating and supportive. I went past my due date and at 41 weeks had to do post-dates testing at TGH. I thought I was mentally prepared for their protocols. Measure baby, check on me and any contractions, and of course - offer me an induction. I knew I was going to politely decline...and I did! But they did get to me and scared us a little. We immediately called the on-call and talked to Bennett and Erica and they assured us that we were fine, but ultimately, they would support any decision we felt was best for our family. We decided to keep waiting on Baby because I was having contractions on the monitor, even though I felt nothing. And at this point, there was really only small level of risk involved in waiting at least a few more days. At 41&3, I was due to go back to TGH, but instead I started having contractions! My early and active labor went pretty quickly. Once Bennett, Erica, and my doula, Vanessa, showed up to my house, there was only about an hour before baby arrived! Unbeknownst to me and my wife, baby had his cord wrapped around his neck 3 times! Bennett and Erica knew immediately, looked at each other, said something very calmly - that no one else even paid attention to - they unwrapped the cord once they could. I think this part of my birth sticks out to me the most. I had no clue there was a "problem". My wife saw nothing. There was no immediate panic. They just unwrapped the cord and we moved on. We didn't even know it had happened until they told us AFTER things calmed down and we were settled. In a hospital setting, I can only imagine that this would have been treated as an emergency as so many unwanted and unwelcomed interventions would have been put in place immediately. I am SO thankful for every ounce of the Barefoot Birth team. I don't have enough words to explain what they mean to me and our family. I was able to stay home and natural - while not everyone can expect a perfect prenatal or birth experience - I can truly say that mine was amazing. I would rely on Barefoot Birth for any further pregnancies, without hesitation. (Also an important financial side note, our insurance did not want to reimburse us at all for hiring Barefoot Birth. But I did some research on my insurance plan, and I saved money using Barefoot! My deductible for a vaginal hospital birth was higher that the entire amount we paid Barefoot. I also would have owed even more to insurance had I had a Cesarean section or any other complications to deal with.) Our entire care through Barefoot was amazing. We had childbirth education with Rachel and she was amazing, also! My doula was Vanessa, who at the time hadn't made it official with Barefoot, but by the time my birth came, she was part of their team, too! I have no complaints and would truly recommend the entire team at Barefoot Birth to anyone! read more

Barefoot Birth - Midwives Near Me - Tampa, Florida

How do I fairly put into words the amount of support and compassion provided by the team at Barefoot birth? From the first appointment through postpartum, the staff has been helpful and friendly, available and considerate of my needs when those needs popped up. The actual birth experience was amazing, exactly how I hoped and the midwives Glenda and Sarah helped me feel safe and capable of birthing my first child. Afterwards, they did everything... I cannot list everything because surely there is a character limit here, but they took care of my mom (who was having back pain), got me cleaned up after examining my baby, took pictures with me and got cute footprints of Norah, stitched me up, recommended helpful homeopathic support, provided me with info to get me started in breastfeeding as well as in general care for my daughter, helped me latch her, made food for me and cleaned up the areas of the house that I was in labor in, including doing laundry for me. I laid down after labor feeling astonishingly refreshed and in an amazing place physically, mentally and emotionally. The follow up appointments and support followed the same caliber of care. I will always be grateful for and appreciate the support and time spent with these midwives and birth workers. Thank you for joining me whole heartedly in this journey. read more

I love these ladies! Charlie and her team treat you like one of the family. I always felt very comfortable and informed during my pregnancy. The space they have prenatals is gorgeous, very family friendly. My other two children loved going with me to my appointments and it was something I always looked forward to. They are prepared for any questions or concerns and encourage you to ask. They offer many classes including a childbirth class, even though this was my 3rd baby I thought what more could I learn! But I was wrong, loved the class! Highly recommend working with barefoot birth! This isn't just a business it's a community, one you can be a part of always. read more

Barefoot Birth - Delivered by mom, loved by a midwife! - Midwives Near Me - Tampa, Florida

I had the most amazing experience here at one of Charlie's workshops last weekend. I learned so much about all aspects of being a doula. Charlie truly cares about the birth workers in her community and she cares deeply about the women they serve. I can't wait to take another workshop at The Roots! read more

Barefoot Birth - Midwives Near Me - Tampa, Florida

I reached out several times to receive doula services but they didn't respond when we needed them. Not reliable

I had my baby in November. It's been about 3 months, and I've been turning this review over and over in my head, trying to put my experience into words! I had known that I wanted a home birth ever since I was little. My mom had me at home so I wanted to follow in her footsteps. Hospital birth wasn't an option for me. So when I got pregnant, I found Barefoot Birth. Erica and Bennett (the two midwives I dealt with) are kind and caring. They are REAL people. I started my care with them when I was 10 weeks along. They were very accommodating and answered every one of my questions. They love what they do. It's exactly what you'd want for someone delivering your baby. Erica came to my house for every appointment, once a month in the first trimester, every two weeks in the second and every week in the third. She was always happy to talk to me, and even gave me advice when I was having anxiety. Like I said, these people CARE. They care about their clients and it made me feel so happy and so valued. After every visit, she would insist that I call her if I ever needed anything. Bennett accompanied Erica to two or three of our visits, and she is just great! I really loved her sense of humor and they both made me feel very comfortable in a situation that made me feel a little scared. Even though I knew I wanted a home birth...come on. That stuff hurts. (Little me remembers my dad going on about how much my mom screamed when she had me... yea.) When I went into labor at 11:30 pm, I didn't call Bennett until about 3:30am. They were really attentive during the birth and very encouraging. I felt like a warrior!! I tore, of course, and usually the midwives stitch it up right there, but they recommended I go to the hospital because there was bruising and they weren't sure what degree tear it was. They just wanted to make sure it wasn't too significant. So we went. But here's the thing, they came with me! They were at the hospital when I got there and they were with me until the doctor had stitched me up. So they had been up since 3:30am, attended my birth, and then stayed at the hospital until 11:30am to make sure everything was ok, to help me through this process that was completely foreign to me. While I was getting stitched up, the Lidocaine that the doctor injected did NOT work. So Erica and Bennett were there the whole time with me, holding my hand and helping me through it. So amazing. You really can't get that care anywhere else. It meant so much to me that they stayed, it made me feel so cared for. There is no doubt that they care for each and every one of their clients. And I know for a fact that I will come back to Barefoot Birth for any future children I have! Thank you so much Erica and Bennett!!! read more

The midwives were awesome, made me very comfortable throughout the entire process and extremely smooth. They showed concern when concern was needed and helped me through the entire process during pregnancy through birth. They gave great direction and were very calm and easy to work with. I appreciate the level of care and dedication they showed. Thank you Erica and Bennett! my second baby boy is now two months and healthy as can be! read more

I received prenatal care at Barefoot Birth at the end of my pregnancy. Amazing group of midwives here! I had 4 previous c-sections before this pregnancy and these women helped me through. With their help I had a successful VBA4C. Being a black women and pregnant it can be difficult to find midwives and doctors that will listen to your choice to have a vaginal birth after a c section. I highly recommend Barefoot Birth. read more

Barefoot Birth stood with us as we welcomed our third little lady into our family. Charlie came to my house for my prenatal visits, delivery, and postnatal care. Her presence stuck me as relaxed and confident. I like how she learned to know my communication style and met me right where I was at. I felt safe in her care. Her support staff all were awesome and became friends during the course of our journey. I highly recommend Barefoot Birth and I am in awe of the community created at Community Roots. Take a peek for yourself. read more

"Wow!" That's what I tell people when they ask me about my home birth. It was the most amazing experience I have ever had. Charlie accepted me and took over my prenatal care at 30 weeks. I had a c-section with my first baby and I knew that is not how I wanted to have this baby. I LOVED all my home visits. I didn't have to stress about my 3 year old acting up at the doctor's office or finding child care for him. When I started having contractions at 3am on April 18, I called Charlie and she immediately answered and talked me through everything. She came to my house shortly after that call and stayed by my side throughout my entire labor and delivery. She stayed calm, which helped me stay calm and relaxed. My baby was born at home at 10:27am. Charlie stayed with us for 3 more hours to make sure we were all doing well. She is so knowledgeable about all things related to birth. I am so thankful I hired her for our home birth. She has become much more than a midwife to me. I now call her a friend. Best Experience EVER! Thank you to all the staff at Barefoot Birth for all you do! Here is my full birth story... http://dihel.blogspot.com/2015/05/lilly-annabelle-dihel-is-here.html read more

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I had a wonderful birth of my second baby with Charlie. Charlie is sweet, educated and professional. I felt like I was in great care with Barefoot Births. Charlie made it possible for me to make an educated decision to have my baby at home! read more

I was lucky enough to be taken on as a client midway through my pregnancy. Charlie was a wealth of information and was diligent in explaining all my labor options. Not only did I receive more information and personal care than I did with my previous Dr. , Charlie comes to your house!!! I would recommend Barefoot Birth to anyone looking for a more personal birthing experience! read more

With Barefoot Birth, you'll find emotional support, safety-minded midwives, and research-based care and feedback. After the loss of my first child at full term, it was important to me to work with a team who would help me feel empowered and meet me where I was, emotionally. I knew I couldn't bypass the difficult emotions that accompany grief but it made a big difference being able to be met with support and compassion at every appointment and in between, as well. These women knew my family's story, spoke my first child's name and not only listened to the emotional territory I was navigating, but often shared resources to aid with healing. I also wanted to work with a team who would put my and my baby's safety first. They helped me keep perspective on both the plan for a home birth, as well as the possibility of a hospital birth if needed. I really like that healthy moms and babies are this group's mission. My favorite resource was the Barefoot Birth handbook. Crafted by Charlie Young and available to clients, this online book contains information on prenatal and postpartum symptoms, suggestions and beyond. One of my favorite applications was using the nutritional source suggestions as a guidepost for my grocery list. It took some practice but every time I had a practical question, I tried to check in the handbook before contacting the midwives. What I sought was always there, and it was empowering to learn and advocate for myself and my baby throughout the pregnancy. Whenever I did reach out to the midwives, their responses were prompt and attentive. I knew that whether I gave birth at home or with the midwife acting as a doula at the hospital, my wishes were more likely to be honored. When I did go into labor, I was given the freedom to follow my body and I also received gentle guidance and encouragement from my midwives to make the process easier for my body. They communicated often and the encouragement and feedback they offered was very helpful for me. I'm thankful for the thorough and compassionate care these midwives provide. My experience was positive from start to finish, and the experience doesn't truly end-- there is a yearly reunion for clients and the Community Roots offers support, classes, and a safe space for families to come together. read more

We delivered at our home with Charlie as our midwife and had an amazing experience. I absolutely loved and appreciated that Charlie did our prenatal visits at home, it was so comfortable for me and convenient for my family! Charlie was so supportive and very respectful, she talked about all of our options, questions, and kept us feeling confident in my pregnancy and birth. We are so grateful we had her to walk with us on our journey! We highly recommend Barefoot Birth!!!! read more

The awesome, sweet, caring, knowledgeable and trustworthy team Barefoot have you won't find it in many places! We reached out to Charlie very desperate when I was a few weeks away from my expected delivery due date because the center my husband and I chose to deliver our second baby had given up on us basically kicking us out and sending us to deliver at the nearest hospital to us (which we were barely familiarize with) due to last minute results from a somewhat inaccurate ultrasound on the third trimester. So basically Charlie and her team took our case and reviewed everything carefully, listened to what we had to say about the matter, trust our judgment about the situation and the ability they had to continue on with our case and gave us the choices we didn't get before, giving us back the peace of mind every couple wants to have when it comes to deliver/welcome their baby!. They made sure they find solutions to the different situations we were facing, and not just the pregnancy/delivery risks at the time but also to the financially aspect as well so we could deliver our baby naturally, in the water (like we planned from the beginning) and at a our home without having any medical intervention or having to go at a hospital like the previous birth center told us we had to do! Because of Charlie and her team we delivered a healthy and beautiful baby boy at home in the water without any of the issues or problems we were told we "would or could" have. And for that my family and I will be forever grateful! They turned a horrible and stressful situation into a beautiful experience! Thank you!! :) read more

In my journey to have an unmedicated, vaginal birth after cesarean, I met with Charlie Rae Young (midwife at Barefoot Birth) and immediately knew that I wanted her to attend my home birth. She and her team of people at Barefoot Birth are so passionate and wonderful! I had the most amazing birth experience, kind and gentle prenatal care, and my postpartum care has been wonderful too. I couldn't have asked for better support through my pregnancy, and my birth was perfect! I also hired Mary Catherine as my doula and she encapsulated my placenta for me! She provided amazing support before and during labor. She was such a calming presence, which was exactly what I needed! I cannot say enough great things about the Barefoot Birth team! They are truly the reason I was able to have a successful and peaceful home birth! read more

From the moment we met Brandi Morales, my husband and I knew that she was the doula for us! She was personable, knowledgeable, and always available for any questions we had. From the beginning she met with us to discuss our birth options. Because of her affiliation with Barefoot Birth, I was able to go to classes to help us get ready for our first baby like a Breastfeeding Class and Baby Boot Camp. Brandi came to our home and always made us feel comfortable. I had SO many questions and she was so patient with me as we solidified our ideal birth plan so we could have the birth we wanted. She was available in the middle of the night when my water broke and even brought my husband coffee when we went to the hospital! I don't know how I would have gotten through my natural birth without Brandi! She helped guide my husband to keep me comfortable. She also helped me through massage, music, breathing, and so much more! Brandi also helped encapsulate my placenta afterwards and delivered it promptly to the house when we arrived back home. My husbands words are "worth every penny and I would hire Brandi again in a second!" I whole-heartedly agree. We will definitely hire Brandi again if we are blessed with another baby! read more

The prenatal care and homebirth of our third was such a wonderful and peaceful process with Charlie and Barefoot Birth. I had concierge care for every visit (talk about wonderful - I never had to get a sitter for the older two) and besides all the routine checkup items, Charlie takes great care to answer questions and really consider every aspect of the health of mommy and baby. When it came to the actual birth - my water broke and knowing that I tend to have my babies quickly she was here right away. Four hours later, our beautiful, full head of hair, 9.6# boy was born into my hands in water. That first look into his eyes and all those first moments are indescribable. And we got to enjoy each of them because Charlie and her team are the most calm, considerate and intelligent care providers I've known. Breastfeeding support, placenta arts, postpartum checkups and recovery and rest - they are available for all of it. I'm so thankful for the amazing midwifery care Charlie and team provides. We are so so lucky in this area to have them! read more

My husband and I recently brought our second child into the world with Barefoot Birth. The entire team made our prenatal period easy with their home visits and quick responses to any questions we had. They helped to support our somewhat difficult labor on actual birth day and keep us home, where we wanted to be most. Erica, one of the midwives, and Jenn, her assistant (and upcoming midwife), helped make our home birth experience peaceful and beautiful just as we hoped it would be. We would definitely recommend Barefoot Birth to anyone who's looking for an exceptional and personalized pregnancy and birth experience. (PS- the actual Community Roots Collective- the "homebase" is also very cute and has almost anything else you might be looking for maternal care, keepsakes, and pampering!) . Charlie, Erica and the ENTIRE TEAM are awesome! read more