I don't have enough good things to say about Shannon and her business. She was absolutely…read moreincredible from start to finish. From the very first phone call I felt so comfortable and genuinely heard. She took the time to answer every question and listen to my previous birth story and never made me feel rushed. She listened with understanding and compassion and for the first time I truly felt like a care provider was really listening to me. For my first birth, I had a typical hospital birth with a typical OB. Although I did not have a traumatic experience, I wanted something different for my second time around. I found Shannon and it truly was a blessing. The level of care and attention to detail was above and beyond anything I had experienced before. When the day came to give birth, having her there made me feel so safe supported and empowered. If I was ever to do this again, I would not hesitate to use Shannon and her team and have another home birth. It truly was a defining experience and something that I believe that all women should be able to experience. If you're looking for a quality Midwife service that treats you like family and truly listens to you look no further. I cannot recommend Shannon enough!

How do you simply "leave a review" for the beautiful people who facilitated an absolutely…read morelife-changing and indescribable experience? It feels so trivial to try to put into words what Shannon and A'maya gave to our family. They will forever have a space in my heart, and I cannot recommend working with them enough. From the very beginning, they gave us such a deep feeling of comfort and security, not only through their incredible knowledge but through their presence alone. During the birth, they created such a calm and steady presence in our home. I always felt supported and reassured, and their quiet confidence helped me stay grounded through the entire experience (and it was long). They knew exactly when to step in and when to simply hold space. Their care extended far beyond the clinical -- it was emotional, human, and deeply compassionate. Choosing a home birth for my first birth was one of the best decisions I have ever made, and having Shannon and A'maya as my midwives made it more beautiful than I could have imagined. And somehow, incredibly, alhamdulillah, I can honestly say I miss my birth. How many people can say that? It was such a powerful, peaceful, and empowering experience, one that I will cherish for the rest of my life. That is a testament to the environment they created and the care they provided. I am forever grateful. May Allah bless them abundantly, reward them for every moment of care they gave us, place barakah in their work, and allow them to continue being a source of comfort, safety, and strength for families like ours. Ameen.

Care quality is crazy bad. First ultra sound my doctor ignored my questions about heart rate when I…read moreasked for photos (it was my first ultrasound) she said their printer was down.... They don't do 20 week ultrasound at this department. I'm not 22 weeks pregnant and they only check my blood pressure, baby checks are done with a Doppler like you can buy on Amazon.... Doctors send out referrals with no follow up. I will never return to this OBGYN office. Worst care ever. Office check ups are rushed and they don't seem to care about their patients

I got a recommendation from a friend for Muir OB and I'm glad I did. I love that they have 2…read morelocations in Brentwood and Walnut Creek. We live in Oakley and my pregnancies have been high risk where I need lots of monitoring. I was coming biweekly while also getting biweekly scans at DVP. So having a location close to home cut down my trips to Walnut Creek. All the staff and doctors have been so amazing in our journey with our last miracle baby. Dr Hughes delivered our boy via C-section. It was a great experience even though our boy had complications. I did develop a reaction to the surgical glue that resulted in an infection, but I was well taken care of by dr. Hughes.

Nova was recommended to me for a home birth VBAC (already had one successful one). After finding…read moreout I was a woman of plus size, I was denied service with them. Their claim was that their VBACs need to be "pristine" because of liability reasons. My being plus size is not evidence based and is in fact, the same kind of shaming that I would expect from a typical medical doctor and not someone who practices midwifery. This was deeply disappointing. I'm grateful they can offer home birth options for women but if you don't fit their mold, you won't be accepted. Huh.. I went on to have a successful unmedicated 2nd VBAC.

We found nova midwifery through a friend... we were interested in having a home birth but weren't…read moresure, so we reached out to a friend to learn about their experience. They recommended Mason at Nova, so we called for an initial consult. Our son was delivered in 2015 at kaiser without intervention, and we liked the experience... except for all the medical stuff like wearing a heart monitor and sleeping in a hospital and all the worry that seems to come along with being in a hospital. For our second birth, we wanted a natural birth, but maybe a little more comfortable. We ended up hiring Mason and Melissa at Nova for our prenatal care, delivery, and recovery, and had a really nice experience. First, they're both 5 star people. Good bedside manner, good sense of humor, a nice wealth of knowledge. They are very good at quelling your fears and questions that come along with pregnancy and delivery, and appointments are typically really positive (you got this girl!). I would say from the husband side that a homebirth was WAY more enjoyable for me. My own bed, my own home, my own food, and I got to catch my daughter as my wife leaned over the ottoman. What an experience! I'll never look at that ottoman the same. I feel like these women checked all the boxes, professional, fun, empathetic, and knowledgeable. I hear they have new space in Walnut Creek, but one of the nicest things for us is they did some home visits for prenatal care since they had other clients in our area. Towards the end, we saw them in the office, and it was always a tranquil environment, very different from the kaiser waiting room. I think the recovery is the biggest advantage to the homebirth. These ladies support you through the first few weeks, and being home with your newborn is sooooo nice in the first few hours of life. I don't think I would have been comfortable with my first child at home, but now that I know what I'm doing, homebirths and nova are the only way I would go for an uncomplicated pregnancy and delivery.

Pregnancy can be a difficult and stressful time but it makes all the difference when you're cared…read morefor by an incredible, knowledgable, intelligent, and caring midwife. Home birth is so natural but it is imperative that you have a trained guide to walk with you beginning to end. Look no further than Tel and Taproot Midwifery. I was adamant that I wanted a home birth but my husband was a bit skeptical due to lack of exposure, until we began our prenatal care with Tel. Tel made us both feel immediately at ease and fully trusting in them to provide the best care possible and when it came time to welcome our baby into the world, Tel was the best person to do that with. I always felt heard and my concerns were always taken seriously. I also learned so much about my baby's development along the way. My entire pregnancy journey was made better by Tel and the Taproot staff. If you are interested in a home birth then I can't recommend Taproot Midwifery enough.

In the same way that beer makes you feel the way you ought to without a beer, Tel and Amy make…read morepregnancy feel the way it ought to whether birthing at home or in the hospital. As a 32 year old, new mama-to-be, I was very anxious about the road on which my body and mind were headed. My menstrual cramps had been brutal growing up and i equated that with having a low threshold for pain. So when I learned I was pregnant, I convinced myself that the only way I was going to get my baby out was through a self-elected cesarean, or an epidural paired with a cocktail at the very least. It wasn't until the end of my first trimester when my perspective had shifted. Propelled by my dissatisfaction with Kaiser's service, I sought out alternatives to my prenatal care. I remembered my colleague's home birth story which inspired bodily integrity and local midwifery services. Skeptical that the home birth approach was right for me, I scheduled a consultation with Taproot anyway. The consultation with Tel and Amy did more than just answer the 50 questions I had prepared beforehand. It quieted the worries racing in my head regarding patient and care provider relational dynamics on top of common pregnancy-related anxieties. While we covered many topics in the hour-long consultation, I'd like to highlight what resonated with me the most: 1. When I asked about the types of labor pain management techniques they offer, they said that a home birth itself is pain management. I wasn't sold on this response initially. With each subsequent week, however, I realized all the little things about my home that make me feel the safest and most comfortable: my bed, the cleanliness, the power to decide who enters my personal space. Ultimately, this is what put my body, mind and soul at ease during labor. 2. They believe in the power of "no" and always asked for my consent before touching any part of my body or my baby's body. This experience was unexpected but much appreciated especially as an adult survivor of child abuse. Being poked and prodded by medical providers without verbal consent is so normalized nowadays. My time with Taproot has taught me to be a stronger advocate for myself and that I have complete autonomy over my body. 3. Another thing that resonated with me was that they valued our time together. Each prenatal and postpartum appointment was scheduled to be an hour long. If i came with a list of questions, they took the time to carefully answer each one. On days i wasn't so inquisitive, they educated me and my husband about all things pregnancy and gave us practical resources to help mentally and physically prepare for labor and postpartum. If you feel drawn to some of the experiences I mentioned or are considering going the home birth route, it wouldn't hurt to schedule a free consultation with Tel and Amy. I don't know for sure what the rest of my pregnancy journey would've looked like had i remained in Kaiser's care. But i do know that my prenatal care team- Tel, Amy and my husband, was truly a dream team that empowered and supported me from pregnancy to postpartum.

This review is long overdue my baby is almost 2... but not a week goes by that I don't think fondly…read moreof and appreciate the care I received from Birthstream! My husband was very hesitant to have a home birth but Leslie and Rachel took time to understand his concerns and were mindful of us as individuals through the process. I really appreciate the at home visits, I have another child and for her to experience listening to the heartbeat etc was an experience that I am so grateful to have - the care you receive from the midwives through your pregnancy and during birth and after birth is SO valuable! I can't say enough positive things about my experience and I would recommend the Birthstream team to any of my friends and family in the Sacramento area. To highlight, my favorite parts about their care, in home visits usually lasting an hour, holistic knowledge and care, truly making sure you have informed decision making, and the after birth visits were the best and so wonderful. THANK YOU Birthstream for being a part of our families story, I am so grateful for the wonderful experience we had throughout pregnancy, birth and beyond. I really believe that the care we received set my baby and I up for great success!

If you're on the fence about homebirth I cannot recommend it enough. Birth can be the most…read moreempowering, safe experience when you are truly supported and cared for. Rachel and Lesley are incredibly experienced and knowledgeable midwives. They are kind and communicate well. I'm getting emotional just thinking of our journey together to get me my sweet baby. Get the consultation, you won't regret it. Instead of spending hours waiting on the phone or in doctors offices talking to someone who does not know you, you will be seen and heard by midwives whose priority is you. You are where you're most comfortable in your home for hour long visits focused on the health of you and your baby.

What a great birth experience with Napa Valley Midwives. Originally we hired Heather as our doula…read morefor our second baby. Once Covid hit we decided to change course and have a home birth. From the very beginning Heather and Kristina were so engaged with me and my pregnancy. It was the complete opposite of my OBGYN who changed all my appointments to be virtual and even forgot to schedule a few. Heather and Kristina saw me in their office and in my home following all the best practices during the pandemic. I felt safe every time I saw them. I really enjoyed the fact that they rotated which one of the saw me each appointment so that I could develop a relationship with each of them. By the time I went into labor I felt so comfortable with both of them. I believe this made the birth experience just that much better. During my labor and delivery, they were so professional but also felt like close friends since we had developed a great relationship and they truly care about their mamas. Once I delivered my baby, they gave us time to bond as a new family. While we did this they busily cleaned up. It was so impressive- you'd never know a birth had taken place in my house (haha). If you're considering a home birth, you'll be in loving and supportive hands with these two fabulous midwives.

I am not one to write yelp reviews, however, the care we received from Kristina and Heather was so…read moreegregious that I am scared for other women and feel an obligation to write about it. Our care with these midwives ended when I was 37 weeks pregnant and on day 5 of contractions. These contractions were not "real" labor contractions but rather contractions brought on by drinking large quantities of red raspberry leaf tea. They prescribed this to me because they said my son was too big and needed to be induced 2 weeks before his due date (this was later proven to be incorrect, as my son was born 11 days after his due date at a normal size and weight). During this bout of fake contractions, they registered a high blood pressure reading and told me that they feared for my life and needed to take me to the hospital or call 911 and have me removed from my home in an ambulance. I knew my high blood pressure reading happened as a result of feeling stressed out by the midwives and ultimately unsafe in their presence. They seemed to have little knowledge of white coat syndrome (a common occurrence where people have higher stress levels in the presence of a medical professional). I decided to fire them on the spot and switch my care to another midwife. Thank goodness I made this decision, otherwise I would have had a traumatic, premature hospital birth for no good reason. There were several signs along the way that Heather and Krisitina were incompetent. They made several incorrect diagnoses which were later proven incorrect by an MD at the hospital who said I was "a healthy pregnant woman ready for a homebirth." Misdiagnosis: Gestational diabetes: They put me on a very restrictive diet which caused me a lot of stress. When I raised concerns about the validity of at-home diabetes testing, Heather said she still thought it was in the ball-park. My health really suffered because of following their weird diabetes diet (I was encouraged to eat large amounts of meat, even in the middle of the night--this was the worst!) They told me they feared my son was too big and needed to be induced. This put enormous stress on me in the later phases of pregnancy and was completely inaccurate. My son was born at a totally average weight less than 8 pounds even 11 days after his due date. Another misdiagnosis! GBS. After my own research about this, I decided against antibiotic use. They went along with this, but encouraged a very expensive regime of supplements and consistently encouraged me to have antibiotics during the birth. Heather admitted to my mother that she herself had GBS and refused antibiotics in the birth of her own child. Hypocrisy?! They misdiagnosed me with a fever. Thankfully my mother was there and suggested it was warm in the house because of the heating (In December). When I went outside, my temperature was totally normal. Lack of Professionalism: They were late to most appointments. Kristina was 45 minutes late to one appointment. One time, Heather completely forgot an appointment and never showed up. She never even followed up with me to apologize, and I had to reach out to her to schedule the next appointment. They frequently did not have the right supplies for tests I needed to take, were missing batteries for their devices, and they only gave us the birth supply list at 37 weeks, when the baby could already have been born! As a first time parent this was very unsettling! Poor Communication: They didn't tell me which provider from their team would be at my birth, which was very unsettling. Then they set up an appointment with a colleague of theirs who gave me totally different suggestions about how to manage my "gestational diabetes," and at the next appointment Heather said I wasn't doing what I was supposed to do even though I was following her colleague's recommendations. Lack of Emotional Attunement. Both of these midwives acted from a place of extreme fear, rather than actually being able to see the person in front of them. They both never checked in with my husband and barely acknowledged his presence in our appointments. They asked questions in a style that felt more interrogatory rather than helpful/understanding. We left every appointment in fear, which was the last thing we wanted to feel approaching the birth! In addition to all of the grievances listed above, when we reached out to them to let them know that we had a healthy home birth and requested a refund for the fees we paid them, their response displayed a lack of compassion and accountability. They only gave us a 25% refund and never even congratulated us on the healthy home birth of our son, which was supposed to be their number one priority! I think their lack of professionalism, incompetence and lack of knowledge is evident with the numerous examples above. If you want to have a safe home birth and get good quality care, I would highly recommend choosing more experienced midwives.

Hiring Marlene and Kaleem was the best decision I could have made when I found out I was pregnant…read more They gave us the most incredible and loving care before, during and after our homebirth. They are insanely knowledgeable, calm, reassuring, experienced, loving....I could go on and on! I had an amazing and uncomplicated pregnancy, a powerful birth experience and a happy healthy baby girl and I know I have them to thank for that! Even my husband was thoroughly impressed with their care and he is very hard to impress!! These two wonderful midwives truly offer the best care a woman (and the whole family) could receive and they are worth so much more than what they charge. I could have had my entire birth paid for if I had seen a Dr and delivered at the hospital, but these two are worth every penny. We always felt special and never rushed at our appointments. They always made sure to tell us about all the options and helped us weigh the pros and cons of all the testing and procedures that come along with pregnancy. They always had perfect answers to my questions and their suggestions were always spot on. Everything they ever suggested that I do worked like a charm and you can really see how much they love what they do and how much they love each and every new baby! Please consider these one of a kind ladies to help you along your pregnancy journey!! You will not be disappointed

Marlene and Kaleem are amazing! They make pregnancy, labor, birth and postpartum such a great…read moreexperience. They don't make you feel like you have to do certain procedures, let you make the best decision for your family and are not judgmental about it what so ever. I feel beyond blessed to have had them be my midwives.

If you're in the market for a best in class midwife to assist with your home birth, I highly…read morerecommend Christie from Cambridge Midwifery Care. Christie did such an excellent job caring for me and my family from the first time we came to her clinic through pregnancy and birth and well beyond the postpartum period. Not only did Christie bring a deep knowledge of traditional midwifery care, but also her expertise around nutrition and the natural holistic approach of her practice were what made such a big difference for me in this pregnancy. The prenatal visits were detailed, personal and every discomfort I experienced was met with a suggestion on how to provide relief rather than it being dismissed as another pregnancy symptom. Along the way, Christie made sure to provide options and education for her treatment so I could make the best decision for me and my family. I couldn't have asked for a more positive and empowering home birth experience. Whether it's your first or fourth pregnancy, every woman should have the blessing to experience a natural childbirth and with the support of Christie I was able to do that in the most beautiful way, from the comfort of our home.

If your wanting a home birth these two are the best power team you could have. They have assisted…read moreme through two home births now. They are very professional, knowledgeable and in tune with your pregnancy. Careful they will become your best friends and you'll never want to stop having babies! ;)

Have you ever met someone and thought to yourself, dang, that human was born to do this kind of…read morework and has a real gifting for it? That was my thought about Lauren after meeting her for the first time (she taught our 6 week birth prep course). This woman was in her element. She cared, she was knowledgeable, and and she lit up the room. To our pleasant surprise and an epic answer to prayer, she ended up being our doula and what a gift she was in that space for us too. Lauren knew when to say or do something and the art of not saying or doing. We ended up having a dream birth and I'm not sure I would have been able to do it without her support. She was a part of the dream birth. She came along and partnered with me and my husband in a way that complemented and strengthened. Lauren helped me to trust myself and my body. There are no guarantees with birth. I don't love Lauren because I had a dream birth; I love her because of who she is and am so grateful she was with us and for us in the tender, sacred space of birth. No doula is for everyone, but if something about her resonates with you, book a call to see if there's a match.

Lauren is incredible! She helped me bring both of my babies into the world and I couldn't imagine…read morethe birth experience without her. She brought such a truly compassionate, intuitive, calming, and empowering presence to the experiences, and navigated all of the twists and turns with us. She felt like part of the family, and made us feel so held throughout the entire process from prenatal to postpartum. I couldn't recommend Lauren more highly. I almost want to have another baby just to be able to work with her again! If you're considering hiring her, DO IT! She's the absolute best.