Tatiana Koontz was the light we didn't know we needed. After a traumatic birth experience that shifted from a planned home birth to an unexpected hospital delivery, I was left feeling emotionally shattered and overwhelmed. Enter Tatiana-- the person who truly brought us back to life in postpartum. She met us exactly where we were -- exhausted, confused, and struggling -- and guided us with compassion, wisdom, and patience. We were facing major breastfeeding challenges, sleep deprivation, and navigating a tongue tie diagnosis, but she never made us feel like we were failing. Instead, she reminded us of our strength, and gently, consistently helped us find our way. She taught us so much -- not just about newborn care, but about trusting ourselves, creating calm in chaos, and moving through trauma with grace. She stayed for hours beyond what was required, cooked nourishing meals for us, held space for me emotionally, and made sure both my baby and I were cared for in ways that felt truly holistic and human. It's hard to put into words how much her presence meant to us. We were a first time family navigating deep postpartum pain, and she helped us and me feel safe again -- seen, supported, and empowered. If you are lucky enough to have Tatiana walk with you in postpartum, or pregnancy/birth know that you are in the most caring and capable hands. She is everything I needed in a time when I felt like everything was falling apart -- and she helped me piece it back together. read more

My family and I are so grateful we found Tatiana. We decided to do a home birth when I was 5 months pregnant and after we met with her my husband and I knew she was going to be the one. Being under Tatiana's care is unlike anything I've ever experienced. She has a calming presence that makes you feel supported, heard, and loved. At each prenatal appointment Tatiana went above and beyond to make sure everyone in the family was taken care of. She'd ask my husband how he was doing, include our toddler in the routine checkups on baby, and gave our dog lots of attention & loving. She treated my whole self and made sure I was doing well mentally & physically. Our L&D was super fast, but extremely smooth thanks to her. As soon as Tatiana arrived she brought a grounding and calm energy to the room. She brought me back into my body and helped to coach me through it all. Following the birth Tatiana was a wizard cleaning up and tending to me all at the same time. There was a zero rush feeling, and we were truly able to bask in the newborn bliss & snuggles. Her postpartum visits and care was one of the major things that stood out to us when we originally met with her. We don't have any family here, so when Tatiana comes over it feels like she's a family member checking in and hanging out with us. She helps ease any concerns we have and again keeps our entire family involved. Tatiana is absolutely incredible & a true gem!! We don't know what we'd do without her! read more

Review Can't speak highly enough of Tatiana as our midwife. Backstory: I had planned a home birth for my first child and hired a team of midwives that completely dropped the ball... missed my baby being breech at over 41 weeks and I was forced into a c section. Even before then, their care was very sub par with rushed appointments and not making me feel heard. Why I even mention this is often I think people think if you go the midwife route, you have a higher level of care... I did not find this to be true, and all midwives are not equal, which I found out the hard way. Enter Tatiana... she helped me rebuild confidence in my ability to grow and birth a perfect baby. She gave me full control to make decisions for my baby and body, but was there to guide me and help me along the way. She's super knowledgeable and confident in multiple different birth and pregnancy scenarios and was able to answer any questions or uncertainties I had. She takes extra time for prenatals and makes sure you are taken care of physically and emotionally. I knew I could always reach out with anything I needed. She involved our 2 year old in the whole process and we were so thankful for her patience and special attention she gave to include her in the experience. We always looked forward to our visits! From the start, we felt so taken care of by Tatiana and are so so thankful that she was able to provide us a positive redemptive experience from our last. We were able to have a happy and successful VBAC. She's also been so attentive during our postpartum period. Tatiana truly is one of a kind and becomes part of the fam. read more

With my firstborn, I had a pretty traumatic hospital experience that ended in a c section. I felt really sad and not cared for after that experience and when I got pregnant with my second I knew I had to do it vastly differently. I called multiple midwives, but something about Tatiana clicked for me. She was caring, encouraging and informative. She made me feel so safe and cared for throughout my pregnancy, answering all my questions and concerns and when my birth came I was so ready to meet my baby. When I say I had the most incredible home birth, I mean it. I got everything I wanted and that included the support of Tatiana. Looking back on it I just remember her calming presence helping me through contractions and preparing me for every step of labor. I gave birth to a healthy beautiful baby boy in my bedroom. Pregnancy, birth was amazing but where Tatiana's care really steps in is postpartum. She came over so many times the first week and then every so often for a whole year. Knowing I could call her about anything from baby support to postpartum care was such a comforting thought. It was unlike anything I received in the hospital. This midwife is next level and I couldn't recommend her more to a mama who wants to have a home birth. Once you have Tatiana as your midwife, she becomes family read more

Birthwaves Had CVD-19 not hit I never would have considered a home birth. In a weird way I'm happy it did because it forced me to rethink what I wanted my birth to look like and what would fit best for me and my family. I did the standard prenatal office visits, but it wasn't the experience I was looking for. I figured since it was my first time being pregnant and was there alone that my OB would be more nurturing and informative, however that was not the case. I felt like nothing more than a number so I began to do a lot of research on home births and everything it would entail. My research eventually led me here to Birth Waves Midwifery and it quickly became the best decision I ever made. It's expected of a medical professional, but Tatiana is very knowledgeable and proud of the work she does, but what stands out is how extremely caring she is. Seeing her throughout my pregnancy and doing so in the comfort of my home made me feel safe and confident during times of uncertainty. Having someone who is just a text away answering questions/educating me along the way was great. Having my husband by my side to experience it all with me was a nice bonus as office visits are patient only and I wanted him to be included and ask any questions he would have. During my birth Tatiana took very good care of me. She made sure I ate, remained hydrated, etc. Not having to wait 6 weeks to see a doctor was great too. She saw me regularly and would check in often to make sure I was recovering well and in good spirits. I am few months postpartum now and she is just as attentive as when I was pregnant. Tatiana still checks in and remains a constant in our lives. Logistically everything has gone smoothly, I appreciate how easy she made things for us. Getting my daughter's documentation has been a breeze with Tatiana's instructions. It's just my husband and me, having her around made things that much more enjoyable. I am lucky to have had Tatiana help me welcome our baby into this world and grateful to have her be part our journey. I could not have asked for better midwife. read more

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Tatiana was amazing! This was my second child birth and I decided to do the natural birth route via water birth. Although Tatiana was assisting and still in training at the time, her warmness and post birth assistance was seriously appreciated. I was exhausted and didn't feel beautiful after all the laboring, having blood and bodily fluids all over me and just being in the raw lol As if she could read my mind she comforted me, told me I was beautiful and amazing, helped me get my baby latched and was so sweet the entire time. I have now moved to Texas but if I ever get pregnant again, I hope I can find someone as attentive and sweet as her read more

Birth Waves Midwifery - The best birthing experience I could of hoped for - Midwives Near Me

We hired Tatiana for a home vaginal birth after csection (hbac) later in our pregnancy -around 28 weeks. She was the only midwife in San Diego who had availability for my due date since we had made the switch from the hospital to home later in our pregnancy. Later we realized why she was the only one who had availability so late in the game. At our first meeting, she insisted that she only took on three clients a month and had more than enough time to take care of us. So we hired her and at first we we're really happy. However, about a month in, we started to notice she was often unavailable. It felt like she forgot about me and how far along I was at any given time. I had to reach out several times asking to book prenatals at different weekly benchmarks because I hadn't heard from her in days, sometimes weeks. If I hadn't been on top of it and asking for appointments then I wouldn't receive them. And that's actually what happened. I was supposed to have at least 9 prenatals before birth and I only received 5. Also, at almost every appointment it felt like she was trying to discourage me from having a homebirth. She would say things like, "it sounds like hospital feels safer for you," and "it sounds like a csection is better for you" even though that is not what I was expressing. It was frustrating and surprising to say the least. In between appointments it felt like i was annoying her when I would text or call her asking questions I was met with a kind of attitude that made it seem like she was annoyed to deal with me. So eventually we stopped asking her things and would reach out to other medical professionals. My husband and I even considered firing her, but decided we would just see how things unfolded. Then she came to one of the appointments very sick, coughing, and unmasked. I said we should reschedule, but she insisted she wasn't sick and it was a lingering cold from months before and that she wasnt contagious. She didn't wash her hands before examining me and coughed the entire appointment. This made me uncomfortable but I trusted that she knew what she was doing as the medical professional. Unfortunately, later that week both my two year old (who was present during that appointment and I think high five her) and I came down with the worst case of the flu I had ever experienced. I was bed ridden for three weeks at the end of my pregnancy (from 37 weeks pregnant to 40 weeks) with a violent cough that created complications for me when I later went into labor. I reached out several times to Tatiana for medical advice and was again met with the same annoyed tone. It would even take her up to a day to respond. She would be annoyed that I was texting and asked that I call instead of text even after I expressed how hard talking was for me with the coughing. I was livid with her lack of concern and dismissal, especially since she was the one who got us sick! When she did come check on me, and I was expressing my concern for my physical ability to labor after being so sick, she kept saying, "It sounds like you want a csection," and "A csection may be the way to go." We were flabbergasted that a home birth midwife would keep pushing for transfer in the face of a vulnerable and sick pregnant woman expressing her feelings. Later we found out she has the highest transfer rate. We were so disappointed with her that my husband and I debated whether to call her or not for the labor. When I did go into labor, I labored for two days before we did call her because we didn't want her attitude and negativity at our birth. We did transfer and ended up with a very beautiful birth experience VBAC at UCSD. Per our contract, we were supposed to have postpartum appointments every 2 to 3 days but never received any because she was too booked. She also refused to provide further care until another payment was made despite the fact that she had not fulfilled her part of the contract. It became very obvious that she only wants to do the bare minimum for the most amount of money. She also takes on way more clients then she admits causing her to over promise and under deliver. It makes sense that she pushes hospital transfer because she still gets paid without having to do the work. I do not recommend this midwife unless some significant things change in her attitude and how she conducts her business. I wish I would have known this before, which is why I'm writing this very candid review. read more

I've had the worst experience with Tatiana unfortunately. She dropped my care with no reasons at 32 weeks of pregnancy leaving me in the dark in such a sensitive moment in a woman's life. I would have never thought a midwife would be able to do this to a client with no serious reasons. It all started when I contacted Tatiana on a weekend after I performed my 20 weeks anatomy scan. I received the test results directly from the ultrasound clinic and the report said "Black mass on baby's stomach". As you can imagine me and my husband got very scared, we imagined the worse, and our mind linked to cancer in our baby so we called Tatiana that morning, scared as hell to get some guidance. Once we called we realized that the number she gave us was her office and that she never gave us her cellphone number. I emailed her the situation and told her to call us back as soon as she could and that we wanted to have her cell in case of future emergencies for a peace of mind. She called me later that night or the day after, she seemed very bothered to the fact that I asked her cell and called her on a weekend. She told me that she doesn't work on weekends (unless a birth or emergency occurs) and that she gives her cellphone only later on in pregnancy, but that anyway she prefers to be contacted by email. She didn't know what the scan result meant and she sent a referral for a specialist for a second opinion. At the following appointment Tatiana arrived still bothered of the fact that we contacted her by phone, she wasn't friendly and asked us if we still thought we were a good fit. We replied that for us there were no hard feelings and that we were ok with her care and we only wanted to have her number for emergencies. We explained we got very scared at the results and we only wanted to get reassured. We thought the problem was solved there. But apparently it wasn't. Tatiana kept seeing us up until week 32 of pregnancy, right after we made our first big down payment, we scheduled an appointment and when she arrived I started to explain to her that I thought I was suffering from pregnancy depression, that I was feeling alone since we didn't have any family member around and I have been down. She stopped me there, and with the coldest tone I've ever heard she said: "sorry but today I only came to give you my letter or resignation, I won't be able to serve you anymore because I think we are not bonding enough, and you will need to discuss this with your future doctor" she then gave me a letter of resignation with referrals for hospitals and birth centers. I broke down in tears, I was already depressed, and very fragile at 32 weeks of pregnancy, I begged her to don't leave me, that I did not have any problem with her. I reminded her my biggest fear was giving birth in an hospital, and that this late in pregnancy was difficult fining an available midwife. She was cold as ice and seemed to don't care at all about me or my fears or my mental status and coldly said "There is nothing else I can do for you" and left. She had zero empathy for me, this situation really put me on a dark place and I was very sad. I cried all day long, trying to find a solution and calling midwifes around town to check availability. I would not wish this treatment to my worse enemy! Mind that she waited till my big downpayment to fire me, so she was able to keep most of the money for home visits up till then. All midwifes I talked to told me they would never drop a client, especially this late in the game, just because they didn't like them, or thought they were not a good fit. I think a mother would have never done this, nor a good midwife. This trick costed me (just 6 weeks prior to my birth) an extra $3,000 dollars of unplanned an unexpected expense to hire someone else, on top of our great distress caused by this circumstance. It took me 6 months to write this review because I was still greatly hurt by this behave. I definitely cannot recommend her to anyone. If you want someone who will be there and support you no matter what, Tatiana is not for you! read more

Tatiana, or as my family says: TatiMama, holds a very special place in my heart. When looking for a midwife it was very important to me that I find someone who would respect my body and my birth plan. Tatiana has provided that and MUCH more--she has set the bar for prenatal/postpartum care very high. She has been by my side for 2 pregnancies and 2 births. I fell in love with her patience, dedication, and genuine love for what she does. Her care has filled me with confidence, empowerment, and the essence of what a natural birth can be. She provided safe, hands-off, care that allowed me to dive deep and find my inner birth goddess. She was supportive and always on call for me and my family, always willing to answers questions or even stop by the store to pick up something if needed. She always listened and held space for me when I was going through challenging phases of motherhood. My appointments weren't just about me and baby but also about my family. Tatiana always included my husband and boys in listening for the heartbeat, measuring my uterus, or talking about questions or concerns. She played, she listened, and she stayed as long as my family needed her support. After being pregnant and laboring three (very big, 10-11lbs) boys, I can confidently say that the most important addition to my birth team was not someone who would do all the work for me (impossible) but someone who could guide and protect me through the process. Thank you Tatiana for providing that for me. I love you deeply and will always cherish my birth stories thanks to your help. read more

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Tatiana assisted my second delivery, a water birth, and I don't think I could have done it without her. She was there during transition up until after the placenta was birthed. When the pain became too much, I couldn't remember the breathing techniques I had practiced. Tatiana breathed with me with every push to help them become more effective. Without her help, I would've been screaming, and probably had a longer delivery. She helped me slow down my breathing during crowning, preventing any tearing with my 8 pound, 6 ounce baby boy. I can tell she loves what she does, and has so much compassion for not only the mother, but the baby as well. Thank you Tatiana for helping me the way you did. I am so SO grateful that you were there to guide me through the hardest and most rewarding experience I've ever encountered! read more

Birth Waves Midwifery - Water birth - Midwives Near Me

I had wanted to write this immediately following birth because my experience with Birth Waves Midwifery was beyond anything I could have ever imagined and I wanted the world to know about Tatiana in all her goodness, kindness, knowledge, patience, and love. Here we are 8 months later finally writing the review because birth takes time to process and newborns require care! In short, with Tatiana's care and help I was confident throughout my pregnancy about my health & the health of my baby and was able to successfully deliver my son (my first child) at home after 45.5 hours of back labor...and I am so grateful to her and for her. She is amazing and I do not have enough words to say how great she really is. My husband and I knew little about home births besides the fact that we knew we wanted one. I searched through many websites and made many phone calls. Honestly, Tatiana's gentle website made me feel good enough to schedule a consultation. After our consultation call, my husband and I just felt that Tatiana was the right fit. She explained to us the process, how care works, what a homebirth *typically* looks like, and also all the practicals of payment, appointments, scheduling, etc. She was confident, knowledgeable, and the farthest thing from "pushy." Choosing Tatiana was the best decision. As almost all her reviews say, she becomes part of the family. Through all our appointments Tatiana was there for us. She created a space where my husband and I felt free to share how pregnancy was for us physically, emotionally, spiritually, etc. She came to our home for every single appointment. Isn't that amazing! She is so radically available to her clients that she was able to come at a time where my husband could be at each appointment as well. She not only asked about me, but also him (he will leave his own review with his positive experience also). While the appointments were scheduled for an hour, it was not uncommon for Tatiana to stay over that time answering all of our questions, calming our fears, and giving us resources. One time I was nervous about the baby's movements in the third trimester so she drove an hour to our house at 7pm to check on the baby to make sure that I felt confident the baby was okay. Everyone I told about our midwife was always in shock over how much she did for us and how well she took care of us. She was available through email, texts, and phone calls always and responded promptly. In the final 5 weeks of the pregnancy, she would repeatedly remind me that I could call her whenever I felt something was off. She would tell me often that I am the mother of this child, I am the one pregnant and so she trusts my instincts and wants to work with me. This was so easy to believe as she never ignored anything I said or felt, she affirmed my desires for pregnancy and birth, and never judged. . With it being my first child, I had no idea what to expect for birth. My husband and I chose not to get a Doula (not the move, fyi). Tatiana stepped in in a way that I can never repay her. She chose to stay with us longer than she needed to when contractions slowed and labor was not moving. She very easily could have gone home (as it is typical for midwives to only come towards the end of labor). Instead she helped me get comfortable, gave my IVs to keep me hydrated, reminded me of all the things we had talked about prior, encouraged me, and helped my husband to support me. In the down times of labor, my husband and I laughed with Tatiana, talked about life/dreams/desires. When it finally came time to push, Tatiana was right there with me the entire time. She guided the process without being overbearing. She stayed with us for hours after birth until she was confident everything with the baby was okay. She even ran to the store for us to grab homeopathic medicines and food. And our house was left so clean, as Tatiana and her team cleaned everything from birth after the birth. After the arrival of our son, Tatiana visited us multiple times in the two months before we moved to another state. She was able to care for me as a postpartum woman in a holistic and whole way. The way she held/cared for my son was the most gentle and loving thing. I will be hard pressed to find a midwife that meets the standard of Tatiana for my next birth. As a bonus, Tatiana is extremely connected and was able to offer recommendations and resources for all my pregnancy needs (including chiropractor and birth class educators). In my opinion, and experience, you will not be disappointed choosing Tatiana. read more

Tatiana and I have worked together over the past few years as postpartum doulas supporting new families throughout greater San Diego. I turn to her to help support me in my work and recommend her to families I can not accommodate. She is kind, educated, has amazing patience and insight. Her training encompasses such a wide range of birth and postpartum skills and knowledge any family would be lucky to have her walk with them on their birthing/recovery journey. Meet her, you'll see for yourself. read more

Tatiana was awesome throughout the whole process. We switched to her later during the pregnancy after issues with another midwife. She made my wife feel comfortable and safely delivered our baby boy. I'd Highly recommend Tatiana to any family looking for a home birth. read more

Tatiana has been a huge blessing to our family! And when I say family, I mean our whole family. She has been there for both my husband and I, our new baby and our three year old daughter. She genuinely cares and takes the time to answer any questions or concerns and shares helpful thoughtful information where she sees fit. She's never checking her watch or seems in a hurry which is so nice in a care provider. She will stay and talk as long as needed so you feel comfortable and confident in your situation. I switched to her care from a birth center at 38.5 weeks and I could not have been happier with that last minute decision. From the moment my husband and I met her, we felt empowered and confident in her care and ability to help us have the birth experience we so hoped for. It was so powerful to be surrounded by such a supportive and loving team in our home. She was attentive and her confidence in me helped me to stay strong and confident in myself and my ability to bring my baby into this world. She would breathe with me through contractions and she was always encouraging me. She stayed for hours after delivery to keep an eye on us and to help clean up and get us set up for the night. Tatiana's postpartum care is unlike any other and we look forward to her in home visits. We seriously feel like we've gained a sweet friend from this experience. My son has also received wonderful care from her during our visits. He responds so well to her and her kind touch. She is intuitive and amazing at what she does. You can tell she loves her job and she is darn good at it! read more

Tatiana is exceptionally dedicated as a midwife. I had the pleasure of her assistance at a birth where she treated the birthing mom with so much kindness, attention and sweetness it melted my heart. The instrument for this light hearted care was the information that she gave that helped this new little family breastfeed, take care of their newborn and understand their bodies. She is incredibly smart and knowledgeable, has the skills of an advanced midwife and the fresh eyes of a new one. Just wonderful. read more

Whenever I think back on my birth experience I remember Tatiana so clearly. She was a constant beacon of comfort. Her words and energy in the room during labor were so comforting. Even after my son was born she remained by my side to make sure I was doing ok. Her intuitive sense made the whole experience so much better. I am forever grateful for her being apart of my birth story. read more

I just came from attending my first home birth with Tatiana as the Midwife. I was so blessed by her patient, peaceful way of practicing. She set my Client at ease throughout the pregnancy and birth, and knew just how to reassure her in times of uncertainty. Tatiana is so knowledgeable and steady in her training, she is completely confident in her skills and always professional, yet also makes herself as one of the family. This family was surrounded with love and exceptional care. It was a blessing to witness and be a part of. Thank you, Tatiana for all your bring to birth and building up families- and birth professionals! read more

Tatiana is hands down a beautiful human and has found her calling in midwifery. She attended my birth at Best Start Birth Center as a student midwife, and was an integral part of the team! I am seriously not sure if my birth would have been so amazing if she had not been there. Our entire team was incredible, but Tatiana's presence was so warm, comforting, and positive. When all the other birth attendants were busy checking stats and covering protocol, Tatiana was able to do her duties while still meeting me on my level being freshly postpartum. She made me feel so special and confident to move into motherhood with her tips, information, and expertise. I was honestly surprised that she was still a student midwife and I am now SO THRILLED that she is a fully licensed practicing midwife. This is one of those pairings that is just kismet, Tatiana was MEANT to be a midwife and it shows. I was so grateful to have her be a part of my birth, and you will be too. read more

It's taking me some time to write this review. To be quite honest, it was either because I've fallen asleep while I was writing it due to pure exhaustion or I've had so many happy tears I could barely see my keyboard. Sometimes trying to describe someone and actually put it into words seems impossible! Especially our midwife Tatiana! I'm a momma of two amazing and perfect babes. Easton who is two and our "Dennis the Menace" and our sweet girl Blair who is our fresh newborn. We welcomed our sweet girl into the world 3 weeks ago with THE BEST and I literally mean THE BEST midwife to ever be known. Tatiana has skills that just can't be taught. She's constantly one step ahead, always prepared, and makes you feel like you are the worlds strongest person. Her presence is indescribable and her abundance of knowledge always helps you feel assured. Our sweet girl was born at home right into the water. She came into this beautiful world weighing 9lbs 14oz and was 22 inches long andddd I had zero tearing. Yes, I know I'm still in shock myself. But I owe that to our incredible midwife for helping me slow down when I needed to. Her talking me through those "impossible" moments made my birth. It was literally pure magic! Tatiana, I know I can't ever thank you enough. But I'm still going to try :). Reliving our birth through photos and videos makes me want to just hug you over and over. We couldn't of done it without you. Our girl is absolutely perfect and in immaculate health thanks to you being so diligent and constantly checking on us even after the birth. We love you SO SO much and owe everything to you. Thank you for helping us bring our perfect girl earth side . If you are looking for a midwife don't even think twice. Tatiana is your girl. I promise from the moment you meet her you will already feel at peace. She's incredible and was born for this job! You will have the best midwife ever!!!!!!! read more