My experience with Paula was so traumatic it's taken me almost a year since my birthing experience…read moreto finally leave a review. As difficult as this, I feel responsible to share the truth so others can be informed. I wish others would've done the same when I came to check these reviews before hiring her for the prenatal care and delivery of our first baby. Her 5-star rating turned out to be devastatingly misleading. Initally Paula seemed so supportive and caring, but once she had our money it was downhill from there. She was constantly distracted, forgetful, negligent, and often disrespectful - all signs I should have gotten the hell out of there. Unfortunately, I didn't realize how bad everything was until it was too late to get my money back and I couldn't get another midwife in time. I told Paula straight up "dealing with you has been the most stressful part of my pregnancy." The anxiety she caused me was unreal and seriously harmful to me and my baby. Sadly, things only got worse when I tried to deliver at her "birthing center" in Napa. Do not be deceived by how beautiful and welcoming it seems. It turned into a dreadful place after 3 days of labor with very little support and care from her.  Maybe at one time Paula and Fawn were great at midwifery, but my experience with them was quite contrary. This was very confusing for me and took time to process how horific my experience was with them, since I was so convinced I was working with wise women. Paula did nothing to comfort me or support me during labor. She would only pop in the room for cervical/doppler/blood pressure checks. She told me to take a benadryl, Tylenol, and drink a glass of wine and try to get some sleep. She sent my husband to the store multiple times - for these items as well as nausea medicine, leaving me all alone and him scrambling for things she should have provided.  When I was 8 cm dilated she called in her team and laid down in my bed...ON MY PILLOW! She literally laid there until my labor stalled and I went down to 3 cm. My baby and my body knew it was NOT SAFE to give birth in this woman's hands. The next day my water broke. She laid a diaper on the bed and promptly walked out, leaving me legs spread with gushing fluids and unable to help myself amid contractions. Thankfully, a godsend doula - Denise Lee Haye- kindly stepped up and helped me into the diaper. Every time it needed changing Denise and my husband were the only ones to help. When my best friend asked Paula how much time does she have after the water breaks? Paula replied "indefinitely!" This turned out to be not true and put me and my baby in harm. We barey escaped ICU due to this. At the hospital, Paula struggled to provide the nurses with all of the pertinent info and left as soon as she could. In her stead, a doula named Carolyn stayed with us. She was very sweet, but in retrospect, she prolonged my labor by questioning everything the doctor was doing, imbuing more doubt and hesitation than the confidence and reassurance I needed. I wish she would have questioned and advocated for me like that where I really needed it - at the birthing center. We paid Paula $6,500, $100 for the birthing kit $50 for her "insurance woman," plus those random items she sent my husband to the store for. After submitting her superbill, we were only reimbursed $700. As brand new parents in the thick of everything, this was super stressful and such a huge distraction at a crucial time for our little family. We weren't in a place to be in contact with Paula at all, it was too triggering and unhealthy. Now, we are sharing our story, and now we will reach out for this much warranted refund. A refund is the least whe can do for such a damaging experience. I will update my review when we receive a response on this. Her refund policy ensures she keeps most of your money, even if you don't deliver with her (which should be the most expensive part). In the future, I would look for someone with a more reasonable financial policy, who doesn't have a conflict of interest - ie, will send you to the hospital when it's warranted without the motivation of keeping you to birth with them so they can receive a higher insurance payout. I would also look for a midwife who offers community/group amongst clients, which provides support for parents and babies and more transparency/accountability within the practice (AKA, nothing to hide). SF birth center is really good with this.  I am so lucky my precious baby and I are both okay, although the trauma is hefty. I am grateful for the skilled, caring (unpaid) souls who did help me in my darkest hours and I would highly recommend working with them and paying them directly, not through Paula or Fawn: Jamie Weaver, Kim Stanford, Denise Lee-Haye. And of course, (divine) Providence/Queen of the Valley.

Choosing Paula and The Midwives was the best thing I have done for myself and my baby throughout my…read morejourney to motherhood. My care was supportive, kind, loving, knowledgeable, reassuring, personal, and professional. Each of my appointments throughout my pregnancy lasted as long as they needed to. All my questions and concerns answered and expanded upon. Pregnancy and birth are outrageously vulnerable times and the people you hire to help you throughout it can make a huge impact. My care team had absolute faith in me my whole pregnancy. By the time I went into labor I had no doubts that Paula and her team would support me through a healthy and safe labor. I delivered my beautiful son at the birth center in Napa unmedicated and completely undisturbed. I utilized their enormous birthing tub and had the birth of my dreams. All through the birth center I was able to encapsulate my placenta to help with postpartum healing. They made getting a birth certificate so easy. The postpartum care was amazing. I honestly feel like I can reach out to the team any time. I would absolutely recommend this path to any women. Not so long ago, women gave birth with the help and wisdom of other women in their community who had gone through it countless times and seen it done countless times- this is the experience you will have if you chose to have your baby with Paula and the Midwives. You will be led through your pregnancy and birth by women who believe in your biological ability to do it.

Words will never fully capture the gratitude I feel for my midwife, but I will try. From the very…read morefirst appointment, she created a space of warmth, trust, and deep understanding that carried me through one of the most vulnerable and powerful experiences of my life. As a Black woman, there is a unique kind of peace and comfort that comes from being cared for by someone who understands not just your body, but your culture, your fears, and your strength. Her presence made me feel seen--not just as a patient, but as a whole person. There were no explanations needed. She just got me. That kind of connection is rare, and it made all the difference. She was more than a care provider--she was an advocate, a teacher, and a calming force during moments of doubt and discomfort. Her knowledge and confidence reassured me at every turn, and I always felt she had my best interest at heart. She didn't just deliver my baby--she helped deliver a new version of me. To any woman--especially Black women--seeking a midwife who will treat you with respect, dignity, and genuine care, I wholeheartedly recommend her. Her presence is powerful, her care is rooted in love and knowledge, and her impact will stay with you long after your delivery. She is a gift to this work, and to every mother she walks beside. Thank you for keeping me alive, Mama Lisa.

I hired Lisa and her assistant, Bria, in 2024 to support me in my second pregnancy and was beyond…read moresupported and cared for. I appreciate Lisa's approach to care, her straightforwardness, and humor. When I was struggling with breastfeeding, she also supported me in that and I am still breastfeeding my son seamlessly 10 months later. Lisa is a seasoned midwife who absolutely knows her stuff. Thank you again for all your support and care.

Eva, amazing, Eva! I am a midwife myself and my husband is a Nurse Practitioner - we chose Eva as…read moreour midwife because she not just listens but also hears what you are saying, she is very informed and professional and up to date on the latest research and guidelines regarding birth, and we felt we could completely trust her in an emergency (my husband used to work in the Emergency Department so this was a very big deal to him of course)! She also speaks fluent Spanish which is great! Throughout our prenatal care Eva was competent, available and understanding. She was a source of great resources (chiropractics, homebirth classes, birth tub etc). She also helped me tremendously with nutrition and supplements. Even as a midwife, she taught me many things I did not know myself. My water released a LONG 66 hours before my baby was born and Eva came over every morning and evening with not only a plan, but herbs and homeopathy and a bunch of tricks in her bag to get things going. Anytime I needed to reach her she was available. And when things finally got going everything went SO quickly my labor was probably 2-3 hours total and between contractions I definitely was impressed with how quickly she set up all of her equipment, including her emergency gear, but also attended to me with her lovely calm and caring manner that I so admire. The birth was the most amazing experience, we couldn't have asked for a more perfect day. I truly felt my protected, attended to, and respected in the deepest sense. We all had such a wonderful time complete with champagne toast to the birthday boy! We didn't anticipate that we would also come to love Eva for her amazing postpartum care. Compared to the birth breastfeeding was extremely challenging for me. Eva helped me so much through this and the postpartum process. Compared to the one 6 week visit you have with a hospital based clinic, you have many many visits postpartum with Eva. This was amazing, because as new parents, we truly trusted her advice and guidance and really NEEDED support more than ever at this time. I also had the wonderful opportunity to watch Eva attend a good friend's homebirth and again she was calm and collected, knowledgeable and caring, quick and steady, alert yet sensitive - all qualities very important for her work! Eva pours her heart and soul into her work which shines through in the caring and committed relationships she forms with her clients. She is one of the most positive people I've ever met and was definitely "called" to the field of midwifery.

Absolutely the best birthing experience I've witnessed with the best genuine care a professional…read moreand experienced midwife can offer. Please note that my review is based not as a mother laboring for the birth of her child, but as a support person, guiding the laboring mother. Eva demonstrated the most gentle, comprehensive, and trusting care you need in order to trust a midwife with the delivery of your baby. Throughout the entire birthing process, way before the delivery date, Eva continued to prepare and mentor both my friend, her husband, and I on what to expect. During delivery, Eva was calm and proved to be one of the driving forces for my friend's perfect delivery. She is absoultely what I envision an excellent midwife to be.

I called Emily for help when my little guy was 11 weeks old. She gave me great advice on putting…read morehim down for naps as well as transitioning him to a bottle. She was very supportive and gave me much needed encouragement.

My husband and I were so grateful to have Emily as our doula for the birth of our son this past…read moreSeptember. After meeting a number of doulas, we decided to go with Emily. We really liked that she was incredibly knowledgable - pulling out data, studies, and anecdotes from her own education and international travels throughout our conversations - and her easy-going demeanor. The day of my son's birth, after I had been in labor for much of the day at home, with my husband coaching me along, we called Emily to come over when things got a bit more intense. While my husband was an incredible birth partner, we were both so happy to have her very obviously experienced support. She had a very soothing touch - which was so nice in the midst of great pain - and had so many awesome suggestions that contributed so positively to my birth experience (using tools like water and yoga balls, mantras, rhythm, etc). At the same time it felt like she sensed when it was a good time to also give my husband and I space. She would kind of dip in with some magical support then disappear (really just a room away and always available), then dip back in just when it was right. Going in I wanted to shoot for a birth with little or no intervention. We made all of our decisions around that vision, particularly in who would be with us for the birth. We had an awesome midwife (Gwen Haynes) and fabulous coach in Emily. I had a really amazing birth experience with no interventions and I think I owe A LOT of that outcome to Gwen and Emily and all of the guidance they offered throughout. THANK YOU EMILY!!!

Made an appointment, got multiple confirmation emails, including an hour before the appointment…read more She never showed. I also emailed her two days before to try to get a response since I assumed the confirmation emails might be automated. She never responded. Phone number listed on Kaiser goes straight to voicemail. Unprofessional - can't imagine trusting this person with anything

Davon is just the BEST person you could ever have as your Doula! My husband and I are extremely…read morehappy for choosing her and will definitely recommend her services for everyone we know. Since our first interview, we felt a deeply connection with her and we chose her because of her KNOWLEDGE, EXPERIENCE, NATURAL APPROACH to pregnancy and childbirth and, most importantly, because we just felt that she understood us and would support us in the way we needed. This is my second baby and I've had a very traumatic experience with my first kid birth, so I wanted to have someone by my side who I could trust and who would help me to trust myself and my body to have a positive birth experience. My husband was a little reluctant to hire a doula, but after meeting her he was already feeling supported and more confident in the birth process. During the pregnancy she was always making herself available for questions and/or concerns and sharing resources to help us navigate through the different stages of this process. She also has an amazing Childbirth Course, that helped us to prepare for the big day. During the prenatal visits, we had an amazing time together, just like friends hanging out. She would spend enough time talking to us about everything we needed; she was never rushing out and would listen to us carefully. Davon is so KIND and she made us feel so comfortable from the very start. She is also very knowledgeable and would help us with our questions, doubts and insecurities. The whole time she was showing her trust in me and my body to go through the birth. On the birth day, she was available right away when we contact her. She arrived at the Birth Center at the same time we did and was there for the whole time. We arrived there at 2am and my baby was born at 7:30am. She never left my side and stayed there until the first hours of postpartum were over, making sure we were both fine. During labor, she always knew what to do and what to say to help me cope. She had many comfort measures for me during my painful contractions. Although I was almost giving up and asking for medication, she never got discouraged or let me feel that I couldn't do it. Her positive affirmations, calmness and confidence were definitely the reason I was able to go all the way through with the unmedicated birth, even when I thought I couldn't do it anymore. I couldn't have done without her!!! She also has an amazing back up doula (Tanara), who we met virtually and then in person at our last prenatal appointment. This made us feel even more comfortable because we knew that if Davon couldn't make it to the big day for any reason, we still would have someone we trusted to support us over there. She also encapsulated my placenta. She took care of everything in the birth center and brought the capsules to my home on our postpartum appointment. She also made a cute keepsake out of my dehydrated cord, which was a special touch. Davon is like family to us know! We are extremely grateful that she came into our lives and will never forget this experience.

I chose to hire midwives for a homebirth out of a desire to have a different experience. Being my…read more5th baby, I wanted to experience complete peace and say in how I would labor. Having midwives who cared, who saw me & had my best interest in the process and outcome. My experience with both Angela & Kathryn was truly a pleasant one. I am happy to have found them. Very down to earth mamas themselves. Passionate about what they do to serve women through their whole pregnancy journey. During labor I was able to experience how important it is to have midwifery care. At one point just having Kathryn's presence during those intense contractions was such a relief. To know they were walking this with me. Their knowledge and experience were a tremendous help in my journey. It's definitely at a different level than I've experienced before. Just having any concern be truly heard, the conversations were up-lifting. Never felt rushed or dismissed. I felt safe physically as well. I just loved being taken care of by Angela & Kathryn. My mind set coming in was I wanted to experience a more wholesome if I can say that... a wholesome labor experience. One where my wishes and needs were heard and followed through. Angela & Kathryn were great at giving me my options, letting me know the risks, the pros, the cons, etc. and being knowledgeable and understanding. Oh I want every pregnant mama friend to know they can go through pregnancy & delivery without fear. Whether that's at home or hospital with the right midwives/ doulas with you. That this special time is worth making the choice to hire them. I wish I would have hired them sooner to be able to have them since the beginning of my pregnancy! I love that they continue to invest and keep learning to better serve. They both have something to offer and together they make the perfect duo. ----

I had a terrible experience with my first birth in the hospital with standard care. I wanted to be…read morein the care of someone that aligned with what I wanted and believed in. Angela, was wonderful, warm, welcoming and caring. She encouraged me and gave advice that was so helpful! I wouldn't be where I'm at in my mom journey without her! Every time I met Angela was important to me, it was like meeting with an old friend or sister. I was especially thankful for the advice for the breastfeeding book she recommended-that was life-changing. My time in the hospital visits were stressful and traumatic, so, the hands-on care that was provided was a breath of fresh air. I felt heard and seen. Even when I had to go to the hospital, Angela was an advocate by my side. Her advice and visits during the postpartum phase were wonderful as well. I felt like Angela took the time to care for me AND my baby. With midwifery care, the baby is a patient as well. There is less unnecessary poking and prodding and much more love and attention. With the standard care given by doctors, they are often cold and even demeaning. They look at things backwards and always act as if you or your baby is sick and dying until proven otherwise. I wasn't able to have a home birth, but still had a vbac in the hospital, I didn't give up and I found strength and resilience that I didn't have previously. I was able to really listen to my body and do what I and baby needed.

Christine is such a great doula and I highly recommend her…read more We hired Christine for the birth of our second child. I didn't have a doula for my first birth and I knew I wanted some support the second time around. Even though she was out of the country when we first contacted her, she was super responsive and was a great communicator throughout the entire process. Christine met us at our home to discuss the details, such as our birth plan and an overview of her services. She was very knowledgable and professional and helped with all of the birth related questions we had. She constantly checked in to see how I was feeling and eased my mind during the weeks before my labor. On the big day I kept her informed by text as to my progress. I wasn't convinced I was in true labor and didn't call her to join us until much later. When I knew we would be staying, my husband and I decided to have her join us when we were checked into a room (the triage space was so tiny there was barely any space for even my husband). Unfortunately it was such a busy night we ended up in triage for 5 hours! They kept telling us it would only be another 30 minutes...another hour, etc. as the time ticked away. By the time we did get a room and asked her to come, I got an epidural. She drove all the way to Alta Bates in the middle of the night. I think it was around 3 or 4am. When she arrived she took charge by calming me down, talking to the nurses, and answering questions the nurses would not explain. She massaged my hands and helped me turn from side to side/change positions. When it came to the pushing part she helped me gather my strength and even held my leg back as I pushed. After the birth she assisted with communicating our wishes like delayed cord cutting and immediate skin to skin contact, no eye medicine, etc. She stayed for several hours after helping me with breast feeding positions, my baby's latch, and getting me anything I needed (like water and food). Most importantly, my husband and I were able to bond with our baby together since Christine took care of everything we needed. During the weeks after the birth of my son she checked in with me many times. She sent me resources about breastfeeding and my local leche league meetings, and during my post partum meeting she even helped clean my house and do dishes. The birth of my son was so amazing and Christine was a huge part of that. I look forward to using her again for a third baby and highly recommend her to anyone looking for a birth coach!

I loved having Christine as my doula, she has been such blessing to our family…read more Like the other reviewers mentioned Christine met with my husband and I to review our birth plan. She informed us of what goes on during labor so that we could have a better understanding. I wanted a natural birth and Christine shared with us different techniques and positions that would help with that and we also got to practice some of them. She help my husband and I to come up with questions to ask for our hospital tour. Christine made herself available anytime I had questions or when I wanted to update her on how my pregnancy was going. She had laminated scripture cards that she let us borrow and my husband read those to me during the early stages of labor. When I was ready for Christine to come to the hospital she arrived quickly. Once there she was ready to help me get into a better position that would encourage labor to progress. When trying out the different techniques she would ask if I felt comfortable or if I wanted to try something else. She genuinely cared for how I felt. When my contractions were getting stronger she reminded me to breath, talked me through them, and held my hand, comforting me with the fact that each contraction would bringing me closer to seeing my precious baby. She again checked with me to see if I was ok with her talking and touching me or if I preferred her not to. I found her words comforting and focusing on her voice really helped me get through each contraction. My contractions got more intense and I felt that I couldn't continue, Christine reassured me that everything was progressing well and that I would soon see my baby. I was able to refocus and continue to have a natural birth. My baby's head came out without the nurses or dr present and Christine was calm and did a great job calling the nurses and dr in, since my husband was kind of in a panic mode and didn't know what to do. Once my baby was here I tried breastfeeding but was having trouble getting her to latch, Christine stayed to help me. She also visited me the next day to continue to help. Christine also provided resources and referrals which was very helpful. I highly recommend Christine to anyone looking for a doula. Christine listens to your needs and does her best to accommodate them, she provides great support and comfort. My husband and I are truly grateful for Christine.

Abbie was everything I was looking for in a doula: knowledgeable, responsive, and calm. My birth…read moredidn't go quite as planned and Abbie was there to help at every turn. As a first time mom, I was very happy to have a doula and I would recommend Abbie as your doula 100%.

Best Doula ever!! Sorry for such a late review... We were due with our second one in November. I…read morecontacted Abbie somewhere around July 2021. And she immediately replied back when I told her I really really really want to go for a VBAC after a very traumatic c-section with my first born. Abbie gave me the dates when she can come over to our house and discuss everything about our past birth experiences and future plans for this new birth and baby. VBAC was something I have been dreaming all these years as my c-section recovery was too much for my body and it didn't let me bond with my baby. I told abbie everything and she supported me and my decisions from the first day we met till the day we bid goodbyes to each other. She taught so many ways, exercises and labor positions to cope with everything related to birth especially a VBAC birth. She gave us so many resources about what to expect for our labor, birth, baby and even breastfeeding. The best part was that she was so accommodating and friendly that her presence never felt like a stranger or a new person, but rather it felt like I knew her for so long. We had to change the location of our birth in the last moment after my water broke, because the hospital we chose was over-booked, she never even flinched about that change and went ahead with whatever was needed in that moment because I felt that for her my needs and my mental health and support was most important in that moment. So if you want an experienced, patient, extremely supportive and gentle doula who will listen to you, suggest you what and how you can do things right and who is very resourceful, hire Abbie right away!!