I originally chose Puget Sound Midwives and Birth Center because I didn't have insurance at the…read morebeginning of my pregnancy and wanted something smaller, more personal, and supportive of a natural birth. I paid for all my early appointments in full, in cash, as soon as I was informed of any charges. I was looking for compassionate care, continuity, and a trusting relationship with the person who would eventually help deliver my child. Unfortunately, that is not what I received.
I first saw Courtney in May 2025 and was told I needed to also see Amanda, the other midwife on staff at the time. I really connected with Amanda and felt hopeful that she would be present at my birth. Sadly, that plan fell apart when I was told (months later, around November) that Amanda would be leaving in December -- and I'd now be under the care of a new midwife I had barely met.
From the beginning, appointments with Courtney often felt condescending and patronizing. There was a noticeable amount of fear-mongering around hospital births and C-sections -- (to the point that when I did get to Evergreen hospital the first words out of my mouth were, "I don't want a C-Section!!!") rather than being supportive of informed choice, the conversations often leaned into judgment and pressure.
As I neared the end of my pregnancy, things got even worse. I went nearly 2.5 weeks overdue, and in those last five weeks, I was constantly offered cervical checks, a balloon pump, and other interventions to try to get labor started. The new midwife said she couldn't reach my cervix because her fingers were too short -- yet I was still billed for every single "exam." In total, I was charged $250 for completely unhelpful and ineffective procedures.
When I asked how I would know if I was in labor, I was simply told, "You'll just know." When I called the on-call number to report that my water had broken, I was told I wasn't dilated enough and was advised not to come in. No one tested me to confirm whether my water had actually broken. As it turns out, it had -- three days before I gave birth. Thankfully, the rupture was at the top, or the consequences for my baby could have been devastating. I ended up giving birth at Evergreen Hospital, and I truly believe my child is alive today because I left the birth center and sought real medical care.
On the billing side, it was a complete mess. I kept getting bills addressed to the wrong last name, even though I had input my correct name in their patient portal. The billing department never even properly checked my insurance until after I gave birth -- and only then because someone called me demanding the correct information. They had scanned my insurance card months earlier, but somehow still had it entered incorrectly in their supposedly HIPAA-compliant system. I ended up having to enter my insurance manually myself.
To top it off, I'm now fighting a $600 emergency transfer fee with my insurance. I was only at the birth center for two hours before my husband had to drive me to the hospital himself -- after the midwife suggested I walk the apartment complex stairs at 3am to try to "get things going." And yet, I'm being charged as if they coordinated an emergency transfer.
Save yourself the time, stress, and incompetence. What was supposed to be a supportive, natural, empowering birth experience turned into chaos, confusion, and unnecessary risk to my baby. I wouldn't recommend this place to anyone looking for truly safe and supportive midwifery care.