Amazing practice!! I am SO GRATEFUL that I was referred to this practice for an immediate and great…read morehealth issue. It can be tough to find a good OB-GYN when you are past your childbearing years. This practice is the nicest doctor's office I have ever seen. Prompt care, clean cozy environment and last but not least great fancy coffee drinks. Not to mention, a fantastic bedside manner from the husband and wife doctor/medical team. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!! I came here with an urgency/emergency. I had a Bartholin cyst the size of an egg in my "lady bits" that was caused by sloppy post-procedure negligence after a colonoscopy at CHOMP. I HATE CHOMP. Expensive, uncaring, hard to get appointments, patients treated like walking #s and $s, did I mention expensive?!?! We received a, over $13,000 ER bill for a migraine headache! How do an IV and a few shots add up to over 13k? I called CHOMP's OB-GYN dept to make an appointment AFTER I described the hell I was going through (due to their negligence) the Ad Min I was talking to said: "We can get you in the last week of April (it was the 1st week of Dec 2019) if it would help you out." Ugh, did you not hear that I have a cyst that is infected, has had to be drained 2x and the antibiotics are making me violently ill and throwing up?!? My husband lost 2 days of work already and I am living in a hell!!" She told me if it was "bad enough" I should go to the ER!!! I was dumbfounded and asked, "there is NOTHING between waiting months with an infected abscess for MONTHS and grossly expensive ER visits that completely debilitate me?!?" The answer was "No, it is either ER or April. That is ALL we can do." I called another great doctor and small practice, Dr. Terry Franklin's office and they recommended LAiMA. It was 3 days later and due to my 1-star review on Google that a supervisor from CHOMP called me to "help" me get an appointment in a more "timely" way. I told her I already found an amazing practice and that I will not remove my 1 star because it still stands that CHOMP fumbled this and my health. I got in the next day at LAiMA and they quickly came up with a treatment plan. Vlad REALLY LISTENS and wants to work with you rather than talking at you like most doctors do. I told him and his wife "I just feel poisoned." They proactively listen and let me know that they will not blow me off and believe me. When the fluid in the abscess was cultured, it turned out that I was 100% correct that CHOMP caused the cyst because there was e.coli present in the cyst that is usually only present in the large intestine. I now have concrete proof this was caused by CHOMP. It was a very unfortunate way that I discovered this amazing practice but I am SUPER grateful I did. I look forward to being a patient for many years to come. I have already recommended the practice to other women. Normally I would not discuss negative reviews in a positive one but feel I would remiss if I did not point out that people that attack this doctor think that CHOMP has their best interests in mind. They could not be more wrong. First off, CHOMP is a huge, rich and therefore powerful hospital that has a vested interest in eliminating any and all competition. 2nd, IF and only IF there is a shred of truth to their claims, does it not occur to them there might be a good reason he changed hospitals? He HAS to be accountable. He has to follow the law and not disclose things he has seen/experienced and or had patients see/experienced at CHOMP. If he did HE would be guilty of slander and liable. Some times doctors have to save people from themselves. I have "first hand The medical "system" in this country is broken and my recent experience has me grateful that there are still small, private practices like this one serving the community. If CHOMP had it their way, I would be medically tortured for months. The "facts" these neg reviewers cite are nothing short of the legal definition of SLANDER and LIABLE. It is one thing to tell your own story, one is entitled to this especially on this site, but to "recall" what was ALLEGEDLY (they really should look into their legal liability) said by "CHOMP nurses," friends/neighbors and a dentist is not only irresponsible but a tort. It is a good thing that these doctors let their good reviews and happy patients speak for them rather than sue for defamation of character.

I've been a patient of Dr. Leibovsky and Maria for several years, just once a year for annual exam…read more After my first visit they asked me to provide a review, everything was great and I wrote a great review. Every year the service declined, the waiting time became longer. On July 9 2025 Dr. Leibovsky scheduled me for a "quick test". I came in on time, signed in and had to wait for 35 min in the lobby. Then the assistant took me to the exam room, I undressed, put on the gown and was waiting for Dr. Leibovsky for another half an hour. No one showed up, I dressed up, informed the register of my excessive waiting time and said that I can't wait for more than an hour. They were not aware if the doctor was going to see me. 9 months later I got a $125 bill for "Late Cancel of the appointment". I did not cancel, I was present and waited for more than an hour without any information. Dr. Leibovsky did not show up. I had second and third opinion on my physical health and neither of the doctors suggested that "quick test" was important for me. Billing department was not able to provide any information on this situation. Now when I read other people reviews I see that I am not the only one in such a situation. I wouldn't see them again for sure.

Jillian was the first person to lay hands on my daughter. I will always cherish this fact…read more I have been fortunate to know Jillian as a midwife and as a sex therapist. From the moment I met her, I was amazed at her Spirit. Throughout my pregnancy, I counted on her for her knowledge and compassion. She is so wonderfully settled into her position in this life and she owns it. I enjoyed our sex therapy session very much as she was her typical self, inviting and friendly, informing without judgement. Jillian is a wonderful asset to the community and I am grateful to have met her.

Jillian is amazing! I was fortunate enough to have her as my midwife for my first baby. I could not…read morehave done it without her support and encouragement. I have attended her 0-18 month new parents group and it has been an amazing opportunity to meet other new moms and learn from Jillian and each other. She provides a wealth of knowledge as a midwife and mother herself. She provides a very safe and comfortable space where you and your baby can be yourselves and ask anything you want to ask her. I feel blessed to have met her!!!

Jamie is one of the most incredible people ever! I could not have asked for a more amazing…read moremidwife/provider. As a young first time mom, Jamie was everything I needed in a provider, and then some. She is kind, understanding, calm, confident and extremely knowledgeable and skilled in midwifery. I never doubted for a minute if me and my baby were in good hands! And when my home birth turned into a hospital birth, it was so wonderful to know that she could still provide care for me there. I plan on having another kid before I move in a couple years just so I can have Jamie be my midwife again! If that isn't a testament to her care, I don't know what is lol.

I cannot say enough good things about my experience with Jamie! Throughout my pregnancy she was an…read moreamazing resource and competent, reliable, professional caregiver. During the birth itself I had no doubt that my baby and I were in good hands with Jamie. My husband was able to be as involved as we wanted as well, which was great. From our first appointment, Jamie consistently provided sound information, backed by research and her experience, which empowered my husband and I to make the decisions that were both safe and right for us during the pregnancy and birth. The care Jamie provided for me and my baby after the birth was outstanding; she went well beyond what I would have expected. Anyone would be lucky to have Jamie as a midwife - I'm grateful that I did!

http://m.yelp.com/biz/caroline-cusenza-lm-cpm-monterey…read more I am linking a review I completed for Maggie's apprentice Carol in June 2013 in order to add validity to my review and to counter the negative reviews that have accused Maggie of writing her own reviews. Everything I mentioned in my June review holds true for Maggie. What I would like to add is the following: 1. As an avid reader of reviews on both Yelp and Amazon I appreciate negative reviews because it often times makes me think about questions or angles I hadn't previously thought of ... However the negative reviews on her appear to focus personal attacks rather than her professional skills. During your first prenatal visit you sign a waiver saying you understand that full payments must be made prior to your birth and NO REFUNDS will be given in the (rare) event you don't deliver at home. And why would she?!? Her midwifery business is her livelihood! How often do doctors reimburse their patients when they are not happy with services?! Yeah it doesn't happen ... And why would a PROFESSIONAL midwife make that a policy ... After all she is caring for you throughout your pregnancy and birth .... Brings your baby into this world ... Its not the same as returning a freaking pair of jeans from Old Navy when you get home and realize they make your a$$ look fat. 2. My experience with maggie has left a lasting impression on both my husband and I over two years later. As our daughter turns 2.5 were beginning to think about giving her a sibling. The second thing out of my husbands mouth (after commenting how awesome it was that he gets to get more lovin then usual while we try) was "how are we going to have maggie deliver this one?!" As we are now located 3000 miles away in Rhode Island. We both love her (and Carol!)! 3. Maggie is a through and through professional. When my time in the military comes to an end I will be going back to school to become a midwife ... With the high hopes that one day I can even achieve half of what Maggie has!

Maggie was recommended to us by a friend, and we had a very positive experience with our home…read morebirth. She is knowledgeable, professional, made us feel comfortable, and we had a very non-invasive, natural birth and prenatal care. We recommend her service!

Kelly is awesome. She really is. I don't think you can say badass on Yelp but it is an apt word to…read moredescribe her. My wife and I both felt strongly about having a midwife that was compassionate but also assertive. We met with maybe 6 total midwives and Kelly was the only one who seemed extremely confident, not too lackadaisical, but also felt there was a right time to have humility and ask for help from elsewhere. This was the perfect balance for us. I believe my wife was one of Kelly's most difficult cases (sick both of her entire pregnancies 24/7), but Kelly went so far out of her way to help us and make us feel like we had support, I can't say enough about how much that means to us. And much as we had expected when hiring her, she was very helpful in seeking treatment for my wife's sickness and helping us navigate what could have been an otherwise very difficult path of doctors and specialists. Kelly is super energetic and fun, being that she has 3 kids of her own. She really has a great personality for her chosen profession. The only knock is that she did not laugh when I told her I was going to check the surf mid-labor. That was actually a very good joke.

Kelly was my midwife for the birth of my first child. I decided to switch to home birth halfway…read morethrough my pregnancy because of a past traumatic hospitalization; I hoped that being at home would prevent any unnecessary anxiety and fear during the delivery. I had initially been worried about the expense of a home birth because my insurance explicitly excludes them and we needed to pay out of pocket. It was a stretch for us, but we were able to make it work, and looking back on it all, it is literally the best money we've ever spent. We met with a few midwives in town and ultimately felt most at ease with Kelly. She is extremely competent and confident in her knowledge and skills, but also showed that she knows when to seek additional support or outside help. I trusted that I could relax and she would keep me safe and take action if necessary. Kelly guided me through pregnancy, birth, and breastfeeding complications later on, with the utmost grace, skill and respect. She answered any and all questions and was always up to date on the latest research and recommendations. She listened to my fears and made sure I was mentally prepared for the possibility of a hospital transfer. She is dedicated to the home birth community in Santa Cruz and even reached out to offer educational feedback to another local physician who expressed skepticism and negativity toward my decision to pursue a home birth. Kelly was a steady guide throughout my delivery and struck a balance between assisting when it was necessary and otherwise hanging back to allow me to trust my own body and the birth process. I experienced significant complications with breastfeeding in the days following the birth and Kelly held my hand through this too. She made sure we were connected to the necessary resources and a network of incredible mothers who shared donor milk while we figured out what to do long-term. We are forever grateful to Kelly!

Cori Gentry offers the best concierge level birth education series on the Monterey Peninsula (or…read moreanywhere as far as I'm concerned). As a first time mama, with a lot of experience as a past nanny and having had many friends (with their sage advice) who were pregnant prior to me, I was not convinced I needed to invest in birth education. How wrong I was... I was recommended to take Cori's class at least ten times by various people in the community. She is very well known and respected in the area. As I missed the boat on her group class and my due date was fast approaching, Cori arranged for a private in-home session. Cori made it her personal interest to get familiarized with my husband, myself and my pregnancy experience up until that point. She provided us with a beautiful binder with a wealth of information, articles, graphics, and relaxation techniques to begin implementing. As part of her class, you also will receive a great reading list, links to helpful birthing videos, newborn care information, and breast feeding support. Fun fact: Cori also is a great option for birth photography! Ask her about having her attend your birth to photograph it! What I appreciated most about Cori, was her willingness to make herself available to her clients. She goes above and beyond the hours dedicated to class time. She is always abreast on the latest research, and she is connected with birth experts in every facet of the industry. Her class covers a wide array on information and situations. If you're contemplating a home birth, she will help you prepare comfort + pain management techniques, but she does not neglect the hospital birth option either... this proved to be invaluable during the roller coaster turn of events (from home birth to hospital birth) and due to Cori's diligence in teaching us about Hospital birthing, we were better prepared for anything that was thrown at us. Cori assisted us in drafting a hospital birth plan, and a induction plan (which I ended up using) and on game day, she offered her support via text in the wee hours of the morning. Always available when I had a question. The relationship I was so lucky to have with Cori is one that every pregnant mama needs. Cori is a mama to four beautiful boys herself, and she has the real life experience to back up her text book teachings. Please book this birth education class today, whether you are a first time mom or a pro. It's worth it just because Cori makes it special and highly personalized for you.

This class is an absolute must for first time parents-to-be. It really takes the stress out of the…read moreunknown that comes with giving birth for the first time. Cori provides a safe place to feel comfortable with sharing one's anxieties of child birth and the information needed to make it less scary. She help build the confidence needed to be able to make choices during the birthing experience. Our birth was not what was planned but with Cori's help from this class we were able to turn a negative birth into a positive story. I would highly recommend her to all new parents!

Dr Ramseur delivered my daughter in 2016. I had to transfer to his practice after my previous OB…read moreshut down -- I think he retired unexpectedly as his staff was taken aback and was distressed. I then found Dr Ramseur, who was kind and compassionate and very informative and also had a great sense of humor. Hands down, my best delivery - thanks to him I recovered so well! However, as others have stated, his front office staff is so off-puttingly rude, condescending, and disrespectful. I needed to get my records (before they were destroyed) because I recall there being some very good notes. But I could not believe the rude way they spoke to me, I can't believe they speak to any human that way. It made me so sad. On top of it, even though I was within the time frame to request my records, they ghosted me and I didn't even get them and no they're probably destroyed. Dr Ramseur needs some new front office staff.

Let me start by saying that Dr. Ramseur is GREAT! He delivered my daughter a few years ago and his…read morecare was exceptional. He is the only reason for any stars. The problem is with the office staff. They are rude and uncaring. I was recently surprised with a positive home pregnancy test and called the office to get an appointment asap as I have a serious medical condition that makes pregnancy dangerous for me. The woman on the phone was uncaring, rude and condescending. When I explained my situation she said that i should call the doctor whom manages my medication and that she would have to call me back as dr ramseur is at the hospital too much to actually see patients in office and he would have to see where he could squeeze me in. I never received a call back.

Madrone - Monitrice package…read more We chose Madrone as our midwife because from the first time we met, they had a calming, safe presence that made us feel completely at ease with our upcoming birth. We chose the monitrice package because I wanted the reassurance a midwife could provide me with, and it was the absolute best decision. Having a Doula and midwife was the best of both worlds, we felt supported emotionally and had the hands on care from a midwife. This helped us realize our goals of laboring at home as long as possible, and having an unmedicated, natural birth at the hospital. I had my partner, mother and Madrone in the birth room, and Madrone balanced everyone out perfectly. They helped ensure each person had a place and space in my birth, all while taking photos to document it which I will treasure for the rest of time. Madrone was not only there for us during our birth, but before and after in such an impactful way. They helped us prepare before mentally and physically, helping us put together our birth plan and leading us through meditative breathing exercises. Madrone was also there after our birth, with several in person sessions as well as available for support along the way as we got settled in at home. It was so reassuring to have someone so knowledgable to ask questions as things came up - breastfeeding, diaper rash, eye boogers - Madrone had helpful information and answers to everything we asked them. Why we loved working with Madrone: - They are knowledgable and incredibly good at being a Doula and Midwife - They have a warmth and calming presence that always made us feel at ease and safe - They have a very balanced and practical approach to preparing, birth, and the postpartum. - They are respected by every birth worker I came in to contact with. Everyone loves Madrone! - They are humorous and full of so much bright energy, and that helped me through some of the most painful moments during birth. - They allowed me to confidently labor at home as long as possible, monitoring baby's heart rate while my contractions intensified - they cut out my stitches at three weeks when they were no longer serving me. Saving me an unnecessary visit to the doctor. Questions I asked Madrone that they were able to support and guide me through: - What are the pros/cons of the hep b shot? - I think my water just broke... does this look like amniotic fluid (photo of captured fluid in a jar sent... lol)? - How do we communicate to our family that we need them to get the Tdap and flue shots if they want to be around the baby? - Why does our baby have goop on his eyes? - I think my milk supply is too strong for baby to drink, what should I do? - I think my stitches fell out, what should I do? - Is the level of prolapse normal at 3 weeks? - How much should I be resting?

STOP. THIS IS IT. You can stop researching and interviewing doulas now because Mireille is THE…read moreBEST! We started looking for a doula at 6 weeks pregnant so we definitely had the time and energy to look for a doula and we are SO HAPPY we found Mireille. After she came to our home to chat with us, we knew she was the one! We found Mireille through our birthing class at Harmony. she had worked with our midwives, Lin and Maria (shoutout to BAM!) before and was familiar with El Camino Los Gatos so we knew she was perfect! Mireille helped us with our birth plan, eased any fears, and supported us to have a natural childbirth! We couldn't have done it without her. She was there from when we first called her all the way until baby was born, never leaving us :) The best part was she really supported my partner in being part of the birthing process. Will definitely come back to Mireille for our next birth :)

When my partner and I discovered I was with child, our hope was to have our daughter enter this…read moreworld with as much love, comfort, and ease, as possible. We decided we wanted a home birth and in particular a water birth. We met with seven midwives, in order to find the best match for us. All of them fabulous, but as soon as Serena placed her hands on the growing baby within my belly, I knew she would be the perfect person to guide our precious little one on her sacred journey. The sense of peace I felt through her hands grounded me and transmitted confidence and unconditional love. The prenatal care we received from her was exceptional. The personal attention she gave us through the whole process was priceless. While I was in labor, she knew how much contact I needed and gave me the right amount of patience and encouragement. Our daughter was born on our deck in water as the Fir and Bay trees danced and the crows cheered us on. It was truly magical to have the sunshine kissing my naked body and filling me with strength as the wind gently caressed the sweat from my face. Our birth experience was a thing of beauty, as we had hoped, but the unexpected happened and I was unable to deliver my placenta. After a gargantuan effort to manually retrieve it, we understood that I would need to be transported to a hospital. The quick and steady manner in which she and our assistant midwife, Sheila Vanderveer handled the emergency was inspirational. Serena never left my side until it was time for me to go into surgery. Both she and Sheila remained with me for many hours after my surgery until it was clear that I was in a good place to let them go. Serena visited me everyday at my home until she felt I was strong enough for her to decrease the frequency of her visits. I will never forget the compassionate care I received before, during, and after the arrival of our greatest joy.

Our birth story was a bit unconventional in the sense that we had actually decided to go with…read moreanother mid-wife prior to working with Serena. Without going into tremendous depth in our situation, we had selected a mid-wife that told us she would honor our decision of a hospital birth or home birth after learning the pro's and con's of each. After seeing her and discussing this for several months, we decided at the 7.5 month mark that we wanted to pursue a home birth. We felt incredibly empowered by our decision, and were excited to plan all of the details around it with her. All of our excitement was immediately taken away from us when we told our previous mid-wife of our decision, when she said that she could no longer assist us in a home birth and wished us luck. Obviously we were devastated with a feeling of being very lost and betrayed at this stage of my wife's pregnancy. This is when we were introduced to Serena Russell. When we told her of our circumstances, she was not only appalled in the way we were treated, but also extremely empathetic to our situation and held my wife and I in a way that was very genuine and helpful for us. Serena wasn't trying to sell us on anything, but merely showed genuine interest in helping us given such a dramatic turn of events. After meeting her and discussing our options, my wife and I decided to stop working with our former mid-wife and change care to Serena. While it was a pretty easy decision to make based on Serena's energy and approach to our care, it was still a rather big decision for us given the stage of pregnancy my wife was in. That said, once we weighed our options it was an easy decision and we're so happy with the one we made. Serena did everything imaginable to assist us with the transition, and held my wife and I in all of the right ways during a potentially turbulent time. During the birth itself, Serena and her assistant Collette were rock stars. They were able to work with us in numerous stages, and really empowered my wife and I through the process which was very helpful to say the least. In addition, towards the very end of the birth - our baby's shoulders became stuck in the birth canal. Because this was our first child, we didn't really understand what this meant, or how this could complicate things. Without creating any panic, they worked with Brie and our baby to eliminate any risks and ensure a safe and healthy birth for our baby and my wife. I should also note that my wife and I took two different birth classes leading up to our daughters birth. When we had our reunions afterwards, each family went around and told their birth story. We were surprised by how many of them had difficulties with their doctors, their midwives or hospitals. In a way we almost felt bad telling our story because it was so perfect in pretty much every way, and in contrast it was the story that every family wanted to experience and share. Not only were we able to have a natural home birth with next to no complications, but we were also able to receive amazing home care after the fact from Serena and Collette which was icing on the cake. Without any reservations whatsoever, my wife and I highly recommend Serena Russel as a mid wife. She will forever hold a special place in our hearts, and can say without a doubt that you will be in knowledgeable, caring and supportive hands with her in a similar position for you.