I recently was provided care by Jen Ross of Lionheart midwifery. After trying to go the local…read morewomen's health practice and plan on hospital birth, I realized I couldn't go that route any further in my pregnancy. The care that I was recieving was impersonal. With different midwives every visit I felt like I was a folder not a person. I was scared of what would happen during labor in a hospital full of people I had never even met, how would I be treated then? I decided to look for a midwife and see if it was an option for me. I quickly found Jen Ross of Lionheart Midwifery and setup the consultation. I knew from the first appointment that it was a better option for me so we moved forward with no pressure from her. Our prenatal appointments were very thorough, she was very knowledgeable and offered me options. Jen was organized and professional yet personable and easy to talk to. The delivery went very smoothly, it was a completely natural process that I can reflect on with a smile. I was also extremely impressed with the aftercare we received. She was easy to reach by text with any questions and her visits at home put me at ease and made the whole experience magical. I can't recommend Jen Ross from Lionheart Midwifery enough. It's easy to tell she has a true passion for what she does!

From the owner: Lionheart midwifery is a home-birth midwifery practice, which means I come to you for all your…read moreneeds in the child-bearing years! I provide pre-conception counseling, home IUI / ICI with fresh or frozen sperm, full scope prenatal care, labor/birth support in your home, postpartum & lactation care for you and newborn care for your baby. I also provide well-person care including pap smears, breast/chest exams and contraceptive counseling. Other services: in-hospital Doula services, placenta encapsulation, birth tub rental and lactation care breast/chest feeding support. I practice based on the "The Midwifery Model of Care" which focuses on the holistic, family-centered ways parents can prepare for this time of life. Midwives acknowledge that the process of bringing a baby into the world is not just a physiological process; it happens within a social, emotional, and spiritual context. The Midwifery Model of Care focuses on preventive care, promoting health and shared decision-making.

I had an amazing homebirth experience with Jessica and her team. I wish I had used her for my first…read morebirth. If you are considering a homebirth, I would highly recommend Jessica as apart of your story. She is compassionate, respectful, knowledgeable and professional. She is extremely clean and COVID-19 safe.

I am receiving my prenatal care with Jessica Mills, APRN, CNM, and planning my home birth through…read morecall the midwife. Really love the hospitality and knowledge they carry. It is relieving to know they work with insurances. I'm excited to plan my water birth in the comfort of our home, with my husband and 4 year old and looking forward to see the outcome with baby number two. Obviously, we can't predict if there will be emergencies or not, but having the support of the midwives keeps the anxiety levels down! Jessica is very easy to connect and bond with and always has an educated response to my questions. Wish I found her four years ago!

"Practically perfect in every way." Little else can be said to accurately sum up my experience…read morewith Katie O'Day and Rebecca Price-Wood of Sacred Transitions Midwifery, yet I still have so much to add! Endowed with compassion and supremely skilled, Katie and Rebecca seamlessly blend the art of classical midwifery with the science of modern obstetrics to create a model of care that is awesome to behold. Their personalities complement each other beautifully, and they each breathe a unique air into their shared practice. Prenatal appointments are comprehensive yet relaxed, and postpartum care is exceptional, like nothing else I have experienced (and this was my fourth pregnancy and third homebirth!) Katie and Rebecca will treat you with compassion; your time and journey will truly be held as sacred while you are in their care. You will be respected. You will be heard. You will be enlightened, empowered, educated. Dare I say, you will be loved. For my fourth pregnancy I sought out Katie at the recommendation of my former midwife who had retired. I was nervous about having to find a new midwife after having such amazing previous experiences, and assumed that the odds of finding the "perfect" midwife for a second time were slim. One meeting with Katie was enough to assuage those fears, as it was clear to both my husband and me that she was compassionate, competent, and skilled. We trusted her immediately and we always felt safe and confident under her care. Rebecca joined Katie's practice late in my pregnancy, at about 36 weeks. I am generally very quiet and take a while to open up to people, but Rebecca immediately drew me out of my shell and I was chatting with her like I had known her for years. In addition, she was clearly as knowledgeable and passionate about her craft as Katie, and I was so thrilled to now have two amazing midwives directing my care! When they twice detected concerns with baby's heart rate late in my pregnancy, they humbly suggested that I visit the hospital for fetal monitoring to be sure there were not more serious concerns - it was easy to trust their judgement; I was not pressured to agree, and I was still in control of my choices. (On one such occasion, Katie even went above and beyond by driving me to the hospital and staying with me during fetal monitoring when I had no one else to available to go with me.) When labor day came, Rebecca arrived at my door first, with a smile, and was an incredibly intuitive labor coach, while Katie assumed the role of doula and assisted with pain management. They were such a great team! They seemed to know exactly what I needed at any given moment and made sure that I was taken care of so that I could focus on labor. I was confident that they were in control of the details, while I simultaneously maintained my autonomy. When my baby experienced shoulder dystocia, they handled it with such poise and skill that I was barely aware that something was amiss until after my daughter was safely in my arms. Postpartum was stellar! In addition to an extended window of care and more visits than the contemporary status quo, Katie is certified in "Mother Roasting," which combines traditional postpartum healing practices from around the globe to aid in recovery and transition you gently into motherhood. It was truly an honor to experience postpartum in this way; I felt so incredibly valued and was encouraged to take my time to heal. It was my most stable and successful postpartum period of all four of my children, and I know it was a direct result of Katie's extra-special attention and care. To top it all off, they even offer continuing well-woman services! They take a kinder, gentler approach to the necessary routine feminine checks, and are sure to address the full scope of your health. It is almost a year to the day since I gave birth, and I still think upon my experience with Katie and Rebecca often, and always with fondness. I have recommended them to others and will continue to do so for as long as they willing to offer their indispensable services to our community. My only regret is that this was likely the last baby for our family, and I will not have occasion to work with them again.

Sacred transitions birth services also offers placenta encapsulation, mother roasting to promote…read morepost partum healing and they have several highly recommended doulas they work with regularly. I would definitely use them again if I was planning another birth! my home birth was amazing

Very early on in my pregnancy I decided to pursue a home birth. Fortunately for me, my husband was…read morefully supportive in this choice after meeting with Nancy Farr for the first time. We both quickly felt very comfortable with Nancy; she has a gentle yet professional manner with decades of experience (she attended the births of my nephew and niece over 25 years ago!). Appointments are thorough, as Nancy addresses all the expected physical concerns as well as diet, lifestyle, emotional health, etc. Nancy is exceedingly knowledgeable and takes her time in explaining everything and weighing up any options as they come up. Nancy and her support midwife did an amazing job assisting me during the labor and birth. As first time parents with a newborn, many questions came up which I texted Nancy about and always received prompt and thorough responses. Nancy proved herself to be the perfect midwife throughout my pregnancy, birth and postpartum journey. I feel very privileged to have been able to experience birthing in the comfort of my own home while having the security of two skilled midwives by my side. Nancy is wholeheartedly recommended to all who prefer seeking natural approaches to health.

For anyone seeking a homebirth experience, you will not regret going with Nancy. What convinced me…read moreto hire her for my first homebirth was that her transfer rate is less than one in 10 mothers and the primary reason is maternal exhaustion. This convinced me that homebirth is natural and safe for low-risk mothers. I was thrilled that she spends a full hour with me and gets to know me and my family throughout the duration of the pregnancy. She manages to do this while still being extremely professional and making sure to check all the necessary biomarkers to watch for any potential risk that may come up. It is not the same as a certified nurse midwife as they tend to favor managed care and have slightly less flexibility than traditional midwives. Nancy is one of the very few CPM's in Connecticut. Of course when I got pregnant again after my first homebirth she took care of me for my second one! She helps toddlers transition into siblinghood which is a huge benefit! I cannot stress enough how awesome it is to not have to worry about unnecessary interventions such as a mother would have to experience in the hospital. I know it's extremely difficult to have an intervention free birth when in the hospital and being able to focus solely on labor and delivery as nature intended took so much pressure off of me and I was able to have the outcome we were looking for. You will be well taken care of going this route my only regret is that I did not use her for my first birth 12 years ago!

When pregnant with our son, I decided to opt out of a planned hospital birth and instead to birth…read moreat Pacifica Family Maternity Center (in Berkeley, Calif.). This is where my wife and I met Kim. At the time, she was a student midwife, and was in the room during our son's birth and in charge of helping him once born. It was during the postpartum home visits and during the postpartum birth center visits that we really got to know one another. She was knowledgeable, supportive, understanding, and non-judgmental. For obvious reasons, it was really important to my wife and I to have care providers that were queer-friendly. Kim was nothing but amazing on this front. When my wife got pregnant with our daughter and opted for a hospital birth, we knew we wanted to work with a doula to help us navigate her pregnancy, the hospital, and postpartum care. Kim was the first person we called. Throughout my wife's pregnancy, she guided us to resources, helped us create a birth plan, and made sure we were well-informed about how a hospital birth would differ from a birth center birth. During labor at the hospital, she was the primary care provider (the nurses left us largely alone until it was time for my wife to start pushing), and then helped us navigate the various questions and decisions that come up during the birthing process, and our OB's assertions about what "should" occur. Having her help us navigate this latter part, in particular, was really important, and she did so professionally and unquestioningly with the best interests of both our daughter and my wife in mind. Her postpartum care, again, was of an incredibly high quality. We looked forward to her visits and used them as a time to ask questions about our newborn as well as a time to reflect on and process the birthing experience itself. She also helped us navigate our many feelings/struggles/joys of having a newborn and a toddler at home with both practical strategies and empathy. She made herself readily available via text message and phone for any questions that arose. We appreciated her sliding scale pricing for the opportunity it provides to more families to access midwifery services. Since the birth of our daughter (and before she moved to the East Coast), I had the good fortune to run into Kim at a local coffee shop on a couple of occasions. When we did see each other, she enthusiastically asked to see pictures of both kids and answered specific questions about the postpartum recovery process (she is incredibly knowledgeable about natural herbs and remedies as well as over-the-counter options). If it is not already evident, I cannot recommend Kim highly enough and will be eternally grateful for her care during the births of both of our children.

Kim was my midwife in 2020 and it was a great birth experience. Her prenatal and postpartum care as…read morealso top-notch.

Very patient with her patients and always takes the time to listen to expectant mothers concerns…read more She made me feel must better during some very stressful times throughout my pregnancy. I knew my baby and I were well cared for and in good hands.

Beyond my highest hopes for a birth plan and care team! As I was looking for huge change in care…read morefrom my OBGYN at 6.5 months pregnant, I found this birth cottage and I'm so glad I did! Adrian and the team made the transition of care, flawless. Prenatal appointments: extremely personal and always gave all the information to make the informed right decision for our growing family. Never felt rushed, or like I was just another patient. They always welcomed me by name, and genuinely seemed happy to see me. Birth: I had a 24 hour labor, and labored about 9 hours at home, before getting to Salem, arriving to a team ready for me! Noel, Celis, and Jillian all there to support and encourage me and to make sure my baby was safe throughout the entire labor. I was able to set the tone with lights, incense, music and my additional support team of my husband and doula. Yet, I never felt over crowded! They knew what I needed and if they didn't, they ask my husband or doula, giving me the space to labor as I wished! Recovery: after my son was born, they were so respectful with the precious moments that followed! Never once did my son leave my arms or sight. I did have some bad tearing that required me to go to the hospital, but even that, the midwives arranged flawlessly. Noel called St. Joe hospital and arranged for me to be cared for without going through the emergency room, or waiting to be seen while Celis went over all the discharge information I needed for the cottage. I was in and out of the hospital within an hour of arriving because of the action of Noel! And because Noel and Celis knew of my tearing, they both came to my home in Manchester,(35minutes away) for a home visit 2 days later to conduct all the tests for myself and son. I don't have to go anywhere, which is amazing for my recovery and bonding time! 10/10 recommend and I will be back for our next baby!

Our experience at the Birth Cottage has been nothing short of amazing. I have felt supported and…read morenurtured throughout the entire process. We look forward to every appointment. I delivered my son here recently and can honestly say that without these midwives, I never would have had the birth I wanted. I passionately recommend their services to anyone seeking care outside the troubled mainstream healthcare model. You will be glad you did.

We used Hilary as both our birth doula and for post-partum support. Hilary was incredibly easy to…read morework with and made pregnancy, birth and recovery in a pandemic so much easier for us. From the very first email, I felt comfortable with Hilary. She was responsive and informative without any judgment about our birth plan or choices. Hilary provided me with much needed education and confidence and allowed me to advocate for myself throughout my pregnancy. Hilary helped me feel comfortable with the induction process and was in constant communication until she arrived at the hospital. Hilary helped us create the best possible environment for labor and delivery and worked seamlessly with the L&D nurse and my partner to support me. Just as Hilary was incredibly valuable leading up to birth and throughout the labor and delivery process, she was just as critical to helping me have a healthy post-partum recovery. Hilary knew exactly how to support us as we navigated the hazy newborn days. She provided emotional support and helped with all of the mundane tasks like getting the dishes done and sorting baby clothes. Hilary is a wealth of knowledge about newborn care and early breastfeeding challenges. Most importantly, Hilary has incredible intuition into what would be helpful for brand new parents and she made our transition to parenthood as smooth as possible. I cannot imagine navigating this journey without Hilary and I am so grateful to the support she provided.

Hilary and her team were all top notch, and I would recommend them most highly to any newborn…read moreparent. We worked with Molly S for postpartum doula help. Molly was an invaluable support both emotionally and with practical help during a difficult time. It was like having a wiser, older sister help out and counsel a few times a week. She is kind, knowledgeable, and brings a lot of mom wisdom from parenting her own three kids. The back office structure and onboarding and contracting process were all fast and efficient. Highly recommend.

Tara is an expert and the exact person I needed to make my birth experience something I could look…read moreback on with joy and empowerment instead of trauma. Thank you Tara for all of the support you provided along the way in addition to the day-of and postpartum period.

My husband and I wanted to hire a birth doula to make us each feel more comfortable and confident…read morewith labor prep and the process of birth and labor itself (this was our first child). We both wanted someone to support and advocate for us in the hospital if need be and I wanted an experienced person to be with me throughout my time at the hospital to help me through an unmedicated labor should I decide to go that route. After lots of research and interviews we hired Tara for her calm, capable demeanor and her level of experience as both a a doula and a midwife. Tara visited our home twice in my later pregnancy to get to know us and to understand our wishes and build my birth plan. She also helped us to prepare for early laboring at home with labor positions and advice on staying hydrated and resting as much as possible before going in to the hospital. I went into the process with an open mind, thinking that I might attempt an unmedicated birth but I wasn't at all against an epidural or other pain management should I feel it necessary. Tara never tried to dissuade me from that plan in any way which I really appreciated. I ended up laboring at home for 18 hours before going into the hospital - throughout the day we were in constant contact with Tara and she listened to my voice and my contractions to help us make the decision as to when to go in. The nurses at the hospital told us we timed it perfectly when I got there. After a couple of hours laboring in triage with very intense contractions, I made the decision to get an epidural. My labor progressed quickly after my epidural and shortly after Tara arrived at the hospital, it was time for me to push. She worked alongside our amazing Beth Israel nurses and doctors in a really cohesive way and was a grounding presence helping to keep me hydrated, calm, and making sure I was as comfortable as possible and that my husband was able to be by my side and supporting me like he wanted to. She kept a log of events that happened during my labor (which I definitely would have forgotten/been unaware of) and even took our first family photos once our son was born. Since I had an epidural and had labored at home for most of the time, our time with Tara was much different than I had envisioned (she was really only physically there with us for my time pushing). Had I gone ahead with an unmedicated birth, we would have made "better use" of her since I would have felt like I needed her in the hospital with us sooner. Nevertheless, my husband and I were so grateful for her calming presence throughout the day and for the time we did have her there with us despite not feeling like we "needed" her as much. It was still so nice to have her with us! We are so grateful to Tara for her guidance and support and highly recommend her to all other parents-to-be!