Where to even begin with the extensive list of reasons Amanda and Jeannie (A&J) of East Bay Midwives are the absolute best set of birth professionals you could ask for?!
Firstly, before we had even decided who would be working with for our prenatal care, A&J spent over an hour on the phone with us answering my long list of questions during the consultation. They provided us extensive details about their philosophy, care, appointment cadence, priorities, COVID precautions, and more. They also provided access to the insurance expert on their team who helped us navigate our needs before we even got started with prenatal care! A&J's helpful, knowledgeable, kind, evidence-based, and empathetic approach was an obvious perfect fit for us (plus the SIX WEEKS of in-home postpartum care they offer was an added bonus!).
Unfortunately, before we began care with them, we lost our first baby. A&J were there every step of the way with texts, phone calls, and medical insight to help us navigate the process and work through our grief. They continued to check on us even months after our experience, reassuring us that "we are always your midwives" so we knew we could count on them to be part of our support circle.
When I became pregnant a second time, it was even more important to me to have medical professionals on our team that would provide gentle, trauma-informed care for my husband and me. Because my subsequent pregnancy was such a delicate experience, I cannot imagine going through it without the empathetic, informed, and calming approach A&J provided. They were open to any and all needs and reassurance I required to make my second pregnancy experience as enjoyable as possible.
During a majority of our appointments, we spent almost TWO HOURS with A&J going through my health, our baby's health, and walking through the long list of questions we brought with us. A&J always prioritized our family's physical AND mental health. So, not only was our time with them spent on necessary medical check ins, but A&J patiently spent time with much needed mental health check ins for both my husband and me - to make sure we were supported in all aspects of our experience. In between appointments A&J were both always available via text, phone, FaceTime and email to answer any question we had along the way.
As we approached our birth-day, A&J came to our home and spent another two hours with us for a Birth Team Meeting. We reviewed our family's ideal vision for our baby's arrival and talked through our options should anything arise that required additional medical attention. A&J reassured us that their number one priority is always the health and safety of mom and baby. Knowing we had two experienced and knowledgeable midwives that had our backs made everything feel so much less scary.
Our birth-day with A&J at our home was incredible. Not only did they provide us the medical expertise and support we needed, they also empowered me to trust in the power of my own body to bring our baby earth side. Once they caught our little one, they provided both him and me the medical care we needed (and the skin to skin I requested) before helping me shower, cleaning up our home, and staying for hours to assist in my first breastfeeding experiences. They then came back to our home the next day and twice more that same week to make sure everything was going smoothly. I was SO thankful to not have to leave our home as I recovered. A&J again spent hours with us and our baby in the following weeks checking in on our physical and mental health, guiding us with their medical expertise, and providing all the support we needed in those early days.
As we reflect back on our time with A&J, my husband continues to comment on how working with East Bay Midwives was the absolute best thing for our family. He knew, because of our previous experience losing a child, we would need extra TLC from our medical team every step of the way. The empathy, informed guidance, kindness, and added benefit of the emotional care A&J provided made our pregnancy, birth, and postpartum experience unforgettable (in the best way).
PLEASE do yourself and your family a favor and get in touch with Amanda and Jeannie from East Bay Midwives for your birthing experience. You will be so glad you did! read more