My husband and I couldn't have chosen a better care team for our family. Andrea and Maggie…read moresupported us through our entire first pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. We left each prenatal visit excited and without worry. They are both so knowledgeable and have great energy. My birth experience was so special. They came to my house early morning and by early afternoon my son was in my arms. Maggie coached me through contractions on the phone allowing me to relax until they arrived. Once they arrived at my home, they set up quietly and quickly making sure not to disturb me. Throughout my labor, they massaged my back with essential oils and made sure I stayed hydrated and energized with water, juice, and snacks. They encouraged me as I pushed and helped move me into different positions when things got tough for me. When my boy was born, they handed him directly to me for skin-to-skin. Within the first two weeks after the birth of my son, Maggie and Andrea helped educate us on tongue ties(while still recommending we do our additional research). They referred us to a specialist who successfully cut our son's ties(tongue and lip). We saw Andrea and Maggie shortly after and they were able to demonstrate how to properly stretch the wounds. At about 5 weeks postpartum, I went to the emergency room for pain and ended up getting surgery to remove my gallbladder. While I was in the hospital my son ran out of breast milk. My husband reached out to our midwives and they were able to help us get donor milk. Once I was released, I noticed a dip in my milk supply and they saw us for two additional visits to help me increase my supply and then to confirm our baby was transferring enough milk. Andrea and Maggie are wonderful midwives with so much knowledge. They truly care about the families in their care, not just the moms and babies but the dads too. I am so lucky I found them and would never do a birth with anyone else. If you or someone you know needs quality people on their care team, Andrea and Maggie are the best.

If you are looking for relatable, zero judgement, super informed and extremely supportive and…read morehelpful midwives, Maggie and Andrea are it! We were in their care for our first pregnancy and they made us feel so much care and love throughout. I loved having a personal connection with them. We really enjoyed every appointment and I'm really sad we have "graduated" out of care and moving on to our pediatrician/family doctor. A few things that stood out and I particularly appreciated about their practice: 1. Their office is small and cozy and a few minutes from our home. 2. Labs were ran through an in network provider, so I didn't have to pay out of pocket. Even though they are not in-network with anyone. Also results always came back super fast. 3. They have referrals for just about everything related to pregnancy and postpartum and some in-network providers. 4. Most appts are an hour long and they are extremely responsive/communication is always top tear. 5. They are also lactation specialist, so no need to hire someone else if you need help or have questions once baby is born. 6. They are a great balance of holistic/western medicine and have a great relationship with Ventura County Medical if you need to go to the hospital for any reason at any time during your pregnancy, delivery or postpartum. 7. They are super down to earth, funny and relatable! We will def. be reaching out again for future pregnancies! Love them!

My daughter is 15 months old now (holy crap!) and I can't look at her without thinking lovingly of…read moreMonica & Jennifer! I switched from an OBGYN to LA Midwife Collective around 30 weeks pregnant with my daughter and it made all the difference in how I felt about my prenatal care, birth, and postpartum care. I felt cared for, listened to, and protected, which is almost the exact opposite of how I felt at the OBGYNs office. Each visit felt private, calm, and un-rushed (exactly like the birth of my baby!) and after every appointment, I was more and more convinced I was always meant to have my baby at home with M&J. Skipping all the fun stuff: Jennifer caught my baby in my own bed, and then Monica made me the best sandwich I've ever had in my life, and then I got to cuddle with my newborn at home. 10/10 would recommend. We love Monica and Jennifer so much. I won't go into gory detail about HOW much we love them but...I would have another baby just to hang out with Monica and Jennifer again.

Jennifer was a complete blessing for my hub's and my first baby--she went above and beyond to help…read moreus make the best decisions we could with all the information and research she shared with us. I really wanted a home birth, and I'm so thankful Jennifer helped make that happen. Postpartum care was unmatched in my opinion, that was really another huge highlight for us--so much more personal and helpful than our visits to the cold and sterile doctors office. Jennifer also helped me figure out which supplements and natural herbs/tinctures were safe for me during pregnancy in addition to postpartum. So thankful for her kind and skilled care!

If you have been considering a natural home waterbirth as a possibility for your next birth…read more Seriously... you can look no further. Pick up the phone and call Birthwell... RIGHT NOW! Words can not begin to describe the appreciation I have for Mari and her team. The care I received from Birthwell exceeded all of my expectations and I felt like I was in this big bubble of love during every visit. I know that sounds a bit sappy, but when you have been working so hard being pregnant and preparing for that perfect birth, feeling supported with love and acceptance really makes a difference. And that is exactly what I was blessed with- an absolute perfect birth. I had been receiving prenatal care through my insurance provider at a local hospital, not very happy with the rushed, impersonal experience of being there. After my first ultrasound, doctor after doctor told me that my placenta was too low for a home waterbirth- it wasn't quite a previa, but "too close for comfort" in their eyes. At 36 weeks they were adamant about scheduling me a c-section (the last thing you want to hear when you had been committed to a natural birth), so I demanded one last look. I had been praying so much that my placenta move just the 2 millimeters out of the way. My OB really didn't think it was going to in only two weeks since the last ultrasound, but low and behold, it had! I took this as a sign to get a Midwife and do it the way I wanted from the beginning - at home and in the water. Mariposa of Birthwell was recommended to me by two difference sources - coincidentally the first two people I had asked. I knew that choosing a midwife was a very personal and important decision, so I did my research and looked at all the different midwifery service providers around LA. Before I gave Mari a call, I went on to her website to check her bio. The second I saw her amazing eyes, I was overflowing with tears. I knew right away she was the one. It was a great bonus that she ended up having so much Labor & Delivery experience and that she was super-sweet an empowering. I don't think I've even told her this, but she had me at the online photo :-) After an in-person meeting with her and my partner, we "tied the knot" and she put me to work. There was so much preparation my body needed for the birth that I had no idea about. I was shocked my OB hadn't told me even a fraction of tricks Mari filled me in on. From the yoga moves, to the borage oil, to the squats- I was on a daily regime that got me ready for the big day. One night at around 10:00pm, just after finishing Mari's prenatal yoga video and downing some fresh coconut juice, it started. The contractions were happening every 6 or 7 minutes, but they were pretty manageable. I called Mari up and she told me to call her every hour to tell her how far a part they were at each hour increment. I was pretty surprised, considering it was already so late at night and worried I was going to keep her up all night with phone calls until it was time for her to come (I have a family history of 30-40 hour labor "marathons", so I knew it was going to be a while). After a few hours, I ended up falling asleep somehow. At 5:30am I woke up to my water breaking in bed (luckily Mari had given me a checklist for preparing my home for the birth- including a full waterproof bed pad we had on the bed ready to go!) I called up Mari and she said she was on her way over. She lived pretty close and was at the house within 20 minutes. The contractions weren't that bad, but they were happening every 2 minutes or so. She checked me and we both couldn't believe that I was already dilated 8 centimeters! I got in the water (we had a hot tub prepared on the deck) and she called her assistant to come. Less than 3 hours later, our precious little girl was born. It went so perfect in every way and Mari & Beth were a true blessing. Mari taught me how to breath, low and slow, and she made me feel fearless and so powerful. I was able to birth my daughter in the water and Mari talked me through how to birth most of her by myself- something I really wanted to do. It was the happiest moment of my life. It's been 3 months and, safe to say, Mari is definitely a part of the family.

The level of pre and postnatal care I received from Mari was beyond my expectations. I began my…read morecare with Birthwell at 10 weeks pregnant and just delivered my healthy, beautiful boy on 7/21. He was born at home, in the water, drug free-Just how I imagined. If you want a beautiful, empowered, natural birth with a practitioner who brings the energy of a professional nurse as well as a supportive best friend-She is your girl.

I'm so glad I decided to have my placenta encapsulated with Tiffany at Pure Births! Tiffany was…read moretruly so great to work with. She was always quick to respond, answered all of my questions, and was really informative throughout the whole process. She made everything feel so easy and stress-free. Even being a holiday weekend, dropping off my placenta was super easy and convenient, which I really appreciated, especially with a newborn and everything that comes along with those first few days postpartum. I personally felt like the pills really helped me with both my energy and my mood during those early postpartum weeks. I felt like I had a little more energy to get through the long days and nights, and I noticed a positive difference in my overall mood as well. I know everyone's experience is different, but for me, I'm really happy I chose to do it! The capsules were also wrapped so cute, and Tiffany included our sweet baby boy's umbilical cord as a keepsake, which was such a thoughtful and special touch.

My son was able to put his card on file and pay for all the necessary requirements but missed 1…read moreappointment by 10mins then was told in a certified letter he will no longer be able to attend the birth. Men do not matter here because the woman is the patient and they will not speak to you. Think twice about using this facility. And because the birth was past the due date the baby wasn't even born here. All this wasted money and headache for nothing.

Raynah wow, my work requires that I am often at my desk for LONG periods of time which will wreck a…read morebody for sure. She took the time to discuss my body, old injuries and concerns. I can't tell you how long she actually worked on me (90+ minutes) but I can tell you that she a) communicated with me in a way that assured me that she took all my concerns into account, b) acknowledged scars that were not discussed to ensure she wasn't hurting me c) told me what she was going to do to address my concerns, then worked tirelessly and addressed every single one of my concerns while adjusting pressure (harder and softer) when it was needed. I can't say enough about how wonderful I feel today (morning 2 after my appointment.)! My grip has returned, I can walk without pain and no headache upon waking up. THANK YOU!

Rayna was my doula for my second birth. My first birth experience, I had terrible back labor and…read morewhen I found our I was pregnant with my second, I knew I really needed someone to help me manage the pain and give me the extra support to have the natural birth I wanted. I interviewed many doulas with massage experiences and when I met Rayna the first time, I was immediately struck by her energy and spirit. She knew the body so well and got me started right away on posture and stretches to help me during my pregnancy discomforts and to help get baby in the right position to prevent back labor. She also has the perfect balance in being encouraging and vocal without being pushy or annoying. I was so happy to have her on my team for the birth of my second child! When I went into labor, Rayna came and met me at my home. She immediately jumped in and worked on my back during my very painful contractions. She quickly assessed that I needed to be at the hospital immediately and we left as soon as I was able to walk between contractions. At the hospital, she came in and had no trouble putting herself where I needed her without getting in the nurses or doctors' way. She went right on massaging my back and helping me breathe through the pain. She communicated with the nurses to try to give me the birth experience she knew I wanted. She asked for oil for tearing, for a push bar, etc. In the end, the baby came so fast (15 min. after checking into L&D) that there wasn't time for that but I knew she was advocating for me and that was a weight off my shoulders. After baby came, Rayna made arrangements to take my placenta for encapsulation and she stuck around until the wee hours of the morning, completely unobtrusively, just making sure I didn't need anything else. Rayna also gave me amazing pre and post-partum massages, which were just what I needed during the stressful time. She is truly a gifted doula and massage therapist. I would not hesitate to recommend her to any mama!

When my husband and I became pregnant with our first child, I was still carrying a deep grief. My…read moremother had passed away just one year earlier, and as a 38-year-old first-time mom, I felt lost without her guidance. I remember sharing that with Chavah early in my pregnancy, and from that moment on, she cared for me with a level of compassion and sensitivity that I will never forget. Before I even chose a midwife, I prayed for guidance. Then I opened Yelp, and Chavah was the very first midwife I called. After speaking with her on the phone, I didn't search any further. Looking back now, five months postpartum, I truly know she was an answer to my prayer. Chavah cared for us from the very beginning of my pregnancy--around three months along--through birth and into those precious first weeks postpartum. Throughout every appointment, she was wise, kind, patient, and incredibly knowledgeable. She took the time to educate us, answer our endless first-time-parent questions, and guide us through each stage with confidence and reassurance. One thing that especially touched us was her willingness to go above and beyond when life threw us an unexpected curveball. Midway through my pregnancy, my husband and I had to relocate, moving about 70 miles away. Most people would have understandably referred us elsewhere, but Chavah generously agreed to keep us on as clients. We were so grateful. Those extra miles meant more to us than she probably realizes. Our pregnancy was healthy and uncomplicated. The only bump in the road was that I needed an iron boost, and Chavah quickly connected us with excellent care for a couple of iron transfusions. Her experience and attentiveness gave us complete confidence that we were in good hands every step of the way. When it came time to give birth, Chavah was absolutely amazing. She created an environment where I felt informed, supported, and in control. Well... as much control as a woman can feel while temporarily visiting another dimension during contractions. Thankfully, our son had places to be and arrived after just five hours of active labor, making his debut before lunchtime. Today, we are five months postpartum and have a healthy, thriving baby boy. I've intentionally taken my time writing this review because I wanted to reflect carefully on our experience and express just how grateful we are. Chavah brought wisdom when I needed guidance, encouragement when I felt uncertain, and compassion when I was grieving. She cared for not only my physical health, but my emotional well-being too. I honestly cannot imagine a better midwife experience. If we are blessed with more children in the future, I would choose Chavah again without hesitation. Knowing she would be part of our care would bring immediate peace of mind. Thank you, Chavah, for everything you did for our family--and for so much more than was ever required. We will always be grateful.

5 stars isn't enough! The amount of QUALITY information you get from a midwife compared to your OB…read moreis insane. Chavah has eased us into parenthood with our first baby. She was there anytime we needed her and because such a rock in our journey. We started really early in our pregnancy with Chavah and I haven't stopped recommending midwifery to my expecting friends. Our in home visits were super informative and lasted -1.5-2 hours! It's seriously night and day and she will give you an explanation as well as expectations so you can make your own informed decisions about every process. Thank you Chavah! You will be part of every baby we bring into this world!

We made a late switch to Lotus Moon Birth and decided upon a home birth for our second child after…read moreour health insurers told us they were unable to make any guarantees about supporting natural childbirth, or permitting anyone else aside from the mother at the hospital. We interviewed several midwives and immediately felt relaxed when talking to Shelia and decided to work with her and her team. This was undoubtedly the best decision we made during the pregnancy. Shelia and Donna were an amazing team, knowledgable, calm, reassuring and above all quietly competent. We had a fantastic birth and were able to greet our daughter in the comfort of our own home. Pre and postnatal care was also brilliant, despite some complications with our daughter's tongue tie making breastfeeding complicated, and Shelia always made herself available to answer questions or provide support.

I knew I wanted a home birth if I had kids since someone told me years ago that they had a home…read morebirth and they didn't even give me any details. When I got pregnant and did research on it, it just confirmed that I wanted it. I wanted someone who would spend more time and get to know me so that they could feel confident and I could feel confident to safely give birth at home. I just didn't think a doctor at a hospital was going to get to know me or make me trust in them to be safe. My husband was scared of the thought of a home birth and I was scared of the thought of a hospital birth. He has turned around and would do the home birth again. So many of my friends were telling me horror stories of their births and the interventions they went through at hospitals. I knew I wouldn't be able to stand up or question why if a doctor wanted to do an intervention and that I may regret it after so I chose to do a home birth where an intervention was not an option. My sessions with Shelia were an hour long and I completely trusted her to take care of me and if she had told me to go to the hospital or have an intervention I would have because we built that type of relationship. At each session she did my vitals, asked about diet, exercise, sleep and emotions I may be feeling before measuring my abdomen and listening for the fetal heart. She always gave me information about each test that was standard care and let me decide if I wanted to do it. I always felt like I was in control of my health. Our appts got closer together as I got further along and honestly I loved going to them and listening to the baby. It never felt like a doctors office and I never waited in a lobby. She has a beautiful office and welcomes anyone that wants to join which my 6 year old niece did a couple of times and it was great. When I was ready to give birth everything went well and although it was really long, I never once felt scared or regret in my choice. Shelia was monitoring the baby and giving me advice on positioning to get moving along. When my baby was born she put him on me right away and made sure we were both doing well before cleaning up, making me a large batch of concentrated sitz bath tea she saw I had purchased, adding it to some of the pads and froze them to help with the pain (she really didn't have to do) and then clamped the baby's umbilical cord and did all the exams. I would have Shelia again if I were to give birth again in the future. She really took care of me and made me feel safe and I was really happy through it all.

My daughter is 15 months old now (holy crap!) and I can't look at her without thinking lovingly of…read moreMonica & Jennifer! I switched from an OBGYN to LA Midwife Collective around 30 weeks pregnant with my daughter and it made all the difference in how I felt about my prenatal care, birth, and postpartum care. I felt cared for, listened to, and protected, which is almost the exact opposite of how I felt at the OBGYNs office. Each visit felt private, calm, and un-rushed (exactly like the birth of my baby!) and after every appointment, I was more and more convinced I was always meant to have my baby at home with M&J. Skipping all the fun stuff: Jennifer caught my baby in my own bed, and then Monica made me the best sandwich I've ever had in my life, and then I got to cuddle with my newborn at home. 10/10 would recommend. We love Monica and Jennifer so much. I won't go into gory detail about HOW much we love them but...I would have another baby just to hang out with Monica and Jennifer again.

Completely unprofessional and neglectful. My experience with Jennifer as a midwife was truly…read moredisturbing. This was my first pregnancy and I was relying on Jennifer to guide me through birth. A couple hours after my contractions became constant and increasingly intense, I called her. She told me to lay down and get some sleep, that it would be at least 24 hours. When I asked if I should let her know when contractions reached a certain timing, she told me not to time them at all. I asked when she would know to come, and her answer was: "I'll hear it in your voice." Apparently that means when you can't speak then she'll come. Four hours later, I gave birth. During that time, I labored alone--scared, confused, and unsupported. Jennifer did not check in with me by text or phone. The doula Jennifer referred me to was also no help during labor. I called her 4 times to please come but she kept saying it wasn't time yet and only telling me to keep breathing over the phone. I felt helpless. Finally, after the fourth call she came and arrived at 10:30, by 11:20pm I gave birth. Jennifer didn't arrive until 12:30am--well after my baby was born. I was worried because she lived over 40 mins away but always told me she would be there. She reassured me she never missed a birth which is obviously a lie. Afterwards, when I tried to express how traumatic this was for me she took no accountability. She claimed she did everything right and only blamed the doula for not communicating with her. She also put the blame on me claiming my labor was just "too fast." She had always told me to wait until she arrived for the tub because she would set everything up. So everything we planned was pointless, I gave birth standing up over my bathroom counter. She said there were absolutely no refunds and never apologized for what I went through. I was robbed of my water birth experience. This was supposed to be a supported, empowering home birth. Instead, it was the most frightening experience of my life. I'm now terrified of ever getting pregnant again. I could never recommend Jennifer as a midwife she will not be there when you need her the most.

Words cannot adequately describe how grateful I am to have been able to work with Bethany through…read moremy pregnancy and delivery. She did a fantastic job preparing us for the big day, and when it came, she was our most valuable resource. In the very early stages of labor I visited my doctor and he pressured me with so many immediate decisions I wanted to cry. From the moment I first called Bethany that day she was ready, confident, and amazingly reassuring. Once at the hospital, Bethany not only helped me stay comfortable and productive, but she also assisted my blind husband to make sure he was never left out and that he supported me when I needed him in the ways I needed him. She also worked amazingly with the hospital staff. Every time a doctor was due to enter the room Bethany knew exactly what they were going to say and what options they'd give us. This gave us time to actually understand and discuss medical decisions before agreeing to anything. At one point a nurse walked in and, while I was in the middle of a painful contraction, told me my baby was shifting into a bad position and what I should do to fix it and then walked out. Needless to say... I retained zero of that information. Bethany knew exactly what to do and resolved the issue immediately. Unfortunately, my biggest lesson that day was that birth isn't necessarily something you get to plan. Luckily for us, we also learned just how beautifully adaptive Bethany is to changing situations. When my labor started to drastically slow down, she explained the options the doctor would give me to speed things along and options they might not give me that I might want to consider. When I decided to ditch the natural birth plan she reminded me of all the pain medications available and helped me understand their effects. When an infection spiraled me into an emergency c-section, she went above and beyond and vetted the staff. Upon finding out that one of the nurses that was to be in the OR only had 3 months of experience, she got a replacement with more experience. When I was finally in my hospital room allowed to hold this precious little bundle that I had no idea what to do with, she helped me breastfeed. Bethany was our anchor and made both of us feel comfortable during the most stressful and intimate event in our lives. I absolutely cannot recommend her highly enough.

This is one of the most Amazing and Loving women I have the pleasure of knowing and having around…read moremy girls. She's just so gentle and caring w all babies. The love that she shares w every family she comes in contact w is wonderful.

We are SO grateful to have had Lauren's help with caring for our newborn during the early…read morepostpartum weeks. As first-time parents, we were anxious and sleep-deprived upon coming home from the hospital with our baby, and having Lauren there during that first night at home was absolutely life-saving -- I felt so grateful and relieved to see her walk through the door. She was so warm and reassuring, and I knew that our baby would be in good hands. Each night that she came, she would answer all our random questions that we had written down, teach us how to soothe and care for our new baby, and give us the opportunity to catch up on much-needed sleep while she looked after the baby overnight. Then before leaving each morning, she would always give us a summary of how the night went, including anything notable about the baby's health or behavior and any relevant advice. It's clear that Lauren is an expert at what she does, and it was amazing to have her as our trusted advisor on all things baby-related. She is a patient and professional teacher, and her guidance has helped build our confidence as new parents. Anyone would be lucky to work with her! Thank you, Lauren!

We kept calling Lauren "Mary Poppins." Not only was she practically perfect in every way - she is -…read morebut she was just what we needed when we needed it. Coming home from the hospital as first time parents and knowing Lauren was there to support us helped relieve our "newborn" stress. Lauren adapted her style to our needs. She is extremely experienced and anticipated what we would need before issues arose. She is attentive, attuned and communicates well. She helped us grow in confidence for caring for our child so that by the time she left, although we missed her company, we felt equipped for parenthood. Before I met Lauren, I was hesitant to accept that a night doula could fit into our family. Those first few months are so intimate, and I didn't want to have anyone around that would dampen the experience. Well, that worry was unfounded with Lauren. Lauren helped me be able to focus on my son better than I could have without her help. If you are thinking of hiring Lauren, don't take my word for it - see for yourself.