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 for 15 years now and I gotta say, the staff all have great bed side manner,…read morethey treat you like family, the doctor is amazin, he treats you like he know you, all with respect. I love everyone there!

Just writing this so other women don't experience what I went through…read more The owner of this place was a gem. She was very good to us and initially was the reason we decided to choose this place for care because of how amazing she was. Giving 1 star because of the midwife, Jacqueline Little, who created such a hostile environment. I have no idea why she would work with pregnant women in the first place if she's going to attack them. In our appointment I told her I had McDonald's for breakfast and she quite literally told me: "You need to clean your sh*t up." Really professional. By the way, this was my first time meeting her. If I wasn't pregnant at the time and completely caught off guard I would have socked her in the face. That monster should be nowhere near pregnant women- a very vulnerable and sensitive population! Me and my partner were so jarred by our entire appointment and it literally ruined our day. That appointment with that horrible woman was the reason why we didn't end up continuing care at this place. I informed the owner and hopefully she gets fired but I thought I would come on here and share my experience so other pregnant women can protect themselves from this individual.

My husband and I went in for a 4/D ultra sound and let me just say that everything from the warm…read moregreeting at the front desk to our session with Lance was top notch. I went in with low expectations image wise, since it's totally up to baby's position but Lance worked his magic to gently rock her into a few positions so that we could see her face for a quick second. She was camera shy. Honestly they all look like little smooshed potato goblins but it was a fun experience all around. Anyone looking for a great experience should go here!

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!

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 Olmstead is not only a sweet and generous person but also an amazing resource for anything…read morerelated to birth. From the beginning she answered all of our questions without any pressure about homebirth vs hospital. After sitting with her for an hour, our minds were already made up, she clearly had to be the one to deliver our child. For months we looked forward to each visit and would always leave with delightful smiles, excited for the new adventure that was to come. When it was time for labor she was at our house ready to check me even in the early stages. She checked back often and monitored my progress until it was finally time to call the second midwife to come in and assist (Laura was a gem). During labor Kelly encouraged me and put my mind at ease for any aches and pains that I was feeling. When it seems like I couldn't take anymore she was there to tell me that this was the stage where it should feel like I cannot take anymore but she assured me that I could, and I would, and I did. Having our baby at home was the most magical experience and I wouldn't want to do it with anyone other than Kelly Olmstead. Since the birth she's been by several times to check our little babe and I must say that we are going to miss her and can't wait to get pregnant again! (but not too soon) ;)

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.

Nora is truly an amazing and extraordinary person, words don't do it justice in what she did for us…read moreand our new addition to our family! Nora was very supportive from the very beginning. She gave us hope and confidence the we could experience this journey together with evidence based choices for our birth plan. We met several times up to the delivery and she was always respectful of our choices. She was willing to share her wealth of knowledge, explained the pros/cons and was never pushy on which options to choose. During delivery she was a caring guide always helping us anticipate what to expect next, and was gentle but firm with the hospital staff advocating for our wishes. Nora was there every second during the active labor and didn't leave our side until 2 am! We have no doubt that had it not been for Nora, the hospital would have pushed for a c-section sooner. Even after the natural birth, she followed up assisted us for 3 hours with the baby latch. We are forever grateful to Nora and her family for helping us through this journey SUCCESSFULLY!

Nora has a real gift in supporting birthing people. I am always struck by her kind demeanor, and…read moreher expert communication skills. On top of her doula skills, I'm impressed that she can also help families with their car seats, since she's certified to do so! I highly recommend Nora.

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 :)

I chose Serena to be our midwife in the depths of covid lockdown. Something in my heart just knew…read moreshe was the one I wanted to be at Felix's birth and to care for us both before and after. (I had already chosen a different midwife but the fit just wasn't quite right.) Serena helped me navigate minor challenges as they arose throughout pregnancy. She had all the great tactical, practical solutions, but more importantly, she always, ALWAYS, led me back to myself. Her trust in my body, my baby, and in me helped me to have an incredible, empowering birth. For that and a thousand other little things, I'll always be grateful my intuition led me to Serena. (This is Felix's birth story, if you care to read it! https://www.alsomom.com/felix-birth-story/)

We feel so blessed to have found Serena! I was due with my…read morefirst baby girl in April 2020. I was fully planning on having a hospital birth, and was going to an Obgyn for all my prenatal care. COVID-19 hit, and we were concerned for our safety giving birth at the hospital. When I was about 3-weeks out, and we decided to hire Serena and deliver our baby at home.  I can tell you first hand that the level of service between my Obgyn and Serena was night and day. I went from 10-15min appointments that felt very rushed, to hour long appointments that felt so personalized and holistic. I think when you choose to deliver at a hospital, you are expected to take a handful of parenting classes because your Obgyn won't have enough time to discuss these things with you. Going to Serena was like a "one stop shop". She clearly goes over what to expect during labor, the pros and cons to all the newborn shots, breastfeeding, and postpartum care. Her office is conveniently located right off of the highway, has plenty of parking, and her fee was 100% covered by our insurance.   She gave us very clear instructions for setting up our home for a clean & safe delivery - we never felt uncomfortable or unsafe. It was so nice having her by my side during labor. It's painful, and messy, but she is a rockstar and got me through it with style and grace. We delivered a healthy baby girl, and were all toasting with champagne in the comfort of our home =) I would have to say her 6week postpartum care went above and beyond our expectations! She was always available over the phone if we had any concerns. I could just text her a picture, and she would let me know that everything was normal. Breastfeeding is a journey of its own, and as a first time mom I had no idea what to expect. Serena does home visits, and provided me one-on-one breastfeeding coaching. We would absolutely use her services again. Thank you so much Serena!

I went back and forth on whether to write this review. I am sure Ana intends well, but sadly we did…read morenot feel adequately supported by her as a doula. I felt like I should provide an alternative perspective for people who are reading these reviews and want to be fully informed in their decision on a doula. There were some things we really appreciated and that she did well, like the postpartum massage and the meal she cooked for us. But the birth experience itself fell far, far short of what we were expecting in terms of care-- I'd like to remain anonymous so I will not go into detail. The prenatal sessions just didn't vibe with us-- a lot of lecture, worksheets and homework that often felt overwhelming rather than supportive or client-directed. The postpartum sessions were shorter than promised and without many of the things she had told us she would do. It seems like Ana has supported others really well, but unfortunately that was not the case for us.

Ana was one of our greatest blessings in assisting with my very first birth. She brought wisdom,…read morepeace & support that allowed me to be confident in my birth choices and thereby allowing a beautiful, natural unmedicated birth. Once I became pregnant and knew we would be giving birth in a hospital, I was encouraged to seek out the support of a doula in hopes to have an unmedicated birth. Ana was everything I could have needed & wanted during my birth and even more, she helped me everything from the preparation to the labor to the birth and into postpartum and beyond which allowed me to have such an amazing experience. She came to our home 3 times before the birth, sat with my husband & I, unrushed and talked over ways we could best prepare and gave us resources if we wanted to further our knowledge - which I gladly did! She made herself available by phone and text whenever I called her, including middle of the night questions! It gave me peace of mind to know that she had been through this many times before and always guided me with comfort. During the birth, I honestly looked to her more than my own doctor. While she is not certified to give medical advice, I trusted her experience overseeing many other births and especially that she viewed birth as a *natural process* that women's bodies are designed for. I didn't even realize the transition my body would go through during the birth experience, and I'm so thankful we added a postpartum component to our package. Worth its weight in gold. Ana came to our home 3 more times after giving birth and brought us a nourishing meal each time, talked through any questions, including caring for our little one, yet truly gave me the attention I needed to facilitate my healing and recovery including the BEST massages I have ever had. I don't have enough space to write all the ways Ana made me feel special, cherished and empowered through my entire pregnancy and birth. I am so thankful to have had her wisdom and support and truly don't believe my birth experience would have been half as incredible if it wasn't for her.