Wouldn't recommend this service to anyone! Our experience was very similar to Emily's experience…read more I'd say almost to the T with the exception of her assistant, Sally was great and is one of the reason my wife and son are alive today. My wife and I expressed concerns about her pelvis being too narrow but she brushed it off and we believed her. A mistake that nearly ended my new family. She would say that something was fine and then would say that the same thing was concerning. We chalked it up to her being a bit eccentric. On top of that, we only got reimbursed a little over $100 from insurance and we had Anthem PPO at the time. Not necessarily her fault but it added to the negative experience and expenses. My wife's labor ended up being 24hrs at home and 36hrs total which ended in a C-Section. She was little to no help and it was Sally that recommended we go to the hospital. Plug-in for Rancho Springs, amazing hospital and staff. It's not what we wanted but definitely what we needed and more. We didn't want a hospital birth but they have the best ward bar none. Only hospital me and my wife would go to for this. From our conversations with other people that used her in the past, I think she was once a great midwife but from our experience, I would highly discourage anyone from using her services. If you use her, you'll be playing roulette with you and your child's life.

Would not recommend Our son was born early September 2024…read moreand Anne was our midwife for the pregnancy. During our meetings we were constantly recommended to seek outside opinions from my OBGYN and medical facilities, causing us to spend thousands more during my pregnancy and birth on top of her fee for services ($6000). During my birth Anne and her assistants made the environment stressful when I expressed for my birth to be peaceful to my liking. Upon Anne's arrival she said that I was fully dilated at 6am. At 3pm Anne had checked me and told me that she had still felt some of my cervix (I WAS NOT FULLY DILATED). She had complained earlier in the day that her fingers were too short to check properly, so I'm not sure how she has been a midwife and her fingers be too short to check her clients. I was instructed to push while not being fully dilated. Anne appeared impatient and she didn't seem to know what to do to help me progress. After an hour and a half of pushing she recommended transfer to the hospital. Upon arrival at the hospital I was checked and was dilated to AN EIGHT. The hospital determined that my baby was too large to have naturally. During my pregnancy we brought up the size of my baby and Anne would discredit all the ultrasounds and weight estimates that we were given. I had my baby via c-section and was born at 11 pounds 1 ounce, he would never have been born safely naturally. After my hospital stay we returned home to a birth pool fully inflated and still containing the water from my labor, this was after I was told that everything would be cleaned up before our return. A warning to all, a contract is presented and must be signed that states once Anne shows up to your birth/labor there are NO REFUNDS of any sort. Ultimately I would not recommend Anne's services as a midwife. If you are looking for a midwife to trust as your expert and for a safe, comfortable birth, look elsewhere.

Cherie is absolutely wonderful. I am so grateful my husband encouraged me to find a doula. I am a…read morevery anxious person and was so nervous about my first pregnancy especially not knowing what to expect or what was normal. I felt very supported by Cherie. I feel we connected right away and that she understood what I needed. She provided me with evidence based resources and she listened and supported me with every choice that I made without judgment. She is very professional, compassionate, and just the right fit for me with her calming energy. She was available via text, video, in-person and email. She helped me navigate early labor and stayed by my side the entire time, holding my hand, comforting me, explaining what was going on and helping me with different birthing positions. My baby girl was born healthy and I feel so relieved that I had such a positive experience. Cherie checked in on us postpartum and helped my process my labor which was so helpful and healing. I strongly recommend Cherie, she feels like part of the family.

Cherie was my doula with my 3rd baby. Im so grateful I decided to go ahead and have a doula with…read morethis birth. She was so supportive through it all. She was always available to talk through things prior to my due date and checked in with me many times! She's very easy to connect and feel comfortable with. Very down to earth and so kind. During birth she got me through some of the most painful contractions. She will be who I use for my 4th baby if we decide to have another. Thank you Cherie for all your support!

I met Amanda because she was my first midwife's backup. I still remember the nervous feeling about…read morea new midwife coming to do our one week postpartum appointment at our home. I mean, who wants to meet someone new for the first time, a week postpartum? I almost canceled! After she left that day, my husband and I knew we had just met someone special. Amanda was calm, compassionate, and gentle with our newborn baby girl and me. It felt like we had known her years! When I got pregnant with our second baby, hiring Amanda from the beginning was a no-brainer. We felt informed, supported, and deeply cared for throughout the whole pregnancy, birth, and postpartum period. Obviously, we also hired her for our third baby! This last pregnancy was a bit harder on me than my first two. I really relied on Amanda's wisdom and was so grateful that we were getting true informed consent about every possible test and intervention. She offers less invasive and holistic options for care as well. This last labor was very fast but Amanda arrived with plenty of time to set up and not disturb the birth space. She was calm and encouraging. She checked on baby and me and brought such peace and comfort to the room. Looking back at my experiences with Amanda, I can say that I know what it is like to be cared for by someone who is truly "with woman." This is no doubt, Amanda's calling.

I am so happy to have found Amanda! My family and I absolutely love her, and I would recommend her…read moreto anyone planning a natural birth. Her passion for what she does shows, and she'll care for your baby like her own. This was my second birth, and when compared to the coldness and unfamiliarity of the hospital, I can't imagine giving birth any other way! I also want to mention that Amanda is prepared for hiccups. My baby got stuck in-between my legs, and Amanda was calm when helping baby and I get through it. She managed to untangle the cord, encourage me to continue pushing, and grab the resuscitator incase baby needed it. Amanda works calmly, swiftly, and effectively. Also, I'm convinced my baby already knew who she was! Baby could recognize her voice, and Amanda's loving energy because she was/is as calm in Amanda's arms as she is in mine. If we were to have another baby, we wouldn't hesitate to call her. She's worth every penny and much more. She is such a genuine person. Her support does not end the day baby is born, she continues to check in on the well-being of you and baby. I feel so fortunate to have had her as my midwife!

Karen Pecora was nothing short of an amazing midwife for our baby boy Caleb. The funny thing is,…read moreshe was a tertiary back up for our sons birth! However if it were up to me I would have made her our primary. She helped me through my 20 hour birth where I felt so defeated after almost a week of prodromal posterior laboring. She really helped me dig deep and push our son out in about an hour, but was also loving and kind to our family in our time of need. I highly recommend her and hope she can help deliver our next baby.

From the moment we met Coley, we knew we were in the best hands for our first pregnancy. She…read morebrought a sense of peace and reassurance that made our decision to have a home birth feel so right. Throughout the entire journey, Coley was there--answering every question, calming every worry, and never once making me feel like I was asking too much (even when I thought I was being annoying, haha). She guided us with so much knowledge and warmth, making sure we always felt safe and supported. Our delivery was long--being my first--but Coley never wavered. She knew exactly what to do, always reassuring us that everything was unfolding just as it should. Her confidence and care made all the difference, and I can't imagine having gone through it without her. Without a doubt, I'd call Coley again for my second pregnancy.

Coley has been my mentor/preceptor for over five years. I have worked with a handful of different…read moremidwives and practices before and after, and I always felt deeply connected to her style of practicing midwifery the most. I still remember the day I met her and how her presence and energy was so grounding and calming. Fast forward 7 years later, and I can't stop thinking about how powerful and grounding Coley's presence was during my labor and birth. Having her there really meant the world to me and my husband. Our family is so grateful for the love and care Coley has given us. It was an honor to have her by our side during the most sacred experience of our lives. Coley, being on the other side and experiencing your care from the perspective of a birthing mother really makes me emotional thinking about how much you have impacted my life with your wisdom and loving heart. You are a true blessing to all the families you care for

I had such an amazing experience at Acorn Community Birth Center. From the beginning to the end and…read moremy postpartum visits, it was just such a wonderful experience. I was first greeted by Cristi, the executive director and midwife. She made me feel at ease and made me and my husband feel very comfortable. The birth center itself is in a peaceful community in Fallbrook. It has 3 birth rooms to choose from that are themed differently. I believe I chose the green room which acquired to my liking and it was extremely peaceful. The rooms are a good size and very comfortable. My birth experience was just perfect thanks to my midwife Debbie and the student midwives, Azure and Mel. They were so patient, kind, and so knowledgeable. I believe I met most of the midwives and they are all lovely. I love how you get to do your birth, your way, and the midwives guide you while following your lead. I don't trust traditional hospitals and I would much rather do a holistic birth with midwives, just as it has been done for ages. I would choose Acorn over and over again if I were to have more children. I even had to switch my health insurance just so I could give birth at the center versus a hospital and it was so worth it. It was such a beautiful experience.

This review has been long overdue. My first 3 were in the…read morehospitals with epidurals and my last two experience was unmedicated at Acorn. I never thought I would ever do a natural birth... but here I am! I will start by saying, natural birth is HARD. I went into my first unmedicated birth not knowing what to expect but I prefer it that way but boy was I determined!!!! Second time around I was nervous, anxious.. all the things! My first experience was great, although after labor I experienced some hemorrhaging. Once staff figured what was wrong they acted fast and I was relieved. It was a little traumatic for me but it didn't taint my experience with Acorn. I came back for round two!!! 2nd time around two years later! I delivered my baby girl on February 20th, my experience from start to end was amazing. During labor the team gives you and your partner space, during those moments were truly special. And probably one of my favorites. I had Cristi Sedona and Kyra for my team! And I would choose the same 3 every-time. Each of them brought a different vibe, but it was a mix that you need on your team! I can't thank them enough for making each experience so special, For me my husband and my family! If I was having more kids, no questions asked... I would do it again.... and again....

Words cannot express how thankful I am to have met Karen and have taken her class. Though it was a…read more1 to 2 hour drive (with traffic) for me to get to her, it was well worth it. My profession deals with medicine and she taught me more than I've learned in school, things that schools don't teach in conventional medicine (which is why some of these thing are unheard of when you ask doctors about it). I worked with a natural doctor who advised me to look into hypnobirthing. That's when I jumped onto yelp and found Karen. My husband is extremely all about research/data based practices and Karen has educated him to change his vision when it comes to birthing. Thank God for her he's now more understanding and will 100% support my instinctive/natural birth. What I really respect is that she has had a "typical" birth prior to her education and knowledge. Her own experience with a doula, with her second child, is what inspired her practice and passion in what she preaches and practices. She's currently pregnant now and will venture with a home birth next. She can basically say, "I've done it all!". She can relate to different births and/or she can share stories of those she see has seen/experienced first hand. She has so much to share and she has so much to give. Although she was pregnant, preparing and teaching a couple classes, has 2 and 1/2 kids, and in the middle of a move, she'd pick up the phone as if she was sitting around waiting for your call to answer any questions you had. I called her prior to class starting to inquire about her class. She was on vacation and still picked up my phone to talk to me for a good 20 minutes probably. I had a question late at night at 9pm or so and she still responded to my text message. She was busy putting her children to bed but got back to me right away to let me know she needed a minute to respond. Her classes offered some activities to allow us to practice "real life" scenarios. It was definitely good practice and allowed us to ask questions while we were doing it, in case it came up when we finally went into labor and Karen wasn't around. You basically get to practice what she teaches. Hands-on practice is always the best way to learn. I never imagined I would learn so much, especially in just 5 classes. This is my first birth and I'm so glad I learned what I learned from her before my first experience. I love her positive aura and personality overall. She's beautiful too! Very enjoyable to be around and learn from. She even offered little snacks for our growling tummies and cute little prizes. Totally unexpected and not necessary for her to do, but that's what also makes her so awesome! I Totally wish I could have her as my doula but she's so far away, it wouldn't be a good idea. She'll also be on the tail end of her maternity leave by then. She offered her full support and open availability if my husband and I needed anything. I appreciated that so much. We both know that she's just a phone call away. I wish everyone could learn what I learned from Karen. It would better prepare all women (and partners) out there for a more natural and unregrettable birth for them and their child and more likely prevent regrettable birth experiences.

I happen to stumble upon this class on Facebook. I won a 30% off Hypnobirthing class contest. I was…read moreearly in my pregnancy and didn't really have a birth plan in place yet. Meeting Karen and taking this class was one of the best things about my pregnancy and birth. Karen gave us all the tools and information we needed in order to have a beautiful home water birth. After already taking all the hospital offered child birth classes during my first pregnancy 6 years ago, I can honestly say, this is by far the best one my boyfriend and I have ever taken. More information than I have ever learned about childbirth ever before. Thank you, Karen! I highly recommend this class to every pregnant couple out there!

Amanda is truly amazing. We hired her for postpartum overnight work. We were so desperate for sleep…read moreas the 4 month sleep regression was really tough. She jumped right in and truly cared about our well being. I wished I had hired her as my birth doula too. Her wealth of knowledge and smart mind is incredible.

This review is a long time coming because I gave birth in 2019, with Amanda right by my side from…read morestart to finish. My husband and I sought out a doula after experiencing a very rough first trimester mentally and emotionally. I knew after going through a rough pregnancy and PP with my first child that it would be a good idea to bring on additional support. I researched multiple doulas, and after interviewing another person who in my opinion was tied for first-- something told me to go with Amanda... And I'm so glad I did. The thing that I gravitated toward the most with her was her empowering, yet calm energy as well as the fact that she herself is a mother and has experienced birth. She connected with me on so many levels during my pregnancy and labor/delivery. Even having such an involved and supportive husband, Amanda provided support and assistance in ways we never could have done on our own. I felt so comfortable and grateful to have her in my pregnancy journey/labor & delivery experience. It wouldn't have been the same without her. Her doula service is well worth the money and I would absolutely use her again! Thank you so much Amanda