As an L&D nurse it was important to me to find a midwife who was skilled, calm, and supportive for…read morethe birth of my second child. Luckily I didn't have any complications and everything went very smoothly. I completely trusted Aimée to take care of me and my baby as she entered the world. I feel so lucky to have been able to be under her care during this exciting time in my life!

Aimee is nothing short of incredible! As a second time mom who had a deeply traumatic birth…read moreexperience the first time, I was looking to work with a midwife who I could trust and would work to help me have the positive birth experience I so deeply desired. Aimee did all that and more. She was so present for me and went above and beyond to make sure that others on the hospital like the nurses and the pediatric team were aware of my previous experiences and current needs in order to feel safe. I'm happy to say, I had that positive experience the second time around largely thanks to Aimee!

From my very first appointment with Dr. Nseyo, she put all of my fears and insecurities about…read morehaving a baby in my forties, especially with my complicated health history to rest. I can instantly see why she is so highly recommended. She not only does the work, but you can genuinely tell that she loves what she does. At every visit, she came in fully prepared. Even if the waiting room was full, she never made me feel rushed. She always took the time to answer all of my questions thoroughly and honestly. She never overpromised, and her down-to-earth nature made me feel like I was talking to someone I had known and trusted my entire life. While we had planned for a c-section (as my first two pregnancies were), my baby decided to arrive earlier than expected. By sheer luck, Dr. Nseyo was on call that day. She never pushed her medical opinion on my husband and me but instead provided the information we needed, respected our decisions, and guided us with compassion and clarity. In the operating room, she made me feel safe, supported, and truly heard. That care has continued in my postpartum visits. She listens attentively and responds with empathy and sincerity every single time. I would and will recommend Dr. Nseyo at every opportunity. She is truly a gem in her field, and I am beyond grateful to have had her as my doctor during this journey.

Dr Nseyo is absolutely phenomenal. I feel like I can be open with her, she understands my concerns,…read moreand she is here to help. I had surgery and she took time to provide the care, information and comfort that I needed. She was clear about my options, pain management, and post surgery expectations. She even came to visit me in the hospital on her day off. She goes beyond the extra mile and I personally feel healthier as her patient.

My husband and I found Dr. Amy at Sage Pediatrics after researching holistic pediatricians within…read morethe Bay Area. We knew from the get-go that we wanted a pediatrician that respected our healthcare beliefs and fostered a positive, welcoming health care environment for our daughter. Dr. Amy and her staff are amazing. Each visit is unique and individualized, providing enough time to thoroughly discuss any questions or concerns. Dr. Amy is exceptionally knowledgeable and truly cares for her patients. Her office gives off a warm, cozy vibe unlike traditional doctor offices. Due to a recent move, we unfortunately have had to find a different pediatrician for our daughter. But, Dr. Amy has been absolutely wonderful to our daughter over the past 5 months, and any child would be lucky to be under her care!

We have been patients for both of our children and couldn't be happier with our experience with Dr…read more Maidenberg and her staff! Dr. Maidenberg has a great bedside manner, is very personable and helps you navigate treatment and care in a balanced and respectful way. She goes above and beyond to make sure that you and your child are comfortable during exams, telling you what she is doing and looking for. No long wait times or impersonal care- a big plus when you have young children. If you have an emergency or questions after hours she is always available and returns calls and messages promptly. We love her approach to pediatrics and our children like going to the doctor because it's always a pleasant experience to visit her office. Highly recommend this practice and Dr. Maidenberg' s expert care and guidance!

Hiring Lenore as our doula was one of the best decisions we made. She was consistently warm,…read moregenuinely caring, and incredibly responsive. Her professionalism and organization were impressive, yet she remained completely approachable throughout. Lenore empowered me to create the birth plan I wanted and provided resources to help me feel prepared. She walked alongside us through important decisions and connected us to wonderful providers, including a pelvic floor therapist. During labor, her support both at home and at the hospital was critically helpful. I'm so grateful for my beautiful birthing experience! It was also reassuring that she was a known and respected presence at the hospital. My partner was initially uncertain about hiring a doula, but now says without hesitation that it was one of our best decisions. I cannot recommend Lenore highly enough.

If you are looking to hire a doula, look no further. Lenore is absolutely incredible at what she…read moredoes, and choosing to have her on my birthing team was one of the best decisions I've made. I honestly couldn't imagine going through the birthing journey without her. She provided so much insight, support, and value throughout every step of the way. During the prenatal sessions, she was intentional about getting to know my partner and I, as well as my birthing preferences. When the unexpected happened, she was there to offer me a fresh perspective and the right questions to ask. Lastly, when it came to giving birth, she knew exactly what to say, exactly what support I needed, and kept me feeling embodied and empowered throughout the entire experience. I can confidently say that I would never have been able to achieve my desired birth without her.

I chose this clinic bc it is near my house and I needed to be seen for a few months before my next…read moreortho appt and did not wait for neighboring PT clinics to have openings. I feel so lucky to have chosen this clinic. I saw Dr. Jeff today and he was so incredibly thorough (more-so than any other provider I have ever seen). He was very communicative and his formulation and plan has given so much confidence. Thank you Level Up Wellness.

I love Level Up! I've been seeing Dr. Jocelyn as I prepare for labor & delivery and will continue…read moreseeing her for postpartum recovery. I scheduled a consult at 28 weeks pregnant thinking I might come back just a few times, but it's been so useful that I'm still going 6 weeks later. Her approach is very accessible, she's excellent at explaining what we're doing and why, and there are easy-to-follow videos for practice at home. It's a really relaxing hour of my week to come in and have this kind of support. The rest of the clinic staff are also great, super responsive, and make scheduling easy. Highly recommend!

Takeaway: Call Community Birth Works asap! They are amazing…read more Three and a half years ago my partner and I were pregnant with our first child and exploring the idea of a homebirth. My mom and grandmothers all had c-sections, so I held a narrative that my body just wasn't made for a natural birth. I didn't want that to be my narrative, but when I toured the hospital, I wasn't sure I'd be able to fully relax there. We started interviewing midwives. Cynthia and the team (back then it was Hannah) answered all of our questions about emergencies confidently and gave examples of worst case scenarios and how they handled them in the past. My epidemiologist's mind was put to ease. Next they shared about their prenatal, birth, and postpartum care and I could feel my body relax. I was so excited to sign up for a home birth. While pregnant with our first we planned and had a wedding and were doing major home improvement projects all while working full time. Their sage advice and loving care during prenatal visits helped me manage my stress and health. Our first birth was fast and furious and we got to bring our little one into the world with a water birth. Something I had dreamed about since I was 14! I had broken the narrative. A couple years later Cynthia supported us through a miscarriage and then, finally, the pregnancy and birth of our second daughter. As soon as we found out I was pregnant I emailed Cynthia to save us a spot for Summer 2023 :) It was so wonderful to have our prenatal care visits in their nice outdoor yard while lying on a chaise lounge. While I was sad Hannah had taken a leave, we loved working with Cynthia's new partner Sophia just as much. Sophia is fun, knowledgeable, empathetic, and most importantly an extremely skilled midwife. She expertly coached my partner how to catch the baby during my pushes. Their student midwife Sonia was a blessing to work with as well. We liked her so much that we even hired her as our doula and she was my rock during all my challenging back labor contractions. Cynthia, Sophia, and Sonia's amazing combination of coaching, support, friendship, and care got me through morning sickness, naturally managing gestational diabetes, spinning the baby during back labor, navigating planning the birth with a 3 year old in mind, and supporting us during a stressful first few weeks since baby came 3 weeks early. Having prenatal care where the partner is so deeply involved in each visit I believe truly makes for improved co-parenting once the baby arrives! We feel so fortunate to have had the care, expertise, compassion, guidance, and confidence that we found in the Community Birth Works team. We couldn't be happier with our experiences through pregnancy and of course the support and outcome of our two home births. We encourage anyone who's considering home birth or looking for outstanding midwife care to consider CBW. They are the best! :) PS Also want to give a shoutout to Isele - the CBW administrator who supports clients with all the forms, paperwork and billing support in a prompt and professional way - they are always super helpful. And Maggie who supports CBW clients with insurance billing and reimbursement. She's an important part of the operation to make CBW more accessible to folks.

I am so thankful to have found Community Birthworks, Cynthia, Sophia, and their amazing team, who…read morehelped me to have a home birth to deliver a beautiful baby girl. Cynthia is very experienced and always gave me sound advice and reassurance. Sophia's friendly and open nature always made me feel at ease, and helped me realize that giving birth is not scary, but actually very beautiful. They were open to our values and ideas and were always flexible. It was my first pregnancy, and their help made me feel very comfortable. The most important thing is that their postpartum care was excellent. I am so grateful that they came to my home and gave me all kinds of help, from breastfeeding advice to how to interact with my baby. Especially since I came to the US as an immigrant, my husband is the only family I have, and without them, I would not have been able to survive my first time giving birth and taking care of my newborn. They are an amazing team that not only focuses on taking care of your body, but also making sure you have as much peace of mind as possible. If I ever have another baby, I would definitely go back to them.

Ellie is my favorite midwife I saw during my pregnancy at Alta Bates hospital. I was there for so…read morelong I think I saw 6 midwives and 3-4 MDs. She's so calming, empathetic, and knowledgeable. I was hoping so badly I'd give birth when she was on shift but I kissed her by a few hours.

We worked with Ellie starting early in our pregnancy with our second. For my first, I had an…read moreunmedicated hospital birth in SF at UCSF. I can't say enough good things about Ellie. Her demeanor instantly puts you at ease. She is professional, reassuring, confident and keeps a sense of humor. I think I laughed about something every visit. My birth was VERY fast, and Ellie was totally calm and collected, reassuring my husband (who was super freaked out this time). With Ellie, I truly felt like my health and well-being were being cared for before, during, and after my birth. Compare that to the first time around, where I felt like it was only about the health of the baby (which is certainly super important, but us mamas go through a lot getting those little things to the other side!). I joke with my husband that I want to have another baby just to have Ellie as my midwife again! Our 2 year old even named her babydoll after her.

We feel extremely fortunate that we got to have Keelia help us settle into being a family of four…read more She was a consistently warm and caring presence, not just for our new baby but for all four of us. And she has a special knack for just finding ways to be helpful even if we're frazzled and don't know what to ask. She's also very thoughtful about providing advice--in addition to answering whatever random questions we have, she gently offers advice without it ever feeling like she's forcing it on us or it feeling overly didactic. We could go on about how great she is, but the long and short of it is that she's amazing at what she does.

I am certain that my experience with Keelia made THE difference in achieving the birth of my…read moredaughter the ways that I wanted it- delaying at home for as long as possible, no pain meds and a positive, empowered experience. My biggest fears were my low pain tolerance and lack of control over knowing exactly how it would go. Shortly before our due date, Keelia came over to review our birth plan and a timeline of what to expect for pre-labor, active labor, travel to the birth center, transition, and delivery. She made sure we practiced comfort measures, breathing and how I wanted to be supported verbally. It wasn't until the last moments with Keelia where she looked me in the eye and said I was ready, that I actually felt prepared to go into labor and meet my daughter. 2 days later, my water broke in the middle of the night. For the next 44 hours of contractions, naps, two car rides up to the birth center, a traumatic cervical check on day one to then be sent back home, many walks around the neighborhood, yoga ball bouncing, 1 game of Monopoly, snacks, massages, and support - Keelia was at our beck and call. By the time we got to the birth center (again) on day 2 after 36 hours, I was only at 1cm and 50% effaced. Keelia helped me calm down from exhausition and frustration at this news, and we made a plan to get misoprostol to thin my cervix but hopefully proceed with no other interventions. Miraculously, Ava was born 7 hours later. Keelia coached me through contractions which came back to back for hours, waved lavendar oil in front of my face for nausea, massaged my back, covered the clock when she noticed it stressing me out, got me into the shower with Joe when I hit the wall of transition, and helped me breathe through pushing - 3 contractions! She reassured me every step of the way - calmly & knowing I could do it at all moments. In this amazing doula's hands, I felt loved, safe, and supported. Thank you, Keelia.