What a great birth experience with Napa Valley Midwives. Originally we hired Heather as our doula for our second baby. Once Covid hit we decided to change course and have a home birth. From the very beginning Heather and Kristina were so engaged with me and my pregnancy. It was the complete opposite of my OBGYN who changed all my appointments to be virtual and even forgot to schedule a few. Heather and Kristina saw me in their office and in my home following all the best practices during the pandemic. I felt safe every time I saw them. I really enjoyed the fact that they rotated which one of the saw me each appointment so that I could develop a relationship with each of them. By the time I went into labor I felt so comfortable with both of them. I believe this made the birth experience just that much better. During my labor and delivery, they were so professional but also felt like close friends since we had developed a great relationship and they truly care about their mamas. Once I delivered my baby, they gave us time to bond as a new family. While we did this they busily cleaned up. It was so impressive- you'd never know a birth had taken place in my house (haha). If you're considering a home birth, you'll be in loving and supportive hands with these two fabulous midwives. read more

I am not one to write yelp reviews, however, the care we received from Kristina and Heather was so egregious that I am scared for other women and feel an obligation to write about it. Our care with these midwives ended when I was 37 weeks pregnant and on day 5 of contractions. These contractions were not "real" labor contractions but rather contractions brought on by drinking large quantities of red raspberry leaf tea. They prescribed this to me because they said my son was too big and needed to be induced 2 weeks before his due date (this was later proven to be incorrect, as my son was born 11 days after his due date at a normal size and weight). During this bout of fake contractions, they registered a high blood pressure reading and told me that they feared for my life and needed to take me to the hospital or call 911 and have me removed from my home in an ambulance. I knew my high blood pressure reading happened as a result of feeling stressed out by the midwives and ultimately unsafe in their presence. They seemed to have little knowledge of white coat syndrome (a common occurrence where people have higher stress levels in the presence of a medical professional). I decided to fire them on the spot and switch my care to another midwife. Thank goodness I made this decision, otherwise I would have had a traumatic, premature hospital birth for no good reason. There were several signs along the way that Heather and Krisitina were incompetent. They made several incorrect diagnoses which were later proven incorrect by an MD at the hospital who said I was "a healthy pregnant woman ready for a homebirth." Misdiagnosis: Gestational diabetes: They put me on a very restrictive diet which caused me a lot of stress. When I raised concerns about the validity of at-home diabetes testing, Heather said she still thought it was in the ball-park. My health really suffered because of following their weird diabetes diet (I was encouraged to eat large amounts of meat, even in the middle of the night--this was the worst!) They told me they feared my son was too big and needed to be induced. This put enormous stress on me in the later phases of pregnancy and was completely inaccurate. My son was born at a totally average weight less than 8 pounds even 11 days after his due date. Another misdiagnosis! GBS. After my own research about this, I decided against antibiotic use. They went along with this, but encouraged a very expensive regime of supplements and consistently encouraged me to have antibiotics during the birth. Heather admitted to my mother that she herself had GBS and refused antibiotics in the birth of her own child. Hypocrisy?! They misdiagnosed me with a fever. Thankfully my mother was there and suggested it was warm in the house because of the heating (In December). When I went outside, my temperature was totally normal. Lack of Professionalism: They were late to most appointments. Kristina was 45 minutes late to one appointment. One time, Heather completely forgot an appointment and never showed up. She never even followed up with me to apologize, and I had to reach out to her to schedule the next appointment. They frequently did not have the right supplies for tests I needed to take, were missing batteries for their devices, and they only gave us the birth supply list at 37 weeks, when the baby could already have been born! As a first time parent this was very unsettling! Poor Communication: They didn't tell me which provider from their team would be at my birth, which was very unsettling. Then they set up an appointment with a colleague of theirs who gave me totally different suggestions about how to manage my "gestational diabetes," and at the next appointment Heather said I wasn't doing what I was supposed to do even though I was following her colleague's recommendations. Lack of Emotional Attunement. Both of these midwives acted from a place of extreme fear, rather than actually being able to see the person in front of them. They both never checked in with my husband and barely acknowledged his presence in our appointments. They asked questions in a style that felt more interrogatory rather than helpful/understanding. We left every appointment in fear, which was the last thing we wanted to feel approaching the birth! In addition to all of the grievances listed above, when we reached out to them to let them know that we had a healthy home birth and requested a refund for the fees we paid them, their response displayed a lack of compassion and accountability. They only gave us a 25% refund and never even congratulated us on the healthy home birth of our son, which was supposed to be their number one priority! I think their lack of professionalism, incompetence and lack of knowledge is evident with the numerous examples above. If you want to have a safe home birth and get good quality care, I would highly recommend choosing more experienced midwives. read more

WHY I FIRED MY DOULA AT THE HOSPITAL My Husband and I were going through our first pregnancy and we both felt it would be beneficial to hire a doula to serve as a birthing coach and to emotionally aid us to a stress free and safe birth. We met with Napa Valley Midwives owner's Heather and Bee two times prior to the birth to discuss how we pictured the experience going, our concerns, and the birth plan. On August 27th, my contractions were getting very close and ranging between four to five minutes. Once I saw blood in the toilet, I knew it was time to give the doulas we hired a call. I contacted Heather and she said she would be on her way over to our house as soon as she could. Once she arrived my water broke, and it was brown. She explained that it was nothing to worry about. She said it is very common to have meconium in the amniotic fluid and that we should just wait and continue labor at home. Something just didn't feel right about that... my labor was moving fast, and I knew this baby wasn't going to wait for me to just relax in my bed. I asked Heather if she minded if I called the hospital and got a second opinion, she said of course not, and I proceeded to call. I explained to the nurse at the Queen of the Valley about the meconium and said to come in immediately. We grabbed our "go-bag" and headed out the door in separate cars. That's when things went south. At our first meeting. Bee gave me her and Heather's phone number so I could start a group text for when I went into labor. She explained that one of them would be on call and respond whenever I needed anything. While driving to the hospital, which is five minutes away from our house, I received an accidental text from Heather that was supposed to be only for Bee. Heather wrote how terrified I was, how much fear I had while having contractions, and how concerned I was going to have an accidental home birth then proceeded to add a LOL after her judgmental comments. I instantly broke down crying. I am on my way to the hospital to deliver my first child, possibly the most important day of my life and I have to read these negative text messages from the woman who we hired to help keep me calm and relaxed?! Talk about mentally messing you up! Before this, I thought I was handling things very well and was nervous, but very positive. Once I read the texts, that all came crashing down, and I was filled with self-doubt and second guessing my own abilities to deliver this child. I wrote back "wrong text" so she could get a clue that I was included in the thread, but she KEPT GOING. Heather proceeded to text more on how she wishes I went to their childbirth classes to better prepare (which I did, just with the hospital). When my husband and I got to the hospital, I was not only in pain from my now two-minute apart contractions (I was dilated 7cm), but emotionally hurt and feeling low in confidence going into this birth. Once I checked into the hospital, we decided that we did not want Heather to be a part of our birth. My husband went to go meet her outside to tell her this, but she was nowhere to be found. We sent her a text to let her know. I proceeded to go on with labor without the doulas and with the support of my husband and the amazing nurses at the Queen of the Valley hospital. I gave birth to a healthy baby boy 8 hours later. I am extremely proud of myself, despite my doula's judgmental comments. However, this terrible experience is now attached to my birth story forever. We requested a full refund a couple of days after delivery via email. They denied us the full amount. Bee replied stating that their contract states that should you choose to terminate services after 36 weeks, the full fee remains the same. We pointed out the part of the contract that talks about labor & birth; "And most importantly will provide emotional support through continuous reassurance...". Instead of reassurance, I received criticism. Instead of arriving at the hospital confident and ready to give birth, I arrived with doubt and sadness, and this was completely due to Heather's actions. In our opinion, this was an overall terrible experience that is compounded by the fact that we still had to pay $600 of "obligated contracted fees" on top of it. Anything we received of value was quickly gone the second we read those text messages. This experience still hurts to revisit and is emotional to even type out. I am writing this review because nobody deserves to have this be part of their birth story. These women have explained to us that they have handled hundreds of births, yet they did the opposite of help and support me through mine. ***I have included the screenshots of the conversations between ourselves and Napa Valley Midwives from our home to the hospital.*** read more

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This review is long overdue! Our healthy and happy baby girl is now 8.5 months old. We had a wonderful experience with Heather, who was my main care provider, Kristina who filled in as needed for care, and Bee who also attended our birth. During COVID my husband was not allowed at any doctor's appointments but he was able to join each one with NVM, which was so special since this was our first baby. They never balked at the many questions we asked every session, had wonderful advice about all sorts of pregnancy ailments, and always considered my mental health as well as physical. I did keep my OBGYN for most of my pregnancy, doing what is called concurrent care. I am lucky enough to have insurance that covered prenatal care so I figured it couldn't hurt to have two different doctors keeping tabs on us. Towards the end, I dropped my doctors and exclusively went to Heather and her team. I quickly discovered that NVM checked me for everything that the doctors did but their care went above and beyond what I was getting at the doctor's office. It was night and day difference! My doctor's office also recommends induction a few days after 40 weeks and I knew I could go up to 42 weeks with NVM. I did all my research and decided that going to 42 weeks was what I wanted to do if it came to that. Well, I ended up going 41 + 4 days (which is super normal for first-time moms) but when my baby came, she came fast. Heather and Bee were amazing, they were there when I needed extra help but gave my husband and I privacy to be in our own labor bubble. They monitored me and baby as needed, followed my birth plan, and gave advice that was extremely helpful for this first-time mom. I believe my birth was such a positive experience because of them! When it came time to push, it was obvious these ladies knew what they were doing. They did a thorough inspection of me and baby after delivery, taking meticulous notes. Before heading home, they cleaned up everything, made my husband and I a snack, and made sure we were all settled for our first night with baby. The best part was the follow-up care at home afterwards - not having to lug our newborn anywhere, answering all our questions, and recommending a great LBC that came to our house for a reasonable fee. Who you have attending your birth is so important and I would highly recommend their services to any woman looking for a home birth in the area. Feel free to reach out to me with any questions you may have. read more

Napa Valley Midwives - Midwives Near Me - Napa, California

I absolutely love these ladies! From our first phone conversation, I knew having these ladies on my care team was the best decision I would make regarding me and my baby girl's care. Every question on my list was answered before I had a chance to ask. Heather was very informative and very compassionate to my questions and needs. My first prenatal visit took place in my home. Heather made me feel as if we were old friends just catching up. She asked all the normal health questions and then ask questions that no other health care provider ever has! Like how I was actually feeling and how was I coping with pregnancy. She even cared enough to ask how my family was coping with a new baby coming in. She made me feel comfortable and my girls and husband were allowed to participate in the visit as well. With all this COVID stuff happening, this was all of their first time hearing the baby's heart beat. She made the moment so special for my family and I. My next visit was with Kristina! She is the absolute best!!!! Although all of our visits were via FaceTime, she can really makes you feel her warmth and beautiful spirit as if she's there holding your hand the entire time. She gave me invaluable information regarding things I had never been brave enough to ask my own doctor. I learned more in these visits than I ever had with my previous two pregnancies. Like alternatives to some of the most unpleasant routine procedures that you have to go through with conventional prenatal care. I love the holistic approach they offer. Not only to care for your body during this time, but to butter your mind and spirit. At some point, I was diagnosed with iron deficiency and gestational diabetes, and this took a serious toll on my mental health. I became depressed and discouraged. But these ladies would not let me fall. They held me up. They encouraged me and told me that I had not failed, these things were just out of my control. They equipped me with a book called Real Food for gestational diabetes and have me pointers on what to do with exercise. Within a week my numbers had improved tremendously but unfortunately not enough in time to have my home birth. Although, I had to transfer care back to my obgyn, these ladies continued to reach out to me and encouraged me to stay in contact. They truly do care about you, your health, and the health of your baby. It's not about the money. They just want to see you win! If it's in the cards for my husband and I to have another baby, I will definitely be attempting to have a home birth again and with no one else but these absolutely amazing ladies. They are the best hands down. Do yourself a favor and save yourself the headache. STOP searching for the best care. Napa midwives are truly the cream of the crop! -Michelle E. read more

Our time with Napa Valley Midwives began at 5 months.We had monthly visits to check vitals, review labs, monitor baby development and listen to heartbeat. As this was our first pregnancy, we had many concerns and questions that were met with quality information and non-biased perspectives. I would describe their information philosophy as " informed choice" meaning that we were never judged for considering any one avenue, but rather given the necessary information to make decisions for ourselves and supported any way we chose. We also participated in Heathers birthing class with 4 other couples, which i would highly recommend. It was super informative and helped us piece together many of the aspects of birth and also showed partners how to support the mother during labour. In all transparency and honesty: our pregnancy was not planned whatsoever... I experienced anxiety and fear about possible outcomes and lots of " what ifs" ..... Perhaps one of my most appreciative aspects of their care is that they provided an immense amount of emotional support and encouragement for us as new parents. Michael and I both wanted a home birth, but we knew that there is always a possibility that we might have the need to birth in a hospital too. No matter the circumstances though, we both wanted to be surrounded by people who knew us and who we felt safe with. This is one of the many benefits of having a midwife by your side. With the birth approaching, Heather recommended me to a local chiropractor to prepare my body for delivery... this is something I had never considered and i feel really helped me as well as postpartum. They were both also extremely knowledgable about herbs and healthy nutrition for momma and baby. I always thought that being so exposed in such an private way during birth would feel weird, but it wasn't at all. It felt really normal...they tended to my naked crying self all around my messy house, in the bedroom, living room, back to the bedroom... they placed me in positions for breathing to put baby in optimal delivery placement... they massaged me, re-assured me, held me. In those moments they were more to me than just our Midwives- they were the sisterhood, the compassionate mother, the wise healer, the friend that says, "You can do this" and holds your hand the whole way through. After our daughter was born, they gave us some time alone as a new family in our bedroom and made us tea and watermelon while they took notes in the kitchen and cleaned up. Bee gave Michael acupuncture needles for his headache ( caring for your woman in labour is serious business!) while heather helped me get baby nursing. They came back the next morning to check on us, weigh baby, and just hang out if we needed anything. Heather and Bee are exceptional in their craft. These women empower others to be their very best for their baby, and we would recommend them in a heartbeat. Love, Chante, Michael, and Lyra read more

I am so thankful for the Napa Valley Midwives! They truly made my pregnancy and birth experience so positive and empowering. I felt so cared for and supported through the entire process. Not only are they the most caring individuals but they really know their stuff!! You will be in great hands! This was my first baby and I wouldn't trust or want anyone else by my side for the birth of my next baby. read more

I highly recommend Heather Hilton at Napa Valley Midwives. I hired her to be my doula for a hospital birth, but she ended up delivering my baby at my home because my labor went so quickly. There was no time to go to the hospital, so it was very fortunate that she is also a certified midwife. She is very warm, caring, and knowledgeable. Her calming presence was very helpful during delivery. Hiring Heather was one of the best decisions I've ever made. read more

Napa Valley Midwives - Midwives Near Me - Napa, California

I can't say enough good things about Napa valley midwives. They were there for us in no way a conventional hospital can be, and it made our experience so much deeper, better, and more memorable. I highly recommend them, we felt well taken care of physically, emotionally and have a very healthy baby to show for it. read more

I've been very slow to write this review because it feels like a totally insufficient way to express my profound gratitude for these amazing women. I could say lots about my many interactions with Heather and Kristina throughout my pregnancy, starting pre-Covid and through our home birth. But the birth is really where they showed me who they are and what they're capable of. I had a hard birth and stalled labor but we didn't know why until the final minutes of my labor. My baby had shoulder dystocia and a nuchal cord. Translation- the baby was stuck and suffocating. The more I learn about how serious and scary this was, the more I cry with gratitude that these women saved my child's life. They sprung into action like nothing I've ever seen, somehow staying calm and focused and made her come out safely. They took extreme care and did everything right. I'm convinced that had this been at the hospital it would have been a C-Section and possibly a death. I feel so lucky that Heather was there, with her years of experience, tremendous skill for women's bodies and childbirth. I think of these women every single day when I hold and feed my beautiful daughter. I would never tell another woman to have a home birth or hospital birth, I think every woman has to to do what feels right to her. But I can say with absolute certainty that these women know their work and are dedicated, prepared, skilled, and a gift beyond any measure to my family. We love these ladies and thank them endlessly for the gift of their important work bringing babies into the world. What could be bigger?! read more

I don't even know where to start because there are too many good things to say! 5 stars is definitely not enough... When I came to PachaMama to interview Brandi it didn't take more than a few minutes to feel so comfortable with her and soon after that, when all my questions began to be answered the way I hoped (and more), I knew she would be the midwife we would choose for the birth of our baby. I was immediately impressed by how professional she was yet incredibly personable and warm. As a natural childbirth instructor, I had a lot of specific questions and she wasn't intimidated by any of them but answered them with confidence. I left the interview more than confident this was the right choice for my husband and me. Throughout the course of my pregnancy I was treated with so much respect as I carried my son and was given so much encouragement and direction through all my health choices and tests. I felt like I was always heard when I spoke about any concerns or even just wanted to ask or share about what was going on with myself at that time. We met Heather and soon felt the same way about her as we did about Brandi. As we got closer to the time of birth we continued to feel even more confident in our choice to hire Brandi (and Heather) as we prepared ourselves and our home for our birth. Our sons birth day was amazing and we can't thank them both enough for the amount of security and comfort they brought in with them as they stood to the side and let us "do our thing" knowing they were there to step in if we needed anything. Our sons birth was beautiful and I can't thank them both enough for the way they supported us through it. At the end of the day my husband said "I feel like we've become best friends with them [Brandi & Heather] now. They were awesome!" I never even hesitate to recommend these two amazing midwives. I am blessed and so thankful to have had them be such an important part of this experience. read more

Napa Valley Midwives - Brandi, Dave, Julia, Heather and minutes old baby Bennett! One of the best days of our life shared w/these incredible women! - Midwives Near Me - Napa, California

These ladies are the absolute best. I was planning on a waterbirth in a birthing center because I thought it was as close to natural birth as I could get in my county without breaking the bank. Then the COVID-19 Pandemic hit my family wasn't going to be able to be a part of the delivery. So, with the help of my mother we pulled income and started researching midwives in our area. After a few interviews and not feeling comfortable with any of them, I found The Napa Valley Midwives and knew they were the ones. Heather and Kristina were the absolute best, so warm and educated. I felt comfortable and heard. Kristina was beyond fantastic when it came to dealing with me through labor, and guiding me through my contractions. She made delivery smooth and made repositioning my son a breeze. Both ladies were full of love and care and I HIGHLY recommend them to anyone considering a homebirth. Hands down the best!! read more

I am so incredibly grateful to have found these amazing midwives! From the beginning I felt a good connection with Heather. She was always attentive to my concerns and helped me feel at ease, even for the silly questions. As my pregnancy went on, I got to know Bee and Kristina as well. They were all so amazing! I went into labor just a few days late. As a first time mom I was a bit nervous, but these 3 women made me feel so strong and confident. Every time I got scared or felt like I couldn't do it, they reassured me that everything was ok and I could do this. When it was time to push, Heather said "Madi, reach down and get ready to catch your baby" I wasn't sure that I could do it, but as soon as my hand touched her head, I got a rush like I've never felt before! The next thing I knew, my baby girl was up on my belly. It was the best feeling in the world! My birth experience was truly the best experience of my life. I feel so lucky to have found these ladies to guide me through the whole process. If you're looking for an amazing midwife, call these ladies 100%! read more

I used Heather for Doula services during my birth at the Kaiser Vallejo hospital. It was an attempted VBAC ending up in c-section due to issues with the baby's heart dipping down. I am so glad I had Heather at my side during the whole experience to support me with handling the pain of labor and also for the emotional support when preparing for possible surgery. I knew I needed a support person since I had a traumatic birth experience with my first child, and having her there made the experience much more tolerable compared to the first time. Many people think if you plan to deliver in the hospital you don't need the services of a doula, but the fact of the matter is that the nursing staff at the hospital is just not able to spend the one on one time with you. Also, they are more focused on the hospital procedures and protocols, using medication, monitors, etc. I was not totally against an epidural since I have a pretty low pain tolerance but I did want to delay it as much as possible and with Heather's help I was able to delay the epidural up until right before the surgery. She was very attentive to me with each and every contraction. She knew better than my husband or the nurses at the hospital where to massage, how to hold my hand, what to say to get me to relax and breath through each painful contraction. She made suggestions of when to change positions or when to take a bathroom break, and she was right on cue. I could just simply zone out and focus on my breathing. She helped communicate with the nursing and physician staff when I was trying to breath through contractions. She verbalized my needs much better than I could at that point in the labor process. I was very happy to see the hospital staff being open to having her there and actually being grateful for her services. When the physician was explaining the baby's condition and working with my husband and I in deciding about switching the plan from VBAC to urgent c-section, I was able to get Heather's input which gave me comfort since I trusted her. Other than her hospital services, Heather provided a lot of education and personalized support prior to my due date. After the birth she provided support and education about breastfeeding and helped me make a decision about what steps to take for my son's tongue tie, and my own emotional postpartum anxiety. Heather encapsulated my placenta for me and dropped it off at my house a couple of days after being discharged from the hospital, even though she had come down with a bad case of the flu because I was experiencing anxiety and crying episodes. It seems the capsules helped. I am grateful to have had a positive experience replace my old traumatic experience. Thank you Heather read more

Heather is everything you could hope for in a midwife. She is caring, always listening compassionately and going the extra mile. She is highly competent, not only is she an experienced midwife but she was also a nurse. And she is calm in a crisis, making everyone always feel like everything's just fine. Heather helped to bring both of our boys into the world and we unreservedly recommend her to all our friends. We love Heather! read more

Heather is great. For my first born, I hired her as my doula. And so happy I did. Worth every penny. She helped me labor at home and got me to the hospital at the exact right time. For my second child, I chose to give birth at home with Heather as my midwife. I don't think I would do it any other way. I loved getting to know heather and so happy she was there for the births of my two babes. She holds a special place in my heart and would be a blessing to anyone who chooses her services. read more

These 2 amazing women provide Love (before anything), deep wisdom (both intuitive and professional), and care for you and your family in a way that lets you lead your experience. I highly recommend Napa Valley Midwives! read more

This is definitely the A Team, All Stars, Numero Uno! Whether we were being cared for my Heather or Bee, both my husband and I felt like we had absolutely the best possible care for pregnancy, birth and post-partum. Even though this was our second birth experience, we both had a lot more questions as well as clarity about what we wanted for our birth. Heather's birthing class was a fantastic preparation for our second birth. We both went into it feeling prepared and relaxed. During the birth, all our midwives were immensely patient, caring, respectful, and honoring of the magic of homebirth. We are forever grateful! read more

I used Heather as a doula to give birth in the hospital and I'm so grateful for her. From the time she arrived to the hospital to advice about breastfeeding after delivery, to the placental encapsulation. I was just thankful to have her at my side making the birth of my second child so much more memorable and tolerable than the first, which had traumatized me. Thank you Heather for your warm and educated advice and soothing touch. read more

The care I received from PachaMama Midwifery exceeded all of my expectations . Prenatal care from Brandi and Heather was a pure joy. They had answers to all of my questions, offered remedies for the little discomforts that pregnancy brings and suggested different herbs and oils to help support my body as well as the necessary traditional blood tests. Every step of the way felt so normal and natural and at the same time I felt that my Midwifes had a deep respect and appreciation for how unique, beautiful and special each little moment was for me. Brandi said to me once that "my baby had wisdom" about how to be born and that stuck with me. I looked forward to my visits and each time I felt more confident with my body and my baby and my Midwifes. The birth of my daughter was so amazing! Brandi, Heather and their apprentice Hanna were all perfect, They are all such calm and powerful women, just being in their presence was so reassuring and empowering. Throughout my labor I was offered suggestions on different positions and techniques. They told me if I was in a position too long and let me know when I needed to move because labor was slowing. Also each of them helped with the pain by applying counter pressure. Brandi, Heather and Hannah kept me clam and confident. It never crossed my mind for a moment that I would not be able to have my baby at home. Which I did... at 2:14am... Heather and Hanna were up with me until at least 6 in the morning making sure I was all taken care of. I didn't think of it at the time because I was so overwhelmed with my new baby and the whole experience, and they didn't say anything, but I know how tired they must have been and I appreciate their dedication. Pretty Awesome. Postpartum care also exceeded my expectations. Nothing in my life has ever compared to the joy of first week of my daughters life. I was put on bed rest by my Midwifes and as my new little family lay in bed together all high on love we would be get unexpected little visits from our Midwives. They never knocked or disturbed us but just came right in the house so peaceful and calm, it all just seemed so perfect. Again any questions I had were answered and suggestions were given on how to deal with the discomfort of my healing. I was given a few tips on breast feeding. We were also given the choice to do government testing and the vitamin K shot which for some crazy reason surprised me, I guess because I have heard from others that their midwives sent them to the doctors office for these things... It was so nice not to leave the house at all. Such Bliss! The bottom line is that no matter what I write here I will never be able to explain all of the reasons why the ladies at PachaMama are so wonderful. I could never say enough nice things about those women. I wish that all women who would like to experience a HomeBirth could have Brandi and Heather by their side. I hope that I will be able to have them with me should I ever have another child. :) With all of my heart... Thank you Ladies! read more

I cannot say enough about how grateful I am for Heather, and how amazing she was to me as our midwife and as a person. I came into her care later on during my first pregnancy; after my husband and I had decided to commit to the home birth we always wanted. Heather is compassionate, insightful, and conscientious. She actively listens and informs without judgment. She also did not miss a thing when it came to the health of my baby or me. I trusted her and felt very safe in her care. I also was so thankful for her calming presence! Whenever I felt anxious or afraid, Heather was so calm that it helped to ground and calm me right back into the moment. I remember her telling me during my labor when I had contractions, "Its only 60 seconds, and then it's over." That helped me tremendously. She was there for us in the way that we needed her, every step of the way. I'll always choose her to greet my babies into this world! read more

Brandi is a fantastic midwife. She puts all of her heart and soul into each birth making it a beautiful experience. She truly believes in a natural birth and gives you all the support and guidance that you will need through that process. read more

The most magical experience of my life was having my children at home with beautiful women who are so skilled at what they do: assisting the process of birth. Brandi and Heather are attentive, intuitive, and skilled at witnessing, guiding and being present for the most raw, primal and incredible passage of life; the bringing forth of life. Brandi and Heather are amazing women in their own right and I am continuously in awe of the work they do and how lucky we are to have them available to us. I encourage every woman to experience a homebirth if it is possible and to absolutely call on PachaMama. read more

If you are considering a Midwife, Heather is who you want by your side! Our first birth experience was a cesarian section. I knew I wanted the best chance to VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarian). I was keeping all of my appointments at Kaiser and yet every time I met with my physician, I felt more and more discouraged about my chances to vbac. As I progressed further along into this pregnancy I began to feel a strong pull to go rogue. I started to research. I learned that more woman have successful vbac experiences when they birth with a midwife. I interviewed a few different midwives. We initially planned for Heather to labor at home with us (as a montrice), monitoring me, and then transfer to the hospital. However, about 7 months in and only having seen Heather a couple of times (we had only met halfway through my pregnancy), we decided to prepare for a home birth. I labored at home for 26 hours after my water broke, ultimately causing some dehydration and so we made the collective decision to go in. Heather followed us to the hospital where she was an advocate for my husband and I in all senses. In the end, I delivered as I had hoped-like she told me I could. My husband and I ultimately decided to work with Heather because of her calm, soft demeanor and her unwavering ability to explain things with facts to back them. Heather has the tact, grace & composure like no other. She will forever be in our hearts. read more

Wow! All I can say is that the care I received from Heather during my pregnancy was amazing. She was there for me every step of the way. From the terrible morning sickness in early pregnancy through my struggle with anemia and low back pain, to helping me make informed decisions and ultimately through the most powerful and amazing experience of giving birth. She was my rock when I needed strength and yet always held such a calm and nurturing presence. She supported not just me, but my entire family through this process and I will be forever grateful. Heather, you are my birth angel! read more