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 was my midwife for the birth of my first child. I decided to switch to home birth halfway…read morethrough my pregnancy because of a past traumatic hospitalization; I hoped that being at home would prevent any unnecessary anxiety and fear during the delivery. I had initially been worried about the expense of a home birth because my insurance explicitly excludes them and we needed to pay out of pocket. It was a stretch for us, but we were able to make it work, and looking back on it all, it is literally the best money we've ever spent. We met with a few midwives in town and ultimately felt most at ease with Kelly. She is extremely competent and confident in her knowledge and skills, but also showed that she knows when to seek additional support or outside help. I trusted that I could relax and she would keep me safe and take action if necessary. Kelly guided me through pregnancy, birth, and breastfeeding complications later on, with the utmost grace, skill and respect. She answered any and all questions and was always up to date on the latest research and recommendations. She listened to my fears and made sure I was mentally prepared for the possibility of a hospital transfer. She is dedicated to the home birth community in Santa Cruz and even reached out to offer educational feedback to another local physician who expressed skepticism and negativity toward my decision to pursue a home birth. Kelly was a steady guide throughout my delivery and struck a balance between assisting when it was necessary and otherwise hanging back to allow me to trust my own body and the birth process. I experienced significant complications with breastfeeding in the days following the birth and Kelly held my hand through this too. She made sure we were connected to the necessary resources and a network of incredible mothers who shared donor milk while we figured out what to do long-term. We are forever grateful to Kelly!

Sunshine and her team are incredible at what they do, truly gifted. My partner and I are practical…read morepeople, I just have an irrational fear of hospitals and so since the day I got pregnant, we knew we were going to try for a homebirth. I looked at a few different options and ended up choosing to work with Sunshine as she came really well spoken for and we both immediately liked her. Sunshine is intuitive and gifted but also very practical and straightforward and oh so experienced. She is open to all possible outcomes and was careful to let us know that there are certain situations where we would have to go to the hospital. Which I really appreciated. The night of Lou's birth was a dream, and still brings me to tears. Sunshine and Cristián were supportive in all the ways we needed. Never thought it could be this beautiful

This post brings a major smile to my face and warms my heart…read more From the first moment my wife and I met Sunshine, we knew we were in the right place. An immediate sense of calm, love and empathy filled the room and our decision was made. Sunshine - you are simply amazing. Thank you for guiding us through this transformative journey which has resulted in our miracle named Jazmyn. Special shoutout to Christiane who also provided gracious wisdom and love throughout this journey. We love you both and thank God for connecting us. We will be seeing you both again

After having our first son in 2016, I promised myself that our next baby would be born at home. In…read morea space that I created, with no one around except for my husband and my tribe of midwives empowering me and showering me with admiration for the bad ass that I am! And my vision came to fruition with SCMW. I was truly able to be present in my body and embrace every minute of my birthing celebration. There were plenty of times where I felt that I couldn't do it and they knew just what to say, or not to say to give me the encouragement to keep pushing--LITERALLY lol! Im already talking about our next baby and how I cannot wait and our sons only two months old! Cannot say thank you enough to SCMW! With our first son I was the typical hospital story of water breaking and then being pumped full of pitocin. It. Was. HORRIBLE!! I diligently searched for a midwife team who would suggest alternative options if it came down to that. Emily, Stephanie and Sharon were like my three guardian angels. Shooting me a txt every now and then asking me about my back pain and suggesting I go see their acupuncturist who is absolutely the best, and severely reduced my back pain. I ran outta prenatals and they had some in the office. I was having some issues with yeast and they had something for that. Since my pregnancy was through pandemic sometimes I used my appointments just to talk and cry and they were totally ok with that. By the end of the 9 months it felt like they were my aunts and sisters. It was such a different feeling and experience than at the hospital, and I would do it all over again in a heartbeat! We love the SC midwives!

Sharon, Emily, Stephanie and their team gave me and my partner amazing support through our first…read morepregnancy and home birth. I am so grateful to them We first met and decided to work with them last August. I had a miscarriage during the CZU Complex fires. Emily and Samaya (Arrow Acupuncture) supported me through the miscarriage with massage, acupuncture & herbs and I got pregnant again right away in September. My partner and I loved our visits with the midwives. They always started by asking what questions we had. We felt totally comfortable asking them anything that came to mind from logistics to spiritual and emotional questions. We really wanted my partner to see the ultrasound and they recommended an awesome tech in Los Gatos (Scan Babies) where he and my mom & dad got to see our little guy with me. I gave birth at home and the birth was amazing! I felt as prepared as I could have been for my first birth. We had the support of a doula (Gretchen Retka) for the early stages of labor, so Emily and the rest of the team arrived closer to the end of labor. After the birth the care was wonderful. I had a tear that Sharon stitched right on my bed. Our son was born with Tachypnea and the midwives recommended we transfer to the NICU at Dominican. As sad as we were to leave the house and go to the hospital, the transfer was very efficient and professional. The midwives gave us great support through the hospital stay and once we returned home. I love that they host gatherings for their clients at the park so we can get to know each other and get to see the babies grow. I wholeheartedly recommend this amazing team!

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 :)

Working with Natasha was a licensing experience. She shepherded me into motherhood and held my hand…read morethrough prenatal, labor, birth, and the first 3 months of our daughters life so beautifully. Natasha is kind and compassionate, and has a wealth of knowledge about everything both and baby related. Not to mention she was recommended by my doctors and had successfully helped to deliver over 1,300 babies in her 20 year + career. Everyone at Sutter knew Natasha and was relieved to learn that she was in out birthing team. She was the perfect liaison between the hospital staff, doctors, my husband and I. If you're looking for a doula - look no further (trust me). She's the best there is.

If you are looking for someone to support you during pregnancy, birth, and the postpartum period…read moreyou definitely need to meet with Natasha. She was helpful and informative to first time parents, not only about the birthing process but also what may come unexpectedly during birth. The truthfulness and honesty Natasha provided helped prepare my husband and I for the reality of the birthing process. Not only was she an advocate for me during my birth but she also helped me have a healthy and successful birth. After my baby was born, Natasha was available for us 24/7 and answered all our questions immediately. I could have never have had such a wonderful birth experience without Natasha. I will absolutely be working with her again in the future.

Madrone was our doula for a hospital birth. Hiring Madrone was one of the best decisions I made and…read moreI can't imagine what the birth would have been like without them! Their experience and knowledge was so valuable throughout the whole process. They were really supportive of what I wanted and very caring. They helped my husband so he could support me in a great way. Because they were so experienced and supportive, during labor they knew how to guide me through, suggesting different pain management strategies, getting me through each contraction, helping me decide when to get an epidural, helping through tough moments, and knowing when and how to communicate with the medical team. They were able to get my son to latch for the first time once he was born. I didn't know how much I needed Madrone to help me through until labor ramped up. Having them there really helped me cope well. I really feel so lucky that we were able to have such an amazing person with us for such a big moment for our family.

Madrone was my monitrice with my second child and it was an amazing experience! I wanted a…read moremonitirice to be able to confidently stay home as long as possible (I was having a hospital birth). Though my labor ended up being very short (less than 2 hours from start to finish), I did end up using the monitrice aspect of services before labor. My doctor did not due membrane stripping or any other sort of methods to get labor started, only induction. I had negative experiences with pitocin with my first and didn't want to use it again so I had Madrone do the membrane sweep. My membrane sweep I got with my first was painful and with Madrone it was not at all. They were also incredibly helpful with getting my baby to go head down by coming to our house and going through "spinning baby" exercises/stretches. Madrone is warm, personable, and non-a judgmental. They are a great listener and I felt very supported. They have so much knowledge and experience. For me, monitrice was the perfect option; having incredible doula support while being able to utilize Madrone's midwifery qualifications as well. Highly recommend!!

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.

Thank you, Sunshine, for giving us the most pleasant experience throughout our pregnancy journey…read more I really enjoyed each appointment/meeting we had. She created an atmosphere of warmth, calm, support, and safety. She allowed me to have the birth I hoped for by educating me, guiding me, and giving me the options and agency to choose the birth we wanted. Never once did I feel pushed, judged, undermined, or neglected. Sunshine has such a kind heart and a listening ear, and knew exactly how to make me feel so empowered and secure during my pregnancy and birth experience. She defused all the worries I had, and gave both my husband and I the confidence that I could have the natural birth I was seeking, and in the beauty of our home. I felt so safe having her by my side. I'm truly grateful that you were our midwife, the captain of both the pregnancy and the birth. Thank you for taking care of me, as well as taking care of my husband and our baby during and after the pregnancy. I hope every woman has the opportunity to receive the same care, love, and attention that I received from Sunshine! Thank you Sunshine for giving me this amazing experience. It has planted a seed within me that maybe I'd like to experience another birth... Hahaha..

Yes, you should birth at home if you're low-risk and yes, you should do it with Sunshine (and…read moreChristiane) by your side. I have the good fortune of having experienced both - a hospital birth and a home birth so I can confidently say that if you have a healthy pregnancy with the right support and care, there's absolutely no need for you to be in a hospital environment. All you really need is a strong body and mind. In fact, deciding to go to a hospital at the cusp of my first baby almost ready to come out, only delayed things to a point where I pushed for 7 hours. That story for another day. This is about Sunshine. There is something about her presence that is reassuring from the word go. She was there in the critical moments of a hard labour with my first birth, listening to my baby's heartbeat, holding my hand, and lovingly talking to my baby, asking him if he was ready to meet us. With my second baby, it took some time for us to fight years of conditioning -- "people like me don't give birth at home" - and get to a place where we felt confident with the decision. It would not have been possible without Sunshine answering the million questions we had - she did it patiently and thoroughly. Hearing about her experience in managing any complications during birth, knowing when something needs more attention (her own father was a nurse in the emergency room), and most importantly, the genuine love and concern she showed for me and my husband while listening to all that we had to say about the first hospital birth, convinced us that with Sunshine, we'd get the birth we'd dreamt of with our second baby. A rock. A solid pillar of strength. Sunshine's baby-first approach to birth is her biggest strength. It's all a birthing mother wants. For her perfect baby, to make a perfect entry, and for someone like Sunshine to guide her through it. I miss those prenatal visits where Sunshine would lean over and whisper to my baby in my tummy. I think even my baby kicked back in excitement hearing her sweet and gentle voice! During the actual birth, Sunshine and Christiane went above and beyond to make me comfortable. With them around - it felt like I could power through anything. Christiane knew exactly when to put a bag of ice on my lower back. It helped turn my baby. Sunshine knew what position was working best to help me push better. I still remember going through several moments of "I can't do this, please take me to the hospital" during the final stage of pushing, and looking up to see that peaceful and almost unaffected (comes from experience) expression on Sunshine's face while she reminded me what my goal was and how I was made to do what I was doing. You need just that. She was also instrumental in taking some key steps to ensure I don't tear (I didn't!) I think of Sunshine as an angel who came into our lives for the birth of both our babies, reminding us that birth goes perfectly when it is undisturbed and that for everything else, she's going to be there. Sunshine's years and years of experience watching and bringing babies into this world shine through at every prenatal visit, during birth and after. She's also the best person to do a newborn screening test with - you don't want cold clinical hospital staff poking your few-hours-old tiny human. My second baby didn't even wince when Sunshine did the test for him. She's truly special and you would be lucky if she's your midwife - she will be with you, every step of the way, on your beautiful journey into parenthood.

Marea, me and bebe Feliz…read more Talk about a bad ass midwife! Marea and family were by my side through my whole birth of my second son. We shared the space, meals, laugher and my birth. She brought so much love, patience and safety to my birth team. Forever grateful

I peed on that stick a few days after my birthday last December and found out I was pregnant. I…read moredrug my feet making my first prenatal appointment but ultimately gave Alta Bates a call and made an appointment. Everyone I saw there was nice but it just wasn't the experience I wanted. I had read too many articles about rigid doctors who pushed interventions. After talking to my husband, we made the decision to attempt a home birth. We interviewed Marea and instantly I knew that she was the one! I honestly have no idea how I would have survived pregnancy and birth without Marea's guidance. Her prenatal care was amazing and she really helped put me at ease for the whole pushing a human out of my nether regions thing. She is very kind, really listens to what you're saying, and genuinely cares for her patients! I even texted her mundane questions and she always responded with a helpful answer! I didn't feel like just another statistic like I do at "regular" clinics/hospitals. When spawn decided it wanted to vacate my uterus she was with me each step of the way. She gave me a call when labor started to see how I was doing and came over once labor progressed. Eventually spawn made her way into the real world and Marea took care of me and spawn beautifully! The postpartum visits were super helpful and I really appreciated having someone help me through the recovery phase (which was way harder than I thought). My last postpartum visit was today and although I was happy that I am healing well I was quite sad to say goodbye to Marea! If my husband and I decide to further procreate, Marea will be the first person I call!