We had the most wonderful experience with Rainy City. Meghan and Sada were both excellent midwives…read moreand provide world class care. Most of our appointments were with Meghan and she was on call when I went into labor. She was a wonderful coach through the entire process and the postpartum care. I felt safe all the way through. We had our baby at home and everything was really smooth. They provide you with all the tools you will need to prepare you for a comfortable home birth (we did a water birth - highly recommend). Don't worry about what you need to think of, they have it all laid out and ready for you. They give detailed information and resources and have no trouble answering questions and easing any anxiety. This was our first baby and if we ever do it again I would do it this way in a heartbeat with them as or providers. I can't say enough good things about our experience. Meghan felt like my guardian, I don't know how else to explain that she is a master midwite.

Rainy City provided excellent care for both of my pregnancies and deliveries. Meghan and Dr. Sada…read moremade me feel empowered in every decision. They explained my options at every turn and helped me determine what was best for me, without trying to convince me one way or another. I always felt seen and heard by them. They are such strong women, and showed their confidence and professionalism with every step of my journey. I would highly recommend them to anyone considering midwifery care.

We felt lucky to have Barbara with us for our second baby in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic…read more Once again, my labor and delivery was a dream experience. With Barbara there, it felt calm and focused. Leading up to labor, I kept Barbara updated with my symptoms and she came by a few times to measure my dilation and give me her experienced perspective each time. On the day my contractions started in earnest, she came over and made the quick decision to head over to the hospital immediately because I was progressing quickly. Thank goodness she did, because our boy arrived just 2 hours after we arrived at the hospital! We are so thankful to have had Barbara with us both times, and I credit her for my positive experience both times. Without her there, I am sure I would have been anxious with endless possibilities of outcomes racing through my mind. She was our sounding board and we fully trusted her to guide us through the experience, which allowed us to enjoy the moment without worries.

I cannot recommend Barbara enough!!! She was an essential part of my birth team and I'm confident…read morethat I wouldn't have had a successful unmedicated birth without her. From the moment we started working with Barbara, she took the time to truly get to know us, my goals, and concerns regarding labor. She provided thoughtful reassurance and guidance that was clearly backed by years of experience as both a midwife and doula. She never pushed a particular approach but instead empowered me with information and support so I could make the best decisions for myself. During labor, Barbara's presence made a huge difference. Her coaching helped me manage pain and stay focused. Her experience allowed me to try various labor positions that I believe aided to a more efficient birth. She also advocated for me when I was faced with tough decisions, which is already hard enough to navigate when you're in labor! Not only did she support me, but she was also an incredible resource for my husband. She provided him with the confidence and guidance to be a present and helpful partner. We both felt she added so much value to the experience. Another major plus is that Barbara has a strong relationship with the providers at NW Women's Healthcare. They clearly enjoy working with her and respect her. During the labor, I felt that she worked well with Dr Jiao and the nursing staff; it truly felt like a cohesive team that was focused on me having a successful birth. On top of all that, Barbara is just genuinely an awesome person! She is easy to talk to, kind, and calming, yet also fun and engaging. We had many good laughs together. If you're looking for an all around amazing doula who is knowledgeable, supportive, and truly makes a difference, Barbara is the one!

So this is going to be long, but after 4 months I feel like I need to get this off my chest…read more I started my pregnancy journey with the Polyclinic after conceiving twins with the help of IVF. It was a long and arduous journey, but so worth it now that I get to hold my little boys. I dreamt of a natural twin birth and joined a support group of other twin mamas who had come before me. Dr. Norland and I talked at length about my birth plan... She was sometimes resistant to my goals but I knew my rights as a birthing mama and hoped I would be supported at the hospital. She continued to tell me to trust her, that she had the best interest of me and my babies in mind. Fast forward to my 38th week... I left the doctors office after an appointment and drove home. Halfway there I felt a tearing pain on my right side and had to pull over the pain was so intense. I became excited thinking I was in back labor and continued home to labor there and time the contractions. When I got home my mom called and we tried to time the contractions together but there was no rhyme or reason to my pain, so she came over and we called the doctor, she instructed us to come in. By the time I got there I was fainting and vomiting and in searing pain. They could tell that I was not having contractions and sent us to the hospital. Once at the hospital things took a turn for the worse. We arrived in the afternoon and they ran test after test on my kidneys and gall bladder while I was thrashing around in pain. At one point, after a few hours and finding nothing, my husband heard a nurse ask if it was all in my head. By midnight the doctor instructed me to try and get some sleep. She said that she was sure I had a kidney stone (even though every test had come back negative) and we would test again in the morning. I laid down, but had this nagging feeling that something wasn't right. They hadn't found anything wrong with me... There had to be something wrong with the babies. I asked the nurse to get the doctor and demanded a c-section right then and there. They prepped me and we were in the ER within 30 minutes. Just after beginning the procedure the doctor looked at my husband and I and said so calmly, "it's really good that we're doing this... Baby A has an abrupted placenta. If we would have waited until morning he could have been dead." At the time I was so relieved to no longer be in pain and was so excited to meet my little ones that I didn't think twice about the comment. It has taken me months to process everything that happened and to come to terms with it all. I heard baby A (Bodhi) cry once before he stopped. I looked over and I saw tubes and blood as they tried to get all of the blood he had swallowed out of his lungs. My husband and I kept asking what was wrong as they wheeled him off to the NICU. Baby B (River) was healthy and I was able to hold him. Bodhi was brought back to me within a few hours. It was later, when I was clear headed and able to put the pieces together that I realized that incompetent doctors almost killed my son. I had been with those doctors since noon that day. Never once did anyone mention the words "abrupted placenta" as a possibility. If someone would have told me that there was the slightest chance that my babies lives were in danger... We would have gotten them out right there and then. My babies were almost 8 pounds each and I had reached 38 weeks. There was no reason to try and keep them in longer. When asked later why it wasn't mentioned to us, the doctor became incredibly defensive and couldn't even own up to the mistake that had been made. I have never felt more fearful of doctors than I do now. The woman who asked me to trust her with mine and my babies lives made an agregious error and showed absolutely no remorse. I am writing this in the hopes that other mamas will read it and know to trust their mama instinct. These doctors (mine in particular) act as though they know everything, but you know your body... Trust it!

I had a terrible experience with this doctor. She came in unprepared, made a sarcastic remark and…read morethen left for about 20 minutes. When she came back, she was again hostile, and only did a cursory exam, and let out a deep sigh when I asked her to actually do a full exam and treat me for the issue I came in about. I had scheduled my appointment through their MyChart tool, and made it very clear why I was there, but she claimed that she never looks at that, even though I think the Polyclinic doctors are supposed to monitor patient communications through it. A couple of times during the appointment I brought up the medication that I was currently on (which she had prescribed about a year ago) and asked her how it was pronounced. She kept deflecting the question and finally admitted that she didn't know how it was pronounced. At the end, she told me she would follow up with me in a few days, but of course she never did. Her demeanor was so abrasive that I really wish I had just gotten up and walked out. Probably the worst experience I have ever had with a doctor.

Autumn is a fantastic Doula! I am so thankful that I was able to have Autumn during my labor. She…read morewas extremely helpful with pain management and came with a bag full of goodies to aid in my comfort. She was very helpful in coaching my husband and provided an extra set of hands so he could shower and make sure we had everything we needed before leaving our place. She arrived at our apartment at nearly 2am and stayed with us for at least 24 hours! We had planned an out of hospital birth, but after a very long labor at home and at the birth center, my midwives transferred me to UW. Postpartum home visits are just as helpful, providing breastfeeding and pumping advice, she will even show you how to baby wrap and answer any questions you have. Before I decided to hire a Doula for my birth, I was unsure if I would "need one." My midwife had initially recommended that I have one, especially for first time births. I then spoke to a few people who had used a Doula, and only heard positives! No one ever says "I wish I didn't have my Doula!" Now I tell everyone "you need a Doula!"

Autumn is an awesome doula!!! We had a great experience with Seattle Doula Partners and would…read moreabsolutely hire them again. We interviewed 3-4 doulas and the team at Seattle Doula Partners stood out the best to us. They were not pushy and their experience and calmness in communicating to us through facts and information really appealed to us. The initial conversations before the birth were very helpful. I was very apprehensive about the birth and talking with them to help uncover my and my husband's anxieties about the birth and it really helped prepare us emotionally. In many ways I felt like it was a therapy session! When I was hospitalized at 32 weeks, Autumn checked in on me consistently to make sure we were doing okay which felt very reassuring. Finally when the day came, we let Autumn know we were on the way to the hospital at about 11pm and she arrived just after I settled down in the L&D room which was super speedy! She immediately attended to both mine and my husband's needs, answering any questions we had. One of the most valuable things that Autumn did was that before anything that happened, e.g. getting my epidural or pushing, Autumn talked through in detail what to expect and this helped prepare us well emotionally and in many ways, made me less fearful. She was always right by our sides coaching us on what to do in a gentle and reassuring way. She wasn't intrusive and allowed me and my husband to have our own time. Through the pattern of my contractions, the nurse hypothesized that my baby was face up. Autumn had a ton of suggestions on how to resolve this and coached the nurse to getting me in the right positions. By then, my lower half was pretty weak from the epidural and every time the nurse had to shift me, Autumn was always there to lend a helping hand. At about 2am, all of us went to rest and my husband was exhausted. The IV machine kept beeping and Autumn always promptly stood up and turned it off so that we could all rest. She was close by and helped me with every small little thing I needed so my husband could rest. Autumn coached me through the entire 2 hours of pushing and holding my legs up. She was very encouraging and her calming and reassuring words gave me a ton of confidence. Once the baby was out, she stepped back, got one of our phones and took a bunch of pictures that I really treasure today! Post birth, I had a lot of difficult breastfeeding and Autumn shifted her schedule so she could come and visit me soon after that. She helped me with the latch and gave me a bunch of ideas to help increase my supply. 3 months on and I still think about how lucky we were to have Autumn by our side! Thank you so much for your hard work, Autumn!!

It's time for an update…read more I've lowered my rating for this office and doctor from 5 down to a 2 after having out-patient surgery. Her Medical Assistant Courtney is very down to earth, caring and well educated about the field of OB/GYN. I will start by saying my medical history is complex and not your everyday run of the mill issues seen frequently in an early 30's female. One big reason for my lowered rating is the lack of communication. I was told to return in 4 weeks for a post-op appt by Dr. Koala. It was only after I had a few post-op "issues" that made me return to her office prior to my 4 week appointment that I was told I had stitches in my incision that needed to be removed. Had I not returned within days after my surgery I'm not sure what would have happened.. I guess I was 'lucky" to have post-op complications. I have no intention of returning to this office. In fact I cancelled my 4 week post-op visit because I felt there was no use in spending the parking fees for the care I got here.

Dr. Koala saved my son's life during delivery due to her swift/skilled response. From my…read moreexperience, she is a very skilled ob, and with something as risky and high stakes as childbirth, this is 100% what you need. I will always be indebted to her.

I cannot say enough good things about Cheryl. She is incredible and I hope she'll be my doula for…read moreall my future births. BACKGROUND on me/us. We decided when the pandemic hit that we wouldn't let it stop us from starting a family. I got pregnant in April of 2020, and in September, we moved from San Francisco to Seattle. Since this was my first, I wasn't sure what I was looking for. I visited Swedish First Hill thinking I might want a hospital birth, and interviewed three midwives and several (six, to be exact) doulas. When I met Cheryl, I knew I had found "the one." She was also the only person I spoke w/ that made me genuinely feel EXCITED about giving birth. PRE. Not only did Cheryl offer to meet me throughout my third trimester to do the stairs or go for walks, but she also hosts weekly prenatal yoga classes (over Zoom), which I'll be honest, were the *only* times I did yoga during my pregnancy. BIRTH. On the birth day, Cheryl was phenomenal. She comforted me not only w/ her words, but also her hands when I was laboring. She rubbed my back or my leg, which I later found out is not the standard for birth doulas, and suggested different positions for me as things progressed. She was so good about feeding me and making sure I was staying hydrated, too. (As an endurance athlete, I know for a fact I would have bonked had she not force fed me a banana, honey, and electrolytes.) She made me feel strong and safe throughout my entire labor. POST. After baby was born, Cheryl took such good care of my partner and me. She fed us, taught us how to swaddle baby, helped me through mastitis, and became someone we consider to be family. She encapsulated my placenta after making placenta art, too. Her intuition about what we needed was so spot on, it truly is a gift. I birthed a 9lb1oz baby w/o drugs or stitches at home, and I thank Cheryl (and my midwives) for that. We adore Cheryl and anyone would be lucky to have her.

As a first time mom, I was clueless about the labor and delivery process. As I was exposed to…read morevarious kinds of births, I came across the idea of having a birth doula to help both my husband and I through the process. Cheryl was everything we had hoped for and more. We connected with her immediately. I would reach out to her regularly during my pregnancy with questions and concerns, and she was very quick to respond and ease my nerves. We took a few prenatal classes with her which helped us understand labor and delivery better. I wanted to make sure my husband and I were also well versed with the possible interventions that could take place at a hospital birth. Cheryl did a great job of teaching us what the alternative options were in case things didn't go as planned. On the day of, Cheryl helped me labor at home and the hospital, which is exactly what I had hoped for. I wanted to labor at home for as long as possible before heading to the hospital, and I felt very secure knowing that Cheryl would know when is the best time. The majority of my labor was pretty intense back labor and Cheryl knew exactly what to do to help me get through the contractions. Our experience with the labor and delivery would never have been the same without Cheryl. I had an amazing experience thanks to her faith and support. After the birth, Cheryl came to our home a few times to check on us and help me breastfeed as well. Being with Cheryl on this journey felt like being with our family! It's been almost a year and a half since our daughters birth and we still keep in touch with her and enjoy speaking to her about parenthood! Cheryl was a Godsend, and we could not have imagined our daughters birth without her!

I found my doula, Shelia Kandeler, via a friend's referral rather than the Swedish Hospital Doula…read moreServices, but the Swedish Hospital Doula program made things incredibly easy administratively. I keep telling people that doulas aren't just for people who want a natural childbirth! It's a huge benefit for any laboring mother-to-be to have an experienced person on hand whose only role is to provide emotional support and comfort. In childbirth classes, Dad is sometimes coached to play that role, but the reality is that a first-time father isn't going to have any better idea what to expect than the mother. Birth plans can easily go awry, and an experienced doula can be a great help in getting the mother back into a a calm emotional state regardless of whether the mother wishes for as little intervention as possible or all the painkillers in the book. The presence of a doula has been shown in studies to reduce the odds of C-Section or instrumental delivery. Both the doulas I've had also provide lactation support after the baby is born. The fact that Swedish respects the role of the doula says volumes about the level of care they provide for expectant parents.

Laurie Levy is the best! We interviewed a couple of doulas who were very good, but we clicked with…read moreLaurie right away and were very excited to partner with her for the birth of our first child. Laurie met with us twice before the birth to go over questions and our thoughts on how we wanted everything to go. When I found our I was going to be induced, I thought I might not need her assistance as much - I was completely wrong! She was the greatest support, especially during the last 4 hours of hard labor. I ended up having complications during the actual birth and I am so glad that Laurie was by my side. The room was chaotic with lots of nurses and doctors and having someone I knew and trusted next to me was a life saver. She kept me calm and focused, and made a scary situation much less so. I'm so thankful we found Laurie through Swedish and hired her as our doula - I highly recommend her!

Took the Birthing from Within class with Amity and it was EVERYTHING. Loved, loved, loved it, would…read morerecommend. We did it fairly late in our pregnancy, so much so that my wife gave birth before the last class. We loved it so much, we brought our two-day old to class to say hi. Amity is not just a great teacher of birthing topics, but simply a great teacher. She is not afraid to tailor the material to the needs of class, and she seems to perfectly read the energy in a room. Many times, something unexpectedly poignant would happen, and she would somehow accentuate it by pausing, or speaking quietly, or maybe with magic(?). I may not be able to do her justice with my description, but she is a great teacher. We did not hire Amity as our doula, mostly because we had already done that by the time we found these classes. I have no doubt she would be great. She graciously welcomed our doula to class (she attended one) and was amazingly supportive to her, as well! Compared to classes at Swedish, these were so much more personal and informative. I took several classes at Swedish, and they are informative (at best), but I am so glad we went with Thresholds for our birthing education. It was not only super informative but also brought us closer together as a couple. We were as prepared as we could reasonably feel, going into a 60+ hour labor(!). Finally, I will say that after the birth, we had some difficulty with breastfeeding and jaw issues. We ended up seeing several, amazing care providers who we found through a referral network that started with Amity. She referred us to a craniosacral therapist who referred us to the lactation consultant who referred us to (etc, etc). There is this great network of birth/newborn specialists in Seattle and Amity was our gateway into that!

Cannot say enough good things about Thresholds and Amity. If you're looking for a more personalized…read moreapproach within a birthing class this is your place. Amity has so much experience and it shows. She truly cares about helping to demystify the birthing experience and after working with her, I felt less fearful and more empowered going into birth. Highly recommend, and would absolutely work with Amity again!