The care I received prenatally, postnatally and randomly when I've had emergencies from Shiela &…read moreHannah was/is extraordinary. Every visit leading up to my birth was filled with introspection opportunities, support, friendly conversation, holistic (body/mind/spirit) exercises, etc. I looked forward to each and every visit with them. All the appointments after birth were even MORE IMPORTANT (I needed help with swelling, hemorrhaging, finding a comfortable position to co-sleep with baby, pregnancy Carpal Tunnel, etc). They also referred me to INCREDIBLE THERAPISTS (acupuncture, massage, etc). Long after my care was over with them I would still reach out, in emergency cases, and they were always swift & so generous with help/advice and support. They are who I turn to when I need expert advice. I am eternally grateful to have them as my support team.

I was debating doing a home birth or birthing center. I interviewed a few different lovely people…read morewho I knew were perfectly capable of delivering my baby but there wasn't that magic. Then my doula recommended Sheila and everything clicked. My husband and I went to go meet her in her in her Yurt and just talked for a little over an hour. She was totally open and listened to us. Very non judgmental. I am a bit of a control freak and planner. Letting go and putting so much trust in someone else isn't easy for me, but my birth team made the experience wonderful. Other than not having to drive to the hospital while having contractions, the best part of the home birth for me was getting to recover in bed and have Sheila come to you for postpartum checkups. When I first learned I would basically be in bed recovering for a couple of weeks I didn't think I could be cooped up that long. After having the baby there was nothing better than laying in bed with him. Having her come to you and not having to get you and the baby dressed and deal with car seats and doctors offices is so wonderful. It's also amazing to have the breastfeeding/lactation support. For something that is seemingly so natural it can be pretty difficult. When we have our next baby Sheila will be one of our first phone calls.

Paula was inattentive during checkups, responding to texts, only looking up when her apprentice,…read moreJamie, asked a question. We discovered my baby was breech and, with an OB, came up with a plan for spinning baby and what to do if he didn't spin. Two days later, I went into labor. My husband updated Paula on how strong & close together my contractions were, and she said to call her back in an hour, nothing about heading to the birth center 40 minutes away. We trusted her and stayed put. She had no sense of urgency until 15 minutes later when my husband told her my water broke. My breech baby was born in an unsafe environment and needed to be revived by paramedics. We were transported to a nearby hospital separately, and I didn't see my baby until he was 3 hours old. Paula showed up at the hospital and asked my mother to watch her daughter. Almost a year later, in front of her former partner Fawn, Paula claimed that Jamie was the primary for my care and birth. This was a surprise to my husband and me. Jamie didn't know I was in labor until after my water broke as my husband was solely communicating with Paula. My baby spent time in the NICU hooked up to all matter of wires. He was in a cooling blanket for his first 3 days, during which I could only hold him for one hour a day, but not close. He suffered seizures and is still attending High Risk Infant doctors appointments over 18 months later. I'm still coming to terms with my traumatic birth and grieving the birth I wanted. When we chose Paula, there was a couple in the birthing room with their new baby. Paula said they lived 40 minutes away, but she had told them to come early. I loved that and felt we were in good hands, that we would be provided the same care. Instead, we paid thousands and were told to call her back in an hour.

Oh boy ;) where do we even start? We are beyond blessed to have found Paula as our Midwive, we…read morealways knew we wanted a home birth but knew very little about it. My wife hated the thought of going to a hospital, so we went searching and came up on "The Midwives". The whole process during pregnancy, including checkups, and all were so pleasant, Paula was very helpful and guided us on anything we had questions about. We felt very very comfortable working with her. After so many months our baby boy was finally born. It all happened exactly like we wanted it, AT HOME! It quite literally wouldn't have been possible without her. God-willing we have more babies, Paula is our go-to for that!

Catalina assisted me in my first pregnancy/birth. From day 1, I loved her calm spirit and knew it…read morewould be essential during my home water birth. During the whole pregnancy she always made me feel like I had choice and was not required to do anything I didn't feel comfortable doing. The home water birth went so smoothly and she allowed me to take the reigns and use her for any needed support. She always made me feel comfortable and in control (so important as a FTM) and I would highly recommend her!

Catalina is as good as it gets. She was a part of our birth team as we welcomed our first baby last…read moreOctober. She has an incredible gift to meet you where you're at. Her calming yet strong energy gave me so much ease as I prepared to bring my baby into the world. She created a space that was safe, trusting and perfect for my pregnancy. Then came the birth. She walked me through the most challenging few hours of my life. I can't imagine the experience without her. She will absolutely be present if/when we have another baby. She is a 10!

I was cared for by this extraordinary group of women from 10 weeks gestation - 6 weeks postpartum…read morefor my second pregnancy. I can truly say that they are now part of my extended family. This experience was truly unlike any other and we would do again without hesitation If we were to have any more babies in the future! My first birth was in the hospital and while I still managed to have an unmedicated natural birth, the experience was entirely different from start to finish. At Bloom you are cared for by all of the wonderful midwives who make you feel like family. This is one of the only healthcare experiences where I absolutely did not mind seeing a different provider at each visit (there are only 3 midwives) but they are each equally amazing and each bring such valuable experience and perspective. They are always willing to make themselves available and It was so comforting to be able to call or text with any questions or concerns I had. Its truly a unique experience now a days to be able to have a completely relaxed and unrushed prenatal appointment in a peaceful environment, compared to the typical medical office experience where you are often treated impersonally and rushed out with only 10-15 minutes of your providers time (my past Experience at least). On more than one occasion Heidi, Kristi, and Adri would spend over an hour talking with me to address anything I wanted to talk about. They are incredible humans and it honestly felt more like hanging out with your best girlfriends where you can feel safe to open up about anything! And ofcourse they are all highly experienced and knowledgeable- never once did I have concern that if things were to go south during my birth that they wouldn't be able to recognize it immediately and act accordingly. Heidi and Adri along with Kassie their student midwife were the ones who attended the birth of my daughter and their presence was so calming throughout the whole process. They respected my wishes and went above and beyond to support me and my partner at all the right moments when we needed them, without interfering in OUR process. Their encouragement and many empowering discussions we had about trusting your instincts leading up to my birth gave me the confidence to follow my intuition, trust my body, and just relinquish control- which in the end was key. No matter how many times you birth there is always some level of anxiety and nerves leading up and I can truly say that the moment we set foot inside Bloom while I was in active labor I felt all the fear instantly Melt away and I was ready (and Excited!) to meet my baby. The familiarity of the space (after attending every appointment there in the same building) and the rapport you build with these women makes all the difference when you are about to give birth- the most raw and open you will ever be both physically and emotionally. I feel so grateful to have had such an amazing experience. I prayed and envisioned a peaceful waterbirth surrounded by people who care for me and that that is exactly what they helped bring to fruition. We prepared, birthed and recovered all under one roof in the most beautiful suite that feels more like someone's beautiful home in the woods or a lovely hotel suite, and these women even came to my home for several postpartum appointments to meet me in my most vulnerable moments. All I can say is-What a gift. If you are on the fence about where to birth I can assure you it was worth it in all respects and I wish I could do it again!

Heidi and her team of midwives at Bloom literally changed my life. I didn't know what I needed as…read morethis baby was my first, and I was on the fence at first. However, I NEEDED the support I got -- from hour-long prenatal visits that truly encompass the whole family's values to the birth itself, these women were a godsend to our family. I unfortunately had a complicated birth, and ended up going to the hospital. Having the midwives there with us made the experience SO MUCH less scary. I can't even begin to explain how priceless their presence in the hospital was -- at 3am nonetheless! The lactation support was also key, and got us set up to have a very healthy breastfeeding routine. However, the most important thing that I didn't know I'd need was the postpartum support. You guys, having a baby is WILD. You think about the pregnancy and the birth, but nobody really prepares you for what comes next. I was able to call the midwives and get help after our baby was born, with everything from sleeping arrangements with a newborn to what to do when he got a cold at 3 weeks old. You just don't get this level of care anywhere else. Please consider this option for your family -- it's worth it!

I wish I found Amber earlier in my pregnancy . I wasn't sure if I actually wanted a doula at first,…read morebut looking back, hiring Amber was one of the best decisions we made--she is worth her weight in gold. She supported us through pregnancy, birth, and postpartum, and I'm so grateful we had her by our side. Amber helped me have the empowered, unmedicated birth I had hoped for. She respected and supported my decisions, helped translate what the doctors were saying, and brought a calming, compassionate energy that made me feel safe and confident in a medical setting. I especially appreciated how she also supported my husband--coaching him, guiding him, and giving him space to take breaks during labor, which made the experience better for both of us. One thing I didn't expect was how helpful the postpartum visits would be, but they ended up being incredibly valuable. Having someone to check in with, ask questions, and just talk through the ups and downs of new parenthood was such a gift. My husband was also unsure if we needed a doula, and now he agrees--it was worth it. If you're on the fence, trust that Amber is truly amazing, and you won't regret bringing her into your birth journey. If you're looking for a grounded, knowledgeable, and deeply caring doula, I can't recommend her highly enough.

It was tremendously helpful to have Amber during the post partum period. It was such a life saver…read moreafter my first pregnancy so I decided to hire her again! And honest to God I have no idea how I would have recovered without her help. Her food is deeply nourishing and delicious with so many new flavors and she customized her dishes according to what my body was ready for. Her soothing ahbyanga massage was perfect for the post partum time. It relaxed my nervous system and and left me feeling well taken cared of. I would absolutely recommend her as an essential piece in the healing process after child birth.

What a great birth experience with Napa Valley Midwives. Originally we hired Heather as our doula…read morefor 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.

I am not one to write yelp reviews, however, the care we received from Kristina and Heather was so…read moreegregious 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.

Susanna N. came into our lives in August 2022, after discovering I was 25 weeks pregnant in June…read more2022, and my estimate due date was September 22. Did my researched and chose Susanna as my midwife, who has the most experience and is close proximity to my home in Rohnert Park. Along with choosing Susanna as my midwife, I've done extensive researching in "midwifery" and "home birth" to know it was the right choice for me. It allowed me to have my independence and to choose my birthing experience, instead of the invasive methods of a hospital setting. First meeting Susanna, she is warm and welcoming... She meets you in your home, the place you feel most comfortable at. She took me on as a client, even though I was late in the game at 32 weeks pregnant. Susanna first does an introduction interview to see, if homebirthing is what you desire. As a client, Susanna will show you her references, recommendations, the pros, and the few cons of homebirthing. I chose a "waterbirth" for my first birthing experience. Susanna was kind enough to provide the birthing pool, while I gathered the other essential supplies. It was an experience to learn what I needed to make this birth not only possible for me, but allowed me to do this major event at a familiar environment. Susanna made this "homebirth" possible with her inspiration and her dedication to midwifery. She'll make prenatal visits throughout your pregnancy, which examines you and the baby.  Susanna keeps you on track and focused, so you can have an excellent birthing experience. Susanna will come on a whim, if you need help whether it's physical or mental for yourself & your baby. Susanna is part of an old profession, which should continue far into the future. The benefit of having a midwife like Susanna is allowing ALL women to make their own choice to birth at home, a place where it all began. My beautiful  daughter was born September 28, 2022 surrounded by love and family both of fur and flesh, 'twas an experience to behold.. Thank you, Susanna. From yours truly, Jomel J. & Kenneth S.

I hired Susanna for my first birth, because of her extensive experience. I liked her…read morestraightforward advice. She is not judgmental - She provides advice, but leaves the ultimate decision up to you without pressuring you. She is warm and jovial which made me comfortable and relaxed during our visits. I had such a wonderful experience with her and would highly recommend her.

How does anyone birth a child without taking Kelly's class?? In her empowering and grounded way,…read moreKelly would say you don't NEED the class, you will birth your baby no matter what! But let me tell you, I feel infinitely more confident and informed after taking this class, and much calmer about the process. I can't imagine heading into birth without the wisdom I gained. The content is so relevant, evidence-based, unbiased, captivating... the time flew by. Even my husband, who was a little skeptical heading into it, totally had his mind blown and is a much more informed partner about his role in labor. Kelly herself is a godsend. She has a wealth of knowledge on this complex topic and presents it in the most digestible way. She is a brilliant educator, not just a brilliant birth educator. I wish we all had a Kelly to teach us about this when we were children. Five stars does not do this justice. If you're on the fence about whether you need a birth class, just sign up. You, your partner, and your baby will all benefit tremendously.

My partner and I participated in Kelly Gray's holistic childbirth class (5-hour version) about 6…read moreweeks before we delivered our first child. The class was conducted via Zoom due to the pandemic. I am so glad we chose to take this class, and I will always feel like Kelly was an important part of my labor and delivery experience. I'll go into more detail below, but I will briefly say that this course is incredible and I recommend taking it to everyone as an excellent way to prepare for bringing your child into the world. Prior to taking this holistic childbirth course, I had taken the childbirth class through my medical provider. Kelly's course left me feeling prepared, informed, and as ready as one can be in a way that my medical provider's course did not (in fact the Kaiser course only made me feel more anxious). Kelly covers very specific ways that you and your partner can support the childbirth process and explained the stages of labor and what signs indicate you are moving to an new stage. Kelly led discussions among the multiple couples participating in the course and helped us each to identify our own existing resources for managing stress and pain during labor. It was great to connect with other expecting parents since we have been so isolated during the pandemic. I truly feel like this course helped shape a very positive delivery for my child.

I recently had the pleasure of working with Rebecca as a lactation consultant, referred to me by my…read moremidwife. Rebecca made a fantastic first impression with her quick email replies. Maybe she could sense my desperation? Either way, we quickly set up an in-home visit (an invaluable bonus of not having to leave the house with a 2 week old baby). She not only had a very reasonable rate, but even offered a sliding scale. After struggling with breastfeeding in any and every way possible (latching, positioning, etc.), Rebecca's help was extremely welcomed. She was calm, confident, reassuring, caring and knowledgeable. We worked together for over 2 hours at that session, calling it quits at the baby's discretion. Although I don't have a "miracle worker" story about how everything was magically fixed and we lived happily ever after, I do have a happy ending the breastfeeding saga. It took a few more weeks (and a few more tricks) for me to really apply everything that Rebecca taught me in that session, but now my baby and I are pros, and I really do owe much of the success to Rebecca's help. I would highly recommend her services as a lactation consultant to anyone!

Rebecca Plum is an extremely talented, composed, and compassionate Midwife. I worked with Rebecca…read morewhile she was the primary Midwife for my doula clients, and from the very beginning I was impressed with the quality and the individually tailored care that she provided. I was first exposed to her work ethic and birth philosophy during our homebirth -team meeting. This is a time for everyone who is planning on attending the birth to gather and discuss the women's birth vision, discuss roles and prepare for various scenarios that might unfold. Rebecca smoothly moderated the session so that everyone knew what was expected of them which allowed us to all see ourselves as a team working to provide this couple with the love, respect and care that they deserved. What really stood out to me was Rebecca's deeply intuitive nature and her ability to address under currents and subtle signals, bring them into the conversation and positively harness all the unknowns and natural anxieties that can accompany birth. While being ever professional and remarkably prepared, she sparked an excitement in the air and made it down right fun. During the birth Rebecca continued to be the ever calm, smooth and joyful presence. As a doula, I have been a part of many birth teams and seen many provider's styles. Rebecca's style is at the core about trusting the birthing woman, the natural birth process, and giving the woman space to trust herself. She imbued the birth space with laughter and a true love for her work and the family that she served. It was contagious. Knowledge, experience, choice, and laughter- not a bad combination for a midwife!