Pregnancy can be a difficult and stressful time but it makes all the difference when you're cared for by an incredible, knowledgable, intelligent, and caring midwife. Home birth is so natural but it is imperative that you have a trained guide to walk with you beginning to end. Look no further than Tel and Taproot Midwifery. I was adamant that I wanted a home birth but my husband was a bit skeptical due to lack of exposure, until we began our prenatal care with Tel. Tel made us both feel immediately at ease and fully trusting in them to provide the best care possible and when it came time to welcome our baby into the world, Tel was the best person to do that with. I always felt heard and my concerns were always taken seriously. I also learned so much about my baby's development along the way. My entire pregnancy journey was made better by Tel and the Taproot staff. If you are interested in a home birth then I can't recommend Taproot Midwifery enough. read more

In the same way that beer makes you feel the way you ought to without a beer, Tel and Amy make pregnancy feel the way it ought to whether birthing at home or in the hospital. As a 32 year old, new mama-to-be, I was very anxious about the road on which my body and mind were headed. My menstrual cramps had been brutal growing up and i equated that with having a low threshold for pain. So when I learned I was pregnant, I convinced myself that the only way I was going to get my baby out was through a self-elected cesarean, or an epidural paired with a cocktail at the very least. It wasn't until the end of my first trimester when my perspective had shifted. Propelled by my dissatisfaction with Kaiser's service, I sought out alternatives to my prenatal care. I remembered my colleague's home birth story which inspired bodily integrity and local midwifery services. Skeptical that the home birth approach was right for me, I scheduled a consultation with Taproot anyway. The consultation with Tel and Amy did more than just answer the 50 questions I had prepared beforehand. It quieted the worries racing in my head regarding patient and care provider relational dynamics on top of common pregnancy-related anxieties. While we covered many topics in the hour-long consultation, I'd like to highlight what resonated with me the most: 1. When I asked about the types of labor pain management techniques they offer, they said that a home birth itself is pain management. I wasn't sold on this response initially. With each subsequent week, however, I realized all the little things about my home that make me feel the safest and most comfortable: my bed, the cleanliness, the power to decide who enters my personal space. Ultimately, this is what put my body, mind and soul at ease during labor. 2. They believe in the power of "no" and always asked for my consent before touching any part of my body or my baby's body. This experience was unexpected but much appreciated especially as an adult survivor of child abuse. Being poked and prodded by medical providers without verbal consent is so normalized nowadays. My time with Taproot has taught me to be a stronger advocate for myself and that I have complete autonomy over my body. 3. Another thing that resonated with me was that they valued our time together. Each prenatal and postpartum appointment was scheduled to be an hour long. If i came with a list of questions, they took the time to carefully answer each one. On days i wasn't so inquisitive, they educated me and my husband about all things pregnancy and gave us practical resources to help mentally and physically prepare for labor and postpartum. If you feel drawn to some of the experiences I mentioned or are considering going the home birth route, it wouldn't hurt to schedule a free consultation with Tel and Amy. I don't know for sure what the rest of my pregnancy journey would've looked like had i remained in Kaiser's care. But i do know that my prenatal care team- Tel, Amy and my husband, was truly a dream team that empowered and supported me from pregnancy to postpartum. read more

Thanks to Tel and their extraordinary care throughout my pregnancy and postpartum I got my beautiful baby boy. Tel is incredible, knowledgeable, kind, and trustworthy. If I ever get pregnant again I know the first person I'm going to contact is Taproot Midwifery. The support and care I received made all the difference. Chiokoe uttessia (thank you) Tel! read more

Taproot Midwifery - Baby boy bodyfeeding shown as a tree of life designed photo - Midwives Near Me - Sacramento, California

Tel is an amazing midwife and I feel so lucky to have delivered my baby with them and Amy. Tel is incredibly knowledgeable, kind, and patient. Their prenatal and postpartum care was invaluable and I couldn't have asked for a batter birthing experience. I felt safe and completely cared for throughout the whole experience, mentally, physically, and emotionally. read more

There is so much to be said for the care, the quality of time spent during each appointment, and the holistic approach to treatment. We looked forward to each appointment with Tel and Amy, as we knew that we would be heard and that our questions would be not only answered, but we'd receive such amazing education and resources about all things pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum. Our babe ended up being 2 weeks late, so we had to transfer to a hospital. I am so grateful that we had Tel there to support us every step of the way. As we got closer to that 42 week mark, Tel made sure to take time in each appointment to help me come up with a hospital birth plan ( up to that point my birth plan consisted of 'don't go to the hospital') and held space for all of the experiences and emotions that I had. Tel and Amy were available and present for my wife throughout the whole process and if we were to have another baby, I would absolutely use Taproot again. I can't say enough positive things about Taproot and the quality of care we received. To anyone planning on having a baby, I recommend you reach out to Tel and book a consultation with them. read more

We welcomed our second baby at home with Taproot Midwifery. Tel and Amy were a wealth of knowledge and expertly created and held a caring and non-judgmental space for our family during our pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. Having previously experienced hospital based care with our first baby we were blown away by the truly individualized care we received with Taproot Midwifery. Having hour long appointments, the consistency of a known and trusted provider, a midwife who was also an IBCLC, and regular early postpartum/well-baby visits in our home set this experience apart. We will forever remember how safe, heard, and empowered we felt as we welcomed our baby with Taproot Midwifery. read more

We truly got the best care possible with Tel at Taproot Midwifery. Tel is warm, compassionate, and incredibly knowledgeable. During pregnancy, Tel presented all of our options in a non-judgmental manner and always held a safe and supportive environment for us to express our physical, mental, and emotional challenges and wins. We couldn't have the homebirth we planned and Tel was with us in the hospital to support us through our birth. After we welcomed our little one, Tel continued to provide regular support for us, even when we had more bumps in the road than we expected. Tel was there to advocate for us when needed and has a deep well of resources and connections to further support families. Tel offers a holistic approach to the full journey of pregnancy, birth, and postpartum and brings a great balance of medical and herbal knowledge to their practice. Every step of the way is built on informed consent and a trusting relationship. Tel is a well-respected midwife in the community and came highly recommended to us from multiple friends. We are honored to continue to recommend Taproot Midwifery to everyone we know! read more

Tel and Taproot Midwifery have made such a positive difference in our lives as we began our family. I looked forward to every prenatal visit because I felt so taken care of, and I was able to understand and embrace my decisions around pregnancy and birth. read more

My husband and I are aiming for conception. I just had my first Arvigo Therapy session with Tel yesterday. Initial appointments are 2 hours. The first hour was spent having a great conversation. I filled out an in depth patient intake form (do this before you go) then Tel really took the time to get to know me, my history, and my goals. I learned more from her in the one hour than I have following all the hashtags & blogs online. She is extremely educated and helpful. If nothing else, just spending an hour talking with Tel is beneficial! The second hour was spent doing the actual Arvigo practice. It's hard to describe. She spent quite a bit of time on my abdomen and digestive system. Making sure I was comfortable the entire time. She also works on other parts of the body as part of the Arvigo Therapy to increase blood flow. I will update my review in a month or so if I see any results. I definitely recommend Tel for anyone who wants to learn more about conception or any other services she provides. She is so kind, warm, and professional. I definitely trust her! read more

Tel was my midwife for the delivery of my second child. I have nothing but positive things to say. Their care was considerate, evidence based, and rooted very obviously in love and passion for what they do. Tel is INCREDIBLY knowledgeable in all things pregnancy and birth, and I felt very safe and supported throughout my pregnancy, birth and postpartum period. I experienced a hemorrhage immediately postpartum and Tel was able to swiftly and competently stop the bleeding and provide care for me within the comfort of my own home. I would hands down have Tel deliver any other children I choose to have. read more

This was absolutely the best birthing experience I've had (I've had 3). When I first began with Tel and Amy, I was surprised to learn that appointments were 1 hour; I have never experienced this in either of my other births. Tel and Amy were extremely knowledgeable about a variety of issues. I truly felt heard, a genuine client-centered approach. They not only made me feel like they cared for the baby but for me. This was felt during pregnancy and postpartum, another unique experience. I really couldn't recommend this practice more. Thank you for such a wonderful experience, Tel and Amy! read more

Tel is awesome! She was more informative than my RE. She was patient and compassionate. She did my at home IUI and I got pregnant after the first one! I now have a beautiful baby boy and I'm very grateful that she helped me. read more

Krystel helped me with my home birth and I was very comfortable with her from the moment I met her for the first time. She is very knowledgable, caring, understanding and such a warm-hearted midwife. She spent a lot of time on each appointment and answered all of my questions. She explained risks and benefits for everything we asked about and respected all the choices we made. I feel very fortunate to have had her as my midwife. Right after I delivered my daughter I thought I would like to hire her again for my next baby! I highly recommend Taproot Midwifery! read more

We just finished our birth journey with Tel and Taproot Midwifery with our last post-partum appointment a couple of days ago. When I first learned of them from a friend who had worked with them, she told me, "It was the best healthcare experience of my life." After our experience, I whole-heartedly agree! When it comes to birthcare, they set the bar very high. Pre-natal appointments were an hour-plus; each one felt like a conversation with a wise and caring friend. Tel is very experienced and has such a wealth of knowledge. They practiced informed consent, giving the parents so much more control and agency than would a hospital, or indeed, even, I imagine, other midwives. While our insurance did not cover the cost of care, it was such a tremendous value -- we were so much better cared for than if we had worked with a hospital provider -- that it was entirely worth it. I highly recommend Tel and Taproot to anyone who wants to have the best birthcare possible. We're looking forward to sharing another journey when we're ready for baby #2! read more

Normally I don't like to tell strangers about places I love. I'm pretty selfish that way. I don't want to share what is hugely personal and turn it into something that feels commercial. But Taproot Midwifery...I'm gonna review you. Taproot Midwifery is just a name. Taproot Midwifery is Krystel. My husband and I talked about having our first baby at home- I was excited about the idea. My husband- not so much. So, baby #1 was born in a hospital. The birth went very smoothly. The value in that- my husband saw that a healthy pregnancy can end in an uncomplicated birth with the right care. So, with pregnancy #2, we agreed we were BOTH 80% comfortable with a homebirth. But we needed to talk with a real midwife about it. There was only one person I was interested in talking to- a charismatic, friendly young midwife I met a year earlier. I remember when I met her thinking to myself, "she's the one." We found Krystel and made an appointment to discuss the possibility of homebirth. First of all, having your health provider come to your home is AMAZING! Krystel visited with us, sweetly engaged with our attention-seeking toddler, and answered every question and every concern. She didn't sugar-coat anything. She allayed our 20% worth of doubt. We felt we were in good hands. We hired her. What a good decision that was! Every appointment was in our home. She never rushed through a visit. She addressed every question. And for my weirdest questions, she either surprised me with her incredible depth of knowledge, or acquired an accurate answer for me. She never left my questions or concerns unanswered. She treated me gently and respectfully, always with great care and consideration. Our birth story was short and sweet. We were in great hands. She allowed me to do what I needed to do. And intervened only when necessary as minimally as possible, with the same care and calmness we had seen all along. Being able to birth under my terms, in my home, at my speed, allowing my body to do what I knew it could do, was an incredibly empowering experience. Krystel brought the expertise. I highly recommend her. And I feel incredibly lucky to have her be part of my birth story. read more

I am new to the world of home birth options and currently switching insurance providers. Finding an affordable option for health care is daunting to say the least. I asked around the community and got some help but still was confused to say the least. However, after reaching out to Tel, I received a reply that was sincere and informative. The level of time and effort I received blew all others out of the water. I appreciated it so much and felt genuinely like Taproot would really look out for what was best for me and my family. Thank you! read more

It's hard to imaging a more caring/understanding/patient/and informative midwife exist. And her name is Krystel! Krystel guided us through my pregnancy and helped us with becoming prepared for the big day. Through her we connected with our local natural birth community we didn't know existed. We have since moved from long beach to the Sacramento region and have missed the sense of community we established with Krystel. Krystel was so informative and understanding of our choices. The individual attention we received was one of the main reasons we chose to have a home birth. We loving look back at our home birth story and am grateful we had Krysel by our side through the most magical and emotional moment of our lives. read more

We can not even begin to express the amount of graitude we have for finding Krystel. From the moment we met her, we KNEW we could trust her. We transferred from conventional pregnancy "treatment" to Taproot Midwifery later on in our pregnancy. The differences are astounding. With Krystel, we were receiving care. She treated us with respect and was willing to give us ALL if the information for the questions we had, not just one facet or an answer that showed any bias to her opinion. Coming into her care after having experienced the other side, this was a breath of fresh air. We were able to take our experience from the industrial machine that felt more like we were being treated for an illness to a beautiful celabratory welcoming of our little Coën. Things didn't go according to our plan. We had tried for a home birth, but my body wasn't cooperating and after a very very long labor with Krystel there every step of the way complications lead us to the decision to transfer to a hospital. Even then, Krystel came with us and remained by our side giving us an immense amount of support and guidance. I do not know how things would have gone without her, but I can say that having her made all of the difference in the universe to us. We had strayed off course for our plan, but we were still able to achieve a vaginal birth of a super healthy little human. Her postpartum care is topnotch as well. She visited us in our home and was able to help figure out the breastfeeding beast. We will most certainly involve Krystel if and when we decide to have another child. We cannot recommend her enough and would highly encourage anyone who is interested to at the least have a consultation with her. : ) read more

Taproot Midwifery - Midwives Near Me - Sacramento, California

I cannot recommend Tel Viehmann Cunningfolk or Taproot Midwifery more highly! I was initially drawn to Taproot because of its intentional inclusiveness and social justice bent; however my partner (who had more reservations about home birth), was more concerned with making sure we were in the hands of a skilled professional. As it turns out, we got a twofer in Tel. From the very first meeting it felt like we were working with an old, dear friend - albeit one who could answer any question under the sun related to pregnancy and birth. Very unlike the clinic visits I had with my first child, my visits with Tel were not just medical check-ins, but almost felt like counseling sessions. Tel asks deep questions, listens extremely well, and makes sure you have all the support you need not just medically, but also psychologically. As a result, I went into my labor feeling supremely confident and supported. But importantly for us (and especially my partner) we also felt that should anything come up, Tel would support whatever decision felt right to us, without judgment. With Tel's support, we were able to have a smooth and healthy home birth. Additionally - the aftercare Tel provided was truly phenomenal, and made recovery so much easier (because we were doing it all together at home!). In short, I wholeheartedly recommend Taproot Midwifery - in choosing Tel you are choosing a highly skilled practitioner who is supremely kind, deeply conscientious, and whose practice is rooted in values of justice and inclusion. I can't imagine a more winning choice, and look forward to staying connected with the Taproot Midwifery community for years to come. read more