I happily drive from LA County to Orange County for all my prenatal visits because Lindsey and her…read moreteam are absolutely worth it. She delivered both my second and third daughters, and I truly wouldn't trust anyone else to guide me through a home birth. Every single visit felt so warm, loving, and filled with genuine care -- Lindsey makes you feel like family. One moment I'll never forget is when my second daughter was breech. In just one visit, Lindsey was able to gently turn her from a sideways position to facedown. That kind of skill and confidence gave me so much peace as a mom. My husband and I felt completely safe in her hands, knowing she was fully prepared for any situation. We're beyond grateful to have had Lindsey as our midwife. She and her team supported us every step of the way, and thanks to them, I had beautiful, empowering home birth experiences. If you're looking for a midwife who truly cares and knows her craft, Lindsey is the one.

I don't even know where to begin. I was recommended to Lindsey by a dear friend and I always knew I…read morewanted to do a home birth but the fear that something bad would happen always stood in the way. I researched the heck out of home births and once I decided I wanted to go that route I never looked back. First meeting with Lindsey was magical because she is so charismatic and she really made me feel comfortable around her environment and in my own skin. I have never felt so much love and support during my pregnancy as I did with her! She is an array of information. Any questions I had she answered. Leading up to my birth I made sure I stayed present in the moment and took it one step at a time. As soon as I knew something was happening my husband called Lindsey and she showed up right away letting me go through what I needed to. I can't express how grateful I was for all the love and support that was in that room that early morning. She lifted me up and made me feel so powerful and capable to bring my son into the world naturally. Lindsey is the kind of person you want by your side. Not just for your birth as a loving and caring midwife, but as a friend. She is a rockstar and I was so blessed to have had that experience with her. I would 100 percent do it over again and again.

Is there a difference between home birth and a birthing center? Well, kinda yes and kinda no…read more A Birthing Center is a place where families go to birth their babies unmedicated in water (or on the bed, on a birthing stool...). And like a home birth - you are getting "midwifery care", which includes prenatal and postpartum visits where you feel seen and heard. Unlike a home birth practice, you may not be able to choose your midwife BUT you do have the option of Nitrous Oxide. The key to a good birth experience is understanding the birthing center protocols BEFORE you commit financially, which is way before you go into labor. What most people fail to understand is that you are paying for "midwifery care" not an "outcome" - and that is the difference between midwifery and hospital care. And that care takes time. Time to get someone into labor, time to manage big feelings, time to make sure your nutrition is top notch, time to make sure you understand how to stay low risk... For example, you need understand the protocol difference between low and high risk pregnancy and show up to do your part to stay low risk (for context low risk can birth outside of the hospital and high risk has to birth in a hospital). You need to understand the birth center protocols for both when you arrive to the center (you must be in active labor) and how long you can stay (this is NOT a hospital - you don't stay overnight). So, if you are clear with your expectations you will have an AMAZING experience! If you don't understand how a birthing center works you may find yourself disappointed. Midwifery care IS a financial investment no matter where you birth - home or a center, but a birthing center might be less of a financial burden because the location (otherwise known as a "facility") may reduce cost. But again, you need to understand HOW your insurance works both for a successful birthing center birth or a successful transport where you birth at the hospital. (Either way you still get post partum care where you are seen and heard). Lorri is the OG of birthing center owners in SoCal, which means her experience level is undeniable. When you have this much experience as a midwife and navigating insurance it's a win/win for families that want a safe place to birth and (hopefully) get their insurance to pay something.

I trust these midwives wholeheartedly. Their…read moreprofessionalism and attention to detail goes above and beyond. It is an absolute beautiful facility. The staff is very polite they take great care of you.

Lisa Marie and Richard were an absolute gift to our family as we journeyed through the pregnancy…read moreand birth of our second daughter. They offer knowledge, expertise, and wisdom gained from decades of experience working with birthing women and their families, and it is so evident in the quality of care they offer. With our every question or concern, Lisa Marie and Richard showed immense insight, intuition, respect, and nuance. What I found profoundly unique and powerful in working with Sacred Journey is how deeply they emphasized and encouraged my own sense of self-trust and empowerment as the mother of my baby. They displayed such reverence to my own motherly intuitions beginning at our very first prenatal meeting, through our birth experience, and within our postpartum season as well. I truly cannot say enough about the blessings these two humans are to not only the mothers they work with, but the entire family of the birthing woman as well! I highly recommend any family who is desiring an empowered, supported, informed, and beautiful pregnancy and birth experience to work with Sacred Journey Midwifery.

If I could give them more stars I would!!! We received care from Richard & Lisa for our third baby…read moreand we are still gushing over how it was the best decision we could have made! I delivered our first 2 children within the medical model and in preparation of our 3 baby I knew that was no longer the right path for me. We both knew it would be Sacred Journey the moment we met Richard & Lisa. They took their time to sit with us and actually listened to us. They were very informative and easily accessible throughout my entire pregnancy. Their visits were so thorough and peaceful. Honestly, we never wanted them to end! They loved us through an untimely death of a loved one and were so intentional in my care as I was getting ready to bring our baby earth-side. We still can't believe how beautiful our experience was. They made everything easy... even all the paperwork stuff. My husband and I always say if we were in their care for our first baby we would've had 10 more! They aren't just a care team, they become part of your family. I recommend them to all of our friends and family who desire a home birth. They are a full package... from prenatal to postpartum and everything in between. Sometimes therapy and even financial advice! Just meet with them, you won't regret it.

I found Labor of Love by doing some of my own research online. And thank God I did! My doula,…read moreKaren, was my rock throughout my labor and was 100,000 percent amazing--I'll definitely be working with her for my second! A little backstory: I was overwhelmed and so nervous about finding "the one" person to be a part of the most important event of my life. After doing my research and reading through all these bios, I honestly was left feeling overwhelmed, especially knowing how indecisive I can be. I knew I just had to trust my intuition and my gut on this one! After looking at Karen's bio on their website, I had such a good feeling. Staci (the owner), who was super friendly and professional, helped me get connected with Karen, and I booked an interview right away! Karen was so sweet and asked me about my pregnancy experience so far. We discussed how I wanted my birth to go and any concerns I had. There wasn't any pressure to hire her, and it just felt like she was already invested in me, like I was already family. I even had her video chat with my husband to make sure we both felt comfortable and vibed well together--and we sure did! Overall, Karen ended up being the perfect balance of knowledge, experience, and professionalism. It was the most perfect amount of care I could have asked for. She was also such an advocate for my birth plan to work out. Before, during, and after my labor and birth, she was always naturally in tune with what I needed. She was never overbearing, worked so well with my husband, and gave him space to be a part of my support team as well. I am so grateful to have come across Labor of Love

The business owner is quite the opposite of the type of person any vulnerable new mom should have…read moreto work with. My experience with Labor of Love was almost two years ago now but continues to upset me when thinking back on my experience. We hired Lauren as our doula, who made it clear she expected us to go far past my due date as a first time mom. While it's possible for that to happen, it didn't in my case. At 39 weeks and at 5am while in active labor and getting ready to head to the hospital, she let us know she had Covid. Her backup was Karen, who I wish we hired to begin with as she is far more caring and professional. Though unfortunately our experience still fell short and we ultimately delivered without Karen present. We were left feeling like we invested a lot of emotion and money into this process with ultimately no help. Staci has been incredibly rude to us since then and even revoked our access to watch her training videos, sending me a link to pay her once again when wanting to rewatch for our now second baby on the way. Karen herself even recommended we ask for a partial refund due to our experience, but Staci lacks the professionalism and courtesy to her clients. Truly mindblowing that she revoked access to the training videos after we had already paid for them. I would stay far away and recommend a more experienced and caring doula group.

I cannot say enough good things about Lia and her natural birth classes. I did the 12 week in…read moreperson classes with my husband. I really wanted to know everything I possibly could and I was also looking for a little community as I was feeling very alone in those first weeks of pregnancy (and overwhelmed with what I didn't know). AND THESE CLASSES DELIVERED! My husband is also a knowledge seeker so when I told him these were the classes I wanted he was all in. We learned so much. We joke that he didn't just learn about the natural birth process he learned how to be my "daddy doula". We still enjoy talking to people about everything we learned and how to support each other and how to speak to your doctors or the hospital nurses. Even if you aren't considering a natural birth these classes should be taken by everyone expecting a baby. You learn about the body, you learn about the different stages of labor, how to prep your body and your mind. There is even a class on breastfeeding which was invaluable those first 3 days postpartum. Lia is also an amazing teacher. If I have another I would definitely also hire her as my doula. She is a person you want in your corner during birth.

Taking Lia's 12 week Bradley Method course was the best decision I made. She was extremely…read moreknowledgable and was well prepared to give us an abundance of information from the different stages of birth to self-advocacy in a hospital setting. We took away so many positive things and I am grateful for her wisdom because I know it has prepared us for any situation that may come our way. Whether you're a first time mother or a 2nd or even 3rd, I believe all parents can benefit from taking this Bradley Method course. We are so grateful for everything you've taught us, Lia.

I am so glad that my husband and I were referred to Jessica for her midwifery services. It wasn't…read moreuntil halfway through our Bradley class that we decided we wanted to do a homebirth. At that point we were already 28 weeks pregnant and now had to find a midwife. Jessica was always so compassionate and helpful in answering all of our homebirth questions and concerns. She also invited family members to come to prenatal visits to feel more comfortable about our homebirth decision as well. That was a huge win for us! She took great care of me During pregnancy and each time we got to listen to our little girls heartbeat. I loved that she focused a lot on making sure I was getting great nutrition via food and supplementation to help make sure my body was as healthy it needed to be for delivery. When it came to Labor Day, Jessica's experience definitely prevailed! As I was slow to progress, she knew exactly what I needed to do in order to help Baby along. Her guidance and experience made our homebirth a reality. Her and her assistant were fabulous during our golden hour that we got to spend with our baby girl in our home. They took amazing care for me and the baby. Postpartum visits were so helpful and informative especially as a first time mom. Jessica took care / monitored both me and baby for six weeks. We put our full trust in her for caring for myself, our new baby girl and all our future babies.

As soon as I found out I was pregnant I knew I wanted to go the natural route and find a more…read moreholistic care provider. I had several midwife interviews lined up and Jessica was my first call. After talking to her, I instantly knew she was THE one and didn't even bother interviewing anyone else. I'm so glad I trusted my gut. Jessica provided the best holistic prenatal care and still continues to do so postpartum. I always looked forward to every appointment with her knowing that no matter what I was feeling I would walk out feeling comfortable, supported, and heard. She made my fiancé feel included throughout the process and always made sure all of his questions were answered too! During early labor she was in constant contact with my fiancé to check up on me. Unfortunately I didn't end up having the home birth that I had planned for, but Jessica was by my side every step of the way. When we ended up transferring to the hospital, she made sure to advocate for me, and thankfully, she was still able to be by my side throughout the rest of my labor and delivery. Mine and my son's health and safety was always her #1 priority through our entire journey. I am so grateful for her holistic approach throughout pregnancy, her informed consent for every single decision, and most importantly, her friendship. Jessica's passion for guiding mothers and bringing babies earthside shines through everything she does. Thank you, Jessica!

Dr Akerman and his staff are phenomenal. Not only did he take me on as a new patient, 32 weeks…read morepregnant, and high risk, but he took every precaution that my former OB was blatantly ignoring. He handled my third trimester very well. His referrals to specialists are all great quality. He unfortunately was not on call for my emergency c section, but he stopped in my room and made me feel that I was in good hands. His humor is very dry and he is very direct, but for someone with a high risk pregnancy, a little laughter feels nice to break the tension. Dr Ashrafian and his NP were equally wonderful. I saw Dr Ashrafian twice postpartum for mastitis, and she comforted me while I cried in pain and exhaustion. Forget the negative reviews. Yes, he's always in a hurry, and has a very dry sense of humor, but you're in good hands under his care. He is wonderful at what he does. I promise you.

I've been debating whether or not to share this, but I can't stop thinking about the traumatic…read moreexperience I had here with Dr. Akerman. On October 9, 2024, I was induced at 40 weeks and 3 days pregnant. In the beginning, some staff members were attentive and helpful, but after midnight everything changed. The care became careless and dismissive. I had to receive the epidural three different times because I could still fully feel my contractions and was in extreme pain. Each time, my fiancé or my mom had to leave the room and ask nurses to come check on me because no one was responding on their own. Every time, I was told, "You're fine," even though I was terrified and clearly not fine. One nurse checked my dilation and told me I was 7 cm dilated. I was crying and screaming in pain when Dr. Akerman walked in and said, "What is going on?" I explained that I could still feel every contraction despite the epidural. Instead of taking me seriously, he laughed and said, "We've already given you so much." He then said he was going to check my dilation again. I told him I had literally just been checked 5-10 minutes earlier, but he ignored me. My fiancé asked him to please go slowly and explain what he was doing because I was already extremely sore from how many cervical checks had been done. At that point, I already had a catheter and another internal monitor inserted, so I was already in significant discomfort. Despite being asked multiple times to be gentle, Dr. Akerman ignored us and aggressively inserted his hand, causing me to scream in pain in a way I never have before. He continued moving his fingers around roughly while I cried out. I felt completely violated. Afterward, he suddenly stated I was 9 cm dilated, which confused me because only minutes earlier I had been told I was 7 cm. My fiancé became upset and confronted him, but Dr. Akerman completely ignored him. At that point, I decided I wanted a C-section because I could no longer handle the pain or emotional distress. They prepared me for surgery and took my fiancé and mom to another room to wait. Then, moments later, they returned and told me another emergency C-section was being done first, meaning I had to wait another 15 minutes while still screaming in pain and discomfort. I remember thinking, "Is mine not an emergency too?" When it was finally my turn, they administered anesthesia, but I was given so much that I blacked out completely. I was not awake for the birth of my son. I never got to experience hearing or seeing him come into the world, or seeing my fiancé cut the umbilical cord. It has been over a year and a half, and I still carry the trauma from this experience every single day. What should have been the most beautiful moment of my life became one of the most painful and violating experiences I have ever gone through. I will never return here again.

Christy is seriously amazing. Finding the right midwife was really important to me because birth is…read moresuch a personal experience, and I knew I needed someone I felt 100% comfortable with. From the moment we met her, we just knew she was the perfect fit for us. This was our first baby, and she guided us through everything. She answered all of our questions, made us feel so supported, and honestly exceeded every expectation we had. I also really loved that she's the perfect balance of holistic, but will absolutely speak up if something medical is needed. You can tell her top priority is always keeping both mom and baby safe. We also took her Bradley Method class, which was so helpful and made me feel way more prepared and confident going into birth. We learned so much, and I've already been recommending it to everyone. I fully trusted her the entire time, which made such a difference for me going into labor and birth. Throughout my labor, she was there at any time of day to answer my calls and questions, and she always helped me feel calm and educated about what was happening. On the day of the birth, she was calm, confident, and completely in her element. She made the whole experience feel so smooth and magical. I recommend Christy to anyone, and I already know I'll want her as my midwife for all of my future babies

Taking the Bradley Method with Christy was really one of the best decisions my husband and I made…read moreto prepare for birth She's made us feel so much more confident going into doctor's appointments and being able to advocate for the type of birthing experience we're hoping to have. Even going into conversations with other people who have who have gone through pregnancy and birth--the confidence we have speaking about what we want, what we want to avoid, and why has been amazing to share with people who weren't given even the basic information/options by their medical team. Truly couldn't recommend Christy and her approach enough

I've had two home births with Sue and I recommend her to anyone who wants a home birth. Her…read moreexperience and knowledge are unmatched, and she always gave me the confidence I needed. After a not so stellar experience with the local birth center for my first baby, I was so thankful to have Sue. I never felt rushed, and she always made me feel like my concerns were valid. When I had my first baby with Sue, I did start bleeding a lot after the baby was born, but Sue handled it without panicking or making me panic. The second home birth went really smooth and no issues. My two boys born at home have been so healthy and I honestly can't say enough good things about Sue!

Words won't be able to express my appreciation or gratitude towards our midwife Sue Gill. When my…read morehusband and I decided on a home birth we were recommend Sue as a midwife from a well trusted friend who had gone through the process with her. There was an instant connection and we knew she would be the best fit for our growing family. Not only is Sue warm hearted, trustworthy and reliable, she is extremely good at what she does. Here are some numbers if you are more of a factual person. Sue has attended over 700 home births and out of those her hospital transport for c-section rate is about 3%. Hospital rates are about 35% or greater. Holy smokes isn't that incredible. That is a ton of healthy babies that she has successfully brought into this world providing not only the mamas but also the families with a tremendous amount of love and support. An added bonus is Sue is always accessible via text or calls for any questions or concerns that may come up. Also, I highly recommend the documentary( the business of being born). Extremely informative and was another added bonus on why a home birth was best for our family. I can't forget to mention I had the most caring and supportive doula Tessa alongside with Sue. I know I forever have a friend and am over the moon thankful for everything she has done not only for me personally but also for our family.

Most amazing midwife…read more I do plenty of research and thinking before doing almost anything. My plan was to interview the few midwives that we had picked to decide who to hire. Our first meeting was with Melissa. Her passion for natural birth just oozes out of her. You KNOW this is her calling. Needless to say we canceled all other interviews. We had some challenges with our birth plan and it was difficult at times. We asked lots of questions and sometimes questioning things. She was very patient with us. Very loving at each step of the way. From day one to prenatal visits and all the way till post delivery visits. I could not recommend her enough, look no further. I am grateful to have met her. She will be in my life and heart for ever- not just for helping bring my son to the world but because she truly is an amazing person!

I found Melissa through a mutual friend. She was so reassuring and calm and my husband and I felt…read moretotally comfortable with her during our first meeting. Melissa is an amazing lady and mama who totally "gets it" and will support you through the whole birth process.