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.

There truly aren't words to describe what this experience meant to me…read more All I can say is that I had my dream birth~ the birth I had hoped and prayed for. More than anything, I wanted bringing my daughter into the world to feel sacred, and that's exactly what it was. From the moment I arrived, I felt deeply heard, respected, trusted, loved, and cared for. My amazing midwives, Dorian and Lorri, along with my incredible doula Kennedy, the wonderful Amy, and the entire team, held such a beautiful space throughout my labor. Even during the hardest, most intense moments of my life, I never felt alone. I trusted them completely, and that trust allowed me to stay present, listen to my body, and surrender to the natural birth I had envisioned. There were so many moments I'll never forget~ from Lorri playing her sound bowls to Dorian's calming presence, touch and steady reassurance. Every interaction was filled with such reverence, compassion, and genuine care. They didn't just support my birth plan- they honored it. They encouraged me to create the environment that felt meaningful to me while adding their own wisdom, intuition, and calming feminine presence. It was beyond anything I thought to even hope for. Giving birth naturally to my baby girl was the most challenging and most magical experience of my life. Looking back, I truly can't imagine welcoming her into the world any other way. I'm forever grateful that this was my first birth experience. It was healing, empowering, and something I will carry with me for the rest of my life. Thank you to every single person at the birth center for helping bring my daughter into the world with so much love, respect, and heart. You gave our family a gift we'll cherish forever. And especially for me, as a woman and now a mother, I am soul grateful.

the midwives are very kind and caring. also their trainees are fantastic! we moved 6 months into my…read morepregnancy so we had to end our care with SCM early. overall i would recommend them with the following cautions: they nickle and dime more than i believe they should. one additional cost beyond the package is telemedicine / professional phone consults. 0-10 minutes is $50. i really believe isn't right. clients should have access to their care providers without having to pay extra for it, as a part of their care. i paid $50 out of pocket for a brief phone call concerned about sickness and spoke with a per diem midwife who wasn't even a midwife at SCM beyond helping with calls. there is a messaging chat in the online portal that doesn't cost extra, but it took a while to get a response on there. also, when we had to end our care they did not crunch the numbers right. they said we had an outstanding balance when we actually we were owed money back. they were very gracious and quick to apologize for their error but just know you may need to double check their itemized billing. the other thing i didn't love about SCM is that if for any reason you need to be transferred to the hospital, the midwife will not come with you despite still having to pay for their care in full. the midwifery we had after this one for the final 3 months of my pregnancy did come with their clients who had to transfer to the hospital. while they act less as midwives and more as doulas/ extra support however possible, i believe this is the best way to care for their patients who, especially in those moments, may need them most. i am truly grateful for lori, dorian and kennedy. it's a beautiful and serene facility and you will be given care with attention to your questions. i will say SCM feels less personal than other midwiferies. SCM is a solid midwifery but i do believe could make improvements in these areas!

We had our second child at home with Lisa Marie and Richard, and wish we could go back in time and…read morehave our first with them too. They truly have a gift and a heart for what they do. My pregnancy was rocky and complicated, but they walked through it ALL with me, including accompanying me to a high risk OB appointment along the way, which she handled with tact and professionalism. They had a network of resources, are a wealth of knowledge on the subject of birth, and are just plain devoted to their families. Our home visits were thorough and comfortable; we enjoyed chatting about anything and everything with them! My delivery was so smooth and easy, and I owe that to Lisa following her intuition. What I appreciated the most about how she handled my labor was that she didn't steer it - I did. She followed my cues and intervened only when I needed it. Her knowledge of birthing positions and the body/baby connection is unparalleled and I firmly believe my delivery was smooth because of that. She worked so well with my doula too! Also, for how unorthodox it is to have a male in the birthing space, Richard is the man! He was calculated, helpful, and helped my husband dial in everything we needed for the birth. He and Lisa Marie make a great team and complement each other so well! My family will forever be grateful for the two of them.

We had our third child at home under the care of Lisa Marie and Richard. All our prenatal visits…read morewere in our home in south Orange County and involved our other children. Each visit was personal, not rushed, and thorough. We got to know them so well in the months leading up to our daughter's birth. The birth was beautiful, peaceful and exactly what we had been hoping for. We are so grateful for their expertise, gentle spirit and tender care throughout this pregnancy, birth and into postpartum.

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.

Lia was an amazing resource for my husband and me as we prepared for the birth of our son. If…read moreyou're in Long Beach and interested in a natural birth experience or simply want to feel informed and prepared for labor and childbirth, I highly recommend her. She empowers her clients with information and helps them feel confident making the best decisions for themselves. Her kindness and support extended beyond class hours. When I went into labor, she promptly responded to texts from my husband, answered his questions, and offered guidance and reassurance. She helped him better understand how to support me during labor, and that made all the difference in our experience. Birth is beautiful, wild, and unpredictable. Lia helped us feel confident in our birth plan while preparing us to navigate the process as it unfolded. We're so grateful for her knowledge, warmth, and support. Highly recommend!

I took Lia's childbirth class during my first pregnancy in 2023. I live in South Orange County, so…read morethe drive was a bit of a commitment, but it was absolutely worth it. Being in class with other expectant couples created such a supportive environment, and the course was incredibly comprehensive. It gave me the knowledge and confidence to navigate a hospital birth and make informed decisions about the many interventions that are commonly offered. At 38 weeks, my water broke unexpectedly while I was riding a stationary bike. I immediately reached out to Lia for guidance. Since I wasn't experiencing a fever or any signs of infection, she explained that I had options: I could either go to the hospital right away or stay home and wait for labor to begin naturally. She also educated me about the fact that the body continues producing amniotic fluid and that, in some cases, a small rupture in the membranes may even reseal. Knowing that going to the hospital before labor started would likely lead to an induction (which wasn't aligned with my goal of having an unmedicated birth) I chose to stay home and monitor myself. The night before my 39-week OB appointment, I was feeling anxious. I knew that if my provider confirmed my water had broken before labor had started, induction would almost certainly be recommended. I reached out to Lia again, and she suggested trying the Miles Circuit. I followed the stretches that evening, and to my surprise, I went into early labor around 1:00 a.m. Whether it was the Miles Circuit, my body simply being ready, or a combination of both, it gave me the confidence to keep trusting the process. In January 2024, I welcomed a healthy baby girl through the unmedicated birth I had hoped for. While my hospital experience was unfortunately traumatic, the education Lia provided made all the difference. There were many moments when my husband, my doula, and I had to advocate for my birth preferences, and it wasn't always met with respect. Without the knowledge and confidence I gained from Lia's class, I truly believe my birth could have unfolded very differently. I'm now pregnant with my second baby, and one of the first things I did was sign up to retake Lia's class. One of the biggest perks is that once you've taken her course, you can retake it as many times as you'd like for free. Childbirth education isn't something you only benefit from once, and I love having the opportunity to refresh everything I've learned before welcoming another baby. I'm incredibly grateful for everything Lia taught us. Her class empowered me to make informed decisions, advocate for myself, and approach birth with confidence. I wholeheartedly recommend her course to any expecting parents, especially those hoping for an evidence-based, physiologic birth. Even if you have to drive a little farther to attend like I did, it's worth every mile.

Jessica played a vital role in me having my dream home birth a couple months ago!! After having a…read moretraumatic hospital birth that ended in a cesarean a few years back, I came to her unsure and uninformed. But she was patient and present with me while I grew (mentally and physically). I credit her for helping me convince my husband that home birth was a safe option for us and now he's AN ADVOCATE for home birth because he had such a wonderful experience and has learned so much from her. She also made my older son feel so special by letting him help with everything! Jessica was always immediately available to us and provided physical support and emotional support - a VERY different experience than any OBGYN offers. She also took the time to talk about nutrition, supplements, and exercise at every appointment. I have a hard time believing that anyone can beat the quality of care that she provided our family. I think finding a provider that shares my birth philosophy was the key to my success this time around. As a low-risk, uncomplicated pregnancy, Jessica takes a hands-off, supportive approach until intervention is absolutely necessary. She is also very knowledgeable about homeopathy which I benefited from my entire pregnancy and postpartum and even to this day! No one can believe I was able to heal my mastitis without antibiotics! My mom (who doesn't really know anything about midwifery or home birth but was just along for the ride) always talks about how impressed she was with Jessica, especially compared to the hospital staff during my first birth. Jessica will always have a special place in our heart and we'll definitely be seeking her services again for baby #3!

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.

Before I start, The only thing that upsets me is I'm being charged $50 for a "no show appointment"…read moreor "cancellation" but I canceled 48 hours before my appointment. I have another appointment in August but one of the front lady's was being rude about it when I canceled it on the Healow app. The front people didn't tell me about the app until I was ready to have my baby. I don't know who to reach out to if anyone can help please let me know now, I found out I was pregnant and called to make an appointment here they made me an appointment as soon as they could. I was nervous for my first visit but I got treated very well and even got sent home with an extra ultrasound picture of my baby lol. I went here my whole pregnancy from 9 weeks until I had my baby. With being in the hospital several times he was always quick to respond to get the best results for me and get me through for my iron and blood transfusions every other week having a high risk pregnancy and high risk anemia. Having a c section was super scary for me but Dr Akerman gave me the support and told me everything will be okay and pretty much helped me calm down with my anxiety and nerves. The procedure was very quick and my healing process went well. I plan to have one more baby in the future and will definitely come back here as he was super helpful and the staff as well were very nice.

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.

This review is long overdue. I'll begin by stating that Christy successfully delivered our…read morebeautiful daughter Saturday, January 18th 2025. This is was not my first homebirth, prior to this my 3 sons were all born using South Coast Midwidery (SCM), their births were Dec. 2009, Dec. 2013 and Dec. 2015. The very first birth in 2009 was a great experience and SCM provided a great experience, but the following 2 homebirths left a lot to be desired. The compassion, love, care and humanity had left their practice by 2013. Having had this experience, when we became pregnant with our daughter 10 years after my last home birth, I knew I would need to find a new Midwifery/Midwife to work with. We did interview 1 other Midwife who we decided not to pursue care with, and I also reached out to Lindsey from OC Midwifery who I heard back from once, but not again (after multiple attempts) after mentioning we were in the "trying" stage of having a baby. When we discovered Christy it felt like a Godsend, it was coincidental, but driven by more than pure coincidence; it felt more as fate. Christy was quick to respond to our inquiry. When we had our initial video call with Christy we immediately knew she was our midwife. She embodies compassion, positive energy, care, enthusiasm, humanity and friendship that I believe every pregnant women needs! An impressive characteristic Christy owns is she in present and listens to mom and dad from beginning to end. She takes it all in and becomes the physical manifestation of what her client is in search of. Needless to say every in home appointment would build on the previous one and a bond was formed by all of us, but most importantly the bond of trust between mom, baby and Christy. Christy gave my wife the empowerment of being confident she was more than capable of birthing at home. (Read Steph T.'s review, that's my wife). We all felt the birth would go quickly, and it did when baby's birthing time came. We used the knowledge we gained at Christy's Bradley Class and although we had a slight complication, we were never concerned, worried or scared. We had all faith in God and Christy's experience and expertise. Christy put her game face on and delivered our baby girl earth side and we couldn't have been happier with our experience. Christy did have an assisting midwife, by the name of Ana, who we met several times, weeks before our "guess date". Ana was also great and of course she was, because Christy chose her and I wouldn't have expected any different. Now, fast forward a little over a year later and we have a very healthy baby girl who is thriving. We are pregnant again and excited to have our second birth with Christy as our midwife. This time our bond is much stronger, which I believe will serve as the catalyst of creating a similar birth as before, or possibly even better. I hope this review reaches any mom and/or dad looking for a midwife; who may be unsure of who to go with. The birth of our daughter this year (2026) will be my 5th homebirth experience and I will confidently vouch for Christy as the right midwife to choose every time.

Christy was so amazing! I am so thankful we took this class before our first child. Although our…read morebirth plan didn't go how we wanted, I was extremely prepared and had back up plans. So thankful! Highly recommend for anyone wanting a more natural, holistic route- even if it doesn't end up that way.

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.

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!

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.