Thank you, Sunshine, for giving us the most pleasant experience throughout our pregnancy journey…read more I really enjoyed each appointment/meeting we had. She created an atmosphere of warmth, calm, support, and safety. She allowed me to have the birth I hoped for by educating me, guiding me, and giving me the options and agency to choose the birth we wanted. Never once did I feel pushed, judged, undermined, or neglected. Sunshine has such a kind heart and a listening ear, and knew exactly how to make me feel so empowered and secure during my pregnancy and birth experience. She defused all the worries I had, and gave both my husband and I the confidence that I could have the natural birth I was seeking, and in the beauty of our home. I felt so safe having her by my side. I'm truly grateful that you were our midwife, the captain of both the pregnancy and the birth. Thank you for taking care of me, as well as taking care of my husband and our baby during and after the pregnancy. I hope every woman has the opportunity to receive the same care, love, and attention that I received from Sunshine! Thank you Sunshine for giving me this amazing experience. It has planted a seed within me that maybe I'd like to experience another birth... Hahaha..

Yes, you should birth at home if you're low-risk and yes, you should do it with Sunshine (and…read moreChristiane) by your side. I have the good fortune of having experienced both - a hospital birth and a home birth so I can confidently say that if you have a healthy pregnancy with the right support and care, there's absolutely no need for you to be in a hospital environment. All you really need is a strong body and mind. In fact, deciding to go to a hospital at the cusp of my first baby almost ready to come out, only delayed things to a point where I pushed for 7 hours. That story for another day. This is about Sunshine. There is something about her presence that is reassuring from the word go. She was there in the critical moments of a hard labour with my first birth, listening to my baby's heartbeat, holding my hand, and lovingly talking to my baby, asking him if he was ready to meet us. With my second baby, it took some time for us to fight years of conditioning -- "people like me don't give birth at home" - and get to a place where we felt confident with the decision. It would not have been possible without Sunshine answering the million questions we had - she did it patiently and thoroughly. Hearing about her experience in managing any complications during birth, knowing when something needs more attention (her own father was a nurse in the emergency room), and most importantly, the genuine love and concern she showed for me and my husband while listening to all that we had to say about the first hospital birth, convinced us that with Sunshine, we'd get the birth we'd dreamt of with our second baby. A rock. A solid pillar of strength. Sunshine's baby-first approach to birth is her biggest strength. It's all a birthing mother wants. For her perfect baby, to make a perfect entry, and for someone like Sunshine to guide her through it. I miss those prenatal visits where Sunshine would lean over and whisper to my baby in my tummy. I think even my baby kicked back in excitement hearing her sweet and gentle voice! During the actual birth, Sunshine and Christiane went above and beyond to make me comfortable. With them around - it felt like I could power through anything. Christiane knew exactly when to put a bag of ice on my lower back. It helped turn my baby. Sunshine knew what position was working best to help me push better. I still remember going through several moments of "I can't do this, please take me to the hospital" during the final stage of pushing, and looking up to see that peaceful and almost unaffected (comes from experience) expression on Sunshine's face while she reminded me what my goal was and how I was made to do what I was doing. You need just that. She was also instrumental in taking some key steps to ensure I don't tear (I didn't!) I think of Sunshine as an angel who came into our lives for the birth of both our babies, reminding us that birth goes perfectly when it is undisturbed and that for everything else, she's going to be there. Sunshine's years and years of experience watching and bringing babies into this world shine through at every prenatal visit, during birth and after. She's also the best person to do a newborn screening test with - you don't want cold clinical hospital staff poking your few-hours-old tiny human. My second baby didn't even wince when Sunshine did the test for him. She's truly special and you would be lucky if she's your midwife - she will be with you, every step of the way, on your beautiful journey into parenthood.

Lyn is just amazing! I cannot recommend her enough. I July, I gave birth to my son under her…read moresupervision and I couldn't be happier with her support. During pregnancy, I always felt extremely respected and heard. She was fully supportive of my idea to have natural birth and never made me feel uncomfortable asking any question etc. She carefully reacted to my concerns (ordered additional labs / checks etc.), so I always felt in peace. She is extremely knowlegable and experienced, I always felt I could trust her 100%. During birth she was also extremely supportive. The whole experience was wonderful because of Lyn! She would always give me wide range of info based on which I could make informed decisions, while also respecting my "plan". I had a 2-week and 6-week postnatal visit, and just scheduled another 6-month one. I tell every pregnant woman to choose her care! Birth can be a transforming experience and also one that you will forever love to remember -- if done and supervised by Lyn! PS. The whole BAM (Bay Area Maternity) experience was wonderful, but mentioning just Lyn here -- I'm also giving credits to Kavitha and Melina. Thank you!

We had an amazing experience with Lin! She was kind, supportive and an advocate for us throughout…read morethe whole birth and postpartum stay. I couldn't recommend her more highly.

BAM was the best decision I could have made for my prenatal care and delivery. Danielle delivered…read moremy baby and I will forever be grateful to her for the way she made me feel bringing my baby into the world! I did not feel comfortable with the get in get out method that a lot of traditional OBs or hospital offices have and really felt holistically cared for in this office. The midwives are connected to and well regarded by other Perinatal professionals in the community (chiropractors, Doulas, PTs). I knew I wanted a low intervention birth, and was looking for midwifery style care, but also wanted to deliver in a hospital and this was the perfect scenario. In the delivery room, I really would have trusted all four midwives and knew that they always had my well-being in mind.

My experience with BAM was overwhelmingly positive. I say with true conviction that I don't believe…read moreI would have received better care, inclusive of my birthing experience anywhere else in the Bay Area. I am a first time mom, healthy overall physically/mentally, and was seeking a low intervention and unmedicated birth. I started my pregnancy with a well regarded OB in Palo Alto. During my time there I hadn't even met my doctor and was not given more than 5 minutes per appointment. It was impersonal and not a fit, so I decided to change practices and make the long drive (I live in Redwood City) to BAM. My first appointment with BAM was night and day and continued that way through my entire pregnancy. Every midwife is professional, knowledgable, and kind. They all care deeply for their patients and take as much time as needed to discuss questions or concerns. After each appointment I'd receive notes with follow ups, and if I ever had any additional questions I could easily message them and they'd reply so quickly. I felt secure and supported leading up to my delivery. If there was ever a decision to be made, (ex. vaccines, GBS treatment, due date) the options were discussed in an evidence-based conversation without judgment and completely empowering me to make the decision - I was NEVER pushed into any medical intervention. In fact, when I had concerns over something, Lin called me on her day off to help. This is what I mean by exceptional support and care. During my delivery in Feb 2023, I was supported by Lin, Danielle, and my doula Tara Gomez. I had a long and challenging labor but ultimately was able to deliver my baby girl safely, without an epidural. I owe this completely to the care and support I was given. I am convinced, had I given birth with a traditional OB, I would have experienced many more interventions and would not have been able to deliver naturally. The entire experience was incredibly empowering! Lin is the best of the best in this field, being a midwife for over 40 years and delivering over 7,000 babies. I am just one of those numbers, but I will never forget the level of expertise she brought to my baby's birth. Regardless of where I live in the Bay Area, I plan to come back to BAM for any future pregnancy. I cannot recommend this practice more and I am SO grateful for these midwives and this practice. I trust them wholeheartedly and wish more women could have this type of prenatal/delivery experience!

My last review was removed because I didn't provide enough "details" about my experience employing…read moreMelissa Dean as my midwife. So Yelp reviews have set standards in terms of the number of details you must leave now? Let me give you more details. These are my OWN PERSONAL EXPERIENCES. DO NOT REMOVE THIS REVIEW. 1. Melissa was busy with other births all scheduled around the same time as mine. There ain't no way of scheduling your birth to be when someone else's birth isn't. FYI - it's her and Ricki. That's it. So when you in the middle of a 48hr labor and Melissa's been gone for 12hrs since you crawled on your hands and knees into SCVMC. Just realize that things could have gone differently. 2. If your baby has any number of problems that could be detected with modern tech, she cannot help you with that. She'll put you in touch with other facilities for ultrasounds etc. (all extra costs) but that should be a red flag. She really ain't scientifically or medically equipped to make decisions for you or your baby. All of your visits will be soothing and cozy. But your just paying for nothing more than contact with someone who has delivered babies away from hospitals. That's great. But sometimes problems can be prevented. 3. You will be charged the full amount no matter whether or not she does anything at all when you deliver apart from direct you to SCVMC hospital. 4. If you end up needing to go to the hospital she will ask you to drive yourself to SCVMC. And by the way, there are some really smart and talented medical staff there. In the end I owe them my life. But, are there also some not so great staff there? Most definitely, in my opinion. Will you have any idea who will be there? No. The doctors will also tell you point blank that you were naive (that's the nicest way I can think of describing what I was told by multiple nurses and doctors) to put your trust in a midwife like Melissa Dean. Hopefully you don't pay for that decision with your baby's or your own life. You won't need to be told that, you'll get that exact vibe from everyone there the minute she walks in. 5. If you end up at SCVMC, and there's a bed available for you after a few hours, and you get a doctor who isn't completely disgusted with you that you endangered your own life and the baby and now you're there begging for your life to saved.... *If* that happens, and if it does happen, and you're lucky to get away with your health and the baby's health. That's awesome. But if like me, you could be separated from your baby for a week because you almost died (doctor's words not mine) and your baby is on a ventilator in the NICU as a direct result of the trauma caused from not seeing a doctor earlier. 6. Finally, you'll have paid Melissa Dean and you will have to pay her 100% of her costs. But you should budget and figure out whether your insurance is accepted at SCVMC and what your costs will be for delivering there. It might be best if you don't have insurance because it is a teaching hospital and as far one of the doctors told me they won't turn away patients in need regardless of if they have insurance or not. How the bills work out afterward for everyone, I have no idea. But the bills I got from an emergency C section and a week in the NICU were, as you can imagine, astronomical. Why two stars and not one? Because she doesn't mean any harm and she's a nice person who believes what she's doing is a great service to people who want to deliver at home or with a midwife at a birthing center. But that's not always the case. My point in leaving a "review" that gives a different side to the one that Melissa Dean tells you is so that you can be informed and ask questions. Don't go into this process without having some sort of check on the facts of what you're getting yourself into. With hindsight, if I was to give advice and you really want to deliver at home, don't be afraid of it. But also have a plan B organized. And that means having a doctor that supports your decision and also can provide you with immediate care and deliver your baby for you at a moments notice. Check in with that doctor regularly. Ultimately I blame myself for not preparing in this way for my delivery. A doctor that can tell you it's okay for Melissa Dean to leave now and he/she can take over. And does that have enough detail? Or Will Melissa Dean complain again and have the review taken down again?

I had been hoping to have a home birth for a really long time, so when I got pregnant, I knew I…read morewanted to find a midwife who would help facilitate that. After our initial interview with Melissa and her assistant Ricki, my husband and I really liked them and felt like they would be a great fit for my pregnancy. My husband is fairly skeptical of any kind of hippy, holistic medicine, but Melissa was great at balancing the holistic and scientific sides of midwifery, and I really appreciated that she never pushed me to try any of the more woo-woo aspects that can come up with a home birth (such as anything to do with the placenta that didn't involve disposing of it as medical waste or telling me that I need to eat any kind of specific diet or buy expensive products). All throughout my pregnancy, Melissa and Ricki were super supportive and answered all my questions really clearly and provided so much reassurance when I started feeling anxious. They were great about responding to texts and emails, and provided me with great care. I really liked having one hour appointments, so I had time to chat with them and get all my questions answered. I was able to get all the standard testing done through their office; Ricki drew my blood to get genetic testing done at 13 weeks at my regular appointment, and when it came time to do the gestational diabetes test, they sent me out to eat pancakes before they drew blood at my appointment - no nasty orange sugar drink for me! When we were nearing the end of my pregnancy, they visited my house to help us figure out the best place to set up their inflatable birthing pool, and answered all our questions about what it would look like when I went into labor. When my baby was overdue and then my water broke but labor didn't start, they gave me suggestions for how to try to naturally induce labor, and checked in with me every day to see how things were going and listen to the baby to make sure we were both staying healthy while we waited for labor. Unfortunately, none of that worked, I ended up having to be induced at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, but I was so thankful to have them on my side. They were there with me when we checked in at the hospital and prepared us for what the medical team was going to do to get labor going. Ricki was there to support us when my contractions were getting really strong, and Melissa made sure I only had the best doctors checking in on me. When my labor didn't progress as quickly as we were hoping, Melissa was there to answer all our questions about when they would start talking about c-sections and what that experience would be like. She was so supportive and caring as I watched all my birthing hopes and plans went right out the window. Perhaps the most important thing Melissa did, though, was to make sure my baby was able to start nursing as soon as possible. She checked on him in the nursery and told the nurses that they needed to give him to me right away to nurse. She then came and helped him latch on and showed me how to hold him and get him situated so I could do it on my own later. We have had so many friends who did not have that advocacy after their births who really struggled to breastfeed their babies, and I am so so thankful that Melissa was there to make sure we didn't miss the window to feed in the first hour. My baby has been a champion breastfeeder ever since, and we had so many fewer struggles in that regard. I also really appreciated that we had Melissa and Ricki to check in on us in the days and weeks post-partum. They texted, called, and visited us at the hospital and at home to see how we were doing and to answer any questions. I really feel like they helped get us off on the right foot, and I would absolutely use them again to try for an at home VBAC.

After reading Shannon's beautiful and transformative book Born Far From Home, I felt so drawn to…read morehaving a homebirth. I loved reading about Shannon's journey to Islam and birth work, and how her faith and spirituality intertwined with her midwifery care. I also enjoyed reading the compelling birth stories and the beautiful way in which she writes about birth. I especially felt connected to her book as a Muslim woman who was curious about homebirth, but wasn't sure if it was for me. Once I finished the book and had my first appointment with Shannon I felt confident, reassured, and excited about having a homebirth for my first baby. Since the start of my prenatal care with Shannon, I felt so comforted by the amount of time and personalized care she dedicated to us by listening to our concerns, answering our many questions, and providing the guidance we needed during this special time in our life. Her level of knowledge and expertise combined with her warm and comforting presence brought us ease during such a delicate time. I also have the same great things to say about Tara who was the second midwife to be present at the birth and meet with us for the postpartum appointments. Tara also has such a warm, beautiful, and comforting spirit and has been such a pleasure to meet with. When expressing the troubles I have with breast feeding, she has been so sweet and reassuring and I really appreciate the level of care she not only provides for our baby, but to me. I feel so fortunate and blessed to have had a successful and empowering homebirth with the utmost care and support from Shannon and Tara and I highly recommend them. I am so grateful to have been in their care.

I don't have enough good things to say about Shannon and her business. She was absolutely…read moreincredible from start to finish. From the very first phone call I felt so comfortable and genuinely heard. She took the time to answer every question and listen to my previous birth story and never made me feel rushed. She listened with understanding and compassion and for the first time I truly felt like a care provider was really listening to me. For my first birth, I had a typical hospital birth with a typical OB. Although I did not have a traumatic experience, I wanted something different for my second time around. I found Shannon and it truly was a blessing. The level of care and attention to detail was above and beyond anything I had experienced before. When the day came to give birth, having her there made me feel so safe supported and empowered. If I was ever to do this again, I would not hesitate to use Shannon and her team and have another home birth. It truly was a defining experience and something that I believe that all women should be able to experience. If you're looking for a quality Midwife service that treats you like family and truly listens to you look no further. I cannot recommend Shannon enough!

My family and I worked with Sunshine Tomlin for the home birth of our second son. She was…read moreabsolutely fabulous and we are so thankful to have her in our lives. My first son's birth was also unmedicated but in a hospital setting and I experienced quite a bit of trauma from that experience (as well as the postnatal care I received through that provider). As a survivor of childhood sexual abuse, I had to work through a lot of fear and some anger as well. It meant so much to me to be able to share that with Sunshine and have her support and understanding. My younger son's birth was a completely different experience, and beyond my hopes and expectations. Another thing I loved about Sunshine's care is that she is very gentle in her exams, both with mamas and babies. One of my favorite parts of my appointments with Sunshine were when she would talk to my son and let him know what she was checking, both through my belly before he was born and when she lovingly cared for him after his birth. If any mamas have questions about working with Sunshine or the whole home birth process, I'm happy to support you in any way-please feel free to message me.

I am so grateful to Hope for the amazing care I received throughout my pregnancy, birth and…read morepostpartum! She is amazing - warm, knowledgable, caring and considerate. My partner appreciated that she was very balanced and non-judgmental in her approach to birth. I was so sad to say goodbye at our 6 week check up... wish she could be part of our lives forever! Thank you Hope!!!

If you are pregnant and trying to decide where to give birth, I HIGHLY recommend Casa Natal! All of…read morethe midwifes are caring and will sit with you for hour long visits to answer your questions. The center is BEAUTIFUL and also has huge tubs you are actually allowed to birth in, unlike other (all to my knowledge) local hospitals that do not allow water births. The perfect in between if you do not really want to do a home birth but want a home birth-like experience in a very gorgeous and peaceful setting! It is also super close to a hospital should you need it (most people do not) and while not needed was great for my peace of mind. They also have a call line where you can ask questions postpartum that is very helpful. Overall, I had a beautiful birth thanks to them and am very grateful. Birth is something you only do a once or a few times in your life, will remember forever, and I am very glad I got to experience this with the team at Casa Natal.

I had my baby girl in June 2021 and I'm so glad I chose Casa Natal (los gatos) for her birth…read more I was with an OB for the first half of my pregnancy and I was able to see the difference in the care provided at Casa Natal versus my OB's office. My OB appointments lasted for only 15 minutes and I didn't feel supported or heard. At Casa Natal, every appointment lasted for an hour, the midwives checked not only for my physical but also my mental health and answered all of my questions. I was able to get acquainted to Melissa, Julia and all the student midwives during my visits. I also took the breastfeeding class that Emily hosted and it was informative and helpful. Coming to the actual birth, it was truly a beautiful experience. I got the exact birth that I had hoped for as a first time parent. I felt supported throughout my labor. Melissa, Tara, and Charlie attended my birth and were the best team I could have asked for apart from my husband. Tara and Charlie guided me with different positions and techniques to help progress with the labor. After about 6 hours of laboring at the birth center, I delivered my baby vaginally, without any interventions and I was back home 4 hours after my baby was born. They also provided me with excellent postpartum care and lactation support. If you're looking for a holistic natural birth experience, look no further. This team is it!

I highly recommend Casa Natal to anyone who is pregnant and trying to decide where to give birth…read more It is similar to a homebirth, but way better and is a nice in between of that and a hospital setting, as it is in an absolutely beautiful facility (the huge birth tubs you are actually allowed to birth in are amazing - something no hospitals offer to my knowledge locally!) and also is very close to a hospital should you need it. (Thankfully most people do not but it was nice for my peace of mind given that I did have some risk factors.) The entire team is very kind and caring and will provide very personal care throughout your pregnancy/postpartum period. They are very supportive of you making decisions about how you want your birth to go, and I could not recommend them enough!

Absolutely outstanding birthing center. From the moment I walked in, I felt supported, respected,…read moreand genuinely cared for. The entire team brings a perfect balance of expertise, compassion, and calm confidence that makes such a huge difference during pregnancy and birth. Every interaction--from prenatal visits to the day of delivery--was thoughtful, reassuring, and empowering. The staff listened, explained, and encouraged me every step of the way. The environment is peaceful, beautifully maintained, and intentionally designed to help you feel at ease. My birth experience could not have been more positive. I felt safe, in control, and fully supported by a team that truly honors the birthing process. If you're looking for a place where you will be treated as an individual, respected in your choices, and surrounded by skilled, caring professionals, Casa Natal is the one. I couldn't recommend it more highly.

Due to my privileged position, and very personal experience with Silicon Valley doulas, I can tell…read moreyou it has been nothing short of exceptional since their inception. Czarina brings over 20 plus years of experience, extensive training, and a true passion for supporting families through one of life's most meaningful transitions -- welcoming a new baby. Her background covers everything from lactation consulting and sleep training to postpartum depression and psychosis support, patient advocacy, birth preparation, and more. She's worked with over 300 families over her career thus far, providing truly personalized and compassionate care each and every time. Her depth of knowledge about the birth journey, babies, and the postpartum period is remarkable, and she always approaches her work with professionalism, empathy, and a calm confidence and experience. One thing I respect deeply is her clarity and integrity when it comes to her business policies. She has a no-refund policy that's clearly stated in her contract (which is completely legal and standard for her field). The reason is simple and fair, much like many other businesses she reserves specific dates and times for the families she assists and does not take other clients during those scheduled sessions. When someone cancels or tries to back out of a contract she's already set aside that time, so it's clearly ethical that her time and commitment are respected. If you're looking for a highly skilled, knowledgeable, compassionate, empathetic doula who combines unmatched experience, professionalism, and genuine care, Czarina is the person you want by your side through pregnancy, birth, and beyond.

TL;DR: Last-minute cancellations, fell asleep on duty watching our newborn, refused hands-on baby…read morecare, offered useless virtual support, prepaid for 13 nights, and refused refund. We're disputing the charges with our credit card company. Do not recommend. We hired Czarina for evening doula services shortly after welcoming our newborn, hoping for support and rest. Unfortunately, the experience caused us significantly more stress than doing it alone. The most alarming issue was that she repeatedly fell asleep snoring loudly while on duty watching our newborn. This happened on multiple visits. We could see and hear her sleeping, which meant that instead of resting, we stayed awake monitoring her to ensure our baby was safe. When we addressed this directly, her response was shocking: she claimed she was doing it to "train us to be better parents" and get us used to sleeping while the baby sleeps. As exhausted first-time parents, this felt unreassuring and completely unsafe. We hired a night doula to reduce anxiety, not to monitor the caregiver. Beyond the safety issues, basic doula duties were neglected: * Refusal of Care: She was unwilling to help wash the baby and unable to provide clear, hands-on guidance for newborn care. * Household Help: She provided little to no assistance with basic household tasks. * Ineffective Virtual Support: She attempted to substitute some support with "virtual" sessions, which offered zero value to us as parents who needed physical, hands-on help with a newborn during overnight hours. Her reliability was poor, with multiple last-minute cancellations and rescheduling. Most importantly, we prepaid for 13 nights of service. When we terminated the arrangement due to the safety concerns and poor service, she refused to provide a refund for the unused nights. We were forced to escalate this to our credit card company to try and recoup our funds. Czarina was pleasant to speak with initially, but her actions put our peace of mind at risk and violated our trust. If you are looking for reliable, hands-on postpartum care that allows you to rest, I strongly recommend looking elsewhere. Ask specific questions about staying awake during night shifts, hands-on newborn care (including bathing), refund policies, and what "virtual support" entails before hiring.

I am a birth doula and recently had the opportunity to work with Kavita at my client's birth. A…read morelittle background first, my client switched over to Kavita toward the end of her pregnancy. Right after her first visit with Kavita, my client emailed to jokingly tell me that she didn't even need her birth plan anymore; she felt confident that Kavita would honor her wishes. I hadn't even met Kavita yet and I was already impressed. As a three time home birther, I can confidently say that birthing with Kavita was as close to a home birth as you can get in a hospital. Kavita was a quiet, confident presence. She patiently let the birth unfold, made a few gentle suggestions and quietly caught a beautiful baby as mom sat on a birthing stool in a dim and peaceful room. Just a gorgeous birth thanks to a strong and confident mama and a wise midwife. I came away telling everyone, "I wish every birth could be like this!" I can't wait to work with Kavita again!

My family and I found Kavita through a friend's recommendation for a home birth midwife while we…read morewere still living abroad. Kavita made time to speak to us over video chat, and once we moved back to the area, I immediately began receiving prenatal care with her. It was easy to schedule my appointments, she was always thorough in her explanations and answered any questions I had with care and an extensive base of knowledge. Kavita is warm, gentle, wise, and easy to be around. As this was my second birth, I had hopes that labor would be shorter than with my first, but none of us could have anticipated such a precipitous labor... Kavita calmly talked my husband through the final moments and as baby came out, and arrived as soon as she could. She stayed for several hours, ensuring all of us were in good shape medically, brought me snacks and tea, made me a sitz bath, and helped me field curious family members. She was back early the next morning and was helpful with breastfeeding suggestions and general moral support. This postpartum support continued for the next 6 weeks. Kavita is the full package: if you are looking for a midwife with ample experience, who has worked both in hospital and in the community (home birth), who has extensive knowledge and qualifications (CNM, RN), and who has a kind, calming effect on all who encounter her, please consider her!