Where can I even begin with Sharon Economides? First, I am the husband here writing a review. I am the family Yelper, but know that my wife is in agreement with 100% of these words. This was our 3rd child, 1st homebirth. Demeanor: She is gentle, wonderful, knowledgeable, ever patient and clearly an expert. You would never decide to have a home birth with someone who isn't a de facto expert, and Sharon certainly is. You can read more about her training and background on their site. Visits: She was available, punctual, friendly, NEVER rushed, so kind. Answered every question, and followed up with anything we needed. She was always available via text, email or phone. Billing: She has a medical biller that is handling EVERYTHING. Love it. Whatever the insurance doesn't cover we pay. Fair enough - and before we did anything, she called and verified the coverage. Preparedness: She had a full on mid-wife as her assistant (Shannon) in delivery for my wife who was also wonderful. She dropped off the birth kit and didn't make us buy a laundry list of items. Most of what she asked us to have was super reasonable and we didn't need to order any "home-birth kits" - she brought it all a week or two before our due date. Chill-factor: 10 of 10: i'll go into it in a second, but Sharon is so "chill" so relaxed, peaceful -Zen even. It matters so much. And for us it definitely mattered. A portion of our birth story. I'll be writing a longer post for my personal blog, but want to share that our birth presented - at the very last minute - breech. It was crazy. We actually had hospital care through around week 30. The baby was perfect, in position, all good. When we switched to Sharon, the baby was still good. We believe that during labor, the baby flipped, all we know is that what seemed like a head ended up being a butt. The birth was so far along, that we decided to just go.... (baby was born about 6 minutes later)... Sharon had been present for a breech birth before so she kept the cool like I have never seen - i on the other hand was quietly losing my mind without my wife noticing. Long story short - perfection. yes folks, we delivered a breach baby, with no tearing, no issues, no complications, naturally, at home. To be clear, had we known this was a breach we would have gone to the hospital, but we didn't - but we are grateful that we had such a professional at our side. It was also key that she had another midwife with her for delivery. So awesome. After Birth: Sharon and Shannon (the other midwife) cleaned up everything, did laundry and stayed for awhile to ensure everything was okay. And it was. Baby latched in minutes, nursed well, pooped, peed, the whole nine. Postnatal visits: Sharon came by almost daily, recorded weight, checked the baby and mama. she kept GREAT records! Our pediatrician was completely impressed at the detail and regularity of visits for the baby. So were we! Bonuses: Sharon brought books over for our kids to prepare them for a home birth - it was awesome! They were so helpful. Details to mention: Sharon considered almost every angle in our birth plan, she was super inclusive of me in the process. She cared COMPLETELY that my wife always felt comfortable. She was never pushy, always calm and supportive. She likes to allow women to birth on their own and gently encourage during the process. She is a "birth-whisperer" - case in point, she barely spoke at times, she would almost communicate with touch and just breathing, helping my wife focus without words at times. In case I didn't say this enough - she was so calm that even when the baby presented breech - not one tone changed. She was the stoic honest person you need by your side. If you are thinking about a home birth just call Sharon, ask her for books and videos to watch. For us we decided on the home birth after 27 or so weeks of hospital care - so it's really never too late to do it. We whole-heartedly recommend Sharon! Pierre & Sonya read more

Coastal Maternity Care - our baby & Sharon at the 4 week visit - Midwives Near Me

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Sharon Economides was my Lactation Consultant when my newborn was having trouble latching, due to what was assumed to be flat nipples. I had been using a shield recommended to me, but my baby was not putting back on her birth weight. On the first visit, within the first few minutes Sharon was able to get my baby to latch properly without the shield! Just by making a few simple suggestions around my babies position and using a pump to help pull the nipple out a little more, my baby was able to latch and begin to nurse properly. Sharon is not only very knowledgeable in her field, but she has a really good vibe to her, making mama and baby feel comfortable. With her down to earth personality and her calm presence, she is able to communicate the information she needs to relay with great ease. Sharon was also very helpful by phone, text and e-mail and was quick to respond when questions which came up between the few sessions we met. I highly recommend any new mama to Sharon. Nursing is not intuitive and if you are having trouble getting started, you will be happy you contacted Sharon so that you and your baby can begin a nursing rhythm that will bring you both great joy and love. read more

I am forever grateful to Sharon for her care during my pregnancy and birth of my second child. It was such a world of difference from the first time around. My OB was nice enough, but would spend maybe 5 minutes tops just to check the baby's vitals and then usher me out the door. My OB wasn't available for my first birth, and I ended up with a surly OB at delivery that I definitely wouldn't have picked myself. I decided the second time around that I wanted a more personal level of care, and I'm so glad I went with Coastal Maternity. Sharon always gave me her undivided attention during our prenatal and postnatal visits. She was so thorough and knowledgeable, and she made sure to address any questions I had (or didn't know I had!). She brought things for me like books, tea, website recommendations, etc. She was always available via email or phone if any questions or concerns came up between visits. She also struck just the right balance for me between "crunchy" and conventional, meaning that she could readily recommend holistic remedies like acupuncture while also putting in orders for bloodwork or ultrasounds if needed. Visits definitely involved more than just checking the baby's heartbeat...She also took my well-being fully into account, as well as my husband and toddler. That level of care for my entire family meant so much to me. Personalities can factor into one's decision when choosing a midwife, but Sharon is so warm, calm, and grounded that I would imagine that she could work with just about anybody. She has such a seamless and intuitive way of knowing when to jump in and lead and when to step back and let you take the wheel. This was exactly what I needed during my labor and birth. She was there every step of the way to help me keep my focus and stay strong. She understood and respected my wishes but also knew when to make helpful suggestions and try new things if I was feeling stuck. I ended up with an empowering home birth experience that I will cherish forever. I highly recommend Sharon and Coastal Maternity! read more

We planned a homebirth for our first child and Sharon guided us through prenatal, birth, and postnatal care with her characteristic calm, cool, and collected demeanor. For some context on my perspective, my husband and I are both mainstream professionals. We chose a home birth because we wanted the peace of being at home combined with the highest level of care during birth. We are SO thankful to have the chance to be under Sharon's care! We really connected with Sharon because she had a wonderful ability to explain medical and biological concepts really thoroughly and understandably. At the same time, she exhibits the characteristic listening and open attitude that you really want from a midwife. During prenatal care, Sharon took a lot of time to answer all of our questions in depth. She also made my husband feel respected and valued. This is really important to us because we wanted the birth to be about our family, and not just about the woman giving birth. Sharon guided us through prenatal care and preparation for the baby with confidence AND flexibility. Although her ideas turned out to be the best way in the end, she never forced any of her opinions or made us feel rushed to make a decision. My husband really appreciated that because Sharon has so much midwifery experience, she doesn't have anything to prove via our birth process. She let it be ours and provided expert guidance at every turn. On the day of our daughter's birth and during postpartum care, Sharon poured out care for us and we were so grateful! She noticed that my husband was not feeling well, and showed up the next day with an herbal remedy she knew we would appreciate. She was ever so gentle and patient as we figured out what it meant to be parents. She explained concepts about the baby's physical and mental development in a clear way that we can understand, and she also left space to just love on the baby and feel the emotions that come with a birth. When I was describing Sharon's practice to a friend who chose a hospital birth, my friend said, "wow, you really are getting the Cadillac of care". Working with Sharon means you get the best of both worlds - expert care in a peaceful home environment. read more

Emily was just the greatest care I could have imagined for my pregnancy and postpartum. The planned home birth didn't take place and I had to transfer to the hospital. But I'm glad that in the whole process, Emily was always on top of things. She's an energetic and cheerful woman full of positive vibes and very confident and proficient in her work. What I loved most about the whole experience is that she always respected my wishes and even assured me to do it my way. She was always there to reply to my texts and phone calls no matter what time of the night and never left a question unanswered. Also, her expertise covers the whole range from alternative to western medicine. You can tell that it's not just her job, but it's her calling and she loves doing what she does. read more

Coastal Maternity Care - Emily examining my newborn after we came home from the hospital. - Midwives Near Me

Sharon was the primary midwife for our first (and only!) child and we would highly recommend her services to anyone intending a home birth. In my experience with Sharon, her qualities include (but are not limited to!): capable, qualified, prompt, excellent listener (to both myself and my partner), warm, caring, calm, professional, reassuring presence, flexible, supportive, respectful, pleasant, kind, attuned, thorough, open-minded, knowledgeable, generous, comfortable with water birth and meticulously attentive to detail. One of the best moments during my labor was looking up to see that Sharon had arrived! I could relax and was relieved in her presence. She encouraged me to trust my body, and was entirely respectful of my wishes and my process. I loved my birth experience, and she was a huge contributor to what will always be an amazing memory. I am so grateful we found her. She seems to have that extra something that few people have that makes them stand out as if they've found their calling in life. She continued in her post-partum visits to be extremely helpful and available to respond to a wide array of concerns that came up adjusting to life with a newborn. If we have another child, we would love to have Sharon as our midwife again! read more

Lets Preface that I am Writing as the father: I highly recommend Sharon and coastal maternity. Sharon is as cool as the otherwise of the pillow. Calm and collected, yet thoughtful and thorough; never complacent. She was the midwife for our first born, and thanks to her calming and professional presence, we were able to fully embrace the experience and welcome our beautiful boy Into this world, worry free, drug free and with huge smiles and tears of joy. She was also a wealth of information postpartum. In fact, she offered much more useful, practical information in a more holistic direction than our pediatricians at kaiser ever did. It's the difference between being a patient and being a friend. Sharon is, and will always a friend of our family now! read more

Sharon was one of three midwives I interviewed before making my decision and within the first few moments of meeting her I knew she was the best fit for me. Turns out she was the most educated and experienced of the three I interviewed but she didn't inflate her price for it. Sharon is calm, warm, modest, and exceptionally knowledgable. She is very good at what she does and her confidence and expertise helped me build trust in her and feel safe and well guided in her care. Sharon had an answer for every one of my questions or concerns but often she would first give me the tools and/or direction so that I could find the answer myself. She empowered me to take ownership and control of my own pregnancy and acted like a guide lighting the way on my best path. My labor started at 9pm on a Monday and my doula arrived around midnight. Sharon arrived around 5am shortly after my water broke. Sharon was a calm, quiet, informative, and helpful presence at my birth. She quietly lead the team and followed my lead as the birthing mother never telling me what to do, instead maintaining a safe environment for me to birth my baby. Sharon's post natal care was the best part of all. She stayed with us well after my son was born to make sure we were both stable and healthy. The house was left clean and she left us in our bedroom to rest and cuddle and nurse as a new family. It wasn't long before she was back the next day to check on us and then the day after that. Our post natal visits were so special to me. Sharon eased my every worry and helped me work through all the new things we were going through. This was my first birth so I don't have a hospital experience to compare it to but I felt it turned out even better than I imagined. It was so amazing to be comfortable in our home with our new baby from the moment he came out and my son never left my or my husband's eyes for weeks. I will be forever grateful to Sharon for being a part of this very special time in my life. read more

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I was lucky enough to work with Emily as a midwife. I have been her assistant and she has been mine. At births she is always well prepared, fully present and vigilant. She stays calm and insightful even in stressful situations. She communicates well with her clients and the birth team and always provides clear and well balanced unbiased information so her clients can make the best decisions about their care. It is always a pleasure working with her! read more

Sharon Economides has been an incredible lactation consultant over the past few months since the birth of our baby. When after 10 days, our newborn daughter was still losing weight, Sharon stepped in to help support us and find ways to help our baby gain weight and help me increase my supply of milk. She was the only person who addressed our baby's lip tie and referred us to a great pediatric dentist (Dr. Yazdi in Castro Valley). We worked together for several months and now my baby is almost solely breast fed or supplemented with my own milk. Sharon has helped to give me confidence, calm my fears, ease the pain that came with nursing, and weather the trials of being a new mom struggling to breastfeed. She has helped our daughter to latch properly and feed well. I can't say enough about how Sharon has helped to carry us through these first few months. Worth every penny and I won't hesitate to recommend her or hire her again in the future should we have issues with weaning etc., or if we have feeding issues with future babies. Sharon is readily available when it comes to being in contact. She was quick to respond via phone/text/email and I never felt like any question was too silly. Sharon often had really great tips to help with everything I was need help with, and if she didn't have an answer, would research what we needed and get back to us promptly. I'm so grateful to this lovely, caring woman for her kind encouragement and wealth of knowledge. She is so supportive and helped me to balance a mother's intuition with practical know-how. If you're looking for a lactation consultant, hire Sharon! read more

We had a home birth with our second daughter and Sharon has been the most amazing, midwife and lactation consultant for us. She is knowledgeable without being overbearing and is extremely calm and collected. We started our journey with Sharon less than a week of moving to the Bay Area. Given the fact that prenatal appointments happened in our home, they were always stress free and 60-90 mins long. Sharon bought in books, birth videos and herbal teas and listened patiently and answered all questions with great depth. My first birth (also a med free birth but at a hospital) had resulted in an almost fourth degree tear with a very painful postpartum period. Throughout our meetings, Sharon addressed and helped allay my fears of a similar tear from this birth. She also knew how to connect me to the right people- a doula, pelvic floor therapist, chiropractor and other local resources (yoga, herbal store, moms network)- which was very helpful since we had just moved from the east coast. Sharon's composure and gentle support through labor was a blessing. She knew when to say the right things and when to let things happen. I had an intense labor with a gentle water birth and I don't think it would have been possible without her. Sharon gently reminded me to push slowly and take my time to avoid tearing like last time - completely in contrast to my hospital birth. My mom who was nervous about home birth spoke very highly about her afterwards. Postpartum visits with Sharon were also very detailed and she gave me handy tips to help improve baby's latch. Sharon was super responsive by email and made extra visits at short term notice to make sure baby was gaining weight well. Our visits are soon coming to an end and I will miss seeing Sharon and her warm smile. I would recommend Sharon to any pregnant mama without blinking. read more

My husband and I were very pleased with the experience we had at Coastal Maternity Care. This was my first baby I didn't want to be in a hospital for very long hours or feel rushed because of a time limit so we decided to plan a home birth. Emily was amazing from the very beginning. She was always available 24/7 and very attentive to our needs. She is very resourceful and empowers mothers. She has a nice network of wonderful professionals within the community. She connected me with a wonderful massage therapist who help repositioned my baby within an hour. She also trust the woman's instinct. Even though I had some false alarms , the night I went into labor I called her in the middle of the night and told I taught it was the real deal. She came over quickly to examine me and though I wasn't dilated, she trusted my instincts and decided to watch me for a little while and sure enough I went from 0 to 5 cm in 2 hours and 5 hours later with Emily's support we welcomed our baby in a nice warm and cozy environment. Jasmin, the other midwife made sure my baby was well taken care of.Postpartum, she gave us plenty of time to bond with our new baby and made sure all of our needs were met. I wouldn't have done it any other way. I would definitely use Coastal Maternity for baby #2 if I am still in the area. As a healthcare professional, I highly recommend a midwife for all pregnancies even if you are planning a hospital birth because midwives attended birth have a better outcome than standard hospital birth . I highly recommends Emily and Jasmin at Coastal Maternity Care. Most PPOs will pay for it and if your insurance doesn't , the price is very reasonable. It was totally worth it. read more

Sharon is a wonderful midwife. She was the first of 2 midwives to arrive at my home to help with the birth of my daughter almost 5 years ago! Throughout our meetings and through to the birth, I was continually impressed by her professional manner, heartfelt, and compassionate way of being. There are many types of midwives out there. One of the things I like most about Sharon is that she seems as though her style would appeal to most anyone. She is strong in her education and level of support, but unbiased in her beliefs of how your birth should go. In other words, I never felt pressure from Sharon about how I was birthing, or the type of birth I should have. She supported and educated me and my family throughout the entire process and helped us have a birth that was right for us. It's also been sweet to see her online and she still reaches out on FB commenting on photos, etc. It feels nice that someone who shared in such a special time with us, is still present in our lives. I would highly recommend her services to anyone looking for a midwife. read more

My husband and I have been so pleased with the care we have received from Coastal Maternity. From our first interview with Emily, we felt completely comfortable and confident that she was a great fit for us. Her bedside manner is professional and warm, individualized to her client's needs. When I was overwhelmed and crying, she offered a hug. When I had medical questions, gave evidence based answers. I felt like Emily was my biggest cheerleader through pregnancy and postpartum, saying just the right helpful thing in each situation. In my opinion, Emily blends natural/holistic care and scientific research well. She embraces the best of various approaches for whatever comes her way. She also worked great with my husband, both encouraging him in ways to help me and telling me things he had done during the delivery to be helpful that I didn't even know about. I would not choose go back to a hospital system after having two home births (one with Emily and one with her predecessor Sharon). My home births were a positive and empowering experience thanks to my skilled and thoughtful midwives. read more

I was introduced to Sharon during my second trimester after not being happy with Washington hospital services. I wanted this birth experience to be different ( my last 3 were medicated + induced). I met with Sharon at my home and was immediately comforted by her. I told her I wanted an unmedicated birth and a more holistic approach to my care and birthing experience. I wanted a home birth but my husband wasn't 100% onboard ( our next one will be a home birth delivered by Sharon ) I can't say enough good things about Sharon - she's the perfect midwife - calm, knowledgable, caring, loving and awesome! Every question I had ( still at # 4 I had questions ) and Sharon answered all of them. She did an amazing job during my labor - I had a hospital birth ( kaiser ) and ending up getting induced bc the doctor said the baby wasn't growing ( which wasn't true - baby was perfect). I was able to get induced with no pain meds and has an amazing experience! I couldn't of done it without Sharon's support, she was there through everything! If you are looking for a midwife - pick Sharon, for our next baby and the ones to follow she will deliver them. I had an amazing experience. read more

I usually don't yelp and I waited a long time to write this review but I felt like it was time to talk about the terrible experience me and my wife had with Sharon. We were expecting our first child with a due date of May 12th 2016, my wife was into the whole midwife, doulas, home birth in a tub natural methods so I supported her not knowing much about the way this all worked. The first couple of visits with Sharon were mediocre at best but I didn't really know what to expect, my wife assured me that everything was going to plan. I got a detached vibe from Sharon and commented on this but did not want to assume things since I was totally new to this home birth process. Few months go by and we're getting check ups making payments everything moving along smoothly, we reached a point where we were putting a deposit on a tub as well as preparing an alternate plan In case we had to go to the hospital. My wife is around 7-7 1/2 months pregnant when there was a conversation about not seeing eye to eye about some things and Sharon said " you have nothing to worry about, we can work this out. " A few days later after our check had cleared for the last visit we received an email stating that " it would be in both of our best interests if we found a new midwife to perform our birth, " basically stating that she wasn't going to deliver our baby about 6 weeks from our due date. This sent us frantically searching for a midwife that would work with us insurance wise as well as someone who would even take the job at all. Luckily we found someone who was willing to work with us but there was no way for us to get it cleared through our insurance so we had to pay out of pocket about $5000. Not only was this mentally, financially and physically hard on me and my wife but it was totally unprofessional. I didn't write this review for a while fearing blowback from other midwives as we still are in communication with others but something had to be said. So yea Sharon I wish I could give you 0 stars, and I'm glad you weren't a part of my daughters birth because she's amazing. read more

I am very moved by the grace by which Sharon nurtures her clientele. I chose Sharon as my midwife due to her calm and patient demeanor, as well as her neutrality when it comes to guiding through the birth experience. This proved to be her exact professionalism and scope. She is sweet, professional, highly knowledgeable and experienced--so obviously, that fears and doubts give way to trust: in birth, in her, and in yourself. A wonderful, caring: guide, mediator, medium, and mirror to the greatest moment of your life. Much love and aloha to you, Sharon. I can never thank you enough. read more

Sharon gave us the most kind and loving care during our pregnancy and birth process. She was the first midwife we met with, and from that moment our first choice, and we chose well! All the way through, Sharon was calm, centered, understanding and caring. Sharon has real empathy and expertise on her side, and she made us feel as though we were in capable hands from day one. When I had to abandon my dream of a home birth and transfer to a hospital, Sharon was understanding of my fear and disappointment, but was firm about her belief that it was for the best for my baby and I, and I trusted her. She was able to help my husband and I with the logistics and was a quiet, steady presence through my labor. I could not imagine having anyone else as my midwife, and I highly recommend her services! My daughter is 15 months old now, but I will never forget the experience of bringing her into the world, and all the tender care I received during that process. Thank you Sharon! read more

We couldn't have imagined a better midwife for our prenatal care and birth! This was my second birth (first one in a hospital setting) and throughout the whole pregnancy, Sharon came to my home for the prenatal visits; I was extremely thankful for this because I had a toddler in tow and couldn't fathom having to take her with me to all of my appointments. Sharon's warm spirit and calm demeanor helped make all of my prenatal care and the labor and birth a wonderful and enjoyable experience. She never rushed any of our meetings and always answered all my questions carefully. Her advice and expertise helped me feel at peace (rather than worried or stressed) with unexpected things that arose during my pregnancy (e.g.: a low-lying placenta and persistent UTI) and some of the challenges I encountered during the postpartum period (high blood loss and breastfeeding struggles). I felt very well taken care of and LOVED the postpartum check-ups that happened in the comfort of my own bedroom. We appreciated her passion for keeping birth what it is meant to be: a mostly undisturbed, normal, natural process that does not usually require much intervention other than a watchful eye from a trained professional. At our labor and birth, Sharon's presence allowed us to feel confident in ourselves and our abilities. And when needed, she and her assistant midwife gave us the hands-on support necessary. We are thankful, grateful and honored that Sharon was our attending midwife for our second born and would hire her again in a heartbeat! read more