After a difficult start with our original midwife, we were feeling overwhelmed and let down during such a vulnerable time. Thankfully, Lauren stepped in during our first week postpartum--and everything changed. She brought calm, compassion, and clarity when we needed it most. Her care was attentive, respectful, and deeply reassuring. She took time to listen, answer our questions, and made us feel truly supported. We are so grateful for the difference she made in our early days at home. Any family would be lucky to be in her care. read more

We are so grateful for the incredible birthing classes we took with Lauren at MadreluzLA! From the very first session, she made us feel informed, empowered, and truly prepared for birth. Her deep knowledge, warm presence, and willingness to answer all of our questions (no matter how big or small) eased so many of my pregnancy anxieties. She created a space where we felt comfortable, supported, and confident going into labor and delivery. Thanks to Lauren, we approached birth with a sense of readiness rather than fear, and I can't recommend her enough to any expecting parents. This class was an invaluable part of our journey! read more

I can't say enough great things about the help I received from Lauren over the past year! She is so understanding, thoughtful, and knowledgable. I appreciate how much time she spends with me each time we chat - Lauren goes into depth to understand your history, goals, and lifestyle. It never feels like a rush and her demeanor always makes me feel so supported/comfortable. I tried many different practices/doctors before being introduced to Lauren, and she was the one that made the biggest difference to help me conceive. She put together a specialized plan for me for TTC and was always checking in and making changes if needed. I am grateful to continue getting Lauren's help/expertise throughout my pregnancy. She is unmatched and I highly recommend! read more

Lauren assisted the birth of my first kid back in 2016, fast forward to 2020, I found out I was 3 weeks pregnant and called her on the very same day. She always has her listening ears ready and knows exactly what to say. I am the anxious, over-thinker type of person. More often than not, I will be worrying about something I felt, read or learned about and having her by my side would always bring me back to reality. Her patience, knowledge and confidence, kept me calm and positive throughout my not so easy pregnancy (I had a subchorionic hematoma, covid, nausea, severe leg cramps, you name it). Lauren is flexible, understanding and just plain nice. We always felt welcomed and comfortable around her. Having her over for the home visit was such a blessing. She prepared a little ceremony, let my daughter help prepare things and made us stop to really think about and celebrate the new life that was about to come. My water broke in the middle of the night and she didn't hesitate to come over and assure me that everything was fine. Things progressed fast and when she came back in the morning, I was convinced I couldn't handle it any longer. She talked me through it, reminded me of what I wanted and gave me all the support I needed, through exercises to better position the baby to words of encouragement. My labor was fast, I didn't get to spend much time in the tub before my son was born but Lauren made sure I had space and that all my wishes were respected. I got to catch my baby myself and my daughter cut the cord. We'll never forget those moments. I am very thankful for all the support she gave us before, during and after my son was born. read more

madreluzLA - Midwives Near Me

I couldn't have asked for a better experience! Lauren from the very beginning was warm communicated well and asked all the right questions and gave all the right support. From the first meeting to our last Lauren always took the time to make sure we were in the right state of mind. The herbal supplements were very helpful and every team member she suggested was amazing as well! Even with my husband being hesitant initially at the thought of a home birth, she had meetings with him one on one to address these concerns and help him through the process. And because of that my husband is now a huge proponent for the homebirth! During labor Lauren was calm and provided suggestions and explanations about the entire process. I could not have asked for a better midwife for the birth of our first son. She had all the equipment and never made the process of labor seems scary. She was the perfect guide for this birth and I could not ask for a better birthing story. If you are interested in a home birth please reach out to Lauren, she will provide you with the perfect amount of support, kindness and guidance! read more

My Fiancée and I birth our heathy baby boy with with Lauren at MadrelusLA. Having Lauren there for my wife to be during her pregnancy was so helpful and reassuring to me during our journey. I had took work 6/7 days a week and it was very challenging, but knowing my to be wide had that emotional and physical support made it all with it. Thank you Lauren you really were a wonderful midwife to our family. read more

madreluzLA - Midwives Near Me

Lauren is the most amazing, knowledgeable midwife I was so lucky to have as part of my prenatal and Postpartum experience. This was my 5th pregnancy at age 42. Her support, guidance and health care provided the best experience I have ever had. My last pregnancies were not so great with your typical western OB care. I learned so much from her. This experience helped me heal birth traumas from the passed. I knew I made the right choice, when my intuition was telling me to go with a midwife at 20 weeks pregnant; after not feeling right on how I was being treated by my OB doctor because of my age. I carried a beautiful full term baby girl, thanks to her care and attentiveness. I highly recommend her to anyone, who is wanting a different and more personal experience. Because having a baby, is a natural beautiful experience and shouldn't be a medical experience. I will continue to go with Lauren for my women care moving forward as well. read more

Lauren is one of a kind. My husband and I had our first baby with Lauren. She is patient, caring, calm and knowledge - everything you want in a midwife. We had such a wonderful prenatal experience with her. Each appointment was more than just a health check, she spent time getting to know us. She even set me up with a mommy mentor who was a recent client. It was really special to hear her birth story and get to ask her questions as well as get to meet her son! The birth was magical. Lauren and her birth team were so calm and confident. Looking back at it, it just all seemed so smooth and easy. After our daughter came out, she guided my daughter to latch and then stitched me up, the team cleaned up the room, they even heated up food for me to eat. Perhaps it's because I'm a first time mom, but the thing that surprised me the most were the post parteum visits. Lauren did two home visit and we learned so much - from breastfeeding, to poop-monitoring, to nutritional guidance. She's just so reassuring and knowledgeable. read more

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Cannot speak enough good things about Lauren or recommend her enough. She is extremely knowledgeable about all things birth. Everything from what to expect in allopathic medicine to midwifery care and (my personal favorite) her knowledge of herbal Medicine. She is incredibly in depth and honestly cared for our whole family. We just brought up ailments that our daughter/ my husband experienced and she offered suggestions that really helped us. She helped us come up with plans to stay active as a family/ meal prep and this unexpectedly brought us closer as a family. I loved loved loved the pregnancy tea she prepares. I had some cramping/contractions and she gave me a tincture that stopped it. Last time I had cramping my OB put me on bed rest and I felt like I missed out on so much. This was my third birth and it came with some small complications but she handled them amazingly. There was no fear tactic, just her giving info about what could happen and asking what I thought needed to be done to prepare for the birth. She was very clear about all possible situations and gave us medication to have in our fridge in case of hemorrhage ( I think this is just typical protocol though). I do recall that she mentioned she has never had to transfer to the hospital for a hemorrhage, so that was cool. All throughout the pregnancy she kindly explained things multiple times as if it was the first time. She continued my care well after 6 weeks of birth. She is such an amazing person and we know without a doubt that we wouldn't have received this kind of care from anywhere else (except possibly from one of her midwife students in another time). Anyways we are honored to call her our midwife. If I could I would gift her to all the pregnant mamas in my life. I wish so much they could have what she gave us. Husband wanted to add that Lauren never missed a step in preparing us. From the beginning stages to the end and even after, we felt extremely well cared for. Lauren showed my husband how to care for me after birth which is a lot bigger than it sounds. They gave me the support I didn't know I needed. Also Lauren gives really good kegel instruction in the healing weeks. She also gives a really good herb sitz bath for healing too. That stuff saved me and gave me so much relief. Even if you don't go with Lauren, we really recommend home birthing if you can. The level of care of a midwife care team is personal/deeper, it's relaxed, & it feels like everyone is consistently on the same page progressing together. Also here are some photos of the herbs for baby's first bath that she offers. So so pretty. read more

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I feel blessed beyond words to have had Lauren French Hoy as my midwife. She's the most extraordinary Midwife I've ever had. This is my 3rd home birth in Los Angeles. I've had 3 different midwives with every birth. I would have loved to have 1 midwife, but our moving to different cities in LA didn't make that possible. We really felt taken care of with Lauren. She really cared for our whole family. During prenatal visits she would let my two daughters 3 years old and 8 years old check the baby's heart beat with the baby monitor. I thought it's my 3rd home-birth this is easy. Well due to it being my 3rd it wasn't as easy as I thought. I couldn't have gotten through it without her support. Being a mother of 2 with a growing family and me trying to finish my BFA degree. I was burning the candle at both ends. Lauren's support and guidance through my journey really made a world of difference. She was there ever step of the way, guiding me with herbs and prenatal support and also a lot of emotional support. I had very little time for myself and our life was moving so fast my only true personal moments with myself was in our prenatal visits. She went the extra mile and meet me at the beach a week before I went into labor. I was stressed and sad and she listened and gave me such beautiful wisdom. She really made sure I was emotionally in the right place before going into labor. She was the most calm, most organized and most experienced midwife I've ever worked with. We were all so appreciative and amazed!!!!! She knew everything! How to calm early cramping, how to activate labor, how to heal thrush, how to guide me in finding the most amazing postpartum doula. I've never had a postpartum doula, OMG HOW AMAZING IT WAS TO HAVE HELP after our 3rd baby was born. I would have never had that support if Lauren didn't mention and encourage me to reach out to the connections she gave me. I felt as if Lauren could see what I needed more then I could at that time of my life and she gently and gracefully guided me to where she could see my family needed it most. She had a solution for any issue that arose. I was having preterm cramps around 32weeks and I was in so much pain in Hollywood at school. She was available right away to help guide me on what I needed to do. I went to the ER. With quick testing I had an bladder infection and Lauren was there with me every step of the way. Lauren had all my medical records emailed to the ER within minutes. She also requested all my other records from the other two midwives so all my birthing files were together. She helped me receive a free new breast pump. We were very tight on money and she helped me gather newborn clothes from her past birth moms. Ironically we were having a surprised home birth and all the clothes I received were all boy clothes. Lauren is a angel and a gift to everyone who is blessed to have her as their midwife. Here are some fun and beautiful pictures of our most special day. Lauren birth our baby boy. He was a 9lbs 11oz and 21 inches long. A huge boy and I'm only 5'4" And our oldest daughter help cut the umbilical cord. I feel so blessed to have had her apart of our life's journey. Any future babies, I will absolutely be calling her. Living in the South Bay and searching for a midwife was very hard. It was a challenge to find the right fit for us. But once we committed with Lauren everything else fell into place. Blessings to you Lauren on your journey and business m, We love you and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts. With all the love in my heart thank you. Love, the Bruneau and Cowan family read more

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I am extremely happy and proud to have had a home water birth experience. I owe it to Lauren and her advice and preparation to help me get through it. I cannot imagine how it would having to go to a hospital but the entire journey with Lauren was amazing and it did not end after birth and postpartum checkups. My baby is now 3 months and I can still reach out to Lauren and ask for advice. She makes me feel like my daughter and I are more than just patients. read more

We were told by Lauren that a substantial portion of our out-of-pocket expenses would be reimbursed through insurance but because she apparently is not licensed through the state in the proper way that insurance requires for the reimbursement, we got back only $600. Look elsewhere for midwifery. Her misleading us (whether deliberate or not) cost us thousands. The insurance company said that she should have known that this would be the result. Especially considering how many of these she's done. read more

Lauren and I had a unique situation. I was looking to transfer midwives and when I finally met Lauren at 35 weeks, I knew she was the one I had been looking for, what I didn't know was that 3 days after we met that Los Angeles would go into a shelter at home quarantine. There was a lot of uncertainty, fear, feelings and we only had 4ish weeks to catch up with each other, this pregnancy and the plan for my birth. But we did it! Most of our prenatals were on zoom, but she was so thoughtful and generous and got us a doppler, blood pressure cuff and little pee sticks so we could still be getting all of my vitals while we talked on zoom. One of my favorite things about Lauren and what attracted me to her practice was her knowledge and use of holistic practices. She has access to and creates teas and herb mixes from her own garden and even brings some in from Mexico. She also gave me a tens machine to use during labor and omgoodness I will use one of those always if I give birth again, but the fact that she knew about it I am forever grateful for. She is very attentive and my postpartum followups have been so wonderful with her, exactly what I wanted and was hoping for. I'd like to add that I was a birth trauma survivor and Lauren let this birth unfold exactly as I had expressed that I wanted it to. I wanted a nurturing midwife to hold my hand and she did just that. Thank you Lauren. read more

madreluzLA - Hugging Lauren during a surge. - Midwives Near Me

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I came to Lauren as a first time mom and could not have had the birth experience of my dreams without her. I heard about her from a great podcast called Supermamas and that interview left me wanting to meet her and incredibly excited to have a midwife that learned so much from my homeland of Mexico. I wanted a traditional birthing experience with little to no western medicinal interventions, and Lauren provided much, much more than I ever expected. She is so knowledgeable and professional... I loved that she could respond with a lot of scientific background but I never left an appointment confused. During the birth, there was never a moment I did not feel safe and blessed in her hands. The delivery of my baby boy went so smoothly and Lauren's postpartum care of myself and my baby has without a doubt ensured a continued euphoric feeling after birth. I love her! read more

madreluzLA - Lauren gives a few words of advice minutes before my baby is born - Midwives Near Me

I knew I wanted a natural home birth, with the least amount of intervention, and my husband and I were so glad for her care pre-natal, during, and postpartum. Unlike our experience with the obstetrician which was impersonal, a lengthy weight, and 5 minutes of actually being seen, Lauren had us in immediately and patiently answered all my husband and my questions. We felt confident and positive throughout the process. Despite a very overdue baby requiring us to go to the hospital, Lauren accompanied us during the labor. We are so happy with her care of us and our perfect baby boy. read more

madreluzLA - Midwives Near Me

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This review wont even begin to express my gratitude for Lauren and her team. From the moment my husband and I walked into her office we new we were in great hands. She always made herself available to us, was so present during our meetings, and always showed so much love for us. We were pregnant with our first baby and there were a lot of nerves and fears on my end but Lauren created a safe space for me to explore that and also had great recommendations for outside support. From our first visit to our last post partum visit I always felt safe and cared for. Lauren supported my choices every step of the way and because of that I had a beautiful empowered birth. My family and I have so much love for her, if we decided to have another, no doubt it would be with her again. read more

I consider my husband and I to be extremely blessed to have had Lauren accompany us on this very sacred journey, thru preconception all the way to post natal. Every chance I get, I tell people how thankful I was/am for her. I literally could not have imagined better care. She really spends her time with you and goes over everything and anything (physically, emotionally, etc) which I really appreciated. I never once felt like just another client to her. Lauren is always very respectful, full of deep insight, great recommendations, and awesome referrals. I felt I could go to Lauren for anything. I couldn't of imagined my pregnancy/birth without her, a true dream come true. Writing this silly yelp review is actually bringing out many emotions as I think back to our time with Lauren, it really was such a wonderful journey and I will always thank my lucky star for finding her. read more

madreluzLA - Midwives Near Me

Lauren has been nothing but amazing throughout my wife and my journey with our first child. At first, I was a bit skeptical of her herbal approach, but soon realized how knowledgeable she is in the field and the support she brings to the table. She taught us so many things throughout second and third trimester and she was amazing during the birthing process. She instinctively knows when and where to step in to help with the birthing process and allowed me to help my wife. We know who to go with our second child. Thank you so much! read more

I had an absolutely incredible experience having Lauren as my midwife. I was originally planning to birth in a hospital but my interactions with my assigned nurse practitioner and obgyn were very impersonal and exactly the opposite of how I wanted to be treated as a first time mother. The first time I met with Lauren I was 4 months into my pregnancy. She took the time to actually get to know me as a person which I greatly appreciated. I liked her immediately and knew I wanted her to be my midwife for a homebirth. She allowed me to lead my own pregnancy while being there for support, information, guidance and encouragement. When the time came to give birth to my daughter, I wasn't sacred or anxious. If anything, I was excited because I knew my body already knew what to do. I credit much of that confidence coming from my time working with Lauren. I could not have asked for a better birthing experience and am so grateful to Lauren for supporting me and my husband through this journey. If you are looking for a knowledgeable, caring, empowering midwife to accompany you on one of the most beautiful adventures of your life, look no further. Lauren, Thank you. read more

I am extremely grateful for Lauren and her team. Lauren is warm, present, knowlegeable, and lighthearted. She is exactly what I was looking for in a midwife. This is my 4th birth and 3rd homebirth. I felt supported and respected in my entire pregnancy, labor and birth. I never felt pressured in anyway. Lauren really helped to make this experience beautiful. I loved the ceremony she offered a few weeks before the birth. My children, my husband and I felt surrounded by love and blessings as we prepared for our transition. In labor, it was very important to me not to feel rushed and to have my children with me as we welcomed our last baby. Even though my labor ended up being much longer than any of my others, Lauren was patient and supportive of my decisions. I will forever be grateful for this beautiful experience surrounded by warmth and love as we became a family of 6. read more

I'm not sure that I could ever say enough good things about Lauren. I was looking for a different and more positive experience with my second baby and that is exactly what I got. I felt safe, supported, and loved all throughout my pregnancy and postpartum. I am so so grateful for the life changing experience that we were able to have read more

One of the very few midwives in the South Bay, Lauren has been such a blessing to have on our journey as a first time mom. From the start of our care until the end (which does not feel like an ending and that I can always reach out to Lauren) Lauren has given us exceptional service and guidance into the world of being parents especially being a mama. I love that Lauren gave us ample time during our visits, she was always on time and never rushed our appointments. She educated us and referred us to a great network of professionals from Lactation, Acupunture and others. During our birth Lauren never left my side and was there until the very end. I can't say enough great things about Lauren. She's warm hearted, genuine and professional. Most of all I never felt pushed or pressure to adhere to the standard of care protocol and tests, they were completely my decision which was such a breath of fresh air in the world of western medicine. Thanks Lauren for taking us on as one of your patients and helping birth a beautiful baby girl! read more

madreluzLA - Midwives Near Me

When I first got pregnant I didn't really know much about what my options were. I wanted to have a home birth but unfortunately my insurance didn't cover it. Although I had an OBGYN and was planning on having a hospital birth, I did a lot of prenatal appointments and classes with Lauren. Her classes are a great resource for learning natural ways of approaching pregnancy and also for learning what your options are so you can make the choices that best resonate with you! read more

I dont even know where to start. I will forever be EXTREMELY grateful for Lauren. She was my midwife for the homebirth of my second daughter - the experience was life changing, powerful and magical. I couldnt have done it without Lauren. read more

After the hospital birth of my first son, which had been traumatic, I was looking for something different my second birth. I met Lauren when I attended her pregnancy yoga class in Mexico, and her knowledge and calm made me feel immediately confident. I decided she should be my midwife. When the time came close, Lauren brought all sorts of medical and birthing equipment with her- from saline drips, to birthing chairs. After a few hours, my son was having some trouble crowning. This had happened with my first son and they had cut my vagina open and filled the baby out with foreceps, using any number of drugs... And leaving me in pain for weeks. This time, Lauren just used some cloth to rigorously rub my bag, and that helped the baby's head find its way. He was born, healthy and well within minutes. I am forever grateful to Lauren for my speedy and painless recovery, the ease with which I could breastfeed and many other benefits that the hospital birth did not provide. Thank you. read more

madreluzLA - Midwives Near Me

In 2010, I gave birth to my first child at home - a 10-pound baby girl - under Lauren's expert care. It was the most positive and most powerful experience of my life. I highly recommend Lauren! read more

Gracias a MadreLuzLA mi experiencia de mi primer embarazo, parto y post-parto fue increíble. Lauren me llevó paso a paso y acompaño en cada momento. Recomiendo 100% el parto en casa y a lado de Lauren más. Gracias por todo Lauren!! Sin duda una excelente partera. read more