Heidi and her team of midwives at Bloom literally changed my life. I didn't know what I needed as…read morethis baby was my first, and I was on the fence at first. However, I NEEDED the support I got -- from hour-long prenatal visits that truly encompass the whole family's values to the birth itself, these women were a godsend to our family. I unfortunately had a complicated birth, and ended up going to the hospital. Having the midwives there with us made the experience SO MUCH less scary. I can't even begin to explain how priceless their presence in the hospital was -- at 3am nonetheless! The lactation support was also key, and got us set up to have a very healthy breastfeeding routine. However, the most important thing that I didn't know I'd need was the postpartum support. You guys, having a baby is WILD. You think about the pregnancy and the birth, but nobody really prepares you for what comes next. I was able to call the midwives and get help after our baby was born, with everything from sleeping arrangements with a newborn to what to do when he got a cold at 3 weeks old. You just don't get this level of care anywhere else. Please consider this option for your family -- it's worth it!

As a new mother in her 40s, I chose to embarked on my pregnancy journey with both Bloom midwives…read moreand an OB. However, upon reflection, I wholeheartedly advocate for Bloom's midwifery and midwifery in general in all pregnancies, if available for the mother. Additionally, I strongly recommend having a doula by one's side for added support. The out of this world remarkable team at Bloom has been a constant source of support, having even helped me through a previous miscarriage with unparalleled care and compassion. They truly feel like family, and I feel blessed to have had them by my side. Towards the end of my pregnancy, the fear instilled in me outside of Bloom, due to my age and ingrained western beliefs, became almost unbearable, leaving me confused and unsure of myself and my decisions for both my baby and myself. In stark contrast, the support, information, and guidance provided by the midwives at Bloom were extraordinary. Their comprehensive approach, addressing both physical and mental health aspects, along with knowledge and encouragement in nutrition, transformed my pregnancy into a positive and empowering experience. During labor, I had the privilege of giving birth in the water to a beautiful and healthy baby. I truly believe that Bloom's care helped improve my mental and physical health during pregnancy, which undoubtedly contributed to the overall health and well-being of my baby. Notably, the midwives at Bloom went above and beyond to ensure that my baby was properly latched during breastfeeding, a crucial aspect of postpartum care often overlooked by other medical providers. Their dedication to incorporating breastfeeding support into their care further solidified my trust and gratitude for their outstanding service. The midwives at Bloom demonstrated exceptional sensitivity and expertise throughout the process, ensuring that every aspect of my care was holistic and supportive. Their unwavering support continued through labor and postpartum, making them an invaluable resource throughout my pregnancy journey. I was consistently informed about all available options, empowering me to make informed decisions regarding my care. Moreover, Bloom's remarkable knowledge in all aspects of pregnancy, birth, and postnatal care was evident throughout my experience. From providing invaluable advice on newborn care to ensuring proper baby feeding techniques, their expertise was instrumental in ensuring a smooth transition into motherhood. Having experienced both approaches, I can confidently say that Bloom's midwifery care during pregnancy, labor, as well as postpartum, focusing on the mother's mental, emotional, and physical well-being, surpasses expectations. I dream of a world where midwifery is celebrated and encouraged, allowing pregnancies to become more fulfilling and less fear-driven experiences. If the opportunity arises to experience pregnancy and labor with Bloom Water Birth and Wellness center, seize it. It's truly transformative in the most profound way possible. I'm forever grateful for Blooms midwifery team.

We met Lisa when I was around 18 weeks pregnant with our 4th daughter. I had always wanted a home…read morebirth, but didn't think it would ever really be a possibility because for one, we didn't think we could afford to have one, and also, I wasn't sure I would connect with someone where I would feel comfortable enough to invite them into our space to have a comfortable home birth. Silly thinking about it now since I had only had hospital births, so basically you are stuck with whoever is in the room, your choice or not. However being a birth, at home, is just so much more personal. I met Lisa and instantly knew she was the right choice for our family. She is so knowledgeable, kind, and most importantly she never once made me feel silly or stupid for asking a question, or voicing a concern about my pregnancy. Having had losses in the past, this was really important to me. I would 110% recommend Lisa and wish this baby wasn't our last, so we could enjoy her services again!

Lisa is hands down one of the most amazing people I have ever met. She is so much more then just my…read moremidwife! I can't say enough good things about her and the care she gives to her clients! Lisa came into our life as an assistant midwife for the birth of our 3rd son and we instantly hit it off and had a wonderful connection right off the bat. When I found out I was pregnant again with my 4th I was so excited to call Lisa right away and tell her the great news; that I was having another baby and would be needing her services! I had a few rough patches early on In my pregnancy and Lisa was right there for me whenever I needed her day or night. Whether it be sitting with me in pediatrics when my son was having some weight gain/nursing issues or going with me to the emergency room when we had an early on scare with my pregnancy, or being so awesome and loving to my wild and crazy 3 boys during our prenatal visits Lisa has done it all. I honestly couldn't have had a more perfect home birth experience. Lisa is not only an amazing and extremely professional midwife, she is an educator, and an advocate, is caring and compassionate and really takes the time to listen to your concerns, your wishes and truly wants and makes sure her client and baby get the absolute best possible care. I am so blessed and thankful to be able to call this amazing huge hearted lady a friend and am so thankful for all she has done for me and my family. Our community is so fortunate to have a care provider like Lisa in the area!

The founder of The Family Well, Deedee Levine, has extraordinary depth and breadth of knowledge and…read moreexperience. I turn to her for compassionate care, women's health issues, and whenever I feel "off". She has deep listening skills, amazing humor and grace, and a rare ability to connect the dots and identify the next best simple steps, leveraging a variety of traditions and science-backed tools. Thank you Deedee!! You and your lovely team are an invaluable resource for women.

From the owner: The Family Well OT & CLC specializes in holistic family wellness. We offer birthing education,…read morelactation consulting, occupational therapy and pelvic floor therapy services. Please reach out for a free consultation!

Alex was absolutely invaluable in the birth of my first child. She is sweet and kind and listened…read moreto my needs. I recommend her services highly.

Having Alex as our Doula was one of the best decisions we made. As a 41 year old first time mom, my…read morehusband & I felt more comfortable having our baby in a hospital. But we were also very keen to have a natural birth. As the pregnancy progressed we realized this might be difficult without plenty of support and planning. Thankfully, we met Alex and she guided us lovingly and gently towards our goal. She recommended some amazing books and dvds, which really opened our eyes to what was normal and possible, and were a great antidote to the medical view of childbirth. Without her, I would not have been able to banish my fears and really believe I could achieve what we wanted. She also organized hiring a pool for me to labor in which we set up at the hospital and which ended up being awesome. During my labor I discovered she had magic hands (oh the relief!) and a magic fan . And we did it! We delivered a beautiful 8lb 1 oz baby girl at the hospital without any medical intervention - and we have all three of us thrived from day one. Alex has been there for us while we negotiated the new parent terrors - responded to calls and texts and emails, visiting us frequently. She has gone above and beyond everything we expected. Alex is a beautiful person - very down-to-earth, warm and calm. We feel very blessed that she helped us bring our little girl in to the world and that she continues to be part of our lives.

My wife and I had our third baby at home through Thrive in November, and again, I can do nothing…read morebut sing their praises. I had complete confidence that Thrive had our best interests at heart every moment my wife and son were in their care. As usual, they practiced informed consent, validation of experiences, and love to a degree that I have never seen or even dreamed of previously in health care settings. The highlight of this birth experience was (of course) the birth itself. This time we were graced with three of the midwives through good fortune. Again, immediately after birth, our newborn struggled to take his first breaths. We waited about 8 minutes for him to take that first breath, and yet, my wife, daughter, son and I were all calm and felt immensely supported in that moment by the three women in our presence who absolutely knew what their calling was and what their roles were in that moment. It is hard to comprehend how different that experience could have felt from a sterile, medical, environment of a hospital, and how different our newborn's first few minutes, hours, and days after birth could have been. Not to mention how the perception and feelings surrounding births could have been malformed for our young son and daughter. We are so immensely thankful to have this collective of women in Sonoma County who are such a breath of fresh air!

We had our baby at Thrive in July and it was the best experience! This was our first baby and we…read moreare so happy we decided to transfer our care from Kaiser to Thrive. The midwives are amazing; supportive, loving and really helpful. I had pregnancy insomnia and Tracy turned me onto a sleep tincture that she sells and it was like magic. I was finally able to sleep!!! The appointments were an hour long and the post partum appointments are at your home! We had trouble with breastfeeding and received so much support through text and having them come to our house. We cannot say enough good things about Thrive and Taya, Tracy, Morgan and Hannah.

I feel incredibly lucky to have had Shalin as my doula for the birth of my second child! Shalin is…read moresuch a warm, caring, and genuine person. As a doula, she is extremely capable, professional, and supportive. When I first connected with Shalin via videochat for a consultation, she instantly made me feel comfortable. I decided to go with Shalin based on how experienced and knowledgeable she seemed, as well as how comprehensive her doula services package was. Over the course of my pregnancy, Shalin visited my house several times to educate my husband and me about the birthing process, evidence-based approaches to birth, and different ways to prepare my body for birth, and to go over my birth plan. The whole process made me feel really prepared for the birth and gave me a greater understanding of what I wanted for the birth. I also appreciated that I got to know Shalin more during the pregnancy so that she didn't feel like a stranger at all. In fact, she is so warm and friendly that she felt more like a friend! She didn't push any particular views on me but wanted me to feel supported in my birth preferences.  When I went into early labor, Shalin was very responsive and kept checking in on me to see how labor was progressing, and when we decided to go to the hospital, she was super quick to meet us there. She was prepared in every way and set up lights and candles for the room. The hospital room was a vibe and very peaceful! Since I gave birth in a hospital setting, it was also important to me to have someone who could help advocate for me. When my hospital care team asked me to do certain things, Shalin checked in with me to see if I wanted to proceed with what they were asking. During the labor, she suggested different laboring positions and did counterpressure and other comfort measures, which helped me tremendously in coping with the pain. With Shalin's help and support, all my birth preferences were met! I had such a positive, empowering labor - something I never would have thought possible after my first delivery experience (without a doula).  I loved having Shalin as my doula and I highly recommend her! I can't stress enough how having her as my doula made such a difference to my second delivery experience. I am so happy with how everything went and really couldn't have done it without Shalin!

When I wrote this last time I was the supporting non-birthing parent. Thankfully just got the…read morechance to work with Shalin from the other side with the birth of our newest little one!! As always Shalin is the most incredible, compassionate, kind, resourceful, and caring doula. My full updated review is here below! :) https://yelp.to/Xwqw8UCKBk

So grateful to Better Beginnings and Rose! She came to my house when my newborn and I were having…read moredifficulty latching in the first month and was my saving grace a few times. I really appreciate these free and much needed services! I was also able to do an in-person consult with the resident expert and they even sent me home with a breastfeeding stool to use during my journey. They are so kind and helpful, thank you all very much!

The Breastfeeding Cafe is an amazing source for mom's. I struggled with my first and ultimately our…read morebreastfeeding relationship ended earlier than I had hoped. I found this group during a long painful night of feeding my second and thought I'd give it a shot. That was about a month ago. We are now feeding better and getting better on our latching. Not only do you get FREE lactation help (one on one and group setting ) you also are surrounded mom's who are seeking the same support. The Cafe is not a hospital environment, it is cozy and welcoming. Because of the Cafe and the support we receive there, I feel more confident that my son and I will reach our one year breastfeeding goal. The whole Breastfeeding Cafe team are wonderful people, here to support you in any way they possibly can. I am truly blessed to have found them!

Sarah provided me with compassionate and expert support in my journey feeding my kiddo. I greatly…read moreappreciated her warm, non-judgmental approach and her wise advice. She was able to meet with me on short notice, followed up via text to check in on me after our first appointment, and has fielded several questions via email, even while she was traveling. I am very grateful for her support and would highly recommend her!

At 5 days postpartum, I was feeling incredibly stressed and overwhelmed, but Sarah came to our home…read moreimmediately to help. She spent several hours with my husband and me, teaching us everything from the basics of breastfeeding and milk supply to the specifics of breast anatomy. Her calm demeanor was exactly what we needed; she completely eased my anxiety and gave us the confidence we were lacking. This was truly the most helpful support we've received since coming home from the hospital. If you are looking for an expert who is both knowledgeable and deeply compassionate, look no further.

Jasmine was a lifesaver! She not only answered all of my initial questions but promptly replied to…read moremy follow up questions as well. I was able to successfully breastfeed my first for over two years with her help and support. She was a huge help with all that comes with starting to breastfeed (latch, supply etc.) but also really knowledgeable about the issues that come with nursing an older baby (biting, safe medications and weaning). I highly recommend her.

My four day old infant was having problems feeding due to engorgement and not getting a deep latch…read more Even though we were getting her milk, I really needed some extra support. Jasmine returned my email (sent at 4am) within a few hours and was at our house by 11am on a Saturday. She was extremely professional and knowledgeable. She was very methodical in helping us identify the issue, and ultimately we were able to able to get the baby latched and feeding again. We highly recommend Jasmine-- She's a wonderful resource to have!