Silke, Kim (my birth was the last of hers with Two Rivers, sadly) and Caley are ultimately the most…read moreincredible midwives and amazing human beings around. Selecting a team of midwives in Portland is a real joy, as there are so many highly qualified, empathetic practitioners in this town, but my partner and I ultimately chose to have our pregnancy and birth care with Two Rivers because of Silke, Kim and Caley's beautiful presence, depth of knowledge and full trust in my body as the pregnant and birthing body to know what was needed to bring our child into the world. Prenatal care with these three was wonderful - each of them offered an incredible depth of knowledge to any and all of our questions without pushing us in any decisional direction, and when asked for more information (or even their personal opinions!) they were always straightforward, honest, and non judgmental. I was quite afraid of having to transfer to hospital and that I would not have the home birth I envisioned, and they helped me work through this fear and to realize that they would only transfer if there were tools we absolutely needed to make use of at the hospital that we did not have at home, and that they would do that transfer not upon emerging crisis but when things were looking necessary - to minimize the interventions that could be prescribed. My partner and I trusted them fully to know where that line was and we do not regret our decision at all. We also just loved hanging out with them during our sessions, a good sign if there ever was one. Their care throughout my pregnancy was absolutely the best possible. My birth itself was long (about 30 hours), slow and grueling, but also the most beautiful and magical experience I could have had. Silke, Kim and Caley held the space for me to labor in with such patience, trust and grace, even through their own exhaustion. My partner and my mom were my main birthing partners, but the midwives were there throughout encouraging me when I needed it, intervening when it was appropriate, gently guiding me through the absolute hardest thing I've ever done with a presence and availability of emotion that I cannot have imagined. At hour 27 of labor and hour 3 of pushing there was talk of a hospital transfer, but instead of pushing one way or another they gave me the chance to fully focus, put all my might behind birthing our babe, and successfully give birth vaginally at home without any medication within the next few hours. I value their care and involvement in this birth more than I can possibly express. We are now in the postnatal care phase of working with Two Rivers, and the experience continues to be so sweet, nourishing, and deep. I truly love all three of these midwives and if I ever decide to go for pregnancy number two we will certainly choose Two Rivers again!

Giving birth with Silke Akerson was hands-down one of the best experiences I have ever had. I have…read moreno idea what I would have done without her professionalism, kindness and depth of knowledge to guide my husband and I through the process. We met with Silke for our free consultation when we found out we were pregnant, and were immediately happy with her bedside manner and approach to prenatal care and birth. As the months went by our confidence in her only solidified. During my long and somewhat difficult labor she showed nothing but compassion and patience, and never once hinted there was anywhere she'd rather be. Almost a year after meeting Silke, I am happier than ever that I did. She is experienced, deeply knowledgeable and always impartial when it comes to the decisions my husband and I make. I've never been in better hands, and can't wait till my next pregnancy to spend more time with her.

I sent an inquiry to Alavita in January 2019. I was about a year postpartum after my fourth…read morepregnancy and I was depleted, carrying stubborn baby weight, and just really unhappy overall with my energy. Anna responded, gave me some great options in terms of support, and based on our conversation went with their 1:1 nutrition coaching over about four months. I had lofty goals: extended breastfeeding support, half marathon training, and just trying to fuel myself through the day as a stay at home mom to four kids 7 and under. Anna hand held me through the first few weeks of my nutrition plan, which was truly radical for me - eating more calories, no restriction, eating for nourishment and fuel as well as for pleasure. As a heavy dieter over the last decade, I truly couldn't wrap my head around this. But I put all my trust in Anna and I truly started to feel better. I saw improvement in my energy, started running more efficiently, and met my breastfeeding goals. My perspective shifted away from weight loss as I started feeling better - Anna is wonderful at meeting you where you are at and supporting you through the unique changes that a woman's body goes through postpartum. And she does it all in a way that encourages self love (she's often call me a rock star, which made my day) and helped me be kinder to myself. I'm into data and evidence based research though, so despite feeling good I wanted to see what my bloodwork looked like three months into working with Alavita. In January when I first engaged her, you could see the depletion all over my labs. Come March my iron levels were high for the first time in years (if they ever have been?) and much of my micronutrient deficiencies had resolved. I've also slowly chipped away at seven pounds of baby weight without the restriction I'd encountered with diets before. I've run two half marathons in the last three months that were great, along with several races. With Anna's help, I addressed everything I had been worried about. Alavita stands for nourishing mothers, where ever they are in their journey. You'd think my fourth time being postpartum I would have it together, but nope! I think often how better off I'd be had I gotten the benefit of their services earlier on. I'm so thankful for Alavita, and as you can would highly recommend them. They are the absolute best.

I am a new Mom and am so fortunate to have found Alavita! I first met with Anna when my daughter…read morewas about 2 months old. I was really struggling to keep up the pace and heal from my c-section. Anna helped to provide me with a nutrition plan personalized to me and all the additional info I needed to have some energy again! She also helped guide me into the right supplements for my specific situation and give me some facts to hang on to while navigating all the competing info that is out there for new Mom's. I feel like both my daughter and myself are so much healthier from working with Alavita.

Rachel is amazing! She was our rock through labor and was a wonderful support during pregnancy. She…read moreis so knowledgeable, caring and calm. I could name a million more adjectives to describe how awesome she is :) Highly recommend!

Rachel White is the best Doula in Portland Oregon! Rachel was my doula for the birth of my third…read morechild and she was amazing. Rachel is knowledgeable, kind, caring, helpful, gracious, flexible, responsive...need I say more? She held my hand through a fairly traumatic birth (ended up being rushed to the hospital) and provided so much support afterwards. My husband and I both view her as a fond memory and support system through our birth and afterward. In fact, my son is 7 months and I asked her a question on his sleeping arrangements and she once again over delivered and supported me! Shes's awesome. Stop looking and try to get on her calendar.

I cannot say enough good things about Helen Welch. In late April, I went into labour and my normal…read moreobstetrician was out of town. Her backup had a scheduled c-section to perform but, noting that I was hoping for a completely natural birth, recommended that I be attended to by their Midwife, Helen Welch. This woman was absolutely amazing. Supportive, encouraging, patient, knowledgeable. It was because of her that my husband and I got a drug and intervention-free delivery of my daughter.

I ALSO cannot say enough good things about Helen Welch. She far exceeded my expectations of a…read moremidwife. I can honestly say she is the best provider i've ever had. I can't believe that i actually look forward to visiting her. I will genuinely miss visiting her so frequently after I deliver. She is so patient, kind and understanding. The midwife experience has been great - i really feel like you get a lot more attention, and they are open to all possibilities for birth. I was not up for the "100% natural experience" and she is super ok with that - and happy to help you get the best birth experience possible. I will continue to go to her after my birth for regular women's care!

I initially came to Blossom Clinic for help with hot flashes, which have already reduced…read moresignificantly after only a few visits. There aren't enough words to describe what an amazing person Dr. Renee is. I feel like I could tell her anything (and I usually do, lol). She's extremely knowledgeable about body structure and systems, and her approach to acupuncture is unique and very cool! She explains her thought process and approach to care, particularly from a Chinese medicine perspective, in such a way that I truly feel like we're partners in my health and wellness journey. I've learned so much about how my body works, and each visit is followed up with customized recommendations (example: foods that are particularly nourishing in areas I might be deficient, based on her observations of my pulse, etc.) The office at Blossom Clinic is small but cozy and inviting, with soft lighting, air filters, aromatherapy, etc. They use high-quality products (for example, I had cupping done today with organic Jojoba oil). They're located next to Whole Foods (on the left, and up the stairs, kind of hard to find--for me anyway), but very convenient for picking up some groceries before or after my visits. They do not accept insurance but do provide detailed bills that I can submit for reimbursement from my health plan. I have not met with any of the other practitioners, so I can't comment on them. Overall, an extremely pleasant and personalized experience that I highly recommend! Their practice seems to be mostly focused on fertility-related care, but they are also here for women at all stages of life.

Blossom Clinic has done wonders for me and my sister (who referred me). Both Liz and Renee are…read moreextremely talented and were there through every stage of my pregnancy. Customized my treatment to what I individually had going on and I feel eternally grateful that I found this place and these healing hands for me and my baby. I still remember Renee helping me move my baby out of breech and the treatment was so gentle and calming, I had my doubts, but I could feel my baby move and adjust during the appointment. It was WILD, beautiful and amazing.

PLACENTA ENCAPSULATION? There is a huge controversery around this topic. Some based on religious…read morebeliefs, practicality and western beliefs vs ancient traditions. I can only share my personal experience. I had my first 4 children in the hospital with western doctors that induced each with pitossin. The babies were born in a very sterile environment that required me to be tied to monitoring machines and IV's. Then there's the always invasive and uncomfortable cervix checks every hour as well. After each birth the baby's cord was cut quickly and their entrance into the world for the first few minutes of life were filled with poking, prodding, bright lights etc when really all each of them and I just wanted to be in each other's space (the same space we shared for 9 months). My 2 of these 4 were 9 lbs and suffererd from yellow jaundice which I now realize could have been easily avoided by allowing the placenta to stay attached a few minutes longer after birth so baby receives much needed nutrients that are still pulsating through the umbilical cord after delivery. My recoveries were painful because I still had pitossin pumping through my body several weeks after and I was absolutely dealing with post partum depression and anemia after the loss off blood and hormones that went with delivery. All normal western stuff so far, yes? With the last 2 pregnancies I chose to go with more ancient and empowering ways of bringing my babies to the planet. Part of this centered around the placenta, the temple that houses our incredible little miracle until they choose to take our breaths away with their first breath. The concept was odd to me at first because I'd be eating something that came from my body and our child grew in but I rationalized it by saying "I'm not frying it up like a steak" and "we take supplements all the time that come from all kinds of strange things". I mean, most of the planet eats hot dogs and the flesh of other creatures, right? It made it easier to try for me because it was in a pill form and I am so grateful that I did it! My recovery was much faster (bleeding stopped in half the time ), my 9 1/2 lb baby didn't have colic or jaundice, my breast milk was richer, engorgement was minimal and I didn't suffer from post partum depression or anemia. When our next child came, there was no question that I would do it again. We are now pregnant again and I will absolutely be doing it again! You cannot get the same hormones to balance you in a synthetic from or a piece of fish as you can from your own body. I believe that this is beneficial for baby too because they continue to receive a boost of the same hormones while breast feeding as they did in utero. Thank you Tia for suggesting it and also preparing these for us! Amazing!!!

My husband and I went to Tia for our birthing classes. We received four one-on-one classes that…read morewere between 2-4 hours long each. Although she was a little difficult to get a hold of at first (probably because she works as a midwife also and they have crazy schedules) we were very pleased with the classes. I had been around a lot of babies and pregnancies so I didn't feel the need to take a class, but I am so glad my husband insisted! We both learned so much. Since we were the only ones in each session, she was able to answer our exact questions and talk more about areas that we wanted to, as opposed to needing to stick to a certain curriculum. She was great at making good use of the time and making sure she covered all the important areas. My husband loved that she showed us some funny video clip each time pertaining to what we were going to talk about that evening. I can definitely say that I used some of her tips in labor and it absolutely helped! I would highly recommend her.

Shilpi is an amazing life and health coach. Her clarity and thoughtfulness are heartwarming. Her…read moreapproach is customized per the individual. She has helped regulate my health concerns. She's my go-to person whenever I need help and insights. Definitely recommend having an initial conversation with her to explore the many benefits she can help with.

Barb. Is. The. Best. Best education I've ever gotten. Trust…read moreme, you need her in your life.

I could say I wish we took Barb's "Becoming Us" class sooner -- however, even nearly two years…read morepostpartum, this class was invaluable! It was everything I hoped for and more. Barb does an amazing job validating and normalizing the struggles of parenthood while also uplifting and infusing hope in each person! I can foresee sustainable success from the practical tools she taught us -- and it's a comfort to know she's a lifeline to reach out to if we need help tailoring these tools to specific situations that could arise in the future!