When I found out I was pregnant I knew I wanted to see a midwife and I am so so glad I chose Karni and her team. Every time I went in for an appointment she always took her time and made me feel so comfortable. She truly cares about her patients and the babies, she is so kind and supportive during labor and made me feel so empowered. Anyone who sees her is lucky to have her on their team and she is who you want by your side when things get tough! She is so attentive even after birth she is truly incredible. read more

I have given birth to two babies (so far) & both of my births have been led & empowered by Karni & her team from Sunrise Birthing Center. My first birth was at her birthing center, & my second was at home. Both of these experiences were life changing for me. First, because they made me a mother. But second, because Karni helped me to realize what natural birth could be, & that I didn't have to be afraid of what my body could do. I feel blessed to have connected with her when I was pregnant with my first & didn't know what kind of birth I wanted - I just knew I didn't want what the western world has normalized for births, unless interventions became absolutely necessary. The first day I visited her birthing center, my mind had been made up & I knew I would give birth there. She told me to visit several midwives/birthing centers so I could make an informed decision but secretly I never did... best decision I've ever made. Me & my husband are forever grateful that she's our midwife & we look forward to birthing all of our future babies within her orb of power, however many we are blessed to have! read more

Karnie is forever in my heart! I had all three of my babies with her and her vibe and love and expertise is invaluable! I am now a midwife assistant for homebirths years later in another state and think back on my time with karnie and Audrey and I'm so thankful- they were and are so AMAZING! read more

Karni and her team are absolutely wonderful - she has such a calming presence, which is such an asset for helping bring babies into the world. From a prenatal check-up to the throes of active labor, that calm presence isimmensely valuable. It tells you you're safe and allows you to go within to labor without fear. I chose to birth at the birthing center vs at my home because I felt so at home there and I wanted to use (and did end up using) the big tub to birth my son. It was everything I had hoped it would be - Karni and her wonderful team guided my son into this world with calm precision, all while capturing the moment with photos and videos. That was something I had not thought about but so appreciated after the fact. I've revisited my birth over and over Their post care was superb - a nutritious, homemade meal (light and balanced) and a comforting environment for the three of us to simply be together and bond. I have only positive memories of my experience and I'm grateful to them every day for an incredible and empowering birth. read more

Karni is the best! Her experience helped support us and gave me confidence I was in the right hands to carry through my home birth without once being worried. At 41 with my first pregnancy, overdue by 10 days, Karni always installed confidence in me, moving away from traditional thoughts of big babies. We discussed plans for not tearing and plans of action for various scenarios. Her team monitored the baby constantly and had various tricks to help me cope. I think if I had gone to the hospital the experience would have been completely different for everyone in the family. read more

Sunrise Birthing Center - First weight, 9lbs 6oz - Midwives Near Me - Ventura, California

I had recently moved to Ojai, pregnant with my first child and knew I wanted an out of hospital birth. So many people independently recommended Karni who is a seasoned midwife, (actually the 15th to be liscenced in California) and Sunrise Birth Center in nearby Ventura. Karni has delivered thousands of babies and those babies' babies. That kind of experience really set me at ease. I wanted to work with someone who had seen it all! What I love most about Karni is her encouragement of parents developing their own opinions in order to make informed decisions. She really supports informed consent and provides referrals and reading material in order for parents to feel empowered about their decisions. She also has an amazing network within the birthing community and a close relationship with a fabulous doctor for ease of transfer to hospital should any complications arise. Karni is calm, confident and doesn't take risks. Exactly the kind of person I wanted to guide my birth experience. The birth center itself is cozy and inviting, exactly the kind of place I wanted to do all my prenatal checkups and by the time I was ready to give birth, I was really comfortable in the space. I birthed my son at Sunrise Birth Center exactly as I had hoped - without medical intervention in a calm and respectful environment. The things I had wanted for my birth - dim lighting, flexibility to move around, change positions, get in the bath, make noise, delayed clamping, plenty of time to cuddle baby immediately following the birth, etc. are all protocol at Sunrise Birth Center. Karni let's birthing people's instincts guide their own experience. My husband even caught my son! read more

Karni and her entire team have made my first birth a positive and memorable experience. Karni is full of compassion and patience, and made me feel at ease at every visit. She took the time to answer our questions at every appointment. She was very thorough and provided us with necessary reading and resources along the way. Leigh has been super helpful with the admin side of things, and it was a pleasure to work with midwife assistants, Audrey and Cati, as well. I intended to have a home birth, but ended up needing to transfer to the hospital. Karni was by our side every step of the way, demonstrating that she truly cares and advocated for us during the unplanned parts of the process. She truly goes above and beyond and I could not have asked for a more experienced, caring person to walk along side us. We appreciated her flexibility and willingness to accommodate us. Highly, highly recommend Thank you Karni! read more

Karni is so knowledgeable, wise, and genuinely caring. I decided to do an out of hospital birth after I was disappointed with the hamster wheel of Kaiser OBs. This was my first pregnancy and Karni made it very clear about all the different outcomes and reasons why a hospital transfer might happen. Well, unfortunately, I was transferred to the hospital (with no fault of Karni). I had a terrible experience at the hospital but Karni was our shining light throughout the whole experience. She stayed with me until the baby was delivered and my husband and I were so grateful to have her support and expertise to help us navigate the hospital. We love Karni and she is forever our family. read more

I posted a review a few years ago, but I have since had another baby so I wanted to review again. :) I am so grateful for the incredible and magical experience I have had with birthing both of my daughters in the comfort of our home as a result of the love, depth of knowledge, hard working dedication of Karni and her staff at Sunrise. I knew right away when entering her beautiful birthing center and meeting her, that I wanted and could completely trust to be under the care of Karni during my pregnancies. At sunrise, they provide individualized care that is personal and respectful. They offer many resources to help educate woman of the power of their bodies, the birthing process, and learning to trust in the wonderful experience of natural birth. I can't thank her and her staff enough for the love and compassion they showed myself, my family, and my baby girls. read more

Sunrise Birthing Center - The morning my second daughter was born. - Midwives Near Me - Ventura, California

Amazing midwife! During my 3rd trimester, I switched from an OB to Karni and it was the best decision ever. At first, I thought that giving birth at the birthing center was the better option than at home because I was planning a trial of labor after cesarean (TOLAC). Karni let me know the benefits of having a home birth, and gave me material to read. She gave me the additional confidence I needed. After researching some more, my husband and I decided to have a home birth. My husband let me know that he felt all the good vibes meeting Karni and his assistant which made him even more open to a home birth after cesarean. Karni and her assistant were awesome during and after the birth. After I delivered she gave us time to bond with the baby and allowed delayed cord clamping. My children and husband helped cut the cord. If you are thinking of a home birth, don't doubt yourself, you can do it, and Karni can be your amazing midwife read more

I started seeing Karni when I got pregnant with my third child shorty after moving to Ventura. My first baby was born via c-section due to "failure to progress". After my daughter was born at 8lbs-14 oz the doctors told me she was too big to fit through my petite 5'-2" frame. I was so angry and I had a hard time after that birth, struggled with nursing and had some postpartum depression. I desperately wanted a VBAC but in San Francisco they only allowed VBACs to be done in a hospital. Fast forward to my third birth and having relocated to Ventura in 2018, I was happy to hear a VBACs could be done in a birthing center. I looked for the most experienced midwife I could find and I am so happy to have found Karni. She made me feel comfortable and cared for right away. She always has a positive and uplifting spirit. She gave me a reassuring breath of fresh air that my body was not "too small" but capable of birthing naturally. At every prenatal appointment, Karni allowed my other two rambunctious kids aged 4 and 2 to accompany me -which sounds like a bad idea, but ended up each time to be so surprisingly special. It felt nothing like the sterile, cold environment of a hospital prenatal appointment. Her center has toys and they grew attached to her like she was a family member. She'd even let my daughter hear the babies heartbeat as I lay on the bed. The actual labor and delivery was no different. She allowed my body to do what it does and instead of feeling powerless in a cascade of interventions like my first birth, this time I felt so empowered!! I've gone overdue with all three of my births, and for Karni she was not phased by it but let my baby come when he was ready. He was born 9lbs-8oz naturally! Don't get me wrong, pushing was hard but Karni had me in the positions I needed to get my big boy out. Immediately after, Karni had me skin to skin and nursing for a whole hour before even weighing him or cutting the cord. That hour was so sacred and amazing for my baby and I. Karni made me a energy drink and a bowl of oatmeal which all tasted so good! She stitched me and did everything I needed. The entire experience was exactly what I wanted- I never felt like I was a patient or sick but that I was a powerful woman about to bring another soul into this world. She is an amazing, intelligent midwife. I'd highly recommend her! read more

This is my 100. review & I want it to be for something special. So why not for the magical place my daughter was born almost exactely a year ago... Karni is one of the most knowledgeable, talented, loving and hard-working persons I know in this field. Just have her tell you how many babies she has helped welcome into this world...! She is one of the first legally licensed midwifes in California. Our experience with Karni and her birth center was superb - from the first encounter (where we instantaneously fell in love with her and her birthing philosophy), throughout my entire pregnancy, the wonderful birth of our baby as well as the postpartum care and availablity. If you want individualized, personal and respectful prenatal care and seek to have an unmedicated, natural birth in a compassionate environment - be it at the birth center or in your own home - Karni and her team are a wonderful choice! There are two midwife's assistants, Diane and Helen, who are registered nurses. In addition, Diane is a certified lactation consultant and a very mothering, loving & caring person. She also was at our baby's birth and was of great help to us in the first few weeks with in-house lactation consulations. Laurel gives wonderful, empowering pregnancy prepartion classes at the birth center. We can only recommend her "Birthing Mindfully" workshop! The center is a very beautiful, home-y place full of love - I could not have asked for a better place to give birth & for us to spend the first few hours with our baby! Karni is a person we look up to and will keep in our hearts for the rest of our lives... 5 stars and beyond! read more

Karni and the staff at Sunrise we're so amazing through both of my births. The first time I chose to use the center for the birth and ended up being transferred to Santa Paula Hospital due to the baby being face presented. When Karni made the call to transfer I felt completely confident and secure in her judgement. She was with me the entire time and through my recovery. I ended up having a c-section and she was an amazing advocate before, during, and after. Also, SP hospital was a wonderful place to end up and the home-birth-friendly staff there made the whole ordeal so much easier. My second baby was born at my home with Karni without any complications. She was over 10lbs and I never would have thought I could've done it before I did it. I couldn't imagine working with a different midwife. Besides her experience, caring nature, and all the other qualities already mentioned in other reviews that make the experience with sunrise birthing center worthwhile, the staff was also quite amazing when it came to dealing with insurance. There were many phone calls back-and-forth between myself and staff members regarding the insurance companies. They worked really hard to ensure that the insurance would pay for as much as possible. Every part of my birthing experience with sunrise was amazing. I would never recommend to go anywhere else. read more

If angels are walking this earth, I know that Karni is definitely one of them. I've had the honor of having Karni as my midwife for all 3 of my children. Her knowledge, experience, and angelic presence cannot not be compared to another. It is her energy and empathy that made me want to have for all my births. She is calm and gentle yet fiercely focused and deeply determined. I highly recommend her, especially for first time mommas that may be a little nervous about having a home birth. Having my babies at home has been one of the most beautiful experiences and highest privileges that my life has shown. If you want your baby touched by an angel, Karni is the midwife for you. read more

Karni is the best!! She knows how to be really encouraging and supportive for us as new parents, 1000 times thank you Karni!!

Thank you Karni for being our midwife & supporting us throughout my entire pregnancy! Choosing to do a home birth with the support of Karni was the best decision we made. From prenatal checkups to the delivery of our son, she made it all feel so intimate and stress free. Her knowledge, confidence and years of experience always put us at ease and made the birth of our baby boy the most incredible experience of our lives. I am so happy that I had the privilege to give birth at home in the most natural setting and to be fully present and connected to my baby while bringing him into this world. Karni is our birthing guru and goddess of midwifes. We are forever grateful to have her on our side!! Love you Karni!! - Heather, Kellen & Koda Ellison read more

I recently birthed my first baby at my home under the tender care of Karni and her assistant, Diane. Karni and her team are wise, intuitive and very passionate about the birthing process. All of our prenatal visits were so intimate and comfortable. It was so easy for us to schedule our appointments and we could just walk right in and be seen by Karni with no wait and no rush. During my pregnancy, I could call Karni at any time with concerns; she would pick up 95% of the time or get back to be very quickly. I've never experienced this kind of care with a medical professional. I could go on for days about all the magic during the birthing experience, but I'll try to sum it up as best I can. Karni was so supportive through every step and it was a loooong birth! I felt so guided and held by her during one of the most vulnerable and special moments of my life. Karni was so attuned to what was happening and what I needed to do to have the best birth possible. My baby girl's head came out asyncliticly (sideways) which made things move slowly and difficultly, but we did it and she came out healthy and is thriving to this day! I feel very fortunate for the experience I had with Karni. My birth was one of the most empowering experiences of my life so far. As a side note, I know finances can be a deciding factor for couples because insurance companies don't typically support women in having a home birth (mine didn't anyway...they want to pay as little as possible and pressure you into a hospital birth). After doing some homework, we would have had to pay almost just as much for the hospital birth and copays had we gone that route and I have top of the line PPO insurance. Trust me mamas, Karni is worth every penny and then some! read more

I can not say enough wonderful things to describe Karni, Dianne, and all the staff at the Sunrise Birthing center. I started planning for a home birth for my first baby after being very disappointed in the quality of care that I was receiving from multiple OB offices. When I met Karni I knew I found the right fit. She is so wise and compassionate. She is there for you in every step of the process to answer questions and give support. I would highly recommend this team of wonderful women to anyone considering home/birthing center birth! read more

I cannot say enough about Karni and the care I received at Sunrise Birth Center. I had my first son at the Birth Center and my second son was a home birth. Both were such beautiful, wonderful experiences. I felt so taken care of, so much love and kindness. I wouldn't change a single thing about either birth experiences. Karni is so knowledgeable and so tender and caring. She is very attentive to every little detail, thorough in all aspects of prenatal care, the birth and postnatal care. The Birth Center is beautiful and so peaceful - such a wonderful space to welcome your new baby into! We love Karni and recommend her highly!!!! read more