If Big Midwifery were a thing, it'd be Alma. One of our midwife-assistants left the company a…read morecouple months into my pregnancy, and when I asked her why, she said, "I just want a more personal experience with mothers," and at the time I didn't get it, but then I had my traumatic birth experience, forced into a hospital even though my pregnancy was advancing ideally, and I kind of got it. And I've sat on this for a couple years but am now compelled to share because my friend has now been also forced into a hospital birth even though her labor was advancing ideally, and now I'm just mad. They seem to have the same "easy button" policy as most hospitals do, and in general that's not why we go seeking out midwives. Alma is corporate midwifery, shoving people through the very gauntlet we have left mainstream medical childbirth to avoid. At the end of it, the individual midwives are lovely--I'm still friends with my midwife to this day--but the company itself treats birthing mothers as the exact same commodity that traditional western hospitals do. If I had it to do again, I would have followed that midwife-assistant to a more personal experience.

I'm so incredibly grateful for Alma and the amazing team that helped us every step of the way. The…read moremoment I found out I was pregnant with our first child my number one stress was "where am I going to have this baby?!" I've had bad experiences with hospitals and almost always feel like I'm not being heard as a patient. This is such a HUGE life chapter to go through I really didn't want to be surrounded by strangers making me feel like my voice didn't matter and that birth was some sort of major medical procedure rather than a natural life event. In steps... Alma! Someone had mentioned them to me so my husband and I went and met with Laura who walked us through what a pregnancy and birth with Alma would entail. Wow! It was so refreshing to feel so comfortable and at home in a clinical setting. From day one they made me feel welcome and heard. Another huge blessing about Alma was that from our first appointment they were upfront about what the total cost of having our baby at the birth center would be (permitting there were no complications). I cannot tell you how incredibly refreshing it was to know an amount ahead of time so that we could budget and be prepared. Our baby was born healthy with no issues and I can tell you the price we paid is exactly what they quoted us nine months earlier. What I also loved and appreciated, was for all our check up appointments before our baby arrived we saw one of two midwives and an assistant midwife. And so we knew when our baby came it would be one of those two who would be helping us deliver. It meant so much to me to have grown a relationship of trust and kindness with these women before hand. It made going into labor so much more peaceful and not stressful knowing that I knew and liked the team that was helping me. The birthing suites are just the perfect balance of a medical and home setting. So many people had no idea what I meant when I said we were having our baby had a birth center. So I just told them it's not as cold as a hospital, but it's more medical than a home. It was so inviting and will always hold a special place in my heart. There's so much more I could say, but these are the biggest things of why I am so grateful for Alma and why I can say with confidence...this is where will have all our future children.

I interviewed many midwives, but knew immediately when I met Sharon at Vivante Midwifery that she…read morewas the right fit for our family. During our first meeting, Sharon told me about the birth work that she did in the Philippines and said something like, "I wish I could just be the village midwife and get paid in bread and fish." This was so telling of the kind of person Sharon is: she is really in this because she is passionate about birth work - not just as a job or a way to pay the bills. Throughout our time together, I felt genuinely loved and expertly cared for. Our monthly meetings were slow paced, filled with patient answers to my many questions as a first time mom. Sharon possesses a wealth of knowledge on all things pregnancy and birth, and was mentoring a wonderful student - Max - throughout the process, who we loved having on our birth team. Both my husband and I are mixed race, so it meant a lot to us to have a midwife of color - mixed race herself - who could bring that perspective. So much about pregnancy is calibrated for an average white person. Sharon always had the understanding that there is a lot of variation among human beings, especially across ethnicities, and always made us feel seen and cared for. After our 20 week ultrasound, we had a scare about the baby and my health. Sharon was there by our side every step of the way, even offering to come with me to the gynecological oncologist appointments. At this point, Sharon feels like a member of our family and it's hard to imagine that we soon won't be seeing her regularly. I highly recommend her for anyone seeking a warm, caring, knowledgeable midwife. I couldn't be more grateful to have walked the path to motherhood with Vivante midwifery as my guide.

I'm grateful to have the good fortune of living in Portland, OR where there are many options for…read morechoosing maternity care services with a midwife. As I was choosing, the most important criteria for me were: safety, kindness, respect, experience, and midwives with the ability to navigate both the home and hospital birthing environments. Vivante Midwifery blends the warmth of midwifery with rigorous safety standards and deep knowledge about physiologic birth. Because of my personal medical history, I needed to give birth at the hospital. I was still able to do all of my prenatal and postpartum care with Vivante. One of the midwives also accompanied me to the hospital and stayed to advocate for me throughout the entire birth. It made giving birth at the hospital much less stressful. I'm not sure I would have been able to achieve a vaginal birth without the advocacy of Vivante at the hospital. Vivante is composed of a diverse team of midwives. This is important to me as an African-American woman. It's one of the few midwifery groups in town where I truly felt comfortable. I highly recommend Vivante and Sharon in particular!

I received care here throughout my whole pregnancy and have never felt more cared for by medical…read morestaff in my life. My husband and I opted to join their Centering Pregnancy group instead of doing individual appts and I highly recommend it. We were with a group of 5 other couples due around the same time as us that met to discuss pregnancy education and have our regular prenatal visits. This gave us a mini community to celebrate our births and discuss our challenges with. During the prenatal visits, it was clear that every midwife I saw took the time to review my chart ahead of time. They weren't flipping through it while I was in the room. Whenever I brought up an ongoing concern, the midwife doing the exam would pick up where I left off at my last visit. Someone mentioned that the care is not personal -- it might be more personal in the Centering Pregnancy group where you have one midwife who teaches the whole course and a couple others who will step in occasionally. But honestly, the midwives here are all incredible. Every one I interacted with had a different vibe and approach, and ultimately, they are all incredibly caring, knowledgeable, and respectful of your decisions. There was one midwife who I didn't click with and she ended up being our delivery midwife during an intense and fast labor that led to an unplanned c section. She held my hands through some of the most difficult moments and gave me strength to keep going. My husband and doula were huge supports but she helped me through my most vulnerable moments. That's just to say -- if you have a prenatal visit with a midwife you're not thrilled with, trust that they know what they are doing and are there to support you through labor and delivery. After having my baby, I wish that I could still have monthly regular visits with the midwives -- they were a huge comfort throughout the entire pregnancy and delivery. I can't recommend them enough.

I see Liz Robinson for my annual well woman exams and pap smears. She is super kind, experienced…read moreand thorough. The staff in the clinic are very personable, too, and it is usually quick to schedule.

I had an incredible experience here as a first time mom! The midwives were very hands off (in a…read moregood way) and made my pregnancy and mindset very positive going into labor. I had a healthy baby boy and loved experiencing the physiological side of child birth.

Andaluz created such an incredibly beautiful experience for me, my husband, and our beautiful baby…read moreboy. Carrie, Amber, and Megan (Midwives) were so caring and respectful. Each of them have their own ways of expressing compassion. Everyone working here also created a safe and comfortable space! I had a beautiful water birth that had its ups and downs but Carrie was really honest and helped me through a lot of it! She was the midwife at my birth and her guidance was the extra push (no pun intended) that i needed to deliver baby! If you are searching for a safe and comfortable place to give birth, Andaluz is the perfect place to do that!! They also provide a handful of classes to support soon to be parents and the have great community resources too! Not to mention Wildflower Lactation that shares a space here.

Sarah and Charli are absolutely incredible.From the very first conversation with them we knew we…read morehad found our people.  I was able to have both of my boys with Hearth and Home. My labors were very different from each other. My first came quick and surprised us all. My second took quite a bit more work. They were prepared for everything and helped my babies be born naturally both times. With my second baby, Sarah was with me through the long night helping me try different positions to help my baby along naturally. When I think about all of the different techniques she knew and had me try, I cannot help but use the word EXPERT!  I love the Hearth and Home model of care. Because of the relationships we built there was an extreme level of trust during my labor that I cannot describe. The night was emotionally draining and at one point I just sat with Sarah and cried and she held my hands and reassured me in the most encouraging way.  They are insanely knowledgeable, extremely compassionate, and really fun to be around! You will not regret being in their care.

We are so thankful for the care we received from Sarah, Charli and Emily! The hour long prenatal…read moreappointments allowed us to ask all the questions on our minds, to learn about the routine assessments at each point in pregnancy, to hear our baby's heartbeat and to connect with our midwives, all of which helped us develop such a trusting bond with them. They all exude deep knowledge, passion and care for the work they do, and we loved the chance to learn about pregnancy and birth from them (their online childbirth education class and podcast are well worth the extra investment & time!). We ended up transferring to the hospital after a very long early labor, and we felt guided and supported each step of the way as our birth plans changed. Sarah remained incredibly present for us in this process which was invaluable to us feeling ready to meet each challenge that arose. The postpartum in-home care from all three midwives was a beautiful experience! Those early days are now a blur but I'll never forget the comfort we felt each time our midwives walked in our door to bring their thorough, attentive and loving care straight to our home.

Kristen was my midwife for my firstborn. We had a great connection throughout my pregnancy. I felt…read morethat she walked a great line of alternative medicine and western medicine. (Or hippy v. science as my husband likes to say) She was always quick to respond when I needed advice. If an at home remedy was called for she would offer it up but if things needed more acute attention she didn't hesitate to recommend I get checked out at the doctor (high blood pressure) I had a loooong labor which wound up not progressing and I had to go to the hospital for delivery. She rode out the labor with us and was a wonderful presence to have around. When the decision was made to deliver at the hospital she made all the arrangements and would have come with (had Covid not been limiting things) She checked on my baby in the weeks that followed and answered the multitude of questions that come with new parenthood. Being able to do the well baby checks from my living room was so nice! Kristen was absolutely wonderful and I recommend her as your midwife. If we decide to go for round two I won't hesitate to call her up!

Kristen is an incredible, compassionate & supportive midwife. She takes the time to inform and…read morethoroughly present you with all of your options throughout pregnancy and after birth. She fought hard to give me the birth that I wanted and supported me & allowed me to make my own decisions when my daughter was in an unexpected breech position at 39 weeks. She helped me fight for the birth I wanted, and even though I didn't get to have it in the end she stuck by my side. I know I would not have gotten through that change in plans quite as well without her support. Two years later she's still there for me when I need her. I highly recommend Kristen!

I first spoke with Angela on the phone after reaching out late in my pregnancy about transferring…read morecare. I knew right away that she would be a comforting and stable presence at my birth. She handled the transition with poise, kindness and stability, even when (especially when) I was stressed and off kilter. She brings an important balance of experience and wisdom with openness to unique situations and choices. There are so many choices to be made during pregnancy and birth and postpartum and she knows how to offer sound advice and also allow the family to make their own decisions. My birth experience was peaceful and empowering. I trusted Angela and her team and it was such a relief to have them there and know they would take care of me and my family. We had talked about things enough that I had confidence in her decision making while I was in labor and right after. If I have another baby, Angela will be one of the first to know

I truly cannot say enough good things about Glow Midwifery -- and especially about Angela Truby…read more Angela isn't just part of the practice -- she owns Glow Midwifery, and she's also the person who shows up for every single appointment and is physically present for the entire birth. That level of continuity and care is rare, and it made an enormous difference for us. We planned a home water birth, and Angela supported us beautifully every step of the way. When things shifted and we needed to transfer to the hospital, Angela handled the transition flawlessly. We didn't have to preregister, make frantic phone calls, or deal with paperwork -- she took care of everything. She sent our information ahead, coordinated with the hospital staff, and they were literally waiting for us at the door with a wheelchair when we arrived. In such an intense moment, having someone that organized and calm advocating for you is priceless. We ultimately welcomed our healthy baby girl at the hospital, with Angela by our side the entire time. She remained steady, compassionate, and fully present, making sure we felt supported and informed throughout the whole experience. If you're looking for a midwife who combines medical expertise, genuine compassion, and next-level organization -- someone who will be there for you, not pass you off to rotating providers -- Glow Midwifery is it. Angela is truly exceptional, and we are endlessly grateful for everything she did for our family. Highly, highly recommend.

Brooke and Megan are fiercely committed to intuitive birth while supporting the maternal instinct…read morewith their medical knowledge and experience. After placing myself in their care, Megan and Brooke became like family very quickly. Appts were held over tea and my "check ups" went from a doctor office to the comfort of my own home. The style of care they provide is wholistic. It is clear they care about your health, the baby's health and even the health of your family as you move through this very special time. ALL the recommended birth protocol is discussed at length and they are readily available in between appts to answer questions. Their medical, maternal and life experience make them the perfect compliment to each other and to the process of helping you navigate this important change in your family. And, they remain present for you with followups after your little one arrives, instilling confidence and caring for your continuing needs with each visit. I could not have asked for a better team.

With the across the state challenges is staffing everywhere it can take a long time to get through…read moreto customer service help. Today I was blessed to be connected to Wendy who answers calls & does everything within her power to get patients needs met & as fast as possible. Wendy is the kindest person who brilliantly took action to help me. You can definately tell that Wendy loves her job. My call to OHSU today started with concern for my issue & ended joyfully laughing with Wendy knowing that my needs will reach the right person ASAP. Wendy is the BEST! Thank you Champ! For several years I have had absolutely wonderful care with Dr Sara Cichowski and team. They provide type of care & procedures I needed that were not available in my community 150 miles away. Our family love our manty caregivers at OHSU!

Horrible birth experience, 0 stars if I could. I had planned a homebirth with midwives but when…read moremidwives unexpectedly abandoned me during labor and referred me to hospital without a medical reason, I chose OHSU because they were our backup plan and they assured me they had midwives who were trauma-informed and autism-informed who could care for me through the birth. Our experience here was traumatic for both my husband and I and our newborn! The staff were repeatedly invalidating, unsupportive of our birth preferences, not respectful of my need for privacy and a calm space, and keep pressuring me for interventions we didn't want or need (look up the Cascade of Interventions in childbirth, exactly what I was trying to avoid is what we were pressured and coerced into by the providers at OHSU who shouldn't even have the title of midwife since it means "with woman" and they were never supportive of me). Nurses and other staff kept entering the ro and pulling the privacy curtain wide open and leaving it that way when they left, pressuring me to wear the monitors, not supporting me with positions to try, and repeatedly pressuring me to augment labor with pitocin and get an epidural. They convinced me to try rupture of membranes and said it would speed up labor, but I found out later that that is not backed up by research and the research has shown it can actually slow labor progress and cause more pain, which is exactly what it did to me. We ended up having an unplanned C-section, at the very least they gave me extra stitches and surgical glue to account for my hypermobility, but they didn't allow my husband to be in the room for the C-section because of hospital policy, so neither of us got to see our child be born! They denied us the opportunity to see our child be born. I had expressed colostrum before the birth and even though our baby was born with an APGAR score of 9 they insisted on giving him all the colostrum I had expressed because they thought he was a little cold but his temperature was fine and he wasn't showing signs of cold, but they threatened to put him in the NICU and give h formula if my husband didn't consent; all of that happened before I even woke up. After the birth, I had to fight to have my birth plan followed and get our golden hours to try to initiate breastfeeding, which was much harder since baby was sleepy from the c-section. The 3 hospital lactation consultants I saw were AWFUL; 2 of them used forceful techniques that hurt my baby's neck and used shaming language, I had to ask one of them to leave because they were rough with him and the third one wasn't helpful either but at least didn't hurt my baby. None of the lactation consultant knew about the Thompson Method of breastfeeding which I took a class in during pregnancy, and is ultimately what saved our breastfeeding journey. The staff were inattentive after the birth, it took days to see the doctor after the surgery and get my questions answered. Several of the nurses were rude and intrusive, again with the barging in and leaving the privacy curtain wide open when I'm topless and trying to figure out breastfeeding and want privacy for that, but they also woke us up for stupid things in the middle of the night that were completely unnecessary when I'm hooked to vital monitors. The entire experience was so traumatic, we never felt safe and my husband was afraid to leave me and the baby at the hospital alone when he needed to get stuff from home and feed our cats because it was so awful. It felt like a prison, the only difference was the food was decent; we wanted to check out quickly after the birth once I could walk but they took forever to discharge us. I would never recommend this hospital to anyone for childbirth, not even to my worst enemy. The treatment and lack of care we endured here was traumatic and left my husband and I with flashbacks and PTSD for months after the birth; they caused us a lot of harm, doctors are supposed to "first do no harm." My husband tried to reach a patient advocate to give feedback but they never called back.