Testimonials

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You met me completely where I was. I never felt pressured to go one way or another, I just know you made me feel comfortable while providing compassionate and knowledgeable care. You talked me through every irrational fear without judgment. It was a natural transition to trusting you as my providers, and I truly hoped I would get to birth at the birth center.

Your care so far exceeded my expectations that I’m really struggling with how to thank you or express what it meant to me. So I guess I’ll just leave it at a simple thank you—you have a lifelong fan in me and I am in awe of what you do.

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Our experience at the Santa Barbara Birth Center was incredibly worthwhile and I feel it was so beneficial to my health and the health of our son. The prenatal care that we received from the midwives is unlike anything else available. Being a part of the Birth Center also offers the opportunity to build a community before your baby is born as well as access to various community resources to support pregnancy and delivery. We also attended the birth class, which gave me the tools for a labor and delivery where I felt empowered, strong, alert, and supported. We did not qualify for coverage under our insurance plan; however, we were able to receive a scholarship for part of our fees. We paid the rest out of pocket and my husband and I both feel that the care and support we received each step of the way was worth every single penny. We would do it again in a heartbeat. We are incredibly grateful to the team at the Santa Barbara Birth Center and feel so lucky to have them in our community.

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In seeking a natural pregnancy and birth, we were thrilled to have the option of the Santa Barbara Birth Center as an alternative to the hospital environment. The birth center provided a cozy, homey and safe setting with all the tools necessary to have a successful natural labor. The prenatal care we received from the midwives was comprehensive, personal, supportive and prepared us well to have the labor and delivery we hoped for. Their holistic and family-centered approach made it possible for my husband to be involved in every aspect of prenatal care, labor and delivery, and postpartum recovery. The level and quality of care from the midwives, birth assistants, and doulas was extended to both me and my husband (and eventually our beautiful baby boy) throughout this entire process. We hope to have the opportunity to work with the midwives again in the future.

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The Santa Barbara midwives highlighted that which I knew to be true in my own private heart; that I was made to carry and deliver my babies naturally and that I am strong, wise and know myself better than anyone else. The midwives were a beacon of clarity, trust and ease in a world so heavily infused with fear and doubt. I was supported to acknowledge and live the innate wisdom of my body and mind and to join the circle of so many living beings who have given birth naturally before me. We were blessed with the utmost love and respect during both pregnancies. Each appointment was an education on grace, trust, patience and authenticity. This carried us through 2 beautiful home births and continues to nourish our understanding of the world, our relationship and our family.

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I had the unique experience of receiving all of my prenatal care with the midwives at the birth center, while ending up giving birth at the hospital. At 34 weeks I developed some odd symptoms that led to a diagnosis of obstetric cholestasis, which required me to be induced in a hospital setting at 36 weeks for the safety of my baby. I'm forever grateful for the personal attentiveness the midwives gave me, the emails returned in the middle of the night, and the follow-up they've graced me with following my unplanned hospital birth. I can't imagine going through pregnancy without their knowledge and love!

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These women are fearless guides along the most incredible journey that many women have or will ever take. The matchless prenatal care and the complete nurturing that we experienced postpartum (and everything in between) was more than we could have expected and was all that we needed. We felt empowered, supported and loved by this skilled team from pregnancy, through labor and delivery and then once we landed with a newborn in the disorienting fog that is becoming parents.

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My husband and I had a wonderful experience working with the midwives for both my pregnancies. For my first pregnancy, I started out going to a regular OB and felt like my pregnancy concerns were not being heard. Then when I started to see the midwives, I appreciated their more personal care. I finally felt like I was heard, understood, and treated with love! After I heard so many negative stories of others' hospital birth experiences, I realized that it wasn't for me. I think if I had had him in a hospital, I would have felt at the mercy of people that wouldn't know me or care about my wishes. I also might have had interventions pushed on me just to reduce their liability. If you are still deciding on what care you want, go on the hospital tour. It really opened my eyes to how impersonal the hospital is to mothers. Instead of dreading a hospital birth, I was looking forward to having my baby at home with the midwives. During my birth experience, I was not disappointed! I felt empowered and loved by the midwives. My son born a couple weeks early but with no complications, and we had a wonderful birth experience! I am so glad that my husband and I chose the midwives for our prenatal and birth care.

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After having a pretty typical hospital birth with my first child (which resulted in a ton of unnecessary intervention,) we decided to go a different route second go round. From the first prenatal session at the SBBC, I knew this experience would be worlds apart from my first experience. It was such a stark contrast from my first pregnancy; I almost felt self-indulgent/spoiled at times with the amount of care I received through the prenatal, labor, delivery & postpartum experience. Having a natural birth was the most intense experience of my life, and one that I will forever and ever hold close to me as deeply healing and sacred. Thank you SBBC for making this possible, thank you SBBC midwives for holding that magical space. Choosing the Birth Center was one of my proudest decisions in life. I am so grateful to the midwives who showed me how strong I am, who believed in me, held me, and who shared this most intimate of experiences with me. They made our family feel so special, it was as if we were the only people in the world. I am beyond words grateful and thankful for the service that these very special, educated, courageous and loving women offer our community. If only I could go back in time & give my first born this same experience. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!!!

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I knew I really wanted to have an out of hospital birth and I feel forever grateful that The Santa Barbara Birth Center was a local option available to me. Everything they do was what I was looking for. The midwives at The Birth Center were so caring and knowledgeable. Jenna, Laurel, Alice and Anna made me and my husband feel cared for, educated on all our options,and made sure to answer our many questions. They made the experience so special and I don't think I would have ever experience that level of care and attention at a traditional OBGYN. The birth itself went really smooth as far as births go! Jenna was the midwife on call and made us feel so safe, taken care of, and as relaxed as people can be while making this huge physical and emotional transition. In the days and weeks after the birth, the amazing midwives were there for us-- helping with getting breastfeeding established and making sure we were all doing well. Again, I don't think I would have gotten that much post partum support at a traditional obgyn. If I were to have another baby I would definitely use the birth center! I love them! Thank you!

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It was an incredible experience working with the midwives and giving birth at the Santa Barbara Birth Center. The frequent prenatal visits that included so much care of not only my physical but also mental well-being put me at such ease during my pregnancy. The center itself is so comfortable that when it came time to give birth, my husband and I felt very much at home and confident of the support we received. I could not imagine going through the intense journey of labor in any other place due to the freedom and thoughtful guidance that was given by the midwife. We are so grateful!

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I wanted an all natural birth in the water where I would be supported by professionals who had the same birthing values I did. Little did I know that when I sought out the Birth Center I was getting so much more. The midwives were encouraging, honest, they met me where I was at and never judged me for my desires. I was completely humbled through the birthing and postpartum experience; especially breast feeding!

The midwives took time to truly get to know me and ask phrases that would encourage me. So when I was pushing and felt like giving up and didn’t want to continue on, they gave me those positive phrases at the perfect time. It’s like they were in my head reminding me of how strong I was!

The postpartum care I received was something I didn’t know I needed and is completely invaluable to my healing and sanity as becoming a new mom. They were all there for me 24/7! The Santa Barbara Birth Center is more than a birthing facility but a sweet community for me.

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I could not have asked for a better experience when it came to my first pregnancy! In a time of so many unexpected changes, the midwives at the Santa Barbara Birth Center gave me a peace of mind and sense of security with every aspect of pregnancy, labor and the weeks following the birth of my daughter. The care I received was priceless to me.

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Our experience at Santa Barbara Midwifery Birth Center was excellent! From the very first appointment with Alissa my husband and I knew we were in good hands. In contrast with other providers I have seen who are difficult to contact outside of prenatal appointments, at our first meeting we received a binder with the emergency contact phone number for the midwife on call as well as email addresses for all of the midwives for general questions and concerns. My emails and phone calls were always answered promptly throughout my pregnancy and even during postpartum which was very comforting and reassuring to me. I enjoyed how personable and compassionate each of the midwives were and knew that they truly cared about my well-being. The client binder that I received was full of comprehensive information that helped me feel more prepared for a healthy pregnancy, postpartum, breastfeeding, and infant care than the information my previous caregiver had provided me with. I believe that this level of preparation along with the midwives' confidence in my body to give birth safely and naturally set me up for a wonderful birth experience!

The peaceful atmosphere of the birth room was so conducive for a smooth labor. When I arrived at the birth center I was in active labor. Labor progressed smoothly and quickly, and as my contractions intensified I was able to labor in the tub which greatly reduced the pain. Throughout the whole process I had freedom to listen to my body and move around into the best position possible. When it came time to push, I felt the most amazing superhuman strength and adrenaline rush I had ever felt in my life as my son's head came forward and then the rest of his body! It was the most empowering and sacred moment of my life. Throughout the whole birthing process I felt safe, loved, and supported. This was in stark contrast to the difficult labor I experienced with my firstborn who was born at home. I believe that the calm and peaceful demeanor of the midwives Jenna and Nicole who were attending my birth made all the difference in both the length of the labor and the way he was born without complications. It was such a blessing to have the midwives come to our home for postpartum checkups in the first week after giving birth. Laurel also went above and beyond and guided me to the right antibiotic for breastfeeding when I had an infection postpartum. We are so thankful for the care of the Santa Barbara midwives and the opportunity to deliver at the birth center as recipients of the subsidy! It brought so much healing and joy!

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My husband and I moved to Santa Barbara from Spain in October of 2014 to start a new life. We left the comfort of our jobs, home, family, and friends to enjoy a new adventure across the ocean. As we arrived in Santa Barbara we both started to build our businesses as a wine importer and a coach, respectively. After a couple of years of neither business being profitable, we run out of our savings. I started to work for a local nonprofit where I volunteered since our arrival in town. This job provided a stable income but still wasn’t enough to cover all of our expenses. Thus, we reduced our expenses to the maximum and kept living in a rented one-bedroom apartment by the railway. We were still working towards a more stable financial situation when we learned that we would be welcoming our baby boy in July 2018.

However, we discovered that our insurance would not cover any expenses of out-of-hospital birth, which caught us off guard. We truly believe the human body is wise and capable of marvelous things such as creating life. Thus, the ‘traditional medicine’ approach to pregnancy and birth was not the answer for our family. We came from a different country with a different culture, had no family in Santa Barbara, and English was our third language. Thus, we requested a subsidy to be surrounded by the Santa Barbara midwives, who are professionals we trusted and with whom we established a relationship when welcoming our first child.

We were very grateful to receive their financial support. It made all the difference as we navigated the pregnancy with confidence and were supported by a great team of professionals, which became even more relevant when I experienced complications at birth and had to deliver my baby via emergency c-section at the local hospital. The midwives provided amazing care at what has been the scariest moment in our lives. There are no words to describe how supported we felt even though it was the most physical and emotionally challenging experience we ever lived. We would do it all over again without a doubt.

We are very thankful to the SB Midwives and the SB Birth Center for holding our hands during our pregnancy journey and helping to deliver our beautiful and healthy baby boy.

We love the SB Midwives and the SB Birth Center!