Testimonials
My birthing experience was amazing and it had to do mostly with the fact that I had a great team supporting me…
Choosing Rachel as my midwife was the best choice I could of made on my way to delivering my son Lucas. The preparation up until birth, both for myself and my husband were an integral part of what enabled my process to unfold so beautifully. I can’t say enough good things about Rachel; Her expertise is very strong and her energy is the best for this kind of experience. She provided me with peace, love, awareness and the right education to support my preparation for a home birth. What I am most grateful for is the confidence I was able to build with her by my side, both before, during and after my birth experience. Rachel provided us with the space that was needed to open up to this powerful experience and I could of not asked for more.My husband and I were determined to have a VBAC when I was pregnant with our second child…
So we hired Rachel as a monitrice. The plan was to labor at home as long as possible yet still have a hospital birth. Rachel was exactly what we were looking for in a monitrice. She was knowledgeable, confident, and most importantly easy to talk to and comfortable to be around. She really went the extra mile with us, even making an extra house call to check on me and advise — as it happened, on the night I went into labor. I was nearing the end of my 42nd week and, with a looming c-section date, I was getting anxious. Rachel relieved my anxiety with her support, humor and practical advice. My husband insists it was her presence that night that really got things started. While I was in labor, she provided exactly what I needed for it to go as smoothly and comfortably as possible with minimal input from me. It just happened. Because of Rachel’s support, we had a wonderfully successful VBAC and a near perfect birth story. Had we hired her as a midwife and had a home birth, the birth of our son would have truly been perfect.I was very happy with the care I received from my midwife, Rachel…
In fact, Rachel helped identify that my baby had turned into breech position after my last ultrasound and so I was able to evaluate and be sure it was safe to have a vaginal breech delivery with her assisting (CA law requires an OB to be in attendance for breech delivery). I’m confident in her skills and competency to handle any situation.For my VBAC I knew I needed a doula…
who was compassionate, assertive, in control and passionate about natural birth to keep me focused through labor. I knew I wanted a strong female presence who knew what she was doing. Rachel was the perfect match for my husband and I. My water partially broke early in the morning and so I wasn’t sure how safe or comfortable with that I was. Rachel communicated with me throughout the day with very informative and supportive responses. When things really started progressing she promptly came over (with an assistant!). I cannot say enough about how focused Rachel kept me during transition and on the way to the hospital. She was also FANTASTIC in the hospital when a pushy receptionist wanted me to fill out paperwork (I mean really?!) and with the on-call doctor who seemed super annoyed at 2am. She kept me motivated, was attentive to my needs and was supportive when I decided to get a repeat Cesarean. I was left with an extreme sense of accomplishment and that by far is because of Rachel’s help and passion for supporting women through the birthing process. Almost impossible to talk about was the extreme amount of compassion and assistance Rachel showed my husband when complication arose during surgery and tough decisions had to be made. When my husband needed help during that traumatic and difficult time, Rachel was there in so many ways. She will always hold a special place in our hearts.Rachel is the best!
So pleased with my experience and I finally feel like a human and mother, not a number amongst thousands. You learn so much compared to an OB. My mind is blown every time I leave my appointment because it’s something with my first I never experienced or have even known about birth or my own body.
Rachel was my doula for the births of my second and third children…
The doula I worked with for the birth of my first child was not available when my second came along, so I was forced to find a new doula. I’m glad I did. My first doula was good, but Rachel is incredible! She is competent and calm. Her midwife training puts her in a league separate from other doulas. I trusted her completely. She has the physical strength to administer effective labor comfort techniques. She can be flexible during labor and delivery when unexpected things can happen. She can be resolute if you are set on achieving a particular goal, such as a natural, drug-free delivery. If you are looking for a professional partner in birth and delivery, be sure to meet Rachel.
Rachel was a critical part of our birth team!
She was with us every step of the way, I’m not sure I could have done it without her. Her knowledge and experience helped us navigate pregnancy, labor, and delivery in a way that left us with no regrets even when my long, difficult labor took a few unexpected turns. Rachel’s experience, wisdom, and personality made her an invaluable asset to us. Before and after our daughter was born, my husband and I frequently said to each other, “Rachel is worth her weight in gold!” We are deeply grateful that we had Rachel as our montrice for the birth of our precious daughter!
Rachel was such a great addition to our whole birthing experience…
As the father, I had many worries and concerns going into that big day. I wanted to support my wife and be strong for her but I was nervous and not quite sure what to expect and what to do. Rachel was a great coach for the both of us. When the contractions started we had her to call and text. When we arrived at the hospital she was waiting for us with the wheelchair we requested. It’s easy to get excited in the birthing experience and Rachel had a strong calming influence on both Lindsay and I. Prior to labor starting I had worried that I may be put in the background and Rachel would take the lead. I was worried that she may take away from the connection between Lindsay and I. In the end she only facilitated our connection. She showed me what I could do to make Lindsay feel better. She allowed me to support Lindsay way more than I would have been able to on my own. I couldn’t have been more happy with how the day transpired. She was a partner and coach through the entire birthing process and was very aware and attentive to our needs and wants. She also worked hand in hand with the nurses and OB and you could tell there was a mutual respect between the two professions. We highly recommend having Rachel be a part of your birthing day.
Rachel was our doula for our second child’s birth…
After feeling that there was a lack of labor support for our first child’s birth, we sought out an experienced doula. Rachel fit the bill. She has experience with home and hospital birth as well as emergency medicine. She is an effective communicator and a calming presence. Our baby came very quickly, so quick that we almost didn’t make it to the hospital on time. Our meetings with Rachel prepared me to handle the strong and frequent contractions. I would recommend doula support to anyone having a baby, and for those in the LA area, I would recommend Rachel to be their doula.I interviewed a handful of doulas before choosing Rachel…
Rachel stood out due to her experience and positive energy. She is reliable, knowledgeable, and empowering. I was hesitant to hire a doula not sure it would be a worthwhile investment since I already had a great obgyn from Cedars. But we concluded that Rachel contributed more to my positive experience than my obgyn. Rachel was a calming presence throughout my birth. I had long dreaded birth pain yet I handled it better than I expected – reached 8cm when I arrived at the hospital and pushed for 3 hours before receiving an epidural. She empowered me to be in control during the entire process instead of letting the pain control me. If Rachel wasn’t there, I would have given in to the pain too early, likely wasted time and energy by going to hospital too soon (which many of my friends did and were sent back home) or may have ended up in a cesarean since I would not have tried hard on my own to advance the baby’s position (her head was stuck). A friend recently asked me why I needed a doula because if a doula and a doctor have different opinions, wouldn’t you go with the doctor. Rachel wasn’t there to provide a medical opinion. The doctor would periodically check in or perform procedures when necessary. But that’s about 20% of the birth process. The other 80%, when you are in pain and deeply discomforted, Rachel is there to guide you through and give you the confidence that you are doing fine – a role that even my hugely supportive husband couldn’t fulfill (experience counts!). Although I hit the record of longest pushing among her clients, 10+ hours total, my birthing experience was amazing. Another added bonus, she has a great network of other providers and helped to connect me with a babysitter, lactation consultant, and placenta encapsulation person. Hiring Rachel yielded one of the highest returns on my investment.Love Notes
Rachel, thank you so much for your support, guidance, and care. It was great working with you and we couldn’t have chosen anyone better. Eliza has been the light of our life.