For as long as women have been giving birth, midwives have been by their side for this miraculous transition into motherhood. While the profession has surely changed over the millennia, its significance has not. In today’s modern world, midwives are healthcare providers trained in obstetrics and gynecology. While they can provide routine care for women and deliver babies of uncomplicated pregnancies, they’re (typically) not physicians, preferring instead to take a more holistic and natural approach to their work. Orange County Midwives believe that birth is not an illness or disease in need of medical intervention but a beautiful and organic process to be honored and revered.
If you have similar beliefs when it comes to childbirth, then a midwife may be the right choice for your birth experience. Midwives can assist with home births and birth center births and are even becoming popular amongst hospital staff in maternity wards. Most offer a low-intervention approach to birth, allowing the birthing mother to determine what is best for her body in the moment.
When it comes to midwives, there are several different kinds with which you should be familiar. Certified Nurse Midwives, or CNMs, have completed the most training, including nursing school and a graduate degree in midwifery. CNMs are qualified to work in hospitals, private practices, and in birth centers. Licensed Midwives, or LMs, have a master’s degree in midwifery but have not attended (or completed) nursing school. These are the only two types of midwives legally allowed to practice in California, but it’s worth knowing as you begin your research.
Check Out These 7 Orange County Midwives To Support The Birth YOU Want
If you’re ready to start researching midwives for your own birth experience, you’ve come to the right place. Here are some of the best Orange County Midwives to consider for you and your baby.
OC Midwifery
30270 Rancho Viejo Rd., Ste. F, San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675
OC Midwifery is home to a team of three compassionate and experienced LMs who have been helping women have their babies at home for nearly 20 years. They believe that every woman deserves to have an empowering and celebrated birth experience right in the comfort of their own home. They’ll assist with water births (you provide the tub), and they bring all the standard birth equipment typically found in a delivery room straight to you. They are incredible cheerleaders, supporters, and friends who are by your side to help you through this amazing experience.
South Coast Midwifery
6817 Quail Hill Pkwy, Irvine, CA 92603
South Coast Midwifery is Orange County’s premier midwifery and birth center. Offering families a luxury experience as they welcome their children into the world. You will be guided by one of three midwives, each of whom has extensive experience catching babies and serving Orange County families. Additionally, they welcome you to deliver in their birth center, which is more like a five-star resort with spacious birthing suites and plenty of amenities. You can also choose to give birth at home with a trusted South Coast Midwifery midwife by your side.
Orange Coast Women’s Medical Group
16105 Sand Canyon Ave., Suite 200, Irvine, CA 92618
Orange Coast Women’s Medical Group (OCWMG) is a unique practice that offers midwifery care in a hospital setting. Their CNMs deliver at both Hoag Hospital Irvine and Women’s Hospital at Saddleback Memorial Medical Center, offering peace of mind that their partnering physicians are readily available to care for any unexpected emergencies. When in the care of OCWMG midwives, you’ll have a relaxing, natural birth experience that is respectful of your Orange County birth plan but flexible enough to change course as you see fit.
Blessed Beginnings Midwifery
22672 Lambert St. Ste 612, Lake Forest, CA 92630
Susan Scott Gill, LM, has always loved working with babies. The births of her own two children inspired her to pursue midwifery, and her prior experience working in hospitals reiterated her desire to provide families with safe alternatives to hospital births. Gill specializes in home births, water births, and VBACs (vaginal births after cesareans.) If you’re seeking to have an active role in your pregnancy and birth with minimal intervention, get in touch with Blessed Beginnings Midwifery.
Born With Angell
4019 Westerly Place, Suite 101, Newport Beach, CA 92660
Jennifer Angell is a licensed chiropractor, doula, and midwife serving Orange County families. She loves working with moms-to-be who take a vested interest in their lifestyle choices in order to attain and maintain a healthy, low-risk pregnancy. As one of her clients, you’ll benefit from her chiropractic skill, which is great for alleviating pregnancy aches and pains. When it comes to your birth, she’ll arrive once you’re in active labor with everything you’ll need, including water birth materials, should you want them. Jennifer has attended over a thousand births as a doula and a midwife, and yours could soon be one of them.
Honey Midwifery
Mission Viejo, CA
Honey Midwifery founder Christy Gochez founded her beautiful organization with nothing but love: love for her Orange County clients, love for midwives, and love for the miracle of life. She brings quality prenatal care and birth services right into your home for an intimate and honorable experience. Gochez prides herself on her ability to provide nurturing, attentive, and hands-on care. All while building sacred and trusting relationships with every family she serves. Honey Midwifery’s home birth packages include everything from prenatal care to labor and birth support to postpartum and newborn care for a thorough experience from start to finish.
Abundant Blessings Midwifery
Abundant Blessings Midwifery is the heart of licensed midwife Tessa, who confidently believes that “your birth experience should feel like an extension and expression of you. Who you are, your family, where and how you live your life.” That’s why, as a midwife, she brings all of the care and attention you need directly to your home. As a midwife, she considers herself to be an expert in the normal process of birth and a bystander to help you experience your birth on your terms in your space.
Gold Soul Midwifery
Gold Soul Midwifery founder Jessie Rockwell has dedicated the last decade of her life to helping birthing families. She believes in marrying the midwifery model of care with family-centered care. This means that the entire family can be involved in this miraculous process. She is also of the opinion that a midwife is an expert in what’s normal. So, her job is to let your birth experience unfold naturally and with as little intervention as possible. Additionally, Jessie invests copious amounts of time and attention in developing a relationship with each client she serves. Ensuring comfort and trust for a safe and rewarding birth.
If You Know More Orange County Midwives That I Missed, Please Let Me Know
These Orange County Midwives are all experienced, compassionate, and knowledgeable when it comes to everything childbirth. Spend some time getting to know them through their websites and see if you can find someone who you think may be a great guide for your birth experience. You are in charge of your birth story, mama. Find the provider who wants to help you find the empowerment and control you need for a positive, natural birth experience.
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