Reviews

When we came here, we met with the team, and we were blown away by how much they wanted it to be our experience. They were genuinely excited to make sure it was everything she wanted. Nothing was forced on us. That really drew us in — the idea that we could own it and make it our own experience.

Loretta sat down with us and talked through what an unmedicated birth would really look like — the positions, the music we could have playing, the mantras we could use. It was super helpful to have someone who would be there to hold your hand through it, but also give you as much information as possible to prepare. That made such a difference.

There are so many great things about our birth that it’s hard to pick just one, but my favorite part was that I never felt unsafe. I felt like the team around us was so efficient and professional. I felt looked after the entire time.

For whatever reason, people have an idea in their head of what a birth center is — and this wasn’t what we expected. It’s a beautiful, clean, friendly facility that’s bright and fun. Even though we ended up doing our actual birth at home, we would’ve loved to do it there. The staff and the facility were just incredible.

Anybody who’s been in a hospital room for a birth knows that it doesn’t feel like home at all. But this facility? It feels very much like a home.

Supporting my wife in choosing a birth center was a no-brainer. She’s the one doing the hard part, and that’s what she wanted to do. I just made sure I did everything I could to make it as easy as possible for her. The midwives supported us the whole time — that’s a huge contrast from the hospital, where you have burned-out nurses bossing you around and trying to make things fit their schedule instead of the mother’s.

The birth center experience was completely different. The first thing I noticed was that I felt free to move. That’s my number one thing — I hate being stuck in a bed with IVs and sensors and cords hooked up to monitors. It’s not helpful. Here, I could move, and I felt safe.

I knew there were so many experienced midwives here. Loretta has been a nurse for over 30 years, and there’s a midwife with 20 years of experience. I knew they would know if something was wrong or if I needed to be transferred. That gave me a lot of peace of mind.

The whole experience was relaxing, and I felt in charge of my birth. The bathtub was ready for me whenever I wanted to get in. After the birth, we had uninterrupted time with our baby. He was healthy, and everything was fine. We weren’t interrupted by anyone — it was just us, enjoying those first moments with our little guy.

What’s special about Loretta is that she connects with people. She understands your needs and offers you so many possibilities. I felt completely supported throughout the entire experience.

Loretta was amazing. When I came to her with problems, instead of just brushing them off, she’d say, ‘Let’s see what we can do about it.’ With my previous pregnancies, I had a lot of swelling in my legs and feet. My old midwife would say, ‘That’s just part of pregnancy.’ But Loretta immediately gave me advice, and within a week, the swelling was completely gone. It made the last weeks of pregnancy so much better.

On our birthing day, the center was dark, peaceful, and quiet. There were no bright fluorescent lights or beeping machines. We came right in and continued laboring. The tub was already full and ready for us.

One thing I loved, which might seem odd, is how clean everything was. As soon as Sadie was born, I turned around, and the room was spotless. Everything was cleaned up so fast. It made those first hours with our baby so peaceful and comfortable.

Having so many hands on me to help through contractions was incredible. Loretta felt like one of our friends — she welcomed us as soon as we walked in. It made the whole experience feel personal, fun, and so much less intimidating.

They want to give you the birth you want. They make it a positive experience for you and make sure that the father is comfortable. The midwives just took over, and my husband was there having my back, and I was like, ‘Good, that’s all I need from you.

I loved the midwives. I seriously felt like family, and it was awesome. They were with you the entire time, coaching you. It wasn’t nurses coming in and out of the room. It was a really tranquil environment.

I think it’s a really family-oriented place. The rooms are so homey, and the beds are pretty comfy. They’re beautiful, honestly. I loved the color of the walls — I walked in and thought, ‘Oh my gosh, I want to paint my walls this color!’ It was just a really calm, pretty color.

It’s a beautiful place. I want to deliver here every time.

During my son’s birth at the hospital, I tried to deliver naturally, but I panicked at transition and took an epidural. About half an hour later, his heart rate started dropping, and my doctor told me, ‘You have three pushes to get your baby out, or you’re going to have a c-section.’ He used a vacuum, and I ended up with a fourth-degree tear. After that experience, I didn’t think a birth center was an option for me.

But Loretta taught me to believe in myself. She told me that I could do it. So, I sent all my worries away and decided to believe in myself. Sure enough, I had a good delivery. I didn’t need hundreds of stitches — I only needed three! I still have a hard time believing that I gave birth to my baby boy in a bathtub with no pain medication.

It was an incredible experience, one I’ll never forget. It bonded me with my husband and my baby in a way that felt sacred. I feel like it saved me from unnecessary medical interventions. The doctors had told me I’d need a c-section, but I didn’t. I had the perfect delivery.

I think the women who work here are earth angels. They help bring babies into the world in a way that empowers women and reminds us that our bodies are incredible. You can do anything you set your mind to.

From the moment Loretta put her hands on my belly, I could tell she had so much wisdom. She gave me an instant feeling of confidence. She knows what she’s talking about and has so much experience with pregnancy.

Being at the birth center versus the hospital is like night and day. Here, it’s like making a friend every day. Every person I met at the birth center — I would trust them with their advice. I felt genuinely cared for.

I appreciated that everyone at the birth center listened so well. They heard all of my concerns and empowered me. They lifted me up to believe that I could do this.

The day of the birth, at 3 in the morning, I texted Loretta. I was exhausted, but not really in pain. She said, ‘It definitely sounds like you’re in active labor. I’ll meet you there in 45 minutes.’ When we got to the birth center, Loretta immediately started filling the tub, and I jumped in. It was the first bit of relief I’d had.

Being at the center made everything feel calm. The lights were dim, lavender oil was in the diffuser — everything was personalized to me. Loretta had even asked what calming oils I liked. My husband sat next to me the whole time. Loretta has such a calming presence, and you can tell she’s passionate about what she does.

When Emma was born, it was an outer-body experience. I was exhausted, but as soon as they placed her on my chest, none of that mattered anymore. The midwives were just as excited as we were to meet her, and that made the experience so special.

It was rejuvenating. I was physically done, but having her placed on my chest made me realize it was all so worth it. It was just wonderful.

It was exciting when she mentioned the possibility of a water birth — something we’d never experienced before. I said, ‘Hey, let’s do it!’ Plus, the cost was almost half of what some hospitals charge, so financially it made sense too.

The prenatal care was similar to what you get with a regular OB/GYN, but it felt a lot more personal. We had Loretta’s personal cell phone number and could call her directly. When we called her that night, she obviously woke up, but she just said, ‘Okay, let’s do this!’ and told us to meet her at the clinic in about 30 minutes.

As soon as we walked in, I was having a contraction, and Loretta immediately took over. She said, ‘Let’s put pressure here, let’s do this.’ Everything was ready — they were drawing the bath, there was soothing music playing, and the lights were dimmed. It felt so calming and intimate.

Out of all the births we’ve had, this one was my favorite. It wasn’t like a hospital with beeping monitors and people rushing around. It felt more like a personal experience. The people you see through the whole process are the ones who help you birth your child — you’re not just a number.

I also liked that everyone was so supportive. In a hospital, if you say you want a natural birth, they’ll keep asking, ‘Are you sure? We’ve got this drug, we’ve got that epidural.’ But here, it was different. Everyone was saying, ‘You can do this. You’ve got this.’ Everyone was working for me to make sure I could do it.

If we were to have another baby — another surprise baby — we would definitely come back to the birth center and do it again with Loretta and her team. But hopefully, we don’t have another!

It honestly felt like God’s timing. My friend’s experience was fresh in my mind, and two months later, I was pregnant. It was like He was putting this opportunity in front of me and saying, ‘This is where you need to go.

I would specifically call out Anastasia. She was one of the attending midwives who ended up being at my birth, and her and I really connected during my prenatal appointments. My water started breaking on a Monday, and by Tuesday night, I was concerned. Out of nowhere, Anastasia texted me. She had been in her postpartum period and hadn’t heard from me in weeks, but she said she felt called to be part of my birth story. That gave me so much peace of mind. It was like, ‘Wow, God’s in control. His timing is right.

At 11:45, I woke up, and our doula came to the house. Apparently, my husband and I weren’t monitoring contractions very well, because when the doula arrived, she calmly said, ‘Your contractions are two minutes apart. We should probably get to the birth center.’ Sophie was born at 2:38. The midwives were able to get the water ready for me, and I had the water birth I had planned, which was phenomenal. It definitely helped with pain management.

The best part of the story is that Anastasia helped deliver Sophie while wearing her own baby. If I can summarize my experience with My Family Birth Center, it’s that everything feels so personal. Every appointment and interaction with the midwives feels like it’s just between you and them. They spend intentional time with you, and you never feel rushed.