Midwifery510

This review is way past overdue, but my experience with Gwen and the delivery of our first child was the most important– and subsequently epic-​experience I have ever had, and summing it up briefly has seemed like an injustice. But to say nothing has also been a crime, since she’s practically worthy of my throwing her a parade.
Preparing overall for my first baby was daunting, and labor was on the unexpectedly difficult end of the birth story spectrum. No amount of hypnobirthing practice, prenatal yoga, or extensive research on natural birth stories would adequately prepare me for labor-​with one exception: Gwen. Labor lasted practically a full two days, but in the end, I delivered without an epidural and had the birth I ultimately wanted– and feel more empowered than I ever have in my life. I can say, that unequivocally, it is because of the support team I had, but most critically because of Gwen. I even went so far as to tell everyone that she was my birth plan.
In normal life and especially during such a vulnerable process, Gwen is the comrade you want, and the boss you require– on one hand, she is chill, empathic, intuitive– and funny as hell, and on the other hand, she is assertive, decisive, and savvy.
Having chosen Gwen as my midwife and overall advocate, I felt secure, empowered, and catalyzed to ultimately have the birth I truly wanted which was the goal all along. I will not do it any other way if /​when the time comes again. I would give her my firstborn if she had not done such a good job :)

Gwen handled my wife’s prenatal care, and delivered our first baby at Alta bates last year. She might be the best clinician I’ve ever met. This is not hyperbole: she is skillful, caring, thoughtful, patient, and supportive. As first time parents we were nervous and more than a little scared; Gwen’s confidence in herself and in us helped us get past that. Five stars doesn’t do her justice.

Gwen is fantastic, caring and completely unflappable! I was lucky enough to find her early in my pregnancy and looked forward to our visits throughout the whole pregnancy. She reassured me that the natural birth experience I wanted was not out of reach! My favorite thing about Gwen is how she would always share her own experiences with pregnancy and the birth of her own two kids, it really made me feel like she was a friend and not just a care provider.
On the day of the birth, we got to Alta Bates fully dilated and Gwen met us there. As other reviewers have noted, she stayed with me the entire looong 4.5 hours of pushing, and guided my birth team on how to help me be the most comfortable and relaxed the entire time. I won’t lie, it was an intense afternoon! However, I felt super supported the entire time, and never scared. I knew she had both my best interests and my baby’s best interests at heart. We delivered our beautiful baby girl unmedicated and it was truly the most amazing experience of my life! I feel so lucky to have had this sort of a birth after hearing of many women’s neagtive birth stories.
A few tips:
— Gwen gets booked up early so if definitely call her as soon as you find out you are pregnant!
— I was able to get my Aetna HMO insurance plan to cover her services by switching to the «Hills Physicians Medical Group».
— When going to her office, BRING CASH for the parking lot. Otherwise you will have to walk to the hospital and pay the $ 4 ATM fee!
— We also thought the nurses at Alta Bates were really kind and helpful.

Having Gwen as our midwife was the best decision we made during this pregnancy.
Prior to meet Gwen, I had seen an OB MD group, in which some doctors were not quite supportive for a natural birth. So we started looking for an alternative around week 30. We were truly grateful that Gwen accepted me as her new client.
Having Gwen as our midwife tremendously shortened my list of birth plan, because she supported our birth preference. One of the prenatal appointments was designed to go over our birth preference and possible alternatives. With Gwen, I was hopeful to have a peaceful birthing experience no matter how it would turn out. Thanks to her, we had a vaginal delivery (without medication) followed by immediate long bonding time with our son.
Gwen is a very experienced midwife, which was very reassuring for the first time parents-​to-​be. She took care of me physically and emotionally during pregnancy and actual birthing time. Unlike most of the doctors who only appear at the end of labor, Gwen stayed at my bedside (and next to the tub when I was soaking) entire time of my labor. She also had great advice for my husband and us as a couple. During postpartum appointments, Gwen made sure not only that I was recovering smoothly but also that we were adjusting as new parents.
We are so grateful that Gwen was our midwife. We would highly truly recommend this amazing midwife Gwen!

My husband and I moved to the Bay Area from San Diego with our 2 children. When I found out I was pregnant with number 3 I had to find a new provider. I went with an OB who was very close to my house. After several visits I realized, despite what she promised, she was not willing to let me do what I wanted during labor. So I set out to find someone who was comfortable with my natural choices and desire to have a «hands-​off» birth, as much as possible.
I found Gwen at 33 weeks and was so thankful she was willing and able to take me on. During our first appointment I asked if she was fine with all of my choices. She was, and assured me that her approach was to have «the closest thing to a home birth, in the hospital». After hearing that, I was completely confident in her abilities and that she would respect my desires.
Gwen was SO incredible during my birth!!! She was so positive and calmly reassured me throughout the whole thing. I felt like the one running the show, instead of being told what to do. When my contractions stalled, she encouraged me to rest and listen to my body, instead of pumping me full of pitocin. When I told her I needed to go off the monitors, she let me labor in the shower. Because of the mutual trust I felt between us, I was able to labor in peace. Her words of encouragement and gentle touch made all the difference when I got overwhelmed. She was also very complimentary of my husband in his role as my birth partner. It made us feel like she was including him in every part of the labor and birth.
I have already referred 1 friend to her and will keep doing so because she is that amazing! The best part is that she let me pull out my own baby as he came into the world!!! If you want an incredible birth experience Gwen is definitely the midwife you want to hire!

Gwen is an amazing woman and midwife. She is caring and compassionate and a true professional.

In doing some research on my birth options, I came across the Unilocal reviews on here. I’m currently 31 weeks due March 7^th, and I spoke to Gwen who unfortunately informed me she was all booked up through March, but I was very impressed that she still took the time to give me some advice and great info! After watching «the business of being born» her call was the first one I made. This is my first pregnancy and I’ve always had in my mind that I wanted to go natural, ever since my friends and relatives started popping out kids, but with all their advice and «just take the drugs» «you won’t say that when you get there» type attitude, I didn’t know where to start. So although I couldn’t give a 5 star rating since I was unable to work with her practice, I’m still glad I was able to get some really great information and info regarding my options, after that one phone call, I feel much more confident in my search and options, since as of now I am with kaiser, Gwen gave me great advice to make sure if I am going with them how to get the best out of my experience. Not so many people would take the time to educate you, and she was sweet to do so!

Gwen is amazing! She helped me to achieve my goal of a drug-​free VBAC.
From the first time my partner and I met her, she was refreshing, warm and encouraging. At any time during my pregnancy that I felt doubt or had questions she helped me tackle it head on.
The journey of pregnancy and actual birth can be long, trying and scary. She was always reassuring and so loving. I never had a doubt that my family and I were in the best hands.
She always called me back and returned my emails promptly no matter how small of a question or concern I had.
When I was overdue, and scared of another traumatizing Induction and cesarean birth, we talked openly about what another induction would look like under her care. I knew it would be OK because she would be there and she knew my history and me as a person. She supported my birth preferences while keeping the well being of me and my baby at the forefront.
When I went into labor at 41 weeks, 4 days, she was right there to greet us at the door of the hospital. (No doctor is going to do that) I was already pushing and in the thick of labor, her calm spirit made all the difference. I was able to labor freely and comfortably because this woman had seen me and cared for me and my baby for months.
She guided my labor team to help me push and keep me calm. I had my dream birth experience, not only because I had a drug-​free VBAC, but because I had Gwen as my midwife.
We aren’t planning anymore children, but if we were having another child, I would call Gwen without hesitation.

I was lucky enough to snag Gwen as my midwife when, at nearly 6 months pregnant, my previous midwife’s practice abruptly closed.
Gwen is an incredibly beautiful person, inside and out. She’s thorough and professional while being very genuine, caring, and easy to be around. I found myself looking forward to my appointments with her.
Due to a medical condition that suddenly manifested in my 36^th week of pregnancy, I went into pre-​term labor. During this period, she was very present and exuded warmth and confidence, which made me feel at ease and reassured — even when things took an unexpected turn and I nearly had to have an emergency c-​section. Gwen remained very calm and kind through the flurry of activity.
My son finally arrived 48 hours after my water broke. Of course my most intense memory of his birthday was meeting him for the first time and sharing the moment with my husband. Second, however, I don’t think I’ll ever forget Gwen’s joy at his birth. She gave me a big hug and kissed my cheek. I felt so happy and loved.
I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Gwen to anyone who is looking for the absolute best prenatal care and an amazing birth experience. Without a doubt, when I’m ready for my second child, I’m giving Gwen a call. I can’t imagine doing it again without her!

Gwen actually delivered my first child at Alta Bates in 2012 when my midwife wasn’t on call and I didn’t want an OB to deliver. She was very gentle and caring during the delivery and ensured my son came into the world complication free. I could not have asked for a better first delivery with a midwife. Especially a spur-​of-​the-​moment midwife who I had never met prior to getting delivered by her.
Fast forward to 2014 when I was set to have my second child except my insurance had changed so I now had to deliver in the kaiser system. I went overdue so I scheduled my induction at kaiser Vacaville. When I arrived to begin the induction guess who walks in as the midwife to introduce herself to me… surprise it was Gwen! Unfortunately I had a 24 hour induction so gwen did not get to deliver my baby girl but she did make it a point to check on me and baby after the delivery the next day. She sat and talked to me for awhile as if she were a personal friend! She’s amazing and now that my 3^rd child is due in just 2 weeks, im very sad to see she has moved on back over to Alta Bates where I don’t have delivery privileges. Im sure I’ll be in great hands with another midwife but I was hopeful I would run into her again.

I loved Gwen and I also consider her a friend. We switched to her care after my diagnosis of Gestational Diabetes because we didn’t like how my indifferent OB handled the situation. We also interviewed another midwife who works with home birth but we felt more comfortable with Gwen from our first conversation on the phone. Choosing Gwen was our best decision and made the difference for the rest of my pregnancy and the birth. Gwen is professional, confident, knowledgeable and at the same time funny, sweet and progressive. She made me feel very confident with my Gestational Diabetes thanks to her experience and she never gave up on enabling me to have a natural birth. Giving birth with Gwen at Alta Bates was a joyful experience, the care of the nurses was wonderful, very helpful and we felt secure and surrounded with attention. I will definitely choose her again with my next child and I truly recommend her to anyone.

We chose Gwen to help us with the labor of our first baby. It was stressful shopping around for a midwife, but we did a lot of research and interviewed several people, eventually choosing her. Looking back, it is difficult to imagine anyone else guiding us through what became the most beautiful experience of our lives. Gwen exudes complete confidence and professionalism while still offering the warmth and intimacy that you would hope for in a midwife. Throughout the pregnancy she genuinely listened to all of our concerns, and our desires for a natural birth, offering insight and guidance in a way that made us feel that we were still in control of our own pregnancy, which was something we felt we would lose with an OB. By the time the big day arrived, we had built a strong connection with her, making her feel like family… and while I do mean that in a lovey-​dovey way, I also mean that Gwen took care of business in a way that allowed us to put our complete faith in her. That meant everything to us, because it allowed my wife and I to not only be in the moment and deeply experience what was happening, but it also meant we trusted her decisions, which helped peel away any stress we might have otherwise felt. Gwen is fantastic, and anyone would be lucky to work with her.

We were so fortunate to have Gwen as our midwife! We didn’t like our OB at blue shield and really struggled to find someone warm and caring who could catch our baby at alta bates. Then Gwen fell into our lives and immediately upon our first meeting we were overjoyed by her perfect combo of knowledge and loving energy. We couldn’t recommend her more highly– she’s amazing. Knows the ins and outs of alta bates and chooses her own nurses which made us feel like we had a badass VIP hand picked team. Didn’t make us feel bad for not taking the tdap vaccine (our OB told us that babies who are born to unvaccinated moms die left and right!). Super present, highly skilled, compassionate, practical, accessible, and warm– everything you want in a care provider!

First we planned to take Lindy Johnson as midwife because of our friend’s recommendations, but as her practice was full Lindy recommended us Gwen and we are absolutely happy with this. This was my third delivery and the best birthing experience ever. Gwen is perfect — real professional, very friendly, positive and kind. I felt very comfortable with her, like with mother or sister.
And our family thanks Gwen for all what she did. Thank you, Midwife Gwen!

Gwen Haynes is a tremendous midwife and health care provider; I cannot recommend her more highly. Her approach is warm and considerate; and we’re thankful for her sound judgment and pragmatic advice throughout my pregnancy. I never felt rushed in our appointments and her support and encouragement were crucial for a successful birth experience. I’m so glad to have been her patient.

We started working with Gwen when I was 30 weeks pregnant, and we feel very fortunate to have found her. It was clear from our very first prenatal visit that we were in good hands, and throughout the delivery process and postpartum, Gwen has more than surpassed our expectations. She is intelligent and knowledgeable, but also warm and open-​minded. We wanted to have a natural childbirth, and Gwen was totally on board. She helped us strategize and prepare for the birth, and establish our priorities very clearly. The birth ended up being much longer and more difficult than we expected, but Gwen was very supportive and present the whole time. She helped us make some difficult decisions during the labor and knew how to balance our desire for natural methods and the usefulness of medical interventions. She also has a lot of experience at Alta Bates and knows the nurses and OBs personally, and so was able to make sure that we saw the best people. In the end we were able to avoid a C-​section and we absolutely feel we have Gwen and Alta Bates to thank for that. She has also been great in postpartum care, and has gone out of her way to help us through difficult times in the first few weeks with our baby. We can’t recommend her highly enough. She is a gem!

We moved to the Berkeley area when I was 20 weeks pregnant and soon began working with Gwen. Her care, support, and guidance throughout my pregnancy and recent delivery were invaluable. She is a gentle and thoughtful caregiver who strives to create the best and most positive birthing experience you can imagine. Having her hand to hold and her coaching to get us through labor made all the difference in the world! I cannot recommend her enough!

I switched to midwifery care with Gwen when I was 35 weeks pregnant, and my son was born two weeks later! And I’m immeasurably glad I switched, because my birthing experience could have been traumatic with my cold, clinical OB. Instead Gwen greeted me at the hospital with warmth and positivity, filled my jet tub and cut through some serious administrative bullshit with the nurses (it helps that she had been working for Alta Bates as a midwife for a long while before opening her own practice — not only does she know most of the L&D staff, but all the the procedures are old hat, too).
I hadn’t had time to update my birth plan, but we had talked and she knew exactly what I wanted and needed to do to bring our boy into the world with minimum intervention. She trusted my body to do its thing and it did.

We switched to midwifery care with Gwen when I was 35 weeks pregnant, and my son was born two weeks later! And I’m immeasurably glad we switched, because my birthing experience could have been traumatic with my cold, clinical OB. Instead Gwen greeted us at the hospital with warmth and positivity, filled my jet tub and cut through some serious administrative bullshit with the nurses (it helps that she had been working for Alta Bates as a midwife for a long while before opening her own practice — not only does she know most of the L&D staff, but all the the procedures are old hat, too).
I hadn’t had time to update my birth plan, but we had talked and she knew exactly what I wanted and needed to do to bring our boy into the world with minimum intervention. She trusted my body to do its thing and it did.

We absolutely loved working with Gwen. Switching at 32 weeks from another caregiver to Midwife Gwen could have been stressful — but both my husband and I think that it was the best possible thing that could have ever happened to us. During the prenatal visits Gwen was very knowledgeable, smart — yet extremely friendly, kind, funny and easy to relate and talk to. On the day of the birth at Alta Bates she was like a mother, a sister a best friend who sat with me for hours on end as my labor progressed. Her kind words, kind touch, encouragement, positive attitude made the whole birthing experience so much better. Both my husband and I loved having her in the room. Our baby boy and I were in the best possible hands throughout the last weeks of pregnancy, labor and birth. Thank you Midwife Gwen!!!