Nova Midwifery Services

This review is for Morgan as she was the woman helped bring my now almost 2yr old son into the world. Morgan was always very kind, charismatic, interested in how I was doing, and how may partner was doing. When it came time for the birth (at pacifica birthing center where she was an apprentice) her energy was very calming, present, and supportive. I really appreciated how she was hands on and at the same time hands off. I truly felt as though the birth was an experience with my partner, my son, and myself. When we needed guidance she was there to help, but was never pushy or overbearing in her presence. My partner and I are both super grateful to have had her there, and would recommend her to anyone considering her as their midwife.

I filled out their online application 20 days ago in order to schedule a time to meet and interview these women for a possible home birth.
I received this email response the next day:
«So glad to hear from you and congrats on welcoming number 2 :)
We have availability on Tuesdays and Thursdays in Danville, and generally try to set up interviews midday so that Mason and I can both be present (we split the clinic day in half). Would 11AM or 12:30PM this coming Thursday the 10^th work for you?
If not, I will give you a call and we can compare schedules.
See you soon!
Morgan»
Since the times she provided did not work for me and my husband, who is unable to meet during work hours, I waited to hear back from Morgan, via phone call, per her email.
19 days passed and I never received a call from Morgan. So, yesterday I was clearing out my old emails when I came across her email and decided to send a response:
«Hello Morgan,
I never received a call from you or anyone at Nova. I didn’t reply, because those times didn’t work for us and was waiting on your call. My husband is only available to meet 5pm or later on weekdays or Saturday’s. Do you have anything available?
Looking forward to hearing back!»
This afternoon at exactly 4pm, I received a call from Morgan. Upon answering the call, she was cold, rude and clearly didn’t want to be calling me. She went on to repeat how her and Morgan preferred to meet clients during the day so they could be together. Needless to say, I was stunned as she then repeated herself again «We usually meet during the day on Tuesdays and Thursdays because we see people at our Danville and Oakland offices…» I then went on to explain, as I did in my email the previous day, those times don’t work for us and we would need something after 5pm during the week or on Saturday. At this point I was ready to tell her have a nice night and hang up, the best part was her clear attitude and cold demeanor that left me sitting in silence only to have her, for the third time «We just usually meet during the day…». Even after the attitude and clear snobbish demeanor (they clearly lack any flexibility when it comes to meeting potential clients), I was willing to come by with my daughter during the week if they couldn’t tear themselves away for an appointment late in the day, etc. She said they «might» be able to meet with us next Tuesday and was going to «text» Mason to see if that worked for her and then if that didn’t work for them, they would call me back.
Needless to say, it’s clear this practice lacks the appropriate flexibility to service potential clients and I should have just never sent an email after not hearing from her after 20 days. Stupidly, I convinced myself they might have been busy and would give them another shot.
1 — Why did I have to wait 20 days to get the same response 3 times?
2 — Why do you have someone doing calls if they are always cold and clearly offended at the idea of having to meet after 5pm or on Saturdays?
Needless to say I cancelled our appointment. Good riddance!

I don’t know what happened to my old review, but years later, I still have nothing but wonderful memories from my two home births with Mason. My first birth was very long and difficult, and ended in a cesarean. I had little doubt that with the right support I could have a vaginal birth and my best chances for that were at home. I was blessed to interview Mason first. She immediately put my partner at ease, who was not too keen on the idea. After catching his baby at home with Mason’s guidance, he is a huge supporter of home birth now. We chose her again to support us a few years later when we had a third. Mason knows her stuff and I’d recommend her to anyone looking to birth at home.

I LOVE Mason and Marea at Nova! Although my pregnancy had many bumps along the road, the team did great at taking care of me. I felt so supported and safe throughout the whole pregnancy. The birth was also beyond amazing and magical. It went smoothly and beautifully because Marea and Mason did such a wonderful job of educating and supporting me. Although this was my 3^rd child, the twins i had before were born in a hospital with an epidural so i felt nothing. This time, I was able to work through a real labor and delivery in the incredible safety and comfort of my own home. I will cherish this birth as i cherish and love all of my children. Thank you Nova for making dreams come true and for being an amazing service! More babies!

5 Stars both to the Midwives, Mason and the whole team! And 5 stars for home birth. As a father of now 3 children each delivered in a different way, I think more people should do a home birth. Unless there are serious complications and a real need for in-​hospital visit it makes complete sense to do an in home delivery and to do it with Mason’s team.
Our first was born in the hospital with no complications and no drugs. Our second one was born with epidural, forceps delivery at the hospital. We finally went for home delivery on the third. It was the most incredible experience. I was naturally skeptical, but having Mason and her team around to support made the process an enjoyable and incredibly wonderful experience. My misconceptions of midwives full of old wives tales was quickly removed after a few consultations. Those ladies know their stuff and they are certainly more knowledgable and articulate in the science of childbirth than at least one of our previous doctors. It simply could not have gotten any better than this.
If there ever is a next time (child) we know who we are visiting!

I found Nova through a chance encounter about halfway through my pregnancy. We had recently moved and I was reluctant to drive long distance to continue with my OB. I had also recently seen «The Business of Being Born» and wanted to learn more about home birth. After my first meeting with Mason, Mollie & Laurel, it was 100% decided — there was no one else I was going to have my first child with. My husband was skeptical of home birth, but luckily, has an open mind. He was encouraged by my enthusiasm and, upon meeting the Nova team, was completely convinced that this was the way to go. We cannot emphasize strongly enough just how happy we are with our Nova Midwifery birth experience! It was literally EVERYTHING we could have ever wanted… Actually, it was much more than that! Our experience far exceeded our high expectations of what pregnancy care, labor and delivery support and post-​partum care could be. During our regular pregnancy check-​ups, we learned EVERYTHING we needed to know to prepare us for the monumental, life-​changing process of having a baby.
Mason, Mollie & Laurel created a warm, nurturing environment from the start. We felt so well-​cared-​for, so valued, so comfortable asking sometimes embarassing questions. We were given valuable information, allowing us to make informed choices that made sense for our family. My husband and I were impressed with the quality of care as well as the information we received at every single visit. They took their time to address each and every one of our concerns with patience, kindness, and loving support.
I had an unusually challenging labor that went on and on. I truly believe that I was able to persevere because I felt so EMPOWERED… due in large part to the care I received from Mason and her team. I never once doubted my capability to birth my baby. Throughout my pregnancy, I was fueled with encouragement that I was strong and that my body was designed for this. I felt so confident! During the excruciating, long hours of my labor and delivery, my midwives and my husband were right by my side, supporting me, encouraging me, saying the exact right thing that I needed to hear at any given moment. My husband was a phenomenal support during labor, delivery, post-​partum and beyond, due in part to what he learned during our visits with the Nova team, as well as their guidance and support throughout labor. They monitored the baby’s heart rate and mine, took my blood pressure at regular intervals, checked my progress often… I always knew we were in good hands. I never doubted for a second that we were safe and that our baby would be born at home. Even when I came very close to a hospital transfer, Mason communicated privately with my husband and her team (so as not to distract or alarm me), always keeping our health and safety at the forefront. They then communicated PERFECTLY to me, at every stage of the process. I was given just enough information to know what was going on, but not so much that they interfered with my delicate state. They knew precisely how best to take care of us. I took it one contraction at a time and never gave up. I knew I could do it!
After 36 hours of contractions, 24 hours of hard labor and nearly 10 hours of pushing, our sweet baby girl emerged, right into my husband’s and Mason’s hands. They took the time to show me how to breastfeed immediately, after baby’s skin-​to-​skin with both mama and daddy. Alhough it had been a marathon birth, these amazing midwives were in no hurry to leave. They made meals for us, helped me shower, get dressed and do normal functions that I was too exhausted to do on my own. They just seemed to «get it». Mason and Laurel anticipated my needs before I even knew what I needed. The incredible level of the support I received before, during and after my daughter’s birth is unsurpassed. I felt so supported during my early days as a first-​time mama. Mason, Mollie and Laurel did several home visits and helped me with countless breastfeeding challenges and questions. They even helped me with the emotional processing of such an arduous labor, acknowledging not only what I went through, but what my husband and baby endured as well. I’ll never forget Mollie talking to our baby girl, thanking her for working so hard to help me birth her, acknowledging that she went through some trauma, too. They allowed me to shed my tears & talk it out, validating my feelings about the entire experience. Despite the complications of baby getting stuck behind my pubic bone and the long hours of pushing, it was the best birth experience possible, due in large part to my midwives. My husband and I felt educated, encouraged & 100% supported by this nurturing team of dedicated, skilled, awesome midwives! There is no other team I want in my corner for the birth of our next child. Without a doubt, NOVA is the BEST!!! Highly recommend!!!

The Nova MIdwifery Team provided me with grief and disappointment as new mother. I am athletic and fit leaving me as a low risk woman throughout my pregnancy. I did not receive comfort or support. During my prenatal visits, i was forced to drive to one of their other locations which was 40 mins out of the way and not the location we agreed upon for my visits. I still drove the distance. Once I became 43 weeks my baby still had not arrived and Mason & the Nova staff did not encourage inducing my labor.
I ended up being induced and giving birth in a hospital, although I really wanted to do a home birth. The Nova Midwifery Team sold me on the support that they offer after birth for you & the baby for 6 weeks. Mason, her assistant midwife and student midwife abandoned me at the hospital to fend for myself. They never once showed up, called nor did they provide any postnatal care for me or my baby.
Their lack of support made for a stressful and scary first several weeks as a new mom with a newborn. I plan to have more children beginning this year and I will NEVER consider using Nova Midwifery or recommending them.
If you are looking for an experience that is warm & supportive Nova Midwifery does NOT offer it.
This was my experience.

I’ve had two amazing births with Mason (and the second with Mollie too, who is a great addition to the Nova team!) And would recommend them to anyone who cared to listen! I was treated with care and respect as a whole person, not just a patient or a nameless carrier of a baby. My input was always respected and my opinions were taken seriously. Even when there were minor complications with my last birth I felt extremely confident in their ability to care for me and my baby and their attentiveness to us. When I first found Mason I was so unsure about making the right choices for my upcoming birth, but now 5 years (and two beautiful home births with her!) later I am so pleased to say she feels like extended family to me and some of my best friends have gone on to have great births with her too!

I gave birth at home with Mason Cornelius attending the birth in November 2011. At first, my husband and I were pleased with the level of professionalism that the team displayed compared to other midwives we had interviewed. However, the quality of our interactions deteriorated over time, especially postpartum. It happened several times that we showed up for a visit at their office only to be told that we were scheduled for another day, or that we were late (though according to the time we had in our calendars, we weren’t), or that they completely had forgotten us. The visits also became repetitive, with various members of the team repeating the same information at each visit. They recommended homeopathy and chiropractic treatments during my pregnancy and seemed to be anti-​vaccine. Thus, they were a little too counterculture for us, which lead to an undercurrent of conflict. We just wanted a safe birth at home without all the hospital interventions.
During my labor, the midwives didn’t provide much in the way of emotional support. For such a large team, I had hoped they would be more supportive. They didn’t think I was progressing as fast as I was and so they left me to labor alone, only to be called back two hours later when I started to feel the urge to push. They also encouraged me to push when I didn’t feel the urge to push, which may have lead to several issues I am still dealing with 6 months later.
Postpartum, I had some pain during breastfeeding. Instead of referring me out to a lactation consultant, they told me that the pain I was feeling was normal (it wasn’t). Upon seeing a lactation consultant, I discovered that my daughter had a slight tongue tie. Once the tie was cut, the pain went away.
We also had to wrangle with them to send us the entirety of our insurance reimbursement. They said they had sent two checks to us but in reality, they had only sent one. The billing company that they use charges 7% of the reimbursement but is worthless for negotiating a better rate or for even making sure that our insurance reimbursed us. It was only because of my own effort that the insurance company paid us and gave us the in-​network rate.
Overall, my birth went great because I was at home and not because of their personality or service.

My wife and I found Nova through another midwife who referred us to her because we wanted to do a Vaginal Birth After Cesarian. Very few would consider it but they did. Nova walked us through everything and gave us the peace of mind that having a baby at home would be possible. We wanted a very different experience than our first babies and they gave us it. Everything from the pre-​natal visits to the birth was done with professionalism and class. All of the ladies are extremely qualified and trained foe almost any situation. They gave us the gift of having a baby at home. We didn’t want pushy hospitals to make us have our baby their way. Nova let us have our baby our way. It was amazing. If you want to have a baby at home in a safe environment with professionals ready for any situation Nova Midwifery is the place to go. We WILL be having our next baby with them.

The Nova Midwives are absolutely wonderful. I came to them after working with a supposedly open minded doctor’s office who had midwives on staff. The office never remembered me from one visit to the next, and while they were open to midwives working with the patients, I was still not satisfied with the feel of the place. I wanted to be able to have my baby at home, so I started looking online for a midwife. After reading all the wonderful reviews here on Unilocal about Nova, I decided to go interview them, and they won me over right away. Unilocal doesn’t lie… these ladies are gems!
They were knowledgeable, put up with all my (numerous) questions, often asked two or three times over because I didn’t bother writing anything down and my memory was shot throughout the pregnancy. They made me feel at ease and comfortable, helped guide us through any fears or worries that we had.
The birth went swimmingly although it was a birth with complications… we still had the lovely home birth experience, and everyone did an amazing job keeping calm and coaching me throughout the birth and it went smoothly.
I am so happy with the services and the care that Nova gave me that I’ve already told them that if I had another child, even though we moved three hours away, I would find a way to live in the bay area the last month of the pregnancy!
Do yourself a favor and meet up with them, you’ll find yourself taken in by their warmth, knowledge, and care very quickly :)

My first child was born in the hospital, and after 3 days of labor followed by pitocin she was born. We were overjoyed to have a healthy baby girl, but my husband and I were both hoping for a more relaxed and enjoyable birthing experience. This is what led me to seek out a home birth. After a great recommendation from a close friend, we met with the team at Nova MIdwifery and immediately felt at ease with the team and that we would be in excellent care in choosing to work with them.
I began receiving care from the Nova MIdwifery team when I was a little over halfway through my pregnancy. At each appointment I was given time to talk at length about how I was feeling physically, as well as emotionally. They took the time to explain each test or procedure that was done or could be done. They gave us all the information we needed to make informed decisions about my health and the health of our baby. After appointments in a traditional OB/​GYN office, these visits seemed more like times to relax, unwind, and really have time to focus on the upcoming birth of my child versus just getting in and out of the office as quickly as possible.
When it came time to deliver my daughter, Mollie was on call. She showed up and quietly set up for the birth. She could see that my husband and I were handling the contractions well so she just stood by to be there when we needed her. Soon after Mollie arrived, Megan and Laurel arrived. They all were calm and quiet and gave direction exactly when I needed it. My daughter was born less than 8 hours after labor had began, and with absolutely no complications. I attribute this to the comfort of being at home, as well as being surrounded by strong midwives who were confident in me and confident in their abilities to bring my baby into the world.
I highly recommend Nova Midwifery to anyone considering a home birth. They made my birthing experience one I will remember with joy for the rest of my life. Thanks midwives!

The Nova Midwifery team helped with my comfort, confidence and strength all throughout labor and delivery. Their prenatal care and their collective wisdom was wonderful. My son was born on his actual due date, much to all of our surprises as I am a first time mom. The dedication that Mason, Mollie and Megan had during the labor process was just phenomenal. I felt their presence always. And when my confidence was wavering, they were there to hold my hand and lead me through it and get passed it. I was never afraid during the labor and it was truly a reflection of their support & care. After my son was born, and I was finally able to rest a wee bit, i said out loud — I could definitely do it all again!
I would recommend them in a heartbeat to anyone considering a homebirth.

The Nova Midwifery Team helped make my labor and delivery a breeze. From the moment I heard Mason was on her way to our home, until the time I delivered our baby boy, I felt comfortable and at ease. Mason, Mollie, and Megan had a very calm presence which helped me to stay relaxed. They kept me apprised to my progression and helped me stay focused. I never thought it would be quite that easy to deliver a baby … and I know that it wouldn’t have been that easy had I not had Mason, Mollie, and Megan there to support our family! In fact, after delivering our baby boy, Mason asked me, «So, how do you feel Mama?» My response was, «I’d do it all over again in a second.» Thank you to 3 wonderful women for helping make our homebirth an amazing experience we will never forget.

I have had 3 babies with the Nova midwives. For the last baby we drove from Ohio where homebirth is illegal to CA just to have another homebirth with great care. Every birth and pregnancy has been so different but the midwives have always been able to accommodate my needs and support me in a way that made my birthing experience so different from the stories I heard from friends. The midwives are knowledgeable and give accurate information that is current and respect my decisions. I highly recommend Nova to anyone considering a homebirth.