Praise

“I loved how the entire experience wasn’t fear-based. That was probably the most important part to me. I felt well taken care of, yet they never made me feel scared.”

Delivered a healthy baby boy at 40w + 2 at Gracefull on 8-22-19!

Switching from a hospital/OB to Gracefull and their amazing team (Faith, Sherrie, and all the student midwives) was the best thing I did for my first-time pregnancy and labor. I loved the sense of community, and the midwife-led appointments, which allowed questions to unfold while they went through a checklist of things to review and remind me of based on how far along I was in my pregnancy. I loved how personalized my care was and how much of an emphasis was placed on nutrition, exercise, and general wellbeing rather than medication, or declaring me high-risk and in need of induction and intervention. I delivered my son in one of the beautiful birthing rooms at Gracefull, surrounded by amazing women who encouraged me all the way through. It’s going to be weird not visiting Gracefull on a regular basis for appointments, I’ve become so attached to everyone there! Luckily, they are available to me for 6 weeks post-partum (something I hadn’t even realized) and being able to text Faith and Sherrie with any questions has been wonderful.

From a financial perspective, I loved that I knew the full cost up front, and was no longer anticipating bills from my insurance after every appointment. Nicole was incredibly helpful in explaining the cost (plus what my insurance may cover) and helped us prepare for every eventuality. Also! The free classes are amazing!!

My deepest thanks to everyone at Gracefull. You helped me maintain a healthy and happy pregnancy, which allowed my birth to unfold exactly as I wanted it to be. I feel so lucky to have found this place!—S.E, Glendale, CA—

“The GraceFull midwives are so respectful of your ideas, fears, and birth plan and did everything to honor ours.”

1.17.2019
It was a privilege and truly joyful to give birth with these masterful and talented ladies! I regret it took me this long to write my review, because every woman in LA should know about GraceFull and the type of childbirth that they offer!

First of all Elizabeth, Jocelyn and Abigail are incredibly KNOWLEDGEABLE! Every question I had, they had an answer to. They pointed me to the right books, discussions, and perspectives to form a plan with confidence. I loved Ina May’s Guide To Childbirth the most. I loved Elizabeth’s “Hats and Hormones” class, because it gave my husband and I the right and the courage to create a birth environment that was all about OUR families desires and needs and no one else’s. It was the first time I thought about all the pressure we women put on ourselves to please mothers, mother in laws and other family members. Your birth is yours to have and remember so do it your way!

The GraceFull midwives are also respectful of your ideas, fears, and birth plan and did everything to honor ours. My husband and I watched television for the first few hours of early labor, had sex, kissed and snuggled and then by the time Elizabeth showed up, my husband was playing songs on the piano while I sang along. When the contractions came I would hang from my pole (which my hubby held) and just breathed through it (in for 4 and out for 8). Elizabeth knew exactly where I was at (progression wise) the whole time and monitored only when it was necessary. She knew right when it would be a good time for me to get in the tub, and that the baby was coming. My other daughter, my husband, and even our family dog got to witness the birth of baby Dakota! We labored mostly alone because that’s how we envisioned it, but when I needed Elizabeth and her knowledge, she was right there!

Our Dakota was born in the water at 4:13am in September 11th, but if it weren’t for Elizabeth, we could have lost our little one. My umbilical chord was only 9 inches, so I birthed the baby’s head and she stayed there for a while, bungee jumping. The babies color was nice and I got on all fours to try and dislodge her shoulders, but it was the short umbilical chord and not her shoulders. Elizabeth noticed her color start to change in the water and made a very important decision to pull her out. Because the chord was so short, it was most likely torn or breached in some way, and the baby needed to come out ASAP. She clamped off the baby’s chord and mine and we had our baby. Had she not been the incredibly masterful midwife that she is, we could have been in trouble. Had I been in the hospital, I would have had an emergency C-section. In the minutes that followed, our baby’s Apgars were better than normal and we were onto stitching mama. I only had a tiny (4 stitch tear), but I appreciate Elizabeth’s craftsmanship! I have healed beautifully and have a very symmetrical vagina postpartum. Yay!

In the days that followed I had a ton of questions, and the midwives at GraceFull always had an answer that helped me every time. Even though Elizabeth ended up being my midwife on the day of my delivery, Jocelyn, Abigail, and every student/assistant I ever crossed paths with at GraceFull was professional, incredibly knowledgeable, and helpful!

I also want to take the time to thank Nicole Lee, Gracefull’s financial guru! With her guidance, I filed a complaint with the state against my insurance company, and got LACARE to write a “letter of agreement” that stipulated they would cover ALL of my bill with Gracefull. This is new territory and I just hope that more women have the same opportunity that I had!

I am so grateful for these women and our birth experience. It was SO special and it would not have been possible with out Gracefull!
—Dena K. , Los Angeles—

3.26.2019

GraceFull and their team of incredibly knowledgeable, caring, and supportive staff, have created a beautiful, warm, and inviting environment for moms-to-be and their families. From their cozy exam rooms, to their bright and airy community classrooms, it’s a very inviting, and homey space. When I had my daughter 2014, they were instrumental in helping me have the pregnancy and home delivery of my dreams. They genuinely care about women, and their experience, and it shows; from their informative classes, to their extended staff on hand -from chiropractors, to massage therapists, to psychotherapists – everything you need to have your best pregnancy is available at GraceFull. Additionally, I love that the owners have medical backgrounds. As a consequence they base their recommendations on both first hand knowledge and the best science available. I can’t recommend them highly enough!

—Britt S., Park City, Utah—

12.13.2018
I can’t say enough good things about my experience at GraceFull. The owner, Elizabeth, is such a ball of light in this world. I had most of my prenatal care at Gracefull and I always felt taken care of and listened to. Not only did the midwives care about me and my baby physically, but they also cared about my emotional state. And my baby was 2 weeks late so there were a LOT of emotions at the end there! My labor took a LONG time and yet I never felt rushed or that the midwives were getting impatient. They really made sure my birth experience went as smoothly as possible. Jocelyn came to my home the day after Lily’s birth to do the newborn screening and check on us both and they were also such a support if we had any questions those first few days.

There are also classes available at the birth center that I HIGHLY recommend. I took a few of them in preparation for my daughter to be born and I learned important information at them all! If I am still in the area for my next child (whenever that might be!) I will, without question, be back at GraceFull.
—Lucy R. Los Angeles—