Awakenings Birth Services
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 10 am - 5 pm
- By Appointment Only:
- Yes
16 reviews for Awakenings Birth Services
16 reviews in English
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Review from Lauren Q.
San Mateo, CA
3/29/2012
I came to Juli and Deborah to birth my second child.
My background was unique because I had apprenticed to a midwife in my past and my first child's birth had been with the midwife that I had apprenticed to. I know a lot about birth and was feeling very particular about choosing a midwifery practice for my second birth because I did not necessarily get to choose who was at my first child's birth, rather I felt an obligation to be with the midwife who I had worked for in the past.
As soon as I met Juli and Deborah I knew that I would not need to interview any other midwives. What struck me most from the interview was that they were a great team. There were subjects that Deborah was bold and talkative about where Juli was reserved and observant and vice versa. Deborah offered expertise in herbs, and Juli offered expertise in homeopathy and flower essences. Their personalities complimented each other and I could tell that they both respected each other. I also liked that they were both older women; I know it is not always true across the board and sometimes a younger midwife can have a great deal of experience and wisdom, but for myself I very much wanted in a midwife the wisdom and experience that can only come with age. I also like that they were so 'counter-culture.'
The prenatal care was excellent. I had a very uncomfortable pregnancy and Deborah and Juli had plenty of advice for all of my complaints. The prenatals were long and I grew to look forward to the chatting and storytelling. Deborah is a wonderful conversationalist and storyteller. So much of the connection and understanding built between the midwife and the mother is through storytelling and conversation.
Towards the end of my pregnancy my emotional/spiritual side was going through some serious catharsis, this is where my relationship with Juli grew very stronger. She was an amazing listener and offered me a lot of insight into my dreams and experiences. Esther of Mandala Midwifery was also there for a lot of my cathartic prenatals and she was also very caring and had sue really wonderful insights.
My second, like my first, was 10 days past due. I was desperate to go into labor, but Deborah and Juli just kept reminding me to trust my body. There was no talk of castor oil or stripping membranes. I am so thankful for this in retrospect and I am so happy that my baby got to chose his birthdate.
I was a little nervous about having 3 midwives at the birth because when I am in labor I like to have privacy. It turned out not to be a problem at all because only Juli was checking on me in labor. I felt closest with Juli, though I never expressed it to them, but I think they must have picked up on it since she was the one who attended to me in labor. They were all in the room for the actual birth.
When I was pushing I was very scared, my second child was much bigger than my first (3lb 8 oz bigger) and I needed a firm voice to get me to get over my fear and push past it. Juli was that strong voice for me.
The afterbirth and postpartum care was wonderful, as with the prenatals the visits were long and full of storytelling and chatting. I would whole heartily recommend them to anyone who was looking for a peaceful, hands-off birthing experience. -
Review from Rebecca D.
San Leandro, CA
2/28/2012
I highly recommend Awakenings Birth Services. My husband and I had the homebirth of our dreams with Juli Tilsner and Deborah Simone in Sept. 2010 and are pregnant with #2. When I confirmed the second pregnancy part of my excitement was about the fact that we get to plan another homebirth with Awakenings!
With baby #1 I started prenatal care at Kaiser but at 20 weeks (after a series of events which coincided with educating myself about birth as a natural physiological process) we made the leap to plan a homebirth. We interviewed other midwives but Juli and Deborah were the ones who had the right combination of experience, parameters of care provided, energy, and open-mindedness that we were looking for.
They make house calls for every prenatal visit, explain all of our choices for prenatal, birth, and postpartum options without judgement, making it clear the decisions we make are to be our own, they were merely providing information for us to make the decisions. They handled all the labs, etc, everything they did for us at Kaiser but without the hassle and germs of going to the hospital. They fully prepared us for the birth, including having a team meeting with us and our doula in advance so we were all on the same page about what everyone's role was on the day of (mine was just to be cared for while baby made his entrance).
The birth was everything I hoped for, calm and totally unmedicated. Not to mention I didn't have even one tiny tear, thanks to the counter pressure the midwives applied while I was pushing. When baby was born however, he had a bit of trouble breathing, so the midwives gave him some oxygen. He continued to have a rasp in his breath so Juli slept on our couch all night, set her alarm to wake up once per hour, and checked on him continuously until it cleared up. She did tell us that if we wanted to go to the emergency room she would come with and support us, but since she and Deborah had seen this before clear up on its own, we decided to wait a few hours and see. I'm so glad we did, I couldn't imagine going to the hospital at 4am after hours of labor for something that cleared up on its own. Also, baby had trouble breastfeeding at first and Juli came back over the next day after he was born to go over more ways to hold him, which we kept trying until we found something that worked.
Lastly, I think one of the best things about Awakenings care are the postpartum visits. I couldn't imagine having to take a tiny baby to the hospital in his first few weeks of life. Juli and Deborah cared for both of us postpartum extremely well, including baby's genetic screening tests. After explaining to my Kaiser pediatrician the care baby was receiving, Doc agreed we didn't need to come into the hospital for baby's first visit until 2 months.
I know this was a lengthy review, but we clearly LOVE Awakenings and I've been meaning to write a recommendation for them for a long time! -
Review from Minah O.
Alameda, CA
5/7/2011
I had my second baby with Deborah and Juli. Having a homebirth was one of the most pivotal experiences of my life, and I have my midwives to thank for it. They work superbly as a team.
Our first baby was at Alta Bates, and from what I hear a pretty typical experience. We had a doctor that we trusted (friend's cousin), and she came through as expected, but I learned that it's hard to expect a pizza at a hamburger joint. Let me explain...
We planned on a natural birth, giving baby immediate access to the breast, and a calm setting. When we expressed our wishes to the nurse, we were met with a chuckle and "we'll see." Seriously. Needless to say, my confidence shattered and literally the entire staff used to giving birth the one way they know how, our wishes were quickly pushed to the side. In hindsight, we should have known better. A hospital is used to giving birth a certain way, and does it repeatedly day in and out.
Enter Deborah and Juli. From the initial interview until four weeks after the birth of our daughter, they were there. They provided a perfect balance between scientific research and emotional support, and helped me believe that I had the strength within me to do this.
Ultimately, the inner confidence that grew within me was pivotal, as our daughter came out waaay faster than expected and my husband and I gave birth on our own until literally the last minute. Do I feel cheated that Deborah and Juli couldn't make it in time to catch our baby? Absolutely not. On the contrary, their training and hand holding prepared us for the birth we had.
While I felt insecure and powerless in the hospital, I felt confident and strong in my home birth. While I felt abandoned after the delivery in the hospital, I was given ultimate support at home - they cooked for me, gave step-by-step instructions to help heal me "down there", and even prepared placenta pills to prevent post-partum depression (which helped a lot!) Overall, if you're looking for a laid-back yet informed pair of midwives, you can't go wrong with this duo. -
Review from Jill S.
Emeryville, CA
Updated - 3/10/2011
I wrote a review for Awakenings a while ago- and felt compelled to write another one after I saw a negative review on here. I am an acupuncturist and herbalist and over the last 4 years I have worked very closely with dozens of Deborah and Juli's clients. We work to help labor come more easily, reduce stress and anxiety, body pain, breech baby, and so many other various things that come up during the pregnancy.
And during this time I have seen women have the most wonderful home births and others who have had more complicated conditions needing inteventions as well. And with every single birthing mama I have worked with along side Juli and Deborah- I have never seen anything other than incredible knowledge, experience, and compassion in helping women labor and get through any obstacles that may come up. they work with holistic options to help women get to the next place in the birthing process, as well as make incredibly capable and informed decisions on when to move to more medical interventions.
I think its important to just acknowledge that though birth is one of the most joyous experiences to have it is also riddled with intense emotions as well- and so many things can happen that we must be prepared for and capable of working with. Juli and Deborah have the level of knowledge it takes to keep with their ideals while dealing with any difficult realities that may come up. in all these years, I have never, not once, from any of the women I have worked with under their care, heard anything other than praise for their knowledge, compassion, and constant vigilance of making sure mama and baby are safe and taken care of. i hear things like "they were amazing" and "i literally couldn't have done it without them" on a regular basis.
When things get complicated in birth as they sometimes do, and interventions may become needed that weren't expected -it can be hard not to feel the need to point a finger or have someone to blame. i understand this. but i also wanted to counter some of this after i read it- because i have seen nothing but the opposite of that in my practice. they truly have been incredible with the women i have worked with while under their care.
In the last 4 years i have felt nothing but honored and in awe of their work and knowledge, and feel incredibly lucky to get work with such women. i have learned more about the birthing process and healthy pregnancy from them than i could have imagined. i honestly and most sincerely couldn't recommend better midwives in the bay area for home birth. and to be honest, i think the best recommendation i can give is that knowing what i know, and seeing what i've seen, i know that when i am ready to give birth- Awakenings will be the ones I choose.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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3/4/2009
I am an acupuncturist and Chinese Herbalist and I work primarily with children and pregnant women in… Read more »
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Review from Steve S.
San Francisco, CA
1/8/2009
Obviously, choosing a midwife is a very personal choice, and as such, your mileage may vary. My wife and I had a lot of trouble finding a midwife for the birth of our son Isaac. We were overjoyed when we found Awakenings and they agreed to be our midwives around week 35.
Unfortunately, that joy did not last. My wife never felt she was getting the level of care and support she desired, and when I called them a few weeks later to complain they dropped my wife as a client without ever speaking to her. I cannot speak to their level of competence, as we did not give birth with them, but I felt the way they handled us was extremely unprofessional.
As I said your experience could be totally different. I do, however, offer a few pieces of advice if you are considering employing Awakenings:
1. Meet all of the midwives first. My wife made her decision to go with Awakenings after meeting only 2 of the midwives. She did not get a good vibe from the 3rd and Awakenings will not guarantee who will show up at your birth. You have to buy into the practice, not into an individual.
2. Despite the 415 area code, all of the midwives seem to live in the East Bay. Whether intentional or not, my wife and I were made to feel like coming out to San Francisco was such a pain and inconvenience to them. Obviously if you live in the East Bay this would not be a factor.
Please feel free to PM me if you have any specific questions about my experience you would like to ask. -
Review from Simona F.
Oakland, CA
2/11/2008
Awakenings Birth Services is an amazing group of midwives! Deborah Simone, Juli Tilsner, and Sharon Craig are caring, attentive, and a highly skilled group. I had my first baby with them and everything from pre-natal care to labor/birth and post-partum care was remarkable.
My little girl, Sahara, was born in September 2007 and decided to flip at the last minute and come breech - butt first! They handled the situation with grace and ease and my little girl was born safely and comfortably into a room of family and friends. -
Review from Laurian R.
San Francisco, CA
2/29/2008
After ending up in the hospital to give birth to my first son, I finally got to have the birth experience that I wanted, at home. Deborah and Juli were my midwives...I got exceptional pre-natal care, really very thorough and intuitive. SO MUCH more attention that you'll ever get at a hospital! There's no comparison!
They helped me to work through my fears...put me at ease. They helped me with headaches I was having. They really know what they're doing when it comes to networking with other healers, recommending herbal remedies.
Juli and Deborah are extremely skilled and experienced. I can't say enough good things. My labor and delivery were intense and positive and the after care I received--including help w/ placenta therapy!-- helped w/ my healing and post-partum depression. They were invaluable. I wish I had time to write more. -
Review from shalene r.
Oakland, CA
8/20/2010
Juli and Deborah are amazing!
I was very nauseous in my first trimester and I was sold on Awakenings from our first phone call. Deborah was so compassionate, knowledgeable and sweet. She "got" me instantly and seemed to know exactly what I needed to hear in that moment. She recommended a bunch of foods for me to try to eat and just generally put my mind at ease. That would be the case throughout my whole pregnancy.
Deborah and Juli's approach is always "All is well". Their wisdom and experience made me feel so relaxed, taken care of and in great hands through every home appointment, decision making process and stage of the pregnancy.
My dream of a peaceful, intimate and magical birth came true two months ago (I have a beautiful baby boy who's giggling beside me as I write) and I feel so blessed and grateful that these women were by my side for it all!
Thank you very much Awakenings!! -
Review from Open Door Y.
Alameda, CA
10/27/2010
If you are looking for a gentle hand that will guide you through the most profound life altering experience of your life PLEASE DON'T GO WITH AWAKINGS BIRTH SERVICE. We had an awful experience. Through sharing this very personal information I hope what happened to me does not happen to another woman.
I sought out the care of a midwife for the birth of our first child. I was really impressed with how ABS had three midwifes in practice together and how they have two midwifes at the birth. This made my husband feel more secure because he was not 100% certain with the whole homebirth idea. But after we meet two of the midwifes, Deborah and Julie he was excited to embrace the journey. They were good for the prenatal care but during my labor they fell short in a BIG WAY. My husband and I were left laboring for 50 hours at home with a first time doula (whom they provided) The midwife, Deborah, came to check on me 6 hours into my labor where she assured me some labors are long. She did not check my vitals and told me to stop putting so much drama around the contractions. If you have ever been in labor you know some drama/pain can come along with them!
After 48 hours of laboring and zero progression I knew I had to go to the hospital. My husband was worried and my Doula was exhausted and worried. No one had called to check in on her. Finally the Doula called Deborah (why didn't she call before???) and informed her I wanted to go to the hospital. She finally came over where she offered to give me herbs to speed up the process. With a preface that I would have to work HARDER if she gave them to me (WORK HARDER). I refused the herbs and we packed my bag for the hospital. When I went to the hospital they found my baby in fetal distress (he is fine, thankfully). The Dr's told us if we had waited any longer it could had been fatal. I had an emergency C-section.
The midwifes never made me feel safe or secure in this whole process. Any compassion or kindness to a women laboring for 50 hours went out the window when Deborah had other clients to visit that day. When we came home with our son I didn't want to see her. She called my cell 7 times in one day to try and come over and resolve the whole thing. She even pushed past my husband in the doorway to come and talk to me (he had told her I was busy. I guess she didn't care). When she found me with company she left. Then a week later they wanted to have a talk with me and my husband to process everything that happen. I was not in the space to do this for I was suffering from postpartum depression and recovering from a major surgery. One would think that a group of professionals working in this area would also know it was too soon to meet but we all meet one morning at my house. I wanted to hear their side of it. The Doula apologized for not calling sooner and I thought Deborah was going to apologize for not checking on me and apologize to the Doula for not checking in on her (Deborah knew she was in training and had never done a home birth). Deborah never apologized to anyone. All she could tell me is that the midwifes ONLY comes to the birth and that is why the provided me a Doula. So they are only there to catch the baby and the part that leads up to that...well you're on your own.
If you are considering contacting this birth service please reconsider. There are so many other amazing midwifes out there. Look at all your options because every woman deserves some compassion and love in their labor! -
Review from Beth A.
Pacifica, CA
3/21/2011
I can't say enough good things about Awakenings Birth Services. Deborah and Juli are amazing, skilled and truly love what they do.
I wanted to give birth to my first child at home and did a lot of research in the years prior. After interviewing a few other midwives on the phone, I met Deborah in person and hired ABS on the spot. My pregnancy was smooth and relatively easy. I live in Pacifica and they never acted like it was an issue driving to the many appointments. Juli went out of her way to check my blood pressure more often because it was starting to creep up near the end of pregnancy. I had insurance through Kaiser and had a couple of ultrasounds there since it was free for me and the OB never seemed concerned about my BP being right on the cusp of worrisome. I felt like I had much better care with Deborah and Juli than I would have at the hospital, even as far as BP was concerned. They don't just treat the symptoms, they get to the root of why something is off. They "made" me stop working at my high-pressured job two weeks earlier than I'd planned. It fixed the BP issue.
I felt so comfortable with both of them, but Deborah especially. I truly felt like they were part of my family and had my, and my baby's, best interest at heart. Once labor started I updated them like they asked. I had a long early stage and I was feeling pretty defeated by about hour 22. I really wanted them to come and check me because I didn't want to do it anymore. Deborah came and really helped me work through my emotions and pain and helped speed things along. Once my doula was there, she became a great support for my partner. With Deborah's help, I dilated 7 cm in 3.5 hours. She encouraged me the whole time and helped me stay home and not transfer for pain relief. I then pushed my baby out in 20 minutes with minute tearing that didn't require stitches. No one expected it to be so fast, so Juli unfortunately didn't make it in time. But she got there right after and helped with everything. I fainted in the bathroom some time later and Juli was right there and helped me come to. They both truly took care of me, my baby and my partner.
I had a lot of postpartum issues with emotions, breastfeeding, etc. They literally saved my breastfeeding relationship more than once! Deborah came over more than she was expected to, just to help and do some "therapy" with me to help me with my issues. I still feel like SHE is the reason I was able to finally bond with my daughter. She cried with me, laughed with me, commiserated with me, hugged me so many times, and even brought out the proverbial whip for some tough love that brought me back on the right track. She knew exactly what I needed and when I needed it. She is known as the baby whisperer. She showed us how to calm our fussy, crying newborn and just went above and beyond what was expected. She is amazing and we will always think of her as part of our family.
Awakenings Birth Services is truly amazing! They are so knowledgeable, compassionate, caring, and truly believe in the power of women to birth naturally and at home. If we ever become pregnant, they will be the first ones to know, so we can have another wonderful birth with them. -
Review from Sadie C.
Oakland, CA
9/7/2010
I gave birth to my second child with Awakenings. My first was a home birth with different midwives. These women are amazing. They are really good at what they do. They are extremely professional and knowledgeable. They have tons of experience. They are who you want if everything goes perfectly and if anything goes astray. They are very highly skilled, tempered with strong intuition. My son's birth had some complications, they remained calm and collected, and handled everything in a very professional, level headed manor. I never felt worry from them and that gave me great confidence. They gave great advise, suggestions, and instructions and worked coherently and effectively as a team with each other, myself, and my husband. I felt their prenatal and postpartum care was thorough and educational. They connected me with other wonderful health care providers for my over all healing postpartum. They worked with me to meet my financial needs.
Having a home birth is an amazing process, completely unlike a hospital birth, even when using midwives in a hospital setting. If a woman is a good candidate for a home birth, and the midwives will screen you too, to make sure of this, then home is the best place for her to give birth. Normal birth does not belong in the hospital. Hospitals are really good at high risk births. They are not as good at NOT interfering in a naturally progressing labor. I highly recommend Awakenings Birth Services. I highly recommend interviewing several midwives and asking very pointed, hard to ask questions and ultimately using who you feel most comfortable with. -
Review from Tabitha A.
El Sobrante, CA
8/5/2011
I had Juli and Deborah as my midwives for the birth of my second daughter. Prenatals were pretty typical for midwifery practices; they came to my house alternating each time so I would grow a good relationship with each, and they would bring Esther along with them. The appointments tended to last ~2 hours each, even though I've already done this before! They answered any questions I had and were always very positive.
For reasons outside of anyone's control they were unable to be there for the actual birth, but the care I received afterward was outstanding. With their help, we had everything I needed for a fabulous postpartum experience. They were constantly reassuring that everything was going normally and as it should. When I developed a fever a few days postpartum, Juli was right there to give me herbs and suggestions on how to quickly get the whole family recovered.
The birth was in February, and we are still dealing with a small insurance hiccup, but that is mostly due to our lacking insurance policy and the odd hoops we have to go through to get the most out of it.
I wouldn't hesitate to use Awakenings again if I were to have another, and I happily recommend them to others looking for home births! -
Review from cris n.
Oakland, CA
3/24/2011
i used Awakenings twice. what more can i say???! my first was born almost 5 yrs ago. my pregnancy went well, but my emotions got the best of me during my 7th month. i clearly remember juli that month looking at me and then my partner and saying, "it breaks my heart to see a mother so sad". something about that statement--the feeling it evoked--and the look in her eyes made my partner finally see how serious of an issue it was. from there, all three midwives supported me in every way they knew. my sadness dissolved within that very month. my labor went smoothly, we felt safe, and each postpartum was amazing. they shared genuine joy with us.
when we got pregnant again 3 yrs later, we had no doubt that we would use them again. unfortunately, i miscarried, but i received amazing emotional support from them.
by the time i got pregnant again, the group was down to deborah and juli. once again, we had a great experience.
here's a major perk to using these women: they come to YOU for prenatals. by the time we went into labor, they were like a part of our household. it felt very natural to have them in my space. they didn't feel like guests. they knew my house, they knew my family. this felt huge to me, nevermind the fact that i never had to pack up my son, pack up a lunch for my perpetually hungry pregnant belly and my son, get in the car, go somewhere and hope that my toddler would be entertained so that i could have a fulfilling visit, etc, etc, etc.....
let me also just say that i got as little or as much as i needed each visit. there were times when i needed a full 90 minutes of attention. other times i only needed 30 (particularly the 2nd time around). juli and deborah always honored my changing needs and desires.
needless to say, i highly recommend them! -
Review from Britt F.
San Francisco, CA
5/28/2009
As a professional doula, I have had the opportunity to witness many midwives in action (in and out of the hospital) and can definitely say that Awakenings is one of the best practices in the Bay Area. They offer safe, patient, loving, attentive, comprehensive and holistic care to the families they serve. I really appreciate how they integrate their technical knowledge with the time tested traditions of midwifery, including expert use of herbs, homeopathy and hands on techniques. They hold the space of trust, surrender and love so strongly and confidently. If I were having a baby, I'd definitely hire these ladies.
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Review from Sandhya A.
San Francisco, CA
Updated - 3/4/2009
Awakenings is an extraordinary team of women to work with...I too cannot recommend them highly enough. They provide a tremenous amount of expertise, experience, and personal care through the entire pregnancy/birth/postpartum experience. I'd like to specifically comment on a few of the points that Steve S (first post) made.
1. I live in SF, about as far away from the EB as possible (out by the ocean) and I never, ever, felt like it was a hassle for them to come out to see us. On the contrary, they were always happy to head out our way...
2. Going with a team of 3 midwives allows you to be GUARANTEED that 2 of the 3 of them will be at your birth. I loved this, because I wanted my prenatal care provider to be at my birth. Going with only one midwife always leaves the possiblity that another client will be in labor, that the midwife has her day off, or is on vacation. If that's the case, you get her back-up midwife - whom you've probably never met before. Awakenings usually has all three midwives come to your house for an initial meeting before you decide to work with them, and then for your prenatal visits they rotate, one coming to your house every three weeks (except the last month, which is every week), so you can get to know them all. (Also I should mention that their visits were never rushed - they always stayed at least an hour) By the end of my pregnancy I trusted each of them so much and was certain that I'd be happy with whichever two ended up at my birth.
3. One other comment - I cannot overstate the incredible postpartum care that they provide. Looking for a midwife, I never really thought about how important postpartum care was - but if you're looking for a midwife, please check out what they offer post-partum. Awakenings offered us such great support, coming to our house every other day for a few weeks, then once a week for a few weeks, then every other week, for a total of 6 weeks as our baby's primary care providers. And their visits were always at least an hour long. I am so grateful to them for their knowledge, wisdom, support and love!1 Previous Review: Show all »
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1/27/2009
Awakenings is an extraordinary team of women to work with...I too cannot recommend them highly… Read more »
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Review from Gi-gi M.
Albany, CA
3/18/2008
I had my first baby with Awakenings, the team of three are amazing, Deborah, Juli, and Dana (at the time '06). Having all three of them really allowed me and my husband to connect with each of them in a different way. They were very supportive during all phases- prenatal, labor/delivery, and postpartum. They eased alot of my fears, provided a shoulder to cry on when i felt out of control, and i truly felt like they cared. My birth ended up in the hospital, Deborah and Dana were there every step of the way and really stepped up to support my husband and i during the most stressful time in our lives. they coached us in the hospital and were advocates to getting the most natural care i could get at that point in the game. I love them, love them, love them and highly recommend them to everyone woman thinking of hiring midwives. Deborah was amazing during the postpartum, as my baby was colicky, i saw Deborah for almost 10 weeks after i gave birth and she was very supportive!!!!
