California Midwifery Service

Rosanna Davis, LM, CPM
2225 Grant Road Suite 1
Los Altos, CA 94024

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(650) 964-BABY

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Serving the
San Francisco Bay Area
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TESTIMONIALS and STORIES

KENZO

People have been asking me, “How was it?” about Kenzo’s birth, and I have been replying, “great,” and then feeling almost guilty about giving such an unqualified, positive answer – but that is how I feel. Kenzo’s birth was a meditative, transcendent experience for me, and I thank you for clearing the path towards that experience. Thank you for your confidence in and respect for me and my body, as well as for Tad, Tai, and Kenzo; for the time and space you gave us to get comfortable and to be ourselves; for the way you listened, and for the focused, attentive care you provided during our prenatal visits, through the labor, birth, and in the postpartum days. Because of you, I felt informed, confident, and supported through the entire process. And I love that I can say about you to both of my sons, “This is Rosanna, who helped me get ready to have you, and who helped you to be born. With joy, Misa

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SANTIAGO

Two weeks ago Santiago turned one and I got to look back with flushed pride and profound joy at the day of his birth. I wanted to thank you for caring for me and for him on that day and the moths preceding it. I am grateful for his birth being the most physiologic as I might have hoped for given it took place in the hospital and was an induction. I am grateful for you existing as a midwife despite pressures and boundaries put up on multiple levels, and for our doctor's willingness to back you up.

So thank you, thank you! My Santiago came into the world in a wonder - full way. Sincerely, S

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SIMPLY AMAZING

Rosanna delivered my happy healthy baby girl on July 21 (one week early from her EDD). We were so fortunate that she and Treesa were available to come to our home and provide the perfect birth experience for us. Originally we had planned for a waterbirth, but since I had confused labor pains for a case of bad food poisoning, we did not have enough time to set up the birthing tub.

My experience with having a midwife throughout my pregnancy was a positive one. At one point due to health concerns in my 37th week, I had to seek the help of an OB and had them as back up if it was decided my birth would not be a safe and normal one.

After my baby was born, Rosanna and Treesa were called away to another birth, but made sure I was well taken care of and had Jennifer (another wonderful part of the California Midwifery team) come stay with us.

If I could, I would give 10 or more stars to everyone at California Midwifery. The quality of care was far better than any that I've ever received at an obstetrician's office and just as thorough. J.

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FANTASTIC

My first, and only, birth experience was a fantastic homebirth that I will never ever forget. It was also over 16 months ago, so this review is quite late.

Rosanna was the attendant and she was very laid back and hands off. She really allowed me to take control and birth in my own way and was there to guide me but not push me in any direction. She was always there but her presence was low-key and unassuming, which is what I needed as an independent person.

After 15 hours my baby boy was delivered underwater and then I was able to cut the cord (very satisfying) and take a shower and lie in my own bed. Rosanna was skillful with the minor stitches I required as well.

Most amazing of all was her dedication to helping me nurse. I had difficulty with getting my baby to latch on and she came by every day for 5-6 days to check on us. I was able to breastfeed for over 14 months due to her attentive help in the beginning. 

RR

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WONDERFUL!

I cannot say enough wonderful things about California Midwifery Services, Rosanna Davis & her associates. She and her associates have provided me with excellent care for my growing family…even before it was growing, with pre-conception counseling and nutrition guidance, all the way through my prenatal care…to my delivery sometime in the next few weeks!!! (…And beyond with breastfeeding support and mom’s groups).

I really enjoy my appointments, as I have plenty of time to have ALL my concerns met; questions answered, and in a way that is personalized to suit my needs. They have really nailed ‘individualized care’! I would recommend California Midwifery Services to anyone of my expecting friends, as well as utilize their services again, should I need them. ;)

AJ

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LEIF

On Sunday morning I started leaking amniotic fluid. My midwife was not only out of town five hours away, but her car had also broken down. Plus I wouldn't officially be 37 weeks until Monday. So I had a long chat with her discussing strategy. I decided to get in bed and take it easy and hopefully the leak would stop and I would stay pregnant another week or so. My husband headed out with the girls to buy an infant carseat, and I slept and read and did nothing much. And the fluid kept coming out. I did have some completely painless BH type contractions but nothing else seemed to be happening. My midwife talked to her midwife colleague, Rosanna, ( who was also our doula last time) and found out she was going to be available starting Sunday evening. So Sunday evening I spoke with her and she got her car packed up so she would be ready to come any time during the night.

The girls and my husband came home, their car seat search successful. The girls took a nap. When they woke up they helped my husband install the car seat and put together the stroller. The day passed uneventfully and after the standard bedtime routine we all went to bed.

Around midnight I woke up with some contractions I could feel. I was tired but decided to go into the other room so I wouldn't wake up the girls if I couldn't get back to sleep. The contractions were picking up a pretty good pace, lasting 45-60 seconds and every 3-4 minutes. I thought about calling Rosanna and decided I was just too tired for this to be the real thing. Also the girls wanted to be woken up to see the baby being born, and since Monday was their first day of school, and I knew if they woke up to see the baby being born at 1 or 2 a.m. that it was possible they would never quite get back to sleep and Monday would then be impossible. So I tossed and turned a bit, and then found a way to lie down that seemed to slow down the contractions. And amazingly went back to sleep.

Woke up again around 2 a.m. and then again 3 a.m. with the contractions becoming harder to ignore. Got out the big blue exercise ball and bounced. The counter pressure felt good. At that point I think I might have been able to start pushing, but again 3 a.m. seemed just too early to have the baby and I managed to nap some more.

At 4 a.m. things were quite painful, and there was no more napping. It was almost 5 a.m. and the girls woke up, and I could not soothe them back to sleep and deal with the contractions ("Mama, why are you crying? Why are you saying 'ow'"), and I called the Rosanna and said I would really like her to come over. I was in some amazing denial though, because I told her I still wasn't sure things were really going yet. But once off the phone I realized that I might feel a lot better if I tried pushing. And then I realized the baby was on his way out, and because it hurt so much, I was worried maybe he had flipped to breach, and I was scared to push without the midwife there, so I held back through some more really painful contractions while she drove over.

I woke my husband up too, and when I started yelling ouch, he would start timing the contraction. And when I stopped, he would check with me that it was over. And then when he did it the next contraction I snapped at him that he didn't need to time them, because in my mind it was so obvious that the baby was going to arrive any minute. He went to turn on the porch light for Rosanna, and it was blown out so he got a light bulb to change it. I tried to call to him between contractions and tell him to put some pads on the bed for me but he couldn't hear me, so I continued to bounce on the ball trying to keep the baby in longer. Rosanna arrived about 20 minutes after I called her, and as soon as she was in the door, I asked my husband to put down some pads. He did and next contraction I was on the bed pushing.

Rosanna said the baby was coming. I asked her if he was head first and she said yes. That being settled, I felt a lot better about pushing. Some pushes I didn't do much, and was so glad to be home where no one told me how to push better on the next one. After ten or so contractions the baby's head was out. Even though my water had already broken, he was born in the caul, with the membranes still over his head. Rosanna removed them and before his body was even born he started talking to us, making little chatty sounds. Two more pushes and his shoulders rotated and he came the rest of the way out. Rosanna passed him up to me between my knees and in a moment I saw I had a baby boy.

My daughters got to watch the whole thing.

We all just hung out for a bit. I held Leif and he wasn't interested in nursing yet. After a while, my husband cut the cord. It was tough, hard to cut through even with the special scissors. Then Rosanna moved the clamps closer to Leif's body and did a second cut to make the cord short. I handed Leif to my husband, and then, since I didn't feel any more contractions or urge to push, got up on my knees, and the placenta mostly just slid out. Rosanna rinsed it off and then brought it back and showed it to us, and showed the girls the amnion and chorion and where the baby had been inside, and then she wrapped it up and put it in the freezer.

The midwife did a thorough physical exam of Leif and based on that thinks he was about 39 weeks. My due date of Sept. 19 was based on my LMP, which was probably not very accurate in this case. At any rate, it is kind of amusing that I carried my twins to 38 weeks, and my singleton supposedly only to 37. And also that he was born exactly at 37 weeks, the earliest possible to have a midwife attend a homebirth. Seems just too darn efficient.

The rest of the morning was just holding Leif. And then it was time for the girls to go to school, as it was the first day of the new school year for them.

So I am surprised but delighted to have another August baby. Though I had really made up my mind that I was going to have an autumnal equinox baby. It was quite the adjustment from Sunday morning when even though fluid was leaking, my husband and I just couldn't fathom having a newborn in the next 24 hours, to him being born and still the feeling of disbelief for a day or so afterwards. My husband says it is all fine and well that we had Leif now, but he still expects to see me pregnant when he looks at me, and that he still thinks he is going to have a newborn in three weeks. Nope, don't think so, only one this time around.

The girls are doing really well with Leif. Mostly I have a lot to learn about how to find ways for them to help out. They are very eager to be able to touch and hold him. Which is a bit overwhelming if I don't find ways to redirect them. My husband is able to take some time off of work, and has been doing everything except nurse the baby. And most importantly he takes the girls out for almost the whole day, and I get to just relax with Leif.

My girls kept asking afterwards, "What did you say while the baby was being born?" And I have to say, "Ow, ow, it hurts, ow". And then tell them that it hurt when the baby was being born but that I don't mind, and that it doesn't hurt now, and that it doesn't hurt for everyone, that every birth is different.

Before I head back to lurkdom, I just wanted to wish the rest of the pregnant mama's everywhere wonderful, powerful births. I have seen labor compared to a marathon. Which makes me think of the baton that is passed off during a relay race. Here is my outstretched hand, passing the baton off to the next mama.

K.J-K.