TESTIMONIALS

Masha B.

If I only could leave 10 stars! This was my second baby with Heidi (birthing at home) and first (Covid) baby at the center. With all the worries of the mature age:) pregnancy and birth I can't imagine it going better or smoother. I was under UCSF and Bloom joint care (due to a late miscarriage a year before) and we were so in tune and on top of it until I was fully released to Bloom. Going a bit overdue I can't imagine being more supported before, during and after. I mean, months later I still call for support and endless knowledge they possess. Birth was so powerful and amazing for my husband and I, this is not your average office. It's not just what they do. They love it. This is their life. They remember every baby, every mom, they are available for any and all questions 24/7 ready to meet you on the side of the highway if needed. I love love love and miss my time with Bloom. Worth having one more Baby just to go back to Bloom ladies-.

Natasha La Vogue

To all the pregnant and birthing people who would like to have an unmedicated birth, the care you will receive at Bloom is beyond compare. If you are on the fence about it (or if COVID is making you rethink the hospital) take the leap of faith and you will not be disappointed.

We had our baby in December, the entire pregnancy was during the lockdown. Additionally, we are both Black/mixed race. For those of us that are POC the quality of care we receive can be impacted by the providers bias. I was stressed, scared and uncertain about having our baby in Mendocino county. Hospitals were only allowing one person, so no doula and no one could attend appointments with me. The prospect of going through the pregnancy and birth without the support I felt I needed was terrifying. Then we found Bloom.

The Care: All of the midwives made the extra effort to establish a personal relationship with both of us. They know US without looking at paperwork. I cannot stress enough how good it felt to be seen and heard in a medical setting. I have never had a provider put so much effort into informed consent, especially with physical touch. As first time parents it was very valuable for us to have 1 hour visits, text/call/email availability, and open and honest communication. They even accommodated my husband's work schedule so he could attend every appointment.

The Birth: We had a spectacular birth. Everyones birth will be different but here are the universal points. I had complete faith in the midwives. I knew that they genuinely cared about our well-being. I trusted their judgement and they trusted mine. I felt safe, comfortable and empowered. The ladies worked great together as a team. All of my birth wishes were accommodated. Getting to have the golden hour was something we will cherish forever.

Post-partum Care: Home visits are a gem. Not having to go out with a newborn and getting time to heal at home is a wonderful benefit. When I struggled with breastfeeding they were there to help and encourage me. When other issues arose they would call/text to check up on us and lend support.

The Cost: I got a hefty reimbursement from my insurance thanks to EarthSide Billing. It would have cost us more money to go through a hospital with copays, plus the cost of a doula, lactation consultant, etc. Let me be loud and clear about this: IT WAS WORTH EVERY PENNY. Without insurance I would absolutely go to Bloom again and pay the full price. Going to Bloom for our pregnancy and birth was the greatest gift we could give our son to start his journey.

Ellene V.

I am Coastal Miwok Native American and I wanted to have a birth for my baby in a calm supportive environment And really experience all the feelings that come with labor. When we figured out I was pregnant with my first baby we knew I wanted to go to bloom for a natural birth. From the moment I contacted them over the phone all we ever received was the most welcoming, considerate, and loving care. From the beginning they made me so comfortable I couldn't help but trust them. They took care of me and my family so well. My boyfriend in the beginning didn't really know too much about water births and was skeptical, but if it weren't for the midwives he wouldn't have liked the Water-birth so much. The day I gave birth to my son was such a great moment in our life. I really don't think we could ever explain to the midwives how grateful our little family is and how grateful I am. Walking around the backyard while experiencing contractions and looking at their trees I could see how healthy everything was and all the fruit trees were fruiting so well I could just feel the nurturing that happens there. I feel so blessed to have had my care at bloom. I wouldn't choose to have our baby anywhere else and when the time comes around to have another little one I'll be going to bloom. We definitely recommend this birthing center and will suggest it to any friend who's expecting!

Thank you again Kristi, Katilin, Heidi, and Adri you guys did so much more than we could ask for. So much love for you guys.

Jeff & Eryn

We are so grateful for Kristi Cunningham’s care during our pregnancy. Kristi guided us through a perfect holistic home birth experience, with up to date medical information and available techniques. We felt secure and confident during our daughter’s birth because Kristi is knowledgeable, sensitive, professional, and composed. Her keen listening skills enable her to respond to both the physical and emotional aspects of the birthing process seamlessly.

Kristi helped us create an organized and nurturing natal space in our home before the birth. We felt well prepared for the arrival of our new family member! For the labor, she established a supportive atmosphere—she encouraged us, she comforted us, and she stayed present with us, moment to moment. Her positivity was unflappable! She also left us to ourselves occasionally at appropriate times.

Kristi and Heidi make an excellent team, supporting their clients—and each other—with ease and sensitivity. We are extremely grateful for their guidance in the beautiful home birth of our second child!

Noor D., Boonville

I can't imagine approaching parenthood without the kind of attention and care we received from Heidi. We couldn't have asked for more. There are so many questions that come up during first pregnancy... so many uncertainties and unknowns, and so many big decisions to be made. Heidi treated us like intelligent participants in this process. She shared her incredible depth of knowledge and experience in a way that was accessible and thoughtful. We felt seen and heard at every turn. Heidi is that rare practitioner who has not only knowledge, but profound wisdom and emotional intelligence. Working with Heidi made us step back and reassess all of the medical care we receive. Everyone deserves this level of individualized attention and competence, in every dimension of health -- but it's so rarely found.

The most precious gift of Heidi's wisdom and accessibility was the resulting sense of security and confidence that we felt throughout the journey.  This confidence was invaluable, and became especially critical in the final hours of our labor when we discovered that our baby was in distress.  We knew that Heidi would do everything possible to support a natural pregnancy and birthing process, while at the same time keeping baby and mama's health and safety as the number one guiding force through the process. We didn't question her judgement for one second, and that trust allowed us to feel an underlying sense of calm amidst all of the uncertainty and quick decision-making that took place.  Every decision Heidi made along the way was exactly right, and her tenderness and loving presence made us feel cared for on the deepest level when we most needed it.

We feel so incredibly fortunate to have had access to such caring and competent individualized support...  I wish every expecting parent could experience the same.

Helen Selassie, San Diego

Kristi Cunningham was made for midwifery. She was the midwife for both of my births. When it came to have my second child I lived 3 hours away from her practice and was determined to have her as my midwife. Kristi managed to find me a beautiful rental home for my birth.

She is so personable, our prenatal appointments felt like therapy sessions, yet she maintains a high level of professionalism. Kristi is extremely knowledgable, intuitive and deeply connected to child birthing. I greatly appreciate her cultured and holistic approach to the child birthing process. Kristi was very supportive during my labor and kept me grounded and present. I am forever indebted to her for providing my children a safe and warm welcome into this world. She will always be my sister and an Aunty to my children.

Donavan Logan, Jamaica

I believe Kristi was elected from the womb to be a midwife. During the birth of my daughter I was unable to get back home in time due to traveling delays. Kristi and her team stayed with my wife overnight until my arrival that evening. They went above and beyond their duties, not only did they offer my wife support during labor they even cooked for her, did laundry and tended to my wife's and newborn child's needs. During the birth of my son I was fortunate to be present and it would be the first birth I ever witnessed. At times I felt helpless and not sure what to do seeing my wife in such pain. With Kristi's support I became an active participant in the birth of my child, an incredible and life changing experience. I would recommend her services to everyone who is interested in natural birth. May the Creator of creations continue to guide   her and allow her to maintain the purity and sacredness of natural birth.

Angela M., Lakeport

Kristi and Heidi make a phenomenal team. They are professional, personable, loving, and highly experienced. I can not imagine having a better team guiding and supporting me while I made my transition into motherhood. Our time spent together was beautiful and absolutely exceeded my expectations.

Emily H., Ukiah

The amount of skill, intuition, love, and guidance Kristi and Heidi demonstrated during my pregnancy and birth will forever be held in the hearts of my family.  From the moment we met Kristi, we immediately knew that she would be the one to help us bring our first child into the earth.   During our prenatal visits both Kristi and Heidi exuded a vast amount of knowledge in what they do, and did so in a happy, relaxed, and comfortable manner.  I knew I chose them for a reason, however, I never could have known how incrediblyimpressed I would have been after seeing them both in action at my delivery.  Tears of appreciation and joy rise up as I think back on how they safely guided my baby into this world.  Despite the many complications that arose, Kristi and Heidi worked effortlessly and seamlessly together in order to guide us through having our baby at home as planned.  Their ability to make decisions and act fast under pressure while staying in a calm state was highly impressive, and qualities you need when having a midwife attend your birth.  Not once during my birth did I feel unsafe or misguided.  The amount of support I continued to receive after my birth was also an extremely important and amazing component of our relationship.  They made me feel safe, confident, and well cared for during my healing process, which is exactly what I needed during that vulnerable time.  I cannot express enough how lucky you would be if you choose to have them deliver your sweet baby.  I trusted them with my life and the life of my baby, and I am confident in saying I look forward to doing again with my next child.

Patrick R., Ukiah

About five minutes into our first meeting with Kristi, Emily and I looked at each other and smiled.  It was one of those looks that communicate so much between two people and not much to anyone else. We left the interview and both instantly said with excitement, " we foundour midwife,"  and it was one of the best decisions we've made as parents so far.

Kristi and Heidi are incredibly supportive, knowledgeable, kind, and helpfulthroughout the entire process of pregnancy, labor, and post partum care. Perfectly balancing their amazing motherly qualities of care, love and support, with their knowledge, experience and expertise.

We experienced an exceptionally difficult labor and we couldn't have had the birthing experience we wanted without their highly developed skills and capabilities.  Just about every intervention a mid wife could do during labor to facilitate a home birth was done, and it was still a wonderful, joyous experience for us.  Because of their skill and capabilities we were able to have our beautiful baby in our home as we wanted with both mother and baby, happy, safe and healthy.

I am more appreciative of these two amazing women than is possible to express.  I am also very excited to work with them again when it is time for our next child to come into this world.

Jackie & Orion

When I got pregnant with my second child I knew I wanted to have a different birth than the one I had with my first son. I had a dramatic birth with awful aftercare. I knew my body was capable of birthing my child, I just needed to find someone who would work with me after looking through my previous birth. A bunch of woman I knew did home births with Kristi, and recommended her. Our first conversation gave me hope. She listened to my birth story and took us on. She believed in me, my body and mind. She gave me the confidence and care beyond any other I had ever experienced. She comes to your home for every prenatal, she was always there when I needed her to ask a question or just cry to because my hormones were wild. Once it was baby birthing time she and her team, Nina and Melissa, never left my side. I had a long hard birth, lasted a little over 30 hours total. She loved me hard through my tough birth. My baby boy was born at 2:20 pm after being in labor all the previous day and night, into a house of love, a place of warmth, and place I only dreamed he would. I'm forever grateful for Kristi and her team for helping me achieve my goal of a peaceful loving home birth. I’ll cherish these woman forever!

Tarja

I feel utterly grateful and lucky to have had such a beautiful, gentle, and healthy baby girl at home. My second one, I knew a bit about how to choose my team of midwives and the space I wanted around me. Kristi and Heidi were a phenomenal team. From the get go, I felt heard, honored and trusted to make wise mama decisions. They provided a loving, safe and open space in which my little girl could come into this world with peace and faith in the human body. They heard what my desires were, helped follow my birth plan and at the moments when needed provided their expertise, guidance and presence. The entire time they supported me, from prenatal visits, the birth and after; I felt complete love, care and 100% nourished. Kristi and Heidi, as a team, are so powerful and knowledgable. They both bring different strengths to the process that make them an even more well-rounded duo. I would choose them again in a heart beat.