Astoria Birth Center & Family Medicine 1406 Marine Drive, Astoria, OR 97103

"My second birth was here at ABC and it was a truly redemptive experience! My first birth was a hospital delivery that was incredibly traumatic and I came to ABC to find providers that would listen and respect my choices and my body. My son entered the world in the midst peaceful and loving environment at the birth center, after a fast and easy 3 1/2 hour labor. Every part of his pregnancy, birth, and postpartum was so beautiful and gentle. The midwives listened to me and I felt so cared for and just showered with love throughout the whole experience. Go here! You won't regret it!"

"I was 38 weeks pregnant with my first child when I moved from Pennsylvania to Oregon and transferred my care to Astoria Birth Center. Originally, I was receiving prenatal care at a local clinic in my hometown Pittsburgh, PA, where maternal healthcare is often medicalized, especially for Black women. It wasn’t long before I began to realize I was becoming another statistic and was being treated as if I had an illness. There were no conversations about evidence based research or informed choice with any of my healthcare providers, and there were no conversations about risks or benefits for certain labs and or vaccinations in pregnancy. I was feeling unheard and very vulnerable. As a midwife, who had served many birthing mothers both in and out of hospital, it was second nature for me to advocate for my birthing mothers and provide individualized care. I knew exactly how to provide birthing mothers and families evidence based research and allow them to make their own informed choices. I was knowledgeable in various disparities and barriers limiting access, availability and affordability to quality maternal and neonatal healthcare, and I had cultural awareness and knew exactly how to create a safe space for birthing women throughout their care. However, this time it was altogether different. This time it was me. I was the patient. For them, I was just another Black pregnant woman. I could see very quickly that I was being PUSHED to follow the medicalized practices within the maternal healthcare system. On top of that, I was battling mentally with finding a safe place to call home for this new life we were soon welcoming. At the time, Pittsburgh was becoming a very unsafe place to live, due to extreme gun violence and other crimes. I just cry every time I think about the beautiful experience I had with all of the midwives and staff at ABC. As a midwife who has traveled and who has served many birthing women in underserved and under-resourced communities abroad and throughout the US, from experience, I know that any mother who decides to walk through the doors of ABC will be treated with love, compassion and respect. Words can not explain enough how blessed my family and I are to have had such amazing midwives welcome us and serve us with immense love and provide a safe and peaceful place for me in my prenatal visits, at my birth, and in the postpartum period. Everyone at ABC is family to me and they will always have a special place in my heart. I truly love Astoria Birth Center and I will never forget my birth experience and how kind everyone was to me and my family. Thank you so much ABC for holding space! Thank you! May you all continue being blessed and full of love, peace, and life."

"My son came into the world at ABC. My wife and I are so happy we chose to receive care from the midwives at this birth center. The degree of attention, patience, validation, and knowledge was high and very consistent throughout our pregnancy, during the birth, and in the weeks and months since. Having lots of hands-on guidance while we learned how to care for a newborn was a huge comfort. Being able to develop relationships with the care team has been such an important part of our experience, it's hard to imagine having had a hospital birth where relationship-building is presumably less present."

"I feel that birth centers, and especially this birth center, are vital because of the level of care they give. Hour long appointments gave me the ability to think about what I wanted to talk about. The conversations I had with my midwife reminded me of questions I had and things I needed clarification on. I was able to receive care that felt personalized to me, it made me feel like I was being seen as a whole person, not just symptoms. The care I received from the midwives prepared me for birth and for what to expect if things went wrong. I had an incredibly empowering water birth, feeling supported from both my midwife and my husband. When I wasn’t able to deliver my placenta on my own, my midwife was able to make me feel safe and understand what was going to happen. The local hospital respecting my midwife and listening to her recommendations when I was transferred to the emergency room for a manual placenta removal made me feel safer. I have no birth trauma because of the prior knowledge my midwife had given me of what an emergency would look like and how she was able to explain what was happening to me in the Emergency room. Birth centers provide a space for midwives to give the care that pregnant people deserve and so badly need. I felt safe and comfortable in my birth center, and I know that I can still call my midwife if I have a question. Birth centers help establish relationships and encourage them to flourish. Knowing and trusting your birth team can only help outcomes."

"As a first time mom and brand new to the area, I knew I wanted a cozy, warm, and peaceful atmosphere with attentive people to help me through pregnancy and labor. My first visit to Astoria Birth Center showed me that's exactly what I would be getting; the feeling of the center, the kindness of the owner (Rebeckah), and the statistical evidence provided to me surrounding the success of midwifery care had me sold. Each of my prenatal appointments was as long as I needed it to be and I was able to process not only physical changes, but emotional ones as well. The love and support I felt from each midwife was (and is) astounding. The lack of unnecessary intervention from anyone and the trust I was taught to have in my body and my baby set me up for the birth of my dreams. I was guided through labor with calm voices (Mariah and Rebecca), love, hugs, and encouragement. They involved and talked my husband through the entire process as well, aiding in the peace we felt. Each step after labor involving both me and the baby was verbalized to me and I was able to give my full consent. The aftercare was beautiful, fluid, and blissful. It has been one week and I have had continued support with lactation, general questions, and the typical emotions that come with it all. I can't recommend Astoria Birth Center enough - every woman deserves this kind of care. Love you all!"