birth your family,
your way
Home birth with us
Home birth is a safe and satisfying option for those experiencing low-risk pregnancies. Our team's decades of combined experience, solid foundation of clinical skills, and current knowledge of evidence-based practice provide a quality of care you can have confidence in. After working in partnership with our retired founder, Beah Haber, CNM, for many cherished years, Michelle Edgar, LM, is honored to continue the tradition of providing experienced, compassionate, holistic midwifery care to families throughout the greater east bay area. Births are attended by Michelle, a registered nurse or assistant midwife, and a student midwife.

Michelle Edgar, LM
I’m a Licensed Midwife who has been privileged to serve hundreds of bay area families in all stages of their family-building journeys, from conception to birth, for the last 15 years. I was trained by apprenticeship in a home birth practice, freestanding birth center, fertility practice and OBGYN office. I'm a graduate of the National Midwifery Institute and licensed by the state of California. I also hold a BA in Spanish. As a midwife I am deeply committed to empowering families and individuals through informed consent, offering a more personal, holistic approach to perinatal care, including culturally appropriate care and home-based options for assisted conception (see At Home Fertility). I am grateful every day to my teachers - the families, midwives, nurses and doctors who have shaped me into the best midwife I can be. When I'm not doing the work I love, you’ll find me out walking our wild hills, getting lost in a good read, knitting tiny garments, whipping up some culinary magic, or hanging out with my kids, who were both midwifed into the world.

Amber Pearson, Student
Amber Pearson has been an apprentice midwife since 2013 and joined East Bay Homebirth Midwifery in 2015. Born at home in England and raised by a mother who deeply trusted the journey through pregnancy and birth, Amber loves supporting families during one of the most amazing transitions of their lives. She has studied yoga with Janet Stone, is a trained and experienced doula, and a student at the National Midwifery Institute. Specializing in Ayurvedic postpartum care, Amber also provides doula services, birth tub rentals and placenta encapsulation. Her favorite place to be is outside in nature. More at www.amberloopearsonrebirth.com.
Experience the kind of health care everyone deserves
We accompany you in partnership, providing personalized care, loving support and information. We encourage open communication and your active participation, empowering you to make informed choices and to experience pregnancy and birth in the way that is right for you.
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Appointments are not rushed, we have ample time for all your questions. Partners and children are welcome to participate in whatever ways are right for your family. Throughout our entire care relationship we are available to you in person, via email and by phone 24 hours a day.
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We trust in the birth process, recognizing that birth is both a normal, natural part of life and a powerful rite of passage for the person giving birth, the baby being born, and the family. We are trained and experienced in identifying and managing situations which fall outside normal ranges and we are adept at facilitating transfers into medical care when indicated.
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We offer home birth, water birth, comprehensive prenatal care provided in our offices in Berkeley and Walnut Creek, nutritional counseling, breastfeeding assistance, normal newborn care, extensive postpartum care at home, VBAC support, gynecological care (Pap smear, STD screening, family planning advice), fertility consultation and intrauterine insemination (see www.athomefertility.com). We can order any testing you may want, including laboratory tests, prenatal screening and diagnosis, ultrasounds, fetal non-stress tests and routine tests for the newborn.
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Our practice welcomes families and individuals of all types, inclusive of race, religion, national origin, sexual identity, gender expression, marital status, age, and ability.
We serve families in the greater east bay area, including Berkeley, Oakland, Emeryville, Piedmont, Alameda, San Leandro, Albany, El Cerrito, Richmond, Hercules, Pinole, Rodeo, San Pablo, El Sobrante, Orinda, Moraga, Lafayette, Walnut Creek, Danville, San Ramon, Dublin, Pleasanton, Livermore, Castro Valley, Hayward, Union City, Fremont, Pleasant Hill, Concord, Pittsburg, Antioch, Brentwood, Martinez and Benicia. If you live outside these areas, please inquire whether we may be able to travel to your location.
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Midwifery fees are paid directly to us in advance of your baby's birth via check, cash or credit card. We offer flexible payment plans. If you have PPO insurance you can submit a claim for reimbursement after your baby is born.
Acupuncture
Leslie Oldershaw
Berkeley Community Acupuncture
Oakland Community Acupuncture
Mount Diablo Integrated Wellness Center
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Birth Supplies & Tubs
Purchase Our Birth Kit (and other supplies you may want) from Cascade Healthcare
Oral Vitamin K for Newborns (includes dosing info)
Amber (our student) rents tubs
Labor in Water - AquaDoula tubs
Awakenings - AquaDoula and la Bassine
Inflatable "Fishy Pool" (nothing fancy, under $40!)
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Breastfeeding
Amrit Khalsa, RN, IBCLC
Sylvia Boyd, IBCLC
Serena Meyer, IBCLC
Find your local La Leche League group/leader
KellyMom
Target's Breast Pump Program (covered by insurance)
Hospital Lactation Services:
Alta Bates Summit Medical Center 510.204.6546
Kaiser Oakland 510.752.7557
Kaiser Hayward 510.784.2804
Kaiser Walnut Creek 925.295.4368
Kaiser Vallejo 707.651.5582
San Ramon Regional Medical Center 925.275.8459
Valley Care Medical Center 925.416.3598
Sutter Delta Medical Center 925.779.7200
Washington Hospital 510.494.7013
John Muir Mt. Diablo Women’s Health Center 925.941.7900
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California Programs
Employment Development Department - pregnancy disability, paid family leave and elective coverage for the self-employed
Prenatal Screening Program
Newborn Screening Program
California Newborn Hearing Screening Program
Center for Early Intervention on Deafness (newborn hearing screening appointments)
Carseat Installation
NHTSA's Car Seat Inspection Station Locator
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Classes
Mindfulness-Based Childbirth and Parenting - Nancy Bardacke
Loving Arms Childbirth Classes
Homebirth Preparation
Birthways - childbirth prep, hypnobirthing, baby care, etc
Childbirth Prep for Queer Parents
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Chiropractic
Inspired Life
Acorn Wellness
Awaken Chiropractic
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Counseling
Gena McCarthy, RN MFT
Natashia Fuksman, MFT
Gina Hassan, PhD
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Craniosacral Therapy
Nancy Burke, CST
Sara Van Zutphen, CST
Bay Area CranioSacral Children’s Collective Infant Free Clinic
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Doulas
Blythe Lee
Megan Bayles
Full Circle Doula Group
East Bay Postpartum Doula Circle
Doulamatch.net (search doulas by cost, experience and availability)
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Environmental/Drug Exposure/Awareness
Beyond Pesticides
The Organic Center
Healthy Child Healthy World
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Herbs
Tap Root Medicine's Strong Woman Syrup (iron supplement)
Dr. Christopher's Birth Prep (for the last 6 weeks of pregnancy)
Wishgarden Herbs (especially AfterEase tincture for after pains)
Lhasa Karnak (Berkeley)
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Homebirth Information
Home Birth: An annotated guide to the literature
MANA Statistics Project Planned Home Birth Outcomes 2004-2009
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Insurance
Access for Infants and Mothers (AIM) - insurance for middle-income pregnant women
Covered California
California Dept. of Insurance
SLB Billing Service for clients of midwives - verify your benefits
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Massage
Candace Palmerlee, CMT
Meadow Evans, CMT
Angela Bausch CMT
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Medical Providers
UCSF Benioff Children's Physicians Maternal-Fetal Medicine
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Midwifery Organizations
California Association of Midwives
Midwives Alliance of North America
American College of Nurse Midwives
Citizens for Midwifery
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Naturopaths
Berkeley Naturopathic Medical Group
Tara Natural Medicine
Walnut Creek Naturopathic
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Nutrition
Kitchen Table Remedies
Julie Matthews - "Nourish the Future" classes and consultations
Chris Kresser's Healthy Baby Code
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Parent Communities & Resource Centers
Berkeley Parents Network
Holistic Moms Network
Our Family Coalition - groups for queer parents
Single Mothers by Choice
Attachment Parenting International
Blossom Birth
Natural Resources (SF)
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Pediatricians
Bayside Medical Group (Oakland/Berkeley) – Dr. Janet Perlman and Dr. Katya Gerwein
Sage Pediatrics (Oakland) – Dr. Amy Maidenberg
Kiwi Pediatrics (Berkeley/Albany) – Dr. Robin Winokur and Dr. David Kittams
Glenview Pediatrics (Oakland) – Dr. Gary Bean
East Bay Pediatrics (Berkeley/Orinda) – Dr. Myles Abbott
Dr. Maria Steelman (Lafayette)
Livermore Pleasanton Pediatrics – Dr. Bruce Gach
Dr. Andrew Nash (Danville but does home visits in the greater bay area)
Pediatric Alternatives (Marin)
Dr. Sabina Sonneman (Redwood City)
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Photography
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Physical Therapy
Pelvic Health & Rehabilitation Center
Dynamic Changes Physical Therapy
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Placenta Processing
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Postpartum Resources
Mindful Mothers' Groups facilitated by Gina Hassan
Mom2Mom groups facilitated by Natashia Fuksman
Support Groups for Mothers - facilitated groups in the east bay
Muir Mommies - free facilitated group for moms of babies 0-3 mos @ John Muir Hospital
Solace for Mothers - healing after traumatic birth
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Pregnancy Loss
SAND - Support After Neonatal Death
Beyond Choice - group for parents who have ended pregnancies due to fetal anomalies
Share - Pregnancy and Infant Loss Support
"Born in Silence" - video about stillbirth from parents' perspective
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Vaccine Information
Ask Dr. Sears
National Vaccine Information Center: CA Requirements/Exemptions
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Yoga/Exercise/Movement
Happy families
"You want your midwife to know what she's doing, and Michelle does. I very highly recommend her. As a 36 year old first time mom I am so grateful to have had a home birth and the extra care that I needed postpartum. Michelle and her team are very responsive and caring. I think of Michelle as a modern midwife with a mind for integrative medicine. She helped me to avoid numerous interventions, but I felt safe knowing that she knows when to refer. Both her student midwife and the R.N. who attended the later stages of the birth were kind and trustworthy, too. I will always remember my birth as being transformative and I have this group to thank!"
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"The midwives of East Bay Homebirth Midwifery take their work of caring for pregnant moms and their families seriously, provide holistic care that accounts for mind-body-spirit, and do all this with a tender balance of love and professionalism."
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"Your hands are skilled. Your knowledge of how babies are born is vast. Your voices are steadying and comforting and true. You brought the spirit of our mother ancestors into the room of our birth. You are so practical. You are safe. In the most excruciating moments of the birth I felt safe and joyous because I sensed that my baby was being born into a sister circle."
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"I cannot say enough about how essential, comforting, and competent Michelle was at the births of both my children. She took time with my partner and I, answered all our questions thoroughly, and provided balanced and sound advice. During my labors she was calm, soothing, and encouraging, giving me the space I needed to get into the zone of labor, stepping up the support when I was overwhelmed, supporting my partner and I in our connection, and all the while she was subtle and skilled with the medical tasks. I am so grateful."
Resources
Scroll down for our extensive resource list. If you find a broken link or have a resource to add we'd love to hear from you.

Get in touch
Looking for a midwife? Wondering if home birth is right for you?
Need a Pap Smear? Questions about your fertility? Consultations are free of charge. Please get in touch - email, call or use the form below (preferred).
Office Locations
2414 Ashby Avenue, Ste. 201, Berkeley, CA 94705
2363 Boulevard Circle, Ste. 12, Walnut Creek, CA 94596
Voice (510) 655-2229
Fax (510) 845-1700