Steady Guidance

Kelly was my midwife for the birth of my first child. I decided to switch to home birth halfway through my pregnancy because of a past traumatic hospitalization; I hoped that being at home would prevent any unnecessary anxiety and fear during the delivery. Kelly guided me through pregnancy, birth, and breastfeeding complications later on, with the utmost grace, competency, and respect. She took my concerns seriously and made sure that I was prepared for all possible outcomes. My daughter’s birth was safe and sublime; I have never felt more alive (for better or worse!) or less afraid. Kelly’s steady guidance helped to make it all possible and I am forever grateful to her.  ~~KB

Blessed

I feel so blessed by the turn of events in our life and the network of amazing people we are becoming connected to. 

27 weeks – stumbled upon homebirth, MUST DO

29 weeks – found our midwife, Kelly ❤

37 weeks – Aetna reluctantly approves the home birth as in network

40 weeks – joined the secret women’s club, gave birth to my daughter without drugs, in my home surrounded by women I admire and a hubby who earned his stripes.

41.5 weeks – referred to a family Dr. we all feel completely comfortable with who supports home birth and selective vaccinations!

Seriously, this has been everything and more than I dreamed about. My heart is overflowing with joy and happiness. Thank you for being a part of my network!

#Grateful

Kelly delivered my daughter at home and I will be forever grateful for the experience. I always felt safe with Kelly and that allowed me to labor with confidence. The birth was exactly what I had hoped for but her postpartum care was above and beyond what I expected. Breastfeeding didn’t come easily for me but Kelly would not let me fail.  She visited me often and brought a lactation consultant (to my house at 8pm on a Wednesday) when I was really struggling. Kelly is great at what she does and a fun person to boot. –Jenn

Water Birth

Kelly Olmstead is an exceptional Midwife! I treasure the time I spent under her care, safely discussing my pregnancy and wishes for my daughters birth, while I sat on her comfy couch. She is extremely knowledgeable,  thoughtful, and caring.  I recommend her wholeheartedly and hope that every mama gets to have as wonderful of care as I had with Kelly.  ~Sarah

Two Births

Kelly was our family’s midwife for the homebirth of our two daughters. She possesses the unique ability to create a warm, comfortable setting for the entire family, while also providing direct answers and no-frills guidance. We never left the office feeling like our questions and concerns hadn’t been addressed, and never once did we feel like we weren’t her highest priority (even though she is always juggling multiple clients). She is always up-to-date on the latest ACOG research and recommendations, and has excellent relationships with the greater Santa Cruz birth community including OB/GYNs, doulas, birth class instructors, prenatal acupuncturists, and other midwives. Kelly is also a parent who has given birth in both a hospital and homebirth setting so she knows firsthand what moms are experiencing from start to finish.

Three Babies with Kelly

I can’t even imagine the births of my three children without Kelly’s presence- as my doula, then as my midwife (under supervision), and finally as my primary midwife. Her arrival at my births marked a turning point in my labor where all anxieties melted away and I got down to the business of birthing without fear. She seemed to always know exactly what I needed to hear in each moment and exactly what to do to make me feel relaxed, confident and reassured. I also feel that her presence was as helpful for my husband as it was for me. He is extremely supportive, but wasn’t sure exactly what kind of support I needed while in labor. When Kelly arrived, he easily followed her lead and became super-husband. Kelly is warm, professional, knowledgeable, enthusiastic, and a lot of fun. I never want to give birth without her there!” ~Jenna

Added Benefits

“I think this experience was also a big part of my son getting over his doctor’s office anxiety, which had previously been so bad that we couldn’t complete an exam with him.  Now he’s just fine. [I included this sibling into all of prenatal care, including helping pump the blood pressure cuff, snapping the tape measure back, and giving suggestions to where I should first listen to hear baby.] ~Sarah

A Water Birth

Kelly walked us through the awesome journey of birth with confidence, care, kindness, and all the tools we needed to have a successful home birth. We felt so well taken care of throughout the entire process from the prenatal care to all the questions post birth. During the birth she was a perfect blend of quiet observer and present guide. We were grateful for her and the experience she helped us cultivate.

Warm Spirit

This is one amazing midwife! We hired Kelly when I was pregnant with my second, desiring a safe, quiet homebirth. Kelly has the no-nonsense attitude paired with expert medical knowledge and experience, delightful humor, and warm spirit that make up a superbly professional midwife, and I looked forward to each of our Hour-long prenatal appointments tremendously. She offered quiet respect for us when birthing, trusting and following my lead and our postpartum care was efficient and comforting. I enjoyed my experience with Kelly so much that I miss her company frequently and am absolutely planning to hire her again next pregnancy. ~~BB, via Yelp (in reviews not currently recommended by them)

Amazing

Kelly is amazing! You and your growing family will undoubtedly be in good hands with her.  She is extraordinarily well-organized and uber prepared for just about every eventuality. During the labor and birth she and her midwife-in-training (Flaura, who is also amazing) set a very calm and peaceful environment for momma and family while maintaining complete situational awareness.

After the birth (and despite having numerous “cluster births” that I can only imagine saturated her schedule and fatigue limits), Kelly was extremely responsive to our family’s questions and needs.  She helped us get resources for postpartum blues and navigate a week-long hospital stint for (non birth-related) newborn complication.

In short, Kelly is fantastic:  knowledgable, competent, experienced, empathetic, accessible, and responsive. ~~KY, via Yelp (in reviews not currently recommended by them)