*We welcome inquiries for due dates in June 2024 and beyond. For families due sooner, we’re happy to share alternate midwife referrals and resources. Contact us here. (updated 1-7-2024)
Midwifery Care for Every Family
We are committed to providing individualized, culturally-sensitive, and trauma-informed care.
Planned home birth with skilled midwives: A safe, respectful, and empowering choice for families with low-risk pregnancies.
Hospital Birth
Holistic prenatal, postpartum, and newborn care with your midwives + doula care for labor and birth.
programs
Groups
EBM Families Prenatal Circle
Be in community with your fellow pregnant people!
EBM Families New Parents Circle
Be in community with your fellow new parents!
Classes
EBM Group Prenatals
Connect with other EBM families and discuss a variety topics at each group meeting plus a mini visit with your midwives.
*See our resources page for a variety of class offerings
Hello
Meet the Midwives
primary midwife, Co-Founder
Amanda Kessner, LM, CPM
Licensed Midwife | Certified Professional Midwife
I absolutely love being a midwife, and I feel grateful every day for the gift of working with so many wonderful families. I first started attending births as a volunteer at San Francisco General Hospital which led me to work with the public health organizations Homeless Prenatal Program and The Body Positive. Presently I serve on the advisory board for the Global Pediatric Alliance and Imeinu, a collective of Jewish birth professionals. I studied at the Midwives College of Utah, and completed the majority of my clinical training at the San Francisco Birth Center, under the supervision of the founding nurse midwives. I was born and raised in the Bay Area. When I’m not catching babies, I love riding my cargo bike with my toddler and partner, and hosting a Shabbat meal for loved ones.
Consulting MidwifE, Co-Founder
Jeannie Choe, LM, CPM, IBCLC
Licensed Midwife | Certified Professional Midwife
Board Certified Lactation Consultant
I am a second-generation Korean-American Licensed Midwife, Board Certified Lactation Consultant, and mom to two wonderful kids, both born at home with midwives. I am licensed by the Medical Board of California and certified by the North American Registry of Midwives and the International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners. When I’m not catching babies I love to read, cook and bake, play the piano, and hike in solitude. As of 2024, I have transitioned from primary to consulting midwife to focus on completing a degree in advanced practice nursing.
ASSISTING Midwives
Grace Bender, LM, CPM - 10 Moons Midwifery
Morgan West, LM, CPM - Hummingbird Midwifery
EAST BAY MIDWIVES CLINIC
902 Stannage Avenue, Albany, CA
Insurance & Billing
Our services are covered by most PPO insurance plans.
In-network exceptions, out-of-network coverage, co-pay, and deductible vary by plan. You can process a PPO Verification of Benefits with our biller ($55 fee) for a detailed report. Income-based sliding scale option for families with Kaiser, Medi-Cal, and HMO plans.
Love Notes
“I couldn’t have asked for a better prenatal, birth, and postpartum experience and I will be forever grateful to you for the amazing gift of home birth.”
“Thank you so much for all your loving care. We’ll never forget the relief we felt when you arrived for the birth and helped us bring Teo safely into the world! We are so grateful.”
“You are so wonderful! I am so thankful for you as my midwife and to know that women will continue to receive excellent care in the Bay Area because of you.”
“Words cannot express how grateful we are for your patience, skill, and support during that rollercoaster of a labour! We felt so safe in your care.”
“Just incredible professionals with their experience, kindness, and true investment in supporting me and baby’s health and well being. ”
Frequently Asked Questions
+ Is home birth a safe choice for me?
Home birth is a safe choice for families with low-risk pregnancies receiving care with Licensed Midwives.
+ What's the evidence?
Studies on the safety of home birth:
- BMJ: Outcomes of Planned Home Births with Certified Professional Midwives: Large Prospective Study in North America
- CMAJ: Outcomes of planned home birth with registered midwife versus planned hospital birth with midwife or physician
Both the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and Academy of Pediatrics recognize each person's right to exercise autonomy and choose a planned home birth.
+ Who has home births, anyway?
Our clients come from all walks of life, with diverse ethnic, cultural, and socioeconomic backgrounds. They are teachers, filmmakers, engineers, surgeons, architects, nurse practitioners, attorneys, physicians, designers, stay-at-home parents, tattoo artists, musicians, social workers, VPs, nannies, professors, landscapers, acupuncturists, artists, physical therapists, dancers, carpenters, registered nurses, microbiologists, CEOs, researchers, bartenders, archaeologists, admins, dietitians, psychotherapists, product managers, grad students, midwives, doulas, and obstetricians...just to name a few!
+ What if I haven't decided between home or hospital?
There is no rush to decide before starting care with us. At your initial visit, we'll discuss your unique health history and appropriate birth setting options. We encourage our clients to make confident, fully informed decisions regarding all aspects of their care, including where birth will take place.
+ What about birth centers?
Home birth and birth center settings staffed by Licensed Midwives utilize identical equipment and medications and have comparable outcomes. The main difference is the location. Home birth allows for undisturbed transitions through labor, birth, and postpartum whereas the birth center requires you to leave your home in labor and commute back to your home after birth.
+ Does insurance cover homebirth?
Yes! With PPO insurance plans, our global fee for your complete course of prenatal, birth, and postpartum care is submitted by our professional biller to maximize your coverage. The exact reimbursement amount varies by plan and insurance provider. Our clients with Aetna, Cigna, United Health Care, Blue Shield, Blue Cross, Anthem, and Samaratin PPO insurance plans have received reimbursement for our services. Coverage rates at the in-network or out-or-network level, deductibles, and exceptions will vary depending on your plan. Some HMO plans will allow an in-network exception. Kaiser and Medi-Cal insurance plans do not cover midwifery care services. Income-based sliding scale fees are offered to families with HMO, MediCal, and Kaiser plans.
+ What's the difference between a midwife and a doula?
A Licensed Midwife provides clinical care and management throughout the normal course of pregnancy, labor and delivery, and postpartum, in addition to well newborn care. A doula provides non-clinical emotional and physical support in labor and may provide basic childbirth education. We love working with doulas! Ask us about our recommendations.
+ How are you addressing the COVID-19 pandemic?
Since March 2019 we have successfully implemented a protocol that includes regular screening, mask-wearing, hand hygiene, temperature checks, virtual visits as indicated, testing as indicated, and limiting close contact during in-person visits. We ask our families to observe conservative precautions to protect themselves, their midwives, and all EBM families.
The midwives are fully vaccinated (Moderna) and wear N95 masks or double masks to every prenatal and postpartum visit. All visitors to the office must wear a mask and screen negative for COVID-19 symptoms, exposures, or diagnosis. Partners and children are welcome at the office. The midwives wear N95 masks, gloves, and eye protection at births. During labor and birth, the birthing person and partner are not required to wear masks.
Our office and exam rooms are ventilated and sanitized between visits. We run HEPA filters during visits to circulate and purify the air. We have preserved our routine care schedule and maintained the same high quality of care throughout. We are currently offering all in-person visits with the option for virtual visits in case of COVID-19 symptoms, exposure, or diagnosis, or if the family desires alternating virtual and in-person visits. We provide a prenatal kit for virtual visits including a blood pressure monitor, and ultrasound doppler device.
We are happy to report that our practice has not encountered an active COVID-19 case to date.
contact
Get in touch...
To schedule an interview or learn more about our services, use our contact form to get the quickest response. You can also call, text, or email. Options!
Our service area includes many East Bay, North Bay, and Marin San Francisco Bay Area locations including Oakland, Berkeley, Albany, El Cerrito, Emeryville, Richmond, Kensington, Orinda, Lafayette, Walnut Creek, Danville, San Leandro, Castro Valley, Hayward, Concord, Martinez, Pinole, Vallejo, Benicia, San Rafael, Larkspur, Corte Madera, Novato, and Mill Valley.
