Del Mar Birth Center

We had our first baby boy at Del Mar in September this year (2015)! I knew I didn’t want to have my baby at a hospital but my husband was nervous about doing it at home. Del Mar was the PERFECT compromise. The wonderful midwives Margo, Callie and Sarah were each different and each incredible! ALL of them are both certified midwives AND nurses who have worked in hospitals. So they are familiar with SO many births. The early care easy going. I had one scare early on where I had to go to the ER (Margo met me late one weeknight when contractions wouldn’t stop in my 5^th month and she suggested I go to the ER). She also recommended a wonderful gynecologist for a follow up. It’s nice that the center is so close to Huntington Hospital.
My parents were very nervous about birthing in a birth center so one time I had them come with me to my appt. They took them on a tour of the facility and they talked to the midwives. By the end of the appointment they were sold! And that’s really something seeing that I have two brothers who are Doctors.
Dawnia and Yvonne at the front desk are amazing! Always super warm and sweet getting you whatever you need. I felt like we were family by the end of my care. I took their nutrition class and early home care class, all of these come free with their package. They had wonderful suggestions for a birthing class (Britta!!) and placenta encapsulation.
My labor started around 11pm and I went to Del Mar around 2am. I had my baby at 5am in the bathtub and I got to watch the sunrise through the windows.
They sent me home with LOTS of wonderful things to make my recovery smooth and sent a nurse to my house the next morning to check on me and baby.
All in all — we (my husband, baby boy and I) totally recommend!

From the first day we went here. EVERYONE has been amazing. Now today, our first child was born here, we checked in at 10pm, he came at 1225a. Went home at 3am. There’s not really much to say because my wife did everything she needed to do in terms of nutrition, yoga, vitamins, etc. I would have all my kids here if my wife was up to it! Please educate yourself of the natural process of giving birth. Or have the Del Mar birth center do it for you! Happy new year!

big thank you to the midwives (Margo, Sarah, and Callie) and the staff (Dawnia and Yvonne) at Del Mar Birth Center. You really made our pregnancy and birth experience what we imagined.
Thank you to Margo and Shayna who helped bring Eli into the world in the peaceful loving environment we wanted, you were both amazing and really helped us get through it. I am especially grateful I was able to give birth and not even tear which considering 5 hours of pushing is a miracle and recovery has been shockingly easy. It was a long labor and I know we woud have had a different outcome if I were at a hospital but we made it through a natural birth!
Thank you to Callie who spent so much time with us at our home to help us get the hang of breast feeding. We are so grateful for everyone at Del Mar that have been by our sides every step.
Also being first time parents and having someone check on you daily and available 24 hours a day for questions the first week after the baby is born is priceless. All you do is pick up the phone and you’re connected to the midwife. I think I would have had an emotional break down without it. I don’t know how people do it. Maybe that’s why women get postpartum depression… they feel alone and need someone to help them through. The first few days with a newborn are hard but every day gets easier.
We will for sure be back for our next child!

I just had my baby two weeks ago, but aside from her birth it’s been a 6 month period of trust, care, and relationship building with the midwives and staff at Del Mar. If you are considering an out of hospital birth, go take a tour at Huntington, Arcadia, Kaiser, wherever you would typically go and then come take a tour here. Just the basic logistics of making an appointment, ease of parking, short wait time & facilities are far more inviting than any hospital. Unlike appointments with my previous OB where I’d be in the waiting room for 30 min for a 5 min appt, at Del Mar, I’d wait 5 min with a cup of tea and see the midwife for 30 – 45 mins! Plus after delivery, they send a nurse to your home and call you daily to check up on you. They are communicative and available for questions.
Whether you give birth here or not, they host lots of great community prenatal and postpartum classes to prepare you for birth and after: nutrition, babywearing, baby CPR, breastfeeding, and more. There’s also a free mommy & me group for the early months with your baby.
Pregnancy and birth should not be fear based experiences, they should be a time for you and your partner to learn and grow together and Del Mar truly fosters a positive experience. I love the midwives and amazing staff here!

We couldn’t be more thankful for the care we received at Del Mar! The staff each go above and beyond in every moment to make your pregnancy and birth experience the safest, most memorable it can be. They provide holistic care for your physical, mental, and emotional well being through out your entire pregnancy and birth. It truly was such a special experience for both my husband and I, and now I feel like I have a perfect support system for us there post partum. The care goes beyond your official time there!

It was the tub that sold me. That pristine, white, deep, sexy birth tub stood out in my mind as we debated the birthing possibilities of a hospital, home or birth center experience. After touring the peaceful, spa-​like facilities of Del Mar Birth Center it was the tub that eventually swayed our decision. (And the fact that the center is fully accredited, outfitted with laughing gas & a pediatric crash cart in case we needed any of those things.)
What I didn’t expect was the team of awesome ladies & resources at Del Mar who came along with that tub. It’s like I got a whole birthing army set up to create a positive & successful birth experience. From the receptionist Yvonne, to the client coordinator, Dawnia, to all the midwives & student midwives we met — every interaction was pleasant and reassuring. They have classes to help you prep for pregnancy, labor & post partum and lots of resource suggestions. There are informative seminars on timely topics — vaccinations, sleep, baby wearing, etc. They’ve got mom’s groups.
Each prenatal appointment lasted an hour or more (try getting that much time from an OBGYN, I dare you!). These midwives are serious about getting to know you and explaining everything your body is & will be going through. Their calm and supportive demeanor is not, in fact, a byproduct of too much Xantex, but part of a carefully crafted environment designed to completely support you through this adventure.
This is something I really came to appreciate on 3÷19÷15 during my labor experience with Hayley, Sarah O. and Molly. When we arrived at the birth center to labor, they had everything ready — the tub was full, the room was warm & the lights lowered to our preferences — it was like arriving home. Both midwives were so encouraging, they seem to know exactly what I needed to hear so I could just focus on relaxing & working with my birthing body. They gave guidance when needed & were unobtrusive, attending to my needs & the needs of my newly born daughter without commanding the whole room or taking over. They were truly an unexpected blessing.
We first met Hayley when she gave the post-​partum class and I had no idea she would become my birthing & post-​partum breastfeeding ninja! As part of their insane level of care, the midwives kept in contact every day for the first week post partum. Again, try getting that from an OBGYN! Those texts/​calls were my lifeline to helpful tips on how to deal with the challenges of life with a newborn. I really, really didn’t expect that nor did I know how much I would need/​depend on those resources. When I had a blocked milk duct, Hayley immediately had a remedy.
As HMO-​insured, we paid out-​of-​pocket for the Del Mar Birth Center. I came for the birth tub but I got so much more than that. The Del Mar experience is worth every penny. I cannot stress that enough.

There are certain events throughout history; things like, the signing of the declaration of independence, landing on the moon, or the invention of the chocolate chip cookie that immediately and forever change the course of life as we know it. Giving birth at the Del Mar Birth Center is one such event.
My wife and I just had our first baby… thank you, but that’s not the impressive part. In fact I’ve learned that roughly 300,000 babies are born every day. So, having a baby is pretty common, but HOW you have your baby, well that is a totally different story.
What I’m about to share is so magical, so other worldly, that I feel like my words should be scrolling upward and slowly fading away, against a deep space backdrop with some StarWars-​esque music playing in the background.
First, I’m not an expert and I don’t have exact numbers, but as far as I know, the act of humans giving birth goes back a pretty long time. But for some reason, despite every single human entering this world through the EXACT same steps, the actual experience still seems shrouded in mystery. I mean, personally speaking, I consider myself a fairly educated and successful person. I have my own business, have traveled to many parts of the world and can consistently tie a cherry stem in a knot with my tongue. And yet, when it came to my wife having our baby, I could basically boil everything I knew down to the following… «I think he comes out of her vagina.»
We started our journey of pregnancy down the traditional road. And for the first 6 months we did the typical OBGYN visits… which follow the following format:
1. Arrive at the Dr. office 30 min early
2. Wait an hour or so to see the doctor
3. Say hello to the doctor
4. Leave 30 seconds later
I would try to have questions at the ready in case the opportunity arose but I would invariably choke under the time pressure and so after 4 – 5 visits the only thing I had learned was that we were having a boy and that our insurance was horrible.
So you can imagine my surprise when we interviewed at the Del Mar Birth Center and they said that our first visit would be 1 hour long and each subsequent visit would be 30 mins. In which they would be checking in on not only the health of the baby but mom’s nutrition, routine, etc. They would also check in with an emotional challenges we were having and offer guidance/​support as we navigated what is clearly one of the biggest life changing events people can go through.
The team at Del Mar became an instant family. The front office women greeted us by name, made us tea, and were soon giving us hugs. WHAT???
The midwives educated and supported us, explaining every step of the process. They listened to and answered ALL our questions, however silly, and consistently built our confidence as we prepared for a natural birth.
Del Mar offered a whole series of classes pre-​birth to supplement our knowledge. Classes in vaccines, breast feeding, newborn care, and a beautiful «birthing from within» course.
And as incredible as all of this is, it is still only preamble to our actual labor experience. Margo and Hayley were the baby-​whisperer– midwife team that ushered our little boy into the world. Obviously we felt extraordinarily safe with them and their technical abilities, I think Margo has delivered close to 2000 babies. But what blew me away was the LOVE we felt. They made my wife and I feel cared for, safe and supported all through the night via phone as contractions and labor came on. And once we arrived at the center, they took it to the next level somehow knowing just what and how to say the right thing at the right time.
Hayley even had a shirt with the word «happy» on it, which somehow always made me smile every time I saw it.
My wife pushed for a couple hours in the warmth of a big tub and I got to help deliver our little boy (not really) but I was RIGHT THERE, and as soon as he was safely out, they let me bring him up to my wife’s chest.
I could literally go on forever… and I know what you’re thinking…“I think you already have.” So, I’ll wrap with this…
The true bottom line when giving birth is that whatever the process, as long as mom and baby are safe and healthy at the end… it’s a success.
However, with Del Mar you have the option of creating a journey that is so amazing, so heartfelt, so magically delicious where your birth experience will fall into it’s true and rightful category… simply miraculous!
And that seems only appropriate… I mean, after all, you are welcoming a new soul into this world.
jeff

I just want to say that I could not have dreamed a better experience for the preparation and delivery of our first son born on March 31, 2015. My husband and I LOVE everyone and everything about the center. To start off, Yvonne and Dawnia are lovely and always make us feel so welcome and cared for.
We took birthing classes there with Britta Bushnell who is amazing and gave us the perfect amount of training and materials we needed to psychologically prepare for birth with the best pain coping mechanisms to have a natural birth. The other classes there are also great!
All the midwives were super sweet and took so much time in every appointment to ask how we were doing and gave such good advice.
The binder that the birth center gave us provided the best amount of information in preparing for labor, nutrition, herbs, and postpartum info.
Margo and Hayley birthed our baby and We love them so much! The whole experience was so positive and encouraging! We knew we were in good hands, we could trust them and going there was a safe and happy place. My body must have known it too since my labor went pretty smoothly! The rooms are very clean, I felt like I was in a nice hotel!
The home visit from stephanie, one of their nurses, was such a nice touch. Hayley also called us every day to check up on us. It is so rare to have those types of services anymore.
I highly recommend anyone looking into natural births to go to Del Mar!

Sharing the following review on behalf of my spouse without a Unilocal account:
The women of Del Mar Birth Center are simply amazing! While this was for our second child, it was our first experience at a birth center and with midwives and I would do it again for a future child given the opportunity. Here are some of the reasons I would recommend this particular birth center to others who are interested:
— Office Staff — These ladies are incredibly sweet, helpful, and welcoming. You are greeted with a smile and they are quick to offer you a drink and a snack if you need it.
— Del Mar respects your time — Exactly once did I have to wait more than a couple minutes before meeting with a midwife. They were very apologetic and explained that it was something out of their control.
— The midwives are straight up fabulous! You have the opportunity to meet and form a relationship with each of them. They are incredibly knowledgeable, compassionate, personable, and skilled. They offer natural approaches to ailments, but don’t push anything on you or make you feel uncomfortable.
— The facility is immaculate and homey with three delivery room options. Each has tools to assist with your labor.
— During labor the midwives provided the perfect balance of allowing me to trust and work with my body and jumping in to guide me through the most difficult moments.
These ladies made this experience feel like I was with trusted family the whole time. They encourage an educated couple and offer a wide variety of classes and resources.
I would recommend this center and these women in a heartbeat!

This was my first pregnancy and the whole process felt daunting and at times overwhelming. We were given a tour of the beautiful facility and learned of the various services they offered. We felt at the hospital we would get lost in the large volume of patients and would not receive the type of customized care we were seeking. Del Mar Birth Center was our first choice.
I began my prenatal visits where the midwives tracked my progress and were thorough with my exams and labs. They took the time to explain procedures and answered my questions. I particularly liked that clients were scheduled to be seen by all the midwives at different visits so that I would become familiar with each of them before I delivered. I felt the midwives collaborated well and were all in communications throughout my care at Del Mar Birth Center.
My expectations with Del Mar Birth Center and their staff was very much surpassed what I had envisioned in every way. The midwives were so knowledgeable and masters at their craft. The ladies at the front desk were professional, always ready to assist, and best of all they were ready to pour a cup of tea with a smile. The midwifery students were so attentive during the birth and tended to our needs.
I am thankful for Del Mar Birth Center for allowing me to have the birth experience that I wanted and for providing a service to those looking for something different than a hospital birth. I would highly recommend the Del Mar Birth Center for those who are expecting and women for their annual exam.

Sicily Jean Asher was born on the hottest day of 2014, September 16^th, but fortunately she was in the cool comfort of the Del Mar Birth Center and team.
Before we even conceived, my husband Jeff and I knew we wanted to experience our first child birth here with the family at Del Mar. I say «family» because that’s really what they are to anyone who walks through their doors. When you sign up for care at Del Mar, the encouragement and support comes from every person that makes that practice run. Dawnia and Yvonne are the smiling faces you meet every time you enter.
I wanted a personal connection to the midwife (midwives) that would usher our first little one into this world. Margo, Sarah O., Callie, Sarah E. & Hayley welcomed our every question, offered guidance and resources rather than must-do’s, and ultimately empowered my husband and I to make decisions together.
I went through 3 weeks of early labor – this is where women often fall into «false labor», show up at the hospital and have to be sent home. The late night phone calls to the midwives in this time were always welcomed and encouraging. By the time active labor kicked in, one week later than my due date, I had circled through all 4 midwives on call throughout those weeks, haha. We laughed every time, wondering who would actually get to deliver this baby ;)
Margo delivered Sicily Jean, alongside Del Mar nurse Skye, my husband Jeff, doula Julia Underwood and photographer Jess Koehler. My big Italian family was waiting in the lobby too ;) I am an extrovert in (and out) of child labor, so it felt so good to know Del Mar welcomed our support group.
A note on their office space… this was a determining factor in choosing to birth here as well. The center’s physical space was perfect – the lighting and décor in the birthing rooms had just enough personal touch without feeling like someone else’s home – a space that was intentionally crafted for a calming experience. Going into the experience, I was thinking I might like to try a water birth, but they also encouraged me to be open to changing my mind in the moment if my body needed it. So when the time came, I labored in the tub and started pushing there, but decided to get out to try the birthing stool, then the bathroom and I finally ended up in a comfy bed where I delivered.
Giving birth to a baby is hard work, before, during, and after. But even in those moments when I doubted myself throughout my pregnancy and during delivery, the midwives affirmed me.
We have kept in good touch with Del Mar as Sicily grows (she’s 5 months as the time of this writing), and we are so grateful for everyone there. We would absolutely love to birth our future children here!

If only I could give more stars! I gave birth to my daughter at Del Mar in early December 2014, and the experience was everything I hoped it would be. As Caroline is our first child, my husband and I had many questions and fears that needed assuaging, and the extremely capable, kind, responsive, and caring midwives and staff of Del Mar were there for us every time. From pre-​natal care, through Caroline’s delivery (which was attended by Sarah O. and Sarah E.) to post-​natal care, we felt informed, safe, and supported. They provided us with a binder of information that we relied on throughout my pregnancy and for the first few weeks after Caroline’s birth. I wanted a natural birth without any intervention unless truly necessary, and their support and empowerment made that possible for me. Both my husband and I really looked forward to every visit with each of the midwives and are actually quite sad that we won’t be seeing them all on a regular basis anymore. We still talk about how glad we are that we had Caroline there. I have absolutely no doubt that if I have another child, I will be back — the proof of their excellence at what they do is my strong, healthy, happy baby. Thank you, Del Mar!

This review is long overdue. Margo and Hayley delivered my second child back in ¹⁰⁄₂₀₁₄.
This is my second time delivering in a birthcenter. Although both of my experiences were positive, my experience here stands out for various reasons and they are as follows:
–open, modern, clean facility

–a multitude of useful, informative classes
–i love the focus on nutrition as it is so very important
–a very useful birth binder full of information and resources (like list doulas, prenatal therapists, pediatricians, etc.)
–whole-​person care
–whole pregnancy care – even when baby is out; i greatly appreciated the post-​partum home visit and calls, along with the visit at 6 weeks after birth.
–breastfeeding is not always as intuitive and natural as one might think. I had difficulties but these ladies really helped me with reassurance, instruction, and by just being available. My child was not gaining weight as is expected but Margo and Hayley provided a plan of attack and made extra appointments with us to keep a close eye on his weight
–this group of women, everyone from the front desk to the midwives to the medical biller, is amazing (they are responsive, approachable, warm, and more than capable)
We were lucky to find these women and this center.

From the very first tour of the Del Mar Birth Center, we were hooked! Every visit made us look forward to the next and once we were there we wanted to stay as long as possible. Every midwife is exceptional and we would have been happy no matter who was on call when we would go into labor. EACH one of them took the most time and care to answer every question and to make themselves available. The staff, Dawnia and Yvonne, are as sweet and professional as can be and are so friendly, we felt like we had known them for years.
It was time.
In we went to DMBC and Sarah Obermeyer, who was on call, ran the water in the birthing tub. I was in before she knew it and starting to feel the impact of the warm water. Sarah checked me over and all was well. Sarah’s assistant, midwife-​in-​training Shayna arrived. We had only met her for a couple of moments a few days earlier at an appointment, and she wasn’t our assigned assistant (Hayley was away), but she was suddenly the fourth and last member of our team-​for-​the-​day.
Now we were fully into transition and it was (it is) awesome. (I was almost 8 cm when we went in) In the safety and comfort and security of the Birthing Center, secure in the knowledge that we were being cared for and guided by the right people, I let go completely and my body took over. It was a primal experience of instinct. Most of the time I stayed in the water and my husband sat on a little stool just behind my head, whispering to me, helping me, giving me water, holding a little bowl in case I needed to vomit (I never did). Sarah and Shayna left us mostly to ourselves and it was actually a very peaceful time. I felt as secure when they left us alone as I felt when they were there in the room. It was a reminder that we were in a safe place and they trusted that we could handle it. The lights were low, the water was hot, I took little naps between contractions. And then every few minutes Mother Nature would take over. We remember this as a truly beautiful experience. Shayna kept a cool cloth on my head and neck and I remember loving that!
I was given a mirror to see my baby’s head and put it under the water. I saw that little black sliver of hair and was encouraged to reach down and feel it. In the very next push, her head came out and the one after that, her body. My husband caught her with Sarah and put her on my chest. After the chord stopped pulsing, they clamped and cut. Then our little daughter went with my husband and I stepped out of the tub and walked down the hall to the shower. No pain. No tearing. The hot water and soap felt amazing. They birth center provided for our every comfort.
They were amazing. They checked me and the baby and they chatted with us as if we were just hanging out in our house. 3 hours after giving birth, we were in the car and on our way home. All three of us.
The midwives checked in often. On day two, Margo and Hayley came to to our home to check on all of us. They would call every day. On day four, I went in for a breastfeeding consultation with Hayley and Sarah. There was always someone available to comfort us, educate us, care for our emotions, give technical support. We were never alone.
Now, our little Edith is 3 months old. We go to the moms group every Tuesday morning and we have made LIFELONG friends at the birth center. I had the most beautiful birth experience I could have imagined for myself. I smiled, I laughed, I grunted, I slept. It was absolutely beautiful. I owe my comfort and my ability to make educated decisions and my peace of mind to everyone at the Del Mar Birth Center. They make me want to run out and get pregnant!:)

I highly recommend Del Mar. I had my daughter here in December. The birth was beautiful and gentle and attended by 2 of the midwifes here. My prenatal care was excellent. The midwifes really care about you. Any problems or concerns I had were answered within one day, but mostly within an hour. The building is pretty, clean and calm. You can have your exams done here and Only have to go to the hospital for ultrasounds.
I can’t wait to have another baby here. I always felt safe and informed and truly cared for. I had my baby in about 5 hrs and I attribute partly to be great care and guidance.
Sarah O. And Hayley were my midwifes and I loved them!

I could go on for days about my joy in finding the Del Mar Birth Center and making the decision to transfer here in the last two months of my pregnancy. The level of care and support provided by these midwives and all staff members far exceeds what I have experienced in any other «medical or clinical» setting.
After delivering my first daughter in a hospital after induction at 39 weeks, my experience at Del Mar Birth Center has renewed my confidence and in the birth process and my ability to take an active role in my pregnancy, labor, and delivery. What a beautiful gift!

We are so pleased we are with all of the personalized care we received from Del Mar. The staff is so welcoming, and each of the midwives are so experienced, assuring, and caring, each (hour long) visit was something I looked forward to. In this first week since the birth of our son I’ve found myself even missing the staff there! That’s one thing I can say in certainty I would not be feeling had we birthed in a hospital setting.
The classes that are included (breastfeeding, early infant care, nutrition, etc) also made us feel so welcome and comfortable in the natural birthing community, and gave us a chance to meet other couples from the center. The ongoing care after the birth (breastfeeding support, etc) was great, and comforting to know they were checking in on us in those first fuzzy and sleep deprived days.
Knowing what I know now about labor, Del Mar was the best possible setting for me to deliver our baby. It was an environment in which I was set up to succeed, and Sarah and the team were there with me every step of the way. Their calm manner, support and patience not only with me, but with husband were just what we needed to get through the day. We will always remember the Del Mar staff for their comfort, and expertise on the most special day of our lives!
We are so thrilled we chose to spend our pregnancy with them, and will surely be back the next time!

My husband and I are so grateful to Margo and the rest of the midwife team at the birth center. I am a first time mom, and I had a fantastic, easy, smooth, and all-​natural birth experience thanks to them. In fact, I’m writing this now with one hand while holding my four-​week-​old son! I always felt safe, nurtured, and in control during the whole pregnancy and birth. The post-​partum care I’ve received has also been far better than I could have imagined. These awesome women genuinely care about their clients and really took time to get to know me and my unique situation and needs. I have particularly benefitted from their expertise in breastfeeding and their constant availability when I have quick questions. When I compare the 15 rushed minutes my OB-​GYN spent on me per visit to the hour-​long visits I had with these midwives, I am blown away by the difference in quality of care. I would recommend this practice hands down to anybody desiring a positive, empowering birth experience.