For many women, their annual gynecological exam and pap smear can be frustrating. You wait for the doctor wearing a paper gown in a cold room. The metal stirrups are humiliating, and his exam is painful. You've been waiting all year to ask your doctor that burning question, but he is so harried, you hardly get the words out before he's out the door.

Now imagine a visit with a midwife or nurse-practitioner. Her office is pleasant and inviting, her welcoming smile puts you at ease. Her exam is so gentle, before you realize it, it's over. Her professional and warm manner makes you feel safe and respected. Your midwife or nurse-practitioner has plenty of time to answer your questions. She explains your options for birth control and family planning, she teaches you how to give yourself a breast exam, and encourages you to get to know your own body. You don't feel at all embaressed or shy. She encourages you to make informed decisions about your sexual health. You leave her office feeling empowered!

If you are planning on becoming pregnant soon, and would like to have a midwife-assisted birth, you can build rappore with a midwife beforehand .If you've recently given birth and need a family planning method, consider getting your next birth control consultation from a midwife or nurse-practitioner. Why not try one of these special ladies...

Shelly Girard, LM, CPM, MPH
Licensed Midwife
Certified Professional Midwife
Master's in Public Health
Seannie Gibson, LM, CPM, LLC
Licensed Midwife
Certified Professional Midwife
Email:
Childbirth At Home, A Labor of Love
496 Rainbow Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90065
323-221-7822
Email Shelly: shellyg@socalbirth.com
Email Seannie: seannieg@socalbirth.com

Shelly Girard, LM, CPM, MPH- Offers well-woman gynecology services including annual exams, pap smears, family planning services and preconception counseling. With a focus on wholistic health care, her areas of expertise include nutrition, herbology and exercise physiology. Shelly is one of the most experienced homebirth midwives in Los Angeles, having delivered over 4500 babies. Since 1972, Shelly has been offering well-woman gynecology, prenatal care and childbirth at home. Insurance billing available. She is licensed by the State of California and is a Certified Professional Midwife accredidted by the North American Registry of Midwives (NARM), and earned her Master's Degree in Public Health from UCLA in June, 2000. She is a massage therapist certified by the Institute of Psycho-Structural Balancing. Shelly has practiced yoga for over 40 years and holds a black belt in Kenpo Karate from the International Kenpo Karate Association (IKKA). She has two grown sons, Chesed and Shawn, who were born at home.

Seannie Gibson, LM, CPM, LLC-trained as an apprentice with Shelly Girard, then she received her midwifery license in 2002. Seannie provides well-woman gynecology and family planning services and prenatal care and homebirth midwifery services. She also offers monitrice/enhanced doula services for hospital birth. Seannie is the mother of three home-born children.

Fertility Awareness Class and Birth Options Consutations Available

Trying to get pregnant? A one-session, 2-hour "Fertility Awareness Class" is offered by Cordelia Hanna-Cheruiyot, MPH, CHES, CCE, a women's health educator who has been teaching women about their sexual health for two decades. Newly pregnant? Want to understand your options for childbirth? Cordelia offers "Birth Options Consultation". Telephone consultation, private and group lessons are available. Cordelia is a Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) with a Masters degree in Public Health/Health Education and Maternal Child Health from Loma Linda University. She is also a Certified Birth Assistant, Certified Childbirth Educator and Assistant Midwife. For more information, go to: Cordelia's Health Education Classes or email cordeliahc@socalbirth.com or call 626-388-2191.

San Gabriel Valley/ San Fernando Valley/Antelope Valley/ Greater Los Angeles/Santa Monica and Malibu

Leslie Stewart, CNM
Certified Nurse-Midwife
Catherine Williams, LM
Licensed Midwife
Homebirth Service of
Los Angeles
3959 Laurel Canyon Blvd., Ste. A
Studio City, CA 91604
818-760-6541
E-mail: hmbirth@hotmail.com

Well-woman gynecology and family planning by ACNM Board Certified Nurse Midwife as well as Individualized prenatal care and home birth, including water birth.

Geeta Swamidass, MB, MS,LM
California Licensed Midwife
Licensed Physician, India
Birthing Care Center
2010 N. Tustin Ave. #D
Orange, CA 92865
Office: 714-637-9664
Cell: 714-726-4753
Fax: 714-633-4064
E-mail: doctorgeeta@yahoo.com

Geeta cares for the women and babies she serves as evidenced by the free clinics she has run for 18 years in Southern California. Available to patients are free consultations and pregnancy testing, low cost ultrasound and lab work and well-woman checks. Having a medical background, Geeta is very well-qualified in taking care of emergencies. Homebirth services offered and water births are no extra cost. Ob-Gyn hospital backup available. Her assistant is a licensed EMT and together they make a great team. Referrals for childbirth classes and nutritional consultation. References available upon request.

Orange County

Lorri Walker, CNM, CNP
Certified Nurse-Midwife
Certified Nurse-Practitioner
South Coast Midwifery and Women's Health Care
4650 Barranca Parkway
Irvine, CA 92604
Phone: 949-654-2727
Fax: 949-654-2735
E-mail: info@southcoastmidwifery.com
Web: www.southcoastmidwifery.com

South Coast Midwifery & Women's Health Care (SCM) is Orange County's premier birth center; the oldest and most established of its kind. SCM is actively the only nationally accredited Birth Center in Orange County and the third of only three in California. When accredited through the Commission for Accreditation of Birth Centers (CABC), the childbearing family can be confident that the center has demonstrated adherence to standards of quality above that of basic licensure and that the center's care is consistent with the philosophy of the American Association of Birth Centers. Accreditation is seen as a symbol of excellence by many.

SCM have been servicing Orange and surrounding counties for over 14 years. Lorri Walker, the founder and director, is one of Southern California best known midwives. Lorri has created a warm, nurturing place for women and their families to come for personalized health care, support, empowerment, and social interaction with people of like mind. Birthing options include home, birth center and water birth. We accept most insurances, as well as offer a wide variety of payment plans and discount options". Call today for your complimentary consultation!

San Gabriel Valley of Los Angeles, North Orange County, Inland Empire, San Bernardino and Riverside Counties

Joyce Moxley Thomas, LM, CPM, MHA,CPMT
Licensed Midwife
Certified Professional Midwife
Masters in Health Administration
Certified Perinatal Massage Therapist
AquaNatal Birth Center and Amazing Babies Midwifery Services
Grandview Medical Plaza
13768 Roswell Avenue, Suite 209
Chino, CA 91710
909- 591-2924
Email: info@aquanatalbirthcenter.com
Web: www.AquaNatalBirthCenter.com and www.amazingbabies.com

The AquaNatal Birth Center provides comprehensive maternity and gynecological care to women and their families throughout the Inland Empire, San Gabriel Valley, north Orange County and Chino Hills, Corona, Riverside, Ontario, Pomona, and Diamond Bar.  Insurance accepted. Joyce and her daughter Lynn (a midwifery student) have created a birth environment for personalized health care, support, and empowerment. Focusing on holistic care for all women and their newly born children, Joyce's areas of expertise include nutrition, herbology and she is also a Certified Perinatal Massage Therapist. Joyce provides non-hormonal birth control such as FemCap and CycleBeads. The AquaNatal Birth Center offers several birthing options including birth center, waterbirth and homebirth. Joyce is licensed by the State of California Medical Board and is a Certified Professional Midwife, certified by the North American Registry of Midwives (NARM). Joyce earned her Master's Degree in Healthcare Administration from the University of LaVerne.

• Birth Options Consultation: Making Informed Choices
• Birth Options: Hospital, Birth Center or Home Birth? Midwife or Obstetrician: Which is Right for you?
• Why Have Natural Childbirth?
• About Midwives and Homebirth
• The Doula: Your Partner in Acheiving the Birth You Want
• Enhanced Doula Services : Advanced doula services for your hospital birth provided by a midwife or monitrice
• Fertility Awareness and Preconception Health Class Offered

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This directory lists selected women's healthcare providers who support the ideals of natural childbirth and wholistic medicine. If you are a nurse-practitioner, midwife or wholistic women's health-care provider and wish to be listed here, please email for information on how to list your services on this page.

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For answers to your childbirth related questions, email us at:

Or, call 626-388-2191

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Copyright © 2009 Shelly Girard and Cordelia Hanna-Cheruiyot