Looking for midwife advice & recommendations in Seattle

[meggnog]

Hi All!

I know there are many similar threads to this conversation, but we are newer to Seattle, don't have any healthcare providers yet and just found out we are expecting. We live in the Roosevelt area and I'm looking for a good home birth midwife. We did a meet & greet with Christina Gutierrez and I really liked her - I'm also drawn to the fact that she does naturopathic family practice in addition to birth care - but I don't know anyone directly who has worked with her so I'm looking for advice. Does anyone have any experience with Dr. Gutierrez and/or have other people that they like to refer to? Thanks!! Can't wait to hear :)

[yasminRA]

She's awesome! She was our midwife and is now doctor for me and my son. She is highly respected in the Bastyr community and runs a fabulous practice. I couldn't be happier with the care I receive from her. She's pretty moderate in terms of health and wellness. That is, knowledgeable and comfortable with all sorts of less conventional wellness choices (I.e. home birth), but I appreciate when she's encouraged us to do something conventional that seemed necessary (surgery for undescended testes etc)

Hope that helps!

[Aufilia]

I don't know Christina Guiterrez, but I'll add my two cents since I'm already in here. :) Mel Parsons at Pacific Natural Birth delivered my son.  She and her current partner, Jenn Boelter, were both with Cynthia Brown at the time but I mostly saw Mel and always loved her.  I liked Cynthia, too, but I don't know if she does homebirths any more.  I had horrible postpartum anxiety and depression after I delivered and Mel was soooo awesome, she reached out to me a lot and I felt very cared for.

[CookAMH]

Cindie Brown does, and her office is in roosevelt.  I like her. I also like Brandy Ross a lot, she's in Lynnwood. Very competent.

[meggnog]

This is all great - Thank you! We have interviewed both Christina Gutierrez & Brandy Ross. They are the only interviews we've done, but that's plenty because I really liked them both and am completely torn about who to go with!
 

[meggnog]

I'm leaning toward Dr. Gutierrez because I get the feeling that her practice may be the better option for long term family practice care for all of us & I really like the continuity of family care with the same provider who has provided prenatal & delivery care ...but I don't actually know for a fact that my hunch is true. We're newer & I wish I had more of a personal network to turn to for advice and referrals - so I so appreciate all the input here!

[CookAMH]

Originally Posted by meggnog 

This is all great - Thank you! We have interviewed both Christina Gutierrez & Brandy Ross. They are the only interviews we've done, but that's plenty because I really liked them both and am completely torn about who to go with!
 

I don't know if you met Megan Miles, who works with Dr. Brandy. I think they make an excellent team, and I'm excited about using them again for this next baby.  They know their stuff.

[Midwifey]

If you haven't decided you should interview Chenelle Roberts she is an ND midwife in green lake. I attended many births with her as a student and she is fabulous.

[writinglove]

I also recommend Dr. Tracy McDaniel and her midwifery partner Elias Kass. They are both NDs, in addition to being midwifes, and attend home births. Dr. Tracy is also a pediatrician.

[bastyrmommy]

Christina provided all of my prenatal care, delivered both of our girls and continues to be our pediatrician/ family doctor. She is great and I highly recommend her! She is knowledgeable, yet laidback. We also really appreciate her way of giving us the facts and allowing us to make well informed decisions. Also, the other ND in the practice is fantastic! I see Dr. Ashley for everything and can say that the two of them know our family inside and out (literally!)
Welcome to Seattle!

[mokey4]

I'm a bit late here, so you have probably already chosen someone.

My good friend had Christine Gutierrez as her midwife, and she loved her. If she were in my insurance network I would have definitely interviewed her.

But I had a great midwife for my second birth- Suzanne Thompson, located in Blue Ridge (maybe not so convenient to Roosevelt). She is far on the "non-interventionist" side of the scale, yet she is extremely experienced and knows how to keep things safe- I believe she has been practicing for over 25 years. In fact she is one of the few midwives in the Seattle area who is expereinced with breech homebirth delivery, and she has worked with twin homebirths as well. She was my second midwife (I had a different one for my older daughter), and I cannot say enough great things about her. I would not recommend my first midwife as much :)