An absolute dream from start to finish. I can’t recommend CPM enough. Long prenatal visits that were never rushed, all of my questions always answered. The birth was my dream labor. Never pushed to do things I didn’t want to do, encouraged to be in positions that felt good, gentle guidance to make things easier, all of my wishes respected. It was the best day of my life to date. The postpartum support has also been incredible - they check in via text every few days and are always offering helpful advice and sometimes just validating my feelings. I feel like all three midwives are friends of mine now. I know I couldn’t have found these personal relationships in a traditional OB office and I’m so happy with my choice. Actually I’m switching to them to do my annual gynecological visits now!
We looked into other midwifery services, especially Oula and found this: CPM offers personal relationships that Oula simply cannot. Oula is backed by investors and is a startup. CPM is midwife run - they don't have investors to please and their service is based on what's best for their patients. ALSO with Oula, we didn't like that you will not necessarily know the midwife delivering your baby. With CPM, we got to know all three midwives throughout our pregnancy so by the time we delivered, we knew all three very well. If you're debating between the two, there's really no comparison.
actually existed. From the start, they were welcoming and took such good care of me throughout my pregnancies. When my first one ended in a miscarriage, the care, support, kindness, and check-ins they provided were truly unmatched - and when I got pregnant again, they not only took care of me, but celebrated with me. They answered questions, were patient, and were so knowledgable. They made sure that I was fully informed on every decision that I had to make, helped me develop intuition about my body, and helped me make the best choices for myself and my baby. Although my birth experience ended in an unplanned C-Section, Elaine never left my side for a second and was such a support for both myself and my husband. And their care didn't stop postpartum - Christina visited me on the maternity floor, I received check-ins from everyone, and just felt so supported during this period of adjustment. We can't wait to come back to CPM for our future pregnancies. Thank you endlessly Jenna, Christina, and Elaine - you showed me a level of compassion that I didn't know existed in medicine. You are appreciated more than you know!!!
When my wife came to me and told me that she wanted to establish care with Central Park Midwifery, she thought I would be hesitant. She was not wrong–I did not fully understand what a midwifery could offer that an OB could not. Ultimately, I wanted to make sure my wife was comfortable, secure, and confident in her birthing team, so I agreed. Entrusting Central Park Midwifery was the best decision we could have made for my wife, my child, and myself. Before our most recent childbearing experience, my wife and I suffered a miscarriage. It was early in the pregnancy, but it did not minimize the pain that we felt and still continue to feel. The one shining light of that experience was that Elaine, Jenna, and Christina were there for us every step of the way. When we were fortunate enough to get pregnant again, they were always cognoscente of what we had been through and understood when we had extra concerns or worries. As the pregnancy progressed, I was constantly amazed at the level of care and communication that the midwives had directly with my wife. When we finally reached the end of the pregnancy, no one could prepare us for what we went through. Throughout the pregnancy, my wife constantly communicated that she was willing to do whatever was necessary to make sure our baby was delivered safely. The only thing she requested was that I would be by her side throughout. After 13 hours of labor, everything was progressing nicely. Then Elaine noticed that our baby’s heartbeat was dropping. While she was explaining this to us, and possible reasons as to why, the rest of the hospital staff was preparing my wife for an emergency C-Section. No one can prepare you for seeing that many hospital staffers rushing to your wife’s bedside. Elaine calmly explained what was happening and what was to happen next. She explained that my wife had to be brought to the operating room so that they could prepare her for the surgery. Ultimately, I would not be allowed in while this was happening. I was devastated. At the same time, they asked me to step outside the hospital room so that they could move her, and a flood of emotion came over me. I was brought to tears. I could not adhere to the one request that my wife asked of me in her birth preferences. Elaine immediately noticed my fear and sadness (even through masking). She told me to take a few deep breaths and know that the doctors were just prepping my wife, and that I’d be able to be by her side when our baby came into the world. While I just briefly described how Elaine helped me, words could never do enough justice to fully articulate how helpful and calming she was in what were the most traumatic minutes of my life.
I cannot thank Central Park Midwifery enough for all their help, love, and support they showed my wife, myself, and our baby! He is doing incredible and is the absolute light of our lives! If any prospective fathers/partners are hesitant about midwiferies and would like to talk to me, I am happy to!
