Rainier Valley Midwives

Ive been debating wether or not to leave this review, but I think that I should. First off, I would reccomend RVM. I also have some constructive critisms and I feel that in order for others to make an informed choice, I should share my experiences.I am queer (he/him), polyam, and mentally ill. I was seen by Brooke and Jaida, and they both did well with all of those factors. Jaida especially got it from the very beginning and only gendered me incorrectly once, then promptly (and without fuss) corrected herself and moved on.Originally I wanted a home birth, but as my pregnancy progressed I felt less and less confident that that was the choice for me. So I transfered into care with the kaiser midwives for the last 2ish weeks of my pregnancy. My appointments with Brooke and Jaida were a good length (Im a talker, so the hour was great), the environment is inviting and calm, and I really felt like my consent was 100% respected and valued. I loved that we could get every kind of care we needed here. Samy is 10/10 and Im so sad we couldnt see her more (insurance issues). I loved that I could text/call if anything felt weird. I loved that I could hear babys heartbeat every time. Jaida came to my house and helped get me to the hospital when it was baby time, she parked our car while we tried to get settled, she discussed with the nurses and conveyed to me. She HANDLED that. Brooke arrived at just the right time and my sweet little love was born 30 minutes later. I saw her and I knew I was ready and it was time. I felt power in my birth that I know so many people do not get. I felt loved, I felt strong, I knew I was safe. It was utterly invaluable. I was so grateful that they still held that space for me, even though I wasnt technically in their care at that point. They both came to my house for my postpartum home visits, and then Brooke was there for the 2 other postpartum visits we had at the clinic.However, I felt that they had too many clients/responsibilities at one time to be able to offer the quality of care I truly believe they are capable of and going for. There were times that things fell to the wayside or were forgotten about, there were times my care felt distracted. We knew going into it that I was at a high risk for postpartum depression, and I feel abandoned. I was not able to get my full amount of postpartum visits due to us feeling sick and needing to cancel the last one. No one followed up to reschedule, and no one reached out again until we were due for a 3 month pediatrician appointment, but at that point they knew that wed needed to switch providers for my son before his 2 month appointment even. Which is really unfortunate because that is right around when my PPD/PPA started. My son is 4 months old now. I reached out on thurs. June 15th to Brooke about some complications I was having. She said she would send over some reccomendations for pelvic floor therapists on monday. It is July 3rd and I havent heard from her since then. Im not a stranger to midwifery care although this is my first birth. Ive been around birth, Ive been around postpartum depression, and I expected (maybe mistakenly?) a continuation of community and care based on what Ive seen from other providers. I loved my prenatal care, my birth was the best it could have been, my son is the most extrordinary human Ive ever met. But I have 2 postpartum complications and I feel abandoned. I hope that RVM is able to finish up the changes that theyre making with the clinic and have a more focused care approach because what theyre doing is genuinely important and incredible. But if the intentions arent met with followthrough, it leaves clients feeling wanting.

I had an absolutely amazing experience with Rainier Valley Midwives! Brooke was my midwife, and she made me feel so comfortable and relaxed at every appointment - appointments are an hour, and never feel rushed, so all of my questions were always answered and concerns deeply discussed. Their postpartum care is wonderful and incorporates home visits which is desperately needed at a day or two postpartum.This practice is unique because you can all the care you need in one place. They have in-house lactation consultant, doulas, mental health care via a nurse practitioner, and pediatric care... its literally a one stop shop. As someone who gets overwhelmed with choices, it was great knowing we could trust and rely on everyone at Rainier Valley Midwives. We ended up meeting with Brooke, Jodilyn, Arya, Triniti, and Samy during our time as clients... they all had such a high level of care, and it made it easy that they all knew us and each other. On top of that, they are deeply connected with the community and mostly grant-funded, providing care for any who need it. While they home births, they also accept hospital births (I believe they just wouldnt be at the birth - so prenatal and postpartum care).I was a first time mom who ended up having a complicated birth, and have been telling everyone I know to consider Rainer Valley Midwives. I couldnt recommend this kind of holistic practice more highly!

Absolutely horrible. Scheduled an appointment just for ultrasound earlier in the week. The appointment was confirmed with the receptionist the day before. When I arrived there was no receptionist at the desk to help us. My partner and I waited an hour to be told the receptionist sent the Dr. away, telling him he had no more appointments. Absolutely terrible service and terrible scheduling abilities.