Pure Birth - Los Gatos, California

kaitlynd W.

Justine is extremely knowlegeable, supportive, hands off, EMPOWERING and genuinely cares for you, the mother. I was very naive going into pregnancy and birth and my experience was a gift from God. My husband and I went to justine comtemplating a birthing center but she spoke in a way that made us feel safe and heard in what we truly wanted. We decided to do a homebirth and it truly was life changing. It was the crossing from maiden to motherhood that Justine guided me into. Something I could not have dreamt of. Every prenatal we were excited to learn more and so thankful for the amount of time she poured into us. Along the way, I would be deep in researching and she always affirmed my intuition or gave me her honest opinion so we could make an educated decision.

I had an extremely smooth and healthy pregnancy. I had to make a few big decisions being RH- but never did Justine pressure me. I think my most vivid memories are that she fully supported my decisions. She trusted my body and my baby and my husband and I took full responsibility for the choices we made.

My labor was insanely tough, beautiful and rewarding. I was 41+2 when I gave birth. She guided me with birth prep in the prior months. She kept our options open ended and would ask if we wanted to do testing rather than telling me this is what we need to do. We did a non stress test to evaluate baby and it was perfect. She taught me many valuable lessons, one being, REST as much as you can when you think you’re in labor in the middle of the night 🙃. I trusted Justine and when I was in transition(not knowing) all I could ask my doula was, when does Justine arrive? Shortly after Justine arrived my body began pushing- my body felt SAFE with her.

This was all in ‘21-‘22. Knowing what I know now, i still believe Justine is the type of midwife you want by your side. BUT, i firmly believe YOU need to take radical self responsibility. Birth is the most important event in your entire life. Dont go to a hospital or a midwife and rely on anyone to make or break your experience.. educate yourself, make the best decision you can and own up to those decisions. There are terrible midwives and doctors. There are incredible midwives too, and Justine is that midwife that will imprint on you in a beautiful way.

Postpartum care was also out of this world, she is so knowledgeable in homeopathy and was extremely available to me any moment I was unsure what was going on with our baby. The care she gave me, stressing to care for my body and REST was imperative to my successful postpartum healing. Forever forever thankful for Justine🤍

Natalie R.

I’m so incredibly grateful for women like Justine Waldram, who are here to support women’s birth in a way they truly need it! She is providing a service that goes beyond birth.
Thank you Justine for supporting the women of the central coast in having their babies naturally, and in the safety and comfort of their homes.
Justine saw me through my third pregnancy and second home birth. I always looked forward to my prenatal visits. It was so easy to be myself and talk about everything on my mind. I always felt so empowered and excited about birth when I was with her. It’s so evident how much she believes in and loves her job!
Justine is also helping raise new midwives in the community. I love the women she surrounds herself with. It’s a beautiful movement to be a part of.
I would 100% recommend you use Pure Birth Midwifery for your labor and delivery. You won’t be disappointed 🙂

Amber R.

This review is long overdue, but I've struggled with mixed feelings for years about my experience & wasnt able to bring myself to relive it all until now.
I came to Justine in 2018 for my 1st birth with high hopes for a beautiful experience. Our sessions started out ok. However, she became pregnant shortly after taking me on as a client & I believe this effected her ability to support me properly.
There were moments within our prenatal sessions that made me feel uncomfortable. She came to my birth 8-9 months pregnant. I received very little support from her during my active labor. Her assistant discovered "pea soup" meconium in my water & recommended I complete labor at a hospital, but Justine encouraged me to continue with the homebirth with a weak warning that my baby was at risk of being born w/ minor breathing problems. I was in the middle of severe & painful contractions & in no shape to make such a decision, w/ very little knowledge of the complications, so I trusted in her advice & expertise.
My baby was born with severe breathing problems. My active labour was long & excruciating & I was depleted & unable to enjoy meeting her for the 1st time.
After a few hours, Justine broke the news that my babys complications were worsening & I would need to go to the hospital to save her. All the sudden it became an emergency. Justine was administering oxygen to her & attempting to suck out the meconium with a tube, which I think further damaged her lungs. She was rough with her little body & when I asked her to be careful, she responded harshly by saying, "I know what Im doing". My baby almost didnt make it. Only by the grace of God did she survive.
The hospital staff was furious with Justine for waiting so long to get us in there. Justine insisted that I shouldnt be admitted even though I was experiencing physical complications.
My babys 1st day of life was hell. She ended up being put on antibiotics (that permanently disrupted her micrbiome) & heavy sedation, with tubes going in and out of her in every which way. On top of it she was bleeding from the lungs. We ended up in the NICU for 2 weeks! All of this has had a profound effect on my little girl. She suffers from food allergies & behavioral problems to this day.
The most discouraging part, was that Justine tried to pass it off like I had the perfect labour progression and the issues were simply due to the meconium. She was unable to just admit w/ an apology that she had made a bad call. I know now after extensive research it all couldve been prevented if she wouldve gotten me to the hospital before the birth so I couldve had the necessary medical equipment on hand to save my baby.
I received very little postpartum support from Justine medically or otherwise & I suffered a horrible postpartum period for many years after.
My next 2 babies I had at Sierra Vista & the level if care was phenomenal! They were very accomodating & respectful of my needs & natural birth choices. I chose an epidural & was so relaxed during the entire process that I was able to greet my babies with a smile & enjoy every moment of meeting them for the 1st time.
Although home birth can be an excellent option, I urge you to think twice for safety. In current times, hospitals & OBs usually keep midwifes on staff that encourage natural birth, yet still have what it takes to save you if there's an emergency.
If you choose homebirth, be sure to do your research & educate yourself on the things that can go wrong. Be near a hospital, hire a 3rd party doula so that you have an extra opinion & be sure your midwife is medically trained. I have heard stories of babies dying during homebirth.
Im sorry if this review sounds harsh, but I feel I need to be bluntly honest. Homebirths have the potential to be dangerous. I wish Justine the best & I have forgiven the mistakes made. I hope with all my heart that shes internalized & learned from them to give all her future mamas smooth & safe birth experiences. I am happy to see that many others had a better birth than I did.❤

Quincy S.

Our experience with Justine can only be described as perfect! Now that the birth of our second son is over, I'll miss our prenatal checkups (held conveniently in our living room). She was punctual, knowledgeable, and caring. I can't tell you how many times I texted Justine with questions, and she always answered promptly and thoroughly which gave me so much peace of mind. When I went into labor, Justine was the first to show up and support my husband and me. She stayed calm (even when I was not always) and her professional expertise turned what could have been a very long and intense labor into a shorter, wonderful experience. Even several months pregnant herself, Justine did not take a back seat in my labor and had so much energy and enthusiasm throughout. She listened to me and responded to my needs. She used Spinning Babies techniques to move things along (and it worked!!). My husband and I expressed that we would like my husband to catch our son, so she guided him through the process to give us the birth of our dreams. Justine's care continued post-baby, so we didn't feel as if we were left to fend on our own. If you are considering a home birth, I'd highly recommend Justine.

Katie A.

Justine is an incredible midwife! Her knowledge, compassion and warmth made me feel supported and confident throughout my pregnancy. She provided detailed, non-judgmental explanations of all treatment options and it was clear she stays current with obstetric and pediatric research. Our son's birth was a beautiful experience and Justine's care felt tailored to our needs and personalities. She made my husband and I feel empowered and capable, creating the framework for a peaceful and "perfect" delivery. Midwifery is truly Justine's calling and I cannot recommend her highly enough.

Clare R.

Choosing Justine to be our midwife is the best decision we made surrounding my entire pregnancy and birth. Justine is an amazing woman who is warm, calming, and extremely knowledgeable. My husband was nervous about the idea of a homebirth (this is our first child) but he felt confident about our decision after just our first meeting with Justine. All of the prenatal visits were actually fun too! We loved meeting with Justine in her tidy, welcoming environment. I felt very heard by her and I respect how she guided us through all of the decision-making with zero judgement and lots of resources. My husband commented that he felt more and more excited and confident about our pregnancy and birth after each meeting (as did I!).

As for my homebirth… it was amazing! I can’t imagine doing it with anyone other than Justine. She was so calm and collected the entire time. I was never fearful, due in part to her grounding energy. She coached me through the entire process and I felt confident in her abilities to help deliver our baby naturally. It was pure magic and we are blessed with a very healthy son. This will always be one of my favorite memories.

Justine was thorough at our postpartum visits as well. My husband and I would get excited and say “the dream team is here!” when Justine and her trainees would arrive at our house for postpartum visits (—not something I’ve ever said about a doctor!). I appreciate how she checked in on us in between visits to ensure we were all doing well. She even took our 5am call asking “is this normal!?” with a loving, helpful response. I 100% want Justine to be my midwife again and I absolutely recommend her to any and all. It’s inspiring to know someone so dedicated to her work, so knowledgeable in her field, and confident in this natural, amazing process.

Amanda T.

Our birth experience with Justine is nothing short than incredible. She assisted us in the most “perfect” birth. Through her experience, advice, and professionalism we felt confident about all parts of the birth process. I couldn’t have imagined having our daughter any other way than through the care of a midwife at home. Me and my partner had a lot of questions regarding the unusual route of having our child at home, but after meeting with her we felt more comfortable with the experience than we ever did talking to an OB. Justine wanted to know us personally, and because of that I believe my reason for such a smooth and peaceful birth was the fact that I felt comfortable and taken care of in her presence. Because of Justine, we fell in love with the birth process, and I can honestly say I am excited to be in labor and give birth again!

Kylee S.

Justine and her team are amazing. My first birth 2 years ago ended in a c section after 30 hours of labor at Sierra, the experience wasn’t traumatic but it certainly wasn’t the peaceful intervention free birth I had dreamt of. When getting pregnant with my second, I knew if I were going to have a successful VBAC I needed to switch providers and aim for a home birth. I met with Justine and instantly knew she was the person to help make my HBAC dream come true. Justine’s confidence in my ability, her dedication to her craft, and her willingness to share her experiences gave me the courage to stay the course with a home birth. When the time came to deliver at home, I was amazed at how comfortable I felt, I had no fear and I owe that to Justine’s ability and attitude in making safety a priority of labor and delivery. I am so grateful to her and Zoe (and Natalie too) for helping me bring my healthy baby boy into this world naturally at home. I would without a doubt highly recommend Justine and her team!