Twelve home birth midwives in Berkeley practice here, and many more practice just across the city line in Oakland, Albany, El Cerrito, Richmond and San Francisco. Most are Certified Professional Midwives, and California licenses non-nurse midwives as Licensed Midwives through the Medical Board of California, which you can check at search.dca.ca.gov before you hire.
Last updated November 10, 2026
Midwife Directory Listings in Berkeley
3 of the midwives above are listed as an enrolled Medi-Cal fee-for-service provider in the California DHCS provider file dated October 26, 2026. Enrollment does not confirm they take new Medi-Cal clients or your managed care plan, so ask directly. See all Medi-Cal-enrolled midwives in California.
Midwife Listings Near Berkeley
These California listings are in nearby towns. Distances are straight-line from Berkeley and are approximate. Home birth midwives often travel to clients, so ask each practice whether it serves your address. Only California listings appear here because midwifery licenses do not carry across state lines.
- Anjali Lara Sardeshmukh, Licensed Midwife (LM)Oakland, CA · about 2 mi
- Gwendolyn Elizabeth Haynes, Certified Nurse-Midwife (CNM)Oakland, CA · about 2 mi
- Maura Brid Daly, Certified Professional Midwife (CPM)Oakland, CA · about 2 mi
- Francine Marie Madrid-Bizari, Licensed Midwife (LM)Oakland, CA · about 2 mi
- Juli Ann Tilsner, Licensed Midwife (LM)Oakland, CA · about 2 mi
- Melissa W Rauch, Certified Professional Midwife (CPM)Oakland, CA · about 2 mi
- Michelle Borok, Certified Professional Midwife (CPM)Oakland, CA · about 2 mi
- Molly Rose Geisler-Juarez, Certified Professional Midwife (CPM)Oakland, CA · about 2 mi
Midwives listed in Berkeley
Seven of the 12 Berkeley midwives are Certified Professional Midwives: Alana Joy Diamos, Cindy Lara Haag, Julia MacMillan, Laurel Coates, Lucia Brosgart, Morgan West and Shannon Ann Staloch. Four are Licensed Midwives: Emunah Elayla Meyer Tarver, Lori Ray, Michelle Dawn Edgar and Sydney Noelle Jones. Linda A. Johnson is a Certified Nurse-Midwife.
Before you hire anyone, look her up at search.dca.ca.gov. You can also get a free midwife match or browse the California midwife directory.
The closest midwives sit just a few miles away, measured in a straight line from Berkeley: Oakland has 24 midwives, San Francisco 15, Richmond 4, and Albany and El Cerrito 2 each. Ask each one whether she comes to your part of town.
What California licenses
California licenses non-nurse midwives as licensed midwives through the Medical Board of California, under the Licensed Midwifery Practice Act of 1993 [1]. The national certified professional midwife credential alone does not authorize practice in California; a midwife working as a CPM here must also hold the state licensed-midwife license [1]. Certified nurse-midwives are licensed by the California Board of Registered Nursing and may attend births in any setting [1]. Verify either license at search.dca.ca.gov before you hire [1]. Our California midwife guide has the state-level sources.
What a home birth costs in Berkeley
In a 2021 survey of 129 U.S. practices, the average home birth package fee was $4,650 and the median was $4,400, with individual fees from $2,000 to $9,921 [2]. Ask each Berkeley practice what that package includes.
Our home birth midwife cost guide has the full national tables.
Medi-Cal and home birth
Medicaid must cover care from certified nurse-midwives in every state. The federal rule does not say where the birth happens, so whether Medi-Cal, California's Medicaid program, pays for a birth at home depends on your plan [3]. Ask your Medi-Cal plan, in writing, whether it pays for a planned home birth, which credentials it enrolls, and whether prior authorization is required. Then ask the midwife whether she is enrolled and accepting Medi-Cal clients. Enrollment is not the same as taking new home birth clients. Our California Medicaid home birth page has a dated statewide enrollment table.
Hospitals nearby
A hospital being near you does not mean a given midwife transfers there. Ask which hospital she uses and who would go with you.
Hospitals with Berkeley addresses include Alta Bates Summit Medical Center, Alta Bates campus, at 2450 Ashby Avenue.
Questions to ask a midwife in Berkeley
- Do you attend home births at my Berkeley address, and do you have room around your due date?
- Do you hold a California licensed-midwife license or a certified nurse-midwife license, and may I verify it at search.dca.ca.gov?
- Which hospital do you use if we transfer from a home birth in Berkeley? Do you have a working relationship with the Alta Bates campus of Alta Bates Summit Medical Center?
- If I have Medi-Cal or a private plan, are you enrolled, and what do you need from me in writing?
- What does your package fee include, and what is billed separately?
More interview questions: questions to ask a midwife.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a home birth midwife cost in Berkeley?
There is no Berkeley fee table on this page. A 2021 national survey of 129 U.S. practices found an average package fee of $4,650, with fees from $2,000 to $9,921. Ask each Berkeley practice for a written quote.
Does Medicaid cover home birth in California?
Medicaid must cover care from certified nurse-midwives in every state. Whether Medi-Cal pays for a birth at home depends on your plan. Ask your Medi-Cal plan, in writing, whether it pays for a planned home birth, which credentials it enrolls, and whether prior authorization is required.
Does every listed Berkeley midwife attend home births?
No. Confirm each Berkeley midwife's current license, whether she attends home births, and whether she serves your area.
What should I confirm before contacting a Berkeley midwife?
Confirm a current California license at search.dca.ca.gov, whether she attends home births, her service area, fees, and availability.
What does a claimed profile tell me?
A claimed profile can include fees, insurance and service area the midwife entered. Verify anything that could change before you hire.
What is the difference between a CPM and a CNM in California?
A CPM is a midwifery credential focused on out-of-hospital practice. California also licenses midwives under the Licensed Midwifery Practice Act of 1993. A CNM is an advanced-practice nursing credential. Confirm each midwife's current license at search.dca.ca.gov.
How do I choose the best midwife in Berkeley, CA?
There is no official ranking of midwives, and Home Birth Partners does not rank the practices it lists. Families usually compare current license status, home birth experience, the emergency transfer plan and receiving hospital, fees and what they include, and availability around the due date. California licenses non-nurse midwives as Licensed Midwives through the Medical Board of California under the Licensed Midwifery Practice Act of 1993. Verify each midwife's license before hiring. Our midwife interview guide lists questions to ask.
Sources
- Medical Board of California, Licensed Midwives, on licensure under the Licensed Midwifery Practice Act of 1993, and the Department of Consumer Affairs license lookup. https://www.mbc.ca.gov/Licensing/Licensed-Midwives/default.aspx and https://search.dca.ca.gov/
- Anderson and Gilkison. The Cost of Home Birth in the United States. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2021 (survey of 129 midwifery practices in 49 states). https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8507766/
- Social Security Act § 1905(a)(17), on Medicaid coverage of nurse-midwife services. https://www.ssa.gov/OP_Home/ssact/title19/1905.htm
Nearby Cities in California
Browse midwife listings in nearby California cities, closest first. Confirm each practice's current service area and birth settings directly. Search all states and cities.