Using a Midwife at Alta Bates

Have you used Ellie Griffinger as your midwife at Alta Bates?

Jan 2014

I am looking for a midwife to deliver at Alta Bates. I really like Ellie Griffinger, but am just slightly concerned about her lack of experience. Just wondering if anyone has worked with her and what they thought. Thanks! anon

We actually just had Ellie deliver our little munchkin in October and it was an amazing experience. From the first conversation over the phone till the postpartum checkup, she was a fantastic provider. She is thorough, thoughtful and knowledgeable. We had a potential need for a planned cesarean and she made sure we had all the information out there on our options and was a great source of support and advocacy throughout the process. She really knows and understands all the current best evidence practices. I found her adept at melding both traditional midwifery and modern medicine into a seamless experience. All in all we couldn't have asked for a better provider! And we also loved alta bates! Daphne

My husband and I are first-time parents. In preparing for the delivery, we wanted to find a provider that would guide us through this important and challenging transition in our lives. We wanted someone that would help us prepare emotionally, physically and mentally. We searched and searched and finally met with Ellie and knew she was exactly the provider we were looking for.

I recently gave birth in November 2013 at Alta Bates Hospital - labor lasted almost 40 hours, involved multiple complications, including a near-emergency c-section when the baby's heart rate plummeted to a dangerously low level. We were ultimately able to have a successful and wonderful vaginal delivery. Through it ALL, Ellie was right by our side, offering a perfect blend of compassionate care with a pragmatic medical insight and was a tenacious advocate for us as new parents and the experience of bringing a life to this earth. She was clearly respected by her peers in the Labor & Delivery department at the hospital (as a well-educated professional and a mother of 2) and worked tirelessly to partner with the different people that she worked with, valuing their opinions, insight and expertise and blending it all in to a stellar birth experience for us with the absolute highest level of care. Because of her, we had prepared a strong support system of people to be there during the delivery that proved to be absolutely essential during the complications that arose. Without her guidance and preparation, the difficulty we experienced would have been significantly more challenging to handle. It is clear to us that being a midwife is her life's work and the passion she exhibits is clear even through hour 40 of a difficult labor and delivery.

I would highly recommend anyone looking for an incredibly enriching pregnancy, birth and post-partum experience to reach out to Ellie immediately - and believe me, I am a PA and come from an extended family of MD's, and had very little experience before my birth regarding the incredible field of midwifery - it's rigorous training, compassionate mission and all-encompassing care and I am 100% converted to the profession. She earned our trust and partnered with us both in this incredible experience which we will cherish forever. Feel free to reach out to me if you want more details on our experience with Ellie. Kimberly

I delivered with Lindy Johnson in November 2014. She is AMAZING, and Ellie is working closely with Lindy, so I ended up having several of my regular checkups with Ellie, who I really enjoyed meeting with. Ellie is warm, attentive, and relaxed. Both she and Lindy are wonderful, and if you plan to deliver at Alta Bates, I'd highly recommend going with one of them. I felt so comfortable going to the hospital knowing who was going to meet me there and coach me through the birth. I think that confidence and peace of mind helped me have a joyful and safe birth experience. I really couldn't imagine better care that what I received from Lindy & Ellie. Merrian

Midwives at Alta Bates and East Bay Perinatal

Nov 2013

Open season is coming up and we are trying to have a baby. None of the midwives who practice at Alta Bates are preferred providers under our network, but Alta Bates is. Does anybody know what the ballpark rate for Lindy Johnson or Jeri Zukowski is (for if we decide to go out of network and pay for part of the care)? Do you know if we would be able to have all of the hospital costs covered as preferred even if the midwife attending the birth is not a preferred provider? Or, does anybody know if Hsu Li Cheng or Deborah Coleman bills through the doctors at East Bay Perinatal? All of the doctors there are preferred providers. I'd also love to hear any recent feedback that people have on any of these midwives. I'd really like to have a hospital birth with a midwife and to know who will be there at the birth. I previously gave birth in another city with a group of hospital-based midwives. Thanks! anonymous

As of a year ago Hsiu-Li billed through East Bay Perinatal and accepted my insurance (HealthNet HMO, Hills Physician medical group). I moved to the bay area when I was 7 months pregnant and after reading the BPN posts chose Hsiu-Li in the hopes of having a midwife attend my child's birth at Alta Bates. I ended up with a c-section because my baby flipped to breech at 38 weeks but I did have a chance to interact with her a few times at my appointments. She seemed really great and has a fantastic reputation. The instructor of the childbirth class I attended has worked with her many times as a doula and had nothing but positive things to say about her. She explained on our first visit that there are several other midwives in the practice and one of them will attend the birth if she cannot. She does not attend births in the middle of the night. I met one of the other midwives when she was away at a conference (don't remember her name) and she seemed nice enough. My only issue with my experience was the receptionist who I had trouble communicating with. For example, they practice at both the Elm St and Chinatown locations but I didn't know that so when I scheduled my first visit I went to the wrong location. I was lectured when I finally showed up (~10 min late). Because of my baby's breech position and also some high blood pressure at the end of my pregnancy, I also saw some of the OBs at the practice before and after my baby's birth. Some were nice but others were pretty unpleasant.

Just one more note for you if you're trying to get pregnant now. Alta Bates was super busy when I had my baby last October. They even say in the tour that fall is their busiest time for births. Since it's not your first baby, you will be more prepared than I was but both my husband and I were pretty surprised at their disorganization and lack of attention, services, etc at the time. Good luck with everything!! anon

Lindy Johnson at Alta Bates is a fantastic midwife. Jeri Zucowski was the midwife for me first child and refused to get to the hospital when she needed to be there. She arrived 5 minutes before my daughter was born.

I am due in a couple months and am seeing Lindy Johnson. It's my understanding that she bills through East Bay Perinatal. She understands the insurance questions and would probably be able to answer all your questions if you ask. I don't know what her rates are as she is fully covered by our insurance (Aetna HMO, Hill Physicians Group).

I actually switched providers halfway through my pregnancy and have had a pleasant experience with her thus far. My first was an uncomplicated, unmedicated birth with an OB and doula at CPMC (although the OB actually didn't make it into the room in time for the actual birth!), and my second pregnancy has been uneventful as well. I don't have a lot of questions or issues so I don't really need a lot from my prenatal provider. She or her backup attend all the births start to finish so I am skipping a doula this time around. Maya

My wife and I are first-time parents. In preparing for the delivery, we wanted to find a provider that would guide us through this important and challenging transition in our lives (and that either our insurance would cover or that wouldn't cost us an arm and a leg). We wanted someone that would help us prepare emotionally, physically and mentally. We searched and searched and finally met with Ellie Griffinger and knew she was exactly the provider we were looking for. As far as in the insurance is concerned, we paid a flat amount and then she provides a super-bill that we submit to our insurance (Blue Shield of CA) for reimbursement and then our insurance is billed by Alta Bates directly for the hospital costs. A lot of insurances don't contract with midwives directly, but still cover them as preferred providers. Even IF our insurance doesn't reimburse anything, it has been worth every penny. I'll explain why below....

My wife recently gave birth - labor lasted almost 40 hours, involved multiple complications, including a near-emergency c-section when the baby's heart rate plummeted to a dangerously low level. Through it ALL, Ellie was right by our side, offering a perfect blend of compassionate care with a pragmatic medical insight and was a tenacious advocate for us as new parents and the experience of bringing a life to this earth. You can find her on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/elliecnm?ref=br_tf

During the entire labor it was clear that she is respected by her peers in the Labor & Delivery department at the hospital (as a well-educated professional and a mother of 2) and worked tirelessly to partner with the different people that she worked with, valuing their opinions, insight and expertise and blending it all in to a stellar birth experience for us with the absolute highest level of care. Because of her, we had prepared a strong support system of people to be there during the delivery that proved to be absolutely essential during the complications that arose. Without her guidance and preparation, the difficulty we experienced would have been significatly more challenging to handle. It is clear to us that being a midwife is her life's work and the passion she exhibits is clear even through hour 40 of a difficult labor and delivery.

I would highly recommend anyone looking for an incredibly enriching pregancy, birth and post-partum experience to reach out to Ellie immediately - and believe me, I come from a family of MD''s and had no idea about the incredible field of midwifery - it's rigorous training, compassionate mission and all- encompassing care and I am 100% converted to the profession. She earned our trust and partnered with us both in this incredible experience which we will cherish forever. Jake

Jeri Zukoski-Best Midwife. Highly recommended! I highly recommend my midwife, Jeri Zukoski (www.jerizukoski.com) as a midwife. She is kind, caring, and supportive and provides you with industry leading information for you to have the best birth you can possibly have. I had given birth to both of my children with her and I would not have had it any other way. After every appointment I felt empowered, strong, supported and excited about birth instead of scared and alone. When you are at the hospital and deliver with Jeri you feel that you get first class treatment and service. I had a long (38 hour) labor with my first and if I know that if it had been with any other care provider I know it would have resulted in a c-section and lots of drugs. However I had the natural delivery that I had hoped for and was so happy with how everything worked out. Both my partner and I are extremely happy with Jeri and if we decide to have another baby she is the first person I will turn to. Lauren

Birthing at Alta Bates - Midwife recs

Sept 2013

Hi! I am delivering my first child in December and just moved to Oakland. I have been getting prenatal care from the amazing group of OBs and midwifes at St. Luke's in San Francsico, and I am not 100% convinced that I will switch over to Alta Bates. St. Lukes is super pro natural birth with a very low rate of any invasive procedures plus there is a dedicated midwife during delivery, those factors are making me not want to leave. ...but crossing a bridge just doesn't seem like fun while in labor. I would love recommendations for an Alta Bates affiliated OB in the Oakland area as well as any personal experience with delivering at that facility. At AB, do you have to have a dedicated midwife, or are there midwives on staff? If dedicated midwife, do you have any recommendations? Does anyone have experience with the tubs in their delivery rooms? Thank you for any and all information you can provide. Cheers

Shui Li (Sho Li) Cheng is an incredibly experienced nurse midwife who has privileges at Alta Bates. She was my midwife for the birth of my first child, and I was very pleased with the whole experience. Office visits are not that much different than you might have with an OB - she's calm, efficient, to the point, no nonsense. The delivery room is where she really shines! After a different on-call midwife at AB left me confused about how to push the baby out (because of her age, Shui Li doesn't work in the middle of the night), Shui Li arrived at 4 am in an air of calm confidence and the baby was born in 15 minutes, three pushes later. Shui Li fan

I highly recommend my midwife, Jeri Zukoski (www.jerizukoski.com). She, along with the L nurses at Alta Bates were amazingly supportive of my wishes for an intervention-free birth. I gave birth to my first child without pain meds or tearing thanks to Jeri and the nurses. Her back-up midwife, Lindy Johnson seems equally as competent. They have both been practicing for many years. I was also told that the intake staff often give preference to midwife clients for jacuzzi tub rooms (3 of 24), though many of the rooms have regular bathtubs. Tisha

Looking for Midwife for Alta Bates

May 2012

Hi! My partner and I are moving to Oakland (from Brooklyn, NY) next week and are registered to give birth at Alta Bates. We had tentatively lined up Deb Coleman to attend, but it turns out both she and Hsiu-Li Cheng will be on vacation in August when I'm due. The other two midwives recommended by the hospital (Jeri Zukowski and Lindy Johnson) are both out of network for us (I have Anthem, Blue Cross) and are unfortunately out of our price range. Does anyone have any suggestions for a midwife who can work at Alta Bates and who can bill through a clinic or OB so my insurance will step up? It's very important to me to try for a natural birth, and to be attended by a woman. Any thoughts much appreciated! Thanks

I highly recommend Lindy Johnson or Sho li chin both are fabulous midwives who practice at alta bates.As a doula I have had the good fortune to practice with each of them. You will have the birth of your dreams if you choose one of these incredable women. best of luck,Erin

Deborah Coleman or Hsiu-Li Cheng?

March 2012

Hello, I'm pregnant and debating between going with Deborah Coleman, or Hsiu-Li for my prenatal care and delivery (which will be at Alta Bates). There are plenty of reviews for Hsiu-Li, but none for Deborah. I would appreciate others sharing their thoughts about their experience (good or bad) with either midwife. Thanks so much! S

Hsiu-Li was my midwife (birth at Alta Bates) and I absolutely adore her. She was wonderful during the pregnancy check-ups and due to her expertise during the birth, I was able to avoid a c-section. She performed some crazy baby-moving moves on me during labor when my daughter was stuck (and the nurses were saying I would need a c-section) but Hsui-Li saved the day. Also, during labor, it was solely her confidence in me that allowed me to have a natural childbirth. She is really wonderful. I will say that if you are wanting someone to be there with you your entire labor, you may want to hire a doula. Hsiu-Li checked me at the beginning of labor and then was there for the birth, but was not there for most of the labor - which was totally fine with me given that it was my second child and I felt like I knew what I was doing. Fan of Hsiu-Li

I saw Deborah Coleman for two of my babies and was happy with her. She has a medical background (she was an RN before training as a CNM), so although she is a midwife, she felt more medically oriented than other midwives I have seen. That having been said, she was always very laid back and very much let me make my own decisions and set the tone for my care. One example is that my second baby with her was getting progressively past her due date and she would have been inclined to induce but I wanted to wait, even though she was going out of town. I ended up delivering on my own right before she left for vacation, but she was OK with my waiting so long as I understood the risks and advantages of both options. Naomi

Thought I'd toss another log on the ''Hsiu Li is wonderful'' fire. She was my midwife for the birth of my second. As far as baby-birthing goes, she brought confidence, strength, and support to the table and helped me through a pain-med free vbac. Prenatal appointments were straightforward. Not a lot of chatting and handholding, but if you bring your partner in, she is helpful with showing them how to do acupressure to help relax during labor. She will also guide you on nutrition. Should any complications arise, a team of doctors support her office, and they will tandem-manage your case as-needed.

I hired the full circle doula group (yes, I keep posting here about how great they are as well) for labor support. They turned out to be a good emotional, educational guide pre-baby. They were with me during the whole labor. Hsiu Li checked in regularly, and was present when I was close to delivery.

Why do I think she was amazing? My son was not in the right position when I had the urge to push and she gave me clear instructions on how to rearrange myself, while she gently coaxed him into place. She told me how to focus my breathing so that I would not be pushing (as much) during contractions and he could slowly adjust. It seems impossible, yet it worked, and he was born quickly with no complications. I'm sure there are many good midwives out there, but Hsiu Li is amazing. hsiu li fan

There were a few reviews for Debby Coleman a few weeks ago. Here are the reasons that I don't recommend Debby: 1.She was fine with all of my plans until 2 weeks before birth, at which time she told me how she was going to do it. When I was upset about the last-minute changes, she told me to find someone else, which was impossible at such a late date. 2.She schedules too many mothers with the same due date despite telling me the opposite; there were 3 of us in labor at the same time, so I rarely saw her. 3. She left me while in active labor to go do her taxes in Richmond. 4.I kept trying to get on my knees to push, but she shoved me back down, telling me that it was easier for her to have me on my back. Not a fan of Debby Coleman

I saw Debbie Coleman for my prenatal care before a Fall 2011 birth. I found her to be straightforward and responsive to my concerns for prenatal care (eg, ordering a glucose test when I told her my mom had gestational diabetes; ordering nonstress tests as we got close to the due date). She was reassuring and matter of fact, which I really appreciated, and didn't push a certain type of birth plan. However, she didn't make it to the birth even though she was in town (she was leaving on a trip the next day). I was pretty disappointed that she wasn't there as that was part of the reason I wanted a midwife - they are supposed to show up at the birth more often than docs. So, I like her a lot but there's a big caveat. Hope that helps you make a decision and good luck. A mama

My daughter was born 6 1/2 months ago and Lyndy Johnson was our midwife. A friend of mine had recommended her to me and from the first appointment I knew she was the person I wanted to delivery our baby. Each appointment was at least 30 minutes long and she took the time to answer all of our questions thoughtfully. My husband who is more of the skeptic was so impressed by Lyndy's knowledge and no matter what questions or concerns arose for me or the baby, Lyndy was able to tell us what was happening in a way that put us immediately at ease. One of the things I appreciate the most about Lyndy is her calm demeanor. I find many people in the medical profession are quick to jump to ''something's wrong'' and scare people. Lyndy was always calm, something I think she has from all of her experience with women and delivering babies.It was important for my husband and I to have a natural birth and we did a LOT of preparation and training for this. When I was in labor, my husband communicated with Lyndy and he was able to stay focused as my coach because Lyndy was so clear about what was happening and what the next step was. When we got to the hospital (Alta Bates) our daughter was delivered in less than an hour. Again, Lyndy's voice was so calm and supportive. The birth of our daughter was an amazing experience that both my husband and I couldn't have been happier about. Lyndy was one of the big contributing factors to making our daughter's birth safe, healthy and completely natural. I highly recommended Lyndy to anyone looking for a warm, competent midwife to deliver your baby. Kathleen

A Midwife with Privileges at Alta Bates

March 2012

Hello, I'm hoping folks can give me some recommendations for midwives who have privileges at Alta Bates OTHER than Hsiu-Li, Jeri, or Lindy. I would love to hear any experiences that folks have had with other midwives, both good and not-so-good. Any thoughts on Deborah Coleman would be helpful! Thanks so much! S

I know you are not lookin for Hsiu Li recommendations, but she just delivered my baby at alta bates and was amazing. Not a lot of hand-holding on the prenatal appts, but when in labor, her experience and support were perfect. I had a pain med free vbac and she knew exactly how to guide me to get babe in the right position to avoid a long stretch of Pushing and excessive stress on baby. Perhaps every midwife does this? But seemed miraculous at the time. Hsiu Li rocks! Hsiuli fan

I chose Debbie Coleman for my Oct 2011 birth (my first). I switched to her after starting with Lindy (who everyone raves about but I found to not be a good fit for me; I felt she was dismissive of some of my concerns). I thought Debbie was quite good for prenatal care -- runs pretty much on time for appointments, listened and was helpful with things like ordering non-stress testing near the end of the pregnancy, etc. I found her to be down to earth, reassuring, and straightforward, which I really liked. Her office staff is ok -- not awesome but definitely not the worst I've dealt with at doctors' offices. The big downside was that Debbie was not there for the actual birth -- she was in town, but was leaving the next day. My husband was/is livid -- thought she should have been there and just slept in the car on her way to vacation, and why use a midwife if she's going to act like a doctor and not show up? I'm more ambivalent about it because I don't want to remember the birth in a negative way, Debbie never promised me she'd be there, I appreciated all of her work leading up to the birth, and the birth did go pretty much how I'd hoped. There is a midwife on call at Alta Bates and that's who delivered our baby (Elizabeth Simms, who I did not like), but really 95% of the work was me, my husband, our doula, and the nurses. Hope that helps and good luck

Hi there, I'm 38 weeks along with my first child and have been seeing Debbie Coleman as my midwife since we moved to the area in November. Although I picked her at random, I'm happy with how things have been going so far. I wouldn't describe her as warm and fuzzy, but she's very matter-of-fact, easy to understand, and non-alarmist. Additionally, I think it helps our relationship that, although she's supposedly agnostic on the whole thing, after reviewing my options and taking classes at Alta Bates, I've decided to have a 'see how it goes' approach to labor, which is her preferred method. Blythe

The problem is that other midwives *don't* have privileges at Alta Bates. Lindy doesn't do this anymore, and Jeri seems to be the only one who can actually deliver there. Basically, if you want to deliver at Alta Bates, you're best off either using the midwife group there, or getting a really good doula and a doctor that you like, and not bothering with a midwife. All the good midwives do home births only these days (with hospital being an emergency option, and one that requires a doctor to do the actual delivery). If you want a hospital and a midwife, you might check around for different hospitals that have either great midwife groups, or give delivery privileges to midwives. Good luck. been there

A previous poster said that the midwife Lindy Johnson does not do births at Alta Bates anymore, but that is not true! She does! She is currently my midwife, and I think she's great. She is very focused and serious, but also warm, nurturing, and comforting. I haven't had my baby yet, but I would recommend her at this point based on how much I have liked my prenatal appointments with her. --Pleased Patient

My understanding is that Lindy Johnson is still delivering at Alta Bates. Lindy delivered both my daughters there, and I can't speak highly enough about her! In office she is simply lovely -- warm and reassuring, but extremely competent and efficient (i.e. you'll get good attention, but you'll get seen on time!). And in the hospital, she was everything we could have asked for: first of all, PRESENT! (despite my fast labors, she managed to get there before we did, which was a great relief to us in very active labor, not having to deal with strangers in triage -- she took us straight to our room), completely calm and reassuring, super-competent, and totally on the same page with us regarding our wishes for a natural birth. I could go on and on about the many ways Lindy is wonderful (we switched medical groups so our insurance would cover her, and we haven't been disappointed!). A super-satisfied repeat client

April 2011

Re: OB GYN Rec in Oakland/Berkeley Area - Alta Bates
My husband and I just had our first baby this past December. We had an OB GYN but heard many wonderful things about a mid-wife, Lindy Johnson, so we went with her. It was the BEST decision!! Lindy has her own private office that you visit but is one of very few mid-wives that works out of Alta Bates for your delivery. She was absolutely amazing! She is able to give you one on one attention for each visit and is there for you every step of your delivery (rather than which ever doctor is on call that shows up at the very end of your labor.) We can not recommend her more highly!! She is based in Berkeley, right on Dwight Way and her phone number is: 510-644-0104 T L

Midwives - Hsui-Li Cheng, Jeri Zukoski

March 2011

I am interviewing midwives who deliver at Alta Bates and am considering either Hsiu-Li Cheng or Jeri Zukoski. I'm interested in recent reviews of Hsiu-Li Cheng in particular, for both pre-natal care and labor support. She operates within a medical practice; did that impact the choices you made in terms of pain management, fetal monitoring, freedom to labor out of bed if desired, being able to hold your baby immediately, etc? BTW, I do plan to have doula support, as well. Thank you! on the fence

I am currently pregnant and Hsiu-Li Cheng is my midwife. I have not given birth yet so I cannot tell you about my actual birth experience. But I like Hsiu-Li very much and trust that she fully supports me in my desire to have no medical intervention unless necessary. I would be happy to tell you more details about how it seems that her practice interacts with the doctors at East Bay perinatal, if you want to email me privately. n

Hsiu-Li Cheng was my midwife for the birth of my 2nd child in 2007. I absolutely adore her. I was extremely committed to a natural child birth but wanted the security of a hospital in case of an emergency. I ended up laboring in the hospital from 4-10 cm and was not hampered by fetal monitoring at all. I spent a majority of my labor walking the halls. No one gave me any problems with that. In fact, the nurses even commented ''now that's what we like to see! Keep moving!'' During the last phase of dilation, when I, frankly, wanted to die, Hsiu-Li was amazing with acupressure and she was so calm and incredibly encouraging. Due to her nurse's training, she was also able to do some last minute maneuvering of the baby and prevented me from needing a C-section. The nurses told me afterward that they were very impressed and that most doctors would have just hauled me off to surgery. As it all turned out, I got the drug-free birth that I had wanted and I have never felt so empowered before. All thanks to Hsiu-Li. I will absolutely go back to her again if I have another child. Huge Fan of Hsiu-Li

I had a wonderful experience with Hsui-Li! She was very attentive and helpful for my pre-natal care and I felt very well cared for during my labor and delivery. She was open to whatever I wanted for labor and delivery. I ended up getting an epidural, but not because she recommended it or didn't. She was encouraging in letting me labor out of bed (before the epidural)and she definitely made sure I got to hold my baby immediately. She also told me from the start that she would be happy to work with a doula if I wanted. I highly recommend her!

Hsiu-Li was our midwife in 2009, and we LOVE her. I can't imagine giving birth with someone else. Her prenatal care was excellent, and much more personalized than the experience we had with an OBGYN early in my pregnancy. The only indication I ever had that she was part of a practice was that my prenatal services were billed under one of the doctors' names.

In terms of pain management, monitoring, etc., Hsiu-Li and the L nurses at Alta Bates were all very respectful of our birth plan. She does not stay with you in the room while you labor, so in that respect it can be helpful to have an additional support person with you.

If you have questions or concerns, you might want to set up a time for an interview with her to get a better idea of her style. My husband and I met with her before starting to see her for prenatal care and that was really helpful (I had also read all of the BPN archives and wasn't quite sure what to expect). Feel free to ask the moderator for my email if you'd like to talk more. anon

I worked with Hsiu-Li during the birth of my first child, and am excited to work with her again on the second! Hsiu- Li is, quite simply, the most knowledgable medical professional I have ever met. That said, she is not too ''touchy-feely'' - she answers questions you ask, but will not reflect in awe with you at the miracle of life growing in your belly. She incorporates Chinese medicine and massage into her practice, and was always able to tell me exactly what was going on with my baby, which gave me a great deal of confidence. I was self-assured and even- keeled the whole pregnancy and labor (in part becasue of her guidance) - but I'm not sure how she'd be with someone who needs constant reassurance and hand-holding. Although she told me she would have worked with a doula, I got the impression that she thought it was unnecessary (which for me it was). Hsiu-Li comes in only at the end - really to catch the baby - if you have a 20-hour labor she won't be there the whole time. I love Hsiu-Li and would recommend her to anyone. (Incidentally, of three of my friends who have used her, all of us had very quick and easy labors. Unscientific, yes, but perhaps instructive.) Trust Hsiu-Li with my life

Jeri Zukoski delivered my first child and Hsui-Li Cheng delivered my second. My kids are now 12 and 9, so things may have changed in the interim, but at the time I felt like Jeri gave great prenatal care and was very supportive about the emotional aspects of pregnancy. But when it came time for me to deliver, she didn't even get to the hospital until I was starting to push, and there were several other interactions that left me feeling like I got adequate care, but not the level of support I was hoping for. Prenatal care from Hsui-Li did feel like standard medical office care (very sweet and attentive, though... I had my toddler with me for many visits, and they always took the time to measure her tummy and check her ''baby's'' hearbeat). But when it came time for my delivery, Hsui-Li rocked... she was 100% supportive, very calm, and a great presence in the room. As soon as my daughter was born, she went straight onto my chest and was nursing within a minute. Hsui-Li will definitely respect your wishes and be your advocate. anon

We were using Hsui-Li because we wanted a mid-wife to help have a natural birth, but then switched to an ob-gyn mid-pregnancy. While I really liked Hsui-Li, her office made a mistake with my blood tests so I had to redo some prenatal testing, which was frustrating and time consuming. Then after we got our first screen results, she just told us we ''passed'' but did not tell us our ratio of risk even though I asked (which was literally right at the cut off of failing 1/220 versus 1/200 which is failing). When we had to see the ob that she works with to deal with an issue a month later, the ob-gyn told us that while we passed, our ratio was ''not that great'' (we had an elevated risk of downs and for my age our ratio should have been 1/1000) and that she would have recommend we do our second trimester screening sooner than 18 weeks (too late for that - thanks!) Perhaps the ob-gyn should not have scared us like that and of course we were extra worried with a first pregnancy, but it would have been nice to have that information at week 14 so we could have done our second round of testing earlier. Anyway, it was pretty stressful and we ended up switching from Hsui-Li because we did not feel she understood the results or communicated them well. Also, her office assistant does not speak the greatest english (although she is really nice). One other thing - Hsui-Li made it clear that while she tries to deliver all her patients babies, she won;'t deliver if the baby is born between 12-6am, in which case one of the back up ob-gyns at east bay perinatal would. Since we didn't know any of them and couldn't control when we actually delivered, I didn't like taking that risk. I really wanted the same person I knew to deliver my baby. We were able to switch to a great ob-gyn who assured us he delivered all his babies regardless of the time and we ended up having a natural birth at Alta Bates (even with gestational diabetes).

I will add that Hsui-Li is a great option if you want a midwife that is covered by your insurance since she bills through east bay perinatal. We had Blue Cross and it was fully covered. Jeri and Lindy are both out of pocket - I think it would have cost 4K or something like that. I think Hsui-Li is great, just not for everyone. Best of luck to you! former_patient

This was 6 years ago now, but I did not have a great experience with Jeri Zukowski. She was very very late to the delivery, depsite knowing this was my third child and the first two had come quickly, she took her time getting there. In fact, even though I was in extroardinary pain the nurses had to hold off my delivery til she got there, telling me to try not to push with each profound contraction. Jeri offered very little support once she got there, although I was in extreme pain and needed connection and confidence with the mid-wife. My daughter was born almost immediately, and probably would have come earlier if Jeri had just gotten there. She disappeared shortly after my daughter was born with hardly more than routine words. I was very disappointed. anon

Hsui-Li was my midwife for my first baby. I kept telling her that I ''did not feel pregnant,'' and she kept telling me I was just ''lucky.'' Then, she told me she heard a heart beat (which she did not), and later, when I had some bleeding, she told me that it was coming from my cervix, not my uterus. Actually, I was having a miscarriage, but she sent me home, telling me that I had a viral infection in my cervix. In the end, I miscarried at 13 weeks, though the ultrasound (which I was not offered until I was in the middle of the miscarriage) showed that the baby had actually died around 6 weeks (so she did not hear a heart beat, because the baby was dead by then). The whole experience made me feel like I had not been well taken care of, and when I got pregnant again, I went to an O.B.

That being said, my neighbor used Hsui-Li, and had a great experience; she loved her. So, perhaps I was just unlucky, I don't know. But there you two experiences to consider. mom of two

I worked with Lindy Johnson for my first birth and Sho-Li for my second. Sho-Li was incredible during my labor which is more important in my opinion than the pregnancy well-visits. She does have an abrupt demeaner and works within the medical model. I can understand not being very comfortable with this style if this is your first pregnancy. Having worked with Lindy (who partners with Geri), I experienced two different mid-wife styles. Lindy presents as warm and nurturing but I was extremely disappointed with her during my long 26 hour labor. It was my first birth and she just did not help me get through the amazing pain and nervousness of labor. In fact her demeanor and attitude when I needed her most was so opposite of what I hoped for. This made me feel more pain as mind and pain are so connected.

Sho-Li was so different! When I needed her most, during a very fast and very painful labor, her every technique was amazing. She was especially helpful and capable when my baby ended up being sunny-side up. This position could have led to a c-section with another practitioner but Sho-Li was able to turn the baby (not without a lot of pain of course) and my baby slid right out. She doesn't like to see women in pain and will do everything in her power to help the labor progress as quickly as possible. While I didn't have time to have an epidural, Sho-Li made sure that my pain was short-lived and was able to coach my breathing and press on certain points on my back to help reduce my discomfort.

In short, I would highly recommend Sho-Li for her skill and experience with a multitude of laboring techniques. anon

Sept 2010

Midwife with hospital privileges at Alta Bates

I'm newly pregnant with my second child and am looking for a midwife who has delivery privileges at Alta Bates. I had a homebirth for my first delivery which was wonderful in many ways but ended up with complications that i'd like to try to avoid the second time around. i'd like to try to recreate the natural birthing experience within the potential safety of the hospital. are jeri zukowski and lindy johnson the only two hospital midwives at alta bates? when i called the hospital they couldn't give me any information about this! thanks for any recommendations. newly pregnant

Hsiu-Li (pronounced Sho-li) Cheng is a wonderful midwife with hospital privileges at Alta Bates. She is highly skilled and very respected. She delivered our daughter last year, and we were so happy with her care. You can reach her office at (510)652-8881. Fan of Hsiu-Li

We used Jeri Zukowski with back-up by Lindy Johnson for the birth of both of our sons, now ages 6 and 3.5 years. Our first birth experience was natural, had a few complications, but was absolutely sublime. The second, as can be the case, also natural, happened much faster, even before Jeri could get to the hospital. In the first, Jeri was masterful throughout and in both it was very comforting to be at Alta Bates, should there have been any serious complications. The nursing staff at Alta Bates was terrific and the general environment, while certainly not the same as being at home, was comfortable and not terribly hospital-like. We are grateful to Jeri for her excellent care and are pleased to be able to encourage others to work with her. She's smart, extremely proficient, very experienced, genuinely caring and has given birth herself. Good combination. Grateful Parents

I had a great experience with Hsiu-Li (Sho-Li) Cheng, CNM. She delivered my second baby at Alta Bates (we had jeri zukoski the first time). Her Oakland office seems just like a regular ob and at first my check ups were pretty brief and to the point (which was fine with me as it was my second and I didn't need a lot of hand holding)... but as the due date got closer she definitely got more involved and warm. I was getting alarmingly HUGE but she did not make me worry about it, never mentioned the possibility of a c-section, was very calm and confident. When I went into labor she was right there at Alta Bates immediately and WOW.... so supportive, calming and PRESENT. She did this acupressure thing to my hands that really eased the contractions, and did these breathing exercises .. she was great with my husband and I was able to deliver an 11 pound baby (seriously) naturally, with no tearing. She was just fantastic... and she was totally covered by our insurance. Hsiu-Li Cheng, R.N., C.N.M. (510) 652-8881 anon

Aug 2009 : Midwife Recommendation at Alta Bates

Hello. I am just about to move back to Oakland/Berkeley after a one year detour in Santa Cruz. I will be 5 months pregnant when we move back on Aug 15, and need to find new prenatal/birth care. I have Health Net insurance which I believe should cover a midwife at Alta Bates. Can anyone recommend a midwife who is covered at Alta Bates? I already tried Lindy Johnson who is booked in December (my due date is Dec 8). I prefer a natural childbirth with someone who is direct and dependable - sense of humor and calming demeanor, greatly appreciated! Thanks. S.

Hsiu-Li Cheng, CNM at Alta Bates is a wonderful, highly respected and experienced midwife. Office visits don't last too long but she has a sense of humor, is relaxed, answers questions, and has complete faith that my body knows what to do. I appreciate that most. She also gives great tips for acupressure and relaxation.

I'm due in a few weeks and switched over to her a couple of months ago. I also have Health Net PPO and it is covered. I haven't had her for the birth experience yet, but I am continually reassured by health professionals, lactation consultants and yogis in the area when I tell them that Hsiu-Li is my midwife that I am in very good hands. I can't wait to birth!

I know from experience how difficult choosing a midwife is and wish you good luck. Side note - I was not that excited about Hsiu-Li when I interviewed her, but once I became her patient I have been completely happy. mama to be