Testimonials

“Initially, my husband and I had a good idea of the kind of birth we wanted to have… calm, natural, without medication and little to no intervention, but we weren’t sure how to go about getting it in the beginning. Once we toured the hospital’s so-called “birth center”, we decided that wasn’t the atmosphere we wanted. So, though we really liked our current midwife, she wasn’t able to deliver out-of-hospital. She recommended Charlene to us. We immediately clicked with Charlene. She is warm, inviting, and knowledgeable and was always willing to give us the time and explanation we needed to make smart decisions for our family. We encountered some heavy resistance from other medical professionals throughout the last trimester, but the team that Charlene, my husband and I formed stayed strong and determined to realize our vision of a natural, out-of-hospital birth. Our determination, combined with her support allowed us to have EXACTLY the birth we envisioned for our little boy. Charlene’s team, plus our doula, Annie, helped us through 10 hours of back labor, and a seamless delivery. Charlene is interested in caring for mother, baby and father. She knows when to intervene and when to let the process unfold naturally. We are very thankful to have met her and to have had the opportunity to share our birth experience with her.”
- Dhira & Bruce Brown


“No matter where you are in your journey of pregnancy, “birth joy” really can become a reality for you. I, as well as my husband, had always known what it was that we were looking for with prenatal care, but hadn’t found it with traditional care. I had two previous doctors and always left my appointments feeling disappointed by their time spent with me, questions left unanswered, and what I felt was their general disinterest with my pregnancy.  We felt like just another number.  I was aware of midwifery care due to my mother-in-law, but didn’t want to establish care with one as my husband and I were moving from California to Washington at about the 4 month mark. I came to Charlene in my fifth month of pregnancy. Pregnancy was a challenge for me and wasn’t the, “walk in the park” experience that many women have.  Charlene met me where I was and helped me create the experience that I was hoping for and deserved.  When presented with my challenges, she was 100% dedicated to me and my success and was able to walk me through the many speed bumps. Not only is she what I consider a, “nutritional guru”, but she educated me and made me aware of all my options. After a very long 20 hours of back labor I can honestly say that I birthed emotional, spiritual and physical joy. Her many years of experience, knowledge, and plenty of patience made this a successful birthing experience! Thank you Charlene for all your hard work and friendship.”   -Mark, Jamie and Ava Abare


“I have had the privilege of giving birth at home with one of the best midwifes Washington has to offer.  Char is a sweet friend who is spiritual, gentle and motherly. She is incredibly knowledgable in all areas especially when it comes to the physiology of birth and the human body. She knows when it is necessary to intervene and when to let the natural process unfold. She educates couples on how to prevent possible complications with birth and labor through nutrition, exercise and caring for the mind and spirit. Char is holistic in her approach to caring for the mother, father and baby which I respect because I am also very natural and holistic. She is great about informing you, giving you both sides so that you can make the best decision for you and your family without it being biased. Char has also given birth to five children so she really understands how birth works and how the pregnant woman feels. She is extremely intuitive, seeks guidance from a higher source and has an open heart and mind to receive inspiration for her clients. On many occasions she has just had a feeling to see me or to call me and it was when I needed her most.  My labor and birth was beautiful and exactly what I wanted it to be Char and Elyzia were wonderful and I am excited to have them at my next birth”  
-Shon and Caitlin Hancock


“Hi Lainna, I wanted to let you know, I have thoroughly enjoyed learning from you. Now that we have met, when I sit and watch the DVDs it’s kind of like I am actually sitting in a class room with you!  I am such a visual learner that this has been very beneficial for me. I wish they would do this for all the classes. Distance learning has it’s own challenges, however, I love the way you teach, you have a very clear and easy way of teaching that makes it easy for me to understand! Thanks again.”   -Vonda, Student Midwife


“We use these DVD’s in my Midwifery class at SouthWest Technical College Midwifery Program. The DVD’s are well done, clear, easy to understand and are an important extension of the lectures and reading that we do in class.”   -Hannah Bernard-Donals, Midwifery Student, Class of 2010


“I loved these DVD’s! I could watch them again and again to help cement the skills I had learned. It was a great supplement to the written materials in my class, Every thing was explained clearly and slowly.”   -Treesa McLean, California, Senior Student Midwife


“The DVDs make studying a lot more enjoyable than just reading books, answering questions, and writing essays. They bring the topics closer and help me to learn faster.”   -Felicia Marki-Zay
Midwifery Student MCU


“This DVD course was very informative and well put together. The manual provided a ton of information and was easy to use. I really enjoyed the DVD, it really helped to see the manuvers. I found the emergency situations especially helpful. I would highly recommend this to anyone interested in being a second attendant or a midwife, it is very informative.”   -Robbie-Lynn Nichol
first year Midwifery Student at MCU and mother of 4


“Because of the Midwife’s Assistant Orientation, I was able to anticipate the needs of the midwife and the laboring mom-acting in a timely and efficient manner. These DVD’s introduce a standardized role and outline expectations of the second attendant so that I knew what I needed to know and what was expected of me as a second attendant.”-Joanne Przystawka, RN


“Both of the DVD’s helped me prepare for the clinic I did in Belize and well woman care pre natals. I also feel prepared for the NARM skills testing presentations. These are incredible teaching aides. I highly recommend these to all Midwifery students.”-Suzanna Ford Fass, Midwifery Student




Midwifery Schools that use Birthjoy Education DVD’s:

  • Midwives College of Utah
  • Aviva Midwifery Institute
  • National Midwifery Institute
  • National College of Midwifery
  • West Tech Midwifery College
  • Bastyr University
  • University of British Columbia-Midwifery Department

Midwifery Practices that use Birthjoy Education DVD’s to train assistants/apprentices:

  • Sybille Anderson CPM
  • Nantudut
  • MA
Lenny Sue Tenseth CPM Markleeville
  • CA
Karen Webster WomanWise Midwifery
  • Elkton
  • MD
Mary Alexander
  • LittleRock Midwives LR
  • AR
Anita Rojos
  • Sacred Water Birthing Center
Well Rounded Momma, Las Vegas, NV
  • and many, many more!!