Maternity
Midwifery-led maternity care backed by OB-GYNs and specialists. All births take place at Alta Bates Hospital (Berkeley) or Good Samaritan Hospital (South Bay) with your Millie care team present.
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What we offer
From your first pregnancy test to early parenthood, Millie is with you every step of the way. We offer more visits with longer duration, proactive monitoring between visits, and evidence-based resources for each stage of pregnancy via the Millie app.
Your Millie care team will always be present at your hospital birth to help you deliver your baby safely in line with your preferences.
At Millie, Certified Nurse Midwives (CNMs) work closely together with OB-GYNs and experts in fields like mental health, lactation, and nutrition to give you comprehensive care and support on the way to becoming a parent.
Three postpartum visits, including one at home, plus messaging with a doula and opportunities to join our expert-facilitated community support groups to navigate the early weeks with your little one.
Millie Guides are experienced doulas who lead sessions tailored to your stage of pregnancy and individual needs. Your Millie Guide will help you consider your personal birth preferences, plan for your postpartum period, and answer any other non-clinical questions you have throughout your pregnancy.
Key maternity visits at Millie
Maternity care at Millie starts right after your first positive pregnancy test and continues through early parenthood. Here are some of the key visits along the way.
Virtual consult
Zoom call with a CNM when you’re less than 8 weeks pregnant.
First ultrasound
Your first in-person visit to the Millie Clinic when you are 8-10 weeks pregnant.
Frequent in-person checkups
Routine visits to make sure you and your baby are doing well, monthly or more often.
Millie Guide sessions
One session per trimester included, with unlimited messaging and additional 1:1 visits available.
Hospital birth
With your Millie care team present to ensure safe delivery in line with your preferences.
1 week postpartum
Home visit for recovery check-in, with consultation on infant feeding and newborn care.
2-3 weeks postpartum
In-person or virtual appointment to evaluate recovery, mental health and supportive care needs.
6-7 weeks postpartum
In-person appointment for a routine exam. Follow-up care plan, birth control options if desired, and referrals as needed.
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Why get maternity care at Millie?
Our model brings together the holistic, evidence-based approach of Certified Nurse Midwives, the deep medical expertise of OB-GYNs, and support from experienced specialists who prepare you for birth and early parenthood.
There’s no one right way to give birth, so you’ll work with a doula to create an individualized birth and postpartum care plan. Your Millie care team will be present at your hospital birth to help you deliver your baby safely while making sure your preferences are honored.
Pregnancy is a long journey, but with Millie, you’ll have continuous guidance and support. We provide longer, more frequent appointments, proactive remote monitoring to catch risks and concerns early, and 24/7 access to your care team for questions.
The Millie Clinic is phenomenal. They are responsive, compassionate, and provide unparalleled maternity support. Their resources are comprehensive and digestible, making me feel informed about the process all along the way, without being overwhelmed. I am so glad we have them for our pregnancy!
I went to Millie for my care when I was 13 weeks, after hearing about it from a friend. I was lucky enough to work with them throughout my pregnancy, for my delivery, and postpartum journey. Pregnancy can be such a complicated time, and having a team that was always available, respectful, committed made all the difference to me.
I am truly appreciative for the wonderfully supportive care offered at Millie. Staff members are delightful; patient, incredibly personable, informative and genuine. Millie’s team is a wonderful resource of medical insight and also taps into the intimacy, vulnerability and empathy that surrounds preconception, conception, and postpartum.
From my first 8 week appointment to confirm my pregnancy to my 6 week postpartum checkup, I've been with Millie for the duration of my pregnancy. I cannot speak highly enough of this care - each midwife was personable, empathetic, and accessible. Hands down will go with Millie if I decide to have a second.
Stepping into the Millie Clinic is like stepping into a different universe - one where genuine care for how your day is going, beautiful decor, actively listening and even snacks (!!) are normalized. My doctor asked for my consent THREE separate times during one appointment (in case my level of comfort had changed) and I left genuinely educated on the topic I came in for.
Most of my stresses and concerns were put to rest as soon as I stepped into the clinic. It’s warm, it’s inviting, it’s catered to women, and it felt like a safe place to just be me (with all of my fears, hormones, questions, and excitement). Everyone at Millie helped me to feel seen and heard — with absolutely no judgment.
I chose Millie for my first pregnancy and I’ve been really happy. All the midwives are wonderful, knowledgeable, and responsive. The care is extremely comprehensive and patient centered. I never feel rushed or that any question is silly. The doula at the practice has been so helpful in making me feel prepared for birth and the classes offered have been very well run.
Start your maternity care with Millie
0-7 weeks
For whom: if you are less than 8 weeks pregnant or wish to transfer care
What to expect: during the Zoom consult we’ll discuss your options and answer questions
8+ weeks
For whom: if it's been more than 8 weeks since your last menstrual period
What to expect: during the in-person visit we’ll confirm your pregnancy via lab tests and ultrasound and get to know you holistically.
The vast majority of pregnancies are considered “low risk” (an estimated 80%) and an additional 10-15% are considered “moderate risk.” Millie care is designed for this population and is therefore a good fit for most pregnancies.
We are not currently accepting “high risk” pregnancies, but we would be happy to make a referral.
We define “high risk” pregnancies as:
- preexisting health conditions (for example, high blood pressure, diabetes, kidney disease, autoimmune disorders like lupus or multiple sclerosis), or
- pregnancy-related health conditions (for example, fetal birth defects or fetal genetic conditions, severe preeclampsia, twins or triplets, or gestational diabetes managed with insulin).
Please note that being over 35 years of age does not constitute a “high risk” pregnancy by itself unless there are other conditions at play.
For more information, see our pages on clinical eligibility for prenatal care at our Berkeley clinic and our South Bay clinic.
We are currently accepting PPO plans from the following insurance companies: Aetna, Cigna, United Healthcare, Anthem Blue Cross, Blue Shield of California, and HealthNet, as well as some local networks. In Berkeley, we accept HMO plans via Brown & Toland (now called Altais). In the South Bay, we accept HMO plans via SCCIPA. We also accept some plans offered by Medi-Cal via Alameda Alliance for Health (AAH) and North East Medical Services (NEMS).
We know insurance can be confusing and would be happy to look up your plan to confirm coverage or point you to in-network options if you are considering switching plans.
Write to us at berkeleysupport@millieclinic.com (if you want to visit our Berkeley clinic) or sanjosesupport@millieclinic.com (if you want to visit our South Bay clinic).
All your clinical appointments at Millie, lab tests, ultrasounds, and labor and delivery experience at Alta Bates Hospital (Berkeley) or Good Samaritan Hospital (South Bay) are billed to your insurance.
We also offer in-network lactation services. We accept most major insurance plans, including Medicaid.
We do not charge anything extra for the Millie app, remote monitoring devices (e.g. blood pressure cuff), or group sessions and messaging with your Millie Guide — a practice-embedded doula who supports Millie patients with birth and postpartum planning, helpful local resources (e.g. birth doulas, acupuncture, pelvic floor physical therapy), and the many questions that come up as you navigate pregnancy.
Consultations for supportive care like educational classes and workshops, postpartum groups, therapy and nutrition are currently not covered by insurance and are paid out of pocket (they may be HSA/FSA eligible depending on your plan).
Certified Nurse Midwife
There are many types of midwives, but at Millie, we employ Certified Nurse Midwives (CNMs). CNMs are medical experts who are trained and licensed as both Registered Nurses and Midwives. They are known for their intimate knowledge of pregnancy and the labor process, and their minimal-intervention approach that promotes physiological birth.
Extensive clinical research shows that CNMs are the ideal care provider for low-to-moderate risk pregnancies in terms of positive birth outcomes. They are trained to meet 80% of the clinical needs that come up during pregnancy and childbirth. In fact, they are the primary frontline care providers for maternity care in countries like the UK, Canada, Germany, and Israel. In the United States, CNMs are often seen working alongside OB-GYN care for low-to-moderate risk pregnancies in progressive hospitals around the country.
OB-GYN
OB-GYNs are medical doctors and surgeons who are extensively trained to perform procedures such as cesarean delivery, vacuum or forcep deliveries and gynecologic procedures like hysterectomies. They are the ideal clinician when the pregnancy requires a higher level of care. Some OB-GYNs go on to further specialize in the treatment of medical complications associated with high risk pregnancies, and are called Maternal Fetal Medicine (MFM) specialists or perinatologists.
Why both matter
OB-GYNs and midwives bring different skills and perspectives to the table, but they have the same overarching goal: healthy pregnancies, safe births, and healthy babies. How much of which type of care provider you need really depends on what your pregnancy needs.
The vast majority of pregnancies (an estimated 80%) are considered “low risk”, with Certified Nurse Midwives (CNMs) as the ideal care provider for the best outcomes. CNMs specialize in holistic pregnancy care and physiologic birth.
At Millie, we therefore believe that: 1) everyone needs a midwife, 2) some people need an OB-GYN too, and 3) everyone should have access to both.
What does this look like in practice? When you establish care at Millie, you will meet with one of our CNMs. You can choose who to work with, and they will be your primary clinician over the course of your pregnancy care.
If your pregnancy is considered higher risk, your Millie midwife will co-manage your care with a Maternal Fetal Medicine physician (an OB-GYN specializing in high risk pregnancies) via additional consultations, and work alongside the hospitalist OB-GYNs at Alta Bates Hospital (Berkeley) or Good Samaritan Hospital (South Bay) to deliver your baby. If your pregnancy is determined to be too high risk for care at Millie we will transfer your care to an OB-GYN in the community and ensure a seamless transition of care.
At Millie, you can rest assured that you will receive complete, continuous, and compassionate care with all the benefits of both OB-GYN and Midwifery approaches.
You will start your Millie journey with one of our Certified Nurse Midwives for your visits.
Every patient has access to a Millie Guide, who is a practicing doula. They will meet with you each trimester to go over key topics like creating birth preferences, postpartum planning, and more. They are also available to answer questions that come up between visits through the Millie app.
Although all of our Millie Guides are practicing doulas, they will not be present at your birth. Your Millie Guide can help you find a birthing doula for labor and delivery. We are currently building a practice-affiliated birth doula network to support patients who would like additional care during labor and delivery.
We partner with LabCorp, Quest Diagnostics, and Sutter Health for lab tests during pregnancy. You’ll be sent to a lab that’s in-network with your insurance.
If you opt for genetic screening, we order those tests through Natera, LabCorp, or Quest Diagnostics.
All births take place at Alta Bates Hospital (Berkeley) or Good Samaritan Hospital (South Bay) with your Millie care team present.
All births take place with your Millie midwife present. The Millie midwives and hospitalist OB GYNs at Alta Bates (Berkeley) or Good Samaritan (South Bay) work together to ensure that you and your baby are surrounded by a team of experts who are ready to meet your care needs in every scenario. We share clinical protocols and a common patient record, facilitating a seamless transition from pregnancy to delivery and postpartum care.
If your delivery needs a c-section or another type of intervention, the hospitalist OB GYNs will perform the procedure in collaboration with the Millie midwives.
We’re available to answer clinical questions 24/7.
To reach our Berkeley clinic after business hours, call (510) 495-0310.
To reach our South Bay clinic after business hours, call (408) 762-5855.
Have questions about booking an appointment? Email berkeleyfrontdesk@millieclinic.com (if you want to visit our Berkeley clinic) or sanjosefrontdesk@millieclinic.com (if you want to visit our South Bay clinic).