Midwifery Care

Midwifery is an art form, combining the arts of nurturing and guidance with current scientific knowledge and evidence-based care.

The key feature is that the woman giving birth is the central decision maker, and no two women are the same. Each woman’s body knows what to do, but her mind can get in the way. Midwifery care supports a woman to trust her body in the birth process.

Diane Holzer

I try and keep my practice on the smaller side doing about 2 births a month so that I am available to my clients when they need me, though sometimes I accept more as I cannot turn away previous clients. I believe that birth is one of the most amazing things that a woman will do in her lifetime. It is a time of complete utter transformation and my passion is to help guide families on this journey to manifest the experience that they want to create. I want women and their families to feel empowered and in control of every aspect of the birthing process.

Being born is important and I believe that babies brought into the world in a respectful loving way carry those impressions throughout their lifetime. Of course the birth is the culmination of pregnancy, but women and families also need strong support throughout those precious first weeks of a newborn’s life and my care is especially intensive in those first weeks, guiding families on the journey to becoming parents. I will visit your home at least three times in the first week of your baby’s life and more if needed. Before the baby is born we meet on a regular schedule and I plan to spend at least an hour with the woman/couple at each visit. This gives us plenty of time to get to know one another, to have your questions answered and to do all the necessary tests and screening that need to be done. By the time of the birth hopefully we have developed trust in each other and feel totally comfortable with making decisions together. When a woman can sink into trust of the birthing process and those around her, the results are usually quite amazing!

I see my role as a facilitator or guide for the process and each birth is a new experience. I do not have preconceived notions about how birth should be as we all have our own stories that unfold. I am there to hold the space for what you want and to keep the process safe so that we have a healthy baby and a healthy mother. Sometimes things happen in unexpected ways and I am adept at facilitating change at each step of the process and will be there to support you whether we end up having a baby at home or in the hospital. The goal is a healthy baby and a healthy mother/family. Pregnancy, birth and the days immediately after are so special and most of us do it only a few times in our lifetime, so I believe that we should approach birth and parenting in a conscious, mindful and loving way in order to create little human beings that also value these attributes. Peace on earth begins at birth as they say! I am available free of charge for an introductory meeting and discussion about what homebirth entails. I look forward to talking with you and helping you decide if homebirth is the right option for you.

Services include

  • Marin and Sonoma county
  • Berkeley and San Francisco
  • Free initial consultation
  • Prenatal, birth and postpartum care
  • Waterbirth
  • 24 hr on call service
  • Nutritional counseling
  • insurance biller available
  • Diagnostic testing
  • Herbal and homeopathic counseling
  • Childbirth education
  • Contraceptive and family planning counseling
  • Newborn hearing screening
  • Breastfeeding support and lactation counseling
  • Lending library

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“Midwife: catching babies and collecting love, add us to the long list of families who love you. When Dante gets old enough we will send him to your house to do chores.”

— with love, Daniel, Cynthia and Dante

“Diane, you have brought such a calm and confident energy to my pregnancy, birth and these first weeks of Sienna’s life. One of my favorite Marcel Proust quotes is: ‘The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes.’ In knowing you, I feel more confident to know and trust my body and my instincts. I feel like a stronger woman and a stronger mother. I have loved having you with me on this journey. Thank you so much for your presence, your light and your love.”

— Jamie Tadloch