KIND WORDS
see what clients have to say below and you can check out our YELP PAGE for more feedback and photos from clients.
Sarah, Zach and Riley
“What a gift it has been to be in your care. When I sought to have a homebirth, I never imagined I’d get a midwife, a sounding board, and a friend all at once. You’ve completely transformed my idea of what medical care can be - kind, attentive, family-centered, empowered - and I cannot thank you enough.
You became my grounding force during pregnancy in a way that helped me deeply connect with Riley before I knew he was Riley. I loved finding his position with you during our prenatal visits, then lying in bed at night poking his feet, his butt, and imagining what he looked like. Thank you for helping me harness my power and remember that I had all the tools inside me to grow, birth and care for this baby.
From listening to Barry the Bear’s heart to playing Candyland, I am especially grateful for the way you involved Desi in every visit. I hope she grows up remembering that birth is beautiful and Mama is strong.
Giving birth to Riley at homes was the most amazing thing I have ever done, and I’m glad I did it with you. Our living room is a little more special these days. Thank you for being the best midwife a gal could ask for! You’re a part of our family’s story forever.”
___
“ I want to express my deepest appreciate for the care and support you provided for Sarah and me during our homebirth. From our initial consultations to the moment Riley arrived, you have been a friend to us. I always looked forward to our hang-outs, and that is exactly how it felt. I enjoyed our conversations that sprung from our weekly “questions of the day” and you helped us to normalize something that was otherwise felt very foreign and stressful.
I will never forget the moment when you came into our living room during labor, got down on your stomach (boots and all!) and so expertly assessed the status of Sarah and Riley. When I was watching this, I saw you transform from our friendly, neighborhood midwife, into a bad-ass pro who was ready to deliver a baby right there on our living room floor. Your calmness and command of the situation really helped me focus on what I needed to do, which was just supporting Sarah through the surges to the final moment. Remember when I told you I secretly wished that the baby would arrive before you go there so I could deliver him myself? I one-hundred-percent take that back, and am so glad it was you at the helm that day. You are a wizard of midwifery and a master of your craft. I am proud to say you were there to guide us through this journey.
I am going to miss our follow-up visits, I really enjoy reliving the moment with you each time. Sadly the experience will soon turn into a memory, but it is one I know will remain at my core for my whole life. I love telling my friends and family that Riley was born at home, it truly was something extra special. From the bottom of my heart, Thank You!”
Solene and Louis
“Aliya, I think about you almost daily as I see baby Louis grow up. Giving birth at home in your presence was one of the most beautiful and empowering experiences of my life. I think about it often and it gives me a lot of strength. I am sure that on my deathbed I will be thinking about it, and thus about you.
You made the whole process so easy and seamless. I know that I could trust you fully and that you have my best interest at heart. You made me feel understood, care for, and empowered.
Louis is a really good-natured baby, and I like to think that he benefited from your aura, since your hands were the first to touch his head. I am forever thankful and indebted to you for having accepted to take me on as a client so late in my pregnancy. Nonetheless I felt immediately close to you.
What a beautiful job you have, and you really excel at it. The magic of the homebirth keeps bringing me a lot of positive energy. Thank you, Aliya.”
Fanny and Adam
“Aliya, Thank you so much for guiding us through this journey. It has been been so great to get to know you. You made it so easy. I was comfortable the minute you stepped in and sat right there on the rug, with amazing sparkly shoes, sharing your wealth of knowledge and experience with the authority of an enneagram 8. Amazing woman, that only deserves the best, so I hope you’ll stop by for for jerky, shrubs and espresso still! Many thanks, Fanny.”
___
“I don’t think I could’ve picked a better person to guide us through this profound experience. You are so good at what you do and all who work with you are incredibly lucky. Many thanks, Adam”
Kortney, Bacall, and Kurt
“Thank you for supporting Bacall, Kurt, and me through our prenatal experience.
Your care, expertise, and passion for your work made a big difference for us. Even though a homebirth wasn’t possible, you played an integral part in Bacall’s arrival. I am grateful for you. Thank you for helping to advocate for a different narrative about birthing! <3 Kortney”
___
“Aliya - I’m writing to extol the work that you do. I know it’s hard and at times so very challenging. Many don’t even know what a midwife does or is capable of. But the type of midwifery you practice is vital and life-giving - literally.
I say that because I experienced care from midwives here who might as well have been OBs… the amount of advocacy and directing my care I did was burdensome. I’m so glad that this was not my first and I had tasted better.
My heart hurts for so many birthing humans who don’t get to experience an empowering, empathetic, attentive, pragmatic, personable, passionate provider. My experience here with this pregnancy was standard for so many! Keep up the good work. Thank you for positively impacting me, my family SF and the world! <3 Kortney”
Naomi, Sam, Ryhs, Shai and Apricot
“Thank you for walking with us as we welcomed Apricot to our family! Thank you for your kindness and generosity with Ryhs and Shai, and for bringing them so fully into the experience. For meeting my anxiety with calm and reassurance. For the steady reminder of the excitement and the joy of pregnancy. For your belief that homebirth would be possible, and for helping me get to that place too. For helping me move from frustration to trust in my body. In this crazy year, you gave us the greatest gift - the chance for apricot and I to move through labor and birth together, with joy, on our own terms, and surrounded by love. We could not have asked for a better way to bring our baby into this world, or to mark the passing of one year to the next. With all our gratitude and love.”
“Iy l<3ve you, Iy wil mis you. Iy lict you teleanig me that I cood cut the cord I will mis you. I l<3 you From Rhys”
The MacDougalls
“Aliya, Thank you for helping us bring another little soul into our family. Your calm presence and reassuring expertise made the birth as magical as it could be. You’ve become such an important part of our lives! We love you <3 <3 <3”
Lucia, Samara, Maia
“Dear Aliya, Thank you for all the love, support and advocacy you shared with me and our family. Thank you for helping bring sisi into our lives and for helping to make this journey joyful and empowering. We are so lucky to have found you and to have shared this life changing experience with you! Thank you especially for your support in navigating the oppressive medical system and for reaching out to your community to step in and helping me to exercise my voice and choice during a vulnerable time! #midwivesaresuperheroes!”.
Lindsey, Ben and Teddy
“Dear Aliya, Sitting down to write this note has been more challenging then we ever thought possible simply because the words “thank you” hardly convey the depth of our gratitude for the work you do! Since a simple ‘thank you’ feels insufficient, we put together a small list.
Thank you for your unwavering support, for your confident hands, and for your brazen fearless spirit.
Thank you for holding space, for allowing tears to flow endlessly, for normalizing fears, for sharing information without an agenda and for encouraging us to find our own pathway.
Thank you for your patience, for your laughter and for your expert guidance and gentle encouragement.
Thank you for seeing us through a challenging moment and for meeting us on the other side with open arms and kind words.
Thank you for always showing up authentically, for celebrating the small things, and for joyfully embracing every twist and turn and bump on this journey.
Thank you for not only baring witness to but honoring and supporting every part of this transition to a family of three.
You are truly the best, Aliya!
Thank you for being our midwife! We love you so much <3
PS - As a way of paying it forward, a donation to Midwives for Black Lives has been made in your name. It is our hope that all birthing people feel as loves, as cared for, as safe, and as seen by their providers as we have with you!”.
Jenny, Evan and Koby
"Hiring Aliya was one of the best decisions we made in preparation for the birth. From our first consultation, Aliya spent a lot of time going over many small details that helped us plan for the birth, in a way that went beyond anything we learned in our birth class. My partner and I felt like we learned a lot from her and she helped us prepare, both emotionally and physically for birth by journaling, stretching and doing other creative activities with us.
During labor, both at home and at the hospital, she knew exactly what role to play to help me through contractions and she empowered me to have the birth that I had envisioned. She didn't leave my side for a minute, and yet, it never felt like she was in the way, as I had feared. Rather, she constantly checked in with both my partner and me and the three of us worked as a team. Aliya also emotionally gave us the space needed for my partner and me to relish the intensity and awe of the birthing experience and the first minutes with our newborn son. Aliya is passionate about helping to enable families to understand the many aspects of labor, and she is professional, patient and such a power house. Her energy, support and guidance were invaluable and I definitely recommend Aliya to anyone looking to have an unmedicated birth!"
Gail and Devin
"Meeting Aliya was a blessing. It was very important for us to find the right person who would be in sync with our beliefs and most of all, to have that perfect chemistry with us. When we met her for the first time, she was so comforting and showed excitement about our future delivery . She was armed with extensive information about the birthing process and was able to clarify any misconceptions that we had. When it was time for our little one to be born, Aliya was there in no time. It was around 2am in the morning when my contractions started. I was scared most of the time, but she made sure my husband and I were comfortable and prepared. Aliya went with our flow, and always allowed us to take control of our birth. She was also extremely supportive of my husband who needed to rest or eat and would take the lead role to help me relax while I was laboring. During the labor and after our son, Devin, was born, Aliya was really sweet to capture our most intimate, special moments on camera and allowing our family to bond with each other.
Aliya is an amazing midwife who is extremely intuitive and sensitive. She was always supportive of my husband and I; she always knew when to take an active role and to allow us to bond with each other. We are so grateful that she blessed us with her presence and was able to participate in our birth. Thank you so much, Aliya!"
Melinda and Adyn
“I would highly recommend Aliya Caler. She was amazing and my husband and I are grateful to Aliya for joining us in our birthing adventure. I liked Aliya immediately when I called her to schedule a consult and within a few minutes of meeting her in person, I knew I wanted to work with her. Aliya is both intelligent and intuitive. She understands anatomy and the physical, as well as the social and psychological. She is also very warm, has a great personality, and meaningful life and work experience. She’s someone you want in the room with you.
In addition, she was readily available and kept us prepared. She always called or texted back immediately when I reached out and sent interesting links to useful articles, resources, and web-sites, in addition to concrete lists of what to plan for for birth. She listened really well and typed our birth plan. She also was very supportive of what I wanted, even when I changed my mind due to unexpected circumstances.
From the start, Aliya seemed to immediately know when to relax into the background and when to be an advocate or have more of a presence. She is comforting, friendly, and has a steady strength. She handles each turn (and my labor and delivery had a number of unexpected turns) calmly and added insight and empathy each time. Since I wound up in labor for 3 days, I spent a lot of time with her and enjoyed getting to know her. When she wasn’t helping me relax and sleep with hypnobirthing scripts and affirmations, it felt as though I had a good friend in the room. My husband also enjoyed her company and assistance. When my surges were intense, she and my husband applied warm compresses that she created, which really helped with the pain. She knew where to press and how much pressure to apply.
When my baby’s heart-rate was dropping during delivery, Aliya suggested that I squat and I had a vaginal birth! Aliya went above and beyond every step of the way. She spent extra time giving information we did not know to request, that truly helped. Again, I highly recommend sharing your birthing adventure with Aliya."
-Dr. Melinda, first time mom to Aydn