Community Alliance for Birth Options

B.J. has been a women’s health care nurse practitioner since 1977. She became a CNM in 1991. She holds a Ph.D. in nursing from the Oregon Health Sciences University. B.J. is nationally renowned for her work in advancing midwifery care and assisting women in achieving their desired birth experiences. Her expertise extends to the postpartum period as a lactation specialist with years of experience helping women initiate and continue breastfeeding their babies. She has been the director of selected midwifery education programs, most recently the University of Southern California and currently is the Director of the women's health concentration at California State University, Fullerton.

Vickie Alston has been a Board Certified Nurse Midwife since 1993, after she completed her Nurse-Midwifery program in San Jose. Additionally, her experiences included 13 years as a Labor and Deliver nurse and a women’s health care nurse practitioner. Vicki is fluent in both English and Spanish.

24902 Moulton Parkway, Suite 120
Laguna Hills, CA 92637
Phone: (949) 215-7575
Fax: (949) 215-5757

· I gave birth to my second son on Christmas Day at the birth center. It was a phenomenal experience. BJ is an excellent midwife who truly cares for her patients. She had two assistants at my birth that were caring and professional. All of my prenatal appointments were a joy; the office staff is welcoming and always had lots of smiles and stickers for my two year old! The birth enter itself is clean and cozy and is like staying at a great bed and breakfast! I highly recommend this birth center if you are interested in a more personal and relaxed experience and don't need to give birth in a hospital.

· It is small and cozy, and definitely done up nicely for birthing women. There is one main midwife - B.J. Snell and she also has a sort of back-up midwife who meets with patients one day per week. B.J. is on call for delivery more often, but Vickie takes shifts as well, so it could be either midwife at the delivery. The office staff is very friendly and personal and BJ is very good at her job. She answers questions thoroughly, is understanding of me bringing my 3 young children to my appointments, is very active in working with me on the financial side of pregnancy and birth (I've had a fight with my insurance company over birthing at the birthing center instead of a hospital), and is genuinely there to be an advocate for women. She is understanding of the emotional needs of a pregnant women along with the physical demands. I honestly trust her and her judgment - she has had MANY years of experience and is highly active in the midwifery community. Although the office is only open to see patients Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday, but I have emailed B.J. outside of business hours and get a response from her quickly (unless she is in the middle of a birth.) I have never waited more than 15 minutes before getting in to see B.J. either - so they schedule the appointments effectively. I look forward to birthing there at Beach Side Birthing Center and am confident that all will be done to help me achieve the birth that I desire.

· If you are pregnant and seeking a natural approach to giving birth (and live in Orange County), there is no better place than Beach Cities Midwifery and the Beach Side Birth Center. I was skeptical of "traditional" hospital delivery practices (i.e., nurses who unnecessarily recommend pain medication or an epidural, excessive use of monitors, or OB's pressuring the mother into a Cesarean delivery) and I knew that I wanted something different... a more organic outlook towards my pregnancy. NOTE: I am not a hippie or against Western Medicine; I just prefer to take drugs when absolutely necessary (not to mask symptoms) and utilize doctors and hospitals when I cannot physically handle a medical situation myself. I believe that having a baby is a natural part of woman's life and that our bodies can physically handle giving birth (after all, women have been giving birth for centuries without the need for hospitals). Here is a little history - I was in my second trimester when I returned to Orange County from a year in New Zealand, a country that predominantly promotes midwifery-guided pregnancies. The first midwife/nurse practitioner that was on my list to interview was BJ Snell. As soon as we met, we INSTANTLY clicked. She is soft-spoken with a slight southern drawl. She has a calming presence, laughs easily, and is obviously very knowledgeable in women's health care. She also has this wonderful bedside manner and seemed like the obvious person to guide me through my first pregnancy. Her birthing center, the Beach Side Birth Center, is equipped with two birthing rooms, in addition to traditional exam rooms. The birthing rooms remind me of a standard room at a comfortable hotel, but a tad more homey. However, inside the dresser at the foot of the bed is all of this modern medical equipment. I felt more assured knowing that, in the event that I needed it, the proper medical paraphernalia would be there to assist me and my baby. One week before my due date, I started having contractions. It was 7:00pm when my husband started timing them and after an hour, we called BJ. She asked me a few questions about how I was feeling, reassured me, and said that she'd send my doula, Angelique Boynton, to my home to assess the situation. Angelique's job as a doula was not to perform any exams; just to offer emotional support and guidance. After having participated in so many births herself, Angelique KNEW just by observing me when it was time to leave my house and head over to the birth center. Two hours after my contractions began, we caravanned over to the birth center. BJ and another midwife, Vickie Alston had already arrived to prep. I entered one of the birthing rooms and practiced my HypnoBabies birthing techniques (which was the birthing class that I had elected to use and was conveniently taught by Angelique). How great to have my birthing coach with me during my birth! I then decided that I would be more comfortable to continue laboring in the bathtub. As the midwives were filling up the tub with warm water, my water broke naturally on the edge of the tub. The tub was drained and then refilled, and I soon relaxed in the warm waters as my labor continued to progress NATURALLY. No more than an hour later, while I was still in the bathtub, BJ skillfully delivered my healthy, 7 lb. 8 oz. baby girl into this world. And I did it without drugs, an epidural or in a hospital. I relied on my body, the support and guidance of three amazingly talented women, my husband, and my decision to have my baby naturally. Birthing naturally is definitely the way to go IF you have the right support team. It's not scary and shouldn't be viewed as such. BJ and Vickie are two extremely competent midwives who can accomplish great birth experiences for pregnant women in Orange County. I highly, HIGHLY recommend Beach Cities Midwifery and the Beach Side Birth Center to anyone seeking maternity care. I will, without a doubt, return to Beach Cities Midwifery and the Beach Side Birth Center for my future pregnancies and women's health care needs. To me, they are the only ones I trust to look over me.