LP - Better Maternity Care V3
We accept most major insurance plans - including Medicaid
A new standard for maternity care
Midwifery-led, OB-supported care for better birth outcomes
Get the best of both worlds: the holistic, evidence-based approach of a Certified Nurse Midwife and the deep medical expertise of OB-GYNs.
With you from
conception through postpartum & beyond
Care that sticks with you – starting with a positive pregnancy test, through the first year of parenthood – we provide end-to-end care with proactive monitoring between appointments, and a postpartum home visit to check in on you and baby.
Wraparound support from an entire care team
From 1:1 guidance on birth planning and postpartum care with a doula, the Millie app, and an integrated team of therapists, lactation consultants, nutritionists, and other specialists – we have you covered so you don’t have to figure it out yourself.
Millie in the press
!
“Millie’s unique pregnancy care model offers one-stop-shopping for expectant mothers”
Start your maternity care with Millie
Virtual Pregnancy Consult
20 minutes | Zoom call
Perfect if: You’re less than 8 weeks pregnant or wish to transfer care.
What to expect: We’ll discuss your options and answer questions.
This visit will be billed to insurance.
In-Person Pregnancy Visit
60 minutes | In person
Perfect if: It’s been 8+ weeks since your last menstrual period.
What to expect: We’ll confirm your pregnancy via lab tests and ultrasound and get to know you holistically.
This visit will be billed to insurance.
Millie also offers Gynecology Care and Preconception Counseling.
Meet our Millie parents
"Our first experiences at a traditional OB practice felt cold and sterile. After starting at our 12th week, Millie brought the warmth and care we had always hoped for to ensure we have the best birthing experience possible."
– Allie & Theo, Oakland
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"At Millie you’re treated with respect and empathy that you’d show to family and friends. We switched over from a large medical group where we had 10 minute visits, never saw the same provider, and pulled our hair out trying to schedule appointments. At Millie scheduling was easy, visits felt spacious, and we really got to know our care team who was with us the whole way."
– Meg & Ross, Berkeley
Better birth experiences - and outcomes - with collaborative care
Research shows that when midwives are involved in providing pregnancy care, clinical outcomes and patient experiences are better:
- Fewer unnecessary medical interventions
- Higher rates of vaginal births after cesarean sections
- Higher patient satisfaction
Meet our clinicians
At Millie, you’ll meet warm, highly credentialed clinicians and receive quality clinical care. Millie midwives are Certified Nurse Midwives specializing in evidence-based, holistic maternity care.
Cynthia Banks
Nurse-Midwife
CNM, MSN, RN
Cynthia has 20+ years of birth experience and has delivered more than 1200 babies in a wide range of settings, including busy hospitals in San Francisco and Chicago, and a birth center in Texas. Her trauma-informed approach centers the birthing person, so that they can feel safe, seen, and supported. Cynthia received her Masters degree in Nursing and Midwifery from the Yale University School of Nursing.
Vanessa Garcia
Nurse-Midwife
CNM, WHNP, IBCLC
Vanessa has 20+ years of maternal health experience including work as a labor and delivery nurse and a doula. Originally from the Southwest and mom of two, Vanessa loves empowering her patient’s birth experience with holistic support. Vanessa received her Master’s degree from UCSF to become a Certified Nurse Midwife and Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner.
Aqueelah Tillman
Nurse-Midwife
APRN, MSN, CNM, WHNP
Aqueelah has 10 years of clinical experience including care for most vulnerable newborns in a Level IV NICU. She was previously at UCLA, UCSF, and Stanford Children’s Health. She was born in Oakland and is passionate about maternity care for marginalized individuals. Aqueelah received her BSN from Drexel University, and her Masters in Midwifery and Women’s Health from Georgetown University.
Rachel Willey
Nurse-Midwife
CNM, WHNP, RN
Rachel has 10+ years of clinical experience spanning birth work, postpartum, and fertility. Born and raised in California’s Central Valley, they are passionate about queer and trans health and believe we all have a right to quality care, no matter our gender, presentation, or sexuality. Rachel received their BSN at New York University, and got their Masters in Nurse Midwifery at University of California San Francisco (UCSF).
Johanna Jetton
Nurse-Midwife
CNM
Johanna is a Berkeley native who has been part of the Bay Area birth world for over a decade, as a doula and childbirth educator and then midwife. She is honored to serve families during these intense transitional periods when so much of how we relate to ourselves, our partners, our families, and communities is brought to the fore. She strives to provide care that is both thorough and evidence-based, that places great trust in the knowledge each individual possesses about their own body, and that holds space for the sacred nature of this time.
Shalini Shah
Millie Guide
CBD, CPpD, IBCLC
Shalini has 13+ years of experience as a reproductive wellness practitioner. They have supported over 2,000 families in navigating their pregnancy, birth, and postpartum experience as a full spectrum doula and perinatal educator. Originally from Queens, New York, and now happily living in the Bay Area for the past 8 years, they are down-to-earth and compassionate, bringing a steady sense of peace, joy, and humor to the process.
Amy Kane
Medical Director & OB-GYN
MD
Amy is a board certified OB/GYN with 15+ years of experience including prior roles at Sutter Health and Kaiser. She was born at Alta Bates Hospital, raised in Berkeley, and loves this community! She is passionate about health equity. Amy received her MD from University of Pittsburgh and completed her residency at University of California, San Diego in Obstetrics and Gynecology.
Talia Borgo
Clinical Director & Nurse-Midwife
MS, CNM, WHNP, RN
Talia is a board-certified Nurse-Midwife (CNM) and Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner (WHNP) with 12+ years experience including most recently on the faculty of UCSF training OB-GYN residents. She loves to holistically support patients to help them affirm the innate wisdom and power in their bodies and minds. Talia holds a nursing degree from Columbia University and CNM and WHNP degrees from UCSF.
Your comprehensive support team
Millie offers personalized care to meet your unique needs, from your first appointment through the first year of parenthood.
Millie goes beyond routine care
Routine Care
Care starts earlier
(as soon as you’re pregnant)
More visits with longer duration
Your care team is present at your birth
Extensive postpartum care
(3 visits, including one at home – plus weekly drop-in office hours)
Proactive monitoring between visits to catch risks and concerns early
Easy to reach between visits when you have questions (24x7 via phone)
1:1 guidance on birth preferences and postpartum care needs with a doula
Evidence-based resources for each stage of pregnancy via the Millie app
Workshops and classes that prepare you for birth and parenthood
Frequently asked questions
Learn more about maternity care with Millie.
What is a midwife vs. an OB-GYN, and why do both matter?
Certified Nurse Midwife
There are many types of midwives, but at Millie, we only have 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.
What does collaborative OB-GYN + Midwifery care look like at Millie?
The vast majority of pregnancies (an estimated 80-85%) 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, you can rest assured that you will receive complete, continuous, and compassionate care with all the benefits of both OB-GYN and Midwifery approaches.
Need more help? We’ve got you covered.
For help confirming coverage or finding in-network options, contact berkeleysupport@millieclinic.com (Berkeley) or sanjosesupport@millieclinic.com (South Bay).