Barbara is inappropriate and disrespectful of other people’s time. If I could rate her punctuality as a zero, I would. She’s also a bully and has no filter. She will take calls while you’re in with her and will also talk poorly about other patients. I’m so glad I switched midwives.

Submitted Dec. 12, 2018

When I first met Barbara I was very excited and grateful. As the weeks went on red flags began to surface but I was so far along I felt I had no other options. Barbara is an old school midwife. She has a lot of good information but some of it is outdated (good luck asserting that to her.) She has no concept of punctuality and doesn’t respect other people’s time/ schedules. (Part of this is probably because she’s a one woman show and is so busy. ) She can also be brash and harsh and doesn’t like to be challenged. If you are overweight or have gained a lot of weight during pregnancy I do not recommend her.

Submitted Nov. 16, 2018

First I want to thank God for the gift of my daughter and the privilege of having a midwife like Barbara. Barbara from the beginning was angel sent from God. Throughtout our journey she helped us step by step. She’s full of knowledge. If you want a total natural or water birth this is your lady. She is very organized, and of course as a midwife she would give you things to follow. So if youre the type of person that likes organization and evrything natural and organic. Love G&A

Submitted Aug. 4, 2018

Coming from OB care, I had no idea about many things with birth. Luckily with Barbara, she is very great at providing us with the right information! She taught us so much and I am so happy I found her! She was the first midwife I interviewed and I knew I had to look no further. Very holistic! She does a lot of research, providing you with information and letting you decide what fits best with your needs. She is patient and takes her time and gives you the attention you need. She’s the best!! I had my second with her and we ROCKED a homebirth!!

Submitted June 30, 2018

The Best Midwife In The World! Warm and Companionate!

Submitted Dec. 6, 2017

How can I begin well let me thank God for finding Barbara in 2014 with my first pregnancy I was like a late one meaning she took over me at 32 weeks I was seeing another doctor but didn’t like it all. And in desperate for a better doctor she was recommended to me at the hospital. I went to ask for the best midwife in this hospital and one of the employees told me she’s the best in the hospital. Sure they were right. I called her right away and she saw me the same day I called. Ever since then I been coming to her especially with my second pregnancy she’s did amazing on both of my pregnancy. She knows her job very well A-Z and she always would be concern about both mommy and baby health. I’m an overweight gal and she would always work with me to take care through the pregnancy in a better way for me and the baby which it help me through both pregnancy. And I also I love the fact that she told me do the perineal massage which I never heard until I met Barbara and let me tell you all it has worked for me on both pregnancy especially birthing both baby at 8 lbs and still being intact. She’s a blessing in my life especially with my second pregnancy during all my pregnancy I was very healthy I gained the proper weight all health wise great until I had to deliver the baby couple of hour before my baby came to this world I ended up having blood pressure problem and ended up with preeclampsia which blew my mind only few hours the baby was born. And Barbara immediately took control and treated me right away and let me tell you it was the worst thing ever but I trusted Barbara and with all the treatment I was treated with to control my blood pressure I was able to push and other doctor would of just done a c-section. Thank God for Barbara for believing in me and for always reminding me my body was made for this and she was right.

Submitted Oct. 14, 2017

I met Barbara Charles serendipitously, After calling and leaving messages with every midwife in the area, she was the only one to return my call. From the outset she was warm, caring, passionate and very informed. I felt like I was speaking with someone who totally understood my anxieties and fears and through her extensive experience could allay them all. This proved to be most comforting especially close to the due date.

I started with Barbara in my last trimester. She went over everything thoroughly. My previous prenatal care information was carefully assessed and updated lab work carried out. She encouraged a balanced diet, nutritional supplements and even employed some homeopathic treatments. As a part of her package a class was held during which the birthing process was spoken about and videos of the different natural birthing techniques around the world were shown. It was really informative and gave a new appreciation of the awe of the female body and its natural ability to bring life into the world without even the need for doctors or aid in some cases. Overall her approach was holistic, and I could tell she forged a personal bond with each of her clients as she always spent a period of time with us in consultation, sharing stories and really making you feel at ease about the whole process.
A few days before my due date i experienced what is considered early labor. Even though this was covered in our classroom session and I knew this was a possibility I was taking no chances so I hurriedly called Barbara. She patiently waited for me and carried out the usual thorough exam. The next day I was in full labor and hurried again to see Barbara. She checked me and in her own calm way assured me that everything would be okay. After labouring for almost forty hours the pain was beginning to become unbearable Barbara came to my aid reminding me that my body was made to do this and i just needed to follow here instructions. She even found someone to hold my hand and help me maintain my breathing as she dealt with my paperwork With her gifted hands and calm demeanor she guided my beautiful daughter into the world. She recommended exercises to assist my body in the healing process, which has helped tremendously. In the end I thought my bill from the hospital was inflated and Barbara again went to bat for me.
As someone who takes the time to count my blessings everyday, I feel that Barbara was one of my major blessings during this scary period. She truly believes in the body's ability to give birth naturally. She is passionate about every child. While appointments usually go beyond their allocated time, each patient is allowed the time to get information on every aspect of the process during their appointment. She finds joy in getting to know here patients and never seem to forget who is who.
Thank you Barbara/ May God continue to bless you to assist people who really respect their bodies and its ability to manifest the miracle of birth. You are truly blessed.
Vanessa and Melissa

Submitted Sept. 7, 2017

Barbara Charles is officially family to us...After spending months with her at her practice and getting honestly the best care one could only dream to have during a pregnancy, my husband, daughter, new son and myself consider her just that...FAMILY!

Barbara gave me my dream birth experience... This was my 2nd time giving birth naturally...My first birth was a natural (no epidural, out of water hypno birth)..Which I though went very well, we prepared, took classes, had a two week recovery time, healthy child and completed it all naturally. I thought we did it all right...

Then I met Barbara and from the start she was extremely dedicated to taking the time to make sure I was well prepared for the best birth possible...

With Barbaras leadership and care and following all the preparation she taught me for the water birth and it turned out being 100 times better! This lead to my recovery time being literally just 24 hours... I was walking the next day and felt incredible! I able to breastfeed without any issues.

The most important part about a natural birth is really listening and allowing yourself to take in all your teachings. Let the birth just happen, don't fight it and don't say "it's not for me"...Give everything a chance or else you won't learn.

You really need to listen to Barbara's advice so your pregnancy goes smoothly and so your body is healthy physically and mentally to do the water birth. If you follow her lead she will get you there no doubt.

While I wouldn't be honest to say there are some things you cannot control (in life) when it comes to any birthing experiences Barbara will do everything to show you all the natural methods to make sure you stay on track.

Example: if your baby is turned the wrong way in your belly she show you methods of what to do to turn the baby...Something I myself had an issue with and she helped correct!

She gave me such great advice during my entire pregnancy that kept me healthy, strong, positive and ready for my water birth...And the best part was it wasn't just for myself it was for my family! I made sure my husband and daughter took extra care of themselves with vitamins and natural methods so make sure we all stayed healthy during the pregnancy!

I am truly am so blessed to have met such a wonderful positive REAL organic person that guided me in the right direction. I will continue to follow her smart advice for healthy breastfeeding and I am honored to be one of her many successful birth stories in her midwifery practice.

Much love & respect,
Elissa, Scott, Claire, and new WATER baby Cayden :)

Submitted July 27, 2017

This woman is a complete kook! I wanted a healthy baby and I wanted to enjoy my delivery. Which is something I made clear from the beginning. Barbar assured me since we would be in the hospital that epidurals and pain meds would be available. We talked about this multiple times and I made sure it was clear that an epidural was something that I was planning on having. At the hospital I requested an epidural right away as I was 4cms by the time I got there. My husband and I asked multiple times. Barbara got completely flustered had the doula(who I honestly didn't even this was necessary but she insisted) perform acupressure as pain management. She also kept trying to get me to do a water birth and insisted the hot water would be better than any epidural. I made it clear to her in no uncertain terms that I did not desire a drug free water birth. Power to the women who can do that, but its just not me.
Only after 35 minutes of insistanting and my husband threatening to go have another provider called did she finally acquiesce and call the anesthesiologist. I was in so much pain and to my utter dismay the anesthesiologist informed me that I didn't have to wait until I was 4cms and why didn't I request one sooner as its easier to get a handle on pain before it gets really out of control. I said Barbara said I couldn't have one until I was at least 4cms dialated to which he said that wasn't hospital policy and I could have had IV pain meds in the beginning if the pain wasn't too bad. After I had the epidural the pain was better but I wasn't able to get the full benefit since my pain was just so out of control by the time Barbara went and did the right thing.

I couldn't believe it. Barbara wanted to force he beliefs on me. Run in the other direction from this woman. We discussed my desire for iv pain meds and epidurals at multiple visits and when it really counted she went and flopped on me. She should be banished from the medical community as she is a snake-oil merchant. Trying to sell me on weird diets and castor oil consumption. I guess she didn't get the memo that ricin(a deadly poison) is made from castor beans! Its a shame she didn't respect my wishes and it seems from the other reviews she has a habit of doing that. She really made my birth an unpleasant and honestly because of that experience(it was my first) I am hesitant to try again and that really is a shame. If I do get pregnant again no more quacks..I'm going to a ob/gyn for sure!

Submitted July 16, 2017

I have to say I am SHOCKED by the negative reviews. After having the unique privilege of birthing three of my daughters with her, my experience is completely the opposite. First off, some of these negative reviews are just not helpful and are not actually looking to benefit a reader curious about reading about a midwife, but looking to slander a real midwife because of their own biases and prejudices. Just look at some of the reviews. How can that even be allowed? I really hope this site develops some kind of rebuttal button.

After all of the years I have known Barbara, I stand by the claim that she is one of the most caring, informative, professional and courteous professionals I have ever met. She is the definition of a true midwife. I am so grateful to have met her, and truly feel like we have a special kindred connection. This is who a true midwife is.

All three of my labors were vastly different from one another. My oldest I had no idea what I was doing and what I was going to experience ( pain and emotional wise- not something you can blame a midwife for). However having Barbara at my side to fight off the hungry C section crazed doctors saved me from having to get a completely unnecessary c section. She has always fought for me during labor. Even when I was being over the top and not wanting to cooperate. She has never done anything to hurt me or my children, she has always had my best interest at heart as my midwife. I have to love the comment by the previous negative poster who said Barbara is a sell out. That is the biggest line of BS I ever read. She is the SOLE REASON I never got C sections. All of my labors were long and intense (except for my middle one which was easy, but long and doctors STILL wanted to section me).

My appreciate for Barbara didn't bloom to what it is now until the birth of my youngest daughter. To make a very long story short, I had a threatened labor that was very scary. Room full of nurses and doctors and Barbara ( who never left the room for hours have no idea what other people are talking about-she was there the whole time). The attending nurse ( the head honcho who calls the shots and over rides everyone in the room) was amazed at Barbara's handling of my labor. Cord around the neck, heart beat up and down, I thought I was going to lose her a few times.. Barbara fought for me. She fought for my daughter. When she left the room to get equipment and other aids, I had a terrible experience with the doctors and nurses bullying me into getting an emergency c section, trying to throw papers in my face making me sign things I had no idea what was going on. Taking full advantage ( or trying to) as a scared mother. The head nurse could have called it at any time if I was in real danger but she saw Barbara's handling of the labor and trusted her and right now as I type this I am looking at my beautiful healthy little girl. Because Barbara is such a devoted midwife, she saw me after hours at her office next to NUMC. I knew something was wrong and she was the only one to believe me even though her exam came back clear ( and my husband thought I was just being anxious). Had she pushed me off until the next day to be seen I do not believe my daughter would be here today. It took me over 2 years to get over my severe, debilitating post pardem anxiety but I can tell you, Barbara was my saving grace in my labor. she not only got my daughter out alive and healthy, but she saved me from a possibly very damaging and traumatic rush c section.

Barbara is a true midwife. She is not a hybrid or someone who dabbles in natural birth and delivery, she is a real and hardcore. She knows what works and what doesn't work. She knows what you have to do to pass a baby naturally, and things you should avoid . I was very young when my oldest was born, and in true midwife fashion Barbara helped me understand everything that was happening. She taught me how to be the mother I am today. I had no idea how to even hold a baby. She was very caring and patient with me.

She does not pander to the hospital and doctors regardless of what other people ( who I guarantee have not worked with her as extensively as other positive reviewers have) . I have first hand seen Barbara give it to doctors, nurses, anyone who tried to take advantage of her patients. Maybe the biggest thing she is guilty of is caring too much. She works so hard for so many families and for what seems to be little appreciation in return. Is she rough around the edges, maybe! Is she brutally honest when it comes to health and caring for your pre and post natal care? Absolutely. Is she a good midwife? The best god damn midwife I have ever met.



If you are serious about getting over the top, true old school midwifery care, then give Barbara a call. She is a one woman show who works her tail off for her mothers. Those who have worked with her for as long as I have know she is amazing. Thank you for everything Barbara.

Submitted June 24, 2017