Giving birth in Highland Park, CA: Your Local Guide from Pregnancy to Postpartum
BY: REBECCA BELENKY, LOS ANGELES BIRTH
If you walk down one city block during the daytime in Highland Park, you will notice one thing for sure…There are a lot of people making and raising babies in that little corner of Los Angeles! It is undeniable! Snake Park is filled with toddlers and their siblings snoozing in baby carriers or strollers, or parents and their small humans drinking coffee and bruch at Kitchen Mouse.
Whether you’re newly pregnant, planning to conceive, or navigating your fourth trimester, Highland Park is a uniquely supportive neighborhood to grow your family. As a local doula, I’ve had the privilege of witnessing the births of many families based in Highland Park. It is a lively and colorful community that is excellent for raising children.
This blog post is your complete guide to birth resources in Highland Park, CA—pre-pregnancy to postpartum and beyond.
✨ Fertility & Preconception Support
Even before a positive pregnancy test, your journey into parenthood can begin with intention and care. If you're preparing your body for pregnancy or navigating fertility challenges, Highland Park offers holistic support:
Highland Park Holistic Psychotherapy- It's tempting to focus on the “making a baby part” of conception, but finding a therapist who you trust can be key to beginning your journey with curiosity and professional support. Consider preparing your ‘whole self’ for pregnancy by seeking mental health care.
Fertile Moon Midwifery – Midwife Christian Toscano, offers preconception care, herbal support, as well as Craniosacral Therapy to individuals in the Highland Park area. She is passionate about offering services catering to the LGBTQ+ community, as well as empowering Gynecological Care.
Highland Holistic – A collaborative space offering naturopathic care, bodywork, and wellness consultations. There are many providers to choose from as you prepare for pregnancy and birth.
"Conception is not just physical—it's emotional and energetic. Support during this stage can set the tone for your entire pregnancy."
✨Prenatal Care, Labor & Birth: Options in and Around Highland Park
Where and how you give birth is deeply personal. Whether you're dreaming of a home birth or prefer a hospital setting, here are some local options:
Moxie Birth Center – A collaborative birth center offering OB/Midwife care for low-intervention births, a few miles away in South Pasadena, CA.
LA Area Homebirth Midwives – A benefit of a homebirth midwife is that they come to you in labor, and even sometimes do in-home prenatal care! Some favorite midwives include: Beth Cannon, Jamie Hatcher and Naomi Drucker. Naomi is the LA unicorn midwife who offers both home or hospital birth care for pregnant families.
Highland Park does not have any neighborhood hospitals. However, Huntington Hospital in Pasadena and Cedars Sinai in Beverly Hills are the most frequently chosen hospitals of my birth doula clients in Highland Park. Both are a drive- but many OBs are available at both locations.
“There’s no one right way to give birth—only the way that feels right for you.”
✨Supportive Bodywork Services in Pregnancy
Maternal Comfort and fetal positioning are two important factors that can make pregnancy enjoyable and birth more straightforward. Taking care of your body with chiropractic, massage, and acupuncture can have benefits throughout pregnancy for the body and the mind.
Focus Chiropractic – Dr Kolleen and Dr Richard are located in Pasadena, CA, but their gentle and experienced care is worth the drive. Experts in the Webster Chiropractic technique their intelligent hands can sooth pregnancy aches and imbalances or address baby’s positioning for a more straightforward birth .
Alissa Kate, CMT– She offers home visits for Prenatal, Postnatal and Deep Tissue Massage, or alternatively you could go to her space in Pasadena. She has a lovely energy that builds confidence and trust in each person’s unique wisdom to birth.
Kaylie Hopper – Kaylie’s services offer a unique blend of 3 different modalities: herbs, somatic experiencing, and acupuncture -all in one skilled practitioner. So cool.
Prenatal Yoga at One Down Dog – I know it's technically Eagle Rock, but this (almost Highland Park) spot is excellent for meeting other pregnant people while softening and lengthening your pregnant body in preparation for birth. Sharing the experience with others is vital to feeling seen, held and understood.
“Your body holds deep wisdom—sometimes the best preparation is simply learning to listen.”
✨Education & Preparation
Learning about physiologic birth and your choices is an important aspect of preparation.
Los Angeles Birth – Private Childbirth and Lactation education based in South Pasadena, CA. A heartfelt blend of curious, fun, and interactive birth and postpartum preparation.
The Pelvic Model PT – Rachel Daof and the team of Highland Park Pelvic Floor therapists specialize in prenatal prep and education in addition to hands-on therapeutic methods. The therapist can see you from prenatal through the postpartum period.
Village Birth – Offers childbirth education, newborn care, parent support, CPR, and Hypnobirthing classes in Pasadena.
Spaces Therapy – Don't forget to baby-proof your relationship! Meeting with an experienced couples therapist can help partners communicate better and ease the transition to parenthood or ease your growing pains as siblings are added to your family.
"Birth is usually unpredictable– feeling informed and supported can make all the difference."
✨The Fourth Trimester: Emotional Wellness and Physical Healing
The First Forty Days after birth are often called the fourth trimester—a delicate time of healing, bonding, and adjustment. Many find that the support of massage, lactation support, doula care, and postpartum mental health care enhance a full recovery and flourishing of new parents.
Lactation Consultants: Some favorite lactation consultants serving the Highland Park area are: Evonne Smith, Josee Pound, and Christina Conte.
Earthside Holistic –Postpartum Doula care from Ash Novickas that addresses the whole person’s healing through food, massage, ritual, herbs, and newborn care.
New Beginnings Physical Therapy- April Ramirez is a PT in South Pasadena who specializes in Pelvic Floor Therapy. The office takes many insurance options. As you begin to think about your physical healing after a vaginal or cesarean birth- PT can be an important part of your care and recovery.
Meal Train - Have you started a meal train yet? Ask your partner or a family member to take over organizing meal delivery for after the baby arrives. Many friends and family WANT to be helpful- and FOOD is so helpful in the postpartum period. Asking for what you need is a skill that new parents get to flex and call in the support of your new village.
Postpartum Support International (CA Chapter) – Offers free online groups and therapist referrals.
Bornbir.com -Online Resource to match with available birth professionals in the Highland Park area
"Healing doesn’t happen in isolation. Building your postpartum village is just as important as prepping for labor."
Highland Park may be a small neighborhood in Los Angeles, but it’s rich with resources, heart, and community for growing families. Whether you’re just beginning to dream about parenthood or you’re knee-deep in the postpartum blur, you don’t have to do it alone. The providers and spaces mentioned here are more than just services—they’re part of a village that values your well-being and your transformation through birth.
Support doesn’t have to be hard to find. It’s here—and you deserve to feel held, heard, and cared for every step of the way.
If you’re looking for grounded, thoughtful doula care in Highland Park or nearby, I’m here. Let’s talk.
