Gwen Haynes

Co-Founder, Certified Nurse Midwife

 

My work as a midwife is more than a job, it is a calling. I was drawn to this profession in my early twenties while attending UC Santa Cruz. As life would have it, my path had a few twists and turns, but my vision never wavered - to bring exceptional care to people who are pregnant, birthing, and anticipating their lives as parents. 

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At the onset of my career, I worked as a Labor & Delivery nurse, and ‘caught’ my first babies on the East Coast. As part of my midwifery education, I trained at Highland Hospital, in Oakland, and subsequently landed my first job as a midwife at Alta Bates in 2006. Over the last two decades I have provided care to thousands of families - in busy medical practices, in high-risk settings, in the hospital, and now in our wonderful private practice setting of Golden Oak. It's truly a dream come true to be co-founder of this amazing practice!

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I care deeply about ensuring that people have extraordinary birthing experiences within the confines of our fragmented healthcare system. For me, the best compliment about our care is when someone says, “it felt like a homebirth in the hospital”. People should be held, listened to, cared for, appreciated, and valued. This is our standard of care at Golden Oak, and what all birthing people have the right to experience.

I believe strongly in birth equity and am an ally of the LGBTQ+ community. I was born and raised in Oakland, aka “The Town”. This great city has provided me with a unique framework that has  shaped both my life and the care I provide. I am forever grateful. 

 

When I am not “off catching a baby”, I enjoy spending time with my husband (also an Oakland native) and our two beautiful children (teenagers–yikes!). I just learned how to roller skate, which is pure joy! I love the ocean (rivers and lakes, too!) and a beautiful sun-shiny day. Mindfulness, yoga, and gardening are also integral parts of my daily living. 

   

 

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