Resources
Jump to a topic…
Fertility — Pregnancy — Midwives — Childbirth — Mental Health — Breastfeeding/Chestfeeding — Parenting
Advocacy & Organizations — Community Reports — Other Local Support — Books & Videos
Fertility
RESOLVE — Provides free support in communities around the country and fights for the rights of people struggling to build their families.
American Society of Reproductive Medicine — A nonprofit, multidisciplinary organization for advancement of the science and practice of reproductive medicine. ASRM provides accurate, non-commercial information about fertility and reproduction.
Santa Cruz Trans* Resources — Provides current information about resources in Santa Cruz County for the transgender, genderqueer and gender expansive community.
Pregnancy
Siena House — Provides supportive housing for pregnant women and new mothers experiencing homelessness or housing instability during pregnancy and a baby’s first year of life.
Janus of Santa Cruz — Offers specialized programs to support pregnant, postpartum and parenting women with substance abuse disorders - and their children - throughout the recovery process.
Preeclampsia Foundation — The leading US-based not-for-profit organization dedicated solely to improving the outcomes of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy like preeclampsia, HELLP syndrome, and eclampsia by educating, supporting and engaging the affected community, improving healthcare practices, and accelerating research.
American Pregnancy Association — A national health organization committed to promoting reproductive and pregnancy wellness through education, support, advocacy, and community awareness.
Centering Pregnancy — Centering group care delivers better health outcomes and a better care experience for patients and their providers
Evidence Based Birth (EBB) puts evidence based information into the hands of communities, so they can make empowered choices.
Breech Resources
External Cephelac Version — video of a doctor flipping baby’s position externally
Spinning Babies’ — Flip a breech
Midwives
Legal Aid at Work — Videos available in English, Spanish, Chinese (Mandarin), Vietnamese, Arabic, and Farsi
The American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM)
Californians for the Advancement of Midwifery (CAM)
American Association Of Birth Centers
The National Association of Certified Professional Midwives (NACPM)
Childbirth
American Association Of Birth Centers — promotes and supports freestanding birth centers and midwifery units in all communities to achieve a high-value model of evidence-based care that is equitable, safe, and respectful.
Lamaze International — Giving Birth With Confidence; healthy birth practices and more
Evidence Based Birth — Putting the evidence back in the hands of families.
Henci Goer’s Resource Library — Pregnancy, birth, postpartum
Freebirth — Dr. Rebecca Dekker and Dr. Sara Ailshire examine the available evidence on planned unassisted birth, also known as freebirth, defined as intentionally giving birth without a qualified midwife or physician present.
Mental Health
988 — Suicide and crisis lifeline English/Spanish. 9-8-8 is available via call or text, and online chat.
Postpartum Support International — A global non-profit organization that provides direct peer support, education, and resource referrals for individuals and families dealing with perinatal mental health conditions, including postpartum depression, anxiety, OCD, and trauma. Call the PSI HelpLine: 1-800-944-4773 or Get Support
Maternal Mental Health Resources — Connects birthing people, parents, families, and providers with local Mental Health Resources for before, during, and after pregnancy.
Dad Manual — A site for Dads, by Dads
Breastfeeding/Chestfeeding Support & Information
Nursing Mothers Counsel— Free lactation support by phone, text, email, or video chat
831 Breastfeeds — Local guide to lactation resources
Mothers Milk Bank — Donate milk, receive milk, request information about human milk
Kellymom.com — Articles and hot topic search feature on pregnancy, feeding and parenting.
La Leche League International — Breastfeeding resources/information/support/warmline
Global Health Media Project — Instructional breastfeeding videos English and Spanish & Breastcrawl early initiation of breastfeed at the time of birth
California Breastfeeding Coalition — Laws and regulations protecting nursing in public, Jury duty, workplace, custody, travel and more.
Parenting
Nurturings.org — Attachment Parenting Information
Mother-Baby Behavioral Sleep Laboratory
Positive Discipline — Raise capable, resilient kids — with kindness and firmness at the same time
Positive Discipline Community Resources (PDCR) — A nonprofit dedicated to bringing the international Positive Discipline (PD) movement to Santa Cruz and Monterey counties.
Advocacy & Organizations
California Breastfeeding Coalition — Working collaboratively to protect, promote, and support lactation and human milk feeding.
International MotherBaby Childbirth Organization — Helps communities, birth centers, and health systems turn lived experience into better care, stronger accountability, and lasting policy change. History of the organization.
Moms First — A national organization fighting for the structural changes moms need and deserve: paid leave and affordable & accessible child care.
Community Reports
Santa Cruz County Birth Report — This report provides data on live births delivered in 2024 in Santa Cruz County
Santa Cruz County Birth Report 2022 — This report provides data on live births delivered in 2022 in Santa Cruz County
Other Local Support
Siena House — Providing supportive housing and education for pregnant women and new mothers experiencing homelessness or housing instability
Janus Perinatal Treatment Program — Offers a residential substance abuse treatment program for women who are pregnant or parenting. Children age five and under may reside with their mothers during treatment.
Encompass Community Services — A nonprofit organization with over 40 programs county-wide providing services in behavioral health, family and social well-being, early childhood education, housing, and substance use recovery services.
Family Service Agency of the Central Coast — Offers a variety of low- and no-cost family mental health services including individual, couples and family counseling, as well as group therapy and support for adult survivors of child sexual abuse through their Survivors Healing Center program.
Campesina Womb Justice — A partera led mutual aid project for womb & healing justice for indigenous campesinas y la tierra.
Live Oak Community Resources — Provides a variety of low- or no-cost services to families in the East Santa Cruz/Live Oak/Capitola area, including counseling, tutoring, food distribution and public benefits enrollment assistance.
Community Bridges/WIC — Provides equitable access to resources, and advocates for health and dignity across every stage of life.
Santa Cruz County Support Groups — A list of Free Breastfeeding/Mental Health/Community building Support Groups compiled by a Birth Network Board Member
Semillitas — Offers free college savings accounts for all babies born to Santa Cruz County parents on or after January 1, 2021.
Books and Videos
Midwife/Birth Documentaries — A good way to learn about your childbirth options.
Parenting Books — Curated by a Birth Network Board Member
Praeclarus Press — A small press owned by Kathleen Kendall-Tackett, Ph.D., a health psychologist and board-certified lactation consultant.
