Midwives
-
- Tweet
Westlake Women's Health Specialists
Stephanie Mandelman, MD
Obstetrics & Gynecology located in Westlake Village, CA
A WORD FROM DR. STEPHANIE MANDELMAN:
A New Way to Welcome Your Baby!
I'm Dr. Stephanie Mandelman, a board-certified OBGYN with over 30 years of experience caring for women through every stage of life. While I no longer attend births myself, I've teamed up with two exceptional midwives, Naomi and Abigail, to offer something truly special: a deeply personal birth experience-supported by the safety and resources of the hospital.
Together, we blend the warmth, time, and attention of midwifery care with the reassurance of medical expertise close at hand. We take time to get to know you-not just the chart. We listen. We learn what matters to you and your family. And we make your comfort, your safety, and your birth plan our shared priority.
This is birth, reimagined-for families who want to be heard, supported, and safe.
MEET THE MIDWIVES:
NAOMI ELIZABETH DRUCKER, CNM
I was inspired to become a midwife in the first delivery room I ever entered- my own! The experience lit a fire in me that I knew would have to burn long and low as my attention was focused on my new baby. While still nursing him I undertook training to become a doula. I knew I wanted to be a midwife, but with a young son of my own, I was not ready at that time for the huge educational commitment. I was a practicing doula for 4 years before I was ready to take the next step. I wanted the chance to make more of a difference. I knew that the hospital nurses could influence a birth powerfully, as they had with mine. Becoming a labor and delivery nurse was my chance to make other women’s birth experiences more positive. Before going to nursing school I had a second son- this time in the care of loving midwives Connie and Tai at the Hollywood Birth Center on Sunset Boulevard.
After an immersive two year program, I became a registered nurse at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in their labor and delivery department, where I had the opportunity to learn among the best. I loved my job so much that after my next birth- twin boys, I chose to remain at Cedars-Sinai for another 10 years. During the time I was a nurse I was honored to meet and work with the legendary CNM Debbie Frank who had the first hybrid home/ hospital private midwifery practice in Los Angeles- mine is the second. She was the inspiration for my future practice model.
In 2015, with the unwavering support of my loving husband and father of my four amazing boys, I decided it was time to take the next step to becoming a certified nurse-midwife. I began to assist midwives at home births and then embarked on the final leg of my journey to midwifery, the 3-year bridge to Masters degree program at Frontier Nursing University. As much as I enjoy supporting families to birth at home, I saw there was a need in our community for a private hospital based midwifery practice that upheld the hallmarks of midwifery. I decided to be the change I wanted to see and applied for hospital privileges. I am thrilled to be a midwife and so honored to be able to continue to serve women in the setting of their choice, whether it be their home, or one of the best hospitals in Los Angeles. I have worked as a midwife in my own private practice, Gracefull Birthing Center, and as a co-founder and midwife at Los Angeles Midwives. I finally had a home water birth shortly after starting my practice.
My education at Frontier Nursing University instilled a strong respect for and belief in evidence-based practice (EBP); I am also committed to honoring a woman’s intuition, including my own while treating each person (and family) as an individual as well as the traditional art of midwifery that is learned through working together and story-telling among midwives..
Naomi is a CNM since 2018, recertified every 2 years in basic life support and neonatal resuscitation including certifications from:
- American Midwifery Certification Board
- American Academy of Pediatrics Neonatal Resuscitation Program
- American Heart Association CPR and ECC
- Birth Emergency Skills Training (BEST)
- Breech Without Borders
Pregnancy, labor, and the postpartum period are some of the most transformative—and often the most vulnerable—times in a person's life. Too often, we are told to "push through," "be grateful," or "this is just part of motherhood." But that narrative ends here with the help of a Midwifery and Obstetrician collaboration. Research shows that up to 80% of maternal morbidity and mortality is preventable - simply by having a midwife at your side.
As a mother myself, I understand intimately the physical and emotional toll that this journey can take. From the shifting identity of pregnancy to the raw realities of birth and the often-overlooked postpartum period, I’ve walked that path—and I know how isolating it can feel when support is lacking. As a woman who has experienced infant loss herself, if you are someone who has a history of loss, your thoughts, worries, and anxieties will be treated with gentle care.
Pelvic floor dysfunction, postpartum depletion, birth trauma, breastfeeding challenges, emotional upheaval—these are not things we should simply “cope” with. They are valid, they are real, and they deserve expert, compassionate care and your voice matters. Whether you're navigating your first pregnancy or your fourth, recovering from birth, or trying to feel whole again after delivery, I will walk alongside you. You won’t be brushed off, rushed, or minimized here."
