I have had 3 children with Clarissa. My personal experience is that she is extremely senstive to the needs and wants of her patients. She has always been calm in every situation even in one of my births where things looked like they could go wrong during the labor. I think that in some cases where things have gone wrong with others it is only natural that she will be viewed negatively because we all expect the best outcome, sometimes it doesn't happen and i can't speak for anyone else.
I DO know that when the nurses at the hospital could not explain how to get my baby to latch on when breastfeeding she stayed after hours to help me and make sure i was okay. When i realized i was going through postpartum depression she directed me to do what i needed to get help. In one of my births she congratulated me for not asking for meds becuase she had to give them to 6 other women who asked for them for the labor that day. The only time she gave meds was the first time and it was a muscle relaxer for the long labor i went through and needed a rest from. She has always discouraged it when it was not needed. My husband's aunt even retells of her labor when she asked for meds and Clarissa kept trying to convince her not to have them. She eventually did because she insisted.
I birth my children "sunny side up" as she calls it, which ob's will want to do c-sections for. I'm thankful for her knowledge and ability to handle my difficult births and think that it is wise that she delivers in a hospital in the case that something does go wrong. As far as i know she has always had a back-up doctor, the reason why she called me in early to check my progress because that back up doc was going on vacation....she didn't want him to make me have a c-section if i went into labor right before he had to leave. Since that was my first time i didn't realize i was having real contractions and i had a healthy baby girl. There is alot more i could say but not enough time or space....Thanks Clarissa.

I read these reviews and was compelled to rate and share my opinion & experience with Ms. Carbo.
Yes, there is a time and place for alternative medicine. Yes, there is an alarmingly high rate of C-sections performed. But, there is also a time for common sense, knowing when you (referring to a Nurse Mid-Wife) need help and a medical doctor's intervention. If these things had been combined when I gave birth under Ms. Carbo's care, I would have a beautiful teenage daughter today. Instead, I have the ugly memory of a baby girl who just finally gave up at the moment she entered the world after 23 hours of horrific, exhaustive labor, nurses pushing on my stomache to help me push my child through the birth canal, and Ms. Carbo wringing her hands saying "We've got to get this baby out."
My daughter was born sleeping in 1994 thanks to Ms. Carbo's ineptness and inability to recognize when to call a doctor into the room to use suction or forceps. A procedure that would have taken only 20 seconds since my baby had crowned. Did I want a natural birth? Sure, but I wanted my baby girl alive. FIRST AND FOREMOST.
I was a first time mom and put my trust completely in the hands of Ms. Carbo. She was supposed to be the medical professional. She was the one with years of experience. I was so intent on the labor that I had no conception of time and we were constantly reassured that everything was fine. Imagine the look of disbelief and horror on my face when my daughter was born and whisked to the waiting medical bassinet to be worked on with shots of epi, suction, oxygen and the like. Imagine watching this horrorshow and not understanding what the hell was going on. My baby girl had a heartbeat right up to delivery but never took a breath on her own. All of this was preventable had Ms. Carbo called for her backup doctor to administer suction. My baby girl, who I longed to hold and watch grow up, was dead.
An autopsy was performed. They could find nothing medically wrong with my baby. Later, I learned that Ms. Carbo was relieved of her privleges at that particular hospital. Several years later I learned that an investigation was conducted and I was told that my daughter's death was preventable. Had Ms. Carbo called her back up doctor to administer suction, my daughter would be alive today. There's much more to this horror story, but these are the general details.
So, bottom line, be cautious. If you choose a nurse mid-wife; make sure she has a back up medical doctor on call, know who it is, and how to contact them yourself. Make sure the nurses and hospital have the back-up doctors contact information. Make sure your family in the room has the power to get help, trust their instincts, and be your voice.
I'm happy for the women here who have had positive experiences with Ms. Carbo. I would not wish the alternative on anyone. So, my rating for Ms. Carbo is far less than one star.

I've been seeing Clarissa since 1999, i have 3 children, and all i can say is I would not trade her for anyone else in the medical field. She was extremely attentive and sensitive to my needs, and was excellent to my family and friends. She is professional and yet warm and caring. Clarissa set an incredibly calm and peaceful mood in the room and helped me keep focused and believe in my self. She's not pushy about using meds or vice versa. She listens and genuinely tries to make the birth experience, a comfortable, and positive thing. I feel blessed to have had her as my CNM. I'm very grateful for her care and inspiration. I've recommended her to friends and family and everyone is pleased with her care. Thank You Clarissa!

I delivered 3 of my 4 children with Clarissa. Naty was the first, with a unprogressive labor that ended in an emergency c-seccion she never left my side and kept my family updated on what was going on. Naty is now almost 16 years old. Justin and Brandon were also delivered by Clarissa, both were drug free v-back deliveries and believe it or not Clarissa made it to the hospital before I did. I would recommend her to anyone looking for a CNM. Thanks Clarissa for everything yoy did for me.

Clarissa Carbo assisted the birth of my daughter ten years ago this past August 18. She was amazing . The fact that she is a CNM allowed me to choose her. Having a vbac after a crash section a few years before, and being in a county (Miami-Dade) that is hardly progressive in its approach to natural childbirth, nor does it have a plethora of competent providers for doing so safely, Clarissa Carbo is truly a Godsend. Knowing what I do about what a miracle it is that any of us ever do get born, it was Clarissa's background, knowlege, and the subsequent privileges that are earned in that process, that made her a natural choice for the safest possible birth. She did not intervene when it was not necessary, she paid close attention to me and my daughter, and had all the backup we might need available. I was thirty-nine years old, my labor lasted for more than twenty hours, and never was medication suggested or taken, (although it would have been available if, for some unforseen reason, it might have become necessary). My baby never left me from the time she was born until I brought her home. I know many women, low risk and high risk, who have had their babies born into Clarissa's loving hands, avoided c-sections because of Clarissa's wisdom and care, and all bless her each time we discover another one of us, Clarissa's fans.
You don't have to take a stranger's word for it. Go meet Clarissa yourself and you will see.
By the way, I haven't seen Clarissa Carbo for nearly ten years. I hope she will read this and know that the mothers who had babies with her continue to be grateful, and send her our love.

As a birth instructor,I am aware of four women who have used her services. Although they strongly desired unmedicated, non-interventive births, which is why they chose a midwife over an obstetrician, they reported that this nurse-midwife conducted very medicalised births in the hospital. Although I recommend many midwives in the community, I will not recommend this one to my students.