Shannon was introduced to us by our friends, and we approached her for birth doula support as we heard fantastic things about her. We attended her workshop, and even though my partner and I read many books, her workshop was a must. Here are some of the reasons: I have a good, calm, and composed Obgyn who is also head of her department. Her schedule is messy, and she can't spend 30+ minutes during our Obgyn visits. I joined Centering Pregnancy - thoroughly recommended, but even with all this, Shannon's workshop gave us so much information that first-time parents need. I believe she is knowledgable and genuinely a nice person that everyone should have during their birth. If you are like me, who believes in holistic care and are very curious, take her workshop and ask her to be your birth doula! read more

I feel blessed that I got to work with Shannon on our birth journey. She is thoughtful, kind, and extremely knowledgeable. While we took classes through our provider, these classes are what truly prepared me for the birth of our child and how much there is to navigate. Shannon is an expert in helping you think through the many decisions that might be thrown at you, especially when birth is filled with many unknowns. I was grateful for all the exercises she gave us -- both in thinking through the birth itself and also exercises we could engage in with our partners. So grateful to have worked with her. Thank you, Shannon! read more

My wife and I took several birthing classes at Kaiser, a one day intensive with Rachel Yellin, and the 6 week course here. We learned valuable information from all of the courses but we also really valued how inviting, interactive, and enjoyable this class was. The tools, visual, and techniques became so much more powerful and evident when we went through the actual birth and my wife delivered much faster and smoother than either of us could have imagined. read more

Loved this class. My partner and I did this virtually with two other couples due to covid but it was still a fantastic experience. There were a lot of great exercises and resources throughout. I definitely learned many things I didn't know before and I fee more ready than ever to support my partner through this amazing experience. read more

I gotta say, I thought I was in for some real hippie sh** when I signed up for this class, but I wanted to expose myself to everything I could find before becoming a father. I was a bit worried I would be pressured into very natural style births and looked down upon my wife and I weren't able to satisfy the perfect birth, but that was not the case at all with Shannon's class. My wife and I were exposed to so many educational materials brought to life by our instructor Shannon as she brushed away the stigma of any questions I felt uncomfortable asking other people. We were able to get hands on practice for pain coping techniques, and in depth education on how to ask questions and being aware the benefits and side effects of each option, no matter how scary it may sound. Honestly, what made some of the biggest differences once we had our baby, was setting up a room sanctuary with some guitar music, scent diffusers, and Christmas lights which made the room soo comfortable for our stay. I really appreciated this class read more

We were so pleased with the extensive knowledge and support that Aly and Shannon gave throughout the 6 week Birthing from Within Childbirth classes. My husband and I took a few classes from Kaiser but didn't feel very informed. The Birthing from Within classes covered everything we needed to know to make us feel comfortable with the experience of birth. Not to mention we looked forward to seeing our new found community every week. I especially loved how Shannon and Aly would send out a follow up email after every class with videos, links and attachments of more information on the topics we would cover in class. These classes were amazing and so are Shannon and Aly. We can't thank them enough! read more

This class helped me to feel incredibly supported and well resourced as I approach the huge life transistion of becoming a parent. Our instructor was excellent at being authentic and real and included both emotional and spiritual support suggestions as well as inellectual information and studies. I would highly recommend working with this team! read more

These classes truly helped my husband and I to be informed and more than anything truly surrender to our birth experience. This being my first baby I was extremely anxious with how the birth was going to go. I was a C section baby and my husband was an emergency C section preemie baby. That being said I didn't have very positive birth stories surrounding me. Shannon was an amazing facilitator around birth. These classes are so much more than learning about labor and the birth process - they were healing! It was also about learning more about myself and my husband. I know it sounds cheesy, but it truly was life changing. Shannon has an amazing gift to help people process birth and to hold a safe space to grow. She is extremely dynamic and has a gift of being able to shift the energy to help people move forward in a positive way. We truly could not have had the birth experience we had without Shannon, these classes, and her doula services. Everyone's birth story is different and beautiful in it's own way. We feel so blessed to have experienced the birth we did and so grateful we were able to have Shannon by our side. My husband and I talk about how we would not have been able to have a natural birth without her and we felt so prepared/informed around this rite of passage. Thank you thank you Shannon for sharing your amazing gift with us and for helping to gently usher us into the labyrinth of pregnancy, labor, birth and ultimately parenthood! We are forever grateful!!! read more

My husband and I took the 1-day class together and it was absolutely incredible and so empowering. We came away from it feeling so much more confident about the birth process and with the appropriate tools to use during labor (and beyond). Shannon and Alli used a lot of analogies, stories, Q&A, interactive demonstrations, practices, and even some dancing, which made the 8 hours fly by. We loved the class and are SO lucky to have them as coaches and doulas. read more

We took the Birthing from Within Day course with Shannon and Alli - it was great. We feel confident with all of the information and tools they gave us in preparation for the little one. We highly recommend this course and also these two knowledgable ladies ad doulas as well! Thank you! read more

Shannon is incredibly knowledgeable about all things birth related. She is an excellent teacher and has a clear passion for this work. We took the 5 week series and it was completely worth it. Before meeting Shannon I felt clueless and intimidated about childbirth. After taking this class I felt so much more confident and prepared. I actually looked forward to the birthing process. The strategies I learned really helped me in labor and I continue to use them now that our baby is here. We also met some wonderful people who we've kept in touch with since having our babies. read more

This class was the best investment we could make in preparing to welcome our first child into the world. Shannon is so easy to talk to about any questions or concerns and is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to childbirth. I refer to tips and exercises from her class constantly when talking to friends who are still expecting. She helped my husband and I get on the same page about the birthing process and we learned coping and communication techniques that we still use to this day! I could not recommend Shannon and her class more! read more

We loved LoVeD LOVED Shannon's Birthing From Within Class!! This class was super informative, fun, interesting, and creative. My partner was understandably a bit intimidated about attending an entire day workshop on childbirth, but we both left feeling energized and empowered. Shannon is an expert and graciously facilitates difficult concepts and topics with the class. Lots of great tips and lots of community knowledge was shared. Highly recommended! read more

My partner and I really enjoyed the Birthing from Within class with Shannon. We looked forward to the classes each week, and even though each class was 3 hours long, the time flew by and we found ourselves eagerly awaiting the next one. Shannon created an inclusive space. She is so incredibly knowledgeable, and she also has a great sense of humor, which made the awkward parts of birth class less awkward. Shannon is a natural educator. She knows her stuff and is very passionate about this work. We walked away from these classes feeling empowered, informed, confident and excited about our imminent labor and birth. We ended up having a beautiful birth experience, and we attribute how smoothly it went to our preparation from the Birthing from Within class. We used a lot of the positions, coping strategies and techniques during the labor. I was able to labor at home for the majority of my labor (when I went into the hospital I was already 9cm dilated) and was able to have an unmedicated birth. My partner felt like she was able to support me throughout the labor because of what she learned in this class. When I told a couple of my friends about the class, one asked if it was a "hippy dippy woo woo" kind of class. It wasn't. There is a good balance of self-discovery, straight up information, physical practice of techniques, and bonding experiences with your partner. I'd recommend this class to anyone... but it is an absolute MUST if you want to have a natural, unmedicated birth. read more

Taking Shannon's Birthing From Within class was by far the best decision we made during our pregnancy! She is kind, knowledgeable, and an invaluable resource into the world of labor and delivery. As first time parents, my husband and I had very little knowledge about what to expect, but after taking Shannon's class we felt very confident in our abilities. She provided tons of resources in addition to her amazing classes, which we utilized in the weeks leading up to the birth. During our labor and delivery, we relied heavily on the techniques that she taught in class. I can say with complete confidence that the birth of our daughter was much easier and less scary thanks to the wonderful teachings of Shannon. Do yourself a favor and book her class now! read more

My husband and I loved Shannon's birthing from within class. It was extremely informative, interactive, and fun! She is so passionate about birth which is very obviously noted in her class. She uses many different teaching techniques and the environment of the class location is very comfortable and relaxing for pregnant mamas. We highly recommend this class for mamas who wish to learn their options during birth, how to communicate with health care providers, and who wish to learn different pain management techniques. Thank you Shannon for an awesome class. read more

Due to my husbands crazy travel schedule we did the 1 day class. To be honest, I thought it was going to be a super long day and Shannon would run out of things to teach. Boy was a wrong. The day flew by and I was shocked we learned so much in so little time. We went into the class knowing very little about child birth and labor pain coping, but left feeling more than prepared. There were many great exercises that helped us leave feeling prepared. I love that we practiced labor positions and I was able to figure out which ones I liked prior to going into labor. The best thing I learned were tactics regarding positive affirmations during labor. During labor, whenever I found myself saying I couldn't do it, I used skills I learned in the class to get through each contraction. I highly recommend the class! read more

Shannon is the best. My wife and I attended her Birthing From Within class and it was super educational. She answered any and every question that came up from the group. We are so excited to have her as our doula in support of our birth process. Totally recommend her course. read more

My wife and I took the Birthing From Within classes just a few months ago. Without a doubt, these classes were helpful. On a completely practical level, the classes were informative for two people (my wife and I) who knew very little about childbirth. And on a more intangible level, the classes gave us tools to approach childbirth with a confident, positive attitude/perspective. And the proof is in the pudding: my wife had a natural childbirth (i.e., no epidural or pain meds). And she and I both agree: the Birthing From Within classes definitely contributed to the amazing outcome we had. I would absolutely recommend these classes to anyone who is either considering a natural childbirth, or wants a much better alternative/supplement to whatever standard lowest-common-denominator classes are offered by your hospital. read more

Shannon is an amazing person and an amazing resource, we're so happy to have her help us along our journey to become parents. We attended her Birthing From Within class and we are using her as our doula. Simply put, we have learned a ton of great information from Shannon. We highly, highly recommend her and her class! read more

We attended classes with Shannon Padlog in May, and it was a wonderful experience. Shannon is very knowledgeable about what to expect during pregnancy, labor, delivery, and beyond. She takes a very thoughtful and positive approach to sharing her wealth of information in a way that is easily absorbed. She keeps the classes lighthearted with her sense of humor, but manages to empower moms-to-be and their partners with valuable coping skills, offers insight from her experience as a doula. Shannon provides clarity around the physical changes a mother and baby experience during pregnancy and childbirth. I personally walked away with a much better understanding of the various things we may potentially encounter along the way - the things that we, as first-time parents, would have never knows, and never thought to ask. I'd highly recommend Shannon's classes to anyone and everyone who is expecting. read more

We had such a great experience in Shannon's class. I was a little hesitant at first to commit to the course as I thought maybe I could get all the info I needed in one of those weekend options when you go in for a day and then you're done - but upon the recommendation of my doula we signed up for Shannon's class and could not have been happier. Spreading the courses out over many weeks was absolutely the way to go. There is so much valuable information shared that it's nice to have more time to reflect on it all. Shannon provides a follow up after each course with details of everything that was covered as well as additional resources to learn more. This meant I could relax and take everything in during the classes but not worry about having to frantically write down every detail. Shannon is a natural teacher and provided a very supportive setting. I felt comfortable asking any questions and sharing with the group without fear of judgement and I got the sense that the others in the group felt the same. There was a lot of laughter and every class flew by! I went into the class not knowing a great deal about the birthing experience. Shannon's course was incredibly comprehensive. She covers the full details of our physiology and the birthing process, but also gives great focus to pain management techniques, comfort measures and what I found most valuable: a thorough discussion about what your options are. I was interested in a non-medicated birth, but wasn't positive and had a lot of people in my life (my mother included) telling me that I was insane and why wouldn't I get the epidural? I finished the course with the confidence that I could deliver naturally, but also the understanding that if I didn't - that was absolutely okay. I had a relatively short labor and was able to deliver unmedicated but was surprised by how early in the process inducing measures were suggested. Without this course I am positive I would have said "okay, whatever you think is best" rather than asking "can we wait just another hour or two to see how things progress?" This course also completely altered my husband's expectations about his role in the birthing process. He was so grateful to learn how much he could support me and advocate for me throughout labor. It truly made the experience "our birthing story" not just mine. I would recommend this course to any expectant parents - it is so worth it! read more

My husband and I took Shannon's 5 week Birthing From Within class and it was phenomenal. Each week the topics and discussions were really interesting and I left each class feeling empowered and more prepared for our birthing experience. We really enjoyed meeting the other parents-to-be in the class and feel like we have made some good friends in the process. read more