I feel incredibly lucky to have had Shalin as my doula for the birth of my second child! Shalin is such a warm, caring, and genuine person. As a doula, she is extremely capable, professional, and supportive. When I first connected with Shalin via videochat for a consultation, she instantly made me feel comfortable. I decided to go with Shalin based on how experienced and knowledgeable she seemed, as well as how comprehensive her doula services package was. Over the course of my pregnancy, Shalin visited my house several times to educate my husband and me about the birthing process, evidence-based approaches to birth, and different ways to prepare my body for birth, and to go over my birth plan. The whole process made me feel really prepared for the birth and gave me a greater understanding of what I wanted for the birth. I also appreciated that I got to know Shalin more during the pregnancy so that she didn't feel like a stranger at all. In fact, she is so warm and friendly that she felt more like a friend! She didn't push any particular views on me but wanted me to feel supported in my birth preferences.  When I went into early labor, Shalin was very responsive and kept checking in on me to see how labor was progressing, and when we decided to go to the hospital, she was super quick to meet us there. She was prepared in every way and set up lights and candles for the room. The hospital room was a vibe and very peaceful! Since I gave birth in a hospital setting, it was also important to me to have someone who could help advocate for me. When my hospital care team asked me to do certain things, Shalin checked in with me to see if I wanted to proceed with what they were asking. During the labor, she suggested different laboring positions and did counterpressure and other comfort measures, which helped me tremendously in coping with the pain. With Shalin's help and support, all my birth preferences were met! I had such a positive, empowering labor - something I never would have thought possible after my first delivery experience (without a doula).  I loved having Shalin as my doula and I highly recommend her! I can't stress enough how having her as my doula made such a difference to my second delivery experience. I am so happy with how everything went and really couldn't have done it without Shalin! read more

When I wrote this last time I was the supporting non-birthing parent. Thankfully just got the chance to work with Shalin from the other side with the birth of our newest little one!! As always Shalin is the most incredible, compassionate, kind, resourceful, and caring doula. My full updated review is here below! :) https://yelp.to/Xwqw8UCKBk read more

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My partner and I absolutely loved working with Shaylin. From the very beginning of my pregnancy, I felt completely supported--she helped ease my anxiety, made me feel safe, and was such a grounding presence throughout the entire journey. Our birth went differently than we had planned, but Shaylin walked us through every option with so much care and clarity. Because of her, we felt informed, empowered, and confident in every decision. We are so grateful for her and highly, highly recommend working with her! read more

So glad we took Shalin's Accelerated Birth Class! My husband and I both attended the classes and we felt so much more prepared for birth. I would've been a lot more nervous for birth if we hadn't. Shalin taught about the different phases of labor and what to expect at each stage. She also shared different positions to labor in and ways a partner can support you. I gave birth a few weeks ago and my husband and I definitely drew from what we learned from Shalin. Highly recommend her classes! read more

What would I have done without Shalin? Let's just say I don't want to know! Shalin was there for me emotionally throughout my pregnancy and especially during labor. As a first time mom, I did not know what to expect (especially starting at 38 weeks) and let me just say that Shalin was there to guide me every text at a time. I was grateful for her calm demeanor and the clear paths she laid out before a potential induction. I was especially grateful for her ability to help me turn baby around after being admitted to hospital, and most importantly, I was grateful for her steady eye contact and unwavering support as I quickly labored while my nurses did not believe the pain I was feeling. Shalin made timely suggestions during labor that made me feel loved, supported, and in excellent care. She and Cat are an excellent team and we plan on hiring them again when we have our second child. read more

Shalin is the BEST. I highly recommend her doula services if you are going to have a baby. One of the more genuine, beautiful people I have ever met, with deep knowledge and an incredible skill set to go with it. Thank you, Shalin, for everything you do. read more

My wife and I hired Shalin of So Zen Birth Services as our doula for our first child, born in May 2024. We would highly recommend her services to anyone else looking for a doula on their birth journey. Throughout the pregnancy, Shalin was extremely responsive to our questions and concerns about pregnancy, providing thorough, evidence-based information that made us feel supported, seen, and confident about our birth plan, as well as helpful in-person sessions at our home on comfort measures during pregnancy and labor. When our baby decided to come early and much faster than we had anticipated in our birth plan, it was a great comfort that Shalin arrived very quickly (in the middle of the night) and helped us adapt to the new circumstances based on her detailed understanding of our preferences. To be specific, we hadn't wanted an unmedicated birth, and Shalin was very supportive in planning what kind of medical support my wife wanted without a hint of judgment. However, it turned out once we were at the hospital that an epidural wasn't really feasible, so my wife ended up having to do the birth unmedicated after all. Throughout the process, Shalin provided vital support, helping us sort through the options and feel like we were in command of a situation that was changing dramatically, as well as providing helpful comfort measures to my wife as she moved through such an unexpectedly intense experience. She even took pictures and video of the exact moment we met our baby, which we will treasure forever. When it was all over, we both agreed that hiring Shalin was among the best decisions we made on our birth journey, and we strongly recommend her to anyone else. read more

We are so lucky we found Shalin and feel absolutely grateful to have been able to share such a positive intimate experience with her. Shalin exudes kindness, calm, and reassuring encouragement, with a level of trust that normally takes years to build. We've recommended Shalin to all our expecting parent friends and family and give our highest recommendation for anyone wanting to feel safe, supported, and held in their birth journey. She's simply magical. A bit of context: We found Shalin when I was approaching my third trimester as a first time mom. My wife and I were moving from Oakland to Davis in December 2020, during the height of the pandemic, and I knew we needed support, both physically and emotionally. It was an extremely stressful time: working full time, selling and buying a house, moving while 7 months pregnant, and of course knowing nothing about child birth except what we had seen through the media and horror stories from our friends and family. My prenatal care through Sutter Oakland was disappointing, and I assumed we would just transfer to Sutter Davis since we had heard really good things. I am considered geriatric by the medical community at 37 years old, but all around healthy. I wanted a natural unmedicated birth, but also wanted the best outcome for my baby. My appointments felt super transactional, I was quickly ushered in and out without any time to chat about any feelings that came up. Logistical conversations mostly. I knew I needed help advocating for the birth I wanted. My Yelp search for "Doulas in Davis" resulted in a list of all white hetero-cis-presenting women. When I came across Shalin's website, there was a compelling video testimonial from a family that looked more like mine (one of the parents was Asian). Shalin's website also had inclusive language and a commitment to providing a scholarship for her Evidence Based Birth class to families who identified as BIPOC and or LGBTQ. As a queer AAPI mother-to-be, I immediately felt seen and valued by this thoughtful stranger. When my wife and I finally connected with Shalin via Zoom, we knew we didn't need to interview anyone else. Shalin was so warm, heart-centered, knowledgeable, and kindly assertive. Exactly the type of person you need on your birth-team. We decided not only to take her EBB course, but also to work with her as our birth Doula. We couldn't be more thrilled by our decision. Over the next few weeks of working with Shalin and taking her course, we became more and more confident in the natural birth process, especially with her support. With the pandemic still raging in January 2021 and my due date quickly approaching at the end of February, I wanted to avoid the Covid-19 hospital policies which made me feel anxious, especially if I would not be allowed to bring our doula. Ultimately, we made the decision to have a home birth and transferred my remaining care to a team of midwives in Davis. Our home-birth can be described in three words as loving, transformative, and empowering. I felt so safely held by my support team, with Shalin being the head coach. She and my wife worked seamlessly together during active labor to keep me hydrated, comforted, and with very little direction from me. Her intuition was spot on, knowing exactly what words to say, and what comfort measures to use before I even knew I needed them. We were so empowered by the whole experience that my wife, who would have never considered a home-birth before, is now planning to have hers in a few years as well, with Shalin as her doula too, of course. read more

So Zen Birth Services - Shalin with our new family just after birth 3 - Doulas Near Me

Very knowledgeable and respectful space to learn about this special time in my life. Shalin gives you a vast wealth of useful information in a short amount of time. I was hesitant at first, since I took the accelerated class, which was only two in person sessions. However, I am very glad I took her class. I feel even more empowered and confident with my birth plan. She offers a very safe space to ask any and all of your questions. I highly recommend her as an instructor! read more

I knew I wanted to have a doula, especially having learned how beneficial it is to the overall health of pregnancy & delivery. I was overwhelmed by how to go about finding one but I decided to do a search online and when I came across Shalin's site, I just felt the warmth and love and reading the reviews made me want to each out. On top of that, it felt serendipitous because I found out her husband knows my husband! So I reached out and the journey moving forward with her made me feel so much at ease with my pregnancy. I loved how she made sure my husband was involved through it all. Her knowledge & expertise, her compassion, her excitement, her ability to empower us to know how to make the right decisions for us, are just some of what made her so awesome! I looked forward to our virtual sessions and in person sessions! During the delivery, she was by my side the whole time and when we experienced some unexpected challenges, she had a calm that made us calm and she empowered us to make the right decisions for us. I can't imagine how it would have been without her there. I loved the fact that she kept a detailed note of our birth story including a beautiful letter to our daughter, and so having her go over that with us when she came to see us after delivery was so special to us. If you are looking to have a compassionate & knowledgeable support that will make you at ease during your pregnancy journey, please consider Shalin. You won't regret it! read more

As someone who has been a part of the Yelp community for over a decade, I have used Yelp for many important events in my life. Consequently, writing this review about our experience with our doula Shalin I take very seriously and as one of the most important reviews I have written over the years. Honestly. Being able to hire a doula is admittedly a privilege, but I strongly suggest considering hiring one if you want expert support during your whole labor experience. This goes for any type of labor and delivery you can imagine. OK, but why go with Shalin? After interviewing four local doulas, I was drawn to Shalin based on her warmth, approach, and non-judgmental nature. She was also the only doula who explicitly mentioned being there to support my partner, as well. (I'm sure many doulas find that part of the role important, but it stood out.) During our two prenatal visits, I felt very secure and comforted by her expertise and questions for us to ponder. She helped us feel as prepared as possible by helping us gather information, providing lots of encouragement, and being available. Our positive experience with birth had a lot to do with the provider, but we would not have been able to do it without Shalin. She helped us over text and phone for six hours while we labored at home, and she was with us for seven hours in labor and delivery. Her recommendations were soothing, reassuring, and effective. My partner and I honestly don't know what we would've done without her. She's a huge part of why we had such a positive experience, and we are forever grateful. read more

In 2020 I birthed my beautiful son at Folsom hospital and had the experience of a Doula that was staffed by the hospital. I learned the importance of a Doula during birth. So when we were trying to get pregnant with our second and had to go through fertility treatments which felt so unnatural to us. I knew this pregnancy. I was going to want a Doula to be a part of the whole pregnancy not just the birth. We were a high risk pregnancy with twins and after many interviews with different doulas I was recommended to Shalin at So Zen Birth. After the first interview I immediately knew in it my heart that she was going to forever change my family's life. We hired shalin immediately and started the process of a natural pregnancy in the hopes that I'd be able to deliver the twins unmedicated vaginally in a hospital. We had Shalin over for our in home sessions it felt like having having a great friend over. We prepared for labor and she helped us find comfort in the pregnancy. She provided my son a big brothers book and a wrap that ended up being beyond helpful for labor but also as a baby carrier for the twins post birth. I texted and called her for every question under the sun. She answered every time overjoyed that I asked. The real work came on a Wednesday night when was 38 weeks pregnant. Yes 38 weeks with twins. We made it that far and I believe it was with all the help from Shalin. We went into the hospital and was emitted. Shalin came shortly after. We applied ALL of the work that we had done before hand preparing for this moment. A task that felt impossible was eased with her confidence in me. We had a crazy birth with one baby born still in the sac and the other came out breach feet first in the operating room! Yes unmedicated. I truly believe Shalin made all of this possible. I had the strength but did not know it without her. She pulled it out of me with some super power. I'm now 4 weeks postpartum and she is still guiding me through breast feeding and my crazy hormones. Shalin will forever be apart of our family. We love her so dearly and if we ever get pregnant again she will standing right beside us for another birth. read more

I attended Shalin's Lactation Breastfeeding class via Zoom. She used props, slideshow and physically acting out using a babydoll to demonstrate the correct ways to have a successful and positive experience with feeding our new baby! She gave information that I wish I would have known with my first baby because it was evident that those small mistakes I made, effected my outcome in not being able to produce enough. She was extremely thorough and always ready to answer a question in the chat. It was the best experience gaining the valuable knowledge and confidence in feeding our new baby. I can't be more thankful for her class. Definitely recommend for any first or second time mom 100% read more

Shalin is wonderful! She was our Evidence Based Birth class instructor. It's clear that she is super knowledgeable and passionate about what she does -- I felt lucky to get to learn from her. Shalin led the class in a straightforward, non-judgmental, and open way that made us feel totally comfortable. She also has a great sense of humor, which helped add levity to the conversation (can be overwhelming for us first timers!) The EBB course itself was awesome and empowering, highly recommend. And, if I hadn't already signed up with a doula I would have 100% asked Shalin to support my birth. Thank you, Shalin -- you are a gem! read more

We took Shalin's Evidence Based Birth class, and then used her mentorship program for continued support through labor. Our experience with Shalin was entirely virtual as we are in Los Angeles, but she is so warm and an excellent communicator, that virtual worked extremely well for us. The class really helped us to prepare, in particular the open environment for asking questions. Shalin made everyone feel comfortable, not easy for a bunch of strangers over zoom! The mentorship program was perfect for us, as we didn't have a birth doula and we were very comfortable with Shalin. We had a few calls prior to the birth, talking through any additional questions we had and issues that came up at the end of my pregnancy. Then when I went into labor, Shalin was available and very engaged every time I called - providing lots of concrete resources and suggestions for getting through early labor, and talking me through each stage where I felt unsure about the situation - on the way to the hospital, in triage, and preparing to push. It was as though she was in the room with me. I was amazed at how well it worked, and so thankful she had this support option available. After the birth she also checked in on me multiple times. If you are considering virtual support, I highly recommend! read more

When I got pregnant, I was on the fence about investing in a doula. My husband and I decided to go for it and I'm so glad we worked with Shalin. I truly believe because of her, I had exactly the type of hospital birth experience I desired. I became so much more educated and confident through the months of working together. Because of Shalin, breastfeeding came together for me smoothly which I am extremely grateful for. I would highly recommend her to anyone wanting to feel empowered during their pregnancy and labor. read more

Shalin is an amazing doula and I honestly believe our birth would have had a very different outcome if not for her guidance and support. My partner and I are first time parents, and add the pandemic on top of that, it was a lot of stress and uncertainty going into it. Shalin was extremely respectful of our Covid-paranoia and provided the exact help that we needed to both feel empowered and ready going into labor. She helped me especially stand up for the care that I needed the day of and helped me learn to trust my body and let it do it's thing. Additionally, Shalin helped my partner coach and support me through a full day of laboring at home. We kept in close contact with her and she helped remind us of the tools and techniques to keep us out of the hospital for add long as possible. It was also invaluable to have our postpartum visit where we could all process the whole delivery and accept it as our birth story, with our new tiny little one in our arms. Shalin documented both text and photographic details, which will be good reminders of what it was like should we decide to have another one. You bet your bottom we'll be having Shalin attend that birth too!! My only regret is that we didn't catch a picture of the four of us! Having a doula-attended birth may still sound like hippie-dippie voodoo magic, but it's backed by hard science that shows that having a doula results in shorter labors and fewer interventions. If you're on the fence about it, just have a meeting with her. From our very first Zoom call, both my partner and I were put at ease by Shalin's experience and calm Yoda-like wisdom. We can't thank her enough!! read more

Shalin was a wonderful instructor. Her enthusiasm, excitement, and knowledge of birth were helpful in shifting my mindset about my upcoming birth. She was supportive of every group member's questions and thoughts and it felt like a safe place to talk about such an intimate and important life event. It was also really helpful that she has experience working as a doula in various hospitals in the Sacramento area, as she was able to share her outsider knowledge. The class was very informative and helped me think through a birth plan that makes me feel much more confident going into this birth. It was also really great getting to do this with my partner, and we had many conversations as we did our homework that makes me feel like a solid team during birth and postpartum. Thank you, Shalin! read more

Shalin is one of the most special humans you will ever meet, and such a phenomenal doula. She is caring and knowledgeable. She is not afraid to speak up, but always does so in a courteous way. In the age of COVID-19, most hospitals are only allowing one support person to accommodate the birthing person, which unfortunately means doulas are not allowed in the hospital. Despite not being able to have Shalin with us in the hospital, it was so incredibly valuable to have her support and guidance. I think in some ways, having her support was even more valuable during this weird and unprecedented time. In the months leading up to the birth, she taught us many great techniques that helped us feel empowered and confident when we were in the hospital during labor and birth. Most hospitals have wonderful staff, but there are still times when it is important to speak up, perhaps to ask a question or to just say no when you're being asked to do something you'd rather not do. It can be intimidating to speak up to hospital staff, especially in the heat of the moment. But having knowledge of the process helped us navigate those conversations with hospital staff more easily. Since we were armed with the knowledge and resources we had learned from Shalin, we felt more confident speaking up when necessary, giving us control over the outcome of our birth story. My wife and I joked that we felt like Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, when the Good Witch tells her, "You had the power all along, my dear." For months before the birth, we had the expectation of having Shalin by our side during our birth. When we learned that wasn't going to be the case, at first we were disappointed and a little scared. But Shalin was with us up until the moment we checked in to the hospital, and when we had to part ways, we did so confidently knowing that she had prepared us to advocate for ourselves. We had the power in us to have the birth we wanted! But it was Shalin who helped us get to that point, and for that we will always be grateful. read more

We are so deeply and profoundly grateful Shalin taught an online class about pregnancy during Coronavirus, it was a life changing course and prepared us for what otherwise we would have been unprepared for. It was really unbelievable how much we learned in such a short time. Shalin is down to earth, very calm and dedicated to the idea of being an evidenced based. She is calm, strong, personable and really relatable. She made both mom and dad feel a part of everything, teaching us stuff we didn't know we would need to know. We loved her spirit, her enthusiasm and her willingness to answer ANY question even though we were total nocives at the start. Excellent provider. Could not be better. read more

Shalin is an incredible doula. From the very first visit, Shalin made our family feel comfortable and well taken care of. This was my second pregnancy and I had no idea how much I had to learn about comfort measures, how to incorporate my partner more efficiently and the magical work of a doula. She read my needs through labor and postpartum effortlessly.. Our family is forever grateful. We look forward to her joining us again, at our next home birth! read more

Shalin supported my husband and I throughout the pregnancy and birth of our first child as our doula, Evidence Based Birth childbirth educator, and lactation educator. Hiring Shalin was one of the best decisions we made in preparation for welcoming our baby. As our doula, her impartial and unwavering support guided us through decision making during our pregnancy and helped us to advocate for the prenatal care and birth preferences we desired. Shalin's Evidence Based Birth course equipped us with the knowledge and tools needed for a variety of birth experiences. This left my husband and I feeling more prepared in our roles both as the birthing person and support person leading up to the birth of our baby. Lastly, Shalin's one-on-one prenatal lactation course helped me to feel much more confident about breastfeeding for the first time knowing that I could trouble shoot common challenges and that I was equipped with the knowledge and resources needed for differing eventualities. About a month before our estimated due date The COVID 19 pandemic hit, causing our hospital to restrict visitors and not allow doulas in the birthing space. Shalin calmly and proactively navigated this stressful situation, creating a library of online resource videos and offering virtual support for families in labor once they reached the hospital. She helped us to reformulate our plan for labor and birth to adapt to this less than ideal situation - helping us to regain a sense of control and support and reduce anxiety. On our baby's birthday Shalin supported us in-person as we labored at home and then seamlessly transitioned to supporting us virtually via Zoom and text once we moved to the hospital. Her support throughout our pregnancy and birth played a huge role in helping us to achieve the positive and empowering birth experience we had envisioned. read more

Shalin is an excellent, supportive, responsive doula, and very delightful person. My husband and I could not be happier to have had her along for my first pregnancy - and now a few weeks postpartum, we miss her in our lives! I wanted a natural birth from the outset but Shalin helped me develop a rich perspective on what that actually means and entails. She is incredibly open and communicative and will provide you with so much guidance and support. We met Shalin at a sort of 'speeddating' for doulas event at The Root and quickly decided we loved her energy; luckily, we could get a spot in her schedule. As my due date drew closer we found Shalin's at-home meetings super informative and reassuring (and fun!), and she was always available by text and email with the little (silly and not so silly) questions that popped up constantly. The reading material on pregnancy and natural childbirth that she provided was the most useful and inspiring I encountered throughout the nine months. On the day I finally delivered, after three long days of irregular but painful contractions, it was her advice to do a particular move (lift-tucks) that finally seemed to get the baby in position and let the birth proceed. At the hospital, Shalin was essential... she was there taking amazing care of me and supporting my partner, letting me squeeze her hand much harder than any human should allow, feeding me cherry ice cream in between contractions when I needed to gather steam. She made the birthing tub look like a romantic hot tub (not an easy feat) and was a great liaise with the hospital care team, making sure I got what I needed when I was way too far into LaborLand to know which way was up. And in the end, she took the most amazing footage of the most precious moments of my life, when my daughter actually made her way headfirst into the world. The memories of labor fade (thankfully) but these photos, videos and memories we made with Shalin are something we will long treasure. We recommend Shalin in the highest terms. read more

So Zen Birth Services - Shalin + the new mom with colorful rebozo, in a happy moment just before labor really got real! - Doulas Near Me

Shalin is an amazing doula! When we interviewed her, we knew right away that she was perfect for supporting our birth. I was high risk with a number of potential complications and we were looking for someone who would support us through whatever decisions we would have to make, yet advocate for us in the areas that were important to us. I immediately appreciated her evidence-based approach to birth and all things related to pregnancy and becoming a new mama. She shared with us a number of resources to consider to prepare for birth, breastfeeding, postpartum care, and so much more. We could have never predicted the complications we would have with our birth. I had an emergency c-section three and half weeks early. Shalin immediately came to the hospital and was with me during the entire procedure while my husband was with our baby. Shalin helped us navigate through difficult choices, advocated for us, and provided amazing postpartum support. She was equally supportive of both my husband and me. She went above and beyond anything we could have ever expected from a doula and I'm not sure how we would have made it through the experience without her. Our baby girl is doing great and we have already let her know that Shalin is an incredibly important person in her life. We are grateful for the support that Shalin provided and highly recommend her for families that are looking for both a knowledgeable, skilled professional and a warm, compassionate human to support their birth. read more

My husband and I are first-time parents and were hoping to take a class that would boost our confidence and help us to wrap our heads around what's to come...and we 100% found that under Shalin's instruction for the Evidence Based Birth birthing class. We walked away feeling more confident in knowing how to advocate for ourselves and what to advocate for during our upcoming hospital birth. Shalin is extremely knowledgeable and supportive, and we feel lucky to have taken this class from her! read more

There aren't enough words to describe how amazing Shalin was as our doula. She is so kind, personal, and professional. As this was my first pregnancy, I was so nervous and in the dark when it came to what to expect. Shalin educated me as well as gave me the confidence and support that I could accomplish my natural birth plan. When it came to prenatal visits, she was always on time and so kind every meeting. My husband and I really looked forward to seeing her! She also was always available when it came to texting or calling. I never felt like she did not care about my pregnancy. She answered all my questions and was wonderful at providing me with evidence based information. She definitely knows her stuff! I had a very long labor and Shalin was at the hospital the entire time. She supported me and was truly there for my husband, me, and my soon to be daughter. Hiring her as a doula was the absolute best decision we made because without her, I don't know what I would of done! I highly recommend hiring her as a doula. If you are looking for a loving, personal, professional, supporting, and amazing doula.. then you found her. I have so much love for Shalin and absolutely plan on hiring her for our next pregnancy. read more

So Zen Birth Services - Doulas Near Me

Our daughter was born on December 24th, 2021 at Midtown Birth Center in Sacramento with Shalin by our side. Shalin was an absolutely incredible doula and I am so grateful that she was there to support us during such an important moment in our lives. Before our child's birth, she was always available for questions or concerns via text or phone call. She answered promptly and never seemed bothered by my anxiety-ridden concerns. Early in the pregnancy, she helped me decide where I wanted to give birth in a kind, compassionate, and knowledgeable manner. She never forced her views or beliefs but always provided her opinion and expert advice. She even teaches a straight-forward evidence-based childbirth class that I would HIGHLY recommend every set of new parents take! During our prenatal meetings, Shalin joked and laughed with us and made us feel very comfortable in her presence. She taught us methods of pain management and explained what we could expect. She was great with our dogs and more than tolerated our chaotic way of thinking - she is definitely adaptable! The week before our daughter's birth, I was having periodic contractions and other symptoms. Shalin was with us every step of the way. We had a group text with her, my husband, and myself that we utilized for updates and to answer questions. As my contractions intensified, my husband was communicating directly with Shalin. When I was ready, we asked her to come and she arrived at our house soon after. From that point forward, she was our rock. She took over acupressure so my husband could have a break, made sure I was drinking plenty of fluids, had snacks, etc. She helped us make the decision that it was time to go to the birth center and followed us there. Unfortunately, I was not dilated enough to be admitted so we walked around the block to progress my labor. Shalin employed numerous techniques to help move the process along. When we were able to be admitted, she stayed with us through the night. Every time the pain seemed too intense and my husband was worried, she would reassure him that everything was ok. She was constantly utilizing new techniques to try and make me more comfortable. I felt incredibly safe and loved in her presence. She took pictures at our request and also kept notes of the labor/birth that she gave to us later which I really appreciated! After our daughter was born, she stayed with us until we felt comfortable and then checked on us regularly throughout the next few weeks. I cannot emphasize enough how wonderful it was to have Shalin by our side during the birth of our daughter. THANK YOU, SHALIN! We are so happy to have found you :) read more

Working with Shalin (So Zen Birth) was invaluable for preparing for labor and birth. She offers an Evidence-Based Birth® course that my husband and I would highly recommend. It helped both of us to feel prepared with so much less stress, anxiety, and fear going into it. She is even adapted the course for social distancing for the time being. While I was not able to have her as my support doula during labor and delivery, she helped prepare my husband and I mentally, emotionally, and physically for the process that awaited us. My doula was wonderful and invaluable, but I am so glad that we had Shalin's support and knowledge behind us as well. I highly recommend getting in touch with So Zen Birth services for any education and support you are looking for during your pregnancy and afterward. read more

So Zen Birth Services - EBB Class Flyer - Doulas Near Me

Shalin was both our doula and Evidence Based Birth (EBB) instructor. We met with a few doulas to see who would be the right fit, and we knew Shalin was the doula for us as soon as we met her. She is warm, knowledgeable, nurturing, and respectful. We had complete trust in her as our doula. Shalin arrived at the birthing center as soon as we needed her, and she stayed with us for what would be a very long labor. She was such a calming presence, and I felt really comforted and safe knowing that we had her support and guidance, and her advocacy if needed. She encouraged me and reminded me about my birth plan when needed, but she also gave me grace and space to change the plan as needed (because as she reminds you, your birth never goes as planned). Shalin documented the birth and captured so many beautiful photos that we wouldn't have had without her. She and my husband worked as a fabulous team--she provides intuitive care, as she is there with you but also provides space so that at times you feel it's just you and your partner. Because of our prenatal visits and the EBB class, my husband felt prepared and empowered to support and care for me. After the birth, Shalin was available for any questions or concerns. She also visited us in-person to see how we were all doing and to talk about the birth as we were ready. This was so very helpful, as parts of labor were blurry for me. Shalin also went above and beyond, finding several women who could offer us donor breastmilk as I was troubleshooting breastfeeding issues. While you might think having a doula is "enough", we'd definitely recommend taking the EBB class as well. We feel like we got so much more out of our visits with Shalin and were so much more prepared because we were better informed and could ask questions we wouldn't have even considered asking. Plus the class is fun and a great opportunity to meet other parents. We are so grateful to Shalin and feel so lucky she was there to guide us through labor and to witness the birth of our baby. read more

My husband and I took the evidence based child birthing class from Shalin at SoZen. She was an incredible teacher! Her style is laid back and fun while still informative and educational. She's very open and we felt we could ask her anything and she wouldn't judge us or make us feel like our questions were stupid. She somehow would pack a lot of information in every class and it would fly by. She made sure to not include personal bias and give us the scientific facts. We did our course online but if we lived in the area we would definitely hire Shalin to be our doula. read more

I would have been lost without Shalin during my birth. Indeed, I felt more calm about my birth process from the moment I met her--I didn't even interview another doula, I was so sold. Shalin has a calming, steady presence about her that is very reassuring, and she is also incredibly knowledgable and kind. All of our in-home preparatory and postpartum visits were amazing. I loved learning about the rebozo techniques, and meditating together was a real highlight and came very much in handy when I was giving birth. Our additional visit about breastfeeding/nursing in particular was really fantastic--my husband and I learned so much, and when baby came out we felt ready to tackle the various nursing challenges baby and I encountered. Shalin is also able to roll with the punches. When I was diagnosed with preeclampsia and induced in the hospital three weeks early (having only prepared for a natural water birth), Shalin armed me with knowledge every step of the way. She made me feel empowered when everything felt out of control, and reminded me that I was the strong, powerful mama taking care of my baby and whatever decision I made to keep that baby safe and get him earthside was the right decision. She was my advocate, and the calm in the storm. I know my husband felt better having her there too. And, her notes from my birth were absolutely invaluable--no matter how you birth, you certainly aren't clocking the time when big moments happen, so it's nice to have someone else do that for you! I honesty can't say enough about how wonderful Shalin is and what a gift from the universe it was to our family that we found and were able to work with her. read more

Shalin gives 110%. She made our second birthing experience so positive. Everything she teaches is evidence based. We went into it with confidence having her by our side. I labored at home and delivered in a hospital. I knew exactly what to do because of her resources and practice with pain management. A big part of that was having her include partners/spouse in this practice too! My husband felt he could consult with her and they took turns helping me through the hardest and most beautiful experience a woman can go through. I honestly feel like I could not have done it without her by my side, she was hands on and encouraging when I needed it most. She is strong and so loving. You can truly see she loves what she does. read more

tl;dr: Shalin is a knowledgeable, resourceful, and well-connected doula who was completely supportive throughout my pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. Having her as our doula made a world of difference to my experience! Going into my first pregnancy, I knew I wanted to have a doula, particularly because I am needle phobic and tend to be anxious. Of the doulas we interviewed, my husband and I chose Shalin because we found her easy to talk with, straight forward, and personable. I also loved Shalin's organized and efficient system for scheduling and communicating. We took the extensive Evidence Based Birth course with Shalin and learned not only about childbirth but also about hospital systems, advocating for ourselves, and even postpartum and baby care. Shalin shared additional info from various sources both as the course instructor and as our doula which broadened our understanding and helped us feel prepared. In the second half of pregnancy, I felt anxious about one thing after the next. Shalin took it all in stride, supporting me as I am--anxiety and all. She reassured me I could do this unmedicated if that's what I wanted (which as a needle-phobe, I very much did!), and she supported me in discussing my concerns with my doctor. And though I was aiming for an unmedicated birth, Shalin was also accepting of whatever I would choose in the moment. Having not experienced birth before, I wasn't sure whether I might ultimately choose to have medical pain relief, and I was glad that Shalin had my back if that's what I ended up needing or wanting. As baby's due date came and went, Shalin was calm and steady, helping me to stay patient. I was worried about facing an induced birth with concerns that it would lead to more medical interventions than I felt comfortable with. However, one week past our due date, baby was showing heart decelerations and I agreed to an induction. Short story short, about 6 hours after starting the induction, I ended up having a precipitous labor with only 65 minutes total of active labor and pushing before baby made his debut. Unfortunately, this means Shalin missed our birth, but I want to be clear here that I feel that things went amazingly well for us BECAUSE Shalin's teachings and sense of calm were with me the whole time. During labor, I thought of various techniques she taught us to work with my body's natural abilities. It is to Shalin's credit that my husband and I were able to advocate for what we wanted in a large hospital system to have a safe, unmedicated birth that left me feeling incredibly powerful. Shalin joined us just 15 minutes later and supported me in getting baby's first latch to start our breastfeeding journey. She offered additional breastfeeding and postpartum support which especially helpful when our baby got a fever at one week old. Shalin's continued support helped me to stay calm, and the advocacy skills we learned helped us to make the best of a tough time with baby in the hospital. All in all, I am so grateful to have had Shalin as part of our birth team! read more

Shalin was an amazing instructor for our child birth class. We learned so much from the course as well as from the other to-be parents in the class. Shalin is kind, caring, and down to earth. We felt comfortable asking questions and sharing our feelings. It was a safe and positive space. Highly recommend! Thanks Shalin! read more

Shalin is such a bright light! This was our fifth pregnancy and we never worked with a doula. I wanted to attempt a vba3c. Shalin was very supportive to my husband and I. After going back and forth about trying for the vbac, Shalin helped me make the safest decision for me and my baby. She provided us with a lot of information and resources. Being it was our 5th pregnancy, we learned so much about the birthing process and our rights that we didn't know in past pregnancies.She responded quickly and answered all of our questions. She provided virtual support during this pandemic which was totally worth it. Her energy and enthusiasm to go above and beyond was unmatched! We cannot recommend her enough! We are forever thankful for her and would definitely use her services if there is a number 6! She is truly amazing! read more

I first met Shalin at a weekend-long doula training at the Sierra Childbirth Institute. She taught a class on labor techniques and immediate post-partum support. I fell in love. Shalin is a phenomenal educator and perhaps more importantly, is a person of integrity. Because of her upright nature and very obvious love for birth work, I knew straight away that I needed to be mentored by her. Lucky for me, she was totally open and supportive of the idea. A few months after having initially inquired, our future clients would express to Shalin an interest in having a mentee doula along on their journey. Enter: me! In addition to the one-on-one support meetings we had, I learned so much just by simply observing Shalin in various environments, especially at in-person prenatals and during labor. She encouraged me to participate fully in all of the conversations and trusted me completely in my ability to offer support (even though I hadn't ever done so in the context of pregnancy and birth). Shalin offers a strong, supportive, and trusting presence to the birthing and support persons. She is constantly redirecting and reflecting power and autonomy back to the birthing person, full of faith in the inner-knowing possessed by that person. She is fiercely protective of the mama and baby and is amazingly resourced in so many aspects of pregnancy, labor, and birth. She is creative, loving, and quite funny, which is always welcomed in this space/realm where one may be more likely to dance intimately with their fears, worries, and insecurities. Additionally, Shalin is so comfortable to be around. She is comfortable in her body and in herself and therefore, by virtue of being unapologetically true to herself, she allows those around her to be and do the same. Shalin is truly an amazing doula and mentor. She holds within the light that is so needed, especially in the current climate of pregnancy, birth, and beyond. I am so grateful to you Shalin. Thank you so, so much. read more

I was very happy to have Shalin as my birth doula. Shalin and I had two prenatal visits where we discussed what was important to me for the birth. She always followed up on any questions I had with lots of informative resources which helped me make decisions about my birth preferences. For the birth, Shalin was an asset to my experience in the following ways: * I got to the hospital and my labor stalled, which was emotionally upsetting for me. Shalin provided invaluable emotional support that helped me maintain a positive mental attitude and focus on the eminent arrival of my son. * Shalin diplomatically and tactfully acted to temporarily reduce the number of people with me in the labor room. This gave me more privacy and less distractions for getting my labor going again. * After I established a pattern of active labor, my husband, my mom and Shalin were all present to support me. The contractions became more difficult to tolerate and Shalin guided my mom and my husband to assist me with a variety of comfort measures. Techniques included massage, aromatherapy, mindful breathing, rebozo, and active labor positioning to help the baby move down. * During the pushing phase, Shalin kept my mom and my husband supplied with ice chips and cold towels to help my stay cool. The ice chips and cold towels were heavenly. * I was so focused on pushing that I did not care to even look down to see the baby come out. Thanks to Shalin, I have wonderful photos of this, as well as other parts of my labor. I did not have a birth photographer and I am grateful Shalin captured such amazing moments from my son's birth. * In addition to all this, Shalin also made sure my mom and my husband were fed and hydrated throughout our many hours in the labor room. They were impressed and grateful for her assistance. For postpartum support, Shalin visited us a few days after the birth and listened to my concerns about breastfeeding and lack of sleep. Like in our prenatal visits, she followed up later that day with options and resources for us to consider for making it through the transition of being new parents. Shalin also provided us a written birth story which detailed the events leading up to my son's birth. As a new mom, I was far too busy to write down all of the details myself. The birth story is a wonderful keepsake for sharing with my son when he is older. My birth experience was a positive one because Shalin was a part of my care team. We are so blessed that Shalin could be a part of our beautiful life experience of becoming a family of three. read more

My wife just gave birth to our first child, baby M. Shalin's service as our doula was amazing. It's tough to quantify just how immensely helpful, insightful, confidence-building and reassuring it was to have her by my wife's side (and my side too) for labor and delivery. I called Shalin when my wife started having regular contractions. It was well past midnight but Shalin picked up the call and was ready to help. The way she gently yet assertively counseled and coached my wife through the pain and contractions was so valuable. And when we actually went the hospital, Shalin promptly met us there in the wee hours of the morning. It was like having a really good friend by our side the whole time, a really good friend that's also really knowledgeable and experienced and gives tactful and wonderfully-timed help in time of need. During labor, if my wife needed a smooch or my presence or hand to hold I was right there. During labor, if my wife needed some pain management coaching or well-timed and rightly spoken words, Shalin was right there. I am so very glad Shalin was a dear part of my wife's birth experience for baby M. Because of this experience I liken having a doula to having an experienced friend helping you as a trainer at the gym. If you have a fitness goal in mind, sure, you could just go into the gym and start lifting on your own. But how much better if you have a really good friend who's also an experienced trainer and is committed to helping you be your best and do your best in the gym. From this husband's perspective, having Shalin as our doula was like that for my wife's labor/delivery. Oh, and the pre-birth and post-birth visits were delightful. She is very knowledgeable, genuinely cares, and provided us with super helpful books and online resources so that we could further educate ourselves as brand new parents. Hands down I'd recommend Shalin to any friend looking to hire a doula. read more

My husband and I took an Evidence Based Birth course with Shalin and she was great. She presented the material well, always answered our questions as detailed as possible. I wish the scheduling could have worked out for her to be out doula but we weren't as lucky. Maybe next time! Thanks Shalin! We definitely feel more prepared than before the course :) read more

The single best decision in our pregnancy journey was hiring Shalin as our doula. Recommended from a close friend, she became an integral part of both my pregnancy and delivery. Throughout the process, she became part of our family, and having her at each step of the way was a huge blessing. We so appreciated her support through it all, the evidence-based teaching and advice, and being a sounding board for all those questions that come up. At the time of delivery, Shalin was there for the whole thing. We had a rollercoaster of delivery and we are so grateful for her support through it all. Both physically and emotionally, Shalin was the backbone for our delivery. In moments of the unknown, Shalin was who we looked to for guidance. An incredible blessing to have her a part of our pregnancy and our daughter's birth story. I wish more people knew just how special and important doulas are. If we ever have more children, I wouldn't do it again without her. read more