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    So Zen Birth Services

    5.0 (89 reviews)
    Closed 9:00 am - 5:00 pm

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    Shalin with our new family just after birth 3
    Mimi Z.

    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.

    Shalin + the new mom with colorful rebozo, in a happy moment just before labor really got real!

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    Page 1 of 3

    Ask the Community - So Zen Birth Services

    Review Highlights - So Zen Birth Services

    When I first connected with Shalin via videochat for a consultation, she instantly made me feel comfortable.

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    Rebecca Rose Doula Services - Postpartum Doula Care by RRDS

    Rebecca Rose Doula Services

    4.3(16 reviews)
    19.5 km

    What would we have done without our team!? I genuinely cannot imagine another birth without the…read moreRRDS team! Hailey and Maddee were a dynamic team that supported us in prep, L&D, and postpartum. Hailey was our primary doula and she came in with such expertise, attention to detail and passion for what she does. She listened so intently to our needs and helped us curate a birth plan my husband and I felt confident in, and ensured our medical team followed our plan. At the time of birth she not only ensured all my needs were met but also guided my husband on how best to provide me support to create an intimate and connected birth experience. As first time parents the availability and responsiveness of this team helped us navigate L&D and the early weeks. My only regret was not signing up for this team earlier in my pregnancy!

    I truly wish there were more than five stars that we could rate give this team. This service has…read morehelped us with our second child like no other. There were multiple unforeseen circumstances that came up after our child was born, such as illness of our oldest child, Medical emergencies of myself or my wife. They have come through whenever we needed help. They moved things around on their schedule to help when needed the most. The feedback they gave every night was helpful as well. They are truly Masters of their craft. Theyre very good with communication, taking care of the newborn and just overall good people. I don't think I've met a kinder group of people. You could really tell that they put their hearts into what they do. It's not just a job to them. They are here to help mothers get through the most difficult time after childbirth. I could see the struggles my wife was going through, and I did my best to help, but I knew that it wasn't enough. Rebecca and her staff provided that extra edge we needed to help out my wife. They truly are a godsend.

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    Natural Childbirth 101

    Natural Childbirth 101

    5.0(20 reviews)
    28.1 km

    Hiring Marlene and Kaleem was the best decision I could have made when I found out I was pregnant…read more They gave us the most incredible and loving care before, during and after our homebirth. They are insanely knowledgeable, calm, reassuring, experienced, loving....I could go on and on! I had an amazing and uncomplicated pregnancy, a powerful birth experience and a happy healthy baby girl and I know I have them to thank for that! Even my husband was thoroughly impressed with their care and he is very hard to impress!! These two wonderful midwives truly offer the best care a woman (and the whole family) could receive and they are worth so much more than what they charge. I could have had my entire birth paid for if I had seen a Dr and delivered at the hospital, but these two are worth every penny. We always felt special and never rushed at our appointments. They always made sure to tell us about all the options and helped us weigh the pros and cons of all the testing and procedures that come along with pregnancy. They always had perfect answers to my questions and their suggestions were always spot on. Everything they ever suggested that I do worked like a charm and you can really see how much they love what they do and how much they love each and every new baby! Please consider these one of a kind ladies to help you along your pregnancy journey!! You will not be disappointed

    Marlene and Kaleem are amazing! They make pregnancy, labor, birth and postpartum such a great…read moreexperience. They don't make you feel like you have to do certain procedures, let you make the best decision for your family and are not judgmental about it what so ever. I feel beyond blessed to have had them be my midwives.

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    Natural Childbirth 101 - Gazing into his mothers eyes.

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    A mothers love

    Kindred Birth Collective

    Kindred Birth Collective

    5.0(10 reviews)
    22.8 km

    I cannot recommend Kindred Birth Collective highly enough. My husband and I were taking Shalin's…read moreaccelerated birthing classes and feel so grateful to have both Shalin and Cat as our doulas supporting us throughout our pregnancy. Being part of the KBC community has been an incredible resource. There's so much to navigate as a mom to be and KBC has made it incredibly easy for me as well as my husband to access additional resources such as a lactation consultant, postpartum doulas, dad groups etc. Shalin and Cat have a beautiful gift for holding space for your unique journey and wishes. They are deeply knowledgeable and endlessly resourceful when it comes to comfort measures and everything pregnancy- and birth-related. I feel so held, seen, and supported every step of the way. If you're looking for doulas who will walk beside you with wisdom, intuition, warmth, and genuine care, I highly recommend Shalin and Cat. They are truly exceptional and I wouldn't want any other doula by my side besides them.

    As first time parents we felt really supported along the way! we had the amazing opportunity to…read morework with Shalin, Cat, and Amy. Amy was our primary doula. We cannot thank this team enough for walking us through this journey to meet out little girl. The whole team has a wealth of knowledge and shared amazing resources along the way. We felt so comfortable with them in our home and enjoyed getting to discuss, explore and learn about what our journey could look like. I did have an unexpected induction due to medical reasons! Everything went smoothly. Amy was amazing and was ready to be there with us when we reached out. My birth experience was a dream! my little one was out under 5 min about 3 pushes. I like to believe that Amy helped my little ones exit with repositioning me and massaging me during labor!. we cannot thank you enough!

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    Kindred Birth Collective - 31 hours later, we did it!!

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    Next Generation Midwifery - Next Gen filled his cup and he continuously filled mine.

    Next Generation Midwifery

    4.9(27 reviews)
    47.8 km

    After 2 traumatic hospital births, I made it my mission to have a home birth, so choosing the right…read moremidwife was incredibly important. From our initial interview, Ariana immediately calmed my concerns and made me feel safe, supported, and confident in my decision. Throughout my pregnancy, she was professional, knowledgeable, calm, and genuinely kind. During my water birth, she advocated for me beautifully and handled family dynamics like a true professional so I could stay focused and supported during labor. The Doula was key in easing my contractions. She also recommended an amazing pre- and postpartum doula and gave me wonderful postpartum care and healing recommendations that truly helped my recovery. I'm so grateful for Ariana and cannot recommend her enough to anyone considering midwifery care. This is the personal care I wanted and beyond! Invest in yourself on your own terms and share a memory for you and your family for a lifetime!

    I found Ariana online after having moved back to the area after 10 years, and having her serve as…read moremy midwife was the single greatest decision I made during my pregnancy. For my first birth in another state five years prior, I was under the care of midwives at a birthing center but was transferred last minute to hospital for an induction at 42 weeks. This birth at ~40 weeks with Ariana was at home, and without a doubt, this is what I would choose again in a heartbeat for any future pregnancies. From the very start, Ariana presented herself with exquisite professionalism and a real tangible warmth and compassion and that impression only grew stronger during my care. During all of my prenatal appointments, Ariana listened closely to my concerns and was able to readily recommend real solutions for the various symptoms I was feeling; her vast knowledge base and network of contacts in the birthing sphere and her steadiness and compassion always left me feeling encouraged and lighter after our checkups. She is ready with tried and true holistic and medical protocols for seemingly every scenario, checklists and resources to guide you through preparing for a home birth, and has contacts to refer you to for chiropractic care, bodywork, pelvic floor therapy, counseling, and more etc should you desire it (without ever pushing anything). On baby's birthday, I was feeling discouraged in my labor as my anatomy seems to predispose my babies to be positioned posterior, despite best preventative efforts. When Ariana arrived, the tone in the room immediately became lighter; she saw me through a particularly challenging contraction, and then with an encouraging smile and a "mama we got this" attitude presented some solid options to help me progress. Throughout the labor, Ariana's presence always made us feel secure and safe. Baby was stubbornly born sunny side up, but healthy and well, and I had no tearing, thanks to Ariana's incredible guidance and coaching. Afterwards, I was able to relish skin to skin time with my baby, while Ariana cared for us, cleaned everything, started wash, made me a snack, helped me shower and tucked us back into bed after a long night. My postpartum recovery experience this time was a night and day difference - emotionally, mentally and physically - it was all so much easier thanks to Ariana's care and her postpartum visits. Her steady spirit, her dedication to her patients, and her excellence in her craft is unmatched - she is born to do this.

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    Next Generation Midwifery - Midwife Ariana, welcomed her first baby this year in the comfort of her own home with a team of community midwives like herself!

    Midwife Ariana, welcomed her first baby this year in the comfort of her own home with a team of community midwives like herself!

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    Tailor Made Doulas

    Tailor Made Doulas

    4.3(16 reviews)
    50.2 kmDowntown

    These incredible women. I cannot say enough about their amazing spirits, willingness and…read morecomfortability in serving and how cared and looked after they make you feel. They are lights to our community and to the families they are able to serve. You will absolutely not regret utilizing their services and the goodness and warmth they can bring to really difficult transitions. Their knowledge and skillset is optimized for care and loving kindness.

    I am disappointed to write that I was ghosted by this company during a very sensitive period in my…read morelife. My husband and I are new residents to California and I am currently pregnant with our first child. We have no family in the area. I had a phone consult scheduled with the owner, Ms. Michele, on January 5th, 2026. She called me on time and we both mutually agreed to move forward with the on-boarding process for doula services for my pregnancy. She requested that I call my insurance company and gather the information for her in an email. I did this, and sent her an email the following night, on January 6th. I didn't hear anything from her, so I sent a text message to both her work and personal cell phone number on January 9th. No response. At this point, I am 37 weeks, and anxious to move things along for doula services. The weekend and Monday goes by, and I still have not received a reply. I decide, as a last attempt, to call her. I called both her work and personal cell phone and left a voicemail on each line on Tuesday, January 13th. Nothing. Shame on the owner, Ms. Michele, for stating that she will move the process forward and said she will have a doula for me for my birth. She lied. She disclosed to me during our consult that she is a mother herself and had over twenty years of experience working as a L&D nurse. This provided me great relief and happiness, only for it to be crushed when she never replied to my messages. How can someone with this sort of background make a promise and then not follow through? Ms. Michele should be ashamed of herself not only on a professional level, but also on a personal level. This seems to be a wider issue with the Doula profession as I was ghosted by another local Sacramento doula company as well as the Volunteer Doula Coordinator at Mercy Hospital of Folsom. I believe doulas are a valuable asset to a woman's birth experience, however, I will not be wasting my time anymore trying to arrange one for my pregnancy.

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    Tailor Made Doulas
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    So Zen Birth Services - doulas - Updated May 2026

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