OUR TEAM
Our team of doulas is here to support you with warmth, wisdom and dedication. We pour our whole hearts into the families we serve, and in return, we’re deeply fulfilled by the love and connection this work brings. Over the years, as our business has grown, we’ve been fortunate to cultivate a thriving community of like-minded doulas who are not only our colleagues but also our dear friends. Today, our team of nineteen uniquely wonderful doulas shares this same passion, devotion and love for the work. Together, we serve families across parts of Los Angeles County, Orange County, San Diego County and the Inland Empire, offering a range of options to help you find the doula who best aligns with your values, energy and unique needs. Because finding your perfect doula is about more than availability; it’s about connection. We invite you to get to know our team and explore the many ways we can support you on your journey.
Kelsey Scott
Soul Shine Birth Co-Founder
Birth + Postpartum Doula, Childbirth Educator, Breastfeeding Educator and Blessingway Keeper
San Clemente, CA
For as long as Kelsey can remember, she’s been captivated by birth and babies. As a child, she proudly curated an impressive baby doll collection, and one of the first shows she recalls watching on repeat was TLC’s A Baby Story. Her journey to birth work wasn’t linear—she once worked in tech sales—but looking back, she sees how each unexpected turn revealed pieces of her soul’s true purpose.
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In 2020, after a seven-month solo backpacking journey around the world, Kelsey felt a clear calling to work intimately with women. Today, she feels incredibly blessed to be living her life’s purpose as both a mama and a doula. She's especially passionate about supporting families through fertility and miscarriage, drawing from her own deeply personal journey into motherhood.
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Kelsey’s presence is a blend of grounded, nurturing care and radiant, intuitive guidance. Her two home birth experiences profoundly deepened her reverence for birth and strengthened her belief in women’s innate power and wisdom. Having walked through two natural births herself, her tools, understanding and capacity to hold space have expanded in meaningful ways.
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Through her holistic, heart-centered approach, Kelsey helps women reconnect with their inner wisdom—trusting their bodies, instincts and unique path through pregnancy, birth and beyond. She provides supportive guidance, evidence-based resources and personalized care, so every mother feels informed, empowered and confident at every step.
Aurora Sullivan
Soul Shine Birth Co-Founder
Birth + Postpartum Doula, Childbirth Educator, Breastfeeding Educator, Blessingway Keeper and
Placenta Encapsulator
San Clemente, CA
Aurora is an East Coast transplant who has been fascinated by all things birth, babies and postpartum from a young age. Since becoming a doula in 2017, she has dedicated herself to empowering families through education and support that keeps them at the center of their birthing experiences.
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Although she doesn’t yet have children of her own, Aurora is a proud “designated auntie” to the many cherished babies in her life. She draws from a variety of techniques, tailoring her approach to meet each family’s unique needs, and is committed to continuously expanding her knowledge to better serve her clients.
Aurora deeply believes that birth and postpartum are journeys not meant to be traveled alone. She is honored to walk alongside families through life’s transitions, forming lasting connections along the way.
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When she’s not supporting families, you can find Aurora reading at the beach, moving her body in ways that bring her joy, or soaking up the sunshine—preferably all at once.
Cristina Merino-LaDuke
Birth Doula and Breastfeeding Educator
Orange, CA
Cristina is a loving wife and proud mother of two. She is a certified traditional birth doula and a breastfeeding educator. While her revere and excitement for birth and motherhood have always been present, a fire was lit while preparing for and birthing her firstborn. She then knew she had to be a loving source of support, knowledge and guidance for those mothers wanting to prepare for and experience a physiological birth.
As you prepare for birth, Cristina will listen to your wishes and intentions, help calm fears and, ultimately, help you tap into the intuitive power that you possess as a mother. You know so much more than you realize, so trusting yourself and in your innate capabilities is the first step in preparing for birth and motherhood.
Pregnancy and birth are so wonderfully unique to each woman. However your birth unfolds, it is Cristina’s wish that you and your partner feel safe and supported as you navigate your birthing landscape, and she is there to gently remind you just how powerful you are. Cristina is honored to be your doula.
Wendy Radin
Birth Doula and Breastfeeding Educator
Laguna Beach, CA
Wendy has felt called to walk alongside women in birth for as long as she can remember. After welcoming her third child, she began teaching with the Childbirth Education Association, which opened the door for her to attend many different kinds of births. She’s held space in hospitals and homes, supported cesarean births, witnessed a breech birth at home, one almost in the car and even a birth out in the middle of nowhere without electricity. Each one was unique, and each one she considers an incredible gift.
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In 2000, Wendy pursued doula training full-time and later deepened her hands-on experience through an internship with South Coast Midwifery. She completed that training in September 2021, gaining the honor of attending multiple births and further strengthening her practice.
As a doula today, Wendy’s heart is to help birthing women and their partners step into birth as a united, empowered team. She has trained with DONA, Lamaze, Hypnobabies and Gilligan’s Guide—a movement-based series of exercises designed to support babies in finding an optimal birthing position.
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Wendy brings knowledge, compassion and a deeply calming presence to every birth space. She is not there to judge or take over, but to offer grounding support and guidance so that you feel held, informed and at ease. Her greatest joy is helping families experience birth as positive, empowering and deeply memorable.
Arianna Abrego
Birth Doula, Breastfeeding Educator, Birth Photographer and Body Ready Method Pro
Yorba Linda, CA
Arianna’s mission is to instill trust in your body’s ability to birth your baby. Her desire is for you to believe in your body's intelligence so deeply that your fears can subside and you feel empowered for your birth. Her experiences through each of her three children’s births and the following postpartum periods have led her to her life's calling: birth work. As a doula, she intimately supports you emotionally, mentally and physically while also holding space for the family being born.
Arianna is passionate about educating parents-to-be on physiologic birth, as well as walking them through the first decisions they will make for their baby, based on evidence-based research. She loves to learn and continue her education; she recently became a certified Body Ready Method Pro. This method embraces the natural physiological processes of pregnancy and childbirth, empowering women to trust in their bodies and navigate the transformative journey of bringing new life into the world.
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She's a lactation specialist and will support you in your breastfeeding journey. Her first-hand experience combined with extensive knowledge gives her unique insight and confidence in her role as your advocate. Additionally, Arianna is a birth photographer and is so excited to offer clients photography as a special service add-on. Birth is full of sacred moments and capturing them for her clients to look back on has become a passion of hers.
Kristen Vetter
Birth Doula and Breastfeeding Educator
Fallbrook, CA
Kristen was born and raised in Southern California. She grew up on the beach but has since found her calling for living in the country of Fallbrook with her husband where she raises hens and her two free-range children. Her passion for informed birth started with her first pregnancy and birth, and the fire was flamed with her second. It was then that she knew she was being called to birth work.
Kristen desires for her clients to feel seen and heard while providing servant-hearted care. She values truth-telling, an open relationship with birther and provider and helping moms achieve the birth story they want. Her relationship with God guides her life and work. She is a Christian doula and brings a comforting light to her clients during their most transformative life events. It is her prayer that the family will have a positive birth experience to cherish for years to come.
Annabel Darden
Birth Doula, Breastfeeding Educator, Massage Therapist and Birth Photographer
San Clemente, CA
Annabel has always held a deep reverence for the perfect design of nature and the innate intelligence of our bodies. Through her grounded and nurturing presence, she encourages expecting parents to connect with their inner resources, cultivating resilience in the face of uncertainty. Trained through Birthing From Within and the Soul Shine Mentorship, she emphasizes a blend of ancient and modern practices, incorporating evidence-based knowledge and holistic tools. She helps parents identify limiting beliefs through exploratory conversation, guiding parents to embrace the transformative journey through the labyrinth of birth. Annabel also educates and empowers partners to be a source of steady strength alongside mothers, inspiring couples to navigate intensity through connection and intuition.
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Annabel is also a trained Perinatal and Postpartum Massage Therapist, offering in-home services to nourish mother and baby. Her touch promotes deep relaxation of the nervous system, increases blood flow to the baby, addresses pain points and provides structural support for rapidly changing bodies. She offers induction, lactation and bereavement massage, holding space for mothers at all stages of the fertility journey. Her confident touch and body awareness translates to informed, hands-on labor support.
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An artist at heart, Annabel incorporates film photography in her work with expecting families, documenting precious moments. She is also trained in facilitating birth art as a tool for exploring emotions surrounding labor and parenting.
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Driven by the joy of holding space for new life, Annabel is honored to serve as an advocate, confidant and guiding presence, creating balance for body and baby.
Chloe Malek
Birth Doula, Breastfeeding Educator, Placenta Encapsulator and Belly Binding Specialist
Aliso Viejo, CA
Chloe is a mama of two who stepped into the calling of birth work after her own empowering birth experience. She is a birth doula, placenta encapsulator, breastfeeding advocate and devoted student, continuously expanding her knowledge through ongoing training.
She is extremely passionate about birth and loves witnessing the transformation that takes place when mothers step into their power. Chloe sees birth as a rite of passage and wants every woman to know that having an amazing birth experience is possible. She feels deeply honored to support women through pregnancy, birth and postpartum, and has supported families across a variety of birth settings. She believes every stage of the journey holds beauty and strives to ensure every mother she works with feels safe, held and genuinely cared for.
Chloe has a holistic approach and brings a calm, grounded energy to the birth space. She helps guide you through the process by teaching comfort measures, helping create a birth plan and providing resources tailored to each family’s needs. She is committed to helping you have an empowering birth through education, advocacy and heart-centered support.
Lauren Bennion
Birth Doula, Breastfeeding Educator and Placenta Encapsulator
Huntington Beach, CA
Lauren is a homeschooling mom of five, including a set of twins, and has been a dedicated birth doula since 2020. Her journey into birth work came from her deep love for the transformative experience of childbirth. Lauren believes every family deserves a supportive and empowering birth, and it’s her passion to come alongside your family to make it happen. In recent years, Lauren has added placenta encapsulation to her services to aid in postpartum recovery.
Whether it’s your first or fifth child, Lauren will be there to help guide, support and advocate for you as you bring your baby earthside. As your doula, Lauren will not only be your support but also your trusted friend in this process. She believes in collaboration and creating an environment where you feel safe, heard and valued. Lauren’s role is to support and empower you to have the birth you desire and to help you navigate this beautiful journey with confidence and joy.
Amanda McCarroll
Birth Doula, Breastfeeding Educator, Prenatal Yoga Instructor and Bodyworker
La Jolla, San Diego, CA
Amanda has been fascinated by birth work since her early 20s, when her best friend had a home birth and her eyes were opened to the idea that labor and birth are a transformative journey to be celebrated, not feared. She leads with her heart and has no agenda; she supports and welcomes all preferences, from an unmedicated home birth to a planned C-section. She intends to be an encouraging and calming presence for women as they experience the incredible rite of passage of becoming a mother—whether for the first, second, or any time.
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When Amanda had each of her two sons, she learned firsthand that birth is an unpredictable journey that teaches us to surrender and go with the flow. There is a certain amount of preparation and education we can do to get ready for labor and delivery, yet there are also factors we cannot control. Part of her work as a doula is to help women find a balance between preparedness and understanding, along with the realization that we must be along for the ride—open and ready for however each particular birth is meant to unfold.
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Amanda has spent the last 25 years as a yoga and fitness instructor, as well as a bodyworker. She recently closed her yoga studio after ten years in La Jolla to focus more fully on teaching and working exclusively with women, supporting them as they become mothers through her work as a doula, prenatal yoga instructor and gentle bodyworker. She continues to teach group yoga and fitness classes, with prenatal specialties, in person and online.
Amber Soto
Birth Doula and Breastfeeding Educator
Aliso Viejo, CA
Amber is a compassionate doula who is passionate about pregnancy and women's health. Raised in a bustling family, Amber's fascination with the journey of motherhood blossomed as she observed her mother navigate the complexities of pregnancy. As she transitioned into adulthood and began to carve out her career path, she found herself continually drawn back to maternal holistic health.
Through her experience working alongside midwives at Hoag Irvine, she has deepened her passion for supporting families during one of the most transformative experiences of their lives. She believes every birth experience is unique and should be respected as such. Amber encourages open communication and loves cultivating community. Her holistic approach combined with her warm, empathetic nature make her an approachable and trustworthy presence for all those she serves.
When she's not accompanying families, you can find her grounding in the sun at the beach with her two pups or enjoying a cozy afternoon at a coffee shop with her husband. She loves traveling to fuel her spirit and cherishes the little moments that remind her of the joy of nurturing. Amber is enthusiastic and devoted to creating a positive impact in the lives of her clients, building strong connections and gaining heartfelt friendships.
Ibytza Ramirez
Birth + Postpartum Doula and Breastfeeding Educator
Carlsbad, CA
At a young age, Ibytza’s curiosity surrounding the power of birth sparked a meaningful path of discovery, guiding her toward ways to serve women in their birth spaces. Having found her heart's true alignment, she is now a passionate and nurturing bilingual doula dedicated to supporting women through the transformative experiences of birth and motherhood.
With warmth and compassion, Ibytza encourages women to embrace their inner strength and connect with their intuition, reminding them of their innate power to birth. She provides unwavering support and guidance to help create positive birth and postpartum experiences, along with promoting bonding between mama and baby. Her serene energy and grounded presence inspire trust and create lasting connections with the families she serves.
Born in Mexico, Ibytza weaves her cultural roots into her work as a doula, celebrating and preserving the wisdom of her heritage. By incorporating traditional practices, such as the use of the rebozo, belly binding and preparing nourishing meals that promote postpartum recovery, she honors the knowledge passed down through generations. In her free time, Ibytza finds joy in soaking up sunshine at the beach, hiking the scenic trails of North County San Diego and nurturing her soul through practices like journaling and breathwork. At her core, she values community and is committed to honoring women in the birth space—and beyond.
Hadley Horner
Birth + Postpartum Doula and Breastfeeding Educator
San Diego, CA
Hadley is a birth and overnight postpartum doula serving families in San Diego County and Southern Orange County. Her path into birth work began early in life. Born through IVF, Hadley grew up learning about fertility journeys and the many different ways people become parents. This gave her a deep appreciation for the highs, lows and everything in between that shape the path to parenthood—an understanding she now carries into the families she serves.
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Hadley’s heart is to meet each birthing person and family exactly where they are, offering individualized care and support through pregnancy, birth and the postpartum season. With a background as a first-grade teacher and case manager in the foster care system, she brings a passion for education, advocacy and equitable access to care. She is especially dedicated to supporting families of all identities and backgrounds with compassion and respect.
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Her training includes Spinning Babies, trauma-informed care and lactation support—tools she weaves into her practice to help families feel nurtured and empowered. For Hadley, being invited into this sacred work is an honor and a joy. She strives to be not only a doula, but also a source of comfort, friendship and a safe space for the families she serves.
Jaymie Noelle
Birth + Postpartum Doula, Breastfeeding Educator, Herbalist Bodyworker and Birth Photographer
La Jolla, San Diego, CA
Jaymie is a trauma-informed, full-spectrum doula serving families across San Diego County. With over a decade of experience in therapeutic bodywork and holistic birth support, she offers in-hospital and home birth doula care, intuitive bodywork, prenatal and birth photography, custom herbal remedies, healing postpartum meals and intentional postpartum care.
She holds space for every birthing experience—whether vaginal or belly birth, medicated or unmedicated, at home or in the hospital. To Jaymie, birth is birth, and each story deserves to be honored with safety, compassion and respect.
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As a holistic birth worker, Jaymie weaves together intuitive touch, emotional support, herbal medicine and deeply nourishing food to create a grounded, sacred space for transformation. Her care is informed by the wisdom of the physical, emotional and spiritual bodies, always attuned to the unique needs of each family.
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Beyond her doula work, Jaymie is a practicing herbalist and lifestyle photographer, inspired by the cycles and rhythms of the natural world. Whether she’s blending plant remedies, capturing tender moments through her lens or offering steady hands and a calming presence in labor, her work is rooted in lifelong community care and a deep connection to the Earth.
Leisly Martinez
Birth + Postpartum Doula and Breastfeeding Educator
Escondido, CA
Leisly is a compassionate birth and postpartum doula serving Southern OC and San Diego County. She has over seven years of experience working alongside OBGYN clinics, which is where her passion for birthwork and women’s health all started. With clinical and holistic experience, she strives to create a positive, nurturing and supportive space for all families to thrive.
She also draws on her Mexican heritage to provide bilingual support to families. She incorporates the use of her traditional rebozo during labor to offer comfort, support and guidance. The rebozo serves not only as a physical tool but also as a symbol of warmth, connection and care. Additionally, she nurtures families during the postpartum period, honoring the Mexican tradition of “la cuarentena”, a period of rest and recovery for the new mother. She prepares and shares warm, nourishing traditional meals to provide comfort and help mothers regain strength and bond with their newborns.
For Leisly, becoming a birth worker is not just about helping families, it’s a deeper personal calling. She feels incredibly fulfilled when she witnesses the joy, love and connection that come with welcoming a new life into the world. When not attending births or supporting families, Leisly enjoys spending time with her loved ones, finding peace and inspiration in nature, reading a good book and staying active. She equally loves a cozy evening at home as she does making memories on an outdoor adventure.
Sophia Tea
Birth + Postpartum Doula, RN and Breastfeeding Educator
Corona, CA
Sophia’s journey into birth work has been shaped by a love for caring for others and creating meaningful connections. Originally from the Philippines, she graduated in 2016 with a Bachelor’s degree in Entrepreneurial Management. In 2018, she opened and ran a café where she discovered how much she loved building spaces that brought people together and fostered a sense of community. Still, she felt a deeper calling to support women in a more personal way—especially during major life transitions. In 2022, she moved to the United States and followed that calling into healthcare, eventually becoming a licensed Registered Nurse with a growing passion for women’s health.
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Through her nursing training and hands-on experience in maternity care, Sophia realized she wanted to support families in a more personal and continuous way during one of life’s most transformative seasons. She trained as both a birth and postpartum doula through DONA International and continues expanding her skills through traditional and holistic practices. She is currently learning Rebozo techniques for pregnancy and labor support and completing her Yue Sao certification, focused on traditional Chinese postpartum care and nurturing support during the early weeks after birth.
Outside of birth work, Sophia enjoys baking sourdough and creating nourishing food for the people she loves. She believes birth work and bread baking share something beautiful in common—both require patience, trust in the process and a little bit of magic. Through her work as a doula, Sophia supports families with calm presence, thoughtful guidance and heartfelt care so they can feel informed, empowered and deeply supported as they welcome their babies.
Lilly Gacuma
Overnight Postpartum Doula and Breastfeeding Educator
Oceanside, CA
Lilly believes there is something deeply sacred about the quiet hours of the night—especially for a woman who has just crossed into motherhood. In those still moments, your body is healing, your heart is expanding and you are learning a completely new rhythm. As a postpartum overnight doula, she gently holds and honors this space.
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Her care is rooted in softness, respect and intention. While providing attentive overnight newborn care—soothing, feeding and tending to your baby—her deeper focus is on you: your rest, your recovery and your nervous system. You deserve to be cared for, too.
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Lilly brings a calm, grounding presence into your home, creating an environment where you can truly exhale and sleep. Whether supporting feeding, easing newborn discomfort or simply being a steady, reassuring presence, her goal is for you to feel safe, supported and held.
She honors that every postpartum experience is unique, meeting you where you are—without judgment—offering guidance when it’s welcomed, and always trusting your intuition as a mother. For Lilly, this work is more than a service—it’s a calling to care for women during one of the most vulnerable and powerful seasons of their lives.
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