jacqueline davey
FOUNDER & OWNER
Jackie believes that Postpartum Doula care is not a luxury, but a necessity for all families, and is committed to reimagining the potential of the foundational time.
Over the last two decades, she has served hundreds of families in the San Francisco Bay Area to reclaim the postpartum transition and center healing, celebration, rest, and connection.
Jackie founded Birth Realm to radically shift how the U.S. approaches postpartum care and how we view and support birth work as a profession. Birth Realm’s unique honeycomb model of care ensures postpartum doulas have the same support structures that they tirelessly provide to families.
She is beloved by her clients and team alike for her passion, knowledge, and ability to see the needs of the family as a whole. Jackie creates a warm, nurturing environment for parents to cultivate their own unique parenting style. She continues to be a vocal advocate for the importance of postpartum doula care and caregiving.
Originally from New York, Jackie lives in Sebastopol, CA, with her two daughters, loving husband, and cats. She is a beach bum and bagel lover.
kira nilsen
DAYTIME POSTPARTUM DOULA, ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT
Kira has been providing support to families for over 20 years. Before becoming a postpartum doula and a mother herself, she worked as a nanny throughout the San Francisco Bay Area, managed two in-home daycare programs, and spent one year as an Au Pair in Australia. To deepen her knowledge and expand her care for families, Kira has completed additional education and training in lactation and infant feeding as well as supporting families with multiples.
Kira was born and raised in California and lives in Petaluma with her family. They love to spend their time together riding bikes, hiking through the redwoods, dancing to music of every genre, and scouting out the next delicious meal.
Kira’s Doula Superpower is baking the secretly healthy treats that every member of the family begs for when they run out!
lindsey sedlack
Daytime & Overnight Postpartum Doula, Perinatal Nutrition Expert
Lindsey is a dedicated birth and postpartum doula trained through Cornerstone Doula Trainings. With additional certifications as a yoga teacher (500+ hours, including pre and postnatal yoga) and a certified perinatal nutrition expert, Lindsey brings a holistic approach to supporting birthing individuals, their babies, partners, and broader village. Guided by a holistic philosophy, she nurtures the well-being of families through education, emotional support, and a deep respect for the 'fourth trimester.’
Nestled in San Francisco's Outer Richmond with her husband and two lively boys, Lindsey fully embraces the quintessential SF sweater weather. Beyond adventurous escapades outdoors and searching for planes in flight with her kiddos, she has a deep love of learning, particularly in nutrition, nurturing the body, and staying active. Lindsey's hobbies include the warmth of cooking and baking, making her home a haven for both exploration and continual growth.
Lindsey’s Doula Superpower is the Snack Sorceress, magically crafting delicious and nourishing postpartum treats, appearing just when new parents need a boost.
milan faccenda
Daytime Postpartum Doula
After Milan spent five wonderful years in San Francisco as a professional nanny, her passion for supporting families eventually led her to birth work in 2020. Milan became a full blown "birth-nerd" and trained and certified as a DONA International Postpartum Doula. As a way to diversify her understanding and appreciation of the birth process she also trained as a birth doula and a Lamaze Childbirth Educator. Milan specializes in supporting clients with anxiety and depression and has experience working with families experiencing loss, grief, birth trauma, and strained family dynamics. Milan aims to blend into the unique flow of each clients’ home and family and has a keen ability to assess what support is needed on a given day or night. She enjoys helping parents find humor in the hard times and joy in the everyday wins.
After moving from Southern California in 2014 Milan now lives in Santa Rosa with her husband and two beloved cats. She is an avid baker and loves tending to her garden and creating seasonal crafts. Milan is also passionate about protecting, educating and advocating for reproductive rights.
Milan’s Doula Superpower is tetris-packing clients’ fridges with postpartum snacks and meals.
o’nell starkey
Sacred Tending Provider, Artistic Curator, Educator
O’Nell has a background in holistic Early Childhood Education and has spent 20 years studying midwifery and postpartum arts with many wise women and healers around the world. O’Nell is a certified INNATE postpartum care provider, lactation specialist, infant massage instructor and fertility awareness educator. Her hands-on tending weaves together her training in rite of passage rituals, Ayurvedic bodywork and traditional Mexican womb care.
O'Nell lives in Sebastopol with her husband and 9 year old daughter. She's energized by cross country skiing through sparkly snow, systems thinking and creating colorful multi-media art projects. She likes to recharge by swaying in a hammock or reading in a cuddle pile with her family.
O'Nell's super power is crafting interdisciplinary, multidimensional magical rituals to celebrate you!
sarah swymeler glick
Overnights, Educator, Lactation Educator
Since childhood, Sarah has been mesmerized by the mystery, magic, and power of childbirth. As an adult she finds herself fully devoted to and passionate about being a DTI certified postpartum doula and newborn care specialist. She provides judgment-free, evidenced-based education on topics including infant feeding, emotional and physical recovery post birth, parent-baby bonding, infant soothing, and basic newborn care. Through personal and professional experiences, and in supporting individuals and families for over ten years, she has learned and witnessed the value in having a fully supported postpartum period. Studies show that parents and infants have an easier time with this transition if a compassionate support team is in place.
The mother to three sweet kiddos, a daughter and two sons, living in Northern California near the mountains, the ocean, and the city is a dream for Sarah. In her time off she enjoys hiking and backpacking with her family, exploring new places, and diving into a book or film.
Sarah's Doula Superpower is in asking the right questions that help new parents discover their inner guidance which translates to feeling confident in their parenting role.
vanessa rocha
Newborn & Family Photographer
Originally from Brazil, Vanessa has called California her home for the past 15 years. Vanessa loves genuine and heartfelt moments. As a family photographer and mom, she understands the importance of preserving memories that will last a lifetime. With her keen eye for detail and her ability to connect with her clients, she makes sure that each family comes away with stunning and meaningful newborn photos.
Vanessa’s style is natural and timeless with a focus on capturing the essence of each family's unique personality and love. She takes pride in providing a comfortable and enjoyable experience for her clients and has a warm and patient demeanor that helps to put her clients at ease. Vanessa is dedicated to delivering high-quality, stunning images that families will treasure for years to come.
shana rhem
Daytime Postpartum DOula
Shana is a Cornerstone certified birth & postpartum Doula and has found her passion in supporting families of all shapes and sizes in the Bay Area. As the eldest of 4 children, and having been present for the home birth of all 3 of her siblings, her connection to child birth and care has been strong from the beginning and has shaped her into a kind, patient, and strong person.
When she is not tending to the needs of other families she is raising her lovely baby boy with another on the way, snuggling with her chatty bengal cat, baking tasty treats, and having wild toddler dance parties in her living room.
Shana’s Doula Superpower is having changed hundreds of diapers without ever being peed on!
shoshana friedman-hawk
Daytime & Overnight Postpartum Doula, Director of Education & Babywearing educator
Shoshana has trained and certified with multiple organizations and has been working as a birth and postpartum doula since 2012. She strongly believes in the importance of continued education and has taken various trainings in order to expand her knowledge of all things birth and postpartum. She has experience in supporting families with twins and higher order multiples, supporting families in breast/chest feeding and alternative feeding methods, and supporting families through infant loss.
Shoshana lives in Berkeley with her partner and their two children. She enjoys camping and other outdoor activities with her family as well as knitting and other handcrafts.
Shoshana’s Doula Superpower is being able to talk about the hard shit with both sincerity and humor.
sondra schimelman
overnight Postpartum Doula, newborn care specialist
Sondra is certified as a Postpartum Doula and trained as a Lactation Educator through CAPPA (Childbirth and Postpartum Professional Association). She is also certified as a Newborn Care Specialist through Newborn Care Solutions. Sondra has experience working with single parents, families with older siblings, and adults with disabilities. She also has experience working with lactation issues related to reduction and chest surgery.
Sondra is a new transplant to the West Coast. She loves to travel, swim, ride horses, listen to music, read a good book and spend time in small groups of good friends.
Sondra’s work related superpower would be her ability to help new parents feel more confident and capable with her calming energy.
