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VIEW The Gallery
VIEW The Gallery
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Modesto doula and birth support
Your Dona-trained doula and catcher of details
Serving all cities within 50 miles of Modesto, CA. If you are out of this range and looking for a doula, please contact me! I can help you find one nearby!
Because I so strongly believe in the mental and emotional power of photographs, all of my doula clients will also receive a complimentary birth gallery.
birth stories
Doula support is all about honoring your own unique journey, your story, and the choices you make along the way. My priority is to keep you and your partner at the heart of the experience. As one of Modesto's top birth photographers and now, a doula, I’ve had the privilege of attending multiple types of births across the region. I bring both my expertise and intuition to guide you through your individual birth process. My role as a doula is to educate, collaborate, and then step back so that you, your partner, and your baby can lead the way.
My goal as a doula is to offer physical, emotional, educational, and psychological support while also providing tangible reminders of how you navigated one of life’s most profound transitions—through birth images that capture your strength, resilience, and journey. I want you to leave your birth experience feeling empowered, amazed by your own inner wisdom, and confident in your own power.
And yes, I am here to support and document all types of birth experiences—whether it's an unmedicated water birth, a planned cesarean, or anything in-between. Every family deserves compassionate, professional, and non-judgmental care.
What makes me different from other Modesto doulas?
We have a lot of amazing, knowledgeable doulas in Modesto, and I feel like each one has a different personality and offers a unique and valuable set of experiences. So its important for you to shop around and find someone that fits you best. What sets me apart from other doulas here is my extensive background in child development, in physical fitness, photography, videography, and mental health, as well as working with babies who have had prenatal drug exposure. I'm an adoptive mom, as well, and have personally experienced infertility, so I know the emotional cavern this can cause, as well as the incredible range of emotions you will go through when you find out you will be blessed with a little one. I've also gained a good amount of perspective from attending a wide variety of births.
While these experiences alone don't make me a "better" doula, because I genuinely believe that each doula in the Modesto area offers something unique and amazing (and honestly, I still have a great deal to learn!), these experiences have given me a deep understanding of the many ways birth can unfold. I’ve come to appreciate that each birth is as distinct as our fingerprints. We all have different visions and values when it comes to what an empowered, healing birth looks like—and my role is to help you tap into your own intuition and inner wisdom to create the experience that feels right for you.
In addition to my experience, I’ve built good relationships with midwives, local doulas, lactation consultants, and several community leaders in the birth and postpartum community, and I am never afraid to ask them questions if I feel like I need answers for you. These positive, collaborative relationships with your care team can make a world of difference in ensuring your birth, and your postpartum journey, unfolds as smoothly as possible.
On top of doula support, I’m also a leading birth photographer in Modesto and the greater Central Valley and East Bay, and as part of my services, I offer birth photography to every one of my doula clients at no extra cost. Birth photography is a powerful way to preserve the beauty of your experience, helping you to remember, reflect on, and integrate your birth story for years to come.
Sutter Hospital, modesto, CA
Magical Moments
This sweet mom had a rough first birth experience. She went into labor during Covid, so she had to labor alone for several hours before her husband was allowed in the room.
The birth itself was also pretty rough.
We prepared for her 2nd birth by doing a lot of exercises to help open her pelvis, we did fear-releasing exercises, and even though she could still feel her contractions through her epidural, we were able to offer sacral compressions to help alleviate the pain. Only one hour of pushing with this one, and he came out beautifully healthy!
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From those first intense contractions to that first lusty newborn cry, to that post-birth oxytocin rush, hiring a professionally trained doula and birth photographer/videographer into your birth space to both support you and to artfully capture every moment is the kind of gift that only becomes more precious with time.
As a DONA-trained doula and BBY certified and experienced birth photographer, my aim is to help you feel comfortable and safe with me in your birth space, and to capture your birth in a way that tells its true story, in all of its rawness and beauty. We will chat about life and all the things, and I will be so incredibly excited for you and your family to welcome this new little one into the world, however that story unfolds. My job is to show up with an open heart, an open mind, and be PRESENT for you, so I can be whatever support you need and also fully showcase the emotions and experiences of this amazing day.
"It is only in our darkest hours that we may discover the true strength of the brilliant light within ourselves that can never, ever be dimmed."
- Doe Zantamata
Your modesto doula
Shoot me a message, letting me know you are interested, and include your due date and any questions you may have. If you'd like, we can also schedule a zoom call (or in-person, whatever you prefer) to chat. I accept up to two births per month, so slots are limited. The sooner you contact me, the better!
1. Say Hello
2. non-refundable Retainer + Contract
In order to save your spot, for all session types, I require a non-refundable retainer that will go towards the full price of your session. And for you to have all the nitty-gritty details, I also require all my clients to sign a contract. The contract, along with all the details, includes very specific "yes" and "no" sections that define what photos you are OK with making public and which you absolutely do not want seen. We willl go over every sensitive body part in your model release so that YOU can feel safe and confident that we now have a legally binding document that is designed to help protect your privacy.
The questionnaire is probably my favorite part. Here is where I will ask you questions that will help me understand your story and what kind of support you are hoping to receive. It will also give ME all the information that I will need leading up to your birth, such as phone numbers of those who will be calling me when its time, birthing location, and specific ideas you may have about the types of photos you want, among other things!
3. questionnaire
As you hit 36/37 weeks, I will be on-call, and ready to roll. I will not go on any trips (unless previously discussed, in which case I will have a backup assigned whom you will get the chance to know beforehand), I will keep your phone numbers on emergency override with a very specific ringtone that I assign to all my birth clients, and I'll anxiously await every text and every update and twinge you may feel as the days move forward. When the time comes, I will arrive when you are getting close to active labor (or during active labor, depending on how quickly your baby decides to come!), and we will make some BEAUTIFUL images. I'll be a fly on the wall, or a hands-on-help, whatever works best for YOU, and have been told many times that I was not even noticed once labor really got rolling!
4. Baby time!
About 3-5 days after birth, I'll be sure to check in on you. We can talk about how you are processing your birth, anything you are feeling proud of, and anything you may need some help with. I'll keep checking in for up to 8 weeks after birth.
You will also receive 3-5 digital sneak peaks within 48 hours, and the rest of your digital photos by 4 weeks. Video takes a little bit more time, so you should receive that by 6 weeks. I do also like to provide a sweet little 30-60 second "welcome to the world" video that you can send to your loved ones within the week after birth. I know everyone is excited, so I love providing something that you can share quickly!
If you wanted to order any photos or albums or cards, you can do that directly from your gallery once it is delivered.
5. After the Birth
heirloom artwork • priceless
Births from $1500
I am here to NOTICE. I crawl out of bed at 3am, kiss my babies goodbye, and excitedly rush to your side to offer whatever support you may need, to be present for the micro-expressions, the loving movements and sounds and rhythms of birth, and to record those, using artful angles, as unobtrusively as possible, and to edit them in a way to showcase the depth of their meaning.
Pricing
This can happen, as well! Birth is so unpredictable! I do have backup photographers and doulas that are on-call as well, and we cover each other for births if we are out-of-town, but if baby comes super quickly, I'll get there as soon as possible and document all of the events following the birth. There are definitely no guarantees, as I will do my very best. Ill offer you a complimentary Fresh 48 if this is the case! :)
What happens if baby comes quickly and you are unable to attend?
C-sections happen! We are grateful for the medical advancements that are available to keep everyone safe. Birth is birth, no matter how it occurs, and I absolutely can and have documented c-sections, as this can help you process your birth experience. If your OB will not allow me in the OR, I can grab the moments before and those precious moments after. If you know you are having a C-section, chat with your OB beforehand, let them know I have been certified and know how to handle myself in the sterile environment of the OR. You will most likely only be allowed one person in the room with you, so whether you want me there or your partner is totally up to you!
Absolutely. I expect them! I also take credit card payments. I do request your full total by 37 weeks, and once you are fully paid, I will start editing your photos/video. I also offer gift certificates that you can add to your baby registry.
Do you take payment plans?
What happens if I have a c-section?
Most clients book within 3-5 months before their due date, though you can book as early as you wish. The earlier, the better! Then we can get you more prepared for your birth!
When should I book?
Absolutely. When you book with me, you will sign a legally-binding contract that will allow you to choose the level of privacy that you wish to have. You will also have the option of reviewing your birth gallery and videos before I post anything so you can note what you are comfortable with/not comfortable with sharing.
Do you have a privacy guarantee?
Doula services and birth photos start at $1900. Most clients invest around $2400 (and that comes with a lot of goodies!). For more specific details, please send me a message! I try to tailor each individual experience.
What is the price?
FAQ
What kind of experience do you have?
I was certified and trained by the Birth Becomes You team, Jenn and Monet, in both birth photography AND videography, and I was trained by DONA, by the Sierra Childbirth Institute, and by Birth Becomes you as a Doula. I have attended and photographed home births, epidural births, c-section births, surrogate births, unmedicated births in a birthing center, premature births, and births that happened exactly on their due date ;). I am not fully certified yet as a Doula, but I am working on it!
"I booked a birth, maternity, and newborn session with Shayna and she made it a seamless and amazing experience from the start! She was quick to respond to messages and questions and was just so personable! I loved it! She is very detailed on making sure she knows exactly what you want and capturing it!
Shayna is an absolute pleasure to work with and I am so grateful that I had her be there to document all these milestones for my family! The photos turned out better than I even imagined and make my heart so happy! We will definitely be using her in the future for any family photos!"
-Kaylie
Modesto, CA
Kaylie & Rafael
"Shayna captured our birth photos for our surrogacy journey and didn't miss a single detail. She checked in frequently before birth, gave wonderful advice, and was consistent with her care. For us, this was a huge plus as her job was to capture photos, not care about us, but she managed to do both. I would rate her a 10/10 and HIGHLY recommend her.
Shayna, you were made for this."
-Dominique
Modesto, CA
Dominique & Arturo
“My birth photos have me in tears. I will cherish them for every moment of my life. I can’t explain how healing this whole process was, despite having an emergent c-section.” ❤️-Rachel
Modesto, CA
Rachel & Mike
"“My birth video is the best video in existence. It beats any wedding video. Rewatching it gives me all the feels all over again." -Briana
Modesto, CA
Briana & Justin
"Oh my goodness! Shayna beautifully captured the birth of our daughter. The photos are perfection. She was unobtrusive yet present during such an intimate time, and I will cherish them forever."
Modesto, CA
Shelley
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