Kali Shanti Park Doula Profile

This was my 3rd homebirth (4th natural birth) & I wanted to capture those first moments of life of my little one!   Kali did an AMAZING job at doing just that for me!  I worried some how it would be & whether having a "photographer" present would bother me while I labored... it didn't bother me in the least!  She was very professional & I hardly knew she was there. It was great all the way around!  I highly recommend Kali to anyone who wants to capture those first few moments of life!  It's worth every penny & then some!  Thanks Kali!

Kali did such an amazing job capturing our home birth experience through photography.  She knew when to be present and when to give us our space as a family. Her work is highly professional and she captured the moments that bring my husband and I to tears every time we see them! I personally loved how tasteful she kept the photos that could have been a bit more graphic. She also went the extra mile to get some good photos of the nursery that we had set up for our son, Remy. Knowing that she was there documenting the special moments allowed us to sit back and focus on the birthing experience. Thank you, Kali! Such a priceless gift. 

It was such a blessing for me to have Kali attend the birth of our son. She was exactly what I needed at that intense point in time--a quiet and gentle presence. Kali was in tune with me and could sense that I was in no mood to talk, or listen to someone else talk! Having Kali there also helped my husband relax and take his cues from her. As this was a hospital birth, I am convinced it would have been extremely stressful without her there. The nurses were no comfort to me whatsoever! Their sole agenda seemed to be to fill my chart with stats. They wanted to check my blood pressure every 30 minutes and even draw blood to re-check me for hepatitis (yes, in the middle of labor). Kali also helped me stick to my original plan of having an unmedicated birth, when the inevitable offer of pain meds came. The rice packs that she brought were helpful in taking the edge off the intense labor pains. Unfortunately, it was decided that I needed to have a c-section in the end, but I was still grateful to have had her there to share my journey. 

As newlyweds and expecting parents, my husband Paul and I wanted encouragement and support with our pregnancy. We found Kali through our midwifes clinic, and she became our doula and friend throughout the last 2 months of my pregnacy. She provided the answers and advice to any questions I had, and my husband was very happy with her straightforwardness in answering his questions. As the man, he often felt like he wasn't experienced with all the pregnancy related topics, but Kali made him feel included in the entire birth. During my labor, she was extremely supportive, and was very calm and relaxed. It was wonderful to have the support when I was having contractions. If I needed a hot pack, water, or just to be left alone, she took care of it. Paul was with me during all the contractions expect one, which she helped me through. I felt assured that the birth would go well, and used several techniques she had shared with me in our prenatal appointments during my son's birth. She encapsulated my placenta, and I've noticed a considerable difference in my emotions after the birth. My husband and I were very pleased with our birth experience, and agree that it would not have been the same without her support. She is a wonderful doula and we hope to use her with any future children God blesses us with :)

 Kali went above and beyond for us for the birth of our daughter! I went into this birth as a VBAC mom and I knew that I wanted a natural birth... after a wild hospital experience during my last birth, I knew that I wanted something different this time around and I also knew that I needed a little bit of help to stay on track. When I went into labor she did everything in her power to keep me comfortable and was a perfect balance with my husband's support. Both her and my husband complimented each other perfectly during my VERY long labor and crazy wild delivery. I also hired Kali to encapsulate my placenta as well as photograph my birth and I am VERY impressed with the quality of her work! When I was pushing out my daughter (a VBAC, by the way) Kali managed to get an incredible photograph of her crowning (and she was a face presentation birth) and it was incredible! The pictures of my birth are so beautiful and amazing :) I can't possibly recommend Kali enough! She has breeched the point of Doula and became a trusted friend as well... my husband and I will use her services for any future births as well :) Thank you so so much, Kali! 

Kali's photography skills are wonderful. Her eye for capturing the heart and beauty of a birth shows in every single picture. She was calm and respectful during the labor/birth, taking care to document the most precious moments without being obtrusive. Most of the time I forgot she was there! Yet the memories that I have are now captured for a lifetime in sweet, beautiful photos that are still modest enough to share with family and friends. Thank you so much!
 

Kali’s instruction and reading material prior to labor helped me to understand how to have a positive natural birth experience. We had an 18 hour, back labor, all natural birth. During the labor Kali bought comfort, strength, and encouragement. Kali was there every step of the way giving me confidence and assurance. She helped make natural laboring a special experience that brought my husband and I closer together. I found her to be very personable and was so blessed to have her as my Doula. For our next child I am going to find Kali and have the baby near her or fly her out to us. – Krista

Kali, you were so great! I really never thought about having a doula, but I was happy to have you there. I was a little concerned that there wouldn't be anything for you to do, just because of the way I am during labor. But I was so glad you were there. You helped me a lot with putting pressure on my back, getting things we needed, taking pictures and you had a very good sense of when to step in and when to stand back. I was very impressed! When Trey had trouble and we had to take him to the hospital, you even stayed and cleaned up for us. Thank you so much!

 Having Kali as a doula at my second son's birth made such a difference. I didn't want much contact during labor, but having her there to support me and give me ideas and suggestions on how to relieve pain and handle the contractions really helped me get through my labor.  She even helped my husband by suggesting ways he could help me which involved him more in then labor.  Having Kali at the birth helped me and my husband have the birth experience we wanted!