Meet Our Team of
Educators, Experts, Cheerleaders, and Baby Enthusiasts!
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Janaki Costello
Founder & Advisor
What I love about my work: One of my favorite things about birth support and education was helping parents to be less afraid of birth, and of parenting.
Fun fact: I love elephants!
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Molly Brannigan
Childbirth Educator, Lactation Consultant
What I love about my work: I love to see parents and babies learn to love each other.
Fun fact: I totally dig picture books featuring alligators wearing human clothes.
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Anna Mahony
Childbirth Educator, Doula
What I love about my work: It is a total joy to cheer folks on during the beautiful and vulnerable transition to parenthood.
Fun fact: I love the smell of a good library!
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Katie Seifert
Childbirth Educator, Doula
What I love about my work: I believe that the way we enter this world and carry life into this world directly informs our capacity for change and progress later in life. I am committed to supporting the transformative power of reproductive experiences.
Fun fact: I like miniature things! Tiny cups, little spoons, funny figurines - all brings me joy!
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Susi Galloso
Doula and Massage Therapist
What I love about my work: I love seeing parents faces light up when they make that connection with their babies.
Fun fact: My home has been called a jungle - I have a big collection of rare and rehabilitated tropical plants.
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Jessica Christen
Childbirth Educator, Lactation Consultant, and Midwife
What I love about my work: I’m passionate about empowering parents to confidently nourish & nurture their growing family.
Fun fact: My favorite animal is the quokka!
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Kathy Woo
Acupuncturist, Herbal Medicine, Hypnotherapist
What I love about my work: I love helping the people I work with to trust & feel good in their bodies.
Fun fact: I love it when I find a tiny baby-sized segment in my tangerine.
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Selene Wung Kaye
Postpartum Doula
What I love about my work: I love showering new mamas and birthing parents with tenderness.
Fun fact: I sort M&Ms by color before eating them.
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Shaunic Stanford PT, DPT
Pelvic Floor Physical Therapist
What I love about my work: Being able to help empower women about their body.
Fun fact: I love the Elmo song, Imagination. It makes me feel happy.
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Meg Elliott
Group Facilitator
What I love about my work: I love hearing about continued connections well past the last session of our groups, as babies get older.
Fun fact: I like snaggletooth cats!
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Andrew Gordon-Kirsch
Organizational Psychologist & Group Facilitator
What I love about my work: I love to hold space for dads to navigate challenges, celebrate triumphs, and learn from one another's experiences.
Fun fact: My go-to dinner is "Nana noodles": pasta shells with cottage cheese and peanuts, a concoction my grandma often made for me.
Our Vision
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We Believe:
You know how to give birth, and your baby knows how to be born
Birth can be a source of pride and power
Every parent deserves to experience a safe and empowered birth
Every parent deserves trusted, kind, knowledgeable support
Being in community makes parenting more satisfying and joyful
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We Aim:
To give you the tools to birth your baby safely, with joy and confidence
To provide evidence-based, non-biased information
To be inclusive and respectful of all people and families
To build community between families
To prepare families for the ups and downs of new parenthood
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We Offer:
Respect for your vision
Evidence-based education with experienced educators
Information on local birthing practices & protocols
Heart-centered, compassionate support
Connections to community resources
Collaboration with you and your family
Our Space
Welcome to our bright, spacious, and warm office! Loving Arms has hosted classes and baby/parent meetups in many locations over the years, and this one is our favorite yet. We’re so grateful to be able to offer our families a clean, quiet neighborhood with plentiful free parking, cozy indoor seating for parents and babes, and a comfortable, private deck for when the weather is nice.
Our space is also available to rent for your workshop, class, meeting, or community event: Take a look at the details, and email info@lovingarmschildbirthservices.com.
Our Story:
Loving Arms Childbirth Services was started in 1995 by Janaki Costello, Carol Shattuck-Rice, and Alice Elliott, East Bay birth doulas and mothers who recognized how important education was to creating positive and empowered birth experiences.
Over the years, our team of teachers has included doulas, midwives, lactation consultants, and other perinatal professionals. Our teachers are a collaborative group, working together to bring the full spectrum of our perinatal expertise into the classroom to meet the needs of our families and local care protocols.
Our approach is always curious and always evolving. We follow the evidence and incorporate different techniques from various methodologies, with a focus on what really works for laboring folks, parents, and babies. We strive to connect families with experienced, kind professionals who excel at what they do.
It has been an honor and a joy to support families through the transition to parenthood for nearly 30 years. While some things have changed in that that time (new evidence, changing care protocols and practitioners), many things have stayed the same. After all, as Janaki says: “Birth is birth: no matter if it happens at home, a birth center, the hospital, or the back of your car!”
Coming soon: An interview with our amazing founder Janaki!
Commonly Asked Questions
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We often hear this question, and Loving Arms alumni have answered with a resounding YES! Our independent perspective combines evidence-based info, knowledge of hospital protocols, and tips from experienced local birth workers & educators. Our goal is always to give you the information you need to advocate for yourself, and make choices that feel right for you, your baby, and your experience.
Our classes are different from hospital classes in very important ways:
We do a deep dive into preparing for the mental, emotional, and physical work of birth; most hospital classes focus on just the stages of labor.
You’ll get lots of hands-on practice in comfort measures, labor positions, breathing techniques, birth advocacy, and more.
We include tips from experienced local birth workers & educators, whose insight can help you smoothly navigate both laboring at home and hospital protocols.
And it’s not just about the education! Our classes create opportunities for parents to form meaningful, lasting connections with each other. Loving Arms alumni have gone on to meet weekly after their babies are born, text each other for midnight feeding camaraderie, meet up for holidays, do nanny shares together, etc! We believe in The Village!
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Many insurance plans cover our classes. We can provide a superbill if needed - just let us know. Depending on your plan, many people are eligible for reimbursement in part or in full for the following classes through their insurance plans:
Childbirth Preparation
CPR/Child Safety
Breast/Chestfeeding
Baby care
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Compare our different classes - including fees and hours - with this handy overview.
If you still have questions, please send us a note: we’re happy to provide recommendations based on your specific needs and goals.
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Choose a class that ends close to your due date, but ideally finishing by the time you are 37-38 weeks pregnant. The six week series has a rolling start of once every month. If you don’t see a class that works for your due date, our classes are full. Send an email with your due date to be placed on the waiting list.
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If you cancel with at least two weeks advance notice, we will issue a refund, minus a non-refundable deposit of 25%. If we can fill your spot, we will issue a refund less credit card fees. If you cancel with less than two weeks advance notice and we are unable to fill your spot, we are unable to issue a full refund.
Once the class has started, no refunds will be issued.
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All our classes are held in person at our cozy office in Emeryville. Our classroom has great ventilation and air purifiers. We follow the guidelines of local Alameda County Health authorities with regards to masking and distancing. Masks are welcome, but no longer requIred.
If you feel ill, please stay home and contact your instructor to get caught up on what you missed that day!
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It is cozy, and yes, you sure can! For info, photos, fees, and scheduling, visit our classroom rental page.