Let's Be Real - Mama Journeys - Episode 133 W/Shakila Marando

Shakila Marando Is the owner of Doulas by the Bay in San Francisco, CA.  She had a tough time with breastfeeding and realized that other moms needed that help too.  She started working as a nanny and then accidentally started working with a family who taught her about what a doula is and what they do. She love it and that started her journey to help other moms.  She puts herself in the shoes of the other moms so she can touch the families and make a difference in their worlds.  Lived experience speaks volumes as a doula and she loves to normalize the struggles of motherhood. She trains her other doulas that normalizing them and their experiences.  Moms deserve support and should be the priority after birth and her organization starts with moms and also supports babies and partners.  Her best mama moment is right now with grown children who are good humans who truly love one another. Her worst mama moment happened recently while the California's 2025 fires and being separated from her family on opposite sides of the state. She wishes she would have known that parenting is harder than she thought and having support is essential. She also wants moms to understand that mama guilt is normal but when you don't fill your own cup, you can't fill others. Sometimes prioritizing YOURSELF is really important.