Meet Our Team
Owner/Founder
DONA CERTIFIED Birth Doula
Caren Hespeler, CD (DONA)
Caren Hespeler, CD(DONA), is the founder of The Nesting Spot for Birth and Beyond, LLC. A graduate of California State University, Sacramento, she brings over a decade of experience in the birth industry as a certified Birth Doula, along with five years as a childbirth educator. Her extensive knowledge and dedication to her clients have been key in shaping the philosophy and strategic direction of The Nesting Spot.
Beyond her professional endeavors, Caren has been deeply involved in community service through various non-profit organizations. She has served as both President and Financial Vice President of her children’s elementary school Parent Teacher Association, organized community events, and chaired multiple committees for her children’s middle school Home and School Club. Additionally, she has organized a local birth and baby fair on several occasions, offering free educational resources to expectant parents in the South Bay Area.
Program Director
Pre/Postnatal Yoga Teacher & Teacher Trainer
Pelvic Floor Yoga
Jeanna Lurie
Jeanna discovered her passion for supporting new families after becoming a mother for the first time in 2001. Her professional journey began as a doula and birth educator, with prenatal yoga joining her offerings in 2004. Since then, she has completed thousands of hours of training and earned numerous certifications in yoga, pregnancy, birth, and pelvic health.
Throughout her career, Jeanna has held several leadership roles aimed at providing education and support to growing families. She has served as a La Leche League Leader, Vice President of Bay Area Birth Information, and Program Manager at Blossom Birth. These positions involved mentoring teachers and birth professionals, and in 2016, she co-founded Lotus Blossom Prenatal Yoga Teacher Training with colleague Hillary Easom.
Jeanna is an Expert Consultant for Carrot Fertility and has been a member of Pelvic Health Professionals and Evidence Based Birth. She also contributed as a faculty member to UCSF’s LILA study (Lessening Incontinence through Low-impact Activity), which researched the effectiveness of yoga in addressing female urinary incontinence.
Despite her extensive formal training and professional accomplishments, Jeanna credits her greatest learning to her three children, born in 2001, 2008, and 2010. They have taught her the true meaning of “Self” and the importance of mindfulness in everyday life. Outside of parenting and teaching yoga, Jeanna enjoys dancing to live music, playing guitar, spending time outdoors, reading, watching Giants baseball, and savoring gourmet food—especially ice cream—with her partner, Kevin.
Social Media Coordinator
Jamee Vasquez
Jamee is a Certified Birth Doula, Body Ready Method® Pro, Reiki Practitioner, and a soon-to-be Body Ready Birth Instructor. A Bay Area native, she holds a degree in Graphic Design and previously worked in the tech industry as a project manager. Over time, she shifted her career focus to align with one of her greatest strengths—caring for others—ultimately finding her calling in supporting individuals and families as a birth worker and Reiki practitioner.
Jamee’s approach to birth work is rooted in providing emotional, physical, and informational support throughout the perinatal journey. She believes every family deserves to feel prepared and empowered during this transformative time. As a collaborative member of the birth team, she is passionate about helping clients understand, request, and receive the care they need, recognizing the profound impact this can have on the birth experience. Her calm and joyful presence offers reassurance and support at every step.
Through her work as a doula, Jamee has come to recognize the importance of comprehensive physical and mental preparation for birth, as well as support in the postpartum healing process. As a BRM® Pro, she brings a deep understanding of how to help clients prepare for their desired birth, alleviate pregnancy-related discomfort, and navigate a smoother transition into recovery and postpartum.
Outside of her professional work, Jamee enjoys exploring new restaurants with loved ones, dancing with her hula community, and taking long walks with her dog, Oats. She considers it a true honor to walk alongside expectant families through the unique journeys of pregnancy, labor, birth, and healing—and looks forward to the opportunity to offer meaningful support.
Pre/Postnatal Yoga Instructor
Parent Baby Yoga Instructor
Aariel Perez
With great enthusiasm, Aariel brings a deep passion for supporting mothers as they move and breathe through the incredible transformation of pregnancy, honoring their bodies as the home for new life. A 200-hour Registered Yoga Teacher with an additional 85-hour Prenatal Yoga Teacher certification, she combines her yoga expertise with over 12 years of experience in Early Childhood Education, embracing the social and emotional benefits of mindful movement for all ages.
Her classes emphasize breath-centered movement and present-moment awareness, creating a nurturing space where individuals can connect deeply with themselves and their evolving bodies. Committed to inclusivity, Aariel is passionate about making yoga trauma-informed, accessible, and welcoming to all, holding space with compassion and care for everyone she meets.
Lactation 101 Educator
New Mom Group Facilitator
Board Certified Lactation Consultant
Adrienne Plaza, IBCLC
Adrienne is an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) and Certified Lactation Counselor (CLC), as well as a proud mother of two. Her passion for lactation support began with her own breastfeeding experiences and a growing desire to help friends and family navigate their feeding journeys. This personal connection eventually led her to pursue professional training in order to support other growing families more deeply.
In addition to her lactation credentials, she is also a Certified Postpartum Doula through the CAPPA organization, allowing her to offer comprehensive, informed care tailored to the needs of new parents during the postpartum period.
As a lactation consultant, Adrienne believes in working collaboratively with families and their healthcare providers. She is committed to staying informed on the latest research and evidence-based recommendations in lactation. No matter where a family is on their feeding journey, her goal is to provide compassionate, personalized support to help them achieve their unique feeding goals.
Baby Sign Language Educator
Bill White
Bill White is the founder of Happy Baby Signs and co-author of the internationally best selling book, Signs of a Happy Baby with Kathleen Harper. He has facilitated baby sign language programs at medical centers such as Kaiser Permanente, Sutter Health, and Dignity Health hospitals, childcare centers such as Stanford WorkLife, Cisco Systems, Children’s Creative Learning Centers, and Genentech, support programs at The Down Syndrome Association of Toronto, birthing centers, parents' clubs, libraries, and parent resource centers such as Blossom Birth and Harmony Birth and Family. His virtual and recorded on-demand programs are available to parents around the globe. Bill is passionate about how signing greatly helps babies connect with their parents and is the proud father of two hearing sons who both sign.
Bill received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Psychobiology from University of California, Santa Cruz. In addition to teaching sign language courses, he has worked as a commercial print and hand model. He has had 25 years of dance training and has taught dance classes locally to children and adults. He worked as Director of Operations for Kidsfaire for five years and has been the Fashion Show Director and choreographer for Modern Bridal Productions since 1995.
Restore & Strengthen Postpartum Fitness Instructor
Hannah Golden
Hannah believes that the transition to motherhood is the most athletic event in a woman’s life, requiring proper training and support. With a lifelong passion for helping others, her background as an athletic trainer has been key in supporting athletes through their competitions. As she deepened her knowledge of maternal care, she felt a strong calling toward the birth community, shifting her focus from athletics to labor and delivery.
As a birth doula, pre/postnatal personal trainer, and nutrition coach, Hannah is dedicated to ensuring the healthiest birth experience possible, fully preparing families for the transformative journey to motherhood. She also specializes in prenatal and postpartum training and rehabilitation, with a focus on rebuilding strength, restoring core and pelvic floor function, and safely guiding clients back to fitness.
TummyTime!™ Method Educator
Board Certified Lactation Consultant
Janet Dombro, IBCLC
Janet is an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant with more than twenty years of experience supporting mothers and babies in their breastfeeding journeys. As the mother of five children, including twins, all of whom were successfully breastfed, she brings both professional expertise and personal insight to her work. Janet provides in-home consultations, with a particular passion for helping mothers and babies find their own natural rhythm together.
Mindful Parenting Educator
Family & Student Success Coach
Janice Solasteas
Janice Solasteas is the owner of Sol Success, providing a holistic approach to family support and education with parent coaching and a variety of student support services in 1:1 or group settings, as well as workshops and courses. She has been coaching people of all ages in a variety of fields and subjects for over two decades, and has been practicing mindfulness and meditation since 2003.
Janice creates engaging and effective individualized plans that empower children, teens, and adults to cultivate discovery and meet challenges with resilience. When she's not teaching, she enjoys baking, fiber crafts, board games, yoga, swimming, and going on adventures with her husband and son.
Practical Techniques for a Confident Birth Educator
Birthing 101 Educator
Kelli Ghanati, CD(DONA)
There have been many iterations of interests and careers on the path that led Kelli to become a birth doula and childbirth educator. She graduated from San Jose State University in 2004 with a Bachelor of Music in vocal performance. Shortly after, she enrolled in the multiple subject teaching credential program at SJSU, graduating again in 2006. Kelli then began her career as a 5th-grade teacher in Redwood City, where she thrived in the classroom and enjoyed adapting curriculum to meet the needs of all learners.
Eventually, she moved to Cupertino to teach 1st grade in a specialized program for English Language Learners. It proved to be a challenging yet rewarding experience, especially as she met families from all over the world who had come to call Silicon Valley home. Over time, Kelli returned to teaching 5th grade.
Around the same period, she met her now-husband, Anthony, and they began their family shortly after their marriage in 2012. Over the course of three and a half years, they had three boys, which allowed her some time at home with them. In 2016, just four months after the birth of her third son, Kelli became an accidental doula for her younger sister. This moment of divine intervention revealed a path that combined two of her passions: education and supporting families through a transformative time.
Kelli is deeply passionate about empowering birthing people during a time that can be filled with uncertainty. She encourages them to be brave, reminding them of their strength and power, especially when they may not feel it. She helps parents find their voices, so they can have the birth they desire and feel content in their journey. Kelli looks forward to sharing her knowledge and support with others.
Postpartum Planning & Newborn Care Educator
Lanie Mocherman
Lanie is a postpartum doula with over eight years of experience supporting families through the beautiful yet challenging postpartum period. Certified as a doula, lactation educator, and pediatric sleep consultant, she is deeply passionate about all aspects of pregnancy, baby care, and postpartum support. With a background in teaching and a master’s degree in counseling, Lanie approaches each family’s needs with empathy, education, and personalized guidance.
At home, Lanie lives with her loving husband, their three energetic elementary-aged children, and their beloved family dog. Her firsthand experience as a mother, combined with her professional expertise, allows her to connect deeply with the families she works with. She is dedicated to empowering new parents with the knowledge and support they need to feel confident and at ease in their parenting journey.
Birthing Naturally Educator
Lori Ismail, CBE, CLD
Lori Ismail CBE, CLD is the owner and operator of Early Advantage Childbirth Services. She works as a childbirth prep instructor, labor support doula and lactation counselor. She started her business in 1999 when she became certified as a Bradley Method instructor, teaching standard childbirth prep classes. After 13 years of teaching and attending births as a doula, she developed her own childbirth prep curriculum in 2011. Since then, she has continued to teach the educational program entitled, Birthing Naturally: Partner Supported Childbirth. Her classes are comprehensive, thorough and evidence based. Students meet every week for 8-weeks and receive a total of 20 hours of instruction. In addition to teaching through her own private practice, she has taught classes through Harmony Birth & Family, based in Campbell, for over 11 years (2010-2021) and at Blossom Birth & Family, based in Palo Alto (2007-present). At Harmony, Lori provided countless families with over 1080 hours of instruction before they had to close their doors due to COVID restrictions. At Blossom, Lori continues to teach her Birthing Naturally courses and has logged in over 2520 hours of instruction, as of 2022. Currently, Lori continues to teach her Birthing Naturally: Partner Supported Childbirth classes in Los Gatos, California and at Blossom Birth & Family, in Palo Alto.
In addition to teaching childbirth preparation courses, Lori is also a labor support doula certified through the Childbirth and Postpartum Professional Association (CAPPA). She has worked as a birth doula since 1999 and has directly supported over 500 families, averaging 9,000+ hours of one-on-one care. Doulas understand the physiology of birth and provide continuous physical, emotional, and informational support to birthing persons and their families during the prenatal, birth and immediate postpartum period. Doulas provide informational support that is evidence-based and is presented in a non-judgmental and objective manner so that families feel encouraged to make informed decisions. Lori has supported families, and attended countless births in hospitals including Lucille Packard Children's Hospital in Stanford, Kaiser Permanente in San Leandro, Oakland, Roseville, Redwood City, Santa Clara, and San Jose, Washington Hospital in Fremont, St. Louise Regional Hospital in Gilroy, UCSF and El Camino Hospital in Los Gatos and Mountain View, to name a few. Additionally, she has provided labor doula support at midwife assisted home births.
Lori is currently earning her Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) at The Valley Foundation School of Nursing, at San Jose State University, and hopes to earn her RN licensure by the end of 2025.
Parent Toddler Yoga Educator
Misty Masvalo
Misty is a free spirit who honors lifelong learning and balance. She began practicing yoga in 2007 and discovered solace, strength, and resilience on the mat. Yoga enlightened her to the importance of self-care.
Misty has 13 years of experience in early childhood education and has worked with children of all ages. She is passionate about sharing the empowerment of yoga and deep breathing to support the daily routines of children and adults alike.
Misty's classes offer space to nurture the parent-child bond through yoga, singing, and dancing. Her playful, gentle, and alignment-focused flow incorporates core awareness, breathwork, and strengthening postures that support the everyday movements and activities of caregivers with young children.
Misty began teaching yoga (RYT 500, RPYT) in 2018. She completed the Dharma Path Advanced Studies at Samyama Yoga Center and the Lotus Blossom Pre/Postnatal Yoga Teacher Training.
With yoga as her foundation, Misty enjoys being in nature, running, climbing, dancing, and surfing. These days, she is learning how to rhythm skate!
Infant Massage Educator
Robin Hood
Robin has been an early childhood educator for more than 15 years. She has always had a passion for working with families, and she finds helping them learn their child’s cues through massage is particularly rewarding. She is a certified educator of infant massage, as well as a Child Life Specialist, and has a master’s degree in Early Childhood Education. She is the parent of two boys, ages five and seven, who now come and ask for massage all on their own!
Prenatal Yoga Instructor
Parent Baby Group Facilitator
Stephanie D'Ornellas
Stephanie has followed her passion for supporting women and their partners on the journey of becoming a family, embracing the roles of a birth worker and advocate for birthing parents. With a warm and nurturing approach, she guides her clients through every stage of their parenting journey, from pregnancy and childbirth to early parenthood and beyond. Her holistic approach combines her experience as a yoga instructor, childbirth educator, doula, and lactation educator, all grounded in mindfulness, intentional movement, and community-centered support.
Stephanie’s personal journey with yoga began in her early 20s, which led her to explore various yoga disciplines, including Pre & Postnatal Yoga. Inspired to expand her knowledge, she pursued certifications as a doula, lactation educator, and, most recently, a childbirth educator. This comprehensive training enables her to support families through the transitions of pregnancy, labor, and postpartum, including breastfeeding, and helps parents navigate one of the most intimate aspects of early parenting.
Her goal is to provide reassurance, knowledge, guidance, and compassion through every step of the journey to parenthood.
Birthing 101 Educator
Practical Techniques for a Confident Birth Educator
Pre/Postnatal Yoga Teacher
Stephanie Sheldon-Mollinier, CD (DONA)
Stephanie is a wife, mother, educator, and doula who finds both challenge and beauty in birth. She has chosen to follow her passion and calling in life, believing it is essential for families to feel supported, respected, and cared for as they welcome their child(ren) into the world. Her work brings her immense joy, particularly in guiding her clients through positive transitions into parenthood.
Stephanie holds a B.A. in Communication Studies and an M.A. in Teaching English, both of which provide a strong foundation for her work. She is a certified Birth Doula with DONA and the Birth Coach Method, a certified Lamaze Childbirth Educator, a certified BRM® PRO, and a certified 4TFM Instructor™. With over seven years of experience serving the South Bay area, she looks forward to being a part of each family’s unique perinatal journey.
In her free time, Stephanie enjoys spending time outdoors with family and friends, staying active, cooking and sharing delicious meals, and traveling to new places.
Birthing with BAM Educator
Hypnosis For Labor Educator
Tracie Lynch
Tracie Lynch is an experienced birth professional and certified hypnotherapist holding certificates in Doula support services, Midwifery, Hypnotherapy, Placenta Encapsulation and Childbirth Education. For 15 years, Tracie has worked alongside expectant Bay Area families to empower them to explore their options to create satisfying birth and postpartum experiences. Tracie unquestioningly believes that knowledge, preparation and education are the key foundations to a more peaceful and satisfying birthing experience.
Tracie is the happy mother to five children. Her journey working with expectant families began after the birth of her third child at home. The amazing circle of women who supported and guided her family through their third birth journey helped to create an amazing and transformative experience. She knew right after her water birth that she had found her path, sharing that support with other families. Tracie completed her Birth Doula training with DONA international in 2009 and began attending births soon after.
Her experiences using the HypnoBirthing method for her own children's births, led her to become a Certified HypnoBirthing Practitioner in 2010 and ultimately a Certified Hypnotherapist in 2012. Though hypnosis for birth might not be the choice that every mom makes for her birth, Tracie believes that the foundational techniques of deep relaxation, grounding and centering philosophies, coupled with the connection fostered between partners, helps all families achieve their ideal birth experience. Tracie's philosophy on teaching families to prepare for their baby's arrival is to provide as much informed information and labor coping techniques as possible, as well as different ideas and philosophies to each family ensuring that they can create a plan for their birth as unique and special as they are.
Tracie graduated from National Midwifery Institute in June of 2023 and will be finishing her Licensed Midwife, Certified Practicing Midwife Licensure in early 2025. She enjoys offering hypnotherapy to expecting and postpartum families as well as offering placenta encapsulation to help ease the postpartum journey.
When not immersed in birth work you will find Tracie enjoying time with her family and pets. She is blessed with true and amazing friends who understand and accept her inability to commit to social plans.