My name is Shakila Marando, and I am the founder of DOULAS by the BAY. I am a mother of two children, and I have worked with children and families for over 25 years. For the last 16 years, I have dedicated my life to serving families as a doula, offering support through pregnancy, birth, and the early newborn days. My work comes from a deep love for caring for others, and my goal is always to help parents feel seen, supported, and confident during this special time.
My professional background includes Certified Birth Doula, Certified Postpartum Doula, Lactation Counselor, Certified Lactation Educator (CLE), Doula Educational Institute Doula Educator, New Parent Educator, Trained Infant Massage Educator, and Infant Sleep Consultant. These combined skills allow me to guide families with compassion, evidence-based care, and hands-on experience.
Alongside my work, I lead a caring and trusted team of doulas who share the same passion for helping families. Together, we have supported over 3,000 families. Every doula on our team is Birth/Postpartum Certified and Perinatal Mood Disorders Certified, fully vetted, professionally assessed, and background screened for safety. Our doulas are CPR trained, follow safety standards and best practices, and are HIPAA certified to protect your privacy. They are also covered by Workers’ Compensation and backed by comprehensive company liability insurance. With ongoing mentorship and professional development, our team offers safe, reliable, and heart-centered support to every family we serve.
I created DOULAS by the BAY to build a supportive space where parents feel seen, understood, and empowered. I’m deeply grateful for the trust families place in me, and I remain committed to making a positive difference—one family at a time.
Shakila is the best there is. We did not have a night doula for our first child. For our second, we needed one because I had to go back to work right away. I was very nervous about leaving my baby with someone else during the night hours, particularly at just two weeks. Shakila let me control as much of the process as I wanted to so I always felt like she was doing what I wanted. She has a magical touch with babies and had our daughter sleeping through the night by two months old. She would not even leave in the morning until the baby was back to sleep, which allowed us an extra hour of sleep on top of the time she was with us. She was worth every penny and then some. THANK YOU SHAKILA! We miss you.
- Gabriella Rosen Kellerman