Meet The Best of Both Worlds Doulas
One of the most experienced doulas in Los Angeles, tracy hartley has created the Best of Both Worlds doula program to combine the experience and wisdom gained by attending hundreds of births with the energy and enthusiasm of a new doula at an affordable price. This program offers the opportunity to have virtual access to her decades of experience combined with the vitality and caring hands of a newer doula who will attend your birth in person.
Pregnant?
Sign up now for comprehensive labor and birth support and education. Bring your own doula or choose one of these amazing doulas. Your doula can attend the classes with you.
Doula? Want to Join?
Sign up now for the next training to qualify you to join this page and work with pregnant people in your area with the “safety net” of a very experienced doula
Meet The Experienced Virtual Doulas
tracy hartley
(she/her)
Tracy has owned and operated B*E*S*T (Birth Empowerment Support Team) Doula Service since 1996 and has supported more than 700 babies and families during pregnancy, labor, birth and immediate postpartum. She is the author of 700 Babies, the book that will help you understand and navigate hospital policies, procedures, and protocols safely and with confidence. She was awarded the Doula of the Year 2004 and Doula Mentor of the Year 2006, 2008, 2012 and 2015 by Doulas Association of Southern California (DASC) and was given a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2016.
Tabare Depaep
(she/her)
Taba has been a doula since 2008
What “non-doula” skills or talents do you bring to your doula work?
Negotiation/Advocacy training is what sets me apart, and I’m a great educator so my clients know how and when to peacefully advocate for their choices. I hold space non-judgementally, so any change of plans is fine with me. And, some people even think I’m funny!
More About Taba
What’s your favorite “fun fact” about birth?
That grandma’s had the egg from which the baby grew inside HER, when she was pregnant with the baby’s mama! I love that!
Describe your dream client.
She has chosen a careprovider she trusts, she has a birthplace where she feels safe, a partner who is attuned and supportive, she has taken the time to educate herself about what she’s curious about, and she values the support a doula can provide.
How do you enjoy spending free time?
I make upcycled cashmere quilts from thrifted sweaters! I stock a Free Little (children’s) Library so I hit thrift stores looking for board books and cashmere sweaters with holes.
Margie Levy
(she/her)
What “non-doula” skills or talents do you bring to your doula work?
I’m an insomniac! I am used to being up in the middle of the night, which makes me a great doula.
I’m a curious person. I want to know how things work and why. I’m big on research and finding evidence based solutions to any concern, and particularly birth related concerns.
More About Margie
What’s your favorite “fun fact” about birth?
Once the baby is born, the birthing person’s chest acts as a thermostatically controlled warmer for the baby. If the baby is cold, the birthing person’s chest heats up and if the baby is too warm, their chest cools down. Freakin’ amazing!
Describe your dream client.
Anyone who’s pregnant! I’ve had so many different clients with different experiences in life and I’ve learned from all of them.
The only client that might not be right for me is one with an overbearing partner that wants to make all the decisions. Bodily autonomy belongs to the birthing person and while I completely respect the couple as a decision-making team, it is ultimately the birthing person‘s decision on what happens to their body.
How do you enjoy spending free time?
As a mom of adult children, I love taking time off to go visit them where they live in New York. I’m also a wife to a wonderful husband and I love spending time with him. He’s a musician and I love to go hear him play at clubs or going out together to see other bands play.
I really enjoy my many pets. I have three dogs, two cats, and I’m a chicken farmer. They all provide a lot of amusement and joy.
Meet The In-Person Doulas
Glory Tobiason
(she/her)
What “non-doula” skills or talents do you bring to your doula work?
When you’re trying to learn about some aspect of pregnancy or birth, the internet can feel like a firehose of information. I love using my PhD in research methodology to help folks sort through the noise and hone in on what the evidence actually says.
What’s your favorite “fun fact” about birth?
The uterus is a magical superhero. For 9 months, nature says, “keep the baby in”… and then all the sudden: “never mind, get the baby out.” Blows my mind every time…
More About Glory
Describe your dream client.
Whether you want a totally unmedicated home birth or you got your epidural when you learned you were pregnant (kidding, but you know what I mean), I’m on board. So I guess my dream client is anyone who’s pregnant and wants a doula.
How do you enjoy spending free time?
In my free time, I love thrift shopping with my sister; reading trashy paperbacks; and horsing around with Olsen, the sweet-but-kinda-ugly dog my husband and I recently adopted.
Natalia Quintana
(she/her)
What “non-doula” skills or talents do you bring to your doula work?
I am bilingual (Spanish), sometimes trilingual (Portuguese), I am an intuitive person, pay close attention to detail, I’m personable and enjoy getting to know my parent clients almost as much as the babes. I like to cook, and plan ahead!
More About Natalia
What’s your favorite “fun fact” about birth?
Birth is just the beginning of the hardest part 🙂
Describe your dream client.
I really enjoy clients who know themselves, care to know more about this process and have some innate confidence in wanting to know more that what their doctors tell them. Someone who really wants to try not to have an epidural would be ideal but so far and few in between.
How do you enjoy spending free time?
I like to meet up with friends, take my kid to a museum, hikes and the beach.
Sarah McAdams
(she/her)
What “non-doula” skills or talents do you bring to your doula work?
In addition to my training as a doula, I bring strong communication and emotional intelligence skills that help me connect deeply with clients and provide truly personalized support. I’m naturally nurturing, calm under pressure, and a great listener, which helps create a safe, judgment-free space for birthing people. I also have a background in customer service, which has taught me how to advocate for others, stay organized, and respond gracefully in high-stress situations. My creativity and love for learning also drive me to continuously grow and adapt to each family’s unique needs.
More About Sarah
What’s your favorite “fun fact” about birth?
Babies can “breathe” underwater sort of: In the womb, babies don’t breathe air. They get oxygen through the umbilical cord, and their lungs are filled with fluid until birth
Describe your dream client.
My dream client is someone who is open-minded, calm, and receptive to the birthing process—someone who trusts their body but is also willing to explore different comfort measures. I love working with individuals who are curious and open to trying various positions, breathing techniques, or tools that may support a more comfortable and empowering labor. They don’t need to have all the answers—they just need to be willing to work as a team, stay flexible, and embrace the journey with trust and courage. No birthing experience ever goes exactly as planned, so having someone who stays open-minded allows me to better support them in making the best decisions in the moment.
How do you enjoy spending free time?
I enjoy spending my free time outdoors, whether it’s going for a walk, hiking, or just soaking up nature—it helps me reset. I also love spending time with my family, and when I’m not with them, I’m usually studying or doing something to move closer to my goal of becoming a nurse.
Violet Szabo
(she/they)
What “non-doula” skills or talents do you bring to your doula work?
Mood lighting! I used to work in the lighting entertainment industry and I know a lot about how to create a relaxing environment.
What’s your favorite “fun fact” about birth?
Fun Fact! Your body can push out a big baby! My partners mom pushed him out just fine. He was a 10lb baby with a round head! His head is still huge and she didn’t need a c-section
More About Violet
Describe your dream client.
My dream client are a queer couple and/or a single mom! I don’t think support should only be available for straight, rich, married people. Families are made in many different ways and everyone needs extra support during big transitions.
How do you enjoy spending free time?
II love knitting and watching real house wives with my kitties and partner. Truly the best time.
Isabel Flanders
(she/her)
What “non-doula” skills or talents do you bring to your doula work?
I have degrees in social welfare and biology, allowing me to provide evidence-based information while also understanding the emotional and systemic layers that shape someone's experience of pregnancy, birth, and postpartum.
What’s your favorite “fun fact” about birth?
A pregnant person's diet can impact the flavor and smell of their amniotic fluid, so babies get an early taste of the foods their parent eats!
More About Isabel
Describe your dream client.
My dream client is someone who is curious and wants to explore what works for them! I want my clients to be empowered to make informed choices that combine evidence-based information and their own values and lived experience to navigate pregnancy, birth, and postpartum in the way that is right for them.
How do you enjoy spending free time?
In my free time, I like to be active and outside! I run, hike, camp, and read. I also like to play music and sew.
Fredi Weitzel
(she/her)
What “non-doula” skills or talents do you bring to your doula work?
I am an avid musician, chef, artist, and yoga instructor, and love bringing these parts of myself into my work as a doula. My doula “secret weapon” are my hands — I love giving massage and counter pressure during contractions. I also provide services in German and Spanish for those interested.
More About Fredi
What’s your favorite “fun fact” about birth?
In physiological labor, women exist in a liminal space, dipping in and out of different realms of consciousness! Labor is a wild ride and I’m honored to get to witness my clients on that journey.
Describe your dream client.
My relationship with my dream client is one of collaboration, deep trust, and sisterhood. My dream client is someone who has done (or is willing to do!) quite a bit of preparation for their birth. When my clients know what they want and where they stand regarding certain options, I find I can more easily support and facilitate their desired experience.
How do you enjoy spending free time?
I enjoy spending my free time outside, making music, connecting with friends, backpacking, surfing, dancing, doing yoga, writing poetry, and cooking with my husband.
Monica Flores Plascencia
(she/her)
What “non-doula” skills or talents do you bring to your doula work?
Pre natal yoga coach
Ability to manage and transform difficult situations, prayers/ positivity and /or inspiration
Reiki
Knowledgeable In soothing massage therapy and essential oils
More About Monica
What’s your favorite “fun fact” about birth?
Every birth is amazing! I get amused by the power and beauty of giving birth.
Describe your dream client.
My dream client will be someone, I can maybe support with a few yoga sessions before, someone who communicates, and ask questions before or during labor I will love to have clients closer to me. And why not provide postpartum care for them too
How do you enjoy spending free time?
Practice yoga
Spent time with my family and friends, specifically my granddaughter.
Hiking
Walk around the Rose Bowl
Looking for a doula as your due date approaches?
We’d love to meet you!
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