Meet the Team
Elizabeth
Elizabeth is the founder of Looma Birth and co-founder of MotherKin. With over a decade of experience supporting families through pregnancy, birth, and postpartum, she has built her work around education, connection, and compassionate care. As a birth and postpartum doula, prenatal yoga teacher, and community educator, she is also the creator of Empowered Hospital Birth®, Looma’s signature education approach designed to help mamas feel informed, grounded, and confident as they navigate modern birth.
Her work blends professional training with lived experience as a mother of three, bringing both depth and warmth into the spaces she creates. Through Looma Birth, Empowered Hospital Birth®, and MotherKin, Elizabeth’s vision is to foster a supportive, community-centered environment where families and practitioners feel truly held.
Co-Founder
When she’s not teaching or supporting families, Elizabeth is most often with her partner and their three children. She loves traveling, cooking, moving her body, and creating meaningful gatherings that bring people together. For her, the everyday rhythms of family life are just as important as the milestone moments—and that belief shapes the heart of her work.
Life Outside the Studio
Dani
Dr. Calahan earned her Doctorate of Chiropractic from Southern California University of Health Sciences in 2016, graduating Magna Cum Laude and receiving the Dr. Lester McCoy Clinical Excellence Award. She is a member of the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association and played Division I collegiate soccer at the University of San Diego, where she earned her BA in Sociology.
Over the years—and especially after becoming a mother—Dr. Calahan has come to deeply value the role of support, compassion, and connection in caring for families. She brings both her professional training and personal experience into her work, helping individuals and families feel supported as they move through the many stages of life.
Co-Founder
When she’s not in the office, Dr. Calahan is most often with her husband, Mike, and their two children, Jack and Ginnie. They love staying active, playing sports in the neighborhood, cooking meals together, and bonding over good coffee. A reader and fitness enthusiast at heart, she believes that the little moments—yes, even grocery shopping—are what make family life so meaningful.
Life Outside the Office
Our Team
Meet Clarissa!
Lactation Consultant/ Postpartum DoulaI am an IBCLC (Lactation Consultant) with experience as a postpartum doula for seven years, which gives me a lens into how baby is transitioning from womb to world. My goal is for patients to leave feeling empowered to make decisions throughout the duration of their feeding journey. As an extrovert, I really enjoy meeting new parents and bringing a positive perspective to troubleshoot whatever arises.
Meet Avonlea!
Pregnancy, postpartum and infant Physical TherapistAvonlea Brown, DPT is a pelvic floor and pediatric physical therapist and the founder of Avonlea Brown Physical Therapy, specializing in pregnancy, birth preparation, postpartum recovery, and early infant development.
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She works with women through each stage of motherhood, from preparing for birth to navigating recovery, helping them feel more connected, confident, and in tune with their bodies. Her approach blends advanced clinical training with thoughtful, hands-on care tailored to each individual.
Her philosophy is simple: just because something is common does not mean it should be your normal. She is passionate about offering clear, honest guidance so women can make informed, empowered decisions.
Based in Huntington Beach, Avonlea brings a grounded, real-life perspective to her work, shaped by her love for movement, wellness, and the outdoors. Her goal is to help every woman she works with feel strong, capable, and at ease in her body in a way that carries into everyday life.
Meet Aly Simons!
Perinatal Wellness Advocate & Founder of Pregnancy PodsAly is a perinatal wellness advocate and founder of Pregnancy Pods, a community-based program that prepares first-time mothers emotionally for pregnancy and postpartum.
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She does this by forming small groups of women based locally in Orange County who are expecting at the same time — and equipping them with tools to navigate what’s ahead. With a background in maternal mental health and lived experience as a mom of three, she believes the emotional side of becoming a mother deserves just as much preparation as the physical — and that the right community makes all the difference. She is currently pursuing her LCSW licensure with plans to expand one into a private practice.
Meet Jesseca!
Speech, communication, AAC and Better Together FounderHello! My name is Jesseca and I am a speech therapist and Spelling to Communicate (S2C) practitioner. My practice, Better Together Speech Therapy, provides sensory and motor informed communication support for the autistic and nonspeaking community.