Picture This Birth · Maribel Orellana, CD(DONA)
Birth Doula Support & Birth Photographyin Orange County
Grounded, relationship-centered birth doula support and honest documentary birth photography for families who want to feel informed, cared for, and fully themselves through birth.
Care for the experience. Images for the story.
You deserve to feel supported, not simply moved through birth.
Birth can be unpredictable. Feeling alone, unheard, or rushed should not be part of the experience. You deserve time to understand your options, care that adapts when things change, and people around you who respect what matters to you.
And you do not need to have every preference figured out before we begin. Part of my work is helping you sort through the information, notice what feels right to you, and move toward birth with more clarity and confidence.
Ways to work together
Support shaped around your story
Birth Doula Support
One-to-one preparation, continuous labor support, and postpartum follow-up centered on your preferences and family.
Explore Doula Support
Birth Photography
Intimate, cinematic documentary imagery that preserves the emotions, relationships, and in-between moments you may not be able to see while you are living them.
Explore Birth Photography
Signature packageDoula + Birth Photography
Support and storytelling woven into one trusted, familiar presence — fewer people in the room, more continuity, and one person who already knows your story.
Explore Doula + PhotographyAdditional full-spectrum doula support
In addition to birth doula care, I offer compassionate, nonjudgmental support through abortion, pregnancy loss, and infant loss.
What high-touch support actually means
Known before birth
Our prenatal time is where trust is built. When labor begins, you are not meeting a stranger; you already have someone who knows your preferences, your concerns, and what helps you feel steady.
Informed, not directed
I help you understand options, ask useful questions, and make room for your own instincts. I am not there to decide what your birth should look like.
Your partner has support, too
I help your support person feel more confident and less overwhelmed without taking over their place beside you. We work as a team.
Steady when things change
Preferences matter, and they are allowed to change. My support does not disappear when the plan does.
Training & professional foundations
Ongoing education in birth support, comfort measures, positioning, photography, and postpartum care.
Meet MaribelDoula care may be part of your health coverage
I work with private-pay families as well as eligible clients using Medi-Cal and select commercial plans. Because coverage varies by plan, network, and member benefits, I confirm the details before we shape your care.
Birth photography is a separate self-pay service. Private-pay investment is listed clearly on the service pages, and payment options are available.
Birth Stories
Honestly remembered
The squeeze of a hand. The look between partners. The concentration, relief, laughter, exhaustion, and first recognition — the pieces of a birth day that can disappear inside the intensity of living it.
In their words
What families remember about the support
Maribel brought a calm, warm presence that made the hospital feel more like a safe, comforting space. One of my biggest goals was to have an unmedicated birth, and this time Maribel made sure my voice was heard. She advocated for me, reminded me of my strength, and helped me achieve the peaceful birth I had always dreamed of.
— Unmedicated birth
We are so blessed by these photos and the moments you captured — we are so thankful! Reliving that day through these photos was so much more positive than I expected, because you got all the good moments and even the hard parts. I can see the faces that were all around me, even when I was oblivious to the world, all smiling and praying for me. I'm so happy!
— Birth photography
As first-time parents, we had a lot of questions, and Maribel always made us feel comfortable asking anything without judgment. She arrived while my partner was in labor, fully prepared with supplies for comfort measures, including massage rollers and other techniques that helped during labor.
— First-time parents
Based in Irvine · Rooted in Orange County
Orange County is my primary service area, and being based in Irvine keeps me centrally located for families giving birth throughout the county. I also accept a limited number of births in South Los Angeles County, the western Inland Empire, and North County San Diego.
If you're outside Orange County, reach out with your birth location and due date. Availability depends on location and my on-call calendar, and I'm often able to support families just beyond my primary service area.
Let's connect
Let's talk about the birth you're preparing for.
You don't need to know exactly what you want before reaching out. In a free 20-minute consultation, we can talk about what matters to you, the kind of support you're looking for, and whether we feel like a good fit.