"Working with Jess allowed me to be prepared and focused for the birth of my son. Jess also really helped my significant other to be an active part of the birth process. She worked hard to get to know me and what I wanted out of my birth experience. Jess provided wonderful support for me on many different levels and helped me to stay as calm and as focused as possible."
-Mama of baby R, born July 2011
"Jess was and is an incredible partner. She was so encouraging throughout our whole experience beginning with our pregnancy. She checked in regularly during the last weeks and days of my pregnancy. It was a relief to have her initiate contact with me when I was too tired to call her. I especially appreciated how she partnered with my husband. Our labor took days and she steadily took care of him by offering him food, beverage and emotional support. Because she took care of him he was able to focus on me and the baby. When she met with us after our baby's birth she was intentional about checking in with both of us. Jess is an excellent listener and asks thoughtful questions. She really helped us process our birth story. She offered us resources and continued to check in with us even months after the birth. She is connected to a strong community of doulas, and because of that has a vast array of resources to draw from. One resource she gave us my midwife did not even know about. I have already recommended Jess to friends and she'll be one of the first we call when we plan to have another. We could not be more grateful for her loving spirit and support."
-Mama of baby G, born August 2011
"Words cannot adequately express what a true blessing you have been to our family. From the minute we spoke for the first time on the phone, I felt a connection to you. From that moment on you became a part of our life forever. As I look back at my pregnancy and more importantly my delivery, I cannot imagine going through that experience without you. I encountered several minor complications during my pregnancy, as you know, and I always knew that your comforting words of support were only a call or text away. That level of comfort allowed me to relax and focus on taking care of myself and the baby growing inside of me because I knew I was never alone. Yes, I had my husband, family and doctor, but having a true expert and partner by your side takes things to an entirely new level. I think it’s important to say that you also gave Jon, my husband, a great deal of comfort. You taught him what to expect and were a way for us to validate what we were feeling and worried about. With both of us being new to the crazy world of birthing a child, you walked us through it step by step and helped us both get comfortable with the process. We both said we don’t know what we would have done without you. With two false alarms that Henry was ready to join us, I began to think you thought I was surely crazy, but you were always patient, caring and so understanding. However, the morning that my water broke and we knew for sure that it was indeed Henry’s birthday, amongst tears of joy and moments of panic; you reminded us what you had taught us and what the next steps would be like.
Now comes the part where you became the most amazing person I have ever met. I started having pitocin-induced back labor and remained determined to not have an epidural. You were right there, with my husband, guiding us both through the pain I was enduring. Position after position, pressure point and pressure point, you never faltered. I will never forget you guys trying to lighten the mood and make me not focus on the pain.When it came time to push, there you were – helping me, guiding me, coaching me, and helping Jon and my mom know what they should be doing. You were truly our partner. When I think of the moment when Henry entered this world, your smiling, teary-eyed face will forever be tied to that memory. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for helping me bring the most amazing person into this world. You are a blessing to the parents and families you work with. I wish that all mothers had the good fortune of working with you as they bring their miracles into this world. You will forever be a part of our family."
Love, Amy and Jon, mama and daddy of Henry, born August 2011
"When my husband and I first met Jess, we were drawn in by her unique warmth and energy. She has a wealth of knowledge and a wonderful, reassuring confidence about her. She is a great educator – no question is too small – and neither of us ever felt intimidated by her. Jess was a wonderful addition to my birth team. Since I was planning a homebirth, I wasn't’t sure I would need the assistance of a doula, but after talking with my midwife, my husband and I decided it would be beneficial for us. My primary concern was that my husband have someone to empower him as my birth partner and Jess did a wonderful job supporting both of us before, during, and after the birth of our son. A few weeks before I was due, we met to talk through my ideas about the birth. During this meeting, Jess asked a lot of good, thought-provoking questions. We also talked about ideas for comfort measures. During labor (which lasted several days) Jess was always ready to come over when I requested her. She was there to remind my husband of the comfort measures we had talked about earlier and to give him a chance to rest when he needed it. She anticipated our needs and encouraged both of us to eat and drink. When my labor stalled, Jess took the time with me to talk through how I was doing emotionally and help me identify anything that might be holding me back. Immediately after my son was born, Jess helped me start breastfeeding and made sure we had what we needed before she went home. Jess continued to be a great resource in the weeks after birth. She is connected to a wealth of birth professionals and when she called to check in with us and I told her about some of my breastfeeding concerns, she answered the questions she could and then put me in contact with a friend of hers who is a lactation consultant. She also came over a few weeks after my son was born to talk through the birth experience with my husband and me and help us process it. Her presence in our lives with this birth was invaluable to us and we highly recommend her as a doula."
-Mama of baby S, born at home in October 2011
"Jess kept the delivery room calm and peaceful. She kept me as relaxed as possible and was also thinking about my husband and mother. During the birth, she captured wonderful pictures, which we never would have had without her. She even had familiarity with our doctor, which was nice. I think there are so many great reasons to use a doula, but at the end of the day, that was the most important. We didn't feel alone in the process, we had someone advocating for us/with us for our babies. As a mother of Twins, it was so nice that my doula was also a mother of multiples. I felt a special connection and care for our birth. Jess has a very positive, can-do approach to birth that empowers families to get through the difficult parts and cherish the first moment of their child or children's lives."
-Mama of twin boys, born April 2012
"Our Doula Love Story….
When I was “shopping” for a Doula I went to the Child Birth Collective site and started perusing the profiles. It was kind of like online dating; look at a picture, read about them and then hope that there is a connection once you meet them. While perusing I came across “Doula Jess”…”Ah, she seems like a good one, her face is inviting, I like her profile, I will keep looking through some others though.” However, I kept going back to Jess’s page. It literally kept pulling at me. There was something about Jess that just said, “This is the one”. So, we decided to send her an email and ask to set up a meet at greet to see if we liked her. Jess came over to our house and stayed about an hour or so, chatting and getting to know us. We didn’t say we wanted her right away, because we felt that we were “supposed” to “shop around”. So as we walked her to the door we said we would be in touch. When she walked out the door my hubby and I both agreed on two things, A. We LOVED her and B. Why didn’t we hire her right there??? Quick, start running after her car, waving your arms, screaming WE WANT YOU!! I quickly emailed Jess later that night and said, “We want YOU”. Thus the beginning of our Doula love story….What Jess means to us and our family is SO hard to put into words. I will try my VERY best.
We met with Jess a couple times before the birth and always had such pleasant and thorough visits. Jess was so knowledgeable but more than that, she just put us at ease for the event that was about to change and rock our worlds! I texted Jess a few times throughout my pregnancy to get some advice. Jess was always willing to give an answer and help me feel calm. Knowing I not only had an awesome and supportive husband but also this amazing woman by my side, helped me to be calm and present throughout the pregnancy.
On the morning that our sweet daughter announced she was ready to begin her journey into the world, I let Jess know right away and from that very instance she was supporting us and ready to be there for us. She made me feel so relaxed and checked in with us throughout the day, as we began to labor at home. I remember telling her “How does anybody do this without a Doula?”
It was now time for the big adventure, getting our sweet girl out into the world. We had a long labor with many twists and turns. Jess was consistent in her care, her love, her attention to us, “us” being myself, my husband and our baby girl. Whispering in my ear encouraging words, stroking my back, my head, giving me water and helping me go from one position to another, all while remaining so calm and peaceful. I remember during hour 30 or so of labor I looked over at Jess and my husband and felt SO lucky and blessed (and I tear up as I write this) that these two amazing people were at my side during the most important day of our lives.
My birth did not goes as planned which lent to a lot of grieving on my end. As amazing and graceful in her care during the birth, she was too the same postpartum. She told me the most beautiful words about our birth that helped me feel a little better about how things went. In fact, I wrote her words down so that I can always go to them for reassurance when the sadness creeps in about the changes to how we wanted our birth to go.
We truly fell in love with Jess. She will forever and always be a part of our family and we will forever be indebted to her for what she gave us. Jess has a heart bigger than the world, a peaceful presence resembling a babbling brook, and a love for what she does greater than any person I have met. She genuinely loves her work and is so compassionate about women and birthing. I am so grateful to have had Jess with us on Millie’s birth day. I hope so many more Moms and families get to be graced by the presence of Jess at their births."
With so much love, Naomi, Corey and sweet Baby Millie.
"We had three days of labor. Jess was superhuman in her approach to relieving my wife’s pain. I could not believe how committed to our birth plan she was in the face of so many things going unexpectedly. She really knew how to be there for both of us and I could not have made it through the labor experience without her presence. Jess is always reachable with questions and is a great resource for us as new parents. She is a steady calm voice in what can be an overwhelming and intimidating time as a birth partner. She is very confident and empathic and I trusted her throughout my wife’s pregnancy and especially during labor.
Jess was a lifesaver for me as a birth partner. We had a very unusual pregnancy and a long, hard labor. She was so there for my wife and I and I can not recommend having her be a part of your team highly enough! She is truly gifted and will always hold a special place in our hearts as she helped us get our son into the world. You are going to have a different birthing experience if Doula Jess is there--trust me. You want her in the room. She is invaluable!"
-Daddy of baby A, born June 2012
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