testimonials

“I still think about Olivia’s birth often and it really fills me with joy and happiness each time, not in small part thanks to the way you were able to keep everything ‘normal’ even though we had to dial 999! I think it could have been pretty stressful and worrying had we not realised that the birth was imminent and if Simon had suddenly had to deliver her on his own!”

“Having Jessie with me was invaluable. I cannot even find the words to express my gratitude. My husband also had a great experience. With Jessie supporting him too, he and I were able to work as a team. He felt really comfortable with her and found the experience entirely positive unlike my previous birth. He was able to concentrate on supporting me knowing that she had everything else under control, even remembering to take photos of the birth so that we could concentrate on welcoming our son together. She brought out the best in me and so much of it was done quietly and subtly. She led me through the birth and I felt confident and able to have my voice heard which was so different than last time.”

“From the first time we met you, I knew you were someone with whom I could feel comfortable sharing such an intensely personal and emotional experience. Although you opened my eyes to a number of “birth plan” options which I hadn’t even considered, I never felt that you were trying to steer me in one direction or another. In particular, your support in the (seemingly endless!) weeks leading up to Harry’s birth was invaluable. As a mother-to-be, trying to strike a balance between my intuition and sometimes conflicting advice from practitioners, having you as a sounding board was immensely helpful; I’m so grateful for the many times you put my mind at ease, encouraged me to do some soul-searching and/or pointed me in the direction of various resources to help me make more informed decisions. Your presence, before, during and after Harry’s birth, put my mind at ease and enabled me to have pretty much exactly the birth experience I had hoped for. I will never forget our walk from the car to the hospital and the people we had to reassure along the way (“Yes, I’m fine – just having a baby!”). I know that Andrew was also incredibly reassured by your presence; as he said, “I knew things were getting exciting when Jessie put down her Sudoku“! I am so fortunate to have had such a wonderful doula to support me through the birth of my son – all 10 pounds 5 ounces of him – and to form part of the very special memories of that experience.”

“Ian and I wanted to find someone we could trust to look out for us when we were feeling vulnerable in an unfamiliar hospital context going through childbirth for the first time. Jessie was a great fit as we felt that she would be very strong in defending our choices. We referred to her as our Birth Insurance as we were hoping to go to a midwife led centre but our default hospital was one which was reputed to ignore what parents wanted and we wanted protection from that. When labour was established, Jessie came with a cab to get us to the birth centre and in fact India was born within 90 minutes of getting there. The birth went exactly as we had wanted and discussed. Jessie stayed in the corner and was a quietly reassuring presence, but did not intrude at all. She did all the dull stuff that Ian would otherwise have had to sort out and the midwives commented afterwards how happy they were to have had her there too. After we got home Jessie was always at the end of the phone to pass on useful tips as we staggered through the blur of early parenthood. She even found time to help another new mum I’d met who’d had a rotten experience at the hospital (the one we didn’t want to go to) and who needed breastfeeding advice and a birth debrief. I still feel that I was very very lucky in my birth experience and it is quite hard to tell people about without sounding like I am boasting. I tell everyone who asks (and plenty who don’t) how glad we both were to have found Jessie and how we think having her there helped us to relax and to feel safe at such an important time.”

“I have wonderful memories of the birth of my son Zander. Having had a traumatic birth experience with my daughter 3 years earlier ending in an emergency caesarean, I was nervous about how things would be next time around. Jessie was recommended by a friend and after talking with her I was confident that she was the woman for me! I valued the pre-natal and post-natal support almost as much as the birth. We talked through my fears and some of the myths I had heard about VBAC and OP labours. With her experience and encouragement I navigated the hospital appointments, knew all the right questions to ask and kept my confidence up for a natural birth. It was also helpful having meetings at my house so my daughter could feel involved. When labour started I immediately knew that I was having another OP labour as things got intense very quickly and contractions were close together from the start. Jessie was calm and kind and I felt so relieved as soon as she arrived. I was glad that with her help we didn’t get to the hospital too soon. She helped me get my head into a positive space and to stay confident. Even though things moved a little slowly and with a lot of negativity from my midwife, I gave birth to my son, all 9lbs of him, naturally at 6pm that evening. Post nataly Jessie helped me with breastfeeding too and it was lovely to be able to talk through the birth with her. In essence I valued her immensely. I just wish I had known the first time round. I also wish that all women had access to the amazing care, support and knowledge that I was privileged to.”

“Jessie and Sarah fulfilled and surpassed our expectations as they helped us navigate the multitude of choices we were faced with during the last trimester of my pregnancy. When we mentioned that we were thinking of a home birth, they offered support and suggested that we ensure that we fall into the catchment area of our hospital. We didn’t, so changed hospitals. Then, when we had a scan at 36.5 weeks (because we changed hospitals) and discovered our baby girl was breech, suddenly all our plans of a calm hypnobirth at home were turned upside down. We were recommended to book in for a C-section at 38/39 weeks. Jessie and Sarah spent time with us to talk through our options. They also introduced us to independent midwives experienced in home breech birth – and worked with the midwives on a new birth plan. When our beautiful baby girl had still not made an appearance at 42 weeks, and we discovered there was no amniotic fluid left, they helped us through one of the most difficult decisions we have ever had to make. With lots of love, hugs and care, they helped us prepare for a C-section that night. Jessie was there before and after theatre, helped with the initial latching and spent time with me in hospital on the first day. Both Sarah and Jessie visited to ensure that mom and baby and dad were all adjusting well. What was absolutely overwhelming became so much easier with the support of these two amazing ladies. I would not hesitate to recommend Jessie and Sarah.”

“A huge thank you for all you did, you were so calm and supportive, it was such a positive experience for the whole family. Pippa gained masses of confidence from knowing that you would be at the birth and so I’m sure this contributed to Adriana’s amazing (and speedy!) entry into the world. It was wonderful for me to share in their joy and excitement, certainly a healing process for me after my own bad experiences over 30 years ago. Thank you so much, you are doing a wonderful job.”

“I was visiting London 2 months before I was due when my waters unexpectedly broke. I was rushed into a London hospital and was told I must stay in due to the risk of infection. We had already made an agreement with a Doula near to my home but given I was 200 miles away Rachel posted a message and Jess appeared. She was amazing and must have dropped everything to be with me and did all she could to help me understand my situation and navigate my way through the medical system. She was a helper, an advocate but mostly a friend. Reliable, she gave me far more than I could have expected. During the week between my admission and the birth, Jess was always there for me, whether on the phone or at the hospital. She never once tried to impose her way of thinking and instead encouraged me to work out what I wanted by talking through the options and bringing in books for me to read. Jess helped me focus and stay rational in what was otherwise a confusing and stressful time. And at the birth itself, Jess was by my side. As I went into labour very quickly I felt I was only able to get through the labour because Jess was at my side constantly reassuring me that I can do it. I did not want to take any pain prevention, all what I concentrate on was her voice that helped me get through it. As I gave birth in 31st week she was incredible finding different techniques to establish my milk supply, helping with kangaroo technique and first tries of breastfeeding. Even when we left London she was on the other side of the phone if I needed her. She really is the best I could have ever asked for and I would warmly recommend her to anyone.”

“Having Jessie there reassured me. Her enthusiasm and natural calm helped me through the experience. I loved her approach which was really caring but unobtrusive, she helped me find my inner strength and power. Having someone else there to support my partner and me through everything was invaluable. She was there to answer every question from start to finish!”

“What struck me early on was Jessie and Sarah’s unwavering support for our birth plan. As we progressed through the final weeks and needed to make adjustments to our original plan, they provided sound advice and practical options for us to consider. At no stage did they attempt to unduly influence our choices, which is the hallmark of true professionals and trusted advisors. They have a wonderful ability to calm stressed situations and created an environment that enabled us to make clear decisions as a family and in particular for my wife as a mother. I will never forget their contribution to our family and have great admiration for them as people. With their help our daughter came into this world completely calm and happy. Almost 1 year on from that life changing day Mommy and Baby are doing wonderfully well. And Daddy too.”

“Having a doula at Amy’s birth was one of the best decisions we made and we are so lucky to have found Jess to be our doula. She was full of sensible, down to earth advice and guidance before the birth and during the (very long) labour itself, was a tower of strength not only for me but for Nick as well (a major factor in our decision to have a doula was so that he felt supported as well and I didn’t have to worry about him!!). Jess’s naturally calm and good humoured nature was just what we wanted and without a doubt enabled the whole experience to be as close to my birth plan as I could have possibly hoped for.”

“David and I (and who knows maybe Fred too) have been reflecting on all the benefits that came from having your help with our birth and there are too many to count. We felt very lucky to go into the process with so much knowledge, first of all, of what to expect. The labour itself and the delivery were in fact a truly empowering experience for me and for us as a couple. Not having any stitches made a massive difference for my recovery — being home so soon after entering the hospital and feeling strong enough to take a nice walk and ride on the bus made me feel wonderful. After he was born, the kindness and help you brought us turned what we’re told is typically a tiring and sometimes hard time into a manageable one, and kept the magic we’ve felt since he came into the world going strong. I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say we’ll forever be grateful to you for helping us make the absolute best of this massively exciting transition in our lives. The work you do is really important and I hope that you find more ways to disseminate your knowledge into the world.”

“I was sceptical as to whether having a doula would help us but because Tori was so sure, I was happy to go along with it. Needless to say I am very grateful that I did!! It was difficult to be calm enough to take an objective view of the situation. To have someone there who knows and has seen the process before and is looking out for us both was more comforting than I could ever have imagined. Jessica was brilliant. She took away all the stress from me of having to make sure that Tori wasn’t being unduly pressured into decisions that suited the hospital routine rather than the natural progress. I wouldn’t hesitate to have a doula again and would recommend it to anyone – and if it could be Jessica, then so much the better.”