Jessica Bejot Doula Profile

Jessica's presence in the delivery room was an honest to goodness miracle. She met us at the hospital the very evening we were to meet for our initial interview - because we were in labor 3 weeks early. Her professionalism, compassion and availability simply blew us away, and her prayerful presence during a labor that did not go at all as we had envisioned was a tremendous blessing. Her partnership with us and her support allowed my husband, Dave, to be fully available to me during one of the most difficult experiences of my life, and while we did not experience the natural childbirth we had hoped for, I know that her calm support and encouragement were essential to the preservation of a vaginal delivery. Her experience and encouragement kept us going when we were ready to throw in the towel, and after 5 long hours of pushing, we welcomed our son, Joseph Kolbe, into the world. We will definitely be calling on Jessica to join us for the birth of each of our children!

My husband and I lovingly call Jessica our "epi-doula", which in our opinion is far superior to having an epidural for pain relief during labor! In all seriousness, we could not have asked for a more gifted, compassionate, and knowledgeable woman to support and guide us through the birth of our son. From the very first phone convers...ation through our postpartum appointment, Jessica far exceeded our expectations by her passion, commitment, professionalism and genuine love of being a doula. In addition to the Greek definition of doula, "a woman who serves", I would add that Jessica is "a woman who serves" women and families extraordinarily, with the utmost care and grace. Minute to minute, contraction to contraction, she is a hand to hold, a reassuring and calming presence, and a contagious joy that carries one through even the most challenging of birthing circumstances. Truly Jessica is present and available for whatever you need, whenever you need it, in the most perfect way... all without you even having to utter a word. On every level, she surpassed our ideal doula, and we attribute the beautiful, natural birth of our son to her unwavering labor support. Without question she will be at every birth of ours from this point forward!

I knew I wanted a labor doula before I ever even got pregnant and it was hands down the best decision I ever made. Having Jessica and Brandy with us benefited not only me but also my husband and baby as well! I had planned on having a natural birth in a hospital setting and during our prenatal appointments, I got so many great tips on how to make that happen. They also took a lot of time with me on breastfeeding education and Jessica did an amazing henna tattoo on my big pregnant belly.
I ended up delivering my son face up after 21 hours of intense back labor. Jessica held my hands through every contraction and also when the <rough, unfriendly> on-call doctor was stitching me up afterwards. I'm relatively sure I broke most of her fingers but she didn't seem to mind and was a constant source of encouragement. My decision to have an epidural was difficult and scary but she and Brandy were extremely supportive and explained the procedure to me. They were both so calm and attentive that my husband felt comfortable leaving my side to go eat or talk to our family in the waiting area. Because he was able to take those breaks, he was a better coach when I really needed him. He never felt a diminished role in the delivery room and later told me that even though he wasn't thrilled with the idea of a doula at first, he was greatly relieved we had Jessica and Brandy there!
Jessica has a personality that's perfect for a doula; she's calm, supportive and funny--all things that I really needed during a long labor. Even though I got a more complicated labor/delivery than what I planned on, I was able to remain present when my son was born and as a result I was able to bond with and breastfeed him right away. Having Jessica there was truly a blessing for my entire family!
 

Although I had reservations about hiring her with less experience than some of the other doula's out there, Jessica proved to have as much knowledge, and more passion (that was expressed anyway) for what she does than the other doula's I interviewed. Not only did she provide the same quality of services as any of the others, she also consistently went above and beyond her call of duty even before she was hired. I got a call about once a week, occasionally more often than that, with more information on whatever concern or topic I was looking into at the time. She researched everything I mentioned, and I had a heartfelt connection with this bright, intelligent, caring woman that didn't even know. She kept me on top of tasks that I needed to take care of on a time schedule (for example, signing up for the child birth classes I was interested in taking, as they were filling up fast). I felt that Jessica went beyond what any other doula was offering, and that became most evident when she offered to take my hypnobirthing classes with me so that we could be on the same page during my labor. I have found more than "a woman who assists women during labor and after childbirth". I found someone to confide in, trust, care about, feel comfortable around, and as far as I know, this is the definition of a friend. I have to say "THANK YOU" for the superior work she has done so far, and I expect nothing less when I do finally go into labor and get to meet my new baby. I am glad I chose her to be a part of that wonderful experience.
 

"Since my mom didn't live in town, and my older sister had never had a baby, I knew I wanted someone else there who had given birth and knew what I was going through. Having Jessica there was such a help. It took some pressure off of Nathan, allowing him to be present for me the whole time. Jessica's calm presence, gentle massages, and encouraging words throughout the process guided me to focus and relax as needed. I am SO glad we met Jessica in time for her to have a part in making our daughter's birth a comfortable, natural experience."

Though Jessica wasn't able to be at my birth, she was absolutely instrumental in preparing me for the big show. I was scared and concerned about all the different opinions I'd heard before I met Jessica, but after our very first meeting I had direction, strength, and excitement to enjoy the process from beginning to end. Jessica's calm nature and passion for her work made it easy for me to be the same. I became a different person, no longer fearing the last weeks of pregnancy and worrying about labor, but able to be calm and enjoy the time leading up to it. I felt empowered to ask my doctor questions, demand my preferences in the hospital, and ultimately felt like I had more time and energy to enjoy my son when he finally arrived. I am so grateful for the time I spent with Jessica pre-labor that when we decide to have another, I am definitely going to make sure she is there for the birth!
Thank you for your support and encouragement Jessica. My birth would have been completely different if you hadn't helped me think it through.