Jessica Rairdin-Hale Doula Profile

Jessi was the best decision we made in our birth plan! During my 6 hour labor and delivery Jessi was with my fiancé and I the entire time providing us with continual encouragement, calming words, and reassurance. She was able to help give me natural pain relief with lower back pressure and hip squeezes during contractions. Without her help I would not have been able to achieve the dug-free labor and delivery that I desired.

Extra information:
My fiancé and I were recommended Jessi through a Birth Doula Trainer after unsuccessfully searching for a doula for weeks. Upon interviewing Jessi both my fiancé and I knew she was the perfect for our desire to have a drug-free labor and delivery. She was knowledgeable, experienced, kind, and very flexibly throughout the entire pregnancy.

We started meeting with Jessi while I was 6.5 months pregnant (1st pregnancy). We discussed and practiced many labor and delivery techniques and positions, created a labor and birth plan, and was always available to answer any questions that we had. Jessi also is very familiar with Hypnobabies and was willing to practice and coach me in this natural pain relieving technique.

Jessi attended our birth as a friend and "assistant doula".  We had already hired doula Char Perkins when we found out Jessi was about to finish her doula training.  We were excited to ask her to take part in our birth and she graciously accepted.  We were trying to have a VBAC, after our first son was born via emergency C-section, so having two doulas made us feel more confident that we would have the support we needed to give ourselves the "best chance" of a vaginal birth.  We are so thankful to Jessi for her presence at our birth.  Her positive, calming, supportive presence helped us through the ups and downs of labor.  We labored a long time (24 hours).  Jessi was with us the entire time.  She provided awesome natural pain relief through massage (her amazing "hip squeeze" will be a favorite memory of getting me through some very painful contractions!)  Her gentle, calming way of giving affirmations was appreciated by both me and my husband.  At one point, when things were getting stressful and the hospital staff were warning us that we may need another emergency C-section, she graciously gave my husband a reassuring massage which helped calm his frayed nerves.  Our birth process showcased a range of natural, unmedicated labor, to necessary epidural to try to combat internal swelling of my cervix (as Jessi said, "an epidural used the right way"), to the touch and go of baby's racing heartbeat which almost led to a c-section, to the eventual vaginal birth of our son.  A range of emotions, a range of situations, all of which Jessi dealt with calmly, professionally and with confidence.  I am certain that if we had not had the help of a doula, we would have ended up with another C-section.  I am so thankful to Jessi in helping us achieve our VBAC!