Naomi C

11/29/2023

Everyone having a baby needs a Jolene! Jolene was an incredible support to me and my husband throughout pregnancy, birth, and early postpartum. She provided helpful resources and was always available with information whenever I had questions or specific needs, especially when my pregnancy became high-risk and we had to navigate multiple complications. She took time to get to know my husband and me during my pregnancy and tailored her support to our specific needs and preferences. Her support and reassuring presence was a key reason why my birth experience ended up being empowering rather than traumatic, even when nothing went according to our birth plan. Jolene helped my husband and I ask important questions we either didn't know to ask, or couldn't think of in the midst of intense adrenaline during labor. She supported all of our decisions and was proactive in checking in with both of us about our mental and emotional well-being during and after our baby's birth. Our baby had medical needs after an unplanned c-section, and Jolene's presence allowed my husband to go to the NICU with our baby while Jolene stayed at my side. She helped me and my husband emotionally process our intense birth experience and encouraged us every step of the way. Jolene provided excellent postpartum recommendations for pediatricians, lactation consultants, and where to go to have our daughter's tongue tie assessed and released. Without her support, the stressful process of finding expert care when we needed it urgently would have been nearly impossible. Jolene is a caring professional with a wide skill set to wonderfully support YOUR pregnancy and birth, whether medicated or unmedicated, complicated or uncomplicated. She is an expert support person to lean on when things go according to plan or not. We are so grateful for Jolene!

Rachel

10/10/2023

I can’t express just how incredible Jolene was throughout my labor experience. From the very first conversation, her warmth and kindness made us feel so comfortable. Jolene was dedicated to spending time with us and building trust before the arrival of our little one. She also ensured that we were well-prepared both emotionally and mentally for the delivery and encouraged us to create a birth plan that my husband and I could confidently reference. 

In those emotionally challenging final weeks of pregnancy, Jolene was there to talk through everything, providing a listening ear and the voice of reason I needed after tough visits with my midwife. 

Thanks to Jolene, once THE time came, I experienced the exact birth I had only dreamed of - a magical labor-at-home-as-long-as-possible, unmedicated birth. Jolene provided a very calming yet confident presence and made the unknown far less intimidating. Even when we realized baby had shifted a bit, Jolene was unfazed and took me through a series of maneuvers to successfully rotate baby in an optimal position. She was supportive in all of my decisions and went above and beyond to ensure that my birth plan and wishes were communicated with the midwife and team.

She was the perfect support throughout the entire process, guiding my husband, offering encouraging words, providing pain relief tools (including her hands - sorry!), and even fixing my completely matted hair during two hours of pushing! And her support didn’t stop there. She championed my well-being postpartum, caring for my mental and physical health. She was a lifeline during those early, challenging weeks when things felt incredibly dark.

In a nutshell, Jolene is a must-have for expecting mothers. She made my birth experience incredible and provided unwavering support before, during, and after my labor. We love Jolene!!

Brenda Gomez Morales

3/16/2023

Having Jolene as our doula was one of the best decisions we ever made for our family. She provided the extra  support we needed before, during, and after labor. I told her my dream was to have an unmediated VBAC and she helped me get there. My husband and I were able to have the positive birth experience we were hoping for. She was very knowledgeable, patient, & nurturing. She is passionate about her work and that's why I would recommend her to anyone. 

Stephanie McCarthy & Seth Novak

11/10/2022

We cannot say enough wonderful things about Jolene!

Our Ada came 5 weeks early -  in dramatic, speedy fashion in the middle of the night.  We had only one meeting with Jolene prior and had only just started birth classes.  We were not nearly as prepared as we wanted to be.

Jolene not only met, but exceeded our expectations!  She:

 - responded quickly to our 2am contact, even though we weren't on the 'on call' radar yet.  She arrived equipped and ready to go!

-did amazing work in the first meeting.  We realized after the birth that Jolene had already taught us a lot about what to expect and what we could control and ask for.  While we were certainly relieved she was able to be there for labor, we were able to advocate for ourselves before she arrived because of what she taught us.

- TRULY embodies all fo the things that a doula is, and does them so well!  She got right in there with us, but let us take the lead.  She cheered us on but pushed us when we needed it!  When Ada was off to the NICU with Seth, Stephanie had a steadfast companion and was never alone.

 - Since we weren't able to fit in all our meetings before Ada came, Jolene happily adjusted and spent more time with us after the birth.

Jolene is easy to connect with, laugh with, and plan with.  Having her in our home was a joy and a comfort.  We would recommend Jolene with no reservations!

Sienna Edwardson

10/5/2022

Jolene is an amazing Doula. I couldn't be more thankful to have gone through my first pregnancy and birth with her by my side. Before meeting Jolene I was pretty uneducated and fearful about giving birth. She comforted me and validated my concerns but also educated me so I was able to confidently make decisions and I became excited about having my baby! Jolene was such a blessing to me. Whether it was her kindly educating me, listening to my concerns, being a resource or just a friendly face to talk to, she always made herself available and she did everything gracefully! During labor she was amazing and so sweet. I felt so comforted having her there with me. Jolene is an incredible person and I can't fully put into words how amazing she is! 10/10 would recommend her to anyone and I will absolutely be calling her again for my next baby! 

Kathleen M

10/3/2022

Jolene was amazing during what was the most vulnerable and scary period of my life. I had multiple setbacks during my pregnancy, labor & delivery, and postpartum experiences and I felt supported by her at all times. She helped me to be an advocate for myself while also advocating for me when I was entering week 41 and very anxious about my non-stress test getting done and how much longer I would be pregnant. My husband and I are happy with the pictures/videos she obtained during labor and afterwards. I labored in a birth center and can honestly say that if it weren't for having her as my doula I would have thrown in the towel and asked to be transferred to the hospital (I struggle with anxiety and she was awesome at helping me feel more at ease and being present when my husband needed to step out). Jolene has a fount of useful resources and was able to refer us to a carseat technician (so we could get confident before baby made his arrival), make me an essential oil wellness blend for labor, and helped my husband and I learn spinning babies techniques which I believe kickstarted my labor within hours (although I was on day 11 past my due date haha). We will definitely hire her again to be our doula if/when we decide on another baby! Thank you so much Jolene and be blessed my friend!

Alisha L

9/25/2022

When me and SO became Pregnant with my first child, I knew I wanted a doula. When I ran across DoulaMatch, I found Jolene. I read one review about accidental natural birth because of distraction techniques, it sold me. When it was time to get a doula, I was nervous but excited. When I first met Jolene, i had so many questions, i knew i wanted a natural birth, but didnt know if i could handle it, along with being anxious, she helped me understand it all along with explaining techniques to help through the pain. Her demeanor alone and positivity along with her certainty that I could do this, helped me stay calm and positive that I had made the right choice. She was always there to text or call when I had any questions or concerns. The more we talked at our visits the more it felt like visiting with a good friend. When my water broke, she was there to talk us through it all. When me and my SO needed to get the contractions back to back, She had techniques with exercises with a yoga ball, while keeping my SO informed in ways to help me stay focused and calm. When it was time to go to the hospital and we got to the room, she was ontop of everything making me feel safe and strong, I felt supported and confident. 18 hours of hard labor and still only 3cm, I finally had to call it, and say the secret word we agreed on, "pineapple" for the epidural. I felt no guilt in pushing myself as far as i had trying everything to get further along, my body just wouldn't have it. My daughter was face up and the burning, the exhaustion.. after getting it I finally felt relief and I dont remember falling asleep. 6 hours later she was out in about an hour of pushing. Jolene captured the moments of birth in photos & video. I'm so grateful for her if it was anyone else i dont think it would have gone aswell as it had. So if you are questioning about getting a doula,  just choose her and do yourself the favor. Thank you so much Jolene, your Forever apart of our family ?? 

Christina

9/13/2022

Jolene was amazing and I highly recommend her!

This was my 2nd pregnancy and I had a doula with my first in a different state. I knew I would want a doula again but every day life got in the way so it wasn't until 20+ weeks that I got serious about it. Jolene was very comforting, understanding and respectful from the first meet and greet throughout the whole pregnancy and birthing journey. 

She has a lot of supportive material, is well versed in any type of birthing scenario and will work with you to honor your ideal birth. That being said she will also walk you through different scenarios and being prepared for them so you know what needs to happen in that case as well. She definitely goes above and beyond during her visits.

While her on-call didn't start until 38 weeks, my little munchkin decided it was time right at 38 weeks to make an entrance. I was in denial of being in labor but kept reaching out to Jolene with updates and she kept me comfortable via phone and texts. After timing my contractions, I knew it was time at 12am! I called Jolene and we barely checked into the birthing center and she was there. And let me tell you: she knew exactly what I needed. From birthing ball to supporting my husband to putting me in the right position and giving me a pep talk (exactly the words I needed to hear - how she knew is still a miracle to me!). Once she did that and helped the baby get in the right position, I pretty much pushed once and the baby came flying out - no kidding. 

This second birth was definitely more intense then my first, Jolene made it "easy" for me to stick to my guns of having an all natural birth and cut the whole birth of active labor pretty much in half compared to my first. 

Jolene: If I had another baby, I would hope that you would be my doula again. ?? Thank you for all your support and being a part of our second miracle. ?? 

Grace M-T

8/20/2022

My husband and I decided to get a doula late in my pregancy (around 31 weeks), we were scrambling to find one and after speaking to several doulas that either were not a match or did not have availability for my due date, we found Jolene. Our first consultation was great- Jolene was professional and knowledgeable about pregnancy, labor, birth and post partum and was able to give us a thorough answer to all of our questions and concerns. During our pre birth meeting, Jolene came to our house and gave us a binder stocked full of informational panthlets and handouts regarding birth plans, statistics, expectatons, and excersises, as well talked us through things to think about and plan for. Jolene always made sure to check in with my husband and I after our midwife appointments to see that things were going well with me and the baby. She was able to easily gain our trust by supporting us and providing information and resources when we needed them. When I was in labor Jolene was able to help me by suggesting a variety of labor positions and helped put pressure on certain areas to ease my pain. Since I gave birth at home, Jolene also guided my husband on things he needed to prep, helped us get in the best positions to move the baby down and time contractions and rest periods and also let me use her TENS unit through active labor. During post partum Jolene checked in to ask about my breast feeding, my healing, my emotional state, our sleep, the baby and our adjustment to her. During our very last meeting she even brought me some self care gifts and brought our baby a teething ring, blanket and a few books. I really could not have asked for a better support person for my husband and I. Her warmth, trustworthiness, support, guidence, experiance, and humor made us feel ready for the biggest transition in our life. Im super thankful for her and glad she was there when my baby entered this world. 

Grace

3/3/2022

Jolene was wonderful in our journey to our little one, she was informative, and sensitive to all our questions and concerns. She let us talk and really listened, was so helpful the day my daughter was born, even though our plans for the birth didn't happen the way we wanted. She will do anything she can to make your deliver special. 

Helena

12/30/2021

I was referred to Jolene by a friend who had an nothing but positive things to say about her birthing experience. I was about a month out from my due date before I reached out to Jolene. Jolene provided an abundance of resources to us that included a large binder with information regarding labor, postpartum etc. My husband and I have a medical background and Jolene was very receptive to that and I felt kept that in mind throughout my laboring experience. While my birth couldn't have gone more opposite than what I expected, Jolene was there every step of the way. I found the earlier stages of labor to actually be fun and empowering thanks to her ideas of how to get my contractions going. From her tens unit, to the gummy bears before I started pushing to give me a little energy- Jolene thought of it all. She even kept tabs of everything going on so when the nursing staff or midwife came in she quickly recalled the timeline of events. My laboring experience would not have been the same without her. Several days after I came home, she touched base with me to check in and see how everything was going which was very helpful as the first few days after birth are a lot to say the least. While having a doula at my birth was not something I thought I needed, I found it to be very neccesary and helpful throughout lae pregnancy, delivery and postpartum. 

Kelly DeWoody

10/14/2021

My husband and I were hesitant to hire a doula for the birth of our first child. We thought it would feel like an unnecessary expense with our plan being to deliver at a hospital. We finally decided to go for it because we honestly had no idea how either of us would cope during the labor process and we thought the more support the first go around the better. We are so so thankful we hired a doula, especially Jolene. I went into labor on a Wednesday morning, and I texted Jolene throughout the day to keep her in the loop. She was available to come to our house during this time and help, but I felt fine and wanted to wait on her coming over because I thought this wasn't the real thing. At 1am we went to the hospital because the contractions kept getting stronger and more frequent. In triage, I wasn't quite ready to be admitted but the doctor said they would recheck my cervix for changes in two hours and make a decision. For the next two hours I worked with Jolene to progress my labor and pain in a controlled manner through numerous different interventions. Right away, I wished I had had Jolene come to the house that day and start working with me sooner. I did end up getting admitted after the two hour mark after working with Jolene. My plan there was to get an epidural when I reached my limit on pain tolerance, but because of Jolene, I accidentally ended up going natural because she always had me distracted and trying different pain relief interventions/positions. By the time I wanted the epidural, it was time to push. I was so shocked. I remember thinking during labor how different this all would have looked without her. The nurses did not offer or have much time at the bedside during labor. I knew without Jolene, I would have felt out of control, alone, and scared even with my husband there for support. And so, long story short, hire the doula. Specifically Jolene. She is worth every penny?

Melanie Gauch

6/8/2021

I had a roller coaster experience during the end of my pregnancy and spent 3 1/2 weeks in the hospital.  My water broke at 32 weeks and the doctors wanted to get me to 35 weeks.  I did make it to 35 weeks and then we induced.  It was a very difficult time during those three weeks as I was isolated and not allowed any visitors except for one support person due to Covid.  The entire time I was waiting for my baby to arrive, Jolene kept checking up on me to see how I was doing.  Her support, even with it being through text, helped me get through everything.  It was the most difficult thing I've ever had to deal with and she helped me keep my sanity.  When I got to 35 weeks, it was time to induce.  She was able to come to the hospital during that time.  I went through most of it unmedicated.  Jolene kept me going.  As I had an intense contraction, she helped me through it telling me to breathe.  In the end, I decided to have an epidural.  It did not have time to fully kick in before it was baby time.  My 35 weeker was born very healthy and with my husband and Jolene by my side, I felt very accomplished.  It wasn't the ideal birth I wanted, but I have no regrets.  I highly recommend hiring Jolene for support during labor.  It was worth it 100%.

Aria J.

4/18/2021

Jolene is simply magical! My hubby and I never thought we were the doula type of people and when I first met Jolene I told her "yeah a doula is like rah rah you're doing great!" Oh boy was I wrong! We won't go into gory details but let me hit the highlights of what Jolene did for us: birth planning and education, asking the hard questions of what if, helping hubby and I prepare for the big day and all the days after, through education and experience she helped us not stress and feel ready, on the big day she was above and beyond helping guide my hubby and me through labor as well as supporting us through our many choices we had to make (she far surpassed our midwife in helping us through labor!) When I had to be transferred to a hospital after little was born she came with us and while I was in a 4 hour surgery she stayed in the car with our newborn so my hubby could be by my side in the middle of the night! Afterwards she was there for us for physical health, mental health and baby care.  So yes if you're on the fence I'm here to say you have met your doula! If we ever go down this road again we would never do it without Jolene. She is now family and we are so grateful to have her in our lives! 

Taylor & Tim Symons

10/28/2020

I cannot say enough good things about Jolene! She was an incredible support and resource for my husband and I as we prepared to bring our baby into the world. Our actual birth went nothing like we planned and Jolene provided the perfect balance of advocacy and support as we navigated some tough decisions. Jolene brings warmth, humor, enthusiasm and tons of knowledge to the table. Our pre and post natal appointments were always a joy. Hot tip- Schedule a massage with Jolene for sometime during your third trimester. It will change your life! 

Amber Bartos

1/29/2020

I would say that Jolene was one of the most important pieces of my birth plan when preparing for my vba2c. Before meeting her, I had planned a hospital birth with a vbac tolerant CNM and hospital. But at our first meeting she asked if I had considered home birth which at that time was just a dream that I didn’t think would ever come true. She suggested the most amazing midwife who agreed to take me as a client. So at 26 weeks I switched providers and planned a home birth. Jolene guided me every step of the way, frequently checking in to make sure I was physically and emotionally ready for the most intense experience of my life. She put my husband and I at ease with every visit, establishing a huge amount of trust. When it was ‘go’ time, Jolene was on point. She knew exactly what to say and do to keep me comfortable and confident and she also was a great guide for my husband so that he knew how to participate and when to take a break when he needed. I got my home birth after 2 csections and it was the most empowering experience. I did have to transfer postpartum and again, Jolene was such a big help. She helped my husband and midwife with newborn checks, packing hospital bags and she of course came to the hospital to offer support to my husband and I to make sure everything was ok, which it was. It has been 4 months since my magical birth and Jolene still checks in from time to time. She is a gem of a human and I am so grateful to her. My only regret is not finding her sooner. 

Shaina Logan

10/28/2019

Jolene helped my husband and I with our second birth. We labored at home for a few hours then went to the hospital where Jolene assisted us. I had a relatively fast delivery and labor so when I wasn't hooked up to an IV Jolene gave me many different positions to try contractions in.   With her massage background she knew some pressure points to touch which was helpful. 

Stevie Kay Soto

12/15/2018

If you are looking for an amazing and dedicated doula, Jolene is it! She helped me through my most recent homebirth and i couldn't have done it without her. She was very thorough in my prenatal visits so she would know exactly what I wanted for my birth. During my birth so was so attentive and made sure I was comfortable and had everything i needed. She was able to also give support to my husband while he took care of me during labor. I am so grateful for all of the care and support that Jolene gave to me during my pregnancy and delivery journey.