Olivia P

8/8/2024

Jessica was our doula for our second child, but our first home birth (which was also a VBAC). After experiencing a lot of impersonal care and lack of empathy during my first labor and delivery experience, I knew I wanted more personal support and Jess went above and beyond to provide exactly that. She was always there for me to reach out to during my pregnancy, and she helped me so much in doing the mental and emotional preparation for birth. During labor itself she was such a soothing presence, worked seamlessly with my midwife and her assistant, gave my husband the support and guidance so that he could show up for me, and quite literally held my hand through the whole thing. I remember feeling really overwhelmed as things got intense, and locking eyes with her as she reminded me that I was safe - it was exactly what I needed to hear to bring me back to earth! She continued to check in with us as we all recovered and settled into our new patterns, and continued being that steady presence. Jessica truly is a wealth of knowledge, warmth, and support, and we were so grateful to have her on our team!

Elaine Nealis

7/14/2023

Jessie worked with us on the birth of my first child. She ensured that I was comfortable and relaxed and gave essential support when it came to third trimester anxieties, early labor, and birth. We are SO thankful she was there to help make everything go so smoothly, I was able to really enjoy the time with my baby. I felt as if someone truly had my best interests at heart and felt so heard during the process. We will definitely ask her to be part of the team in the future! Thank you Jessie!!

Kristin

5/30/2023

Jessie was part of our team for the birth of our fourth child and she was absolutely amazing! This birth was a VBAC and followed a traumatic pregnancy with our third, so there were a lot of emotions and intrusive thoughts to work through, which she helped us navigate. She is very knowledgeable and was great about talking through all the various possibilities and options without any judgment. She was a wonderful voice of advocacy during the whole process… I tend to freeze when medical personnel “tell me what we will do”, and Jessie was there to help me keep my voice and make my wishes known. The physical and emotional support she brought to our birth space was beautiful and enabled us to have a redemptive and empowering birth experience! Thank you, Jessie!!

Caren

3/25/2023

(review continued...)

Fast forward a couple years, I was pregnant with my second. I knew I wanted a doula again, and it seemed easy and natural to go with Jessie to pick up where we left off. I went into this second pregnancy so guarded because of how my first one went, and she fully understood that - so she regularly reminded me of how strong I was and how I could do this. Even though she was long distance (over an hour away), I knew she was extremely reliable and responsive, given my experience with her the first time. It was nice to have Jessie again to check in with regularly and get her opinion and feedback at various points leading up to my labor - she is very knowledable and I trust a lot of her judgment and intuition. When I finally did go into labor, I was hesitant not knowing if it was the real deal this time (given how things went the first time), but she was still able to get a good read on where I was, and she made the judgment call to come to my house at 3 AM when I described what I was going through. She helped me come up with a game plan and instructed me to have my mom come over to take care of my toddler. I was immediately glad she was there when she arrived, as she comforted me through my contractions and kept in contact with my midwife, and helped us decide when to leave for the birth center. Once I was at center, she stayed with me and made me feel better through every contraction (massages, hip squeezes, etc)- on the birth ball, lying down, in the tub, etc. She coached me through pushing and suggested other positions/locations. She encouraged me throughout and reminded me of my strength. My labor would have been so much harder without her, and I felt safer just having her in my birth space. I am so thankful to have had Jessie there for this birth. Her physical and emotional support were invaluable to me. I would highly recommend Jessie as a doula. Thank you Jessie!!!

Caren

3/25/2023

I chose Jessie to be my doula for my first and second pregnancies. When I first met Jessie, I knew right away she was a caring, loving mama and also a confident, experienced, and caring doula. Throughout my first pregnancy, she was there to answer any of my questions/concerns, she checked on me regularly, she was very thorough to go through labor/childbirth with my husband and me, and overall she put me at ease knowing I had her as a resource and support person. My first pregnancy went unexpectedly long (past 42 weeks) and Jessie was there for me every step of the way, as a lot of time was spent trying to induce labor the final week, including when I finally did go into labor which lasted a long time at home. She was there for me at the onset and provided me much comfort, but due to the timing (as no one knew I would go as late as I did), she was not able to stay for the full duration of my labor and provided a backup, and I ended up transferring to the hospital. I was sad to lose her for my labor/delivery, but she still continued to support me over phone/text and also came to the hospital to pick up my placenta. Soon after I got home, she scheduled a home visit and it really helped me at that stage to have her to talk to (and cry to) as I experienced a lot of hardships during/after my birth. She is a really great listener and helped me feel validated in all my feelings. She continued to be a resource in those early weeks of motherhood, and I was always grateful to have her, even though my birth didn't go according to plan.  

(continuing remainder of review of second pregnancy in a separate review due to limited characters)

Raina

12/29/2022

The day I went into labor, my contractions were unpredictable, after talking with Jessica over the phone on that day, she came over and did some massages on me (I forgot what they were called), but my contractions began to normalize after she had worked on me, and the contractions became predictable from that point on. 

I would say the doula coming to interfere with that alone made her invaluable, from that moment on she proved herself incredibly gifted with helping me to time my contractions, and having natural conversation between me and my family members was a great way to pass the time between each contraction, that is to say, I felt very comfortable with her personally, and professionally. 

She was also supremely helpful when she came during postpartum, giving emotional support and helpful advice, as a first time mom with no previous experience with children, this also proved invaluable to me as someone new to the role of motherhood. 
Taking on the role of motherhood is not for the faint of heart, and that is perhaps the best way to describe Jessica Johnson as a doula and mother - she is not someone who is faint of heart. 

Holli Fergus

8/22/2022

Our struggle through infertility was one of the hardest things I've ever done. After years of loss and pain, I attended an amazing grief class led by Jessica and her friend Kate. We were able to share our experiences with other mothers suffering from loss, and work through and process the loss. This class was a turning point for me in my grief and I'm so thankful for the class.

Not quite a year after the grief class, we were fortunate enough to hire Jessie as our doula. She was amazing. She provided support, encouragement, and education leading up to the birth. We discussed things we didn't know we needed to know about, she answered questions we had, and was there when I wasn't feeling well to remind me to not "let things go" and seek help. When it was time to give birth, I reflect back and I'm not sure what we would have done without her. She was there in the post-op with us and helped with a very scary situation with our daughter, which later led me to be able to (almost) handle a similar situation with son. After the births, she provided postpartum support. I saw her almost weekly for 6 weeks talking about how I was feeling, questions I had about the twins, and processing my emotions about my birth story. I wouldn't change having Jessie as part of this journey for anything. If you need help or support, or know someone who does, I'd highly recommend her.

Erin Mcanlay

6/27/2022

During a pregnancy and birth with a few more emotional and physical bumps and bruises than I expected, I am so thankful to have had Jessie as my doula. She brought so much empathy and compassion when I needed it; she was by my side encouraging me during every step. When I felt stuck and didn't know where to turn or how to proceed, she was there. I don't know if I would have had my VBAC if I didn't have her. And then being able to process the birth and postpartum emotions after with her was so healing. Jessie is invaluable.

Lauren

7/2/2021

I chose Jessica as my doula after interviewing quite a few people. This was my first pregnancy and I could tell Jessica was the right fit for me and my family after our first conversation. She asked lots of questions and answered all of mine with empathy and care. She was extremely helpful throughout my pregnancy, answering my questions and easing my worries. She met with my husband and me in our home to go over our birth plan and discuss how I felt. Her care made me feel confident that I was in good hands for the day of my son's birth.

Fast forward to when my labor started and Jessica made herself available for all 30 hours of labor. She was very communicative, caring, calm, and reassuring that everything was happening the way it was supposed to. She also agreed to drive us to the birth center, which was a HUGE help and definitely not required of her. She goes above and beyond to help her clients. She took exceptional care of me, physically, mentally, and emotionally. I would highly recommend her for prenatal support, birth support, and especially postpartum support. I always looked forward to the days she would come over to help take care of my son during my postpartum period. She would let me rest while she cooked, cleaned, held my baby, and took care of whatever else was needed.

Jessica was an amazingly supportive doula. She helped me have a wonderfully positive birth experience and I am forever grateful. <3

Brittney Gatto

5/8/2021

Jessica provided my husband and I tremendous support for the birth of our second child. So many people seemed confused as to why we would hire a doula for a second birth but the care, guidance, and tips she provided during my pregnancy as well as her work at my birth makes it clear how important she was to our journey.
My labor ended up being long and slow, and ultimately quite exhausting. Throughout it's entirety, Jessica was present to offer support, often making educated guesses as to what I needed since I wasn't communicating my needs well (or really just didn't know what I needed until it was offered) but she also gave my husband and I space to feel the intimacy of the process too. She was a great liaison between the midwife, nurse and myself and worked incredibly well alongside them, especially during delivery.
Delivery was surprisingly tough but Jessica offered phenomenal support and coaching to help see me through and remained attentive and supportive to my husband and I and our new baby in the immediate recovery period.
I wouldn't hesitate one moment to call her again if we have another child.

Caitlyn Shepherd

3/9/2021

We had an excellent birth experience with Jessie! When we hired her in early January  we never expected our little one to show up several weeks too early and have an admission to the nicu. Having my baby early and knowing she would go to the nicu was scary. Jessie helped me process what was going on and advocated for my husband and I. Her experience as a doula and knowledge of pregnancy and the birthing process was invaluable. 

Tess

11/16/2020

I never in a million years thought that when I booked Jessie as my birth doula, that I would lose my twins at 11 weeks and instead have her as a bereavement doula. I truly believe that I was meant to find Jessie, because without her, I would have been utterly lost. She made me feel safe, cared for, and heard during my miscarriage. She was my fiercest advocate and was always there for me when I needed her. Afterward, she provided invaluable counseling, and helped me come to terms with my loss and begin to heal. She has an incredible gift for listening and giving space, but also was able to take control when I felt helpless and out of control. I was so blown away and grateful for her compassion and knowledge. Jessie is probably my husband's favorite person just because of how much she was able to help me, and the tools she gave us to get through everything and make informed decisions.

I would hire Jessie again in a heartbeat for any future pregnancies. Regardless of how they turn out, I want her by my side. I cannot recommend her enough.

Abbey Ryan

11/3/2020

Jessie was absolutely amazing. 100% recommend her and would hire her again. 
First time mom here, and I originally just contacted her for more information about placenta encapsulation. She opened up a whole new world for me in terms of birth. I was always interested in a natural birth, but as far as doing a water birth or birthing at a center I didn't think that was in the cards for me and because of her it was made possible. 
She was absolutely perfect during my pregnancy and birth . I had no idea what I was doing or what to expect and she was so educational and pointing me in the right direction of what I could be doing to prepare for birth . 
It was super important to her that my emotional well being was in good condition and she helped keep that aligned. 
As far as my birth goes, I don't think it would have stayed within my plan (mostly, there was some unexpected hiccups lol) without her . I had precipitous labor and if I didn't have her as my doula I don't think I would have had the birth I wanted . It varied a little, but it was amazing and beautiful none the less. I couldn't have done it without her . 
And she continues to support me in my postpartum journey. She truly is a gift of grace . 
So grateful for her . 

Rachel

10/9/2020

Fom the moment we found out we were expecting, we knew we wanted a natural birth and decided with a home birth. Jessie was the absolute BEST doula we could have asked for. She provided us with exactly the support we needed during pregnancy, birth, and postpartum and made labor and delivery a breeze.  My husband and I can no say "thank you" enough for her help and support throughout our journery.  If you are condsidering hiring a doula, look no further! Jessie is the best there is!!

Sabrina Gandy

8/9/2020

At the beginning of my pregnancy, she provided me with birth options and she was fully supportive of our decision to have a natural birth. Additionally, she provided me with recommendations on how to deal with those lovely pregnancy symptoms such as morning sickness, heartburn, carpal tunnel, and coping with high blood pressure.

Prior to the birth of our daughter, she met with my husband and myself and discussed how to cope with labor pains. Additionally, she to make sure I was emotionally prepared and ready for labor. This was vital because I never really felt connected to my pregnancy. She assured me that it’s normal! She recommended some options to help me feel connected and sure enough, they worked! In the week leading up to birth, I felt more connected to my pregnancy than I did in the 8+ months prior.

Jessie was incredible during labor. She was encouraging, supportive, reassuring in times of fear, helped me cope through the pain of contractions, and coached me when it came time to push! She also made sure that my husband and I were able to connect and gave us time to ourselves. She helped him to understand what I needed and when things got a little scary, talked to both of us about what was happening and kept us calm.

My postpartum journey has been tough with regard to breastfeeding. There were a lot of tears on my part and Jessie was available to listen when I needed her. When I decided that my daughter and I’s breastfeeding journey had come to an end, Jessie was fully supportive and assured me that IT’S OKAY and I’m still and amazing mother! It was exactly the reassurance I needed.

I’m proud to say that Jessie is part of my daughters birth story and if we’re blessed with more children, Jessie will be part of their birth stories too.

Jessie had truly found her calling as a doula. 

Candace Bahk Kim

4/25/2019

I highly recommend Jessie Johnson and would hire her again and again! I am a health care provider and gave birth to my first at 40. I hired Jessie as my doula and boy was that the single best decision of my pregnancy.

We planned for an unmedicated home birth but as pregnancy often goes, I ended up in the hospital needing an induction. My goal at that point was to have the most natural birth possible in the hospital and without Jessie I am 100% sure I would’ve ended up with an unwanted c-section. Thank God for Jessie being there to advocate for me and to lift me up during one of the scariest and most rewarding times of my life.

Her incredible wisdom, her loving heart, her gift of Service, all lead to my son getting the best possible start in life and I am grateful to her and will be for the rest of my life.

Michele Wittig

10/27/2018

“You’re safe. You’re surrounded by people who support you. You’re stronger than your contractions; you control them, they don’t control you. You can do this!”

Jessie is a Godsend. These are phrases I didn’t realize I needed to hear until the birth experience. She has all the desirable traits of a doula: nurturing, supportive, encouraging.

I was so anxious leading up to my first VBAC, but thankfully, Jessie lifted me up, physically and emotionally, which led to a seamless delivery. She’s a true birth partner!

Austin Elder

9/26/2018

Our experience with Jessica was something we will never forget. We were brand new to Virginia with no family and she instantly became our pillar of support. I had personally never heard of a doula before my wife mentioned she would be interested in looking into one. After going through the birth proces, there was so much that Jessica was able to do for my wife that I simply was not able to do. I highly recommend hiring Jessica for as your doula. It made our birth experience so much more calm and peaceful. Jessica, thank you so much for everything you did for us.

Holly Brookfield

8/22/2018

I had an amazing birth experience with Jessica by my side. We met several times prior to the birth and she was always available to answer any Concerns I had. Together, we got to know each other so by the time I went into labor she was able to anticipate all my needs physically and emotionally. Though my partner was there to support me, it was Jessica who talked me through each contraction and my fears. Very professional, kind hearted and a good friend. I highly recommend Jessica‘s services to any soon to be mommy.

Sheila Avellino

8/3/2018

Honestly, I tear up whenever I write a review for her. I am so grateful that she was my doula. I cannot recommend jess enough! If at all possible I will always hire Jess for any future birth we have. She was so much more than a doula. She was a lifeline, a comfort, and a friend to this day. From our first meeting I could tell that she was so passionate and knowledgeable. I hardly knew her at all and immediately felt so comfortable with her. She was incredibly organized, prepared and so attentive to me and what I needed. My birth was was long with a few nights of false labor (but every time she was at my doorstep to keep an eye on me, help manage the pain, and report to the midwife.) She monitored my contractions, massaged my back, made me drink water, and was just there to talk if i needed too. Jess got me through an a very tough and long birth (on pitocin) with no pain meds. She had to be exhausted from being up almost two nights in a row, but she was not phased at all. Ice packs, hip squeezes at every contraction, and telling me to breath when I really didn't want to.
I.would.not.have.gotten.through.that.without.Jess.
Jess went (and still had gone) above and beyond the normal duties of being a doula. Night or day she has been there with open arms and great advice. She was there giving me clary Sage oil when I was frustrated trying to go into labor, and now 3 months after the birth I still get texts from Jess checking up on how I'm feeling. She is experienced in both being a doula for births, and grief counseling if needed. She is passionate and so reliable. Basically: giving birth is one of the hardest things you will ever do, and it shouldn't be something you go through alone. Specifically, it shouldn’t be something you go through without Jess.

Elise Hart

7/30/2018

Jessica was indispensable during the entire length of my pregnancy, labor and postpartum. She soothed my anxieties as I anticipated my labor, answered questions about anything to make me feel more confident and helped me move the baby into better positioning  She was there every second of my labor when things didn't go as we hoped and reassured me through each step. She was fantastic at offering comfort both physical and emotional and was very attentive to my needs if something didn't work for me. After my baby was born, Jessica offered her postpartum service, which was and still is helping me to survive through the first weeks of motherhood. She needs no direction when helping around the house, and makes sure everything that I need is taken care of and that my house and I are functioning well. She is fantastic at soothing my baby while I take a shower or break, or she let's me snuggle baby while she takes care of everything else. She has been a lifesaver and I hate to see her go at the end of our sessions!

Courtney Lewis

7/30/2018

Although my story isn't a typical "birth" story, I wanted to leave a review about my miscarriage and the amazing support I received from Jess. My husband and I had been trying to get pregnant with baby #2, well we did, yay! I was going to an OBGYN, all was well with our sweet baby, my due date was August 20, 2018. I went to celebrate my daughters 2nd birthday with her & her friends at the babysitter; February 1, 2018 and when I got home, I used the restroom and saw a horrific amount of blood, I panicked and went to the ER, after many tests and ultrasounds it was determined that we lost our sweet baby (it seemed to have stop growing at about 7 weeks). I was shocked, hurt, angry, heartbroken...the list goes on.

Jess had shared her story about the loss of her second sweet baby on social media around the same time that I lost mine. Jess and I have been friends since high school and I was so ashamed and embarrassed but I needed to talk to someone that I trusted and that knew what I was going through. I reached out to Jess and she jumped into action from that moment, from preparing me for what was to come with a miscarriage, to reaching out multiple times a day to check on me and see how things were progressing. She answered so many questions I had and brought me so much strength and courage during such a terrible time. She even sent me a wonderful gift in the mail to help brighten my day; she goes above and beyond, folks!

Jess has always been a wonderful, caring friend but when I needed someone more than I can even put into words -- she stepped up to help and guide me during such a terrible time, without hesitation.

If you are looking for a Doula or in my case someone to help you through the grieving/post miscarriage process, she is your woman, I still cannot express enough not only what a wonderful person and friend that Jess is, but a top notch Doula.