Katelyn

8/7/2024

Working with Jennifer was one the best experiences of my pregnancy and delivery. I was feeling a lot of pressure throughout the third trimester due to my age (40) and size of my baby (measured big, was big). My partner and I were very comfortable with her in our home, by our side during labor and untimely in the c-section recovery room. She helped us navigate a few potential scenarios and outcomes, never rushed our conversations and was direct while being compassionate. Building a team to support the birthing parent and partner is so important and when things got hectic or confusing, I always turned to her voice in the room.  Highly recommend and would be happy to work with Jennifer again. - Salem Hospital, May 2024

Liz Olson

1/20/2024

I felt like Jennifer scooped me up and wrapped me in support when I needed it for the birth of my second child. She provided space and support to process my first child's birth and my birth plan for the second. She was patient, kind, and provided both compassion and humor when I needed them. She shared her wisdom and knowledge of the birthing process in the weeks leading up to the birth, frequent check ins, options I would have during delivery, and particular information about the facility where I was planning to deliver. During the birth of my daughter, she helped me feel phsycially and emotionally supported, empowered, and focused. After my daughter was born, her presence and visits were loving, kind, and full of joy for our family. I feel so lucky Jennifer was able to be part of this important time in my life and so grateful for her support. 

Sierra Santos-Holmes

1/16/2024

Working with Jennifer was a dream. From the beginning the process was flawless. With countless suggestions of books and podcasts following an intake to get a grasp of where we were in our journey and what we needed from her. During our meetings, any question we had was answered and worries were lessened. On the day labor started she was on the phone texting and calling with us to see how we were doing and what we needed. When it was time to meet at the hospital, we were more than grateful to have her support and expertise. She was amazing with numerous position changes and suggestions, all while meeting us where we were (emotionally and physically). Jennifer made the journey much more pleasant and we can’t thank her enough for all that she did. 

Lauren & Jonathan Allen

1/12/2024

Jennifer was calm, supportive and knowledgeable during my pregnancy and throughout my labor and birth experience. We met late in my pregnancy and we built a trusting relationship quickly and easily. Jennifer brought a solid yet respectful energy in the delivery room, where I was able to have the natural, unmedicated birth that I wanted. My pregnancy went post-dates and Jennifer adeptly guided my and my husband's understanding of risks, asking BRAIN questions and what I could potentially expect from making different choices. As this was my first birth experience, Jennifer helped demystify the experience while simultaneously helping me feel empowered and supported. She also integrated seamlessly with my husband, who was my labor partner during delivery, and with the labor and delivery staff at Beverly Hospital. Jennifer continued to be a source of support post-partum, checking in regularly via text and connecting us with an outstanding local IBCLC when my daughter was having difficulty nursing. I highly recommend Jennifer and am very grateful she was our doula.

Carly

1/9/2024

I cannot express enough how transformative our experience was with Jen's birthing class. Jen not only equipped us with essential birthing techniques but also instilled in us a sense of confidence and empowerment. Her guidance was incredibly supportive and her personalized approach made us feel seen and supported. I highly recommend working with Jen to anyone expecting!

Kayla O

1/9/2024

Jennifer is a breath of fresh air! Right when I found out I was pregnant, i knew I wanted a doula. When I found Jennifer, I knew she was the one! She is so knowledgeable, warm, and does not judge on any decisions you may be thinking about or wanting. She always educated me on every aspect of a decision I was considering. I ended up needing to be induced due to high blood pressure, which was obviously not how I wanted my birth to go. I ended up needing a c section in the late hours of the night, 36 hours after my induction. Jennifer guided us via text and call every step of my induction. Helping me make decisions, guiding me towards what was best and being a voice of encouragement. She waited by the phone for my call to come to the hospital, but once it was determined that I needed the c-section, I felt that all of her encouragement, information, and help leading up was all the strength I needed to head into the OR without having her come late at night. She was there via text and call while I stayed at the hospital and came to our home once we were settled with our little girl and did a home visit! Even though my labor was nothing I planned or hoped for I still feel having Jennifer for support and knowledge was the best decision I made! I recommend her to everyone I know that is pregnant, she is amazing at what she does!

Olivia Sevey

8/21/2023

Jennifer helped us welcome our first baby into our family, and we are forever grateful for her. She is so knowledgeable and helped my husband, Matthew, and I feel prepared to go into labor and delivery. Jennifer asked us thoughtful questions about the kind of birth I wanted to have and the kind of birthing environment I envisioned for myself. She also asked me what support looked like in the birthing room. Her thoughtful questions guided Matthew and I to do a lot of important self-reflection work before I went into labor. Jennifer's suggestions for how to open up my pelvis in preparation for labor also helped me feel ready and strong.

During labor, Jennifer and my husband worked together to support and protect my labor and delivery environment. Jennifer helped me have the birth experience I wanted, and I felt empowered to make my own informed choices. I was able to stay completely focused on me and my baby during labor because of Jennifer's amazing care. Matthew also felt very supported as the birthing partner and was glad that Jennifer was with us. One of my fondest memories of early postpartum is reflecting on my birth experience with Matthew and Jennifer during a home visit. Jennifer, thank you so much.

Olivia & Matthew 

Sarah Fenwick

7/22/2023

I knew Jennifer would be the perfect fit the minute we spoke for the first time. I had a rough pregnancy, extreme morning sickness and a diagnosis of gestational diabetes. Jennifer was the solid rock and support system my husband and I both needed throughout it all. She took the time to help us think through how we'd handle everything calmly and compassionately. She quickly felt like a part of our growing family. 
I also was so appreciative of her bringing in her Body Ready Method and Spinning Babies training/experience to prepare.  I felt like I really understood my body, my baby, and all that it would take to have a vaginal birth thanks to her teaching and resources. When the time came for my medical induction that I was nervous for, due to my complications, I felt SO prepared thanks to all the discussions and resources we had with Jennifer. She helped me be the perfect balance of optimistic but realistic given my circumstances, which is exactly what I needed. I truly don't know how we would have gotten through all the discussions with doctors and known the right questions to ask without Jennifer. 
When I was in labor, she combined the emotional support of coaching and words with physical support like hip squeezes, back massages, and position changes, easing the difficult final stages of labor at the right times. She had the right instinct of when to offer hands on support and when to step back and let me do my thing.  My primary goal was a vaginal birth, and I truly believe I would've ended up with a c section without all her support.
Additionally, my husband, who was a little nervous about knowing what to do and how to be helpful, said that he would've  had no idea what to do in the hospital if not for Jennifer. She showed him how to be involved and offer support in a productive way, and also reassured him! 
In summary, Jennifer was the critical puzzle piece we needed for the birth we wanted.

Nikauri ramirez

10/7/2022

Working with Jennifer was the best decision I made ! As a first time mom I didn't really know how much support I needed while being in labor and having Jennifer there really made me feel better about everything. She helped me mentally & physically to deliver my baby and I really appreciate her for that ! If I have another baby I would definitely want her there again ??♥?

Jessica

9/26/2022

My husband and I hired Jennifer to help us navigate the labor and delivery of our first baby. I really wanted an unmedicated hospital birth with minimal interventions and Jennifer’s knowledge, skill, and compassion helped me have a birth experience better than I could have ever imagined. Jennifer empowered us to ask important questions and understand each decision we made at the end of our pregnancy and during labor & delivery. Jennifer came to our house and got to know my husband and I, and our dog (very important family member), as we prepared for labor and delivery. We had such peace of mind knowing that we had Jennifer on our team- an experienced doula and mom herself. Jennifer was a quick text or phone call away in the days and weeks leading up to baby’s birthday. She guided us through my water breaking before the onset of labor. She advised me on how to spend my last few hours being pregnant and eventually on when to go to the hospital. She met us at the hospital in the middle of the night and calmly helped me manage my contractions and delivery without medical interventions, as I wished. I cannot imagine my labor and delivery without Jennifer.  She was there with my husband and I as we welcomed our first baby into the world and as we became mom and dad. She was supportive as I learned to breastfeed and recovered during the golden hour. She was consistent about checking up on us postpartum and we thoroughly enjoyed reliving our baby’s birth story with her during our postpartum visit several weeks later. Jennifer is now an honorary part of our family and she will be our first phone call if and when we are blessed with another pregnancy in the future. As Jennifer has said to me several times, “you can do this without a doula, but you shouldn’t have to”. We feel so lucky to have Jennifer in our lives.

Ariana

9/26/2022

I loved having Jennifer involved as my doula during my most recent pregnancy. Her words of encouragement during my pregnancy and especially towards the end made me feel extra confident in my decisions regarding my body and baby. Her calm demeanor helped tremendously when it was time to deliver my daughter. I loved having her as an extra support person during my pregnancy & she was always a text, call or FaceTime away. When faced with a repeat cesarean over my ideal birth, she was there to weigh out the pros and cons and ultimately helped me come to peace with my decision. 

Nicole morales

5/27/2022

Jennifer is the best Doula Ever . She was always there even when she couldnt through text , call , or anything . I never felted alone as a firsg time mom. She made this experice for my partner & I the easiest & answer all of our questions. If I ever decide to have another baby , I would love to have her again as my doula. She's amazing. 

Leanna Peralta

5/11/2022

Jennifer was very supportive and on board with every method I wanted to do for my birth. Even though it did not go as planned, she still supported and helped me through the process. She provided me with a bunch of information on topics that I was not well aware of, she made sure I was 100% positive about my decisions and was still supportive. Very good communication throughout my labor and made sure I knew she was just a text away from me. Definitely would recommend her to anyone else because of how helpful she was and always sending out positivity even when I got discouraged towards the end of my pregnancy. 

Paige Carambio

4/27/2022

Hiring Jennifer as my doula was one of the best decisions I could have made during my pregnancy. Her wisdom, compassion, endless patience, and good humor put me at ease during the most tense days both before and after giving birth to my son.

Though my plans for this birth did not pan out in the slightest, I felt absolutely at ease with each twist and turn due in no small part to Jennifer. I never felt judged or anything other than supported by her and will be forever grateful to have had her on my team.

We also made the decision to have Jennifer as a postpartum doula for the first few weeks after leaving the hospital. Jennifer's warm, reassuring presence in those early weeks was absolutely essential in helping us to settle in at home.

I genuinely and wholeheartedly recommend Jennifer to anyone looking to work with an amazing doula!

Jocelyn

11/8/2021

Highly recommend Jennifer! I never had any true expectations when it came to my pregnancy or labor, but my birthing experience was everything I ever wanted and more. Jennifer was a big part in that. Jennifer made herself available to both my husband and I to answer any questions. On the day I went into labor Jennifer was our first call, she helped us labor at home for as long as possible, which was fantastic. Once we got to the hospital she met us there and was so helpful throughout the whole delivery by explaining in detail to me what was going on and paying attention to all of my husband and my needs. She made sure we were both comfortable and made me feel like a family member rather than a client. I loved that as I truly felt she had my best interest in mind and helped guide me through certain decisions.  

About a week after my birth we reconnected with Jennifer where we went through the whole deliver. It was exciting to relive holding my baby in my arms. She shared some details that my husband and I both had missed, along with additional insights. 

I was hesitant to hire a doula, but I am so thankful I did and know that Jennifer was the right match for us. We will absolutely hire her for any future births.

Thank you!

Rachel B

10/26/2021

Jennifer is a fantastic Doula! She was extremely supportive during my pregnancy and labor and delivery. She has a wealth of information and shared many valuable resources with me. She taught me a lot during my pregnancy and I felt prepared going into labor. Jennifer was extremely comforting during my labor and helped a lot with natural pain management techniques. She was very encouraging and kept me grounded during contractions. Jennifer stayed with me until my baby was here! She even slept in the hospital over night and brought healthy snacks. She worked cohesively with the nurses and doctors and helped answer questions when I couldn't. Jennifer was very calm and reassuring at the most important times! Although my birth plan changed, she continued to give me a lot of support and held my hand the entire time! Afterward, she was able to recap my experience, offer more valuable information about recovery, and answer anymore questions that I had. If I ever have baby #2, I definitely want Jennifer to be there. 

Jackie

9/2/2021

My husband and I truly enjoyed working with Jennifer in preparation for the birth of our first child. Jennifer is incredibly knowledgeable and thoughtful and easy to get along with. She’s down to earth and never makes you feel like your questions are silly. It being my first birth, I was very anxious and had lots of questions and concerns. Jennifer was always easy to reach via email and phone to put my worries to rest. She guided me through so many decisions like choosing the right provider for my prenatal care and finalizing my birth plan. She also recommended resources like books and courses that helped me and my husband prepare for birth. She even helped my husband and I practice exercises to help ease the pain I was having in the days leading up to my labor. At times, Jennifer felt like part doula, part couples therapist - helping us talk through decisions and helping us all work as a team. It was so valuable to have a third party as part of our labor prep and labor experience to help walk us through the steps and wrap our minds around what to expect. We didn’t have to worry if we forgot anything from our birthing prep courses and readings in the birthing room because we had the peace of mind that Jennifer was there to guide us. I would recommend Jennifer as a doula to any friend. (I actually already have!)

Alanna

8/23/2021

Jennifer was an amazing support to me and my husband during the birth of our second child. Throughout the pregnancy she was extremely supportive of our wishes for the birth and provided a lot of support for me around my anxiety about giving birth. It was always very clear that the birth experience and decisions were up to us and that Jennifer would help support and advocate for our choices. I could absolutely never have gotten through an unmedicated labor and delivery without her!! Jennifer provided many suggestions for pain management and to help move the labor along, which helped both me and my husband to feel confident and supported during the labor and delivery experience. After my daughter was born she had to go to the NICU, and Jennifer sat with me while my husband went to be with our daughter -- very welcome company during a stressful situation! In our meeting after my daughter was born she helped me to process the experience and talk through some of the more difficult aspects of it. She is so supportive, knowledgeable, and kind -- I would absolutely recommend her to anyone!

Christine

1/11/2021

We had an amazing experience using Jennifer as a doula! We found her to be very thoughtful, knowledgeable, and caring as we prepared for my son's birth this past fall.  This was ou first child and whenever we had questions on what to expect about birth or were unsure of how we wanted the birth plan to go, she eased our anxiety and was very knowledgeable about all topics. She gave us great questions to ask health care providers and there wasn't a subject she couldn't converse about or provide us resources for. Jennifer attended our birth at the hospital in the middle of the pandemic and was a calming presence. She stayed by my side when my husband went with my son to the NICU after birth while I was stitched up and recovering. I cared a lot about being able to breastfeed and Jennifer texted with me frequently during my son's stay in the NICU for his first week of life to make sure I got the right help. He is a great breast feeder now.  Jennifer was an invaluable resource and support for us as first time parents, and we can’t recommend her highly enough! 

Jess Hodge

10/30/2020

I can't imagine my birth story without Jennifer.  Her soothing tone, confidence and joy in her work was everything I was looking for to feel fully supported and in good hands as a first time mom during a pandemic. She was curious about me and my husband and her individualized care was outstanding.

Pre-birth meetings were so helpful and allowed us to be vulnerable with our questions and empowered with our choices. In April of 2020 - The pandemic was new and scary and Jennifer gave us confidence. Jennifer was a mentor, mother, guide, coach and a friend.

Sadly, COVID prevented her from attending the birth but was there all 12 hours via video conference. Honestly? I wasn't sure a virtual doula would feel right.  I was skeptical and worried that if she couldn't be in person I wouldn't get the full benefit of what I had looked forward to for so many months. I was so wrong!  Her support rang through the room like a guardian angel.

Suddenly my contractions stopped.  The nurses and midwife waited it out for 2 hours and then wanted to give me pitocin to help them start again. This wasn't what I wanted but I was ready to meet my baby.   I asked Jennifer what she thought..  This was learned behavior from early meetings with her - I always had a choice and am in control of what happens. I learned to make sure I knew what my options were.  She said, "Could we check her and see how the baby is positioned?  Maybe something is in the way?"  They found my waters reformed and the baby was stuck.  By  breaking them, my contractions started again and my baby was here about an hour later.  Because of Jennifer - I had my dream birth and was empowered.

Jennifer also offered me postpartum support - something every mom should seek out.  I am forever grateful for her and if we are blessed with more babies, I hope she will be our doula again.

Hannah G

8/14/2020

Because of the coronavirus, the hospital and birth center where I was receiving pre-natal care were restricting visitors during and after delivery to just one healthy partner. This meant no doulas were allowed to attend births in person. My husband and I were both disappointed - this was our first pregnancy and we had only heard phenomenal recommendatioms from our friends who had worked with doulas. But when I was 37 weeks pregnant, policies changed and one additional support person was allowed to attend births. By the time I was 38 weeks pregnant, we had found Jennifer and were so relieved to have her on our team!

Jennifer came highly recommended and totally surpassed our expectations. She is easy-going, knowledgeable, and makes herself so available before, during, and after the labor and delivery. My husband and I met with her over Zoom a couple times prior to going into labor. She helped us think through a few things we hadn't considered yet and was just such an encouragement as she checked in on us. Once I was induced, Jennifer arrived at the hospital at 6:00 in the morning and was a constant source of comfort throughout the remainder of my labor. She offered words of encouragement and helpful perspective; she gently reminded my husband and I to advocate for ourselves when offered options that strayed from our birth plan; she helped get me into positions that were more effective during contractions. Her presence was a comfort not just to me but to my husband as well, who was able to focus on supporting me in his own way and not on memorizing different positions for me to try out or how to apply the correct amount of counter-pressure during contractions.

If we are fortunate enough to have future pregnancies, we certainly hope to work with Jennifer again!

Megan Manyuru

8/10/2020

Jennifer was amazing! She helped with breastfeeding and sleeping needs. She even connected me with other resources when I needed them. She was kind and helped really normalize everything we were going through. She still checks in with me even though her time is done. I would highly recommend Jennifer for you postpartum care. 

Tajwattie Amanda Basdeo

7/2/2020

My husband and I were privileged to have Jennifer as our Doula. She was professional, laidback and provide a ton of support and great information.  Unfortunately due to the covid pandemic she wasn’t allowed to join us in the delivery room however she made herself available 24/7 via FaceTime and it was a huge help having her guidance. Even after the birth of our baby boy, she has still made herself available for check ups to see how we’re handling parenthood and has provided extra information on any questions we’ve had.

Thank you so much Jennifer. You’ve made this experience quite enjoyable. 

Emily Sweet

6/22/2019

Jennifer was such a huge help for our family postpartum. With two school age children, our lives were already hectic before the arrival of baby number three. As I recovered from my first c-section birth and our family navigated the somewhat bumpy transition from family of four to family of five, Jennifer’s visits were a welcome relief. My newborn was slow to gain weight at first and Jennifer confidently stepped in with helpful nursing tips, calls to lactation and other specialists and, best of all, as a caring and experienced listener. She was quick to respond to my calls and texts and was such a reassuring presence in our home. Her visits allowed me to get some much-needed rest, my big kids adore her, and she left me feeling confident that our family would indeed find our new normal. I’m so glad that we had Jennifer’s loving help to welcome our new baby!

Natasha

5/25/2019

Jennifer Symes is an amazing Doula! Having her around was a tremendous help. Although my labor did not go as plan, she was very attentive and helped me to become as comfortable as possible. She assisted me with different techniques to help manage my labor. During my pregnancy and childbirth Jennifer was available to answer any questions that aroused. My partner expressed many times being grateful for her presence. Having her there gave my partner the opportunity to rest after working a double shift and know I was in good hands. Postpartum Jennifer continues to make herself available if needed. I would highly reccommend Jennifer and would definitely reach out to her in a heartbeat shall we decide to extend our family. Thank you again Jennifer!

Molly Kula

3/13/2019

When my husband was not present for the first three weeks of my baby's life due to serving in the National Guard I was so grateful that I had Jennifer's help. She helped me on a pragmatic and emotional level. Logistically, Jennifer just knew what to do without needing much direction. During that time I had a little anxiety and I wanted everything in my physical environment to be just so to help me feel more in control. Although I know this form of control is illusionary Jennifer helped keep my physical environment orderly and clean so I could enjoy my little one. I remember one afternoon I got lightheaded and laid down to rest. Jennifer got my baby to sleep and when I woke up rested, my trash was taken out, my dishes were done, and there was a beautiful note telling me what a great job I was doing. I felt like an angel just took over and I could let go for some time. Emotionally, Jennifer listened to my concerns about being a new mom and helped me to process them. I felt lighter and more reassured after our conversations. Jennifer listened in a way that did not feel like she was trying to fix me; she was present, accepting, and nurturing. And she helped me to laugh which I definitely needed. Jennifer truly cared. She came by twice after my husband got home just to make sure we were transitioning okay into being parents together. She was always available to talk when I needed her. I would wholeheartedly recommend Jennifer as a doula. My husband and I are planning on having a second child and I will certainly hire Jennifer again.