Brittany Howard

4/30/2022

Gosh I have written this a couple times now, trying to find the perfect words. Getting to the point - Jolene, you are nothing short of amazing.

I was going for a VBAC (succesful btw!!!) and Jolene provided such great support. She is a fountain of knowledge and just all around cool gal. Very down to earth and just real. I definitely found more than just a doula, but a friend??

During labor I had the goal of no epidural. It was a pretty important goal to me, but I also weighed the pros of if I did receive one. Throughout the process I had Jolene's support of pushing through unmedicated until I hit my wall. When I decided to go ahead with the epidural I was feeling somewhat defeated/as if I was giving up in a sense. I had her reassurance that the call I was making was the right one and in no way did it symbolize quitting. These little yet big moments of emotional support played such a huge role in my overall experience. Not to mention the friendly reminders on how to breathe during contractions and light touches to the shoulders/back that brought a sense of calm and support.

After the epidural it was time to sleep! Granted, there were plenty of times I would find myself wide awake  and boy did it help to have someone else to talk about random stuff. Helped significantly to pass the time.
Mind you, my husband was present but this way he was able to sleep and be awake and ready to go when it was time for baby.

During pushing Jolene could tell I was losing stamina so she stepped in and got us doing the "tug of war" method. She literally saved me with that!

All this to say - Jolene, THANK YOU for such a positive experience. I truly could not have done it without you??

Vanessa McIntosh

3/19/2022

Having Jolene as my doula was, I can say confidently, one of the greater decisions I made with my pregnancy.  She helped me in my final weeks to prepare for my first baby with tender and informative advice. When the day came that I thought I was going into labor (day 1 of what ended up being 4 days) Jolene was there at my side at my house supporting me with information, counter pressure for my contraction pain and just being a shoulder to cry on when I needed to speak my concerns out. She also was an excellent advocate for me at the hospital in making sure I got as close to what I wanted in my birth plan as possible. Although certain circumstances arose where my birth plan couldn't be followed exactly, Jolene helped talk me through and reassured me in the decisions I was making last minute because of complications happening with my birth. I would and will recommend Jolene to my friends having babies, and plan on hiring her in the future if my husband and I have more children. Despite not having the birth experience I anticipated because of what the hospital did or didn't follow in my birth plan, Jolene exceeded my expectations on what I wanted a doula to do to help me with the experience. 

Amanda

12/2/2021

I hired Jolene for my birth and then after her 4 hr postpartum shift, hired her for my postpartum doula as well. 

With so many unknowns this pregnancy I was so grateful I knew she'd be by my side through my labor and delivery. My husband tested positive 4 days before I went into labor and wasn't able to attend. Jolene virtually kept him calm and in person supported me and kept my space. 

Having a postpartum doula was always a dream for me and Having the option to have a payment plan made that possible. I honestly feel confident in future babies because Jolene empowered me in ways I didnt know I needed. Jolene is a fantastic doula. She is knowledgeable,  kind, and with her personal experience of 3 natural births she is super empathetic. Thank you for being you. 

Jennifer

10/21/2021

I saved all of my baby shower money for a doula, and gosh I am so glad it was with Jolene. From the moment I hired her, too my postpartum shift after my sweet baby she was there for me every step of the way. I love my husband, but I knew birth just wouldn't be his jam. Jolene actually showed him ways to support me, and every step of my labor explained things so he wasn't stressed either. If you want to hire someone who will give realistic advice Jolene is your gal. My birth was so beautiful and I feel a lot was because of her attention to detail and she actually listened to me with my music choices, had me choose empowering quotes, and during her postpartum shift she did so much in the 4 hours that I felt so destressed and rested it was everything I needed. 

Jen

3/15/2021

I honestly didn't know what or how to write my experience with Jolene until this evening.First, my prenatal experience was so beyond informative. I am a first time mother and just expected birth to be birth. She  explained so many things and possibilities. I really needed the education aspect. Second, The 24/7 24hr support she maintained was second to none. I truly appreciate every text and call she responded too. Third, my birth. Wow. She came to my home and just set the most stress and anxiety free environment. She had me rest and gosh I'm glad she suggested rest. When I woke up she had me eat and drink a small snack and made extra for later. She explained everything as we went. A few hours later she suggested we gather our things and head to the hospital. The rest is kind of a blur, but we got checked in and "settled" and I was at 8cm!  Jolene talked me into a positive state of mind, played meditation music and had me relax. My water broke and she got a nurse who said the ob is on the way. The nurses kept telling me to focus on keeping baby in. Well I couldn't. My body experienced what Jolene explained later as FER. I caught my own baby. Wow were the staff mad. Jolene however, expressed how proud she was that I listened to my body. My ob got there 30 min later. She positively got me through so much. I will forever be grateful for everything she did. Postpartum shift, she came over and we chatted about the highs and lows of the hospital experience. Since so much was a blur she explained what happened,  why, and really put my mind at ease. She did light house  cleaning and meal prepped meals for my little family. Took my little lady and gave me some healing bath soak and ensured baby would be ok while I soaked. Before she left I cried. I never wanted her to leave. I will for sure be hiring her if we have more kids. I have a forever empowering person in my ballpark and a forever advocate. Thank you. 

Sierra Hearn

10/15/2020

I have nothing but glowing reviews for Jolene! I knew from the start of my pregnancy that I wanted an unmedicated child birth. I had heard about doulas but had never really considered them until later in my pregnancy. I found Jolene and boy am I glad I did! I'm adopted, so as much as she wanted to help, my mom wasn't able to tell me what to expect, and with it being my first child I knew I would need some assistance. I could've never imagined just how much I would actually need Jolene when it came down to it. The prenatal visit was amazing and I felt like we connected immediately. She was able to give me and my fiance a lot of information about what to expect as well as reassured me that she would have my back no matter which direction my labor and delivery went. My birth was nothing I expected or planned for it to be. I ended up being induced, and after many hours of light contractions the OB decided to break my water at 5 cm, about 30 minutes before Jolene arrived at the hospital. Those first contractions after my water broke were so intense, she couldn't have shown up at a better time. Her knowledge of counter pressure got me through many, many contractions and although everything was a blur once she got there, her constant positivity, knowledge and support were exactly what I needed. There were so many times where I thought I couldn't do it and would end up asking for an epidural but she kept pushing me and 24 hours after labor started I delivered a healthy 9 lb 15 oz baby girl successfully without medication. She's also continued to be in touch after the birth, checking in to make sure we are ok and coming for a postpartum visit where we were able to sit and talk for hours. I feel like she is as much a friend as she is a doula. If another child ends up being in my future I will without a doubt be using Jolene again!

Colleen

8/25/2020

Jolene was such an amazing doula. Coming from a healthcare background, I was very used to relying on doctors and nurses to tell me what my pregnancy, labor, and delivery process would look like.  I also knew about the potential side effects of medications, and the myriad of medical interventions that could potentially be utilized to help baby come out.  I knew I wanted to have as natural of a labor as I could that would allow for our baby to arrive safely.  When we met with Jolene, we knew instantly she was going to be the best person to help support us in this process.  She met with us several times before labor began to get to know us, and to provide us with some helpful resources to get labor started, to help me stay comfortable during pregnancy, and to help us through the beginning stages of labor at home.  She was extremely responsive to any questions or concerns that I had.  She was also very educated in positions, medical interventions, medications, you name it, she knew it, or knew how to find the answer.  We never felt pressured in our choices, only empowered.  She was there for us every step of the way in any capacity that I needed.  Even when medical interventions were needed, she stayed by our side and provided support.  Her expertise, gently hands, and calm demeanor were a breath of fresh air during our labor.  Her knowledge, coaching, and reassurance after baby was born helped me to get through the first few weeks of being a new mom.  She eased the constant worry that comes with being a new mom.  She was the best support system we could have asked for. 

Crystal Bennett

8/25/2020

Jolene was so amazing during my labor. She made sure things went the way I wanted and talked to the nurses for me when I was unable to. She had many different ways to help me get through my contractions and even played music for me and put a cool wet wash cloth on my forehead. I honestly couldn't have gotten through it as well as I did without her. I would highly recommend her to anyone! 

Sarah Curtis

7/8/2019

We hired Jolene late in my pregnancy.  I honestly did not know what to expect. Jolene met with us for her interview and was very caring and compassionate. She came to our home for our prenatal visit and I could not believe how much we learned. She gave me a foot massage and with her rebozo and peanut ball showed me ways to stay at home as long as we could with a natural birth in our plan. The day I went into labor she communicated until I needed her and then came to our home. Once here she lowered our lights got out candles and started playing my birth play list and really just set the mood in our home for a sacred experience. Once I couldnt talk through contractions she suggested going to the hospital and gosh I'm so grateful we did. I got to the hospital and was 8cm. Jolene did an amazing job with getting me through my next 2cm and then took the most real and beautiful pictures while I was pushing and giving birth. She stayed an hour after our beautiful girl was here. She came a few days after and did a postpartum shift and was just amazing.  Made me a warm meal, started a warm sitz bath, and did light cleaning and made sure I felt confident in everything before leaving. Simply amazing.