Shelby

5/7/2024

To put it briefly - I don't know how we would have handled our birth journey without Jasmine, and I cannot recommend her enough to anyone considering the help of a doula. She's gentle, warm, and relaxed; and her presence is like an anchor, grounding and nurturing.

I experienced a lot of stress during my third trimester, and then my birth plan went haywire, resulting in a c-section after planning for a home birth. Jasmine was supportive the whole way. She made me feel understood and reassured during my stress, and when it came to the birth, she was like Gandalf guiding us to Mordor. Not only was Jasmine calming and by my side the entire way, she was attentive to and considerate of my partner. She advocated for us and our values when we were in the hospital, and she clearly has a great relationship with the staff there which was reassuring. Moreover, she was sensitive to the way things had gone for us and held space for us both to decompress after we returned home.

We had my placenta encapsulated by Jasmine as well, and that was a great add-on. I noticed improved energy and a greater sense of calm while I was taking my capsules :)

Overall, she was truly the most valuable member of our birth team, and we will absolutely work with her again in the future.

Francine

4/16/2024

Jasmine was incredible and an absolute professional. The single best choice we made about our son’s birth was having a doula and picking Jasmine. She immediately made me feel comfortable the first time I met her and I fully credit the fact that we had a vaginal delivery to her skill, patience and hard work. My labor was a full day and nearly four hours of pushing and even when my midwife didn’t think it would happen vaginally, Jasmine knew exactly how to motivate me and we had a successful vaginal delivery. We feel so lucky to have had her support during our son’s birth! She is compassionate, kind and she put so much work into preparing us before and supporting us both on the day. I feel like she never left my side. Can’t recommend her enough!

Edna Murrieta

4/11/2024

We are beyond thankful to have worked with Jasmine. Her overall approach felt so safe and familiar. After our initial conversation, it truly felt like we were speaking with a family member. She was honest, approachable, and supportive throughout the entire experience. It being my first time giving birth I was faced with many uncertainties and fears as we approached the end and she took the time to explain and support my decisions as they came along. When in active labor she constantly checked in with me to make sure I understood what was taking place, to ask if I had questions, and had others pause waiting for my response. Her advocacy is like no other. As a woman of color, I wanted to find someone who understood and had cultural understanding and awareness when it came to historical trauma as well as someone I could speak openly to about those fears and she exceeded all expectations. After birth, she was there to answer my questions, check in with us, and assure us of what was to come. From then we had a few postpartum visits and those were just as moving and helpful. I struggled a bit with speaking up for my needs and felt tons of pressure to move back to my old self but she reassured me and had me embrace communicating my needs and wants with others. We will forever be thankful for Jasmine and the comfort she brought to our family. If you are looking for someone kind, heartfelt, patient, and overall rad she is your person. 

Erica

4/11/2024

Jasmine was everything I wanted and needed in a doula. Her calming energy and gentle touch was everything! She was great at focusing on not only me but also my husband, making sure we were both doing okay during birth. She had a great balance of being involved and stepping back when needed. I would highly recommend Jasmine! 

Catherine B

1/27/2024

I cannot come up with enough words of appreciation for Jasmine. Her presence and support to myself and my husband throughout our experience was invaluable. Jasmine is highly knowledgable, not only about prenatal/postpartum/labor & delivery, but also about how the hospital system works. Any time I had questions or was anxiety spiraling about something, she had words of advice and resources at the ready. She helped me feel prepared for my delivery experience, which of course turned out to be nothing like I had planned or hoped for. I had a prolonged, traumatic labor and delivery experience in the hospital, and she was at my side through it all - comforting, coaching, helping me in the bath, holding my hand through interventions, supporting my husband, and working so professionally with the nursing staff. I couldn't have asked for better support. I actually think that "the stars aligned" with the team I ended up having for my dauther's delivery, especially with Jasmine as part of that team. She helped so much postpartum as well, always offering feedback and answering my questions as I worked through coming home to feeding challenges with my baby and healing from my tough delivery. She will forever be a part of my dauther's story. Also her bath tea blend for postpartum healing was such a wonderful treat! If you're considering hiring Jasmine, just go ahead and do that right now ;-) 

Danielle

2/26/2023

Jasmine was our postpartum doula during a very traumatic time for us and her presence was very gentle and calming. She cooked nourishing food while wearing the baby, took him for walks in the garden or stayed inside with it while we got some space in the garden. She heavily supported us as we had to go to a hospital bonding center for three weeks and stayed with me when we returned so my husband could return to work and know baby and I were safe. Jasmine worked with our family for a good 6 months as I had postpartum psychosis and horrible trauma induced bonding issues. Jasmine was able to get us a heaven sent second opinion which diagnosed me and got my medications immediate corrected, providing a way out for us from PPP hell. She always knew what to say to help me not feel crazy and to open a window for us to see our of in the darkest moments of our postpartum experiences. She has remained a precious friend and sweet presence in our lives since and we will forever be grateful that she was our postpartum doula. 

Jenny

2/14/2023

I am so, so thankful Jasmine was part of our birth experience. This was our second baby, and after a difficult first birth, I had a lot of fear and anxiety about going through birth again, so I wanted to have a doula to support us. Talking with Jasmine during the prenatal meetings helped me so much in processing my emotions and was an instrumental part in unlocking the feelings of hope, power and excitement I experienced as our due date approached.

This birth was very different than my first experience, and Jasmine was there to reassure us and encouraged us, help me work through contractions in ways that helped labor progress, offer practical help (getting us both water so we actually stayed hydrated, drawing me a bath, asking the nurses questions, setting up comforting lights in the hospital room, and on and on), and help me with pain management—techniques we wouldn't or couldn't have done without her that took the edge off the intensity. She was also there to offer comfort and support for me when baby boy needed immediate care in the nursery and my partner went with him.

Jasmine has the perfect set of skills for the work she does. Her personality is calming but warm and vibrant. She has such a beautiful respect for her clients’ values. She has a wonderful ability to listen and an incredible intuition—so many times she did what we needed before we even realized we needed it. We are so thankful she was there for us.

Sydney

11/20/2022

The moment we met Jasmine we knew she was the right person to be on this journey with us. And while you may find many doulas with similar certifications and years of experience, it’s Jasmine’s seemingly effortless ability to provide empathy, kindness, perspective, resources, and an empowering touch that set her apart.

So much of the support Jasmine provided came at unexpected times, like when we left prenatal doctors appointments feeling anxious and uninformed, Jasmine was there to guide us with knowledge and reassurance. Or when we struggled with decisions regarding our baby being in the breech position, Jasmine made herself available and helped support us with so much compassion and a wonderful referral to ensure we were in the best and safest hands possible.

Ultimately, when our birthing plans changed for our breech baby, Jasmine held space for all of our feelings and helped us to imagine a family centered cesarean that brought us so much comfort when we really needed it.

They say that birth never goes as planned, and that was certainly true for us. But having Jasmine on our team ensured we felt supported and informed each step of the way.

Jasmine stayed with us in the hospital until we were comfortable and then continued to check in with us over the phone until our first postpartum visit. During this visit Jasmine helped us problem solve breastfeeding difficulties and referred us to a lactation specialist who wrapped around us with so much support and immediate solutions. 

We hope in sharing our story others will be encouraged to reach out for support from Jasmine and get to experience the unique and powerful relationship between birthing family and doula. We also wish this testimonial to serve as a thank you to Jasmine, for helping us to have a birth that for both of us felt truly and simply- magical.

Whitney

11/14/2022

My husband and I had a wonderful experience with Jasmine as our doula. She created and held space for our feelings, hopes, and fears before, during, and after the birth of our daughter. She has a very calming and knowledgeable, and reassuring demeanor. When it seemed like I might need a scheduled c-section, Jasmine provided a comprehensive list of things we could request for a planned c-section to tailor it to be less clinical and scary. I felt so relieved and supported. I didn't end up having a planned c-section but had an urgent c-section, and felt prepared because Jasmine and I had reviewed c-section options together. Jasmine was instrumental during the c-section, providing much-needed support before the c-section, insisting my husband be allowed into the operating room during a stressful moment of confusion, ordering food for us while we were in the operating room, and advocating for me in recovery when the medical staff didn't initially react to a complication I experienced. I would recommend her as a doula to any expecting parent looking for steady support!

Antje Thiessen

9/26/2022

Jasmine is an extraordinary person and we are very grateful to have had her as our birth and post-partum doula. She met us right where we were at with out birth preparations and quickly honed in on our preferences and worries. She is experienced, highly sensitive, and intuitive and provided the right amount of support at the right time throughout our birth. We had to transition from the birth center to the hospital and Jasmine helped me stay in my ritual as much as possible. She has an intuitively comforting touch. In the hospital setting she was a natural advocate for my needs and spoke up politely but firmly. She supported my husband in a way that allowed him to be an integral part of the birth. During my post-partum recovery Jasmine was instrumental in helping me process my birth experience and integrate my memories and emotions through her deep listening and personal insights into the post-partum experience. She added a wonderful placenta print and beautiful photos of my labor to the experience. She is a warm, loving individual who is completely dedicated to her clients. We are happy that Jasmine will be forever part of our birth story. Thank you!

Cash

7/28/2022

Jasmine supported me in an ongoing peer counselor role and I found her listening and guidance to be profound. Jasmine has a keen ear and attuned perception. She had a beautifully graceful way of allowing me to unfold while also nudging me along in my own discoveries. 

Jasmine is the type of friend and mentor that inspires you to think, "what would Jasmine do"? In a challenging scenario. She has the strength and wisdom of many generations before her and it is felt in every conversation. 

I have utilized her skills and support in my birthwork and internal work as well as the development of my business/calling. She is a tremendous mentor and has brought so much joy and love into the way I view birthkeeping. Her presence and impact will be with me through many lives. 

Justin Lewis

7/21/2022

I’m writing this narrative as a testimonial for the doula work of Jasmine Stuverud. I can, unequivocally, recommend Jasmine as a compassionate, intuitive, empathic caregiver that provided an unmatched level of attention and concern for my partner (and myself!) before, during, and after the birth of our daughter.

We selected Jasmine after interviewing a couple of doulas. Initially, my partner was impressed with her calm, caring demeanor, and understated sense of centeredness. Further, after a not-so-great first birth experience, we were both looking for someone who would be an advocate for us, empowering us on our journey toward welcoming a new human into the world. Jasmine met those expectations in every regard.

As a dad, I am certainly not tangential to the birth process but I’m also not carrying and delivering baby, either. Despite this, Jasmine gave thought, attention, and time to honor my experience as well as my partner’s. When we met with Jasmine, she was keen to include me in the conversations and decision-making process and worked to ensure that I felt integral to the birth team. During the homebirth of our daughter, Jasmine was the first to arrive was key in supporting, coaching, and guiding my partner through the birth itself. After an intense, but relatively brief, labor, Jasmine and I coordinated my wife’s continuing care with the midwife on the day of the birth and in the period afterwards. She checked in on us multiple times in the days after the birth and created some inspiring birth art with the cord and placenta of our daughter.

This birth experience was so fundamentally different from our first and I attribute that, primarily, to Jasmine’s even keel and quiet strength. She was a lodestar in our birth experience, and I can’t really express how integral she was in helping my partner and I welcome our daughter into the world. I would recommend her services without hesitation.

Judy Sheriff

6/2/2022

Jasmine was everything I could have hoped for in a doula. Caring, approachable, knowledgeable, and a genuinely kind person. From the moment we started working together she made herself available for any questions I had, nothing was too big or too small to reach out to her about. 

My labor was fast and furious and I don't know that I would have been able to have the non-medicated, water birth I wanted, without Jasmine's guidance. This was my first baby and she was the perfect support person to balance my husband. Jasmine kept us both grounded and somehow she managed to do this all while being 8 months pregnant herself.  Rockstar! 

I will definitely be using Jasmine for all my future births <3  

J. M.

1/7/2022

Jasmine is knowledgeable, passionate about her work, strong, intuitive, and so firmly grounded in herself that she was always able to put me and my queer family in the center of our work together. I’m someone who came to pregnancy and birth with a history of trauma, and with some very negative past experiences in hospital settings, yet for various reasons I knew the hospital was the right place for me to give birth. Meeting twice with Jasmine in advance was vitally important in helping me prepare for labor and birth in the hospital. Jasmine listened to my fears and questions with her whole heart, and she helped me think through and practice new strategies for staying present in my body that I used during labor and birth and that I will carry with me into my postpartum life. I am so grateful to Jasmine for supporting my dreams of having an unmedicated vaginal birth, and of being able to breastfeed my baby. Right after I gave birth she was there to help me nurse my baby for the very first time while the hospital staff was busy tending to my other needs, and during a postpartum visit she gently helped me identify and take steps to correct an issue I was having with breast feeding. I’m so grateful to Jasmine for always going at my pace, for meeting me in my experiences with deep care and expansive knowledge, and for helping me hold on to the sacredness of birth every step of the way. 

Emma

12/6/2021

Having Jasmine as our doula for the birth of our first child was absolutely invaluable.  Jasmine joined our birth team relatively late in my pregnancy when our initial doula plans changed.  Her authenticity and passion for birth work were so apparent during our first meeting, even over Zoom.  It was clear to me that birth work is Jasmine's calling and that we would be in good hands with her on our team.  From the time we started working together, all the way through birth, communication with Jasmine was frequent and easy.  She is calm and grounded, which was a great energy to be around leading up to my first birth.

I had planned an out of hospital birth, but ended up delivering at the hospital due to mild complications.  Having Jasmine with us through that unexpected change helped make everything okay.  She knew our preferences well, and advocated for baby and me when needed.  She helped support my husband and kept the two of us connected throughout the birth.  She kept me on track and reminded me of my strength and birth plan/preferences when I was tired and doubting my ability to keep going. Her presence was gentle and guiding. When our daughter finally arrived and we settled in, I almost didn't want Jasmine to have to leave the hospital!  She stayed connected but gave us space following the birth, checking in and visiting us in our home when we were ready.  I am so grateful our paths crossed and that we were lucky enough to have Jasmine as our doula.  I couldn't recommend Jasmine highly enough as a birth doula. 

-E.J., Bellingham, WA

Savannah

11/22/2021

For a long time I debated whether or not I should hire a doula, but only minutes into our initial conversation with Jasmine, and I knew it was the right decision. She instantly put my partner and I at ease with her caring and empathetic nature. 
Nothing about my birth went according to plan, but Jasmine was amazing at helping me process and navigate through my emotions. She provided us with valuable resources to help us prep beforehand and help with introducing our 4 year old to his new sibling. We're done having children, but if we were to have another, I'd hire Jasmine again in a second. I cannot say enough good things about her, she was lovely. 

JYS

6/12/2021

Having Jasmine with me was the nicest end to my painful, traumatic pregnancy. Thanks to the great birth I had with my whole birth team I would have another child!

Not once did Jasmine make me feel like I was a burden to her. Which is quite an accomplishment because I've struggled with that for my whole 26 years of life. Jasmine was 100% present for me for about 16 hours straight. An extra touch that made me and my baby feel cared for was that she asked me if she could use her phone maybe 3-5 times throughout my labor. Which was a nice contrast to my other support person. She was there for me however I needed throughout my labor. With feeding, hydrating, touch, affirmations, space, and communicating for me when I couldn't speak! She welcomed me to lean my full 175lb weight back into her during some of my contractions. It was the BIGGEST blessing to fall back and surrender into her pure support. Sometimes when I briefly drown in the anxieties of motherhood it centers me to reflect on these moments with Jasmine. Her voice is very soothing and eyes hold a lot of love in them. If Jasmine hadn't been with me I am certain I would have ended up leaving my birth center, going to the hospital and demanding an epidural. My baby and I thank you forever Jasmine.

Hannah

3/22/2021

Jasmine was such a warm presence and guide at my birth, as well as during the chaotic times before and afterwards. She showed us ways to encourage the baby to turn after we found out she was breech, and navigated changing expectations with us as I headed toward a C-section. Jasmine has a thoughtful and precise way about her that makes things feel much clearer. Her knowledge and experience helped put things in context as we processed interactions with the many doctors and opinions leading up to the birth, along with challenges afterwards including safe sleeping, breastfeeding, latching, supplementing, scar healing, leaking milk everywhere, baby snot, being anxious about parenthood, family, pandemics, etc. She always made me feel heard and supported, and she played along with my jokes the whole time. Jasmine has a deep and genuine passion for this work, and I'm so grateful I got to have her as my doula.

Tannya

2/5/2020

I couldn't have imagined the birth to go as smoothly as it did without Jasmine! The nurses were checking on vitals and baby, my partner was holding me and supporting me, but Jasmine was really caring for me in ways I couldn't articulate. During labor it's really hard to talk, you're in another world, in your zone of deep concentration, eyes closed. Jasmine was able to care for me by giving me water after every contraction to keep me hydrated, speak encouraging words and reminders to me, take me into different positions to get through contractions, put ice water on my forehead to keep me cool, and so much more. I felt so much support throughout the process. I highly recommend Jasmine for her attentiveness and intuitiveness in the before, during, and after baby journey.