Dana Hindman Harvey

2/2/2024

We hired Jessie as a doula for the birth of our first child, our now 5-month old son, Reece. I wanted a doula to support my husband and my birth journey, and our experience with Jessie was so much more than that.

We met with Jessie twice prior to the birth for education, discussion of our birth plan and to practice specific preparatory exercises for when I went into labor. Jessie was kind, knowledgeable and supportive of our plan. She was always available to send current research, podcasts and resources to ensure that we were ready for the birthing experience.

In a quick turn of events, I had an emergency c-section at 36 weeks and 6 days after an ultrasound showed that my placenta was not functioning properly and my baby had stopped growing. Needless to say, we were emotional. Jessie rushed to the hospital that day to assist us with unfortunately an unsuccessful induction, but she was our coach, therapist and everything else through this whole process, which ended up being a full day prior to the c-section. She was able to help us understand the medical gargon that was being thrown at us, keep us calm through a very stressful time, and guide us through some difficult decisions that we had to make that day. She prioritized safety but also had our birth plan in mind if there was any part of that for which we could stick to.

I couldn't recommend working with Jessie enough. If you need any support prior to, during and after your childbirth experience, you should absolutely work with her.

Kim S.

2/1/2024

As my husband and I prepared for the birth of our first child, we realized a little late in the game that we could probably benefit from the support of a doula for labor/birth. After interviewing a handful of wonderful doulas in the greater Boston Area, we decided to work with Jessie because she brought us both a sense of calm from our initial conversation- we knew that was the energy we wanted on our team and in the delivery room. Jessie was a wealth of knowledge and a gentle and encouraging voice that we could turn to leading up to labor/birth as well as in the delivery room. She also supported us in building trust with ourselves. My delivery took some unexpected turns, and Jessie's presence in the moment was supportive and reassuring. Both my husband and I felt cared for and supported by Jessie as we navigated some difficult moments in real time.  She was there to check in on my birth preferences, and despite the complications, I felt like I was able to make informed decisions each step of the way, thanks to Jessie's support!  My one regret was not having found Jessie earlier in my pregnancy!

Meredith

10/26/2023

Jessie was an incredible part of my birth team. Since this was the first pregnancy and birth for me and my husband, we felt it was important to have the support from a Doula to help us navigate through the entire experience. Jessie was able to answer all of our questions, provide us synthesized evidence-based information (and resources), and arm us with all of the information and tools we needed to feel confident throughout the pregnancy and birth. There is so much information out there about pregnancy and birth, which I found to be somewhat overwhelming, and Jessie was incredibly helpful in providing us with straight forward answers to our questions.

Aside from providing us with a wealth of information, Jessie helped us think through our birth preferences and was a huge support to me and my husband during the labor and birth. She helped my husband be a hands on birth partner, tag-teamed with him to provide amazing support during the labor, and helped us think through key decisions during the labor/birth. Jessie also took the best photos (with our permission) that I will cherish forever.

We appreciated that Jessie focuses on evidence-based information and is extremely available throughout the pregnancy to answer any questions, big or small. We felt really comfortable with her and enjoyed our time with her talking about the pregnancy, the birth, and beyond! Hiring Jessie as our doula was critical for a great birth experience!

Marina Robinson

8/31/2023

Having Jessie’s support was incredibly helpful throughout my first pregnancy and delivery for many reasons. She was always just a text away and provided reassurance, encouragement, evidence-based knowledge, and an empathetic spirit whenever I needed it. Just knowing I could reach out gave my partner and I tremendous peace of mind. We felt so confident knowing we had Jessie to step in with knowledge or comfort measures or just to stay with me to give my partner a break. She was always directing me to consider my needs and wants, and empowered me to advocate for my preferences. I felt so well-equipped and informed about a completely unknown experience thanks to her.

For me, the evidence-bases information, the support, and the peace of mind were the most valuable parts of doula care - although it’s hard to narrow it down even to those three! Having a baby for the first time is scary and it’s invaluable to have a supportive, experienced advocate by your side every step of the way.

If a friend was considering a doula, I would absolutely recommend it and would absolutely recommend Jessie. The statistics about doula-attended births are reason alone, but having Jessie specifically would be ideal - she offers the perfect blend of care, knowledge, experience, advocacy, and support. She really listens to your concerns, needs, and preferences while empowering you to make your own informed decisions about your birth.

After several interviews, we chose Jessie as our doula for the reasons mentioned above as well as because of her demeanor and personality. She’s flexible, warm, professional, well-informed, and easy-going. We appreciated that her approach is down-to-earth and rooted in science and evidence, as well as personalized to our priorities, needs, and preferences. 10/10, cannot recommended highly enough. We will definitely be calling Jessie again for our next birth!

Lauren Larose

8/30/2023

I was very lucky to have Jessie as my Doula and had a great experience . I found out I was pregnant in March of 2020 with my first baby , right at the start of the pandemic . So in addition to the stress of being pregnant for the first time and preparing to be a mom , that added a whole other layer . Jessie was wonderful to work with during that time and helped to ease any worries I may have had . She was flexible and accommodating to connect via Zoom and was extremely knowledgeable and answered any and all questions I had. She really listened and truly cared about my birth plan and worked with me to ensure I felt good and and ready when it came time to deliver. Jessie has so much experience and and provides evidence based knowledge , she was the best choice for my family and I to have as our Doula.

Haleigh Regan

7/16/2023

Jessie was such an amazing support during pregnancy and the birth of my second child. The added stress of having a toddler at home this time, I knew I needed a doula who could be an extra support for me along with my husband. After a stressful doctors appointment I called Jessie right away and she was so helpful and such a great listener. During labor, she was such a calm yet strong support for me. She knew exactly what to say to get me to focus and calm my body and get through contractions. It was like having a really sweet and kind close friend with me the whole time. I could not have done it without her. I highly recommend her as a birth doula!

Etana salvin

7/16/2023

Jessie was available to answer all of our questions throughout pregnancy and labor. She is extremely knowledgeable and provided up to date research on everything from breastfeeding to car seat safety. She made labor and delivery much more comfortable and relaxing with all of her techniques such as the rebozo and exercise ball. We would highly recommend Ahava Doula Services!