Chanel Breslow

1/30/2024

From the moment we met Jessamyn, it was evident that she was not just a professional but a compassionate advocate for our family's well-being. Her warm and reassuring presence created a calm atmosphere amidst the challenges we went through during our childbirth journey at Cedars Sinai. As we navigated the uncertainties, her wealth of knowledge and experience became an invaluable guide, easing our anxieties and fostering a sense of support. 

Our gratitude extends beyond words for the extraordinary care provided by our doula. Jessamyn's dedication, professionalism, and unwavering support transformed what could have been a daunting experience into a memorable and joyous occasion. We feel blessed to have had her by our side during this chapter in our lives, and we wholeheartedly recommend her to anyone seeking an exceptional and compassionate doula who truly cares. 

Yona Remer

12/3/2023

I can not recommend Jessamny highly enough. Her support throughout the final stages of my wife's pregnancy, labor and post-delivery helped alleviate many of our concerns as first time parents and empowered us to edcuate ourselves and advocate for the delivery we wanted. Jessamyn provided us with hours of in-home education, countless text and phone calls leading up to my wife's labor. Throughout my life's 48+ hours of labor, leading up to our visit to the hospital, Jessamyn provided in-home support and guidance. Her use of movement and pain relief techniques enabled my wife to labor at home in comfort before her active labor began. Jessamyn also prepped our hospital room, developed relationships with the nurses and hospital staff and created the most welcoming environment for my wife and our new baby. If you are looking for a doula, a highly suggest you consider Jessamyn-- couldn't have done it without her. 

Matt Shotland

8/14/2023

My wife gave birth to our daughter at Pure Births with confidence, grace, and tremendous strength.  So much credit has to go to her Coach and Doula, Jessamyn Kear.

As a husband and father, I didn't know what a Doula or Midwife was or why anyone would give birth outside of a hospital.

Now I would urge every expecting mother to consult/hire a doula, and you'd be lucky to have Jessamyn.

I got to truly experience the birth, as Jessamyn could guide my wife through the pain of her later contractions.  Her decisive actions and wealth of knowledge helped my wife focus and allow me to be steady and present.

She is patient and will give you space to build your understanding of a non-medicated birth.  In fact, our first baby was born in the hospital, while Jessamyn was consulting us.

Our first daughter was born via induction with an epidural. While everything went successfully, the knowledge and stories we learned via Jessamyn brought us to the birth center for baby #2. It was night and day and if we did a third, we'd go the same route.

Jessamyn, we love you and are forever grateful to you and the amazing community of badass doulas & midwives. 

Kavon Kazemzadeh

5/30/2022

(Part 2) We ended up laboring at home with help of Jessamyn for over 18-20 hours. Laboring at home gave us the time and opportunity to dilate and very likely to helped shift the baby into a better position. We got very close at home but my wife needed to rest so we ended up going to the hospital to have an epidural so she could sleep. Jessamyn was right there by our side after more than 24 hours, advocating that the staff be transparent and tell us what they were doing when they were doing it, and that we had a right to consent to anything they were doing. At that point I was amazed she was still with us and asked that if she needed to go home we totally understand, but she stuck by us and was determined to see my wife give deliver a healthy baby. While my wife slept for 4 or 5 hours Jessamyn took the uncomfortable chair to let me sleep on the couch (she is truly a saint). We awoke to the morning shift whom she worked harmoniously with the nurses and the medical staff. They administered Pitocin to get the contractions going and turned down the epidural to the lowest setting so my wife could feel the contractions. Within a couple of hours we were in the throes of active labor and Jillian was fully Dilated and pushing. Jessamyn was literally holding one of Jillian’s legs while I was holding the other and giving constant positive re-enforcement to my wife about how powerful she was and how good she was doing. In the moment I was so incredibly happy to have someone there who really cared about us and knew what was going on. She was our rock, she helped me feel grounded and that everything was alright which helped me be there for my wife as she was literally performing a miracle. We are so eternally grateful for everything Jessamyn did for us and for sticking by us for almost 36 hours. She really is a birthing shaman who helped us on the journey of child birth, spiritually, emotionally and physically. We love you Jessamyn!!!

Kavon Kazemzadeh

5/30/2022

(Part 1) When my wife and I found out we were pregnant we were elated but also realized that we were quite naïve about all things birthing. My wife and I have been together since high school, moved across the country together and lived together for over a decade. We generally felt that we had a very strong bond and were skeptical about needing a third person to help us with birthing process. However as we got further into the pregnancy we were being bombarded with conflicting and ambiguous advice from different sources. As the father I felt it was my responsibility to help find the answers to our questions and to help provide the information to help my wife and I make the right decisions and to be an effective advocate during labor. We were becoming quite overwhelmed (I was especially) and that’s when we decided together that we needed to look for help. We interviewed with quite a few doulas, but after our first conversation with Jessamyn we knew she was the support we were looking for. She is experienced, supportive, kind and connected. She was basically our private tutor for all things pregnancy and birthing. The thing I really liked about her from our first meeting was that she had hospital, birth center and home birth experience but wasn’t pushing us in any one direction, she was just supportive of us and our plan. At the time were planning a hospital birth but over the months with our research we were more interested in natural births. We really didn’t feel like we could do a home birth in our apartment, it felt weird, what if people heard us in the hallway, ect. At the first home visit she blew us away with her connectedness and flipped our preconceived ideas about what a home birth “should” look like and helped us really feel like we could do this in our home. We are very happy with the decision we made to have a home birth.  (conituned in part 2)

Danielle and Blake Hoffman

4/10/2022

Oh my gosh, where do we even begin?! Jessamyn was the absolute best. It's truly difficult to picture going through pregnancy, labor, and delivery without having her by our side. Her knowledge, patience, empathy, kindness and calmness helped guide us through the most emotional and overwhelming experience of our lives. From a dad's perspective, it was so helpful knowing there was another advocate for my wife and her wellbeing. There were so many medical terms and big decisions being fired rapidly at me and having Jessamyn there helped me feel calm and confident in making the best decision for my wife and our baby. We were also able to create a relaxed environment where there was laughter and love even among very stressful moments. From a mom's perspective, words cannot explain how grateful I am for Jessamyn. From being able to text her throughout the pregnancy with questions, to the very helpful prenatal sessions, to her being there for our entire labor and delivery, to the very needed postpartum session - she was truly a blessing. I was able to have the birth I wanted due to her support when I don't think it would have happened without her. I went in confident and with the knowledge I needed. She brought such calm during labor and really met us where we were at. There is no doubt she will be a part of our future babies' births and she is an extremely important part of our family now! We are so grateful! We HIGHLY recommend that anyone and everyone work with Jessamyn!!!

Tatyana Esmaelian

10/19/2021

First of all, I highly recommend a doula for any birth - it's extremely invaluable and alleviates the stresses of the unknown. Jessamyn was a perfect match for my family and really helped us understand how to best prepare for our little one and explain everything from birth preferences, natural induction methods and the hows and whys, and what to have handy before and in prep for delivery and postpartum. Jessamyn brought her extensive experience and knowledge to our laboring at home and helping us to know just the right time to head to the hospital. It was extremely important that I had a natural birth and, although my labor was a longer one (50 hours), Jessamyn stayed with my husband and I throughout the entire process and ensured that all my wishes were carried through safely. Her techniques were so effective in helping my dilation progress and also giving me the strength to labor at home without the need for medications or artificial intervention. Jessamyn is organized, clear in her explanations, patient, and her experience and calm demeanor shines through her and across to mom, dad and baby. She adds her own special touches along the way like serene lighting, essential oils, massage techniques, etc. and also captured the most beautiful pictures and videos of our laboring and birth experience which is priceless. We would have Jessamyn by our side again in a heartbeat and are so glad we found her here!

Caroline A.

6/6/2021

Having Jessamyn as my doula was one of the best decisions I've made. If it weren't for her, I would not have been able to have the natural birth that I had wanted. 

Pregnant with my 2nd, I initially didn't plan on hiring a doula, thinking I would resort to getting an epidural since I got one with my 1st. However, it wasn't until late in my 3rd trimester when I remembered how I didn't have a positive L&D experience. I remember how I felt from having an induction and epidural. Recovery was rough, and I knew how difficult it would be caring for a newborn and my toddler if I had the same kind of recovery experience. I had researched that those who had unmedicated births were able to recover much faster and felt more themselves. Wanting this, I decided to look into having a natural birth and knew I needed help. I am SO thankful that Jessamyn had an opening. Jessamyn listened to all my concerns and wishes, and I could tell she would be a great advocate for my birth plan. 

By the time we got to the hospital, Jessamyn and my husband answered any questions the medical staff asked on behalf of me so that I could focus on laboring. She was so positive the whole time. There were moments when I felt like I couldn't go any longer, but Jessamyn kept reminding me how strong I was and how I was one less contraction away from meeting my son. She encouraged me to try different labor positions to help speed up my labor process. She coached my husband in ways to help, and they made a great team. Jessamyn also made sure that there was as little disruption as possible. A few hours later, I made it to reaching 10cm dilation, and shortly after delivered my son! With Jessamyn's great help and support, I was able to have the unmedicated birth I had wanted. I honestly felt a 180 degree difference in my recovery from this birth compared to my 1st. I was able to walk within a few hours and felt great postpartum. Thank you, Jessamyn, for everything!

Adir Tal

2/28/2021

Part 2/2:

Another hesitation, was that I was worried that hiring someone that we weren’t initially close with was because I was concerned that a Doula would be a bother to me and get in my way. Man, I couldn’t have been more wrong. Jessamyn was my partner in there. My wife had some super scary complications. Thankfully Jess was with us to help navigate it all. The hospital was great, but they do things at their own pace and sometimes forget that it’s our first time. Jess took the time to explain everything to us in detail after the nursing staff left and go over anything and everything. She was always by our side when we needed anything, from asking the staff for water and ice chips for my wife to making sure I was also getting food, water and rest in where I could. She is not only extremely knowledgeable but an amazing care taker.

Aside from the moral support, she gave us SO much physical, mental, and emotional support. Being a licensed massage therapist was amazing too because she was able to give my wife some very necessary body work while in labor. On top of so much affirmations and reassurance that we both needed after 4 long days!

The only thing I would have changed is that we should have booked her WAY earlier in the process! Jessamyn has so much to offer! We were only able to fit in one prenatal visit before delivery, but was available via text/phone call whenever we had questions or concerns. She has also been around for questions we have had throughout this postpartum time.

Even for the budget conscious soon-to-be-dads out there, I would highly recommend not to sacrifice this crucial part in labor & delivery.  Having a Doula is super SUPER important. I would pay Jessamyn's rate 5 times over! I could not have been the support person my wife needed me to be without Jess. Jessamyn will always be a part of our family after this experience. Jess thank you so much!

Adir Tal

2/27/2021

Part 1/2:

Oh man where to begin! I am a 32 year old first time dad and I’m sure most of the testimonials you read are from the moms’ side, however, I think it’d important that you get a man’s/fathers’ perspective.

A lot of people think that the Mom’s are the ones that are really only getting the actual service from a doula, when in fact, let me tell you that Jessamyn saved my A$$! As beautiful of a birth plan ym wife and I had in mind, nothing went as “planned”. My wife and I had a grueling 4 days no sleep in the hospital. My wife is a rockstar and 100 times stronger than I am so she was handling it better than expected. I however, am beyond thankful for Jessamyn.

Honestly, because I felt that my wife and I were such a strong team, I was pretty hesitant to hire a Doula and felt was not needed and a waste of money.

Since we delivered during the pandemic, the hospital we delivered at was only allowing one support person (myself) and a certified Doula. At the last minute (38 weeks pregnant) we were convinced to meet with a Doula by our parents since my wife’s mother couldn’t be there to help support. Thank god we listened!

One of my hesitations to having a Doula was because my wife and I aren’t the “natural birth” clientele. So I was scared that maybe a Doula wouldn’t be as well versed with all the medicine, hospital interventions, medical jargon etc. Wrong again! Jess legit knew everything and asked great questions that we wouldn’t even think of. Jess really had our best interest in mind the entire time and was respectful to making our own decisions. She also built a great relationship with the entire nursing staff during our time at the hospital and our OB. She really helped us and everyone a part of the labor and delivery process feel that we were one big team.

To be continued...

Meagan

10/7/2019

Before I got pregnant I did not know what a doula was, but after learning about them in a child brithing class my husband and I decided to interview a couple doulas to see if it was for us. Initially, I was intrigued by the lower rate of c-sections by having a doula, but after we met Jessamyn we knew she would be helpful in so many more ways than that. We had an immediate connection with her and knew we wanted her to be by our side during our birthing process. Our 2 prenatal visits were very informative and mentally prepared me for what to expect during labor and what I could do to cope with the pain. What I was so pleasantly surprised with Jessamyn was her overwhelming emotional support the last couple weeks of my pregnancy. I was feeling overwhelmed as our baby was 10 days late, and Jessamyn would check in on me daily to see how I was doing physically but also emotionally and always knew how to cheer me up! When our baby finally did arrive, Jessamyn was more helpful during labor than I could have expected. She helped me stay active, speak up for what I wanted, and most importantly achieve my goal for my labor and delivery process. After all of her help, we received pictures and a video (with our permission) of our labor and delivery that we will cherish forever! Without her we would not have had any pictures from that day. We owe her so much for helping us have our baby the way we wanted and helping me so much emotionally during the entire process. I would recommend her to anyone!!

Abel

10/1/2019

We hired Jessamyn to be our doula for our first baby and had an awesome experience!  We really wanted a doula because my wife and I obviously were new to the whole experience of having a baby but also to help us make sure we were able to minimize medical intervention during the whole process.  Jessamyn was really supportive and truly wanted to understand our goals so that she could use her experience to coach us and make sure that we achieved them.  We got exactly what we expected and wanted from her and she went above and beyond to help my wife keep it together when our baby still wasn't coming further and further past our due date.  Definitely recommend to Jessamyn to anyone seeking a doula, especially if you really want extra support in making sure your voice is heard among the doctors and nurses involved in your baby's birth!

sydney stewart

4/14/2014

Jessamyn couldn't have been a better team member for the birth of our second child! She was there when we needed her and told us later had been waiting nearby knowing we were probably further along than we thought. Her poise and presence during my labor were both calming and secure. She has great hands and could voice simply and susinctly direction that helped relax me through the hardest contractions and move the baby into position; she kept me full of fluids and got me to go to the hospital just in the knick of time as we didn't realize how far along I was. She has a beautiful sense of emotional timing, bringing lightness when needed and focusing at other times. Our experience birthing our second daughter was magical and I believe she was a key factor in it.

Jen Carmody

4/13/2014

Jessamyn is an amazing doula and I cannot recommend her enough! She is everything we were looking for, and so much more. Jessamyn exudes warmth, joy, compassion and has a deep reverence and respect for birth. She is gentle and lighthearted while also providing firm and grounding support. From our very first meeting (the initial interview), I felt so safe with her and trusted her to support me during the incredible experience of childbirth. Because of her warm spirit and competent, experienced hands, I had complete faith in her and knew that she had my back, both literally and figuratively. It was this trust that allowed me to relax into birth and surrender to the process, both in the weeks before the big event, and during labor and birth. She anticipated my needs at every turn and somehow knew exactly what I needed before I even knew. In a nutshell, Jessamyn put me at ease, both physically and emotionally. She was a vital part of our birth team and I could not imagine giving birth without her by my side. I am forever grateful to her for supporting me through the incredible journey to motherhood.

Tanya Dougherty

3/26/2014

It was a pleasure having Jessamyn as our birth partner. I formed an instant "kindred spirit"  relationship with her. She was nurturing throughout the entire pregnancy, birth and postpartum experience. Her coaching greatly helped me through the most difficult part of labor. Jessamyn involved my husband during the entire experience and was a great coach and advocate of our birth plan. The birth of my son was peaceful and wonderful. I can't imagine going through labor without her!

Eliza Spaulding

3/20/2014

Jessamyn is a wonderful doula! In addition to be extremely caring and supportive, she is knowledgeable, organized, and has just the right touch. During our prenatal visits, she taught us so much about labor and delivery, information that one cannot read in books but comes from participating in numerous births. During L&D, she was with us for what ended up being a very long birth and helped us navigate a complex decision making process that helped honor our wishes. During our post partum visit, she checked in on how we were doing and expressed that she was there to support us in any way. In between visits, we also were in regular contact when questions arose or just to check in. If you're considering working with a doula for your pregnancy, I encourage you to work with Jessamyn. I cannot imagine going through the experience without her!

Beth Lachance

3/18/2014

Jessamyn was absolutely wonderful during the homebirth of our baby boy and I can't recommend her enough!  I just felt very comfortable with her right away and we've remained in contact since the birth.  She will definitely be there again when we get around to having our second child.

We had only met twice prior to the birth (an initial coffee shop intro and then a home visit). Since our baby came three weeks early, we missed out on the second home visit, and while I would have loved to have gotten some more time with her to prepare, it all worked out great.  Our birth was relatively straight-forward, but the baby was early and progressed much quicker than anticipated.  Jessamyn managed to help soothe and guide me (and my husband) as well communicate and escalate my progress to the midwives.

She has a calm, fun demeanor, a nifty little bag of tricks to help get you through labor, and she's a masseuse - the best!!!  She's warm, soothing and had the right level of involvement to allow my husband and I to feel like we were being guided and supported, not interfered with.  My midwives, who had not worked with her before, both thought she was fantastic and commented on what a great job she had done and how they enjoyed working with her.

And while I had no intention of being photographed during the birth, she took pictures (with my permission) and video'd announcing that we'd had a boy to my awaiting parents. I absolutely love that I have them to look back on.

She's great!!!!

Amanda Camacho

8/13/2013

Jessamyn was an outstanding doula from beginning to end and was an advocate for me and my baby throughout my birth experience. She is sensitve, respectful, joyful, calm and encouraging. I intended to give birth at a birthing center, but because of some complications, I was instead transferred to a hospital. Jessamyn stayed by my side throughout and made sure my needs were met and my voice was heard. Before the birth, she spent a lot of time with my husband and I preparing us and answering questions. Afterward, she checked in on my in person, over e-mail and by phone and I am so grateful for all the support she offered during those first weeks. Both my husband and I, without question, would recommend Jessamyn to anyone who is looking for a doula.