Testimonials

I went back and forth on whether I wanted to work with a doula, partly because I didn’t know anyone who had a doula and whether it was “worth it.” I was 32 weeks when I began working with Jennifer and my only regret is that I didn’t find her sooner! Jennifer provided much needed emotional support that I needed to get through the remainder of my pregnancy. During prenatal visits, Jennifer was extremely warm and relatable, asked all of the right questions, and listened intently to my worries and concerns. Leading up to my due date, Jennifer was consistently available to answer any questions I had and to offer suggestions. When my contractions kicked in at full force as I labored at home, Jennifer remained in contact with me, via text and phone, reminding me to breathe. When I made it to the hospital, she remained nearby the phone and continued to support me during the wee hours of the morning and well into the next day until I was ready for her to support me in person.

At the hospital, Jennifer advocated for me when I was in immense pain, feeling disoriented, and unable to be fully present. The highlight of my experience was when I decided to get an epidural, Jennifer reassured me that it was okay to deviate from my plan, repeated my birth affirmations and scriptures to me, eased my panic and anxieties as I feared for my life, and helped me to stay still during the procedure. It felt like Jennifer and I were the only two people in the room amidst all the noise. Jennifer has such a calming presence and soothing voice, she’s like a guided meditation soundtrack in your back pocket.

She continued to check in during the days and weeks following my birth, constantly reminding me of how strong I was for the feat I just accomplished. I had such an amazing experience working with Jennifer and my only hope is for others to have the same! I can’t wait to recommend Jennifer to other families that are looking for a doula.

-Shondel
June 26, 2023

Working with Jennifer as our doula was a wonderful experience from beginning to end. While I knew that I wanted a medicated hospital birth, there were so many other things surrounding birth that I had questions about. During her home visits, Jennifer was extremely patient with us - talking us through what to expect in the coming weeks and sharing resources. She listened to all of our concerns and helped to prep us mentally, physically and emotionally for birth. During labor, Jenn's presence was invaluable. She was an immediate calm presence in the room, reminding me to breathe and stay mindful during my contractions. There were two extremely stressful moments when baby's heart rate dropped but Jenn helped me to stay present and calm in the moment. While pushing, she was my biggest cheerleader, rooting me on and literally helping me to push through it! When postpartum complications arose unexpectedly, Jenn came back to the hospital to provide support and comfort, which was extremely appreciated. Jenn's support continued once we got home, providing help with breastfeeding and emotional encouragement. My family and I cannot recommend Jenn enough.

-Jasmine Richards-Lonie
June 14, 2023

It was an absolute pleasure working with Jenn for the home birth of our first child. She was the first doula we interviewed and knew pretty much immediately that she would be a perfect member for our birth team. Jenn balances professionalism with a constant calming and reassuring energy that was exactly what we were looking for. The prenatal meetings were very thorough and I think Jenn does a great job asking questions and prompting us to figure out what support we want/need throughout the process.

Where Jenn was most invaluable was as a labor support person. She came as soon as my partner reached out to her for help and liaised with my midwives throughout the day so they were updated and knew when to arrive. During active labor, she was able to simultaneously keep me fed and well hydrated, manage my pain and breathing, support and guide my partner, and also take tons of incredible photos. In the week after we had the baby, she flexibly scheduled her postpartum visit around my midwives' visits so I would have regular support. I have no doubt that we couldn't have done it without her and if I was having another baby Jenn would be one of the first people I'd call.

-Kara L
May 03, 2023

Jenn is absolutely incredible!! As a first time mom, I was incredibly nervous about labor & delivery, and interviewed quite a few doulas before making a decision. It was clear from the start that Jenn was the perfect blend of organized, level-headed, and calming. During pregnancy, she asked my husband & I questions we had never considered about our ideal labor scenario and sent over plenty of follow up information every time I had a question on something. During labor, she was a wonderful calming force and utilized a variety of techniques to help me through each contraction / push. I genuinely don’t know how I would have been able to do it without her! She also took some of the most amazing photos for us, which we will treasure forever. Even after everything was said and done, she stayed with us until she was confident we were doing okay as a new unit of 3 - as a whole, in all our sessions with her we never felt rushed or like we were on a clock.

In general what I appreciated the most was that she deferred to MY preferences & helped us stick to my plan as much as possible. Admittedly, I had a question in the back of my mind of whether or not a doula was “necessary” given I knew I wanted an epidural, but Jenn was fantastic at helping me make hour-by-hour decisions throughout the process and to labor as long as I could before getting it. She also was a great counterpoint to my husband, making sure he was still actively involved in the process & didn’t feel left out. I absolutely would use Jenn again if I had to do it all over, and hope we can use her for the births of our future kids!

-Amanda Hill
October 31, 2022

I wholeheartedly recommend Jenn for doula services. From our first introduction when I was about seven months pregnant to our last postpartum meeting, she was on top of everything. When we met to go over my needs and birth plan, she was prepared (more than me!) with questions, took lots of notes and was both professional and warm. She remembered important things I had asked for during birth and helped remind my husband of things to say and do that would help me mentally and emotionally. She consistently checked in with me during labor and offered food/drink, touch support, and lit candles, etc. Towards the end of labor, she was extremely supportive - I was able to lean on her and lean into her during intense contractions. She also remembered to film the birth, which I am eternally grateful for! Lastly, did I mention this was a homebirth and my baby was 10lbs, 9 oz!!! I can't recommend Jenn enough.

-Laura Davis
August 03, 2022

Jenn is in her field. She is knowledgeable and adaptive. She was my doula for my second birth, and she provided the support and attention that I needed for this particular pregnancy. We talked about my first pregnancy, labor, and delivery, and used that experience and my intentions this time around to support the affirming positive birthing experience I was blessed to have. She has good opinions that I certainly ready to share but she also listens. She provided support in ways that I didn't know I needed but was very grateful to receive. I am so grateful that she was there for me as my doula and know that others will be blessed to have her on her team as well.

-Paula (Emerald)
April 28, 2022

Before this pregnancy, I would often try to do as I possibly could on my own without help. I thought of this birthing experience as an opportunity to give myself more love and luxury by simply asking for help. In hiring Jennifer, I had so much more emotional support than I knew I needed. Jennifer asked questions that I didn't know needed to be asked. In almost every session, I found myself crying or laughing and discovering more about myself and my needs.

My baby was born breech among midwives in upstate NY so she wasn't able to make it, but her support helped me to prepare for what would be an intense, life-changing experience. At two weeks postpartum, I found myself tempted to try doing things without additional support, just like I did with my first son. Things like eating lunch every day, taking frequent naps, and herbal baths all seemed to be the first things to neglect. I am so grateful for Jen who consistently checked in to determine my needs and consistently reminded me of the importance of my own healing taking care of myself. My mother wasn't able to attend my birth or postpartum period, so I was grateful to still have options and support in this time.

Thank you Jen!

-Conscious Coore
January 10, 2022

After sharing with our midwife that we wanted a doula, we were provided a list of doulas to contact. After our first interaction with Jenn, we knew she would be a good fit for our family. I loved that she supported our family's birth desires and shared a similar philosophy. She has a wonderful temperament and is able to adjust as you make changes. She was very flexible when I actually went into labor and extremely accommodating. I'm very grateful. She was thorough/informative and interactive/demonstrative during our prenatal visits and it gave us the utmost confidence in her ability to be there for us when things really got going. I would recommend Jenn's presence to anyone.

-Aquanna Ratcliff
September 16, 2021

We found Jennifer through Manhattan Birth doula website. After our initail interview and reading reviews from this website we felt very confident that she was what we needed. She gave smart recommendations on the hospital we had to use when we could not give birth at the birthing center. She was also very informative on pain management resources such as acupuncture, which we ended up using before and after labor in our neighborhood. Unfortunately she was not able to be with us during the birth process, but her back up Milta Lee did an outstanding job. They are great team and don't hesitate to choose them as your next doulas.

-Danith & Alexander Bitar
August 23, 2021

Jenn was absolutely wonderful during all of our time with her. Her prenatal visits were thorough, and her labor support was attentive and caring. She provided a calm, reassuring presence throughout my labor, and when she needed to call on a backup (due to my labor lasting almost 48 hours!), the transition was absolutely seamless. We are so happy to have hired Jenn to support us and highly encourage anyone looking for a laid back, attentive presence during their labor to bring her onto their team.

-Alix ZC
March 25, 2021

Jennifer's grounding, calming energy makes her the perfect support person to have by your side during labor. She was steadfast throughout the time she was with me during my homebirth. She helped me change labor positions regularly to help the baby come down (which is easy to forget to do when you're in the thick of it) and helped with comfort techniques. I didn't use any kind of medical pain relief so Jennifer was wonderful in helping with massage, hip squeezes, counter pressure and more. She helped me during the pushing phase by holding one end of a towel while I pulled on the other (she is STRONG!) and fed me food and drink throughout. She is gentle but firm with her support which I really need while in labor. Jennifer helped my partner understand how to best support me and they were able to give each other breaks and work as a team. Before labor, she provided resources for everything I felt unsure of and helped my partner and I prepare for our birth and postpartum period. I cannot recommend Jennifer enough! She would make a valuable edition to any birth team; hire her to help have the birth experience you are envisioning.

-Sophia M
March 12, 2021

Jennifer's postpartum visits felt like such a sigh of relief, and a big hug. she reminded my partner and me that we had just gone through a huge transition and that doing our best was going to look different every day (and that's okay). She made absolutely no judgments of our choices or behaviors -- she was just there to support us with what we needed-- which was so important at such a vulnerable time. plus the teas she brought were delicious! Jenn has such a calm and grounding energy. Her presence was so helpful to us and i recommend her to all new parents!

-Clare
January 12, 2021

Jennifer was my doula during Covid-19. I had interviewed several doulas and Jennifer stood out. She was fast to respond, she was committed to helping me unconditionally, and she has a large network to lean on for various questions and just random things (for example, I got a beautiful free pregnancy photo shoot). Jennifer was there for me through the hardest part of my labor, she came to the hospital during Covid, she stayed overnight with me and helped me with everything. Jennifer helped with positions, exercises, grabbing food, helping me think things through at 4am, taking pictures, and stayed with my mom when I was having an emergency c section due to a failed induction (that lasted approximately 90 hours). Jennifer brought her best foot forward and always provided me with evidence based support. If I have another baby, I want Jennifer to be my doula. I fully support her and give my sincerest recommendations to another mom.

-Sujy Escobar
January 08, 2021