"Becoming pregnant was an exciting time, yet near the end of the nine months I became nervous! I was terrified of labor and had no idea what to expect. I spoke to my husband about the idea of consulting a doula, however, he wasn't too keen on the idea due to him thinking they would take over his role. After praying, I came into contact with Jen. From the very first conversation that took place, I felt assured that I had made the right decision-I just needed to convince my husband! After my husband insisted on speaking to Jen himself, they met and he soon agreed that it would be a great decision having her as our doula. Jen made him feel comfortable and assured him that he would still be a big part of the childbirth process. She also made sure we could still make our own decisions in the childbirth process with epidural, birth plan, etc.
After meeting Jen a few times, we were very glad that we found her. She displayed confidence, professionalism and was very nurturing. Throughout the birthing process, Jen was available as soon as we contacted her, and was by our side throughout the ENTIRE process. She helped implement breathing exercises and used various massage techniques. She also provided much needed emotional support as well as assistance with our family. She was a coach throughout our entire 36 hour process! Without Jen, there is NO way I would have remained as calm as I did throughout the entire process. There is no doubt in our mind that we did make a great decision to use her as our doula. She has become a big part of our family, especially in our little girls life!
After giving birth, I became overwhelmed and was completely sleep deprived. As well, no amount of childcare experience had prepared me for looking after a newborn in the first few months. When my husband returned to work (the week after our baby was born) I called Jen and she provided much needed assistance! She ended up coming over to our house numerous times and assisted with running errands, provided breastfeeding assistance and advice, taught various techniques for handling a newborn, and gave much needed counseling on how to manage with the changes occurring. Jen also provided emotional support and was on-call always. There was not a time that she did not come through for us. Her daily check-ins gave me reassurance that someone was there to support us! With all of our family living out of the state/country, Jen has been a miracle worker in our lives both pre and post pregnancy." Michelle F.
"While I was in the hospital, I had questions that were not being addressed by a Lactation Consultant. I ended up calling Jennifer from my hospital room. She calmed me down, which was all I needed at this point. Actually, a lot of what Jennifer did for me was calm me down. I had had two easy kids who slept great, ate great and were very happy. That might make you think that I didn't need Jennifer, or ask why the biggest thing she did was calm me down. Well, I had read every book and knew what to expect, but my son was not following the normal, textbook things I had read in the breastfeeding books. He ate for less than ten minutes on one side at a time. He went four or five hours in between breast feedings and slept six hours at night from two weeks on. I knew I was doing something wrong!! Jennifer helped me assess the situation to make sure my son was getting enough and we talked about weight gain, number of wet diapers/stools and she assured me he was getting enough. She continued to remind me that not all babies follow the text books and the scenarios they talk about. My son was in the 97% for height and weight. I know it sounds silly but just being able to talk to Jennifer made me sane. There were nights that I would not have slept had I not talked to Jennifer. I continued to rely on Jennifer throughout my whole breastfeeding experience. I have shared Jennifer's name and information with everyone I know that has had kids, and will continue to in the future. I am willing to talk to anyone with questions on the work Jennifer has done for me." Christin S.
"When my son was a newborn, he had problems latching and I had to use a nipple shield in order to nurse him. I was very discouraged and stressed out. Jennifer came over to my house and sat with me for at least an hour helping me with different positions. Even though I still had to use the nipple shield for a couple of months, she told me that the important thing was that he was nursing and he was still getting my milk. Jen was very encouraging and supportive throughout having to use the shield while breastfeeding. It was a huge comfort knowing I had her to turn to with questions and for support." Jessica G.
"Being an immigrant and coming from a different culture and having my first baby in the U.S., we think in a different way. It was hard to make the link or bridge or right person to connect our thoughts and culture with the U.S. and the new way of life. I cannot speak English very well but the language of motherhood is everywhere. Jennifer was and is an angel for me who God sent to help me. She helped me very much and provided me with very important information and knowledge. She is very smart, educated and professional in what she is doing. She is kind and most importantly a servant and Angel of God. May God bless her and use her to help you and your blessed baby!" Zinah A.
"Being a father for the first time and to translate for my wife was an interesting experience. I thought it was a hard and difficult situation but God sent Jennifer to us and made everything easy. Jennifer is a professional, well-educated, kind, patient, punctual and knowledgeable. She talked very slowly using simple words that made it easy for me to translate to my wife and made things easy for me to understand. She was and still is in touch with us and available when we need her." Hameed A.
"A week after my son was born, I started having intense pain while nursing so I contacted Jen. Within an hour, she was at my house ready to help. She spent time with my husband and I giving us tips on positioning, latch and pain management. Over the following weeks, she consistently checked in with us and was always available for questions. I specifically remember a long phone call with her on a Friday evening over Labor Day weekend. She is passionate about helping new moms and is available at any time. I'm thankful I had her support because she helped me get to a place where breastfeeding is an enjoyable bonding time with my son." Megan A.
"Jen was such an great asset to my wife and I after having our son. Having her over was a breath of fresh air when we were going through difficult times that come with nursing a newborn. We used many of her suggestions and saw huge improvements. She was knowledgeable, patient and available in a crazy time of our lives. We will definitely call her in the future when we need help." Brad A.
"Jennifer provided me with invaluable support and advice during the postpartum time with my first born. She reached out to me within a day of his birth, offering breast feeding support on successful latching. In the days to come she was immediately available, having countless conversations regarding breastfeeding, specifically nipple shields, pumping, and improving baby's latch. She responded quickly with further questions, advice, and encouragement to all my concerns as a brand new mom. She even responded multiple times during a vacation-above and beyond what was necessary! Jennifer always followed up to check in on us on everything we discussed. She gave reassurance regarding, the all stressful, newborn weight loss/gaining back to birth weight challenge, and provided me the advice and support I needed to maintain our commitment to breast feeding in spite of latch issues and poor weight gain. She came over to help work on his latch and offer her support in person; discussing his birth and listening to all I had to say with such kindness. When the hospital lactation consultant failed me; she was there with the answer for the proper pump equipment I needed to be successful and pain free when pumping. I guess it is as simple as, Jennifer was there for me and my baby, in every way. It made all the difference during this special time in my life. I will never forget all she gave to me, most important the ability to breastfeed my child, as my husband and and I wanted to do. My husband and I are so grateful to have had her as a part of our lives. during those important first weeks. Nicole B.
The first few days of my first born babies' life was beautiful but hectic. We were having trouble with nursing and this was very stressful on my daughter, husband and I. My daughter was losing weight, and this of course worried us and our midwifes. Jennifer came highly recommended from a friend of a friend and she was nothing less than an angel sent from heaven. She was sweet, gentle and encouraging and would not give up on us. She helped me get through painful engorgement and of course, helped get our little one nursing like a pro. I have not used her as a Doula but I'm sure she is just as wonderful as she is a lactation specialist! Shannon A.
When I first met Jen I knew she was who I wanted to attend my birth and help me envision my birth experience. I was late in signing Jen up, but she gave me the courage to make the changes I needed to ensure I was able to birth in the way I saw best for myself and my family. The suggestions she made for managing the rest of my pregnancy are how I came out the other side of an induction (which lasted 39 hours) pain medication free and having the birth experience I wanted. I was given a diagnosis of obstetric cholestasis at 32 weeks and lost my dream of birthing in the Karmanos birth center, however with Jen's help I was able to stay true to what was important to me and gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. Not only did Jen stay with me for 24 hours as I travelled along the induction path, but she again came to my aid to address some early breastfeeding latch issues. I can only speak to Jen as a doula, however she is the most supportive, amazing and wonderful person you could hope to have to help you realise your birth and postpartum dreams. Louise O.
My wife and I reached out to Jen for CLC services and our experience was nothing short of amazing. Jen was such an important part of our lives during those first few days after bringing our son home. We were struggling to get our son to latch correctly and feed efficiently, and she came to the rescue. Despite snowy conditions, she received our call and came to our home hours later. She stayed for over two hours and made us feel so comfortable. She worked with us until we felt successful with breastfeeding. She was so kind and helpful to us, especially because we were nervous, anxious new parents. After Jen had left our home that day, she remained in contact with us, texting almost every day to ask us about our son’s progress. She came out one more time to help us and even stayed a little longer just to chat with us in our family room. Jen was so comforting, and she made us feel like we were talking to a friend. When we texted her later that week with new issues we had, she immediately responded with helpful feedback for us. She always made herself available, even on Sunday afternoons. Jen is a wonderful person who provides one-of-a-kind care and service. She’s truly the best! I hope to use her help when we have our second child. Brett O.
I love Jen! I have kind of a different story :) My postpartum period was more difficult than I could have imagined. After an emergency c-section due to pre-eclampsia, I suffered significant postpartum hypertension and was readmitted to the hospital. I also ended up with a Kidney infection. All of this chaos also contributed to significant postpartum depression. During this time I was working with Jen to assist in breast feeding. This was especially hard since my baby had spent time in the NICU and had been bottle fed at times during his stay there. The difference in my story is that Jen helped me to understand that it was OK not to breast feed. I had whole heartedly wanted to do so, but my own health was a significant obstacle. I was very emotional about my decision, but Jen helped me to understand my health was just as important as my baby's. She also encouraged me to attend a post partum health group, which helped me tremendously. Lots of women worry they will be judged or pushed into things when working with certain professionals. You don't have to worry about his with Jen. She obviously believes that breast feeding is the best for our babies, as we all do. However, she truly values the health of BOTH baby and mom :) I'm hoping to breast feed if I am able to have another little one, and would love to work with her again! Danielle L.
Three days after coming home from the hospital, my nipples were cracked, bleeding and scabbed. There were actually little pieces of tissues visibly missing. I cried every time I fed my baby – both from the physical pain and the emotional pressure of thinking I couldn't keep going with breastfeeding. Jen came to our house and spent a solid hour with us diagnosing the issues and giving me the tools to fix them. She also took the time to check in over the next few weeks and continued to provide help. She is the #1 reason I was able to continue breastfeeding. The consult is worth every penny and much, much more!! Mara B.
Jen was always there for us from the minute I announced my pregnancy, to the day my first daughter was born. Having her with me through the pregnancy and birth of my daughter was the best gift that my husband and I could have asked for. She calmed my many fears over the upcoming birth, and got me through the sleepless nights. She actually made it to the hospital after my water broke, before I did! My first birth was fast and furious, and she didnt care that I chose to get an epidural. She was there as a friend and as a professional. She kept my family and I calm through the whole thing. After my daughter was born, she did many lactation consults as well, and answered many of my post partum questions. I could never go through the process without her, now that I know what its like having her with us. Rachel D. (baby #1)
Jen was there for the birth of my first daughter, and when I found out I was pregnant again, it was a no-brainer. We knew we would ask her to be by our side again. This time around we found out she was breech at about 32 weeks along. Jen gave me many maneuvers to try to get her to flip. She was a great resource. I even tried the External Version suggested by my OB. Jen attended and helped me get through the pain of trying to turn the baby. She coached me and comforted me. My OB even gave her a compliment afterwards on her techniques. Although she didnt flip, and I ended with a C-section, Jen was there the whole time still, and met me in post-op to help me with breast-feeding. I couldnt even sit up yet, and she was by my side helping me get our new baby to latch. She answered my many questions about breastfeeding, and met us at the hospital a few times to help get my confidence up while feeding my little one. I recommend her to anyone going through pregnancy or having any issues with breastfeeding. Rachel D. (baby #2)
As a husband, I feel like one of my main jobs is to be able to fix things when they go wrong. It was extremely hard for me to watch my wife struggle so much with breastfeeding our baby girl, and there was nothing I could do to fix it. All I could do was offer my support, but that still didn't make breastfeeding an easier or more enjoyable journey for my wife. The turning point for my wife was when we contacted Jennifer. She listened to my wife and helped her in ways that I could not. She was friendly, supportive, and incredibly knowledgeable. From that visit forward, breastfeeding has been a wonderful experience for my wife and our daughter.
John H.
Jennifer literally came to my rescue when my daughter was 6 weeks old! Although I went to a nursing class pre-labor and read anything and everything about breastfeeding, I struggled greatly with it after the birth of my daughter. I thought it was normal, and the reasons for my difficulties were because of me. I met with one lactation consultant while I was in the hospital, and she was helpful in that moment, but not long-term. My daughter's pediatrician recommended that I contact Jennifer. She was able to come to my house the next day to visit with my daughter and I and figure out what our issues with breastfeeding were. I immediately connected with her since she was so warm and bubbly. She made me feel secure, and told me that her services would not stop until I was completely comfortable breastfeeding my baby on my own. About 1.5 hours later, I was very comfortable breastfeeding as Jennifer was able to detect and fix the complication. Jennifer has also been there for me since then with breastfeeding related questions that I have had. She absolutely changed my perspective and experience of breastfeeding for the better! Jamie H.
Jen was an immense help in my quest to breastfeed twins. I am a first time mom and did not research into breastfeeding much while pregnant and said that "I was going to try." After I had my babies via c section, I attempted breastfeeding. On day 2, after the babies were given formula along with breastfeeds due to losing weight, I noticed the babies being fussy, gassy, and having a lot of spit up. Innately I then knew that I was determined to breastfeed. I reached out to Jen and she came over on the day after I returned home from the hospital. Since my husband was going to be returning to work in a few weeks, I desperately wanted to learn to feed tandem. My babies were born at 38 weeks and were on the smaller side weighing 5.12 and 5.15. Luckily there weren't issues with tongue tie but I still had challenges latching them especially for feeding simultaneously. Jen had great information on the benefits of breastfeeding. She was also very sanitary, which for me is priority. She wore gloves while latching the babies on to my breasts. She had great visual aids to envision how to correctly latch the babies and she told me to just keep working at it. She also changed and swaddled my twins while she was over and had them napping by the time she left. When my husband returned to work, I managed to tandem feed alone. Jen also talked me through later issues I had with acid reflux for my boy twin and suggestions in positioning, expressing prior to feeding, fast letdown, etc. I can proudly say I am still breastfeeding them at 18 months! Jen is very professional, informative, and played a huge role in my success in breastfeeding twins. I would recommend her to anyone having the same desire! Kim A.
"We hired Jen as a birth doula for the birth of our first child and even though my labor was only 4 hours long, only one hour of which was in the hospital, I'm so glad we did. We hired her when I was just 14 weeks pregnant and she was available for questions throughout my pregnancy. Jen was super flexible- I went into labor at 33 weeks, but luckily the baby stayed in! However, Jen adjusted our timeline so that we could all be prepared just in case the baby still decided to come early. Just meeting with her to discuss our birth plan put my husband and I at ease. We had done a lot of research and knew what we wanted, but we valued Jen's opinion and felt that she did not try to sway us one way or another and respected our decisions. Even before my delivery we felt that she was such a calming presence.
I ended up going into labor in the middle of the night at 36 weeks. My husband, being a little slow to grasp the situation, was on the phone with Jen and she talked him through everything and helped him evaluate where I was in my labor. Turns out we needed to go to the hospital pronto! Jen got there shortly after us and was so helpful. The delivery room was so chaotic. My labor was rapid and I was fully dilated when I got to the hospital and was ready to start pushing. But my doctor was not there yet. The nurses were telling me not to push (couldn't really help it!!) and the house doctor was a bully and pushing back on everything my husband was telling him. Despite the chaos, Jen stood by my bed and was such a calming presence. She gave me tips on how NOT to push, as the nurses were telling me to do, if that was what I wanted to do. She provided advice and much needed support to my husband on dealing with a very difficult doctor. In the end, Jen was only there about 30 minutes before our son was born but we are so glad she was there. Because of everything that was going on, we would have been lost on our own. Instead, Jen's knowledgeable guidance and support made the all the "bad" parts specific to our circumstances in the hospital just something we laugh at. I have great memories and no regrets for my labor and delivery. Without Jen, I would remember the birth of my son as chaotic, combative, and who knows what else.
After the delivery, Jen stayed to help ensure that the first feeding went well and has been available ever since to answer questions about breastfeeding and sleep. We are so thankful for Jen's calming spirit, support, and wisdom before, during, and after the birth of our son." Nicole B.
My daughter, Olivia, was born with every mother's worst nightmare...colic. This was my first baby, and I was completely blindsided by the toll a screaming baby and lack of sleep can take on your mind and body. I was crying and hopeless- I had no idea what I could do to make her happy (or stop screaming, at the very least). A friend of a friend suggested that I call Jen for help, and I couldn't be more relieved that I did. She came to my house and I immediately felt like she knew what she was doing, and would help us form a solid, step-by-step game plan to get through this. Not only was she absolutely full of wisdom and advice, she was also a very warm person and made it feel like a member of my family had come over to help me. She went over everything with well-practiced hands (lactation and latching, ways to hold and jiggle her, how to keep a pacifier in, different methods of swaddling, products she recommended to make our lives easier, etc). After her visit, she followed up daily for a few weeks to offer more advice, support, and to see how we were doing with her suggestions. It was a huge relief feeling like a had a team member- a partner to help me navigate the lonely, depressing, hopeless world of a colic baby momma.
A few months later, when things got better and settled down, i was starting to sleep train Olivia (colic had postponed sleep training longer than I had wanted to). I texted Jen and she was still so quick to get back to me!! She sent me expert advice on sleep training and emotional support that helped push me to keep going and not to give up. Her words were so comforting and inspiring (even via text) that I copied and pasted them to a friend of mine who was also struggling to sleep train her little one! I cannot recommend Jen enough. If you are struggling with motherhood in any way and if you value your marriage, your rest, and your quality of life, it's a no brainer. Please do yourself a favor, and call Jen Lewandowski. Kate P.
Jennifer came to our house the day we brought our baby girl home from the hospital. As first time parents, my husband and I needed some guidance about everyday care. Jennifer gave us the tools we needed- how to bathe our baby, how to file her nails, how to use and clean a breast pump, etc. She also gave us sleeping tips and eventually became a lactation consultant for me when I needed help. Jennifer was an ongoing resource for us long after our appointments- she readily answered texts all hours of the day. We are so grateful for her help! Lauren L.
I am currently a labor and delivery nurse (soon to be a practicing Certified Nurse Midwife) at Royal Oak Beaumont who has had the pleasure of working along side Jen multiple times. She provides amazing support, encouragement, guidance, and education to woman and their significant others. She provides the perfect adjunct to our care as health care providers. She is wonderful at being there for you when the nurse or physcian can't be. She is there for you prentatally, during your labor, and after delivery. She is as hands on or hands off as you need her to be. The Royal Oak nurses, residents, midwives, and phycians all rave about her. I am always thrilled to hear my patient has Jen at their side and will continue to recommend her to my future patients. Kelly L.
Before having my son I had read all of the books, taken all of the baby classes. I knew babies cried I just wasn't prepared for the kind of crying that I'd be faced with! My son was colicky..very colicky, and I was in sheer panic mode. I wanted to try and breastfeed so I called out Jen. She spent several hours with me. In the end I only was able to breastfeed for about a month but in that month I had become quite depressed about being a new mom, dealing with the constant crying etc. I called Jen back out to help with postpartum services to just give me a little break and a helping hand. I also knew she might have some good tips for me and my husband on getting through the colicky days. It was the best money we spent in those first few months. Jen came out and gave us so many great suggestions on bedtime, naptime, swaddling, feeding, and just gave us hope that eventually the crying would stop and there was a light at the end of the tunnel. Fast forward a year and I have the happiest toddler ever. The only issue is because of the colic we developed several bad sleep habits with him. I emailed Jen and she helped me through a step by step plan to get him sleeping better on his own. Jen definitely didn't have to help me with my toddler "issues" I know she works more with newborns but she graciously took the time to and I really appreciate it. I am also happy to say that my son is sleeping 11 hours straight through the night now! I can't recommend Jen enough! Allison M.
We had the pleasure of unexpectedly meeting Jen two years ago when my son was born. She came to our house that night (and the next night) after several unsuccessful meetings with the hospital lactation consultants. Jen is so skilled and confident that she automatically made me feel more comfortable with working on breastfeeding with my son. Sure enough, after two visits and working on a few alternative plans, I was exclusively breastfeeding. Two years later, my husband and I knew we wanted to use Jen's services again. Not just as a lactation consultant, but more so as a doula as I gave birth to my second child. Her knowledge, education, and calming demeanor immediately put us at ease at our prenatal appointment. Jen listened to all of our fears and concerns, and asked plenty of questions about me and my husband to get to know us in order to prepare her for what WE wanted for the birth of our daughter. Jen provided constant support before labor and checked in with me at least every other day. I felt a huge relief when I arrived to triage and she was already in the waiting room waiting for ME. Although my labor was very fast, Jen's presence and assistance in the delivery room were invaluable. She guided my husband as to how he could best help me through contractions based on what she observed my body doing. She was a wonderful advocate, as well. With Jen's help, my daughter was nursing immediately after birth. She was also available to come to the hospital during my stay to ensure breastfeeding was successful for us. I can't speak highly enough for Jen as a doula, and as a caring person.
David and Sara L.
After making the decision that I was going to nurse my second baby (I exclusively pumped with my first) I found myself at home with raw nipples and a baby that was losing weight and wouldn’t open her mouth to nurse. I reached out to Jen after a glowing recommendation from a former coworker. She came to my house and gave me all of the tools that I would need to be successful. Unfortunately, my daughter wasn’t listening (lol) and ended up opening up my nipple pretty badly. Over the course of about 4 weeks, Jen was there cheering me on, giving me tips and guidance on finding the perfect latch with my baby. She was never too busy to return a text and checked in with me almost daily to offer assistance, support and to cheer me on. Jen is a caring supporter and teacher who goes above and beyond to make sure that you are able to have a beautiful breastfeeding experience, with no pain. I feel blessed to have found her. My baby is now 3 months old and 16lbs! Lana H.
I kept hearing about doulas but didn't really know what they did. I found Jen through a friend and once I met her there was no doubt in my mind I wanted her by my side throughout this journey. Jen was so supportive throughout the entire process and was so knowledgable about everything having to do with before, during and after birth. I anticipated that my klabor and delivery would be tough but I did not anticipate the difficulty I would have breastfeeding my daughter. Jen was amazing pre but especially postnatal for me. I truly believe that if I didn't have Jen by my side I would've given up breastfeeding my daughter after the first week. Jen was so helpful, supportive and made me feel comfortable along the way. She continues to check in on me and truly cares about me and my daughters well being. Jen was the advocate, support, and friend I needed to get me through this journey. I highly highly recommend this beautiful woman inside and out to anyone having a baby!
Alex W.
My daughter and I had a really tough time breastfeeding in the beginning.
By far she was the most helpful out of the 3 lactation consultants we saw. We struggled for 6 weeks with latching until she came to my house and helped us. The best part is she checks in and makes sure things are going well and is available for questions. She changed my whole breastfeeding experience and I may have quit if it wasn't for help! Ashlee C.
We are so happy that we were introduced to Jen during my pregnancy! She is extremely knowledgeable, and as first time parents, it was very reassuring to have her available to help answer any and all questions leading up to delivery. My goal was to have a natural birth, and Jen helped coach my husband and I using relaxation and massage, and I was able to successfully birth the way I had envisioned. Post-partum, she has been such a huge help with my breastfeeding questions. As a new mom, I was constantly worried about my baby's nursing habits and if she was getting enough milk during feedings. Jen was always there to reassure me, and her advice to "follow my baby's lead" really stuck with me and made life a lot easier. I've had a couple issues with clogged ducts and she's been there for me every step of the way, checking in to see how I'm doing. From the start, she's felt more like a close friend, even family, and I would recommend her to any expectant family! Tori R.
Jen was such an answer to our prayers. During pregnancy, Jen was so supportive and always available when I had questions. We did our birth class with Jen and she did a fantastic job - she made it fun and thorough and not overwhelming. During labor, Jen worked so wonderfully with staff and team at Karmanos Birth Center. She was so engaged, present and encouraging during labor. We had a long labor and Jen didn’t miss a beat. My husband was so so grateful to have Jen’s support and guidance during labor! After our little miracle was born, Jen’s lactation consultant experience knowledge was so helpful in getting us off to a good start with breastfeeding. I was so exhausted after birth, so having her walk through it with my husband and I was so huge to ensure we got a good latch from the start. Postpartum, Jen was readily available and helped us to identify that our baby had reflux. Also was super helpful in navigating breastfeeding questions we had after leaving the hospital. I thank God so much for leading us to Jen and highly recommend her!!
From the mother-to-be’s perspective:
My husband and I got the full service package with Jenn in support of the birth of our first child and it was worth every penny and more!
From the initial interview meeting we just clicked! I had a lot of fear about childbirth and Jenn was the first person who helped me find excitement and joy in the process, and gave me constructive advice and techniques for how to manage my anxiety leading up to the big day.
We so enjoyed our in-home childbirth education classes. Jenn was instructive but informal, hands on but respectful, and always found a way to give advice that reminded us that WE were in the driver’s seat. I don’t know that I’ve ever had an experience where someone was so diligent about reminding me that MY feelings matter, and that it is OK to put myself (and my baby) first. We both found a lot of peace through this process, along with the practical knowledge.
When baby boy decided to arrive a month early with no warning, Jenn was there every step of the way- from immediately answering texts late on a Friday night, to rushing to the hospital as soon as we gave the word, Jenn was just there. I remember her as such a source of calm and support during what turned out to be an extremely short but intense labor process. With her encouragement and reminder of my plan, I was able to get to very active labor before an epidural (which was my personal goal/wishes).
I was very emotional after the birth, especially when baby boy had to go to the NICU and we were separated unexpectedly. Jenn was calm, kind, and really affirmed our feelings and helped ease our worries. I still remember her saying it was a beautiful birth and that I did a good job- I guess I really needed to hear somebody say that because it still makes me emotional still 6 months later.
Jenn helped set expectations about what pumping and breastfeeding would be like with a baby in the NICU. She provided so much text/zoom/in person support! With her help- and positivity/encouragement- we were able to establish my supply and get baby EBF so that we could leave the hospital as a family as soon as he was medically released (10 days later).
There have been many challenges in our EBF journey - a stomach flu that hurt my supply, dairy and soy intolerance that led to me having to overhaul my diet, an extreme oversupply which was painful and hard to manage- the list goes on. Jenn was there for guidance and support, and now at 6 months we are still EBF and loving it. It was a hard journey but I’m so glad I’ve stuck with it, and Jenn’s complete lack of judgement was integral to that. I’m even donating much of my stash, and Jenn has provided advice on that as well.
Jenn is an expert in her field, part therapist, and overall amazing person. I’m so grateful to her for all she has done to support us- just above and beyond!
From the father-to-be’s perspective:
As new parents the amount of information out there is overwhelming, especially when there is so much being marketed in the product space. Jenn was a really good check on what is actually needed/what’s practical for preparation. She saved us a ton of time and a lot of worry by being accessible when we had questions- from the birth process to follow-ups on lactation- she really helped us make smart decisions in the face of conflicting information. She also did an amazing job t’ing up expectations for how to be a birth partner, and because of her I was able to participate in a way I wouldn’t have been able to (how to help my wife!). It made me feel like I was part of everything and not an observer- it was very special. She has continued to be a resource and that’s so valuable
Xoxoxo
Anna and Maxim
We were connected with Jen through our OBGYN office. (I actually worked with two OB offices at the beginning of my pregnancy, and when I asked about doulas, both offices suggested Jen by name as their first choice.) We met with her and knew immediately that we wanted her to be part of our journey.
Jen is incredibly knowledgeable, supportive, and comforting. We talked and texted many times throughout my pregnancy - she was always able to provide reassurance and great suggestions whenever needed. She perfectly coached me through a very tough labor and delivery. My husband and I could not be more grateful that she was there for us on the phone and in person throughout that entire weekend. After we got home with our daughter, I had a lot of difficulty with breastfeeding at first - she visited us and provided so much support through those first days and weeks.
We are so thankful that we were able to work with Jen before, during, and after the birth of our daughter. Anyone who is looking for a doula should connect with Jen. She is the best!!!
Erica & Nick Novakoski (first daughter Claire born (2020)
Thank you for everything baby’s feeding as we speak. We wouldn’t have been able to do it natural without you and all your guidance was the best money I have spent. I was very unsure of what your purpose at first but you were 100% the best support I could have asked for! Thank you thank you thank you if anyone ever needs a recommendation I would be happy to tell my story. I’m very glad she convinced me to hire you truly truly truly I couldn’t have done or convinced her without you
Thank you so much
So if you got any dads that are doubters like me send them my number thanks again Jen you are amazing at what you do
And amazing I’m general
I would spend double to have you again
It’s definitely a guy thing we have no idea what it takes and we are stupid for thinking it’s just gonna happen. Well you made my life(world) by bringing my babe into the world naturally. Thank you so much again I can not thank you enough
Tim H. (Happy new father)