Jessica Whitson, ICD
BIRTH AND POSTPARTUM DOULA
Birth Doula Services
I will provide you with physical, emotional, and informational support throughout your pregnancy, birth, and postpartum period. Your birth should be a positive and empowering experience. My goal is to help you feel supported and truly cared for during your pregnancy and birth.
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Postpartum Doula Services
I will support you and your family through this transformational time. I will provide tangible and emotional support as you get to know your baby, recover from birth, and adjust to this new chapter of life. My services look different for each family I assist and are tailored to fit your unique and specific needs.
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Post Adoption
Adoption is a beautiful way to grow your family. You have planned and prepared for so long while you’ve waited to meet your baby. The first moments at home should be spent bonding with your baby while you adjust to your new chapter of life. I will provide emotional and informational support as you step into your new role as a parent. My services are tailored to fit your unique and specific needs and are flexible, as needs tend to change depending on the day and depending on your family.
Learn More"Birth is not only about making babies. Birth is about making mothers - strong, competent, capable mothers who trust themselves and know their inner strength." - Barbara Katz Rothman.
Birth Doula Services
I will provide you with physical, emotional, and informational support throughout pregnancy, birth, and postpartum period. Your birth should be a positive and empowering experience. My goal is to help you feel supported and truly cared for during your pregnancy and birth.
Prenatal time
We will meet for 2-3 visits during your pregnancy. During these visits, I will get to know you and your family so I understand how to best support you. Everyone has a different vision on what a positive birth experience is for them. We will discuss birth options and your goals, and I can help you put together a birth plan that meets your vision and birth preferences. This time builds trust between us and helps to instill confidence in expectant parents regarding their ability to birth and parent their new little one.
During your labor and birth
During your labor and birth I will provide continual support to you and your partner/birth team. I will make suggestions for position changes and movement, will remind you to stay nourished and hydrated, and will strive to keep the atmosphere calm. If you desire, I will come to your home to guide you when making your decision as to when you should leave for your birth place or when to call your midwife or other medical provider.
When baby arrives
I will stay for the first hour or until you are nice and cozy in bed with your baby. I can help with getting baby latched on for their first feeding if you choose to breastfeed your baby. I will get you set up with snacks or a meal and some juice to re-nourish your body after your labor and birth. I can also take photos of your first moments with your baby, so that you have those precious memories to look back on. After you are settled, I will leave so that you (and your partner) can have some time alone to bond with your baby and as a new family unit.
Within the first week I will visit your family to review your birth story and make sure you are all adjusting well to life with your new baby.
Postpartum Doula Services
As your postpartum doula, I will support your family through this transformational time. My goal is to see more people and families thrive during, not just survive, the postpartum period. As a society, the focus tends to be on pregnancy, birth, and then ends when baby is born. I believe that new parents, and all family members, need more support during the first few months of your baby's life.
I will provide tangible and emotional support as you get to know your baby, recover from birth, and adjust to this new chapter of life. We will talk about what your needs might be ahead of time, while also remaining flexible as needs tend to change often during those first couple months. I look forward to talking with you more about how I can best serve your family through your postpartum experience.
Postpartum doula services may include:
Lactation support
Bottle feeding support
Newborn care support
Light housekeeping such as laundry and dishes
Talking through and processing your birth
Emotional support and encouragement
Facilitate attachment parenting
Meal preparation
Baby care while you rest
Help with postpartum recovery
Bengkung belly binding
Post Adoption
Adoption is a beautiful way to grow your family. You have planned and prepared for so long while you’ve waited to meet your baby. Those first moments home should be spent bonding as a family as you adjust to this new chapter of life.
As your post adoption doula, I will support you in the way that will best serve your family. Every family is different as well as their needs. My services look different for each family I assist and are tailored to fit your unique and specific needs and are flexible, as needs tend to change depending on the day and depending on your family. I look forward to talking with you more about how I can best serve your family through your post adoption experience. Post adoption services may include:
Post adoptive services may include:
Feeding support
Baby care support
Light housekeeping such as laundry and dishes
Emotional support and encouragement
Meal preparation
Baby care while you rest
Birth Packages
Guided Journey to Parenthood - $500
Prenatal and postpartum sessions to help prepare you for a positive birth experience and the first 6 weeks of postpartum. All sessions can be virtual, if desired. Great for someone looking for support and guidance, but does not want in-person birth support. Includes:
1-2 in-home prenatal meetings to teach your partner hands-on comfort techniques and create a birth plan. This can also be helpful in preparing for a planned cesarean.
1 in-home prenatal session focused on preparing for newborn care and postpartum healing.
1 in-home postpartum wellness visit. Included: birth story processing and to check in and see how you’re adjusting.
1 postpartum care package filled with items to assist in your postpartum healing.
Ability to message doula throughout pregnancy and 6 weeks postpartum to get expert answers for your current questions.
Hands-on breastfeeding support at the postpartum visit.
Benkung belly binding for postpartum comfort
Birth Doula Package - $1800
2 In-Person Prenatal Meetings
Personalized care focused on meeting your individual needs and values.
Unlimited Phone/Text/Email support throughout pregnancy and postpartum.
Curated guidance for your partner or support person.
Tips and tricks throughout pregnancy and beyond.
Support creating and writing up a “Birth Plan”.
On-call for you starting at 37 weeks through the birth of your baby.
In-person labor support through 1-2 hours after your baby is born.
Use of tens unit
1 postpartum care package filled with items to assist in your postpartum healing.
Photo documentation of your birth, if desired.
1-2 in person postpartum visits to check in and see hour you're adjusting.
Birth and Postpartum Package - $2200
The Birth Doula Package and 4 postpartum visits at 3 hours each which will be tailored to your families needs. This may include:
Lactation/feeding support
Talking through and processing your birth
Emotional support and encouragement
Help with postpartum recovery
Bengkung belly binding
Newborn care support
Baby care while you rest
Light housekeeping
Plant based meal preparation
Postpartum/Postadoption Doula services
$50 per hour from 7am-7pm
$55 per hour for overnight services from 7pm to 7am
- Lactation support
- Bottle feeding support
- Newborn care support
- Light housekeeping such as laundry and dishes.
- Talking through and processing your birth emotional support and encouragement.
- Facilitate attachment parenting.
- Meal preparation.
- Baby care while you rest.
- help with postpartum recovery.
- Bengkung belly binding.
Meet Jessica
Hello! I'm Jessica Whitson, a certified birth and postpartum doula through ICEA and BAI, I live in Tacoma, Washington and support families throughout the South Puget Sound area. I have supported over 500 families through pregnancy, birth, and postpartum since 2006.
I am passionate about birth and helping families have a positive and beautiful birth and postpartum experience. I bring my calm presence and years of expertise to support you as you start this next chapter of your life. I am vegan and strive to provide nourishing care, products, and food with this mindset, but will always tailor my services to fit your specific needs (dietary or otherwise).
I was first intimately introduced to birth when I was 12 years old and my sister became a mother. I was with her everyday as she experienced pregnancy for the first time and she allowed me to be in the room with her throughout her labor and the birth. It was nothing like the video they showed in health class! There was a magic in the room - my sister was becoming a mother and my nephew was this amazing little human coming into our lives who filled our famly with overwhelming joy. My sister graciously invited me to be with her during the birth of my 2 nieces over the next 4 years. I was asked to cut the umbilical cord of my second niece, my sister’s last baby, and that memory has stayed with me over years.
Being able to have that experience with my nephew, and the subsequent moments with my nieces, sparked my love and passion for the entire birth process and supporting individuals and families during this transformational time. Being present during the pregnancy, labor, birth, and postpartum time of three babies set the course for my life in a direction that I was unaware of at the time, but am truly grateful for.
By the time I was pregnant with my son, I had attended enough births to know where I wanted to give birth and the support team I wanted with me. I didn’t know about doulas yet, but I was surrounded by women in my life who continually supported me throughout my labor and birth. Becoming a mother myself taught me how strong I really was, and motherhood has continued to teach me about love and resilience and how we are given different tools as we need them. It has also taught me how important community and a support system is. I wanted all mothers and parents to have a positive transition into this new phase of life and when my son was 3, I decided to make birth work my life’s work.
I became a certified birth and postpartum doula in 2006 and am still so incredibly thankful for this work. Every birth is unique and I continue to learn and grow as a doula with each birth I attend. While everyone has a different birth experience, one thing rings true throughout each one; your birth experience is important. You will remember your birth for the rest of your life. You will remember who was there, how they made you feel, and how your space felt while you were laboring and giving birth. Most importantly, you will have your beautiful child, the amazing result of your birth. My job is to guide you through this process and help ensure that your experience is positive and what you want it to be.
Let's Connect
No obligation, I would love to connect in person to answer any questions. You have so many options, which you may or may not know about. My heart is to guide you to understand the possibilities, to enable you to make the next right choice along your journey to motherhood and beyond.
