Jenessa Persons - Pregnancy & Birth Doula

08/17/2024

Most people have a fundamental misunderstanding of what abortion is or includes.
I am thinking of putting together a class that will hopefully help open a lot of eyes and minds to what is an extremely hard and personal choice, and sometimes not even a choice at all.
Let me know if you have any questions!

11/17/2023

❤️❤️

08/08/2023

Highly recommended for Duluth area parents!

♥️NEW PARENT GROUP♥️
We are so excited for this new offering for our community ~ starting August 17th every other Thursday @ The Gold Room in the downtown Public Library!
Come and meet other new parents in the area, build community, learn from each other, make new friends for you and your littles!
Being a new parent can be very isolating, having support of community and getting out of the house can be so good for the soul!
No need to register, just show up, bring a friend, and enjoy space with other parents in the same stage of life as you!
When: Starting August 17th every other Thursday 10:30 - 11:30am
Where: The Gold Room @ the downtown Public Library

07/21/2023

Coming up on August 5th for anyone interested!

06/27/2023

Your body is working so hard, you deserve all the treats. 💕

Cranky pregnant moms, prepare for vindication. Researchers studying the limits of human endurance have determined that the physical intensity of pregnancy is basically like running a 40-week marath…

03/06/2023

Love this!

“I Won’t Hold Your Baby

…unless you ask me to, in which case, I will snuggle and cuddle your baby as much as you want me to.

I never ask my clients if I can hold their baby. In fact, I rarely ever touch my client’s baby if I can help it. Sounds sort of like the opposite of what you might picture of a doula, right? We must all be birth crazy, baby obsessed women who just want to cover babies in kisses and love and get an emotional high from attending births?

Not this doula.

I LOVE attending births. Call me crazy, but getting those middle of the night calls is one of my favorite parts of this job. I get to listen to someone at their most vulnerable times - the excitement, the hesitation, the nervousness of the unknown. Being able to provide some comfort, reassurance and continuity of care to the people I work with is so important to me (and them!)

Rushing off in the night, quietly getting myself ready, getting in the car and heading off to their home or hospital makes me feel like I’m on a secret birth mission that nobody around me knows about. When I arrive I fall as seamlessly as I can into the rhythm of the birth and start supporting my clients in whatever way they need most.

When the baby arrives I step aside and leave room for the new parents to discover their baby. I try and grab some photos (I’m not a birth photographer though, so keep your expectations in check!) and then I only step in if my client needs me for some reason.

Why does that matter? Why won’t I ask to hold your baby? Simply because: they are yours, not mine. I want you to be able to hold your baby as close as you want, for as long as you want without anyone interrupting that time. There will be enough people coming along in the next few hours and weeks who need to take that baby out of your arms for whatever reason, and tons of friends and family who will offer help by “holding the baby”.

Instead, I want to hold you, whether that’s in my arms, in my heart or my thoughts. By supporting and “holding” you, I don’t need to hold your baby. But if you ask me to, I would LOVE to.”

Written by

01/13/2023

❤️ love this!

DOULAS ARE NOT STRANGERS💕

Birth is arguably the most intimate experience a person can go through. There’s all the body parts, the puking, the yelling, the crying, the vulnerability and sweet tender moments.

Because of this, some people might think that bringing a doula on would feel like having a stranger in the room witnessing all that raw intensity.

But here’s the thing. There will be many strangers in the room, nurses and maybe doctors you literally just met. Doulas are experts at becoming fast friends and helping you feel calm and comfortable through your entire birth (& we’ve seeennn itttt alllll so just be yourself!).

Your doula will blend into your environment and your needs so seamlessly, you will feel like they are one of your best friends by the time your baby is born. That’s how we feel about our clients, at least!

We are there to support you and your partner not only through labor but for weeks before and after the big day(s!).

I promise, your doula will not feel like a stranger. ❤️

We’d love to hear how your relationship with your doula unfolded through your time with them! Leave a comment below ☺️

12/28/2022

Walking is widely recommended for early postpartum recovery.

Here are some pros and cons to consider when deciding if adding walks into your recovery makes sense for you.

Some pros:
- improves blood flow to joints and muscles
- reduce joint and muscle pain
- boost mood
- engage with environment, family, friends, neighbors
- Practice with baby wearing, stroller/car seat use

Some cons:
- Can increase pelvic floor symptoms depending on current status of pelvic floor recovery
- Increase bleeding or presence of lochia
- increase pain at C-section site

There is NO specific “safe or unsafe” exercise protocol for postpartum recovery, including walking. I prefer to view decision making in this season the same way I do during pregnancy, individualized risk analysis. How you need to and choose to move your body will differ greatly from others and that is good!

For those who have experienced a C birth, forceps assisted birth, super fast or prolonged pushing stage of labor, tearing, or current pelvic floor symptoms……
Walking might not be comfortable.

That doesn’t mean moving your body is unsafe.

It just means you may need to find a different approach, gradual exposure, or added support to participate in walks,

There are also other options for moving your body if walks aren’t working!

Partnering with a pelvic floor PT or perinatal fitness specialist who understand the needs of your body and are able to guide you in this season is key.

08/25/2022

‘I've been rocking and cuddling my baby to sleep since that day he was born. I mentioned this to a nurse at my clinic recently. She said that she did the same thing with her son, and everyone warned her that she would still have a teenager sleeping in her bed. And then she told me that, a few weeks ago, her teenage son came home from school very upset. He didn't want to talk, and just went to his room and listened to his music, typed on his phone and cried. The mother gave her son space, and night time came and she went to bed. Just as she was about to turn off her side light, the door opened, and her 15 year old padded into the room. He climbed into the bed with her, laid his head on her shoulder and cried. He told her all about the girl that broke his heart, all about the friends who laughed, all about the stresses of being him. She told him about her first broken heart, about friends who'd been cruel, and told him she understands. They talked in the dark for hours, until he feel asleep in her bed. Still sad but relieved after their talk.
'So you see' she said to me, when she finished the story. 'I was so scared that I wound wind up with a teenager who would 'need me' at night, that I never stopped to consider how beautiful that would really be.' 🌟
One of my favourite stories ever. Had to .
Words by the beautiful
Photo

07/22/2022

If you are giving birth soon, I have some spots still available! And if you're not, tell your friends or family that are!
Listed below is what I have available over the next few months.

Message me here or send an email to personsdoula@gmail.com to get added to my list. We can discuss my services and rates and how they line up with the support you need.