Minneapolis + St. Paul, MN
763-363-2511
without Judgment or Overwhelm.
Social and reproductive justice are important to you. You want a doula who will advocate for your right to pursue the full spectrum of options related to your body, your birth, and your baby.
Whether or not you intend to use pain medication, you want to use tools like movement, breath, and relaxation to stay calm and present.
You're a planner who wishes you had time to take all the classes and read all the books, but you're doing your best to release expectation and go with the flow.
You want a doula who is mental health and trauma-informed after experiencing fertility challenges, loss, past birth trauma, anxiety, or depression.
You're just a big-feels type of person and want some additional emotional support as you navigate big decisions and big change...
My greatest desire is to support clients through life's biggest moments -- the most beautiful and the most challenging (hint: in pregnancy, birth, and postpartum they are often one and the same!)
I have a long history of supporting women and families on both personal and political levels, but I began my professional journey into the field of birthwork in 2018 where I found a home specializing in supporting clients who desire high-touch relational support. Since then, I have attended nearly 100 births with countless different locations, preferences, and outcomes.
Although it’s only one day in the long journey of parenthood, birth stories stick with us for life because they expose everything about what it means to be human. Vulnerability. Strength. Fear. Joy. Courage. Connection. Love…
Birth is a miracle every single time, no matter how it happens. And birth is hard every single time, no matter how it happens. You deserve to be held and supported fully, so that you can look back on your unique birth story with power, love, and awe; with a strengthened belief in yourself and a deeper reverence for your body, heart, and mind.
That is why supporting your decisions unconditionally is the foundational belief upon which MSP Doulas was built. We are humbled and honored to be able to do this work alongside you, and we hope to have the opportunity to talk more with you soon.
My greatest desire is to support clients through life's biggest moments -- the most beautiful and the most challenging (hint: in pregnancy, birth, and postpartum they are often one and the same!)
I have a long history of supporting women and families on both personal and political levels, but I began my professional journey into the field of birthwork in 2018 where I found a home specializing in supporting clients who desire high-touch relational support. Since then, I have attended nearly 100 births with countless different locations, preferences, and outcomes.
Although it’s only one day in the long journey of parenthood, birth stories stick with us for life because they expose everything about what it means to be human. Vulnerability. Strength. Fear. Joy. Courage. Connection. Love…
Birth is a miracle every single time, no matter how it happens. And birth is hard every single time, no matter how it happens. You deserve to be held and supported fully, so that you can look back on your unique birth story with power, love, and awe; with a strengthened belief in yourself and a deeper reverence for your body, heart, and mind.
That is why supporting your decisions unconditionally is the foundational belief upon which MSP Doulas was built. We are humbled and honored to be able to do this work alongside you, and we hope to have the opportunity to talk more with you soon.
https://evidencebasedbirth.com/the-evidence-for-doulas/
MSP Doulas offers two different packages to meet diverse family needs. The comprehensive package is a great fit for families who are looking for birth doula services alone, while the comprehensive package also includes private, in-home perinatal education.
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*learn more about private, in-home perinatal education
MSP Doulas offers two different packages to meet diverse family needs. The comprehensive package is a great fit for families who are looking for birth doula services alone, while the premium package also includes private, in-home perinatal education.
*learn more about private, in-home perinatal education
In Prenatal One, meet with Jillian and to explore your full spectrum of options and pinpoint your priorities. We'll talk about embodied consent, your communication style, and shared decision making with your medical team.
In Prenatal Two, you will have the chance to practice hands-on comfort measures for medicated or unmedicated birth and learn some basic exercises to prepare your body for more comfort and ease.
In Prenatal Three, you will identify your expectations for the transition home and draft a strengths-based postpartum plan. Explore topics like your support system, physical postpartum healing, postpartum mental health for the whole family, and infant feeding.
Your Birth Story Debrief is a 30-45 minute follow-up visit with the doula who attended your birth. You'll have the opportunity to process significant events from your birth-day. We'll also make any necessary referrals and celebrate your strength, resilience, and courage!
In Prenatal One, we explore your full spectrum of options and pinpoint your priorities. We'll talk about embodied consent, your communication style, and shared decision making with your medical team.
In Prenatal Two, you will have the chance to practice hands-on comfort measures for medicated or unmedicated birth and learn basic exercise to prepare your body for more comfort and ease.
In Prenatal Three, you will identify your expectations for the transition home and draft a strengths-based "postpartum plan," Explore topics like your support system, physical postpartum healing, mental health, and infant feeding.
Your Birth Story Debrief is a 30-45 minute follow-up visit with the doula who attended your birth. You'll have the opportunity to review the timeline of significant events from your birth day. We'll also make any necessary referrals and celebrate your strength, resilience, and courage!
Doulas and midwives make a great team, and most midwives will shout from the rooftops that every patient should have a doula! A midwife is your medical care provider. Their primary job is to focus on the clinical aspects of your and your baby's care. In a hospital setting, midwives often take care of many patients simultaneously and are not able to provide continuous support. While your nurse may be more present than a doctor or midwife, studies show that a nurse will spend about 35% of labor in your room and 25% of the time charting. That leaves about 10% of their time to be split between clinical tasks and supporting you emotionally, physically, or informationally.
Your doula will be there with you continuously. They will join you at home, help you develop coping rituals, and provide informational, emotional, and physical support throughout the entirety of your labor.
We firmly believe that, as doulas, we enhance, rather than replace, the role of your partner during labor, and we are here to support both of you with education and emotional support throughout the entire perinatal period. We do this by explaining what to expect, providing reassurance around what is and isn’t normal, and listening if they need to debrief.
Typically, we see that partners want to be involved in physical support during labor, but they aren’t always sure what to do or how to do it. We’re able to make suggestions and demonstrate in real-time so that they feel confident in their ability to support you through labor and birth.
We highly encourage clients to take a comprehensive birth education class, infant feeding/breastfeeding class, and newborn care class. Our prenatal curriculum is focused on the ways you can integrate, personalize, and apply that information to your life, rather than covering the basics. If you've had a baby before or have done extensive research on your own, it may not be necessary, but in general, we do recommend formal classes.
We firmly believe that, as doulas, we enhance, rather than replace, the role of your partner during labor, and we are here to support both of you with education and emotional support throughout the entire perinatal period. We do this by explaining what to expect, providing reassurance around what is and isn’t normal, and listening if they need to debrief.
Typically, we see that partners want to be involved in physical support during labor, but they aren’t always sure what to do or how to do it. We’re able to make suggestions and demonstrate in real-time so that they feel confident in their ability to support you through labor and birth.
Doulas and midwives make a great team, and most midwives will shout from the rooftops that every patient should have a doula! A midwife is your medical care provider. Their primary job is to focus on the clinical aspects of your and your baby's health, In a hospital setting, midwives often take care of many patients simultaneously and are not able to provide continuous support. While your nurse may be more present than a doctor or midwife, studies show that a nurse will spend about 35% of labor in your room and 25% of the time charting. That leaves about 10% of their time to be split between clinical tasks and supporting you emotionally, physically, or informationally.
Your doula will be there with you continuously. They will join you at home, help you develop coping rituals, and provide informational, emotional, and physical support throughout the entirety of your labor.
Believe it or not, many of our clients who end up having a cesarean birth are the MOST effusive in their feedback. Whether planned, unplanned, or emergency, cesarean births require your medical team to focus that much more on their medical tasks (which is, of course, what we want them to do!) Having a doula present, whose job is to provide emotional reassurance and step-by-step information on what to expect is invaluable.
C-sections also tend to be very routine for OBGYNs and nurses, and so having a doula there to help you advocate for family-focused options makes a big impact in your perception and satisfaction.
Finally, doulas in the O/R and recovery rooms can help encourage breastfeeding, if it's a priority for you. For a variety of reasons, breastfeeding can be more difficult after a cesarean (although not impossible!), but there are key things we can do in those first critical hours after birth to start things off on the right foot.
Believe it or not, many of our clients who end up having a cesarean birth are the MOST effusive in their feedback. Whether planned, unplanned, or emergency, cesarean births require your medical team to focus that much more on their medical tasks (which is, of course, what we want them to do!) Having a doula present, whose job is to provide emotional reassurance and step-by-step information on what to expect is invaluable.
C-sections also tend to be very routine for OBGYNs and nurses, and so having a doula there to help you advocate for family-focused options makes a big impact in your perception and satisfaction.
Finally, doulas in the O/R and recovery rooms can help encourage breastfeeding, if it's a priority for you. For a variety of reasons, breastfeeding can be more difficult after a cesarean (although not impossible!), but there are key things we can do in those first critical hours after birth to start things off on the right foot.
If you have state sponsored insurance/Medicaid we take clients through Everyday Miracles, a nonprofit organization that works to improve birth outcomes and reduce health disparities by providing evidence- based education, compassionate and culturally aware support and a non-judgmental, caring community.
We also can accept HSA/FSA flex spending or provide you with a receipt to pursue reimbursement from your private health insurance.
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