Today we’d like to introduce you to Jessica Fisher-Hattey.
Jessica, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I started working as a birth doula during my undergrad internship at the University of North Texas. I majored in Development and Family Studies and quickly became passionate about all things pregnancy, birth, and parenting. While working as a newborn nanny and birth doula, I had a spinal cord injury following a car accident that required emergency spinal fusion surgery and nearly two months in the hospital. That became a turning point in my life, causing me to find my new normal as a person with a disability. I fought hard to recover from that operation and to survive the life-threatening complications that followed. That physical rehabilitation caused me to have to stop the career I had started and begin teaching high school where I could work with disability accommodations and have less physical demands at work. I was in physical therapy every week and continued to undergo more surgeries and procedures to help my stamina and pain management. During the years that followed, I met and married my husband, Eric. We were told if we wanted a baby, we should try right away, as my spine would only get worse as the years went on. We were so excited to find out we were expecting the baby we had planned, then devastated to lose her to Turner Syndrome in pregnancy. He carried me through her loss and a year later, I gave birth to our second daughter, Judy. My pregnancy with her was physically very difficult, but from a rehabilitation standpoint, I was doing great. She made me realize that I wanted to do everything I could to get back to my career as a doula and to give expecting families the same nonjudgmental, compassionate support I had been given. I wanted to leave a legacy for her and show her that no matter what obstacles come her way, she has everything within her needed to power on and persevere. Attuned Doula Services was born out of a desire to meet new parents where they are, reduce their fears and instill confidence as they navigate pregnancy, birth and the early months of parenting. I grew my solo birth doula business to a thriving agency, with a team of 7 doulas, where we provide our clients with birth doulas, postpartum & infant care doulas, and childbirth education classes.
Has it been a smooth road?
The biggest struggle has been balancing my desire to continue client work myself and grow the business with my physical limitations. During the agency’s first year, I was diagnosed with Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, a connective tissue disorder that causes joint dislocations, vascular conditions, and a cardiac syndrome. This is a genetic condition that explains the extent of my spine degeneration, my previous DVT blood clot, and fainting episodes. Balancing my physical limitations, being on-call 24/7 for our clients and being a wife and mother to a rambunctious 3-year-old are definitely keeping me young!
We’d love to hear more about what you do.
Attuned Doula Services is a full-service doula agency that provides birth doulas, postpartum & infant care doulas, and childbirth education classes. Our birth doulas work in teams of two to provide our pregnant clients with emotional guidance, education and unlimited phone support during their pregnancy, being on-call sometimes for an entire pregnancy depending on how early we are hired. This not only builds the client’s confidence in their earliest parenting decisions, but also builds a truly special relationship with their doulas. They both meet in-person before the birth to fully prepare parents for the labor process and how to have the most satisfying experience, then one of their doulas joins them in labor to provide hands-on comfort and continuous support until a few hours after the baby is born. The doula’s scope doesn’t include anything medical, but they work alongside the medical team as a continuous support person for both clients and their partners and family members. They walk beside the client as they prepare for their birth, then create a safe, encouraging and supportive labor environment as a trusted part of their birth team. The birth doula is a birth coach, educator, and a continuing calming presence for clients, attuning to their personalities and anticipating their needs throughout pregnancy and the entire birth experience.
Our postpartum & infant care doulas work in the client’s home, after the baby is born, helping new parents and families to adjust to life with a new baby. Their goal is to instill confidence and support the entire family as they settle into their new routine. They have a strong focus on parents’ emotional wellbeing, creating systems that keep the household running smoothly and helping the baby adjust to the time period we call “the fourth trimester”. They help with sleep shaping, information and hands-on teaching of baby care basics and feeding. These doulas set parents up for a satisfying postpartum experience by guiding them, providing the same nonjudgmental support carried over from pregnancy, and working with each family for as long as they need in the first year of the baby’s life. Every shift looks different whether daytime or overnight, based on what each family member and baby needs on any given day.
Our childbirth classes are unique and customized to each family. We cater our curriculum to each client’s birth plans, whether it be a home birth, birth center or hospital birth. Our classes are for all families and all plans, from a water birth at home to a scheduled cesarean at the hospital. These are laid back classes, taught in the comfort of their living room on their own schedule. We cover everything from nutrition during pregnancy to hands-on comfort measures and positions to labor in. Our clients love walking through the process of labor and delivery in a non-threatening environment, with an unbiased curriculum that truly supports all birth plans and choices. We aren’t just for “natural” or unmedicated birth and our childbirth education classes truly prepare our clients for every “what-if” they might face in labor and delivery. They are comforted by our experience and feel confident after learning about the process and their choices.
Our focus on nonjudgmental support sets us apart from other doulas and childbirth educators. We don’t have an opinion on how new parents should choose to give birth or how they should feed or care for their babies. We meet them where they are, teach them the things they want to learn about and walk beside them as they make their first choices as new parents. We trust them to make the best decisions for their families and we build their confidence, as a steady presence through their pregnancy, birth and first few months at home with their babies. We are on-call for our clients whether they are in labor, navigating the early days of breastfeeding or need to talk through new feelings or choices to make. We are the one person in their life who is going to meet them with unbiased information and an empathetic ear, always leaving them feeling better than we found them.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
The DFW area is an incredible place to work as a doula and childbirth educator. We have so many options for birth, from home birth midwives to high-risk obstetricians and maternal-fetal medicine specialists across the metroplex. Parents are doing more research now and really making an effort to have a satisfying birth and postpartum experience. They are making choices that help them to feel prepared and able to truly enjoy welcoming their babies, which creates a wonderful opportunity for doulas to facilitate a supported transition for the entire family. We have a thriving community of birth workers and plenty of opportunities for networking and building relationships with local midwives and obstetricians.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.attuneddoulas.com
- Phone: 210-867-5848
- Email: jessica@attuneddoulas.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/attuneddoulas
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/attuneddoulaservices
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/attuneddoulas
Image Credit:
Jordan Lea Photography
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