Hi! I'm Jessi, a doula, birth photographer, lactation counselor, and childbirth educator in East Brunswick, New Jersey.
Big sister jessi learns to change baby sister jenn's diaper.
I've been fascinated by babies since my younger sister made her arrival when I was 5. And my father has been doing photography since before he had me. I guess it was only natural that I would get bitten by the photography bug at some point. But it wasn’t until I experienced my own births and lived through motherhood that I became passionate about helping other women in their journeys.
So what else can I tell you about myself?
I love organization and neatness. I once considered being a professional organizer.
I hate being disconnected. I’m not always on my phone, but I like it nearby.
I’m naturally quite introverted. I’d rather have a few great friends than know everyone in town.
I adore foreign languages and linguistics! I’ve studied German, French, Spanish, Latin, and American Sign Language.
My mother’s side of the family has always bonded over jigsaw puzzles, something which I’m trying to pass onto my girls.
I have 3 cats, all of whom are named after Star Trek characters—Kirk, Kes, and Belanna.
My husband, kids, and I are pretty avid DVD collectors. Our collection is currently just shy of 1000 discs.
All 4 of my daughters are Girl Scouts, and I am a co-leader and cookie mom for both my twins’ troop and my youngest daughter’s troop.
My favorite flavor of ice cream is just about anything that combines chocolate and peanut butter.
I still have my large childhood Lego collection, and sometimes can’t resist adding new sets to it.
My personal birth and feeding experiences:
My four daughters have given me quite the range of experiences. My first two pregnancies were conceived via IVF (in vitro fertilization), so I have first-hand experience with the emotional roller coaster of infertility and ART (advanced reproductive technologies). I had a singleton and then a set of fraternal twins. In a surprise turn of events, my fourth was conceived naturally! I have delivered vaginally twice—one of which was a VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean)—and had a cesarean once. I have breastfed, exclusively pumped, supplemented with formula, and exclusively formula fed. It’s amazing how different four different kids can be in their preferences and needs!
I want you to know that I’ve been there and I support you no matter what you choose.
