We took an EBB course with Jennifer. She's the best instructor anyone can ask for. She was very knowledgeable and absolutely amazing with how she shared her knowledge and taught the class, she's super through, had a great attitude and energy, was very open to question, and even shared her very personal experience in the last class. I learned so much in her class. She took her time collecting so many resources and putting them together in ways that were easy to consume and refer to afterwards. I woud highly recommend her class. And even though i didn't get the opportunity to use her doula services, I can't imagine a better doula by your side. read more

I just wanted to update my review to add that over the last few years since the birth of my first child, I have emailed Jen multiple times for assistance processing my first birth and working through options for my second birth. She was so positive and encouraging when I was doubting and questioning myself. Her support processing that first birth meant the world to me and I was able to change my story the second time around with her help. My only mistake was not having her as a doula for my first birth (she wasn't available for my second, but I would have worked with her in a heartbeat) Thank you, Jen, for helping me even years later. I appreciate you so much! read more

My husband and I are extremely grateful that we found Jennifer. She offers a unique combination of deep expertise in all aspects of birth and an unwavering dedication to birthing people and partners regardless of risk factors and complications. We took Jennifer's Evidence Based Birth course and then signed up for her mentoring service. Both the course and the mentoring service proved invaluable. Although we worked with a doula, we benefited greatly from Jennifer's medical background and experience working with birthing people with high-risk profiles similar to mine. We highly recommend learning from and working with Jennifer. We will always be grateful for how she helped us welcome our baby safely into the world. read more

I always knew I wanted a doula-supported birth even before I met my husband! I already had such confidence in Jen knowing that two colleagues of mine have had her as a doula and child birth educator. Once my husband and I scheduled a consultation we knew she was the one--we almost didn't even want to interview anyone else. Her medical expertise, commitment to evidence based information, and know-how on navigating hospital settings really sealed the deal for us. Not to mention, she is just the most lovely and heartfelt person who we knew we could trust with such a huge part of our lives. We also took her Evidence Based Birth class which equipped us with the knowledge we needed about what to expect and also how to advocate for ourselves and ask the right questions. Her calm and protective presence made my birth everything I ever wanted and more. She reassured me the entire time of how capable I was even as I doubted myself! She was just as much a support for me and she was for my husband as I coped with labor and brought baby into the world. Jen is also a photographer and captured our birth in such a professional way that didn't interfere with her labor support whatsoever. She did such a great job wearing both hats and I'm so glad I added her photo package because I wanted to remember these powerful moments of my birth story. She also conducts a postpartum visit which was so healing. We discussed the birth itself, how breastfeeding is going, advice and resources for postpartum, and more. If you're reading this and on the fence about hiring a doula, please let this be a sign that you will not regret the decision, especially with Jen in your corner. Jen, we cannot thank you enough! read more

Birth Fusion Review TL;DR: Jen's class and remote consultation (via phone and text) during my wife's labor likely made a huge difference in helping us avoid an unwanted Cesarean birth. As important, Jen's guidance helped us feel good about our decision to change course from our original birth plan. As my wife's primary support person, I felt profound relief in having Jen as my support and sounding board during pregnancy and during labor. I would hire her again in a heartbeat. *** My wife and I signed up for an Evidence-Based Birth (EBB) class and lucked out by getting Jen as our instructor for each of the six 3 hour class sessions. At the start, I figured that my role in our child's birth would simply be to support my wife and her choices. I knew I wanted to be involved, but figured that I was mostly going to be there to do some hand-holding and cheerleading. Little did I realize that I was going to need to play a much more involved role. From the moment we joined class, Jen put my wife and me at ease. The difference between a great practitioner and a great instructor comes down to communication style: Jen teaches with a casual and matter-of-fact style that belies her total command of the subject matter, earned through decades as a nurse and doula. Her unvarnished approach to teaching helped us easily understand the progression through the various stages of birth and also to feel comfortable asking questions. Over our six weeks of the course, and through Jen's classes at birthfusion.com, I learned that my role as the father was not simply to be a cheerleader and hand-holder. Instead, Jen taught me that my role, more so than ever during COVID, was to proactively become my wife's advocate. The difference might not seem clear at first, but it can fundamentally be boiled down to this: A cheerleader and hand-holder reacts to what is happening through pregnancy and labor. Conversely, an advocate proactively and decisively ensures that his partner's pregnancy, labor, and birth experiences go as smoothly as possible given the myriad potential unforeseen circumstances. As I learned during my wife's 58 hours (!) of labor, sometimes that proactivity means using coping strategies learned through class; other times, decisiveness means knowing when to call in the "big guns." From that perspective, Jen was an absolute Godsend. Around 30 weeks, I learned that my wife wanted to have an all-natural birth -- no drugs, no cesarean. I understood conceptually at the time that would require me to become more involved, but I didn't have the practical understanding yet of what that meant in reality. Luckily, we'd engaged Jen as a remote consultant during labor. Two days shy of 38 weeks, my wife started early labor on a Tuesday morning at 1:30 am. It seemed as though her water had broken at the start; however, there were also little things that kept us unsure as to what to do. Jen taught us in EBB that the best way to avoid an unwanted Cesarean birth was to stay home until the cervix hit six CM dilated. On the flip-side, once the water has broken, a clock starts ticking until risk of potential infection becomes a potential problem. So, after about 12 hours of contractions, we called Jen for the first time to (a) validate that she was indeed in early labor and (b) that her water had indeed broken. Though it is impossible for anyone to say with 100% certainty that my wife's water was broken without an exam, Jen drew on her decades of experience to quickly determine what was going on and to guide and keep us calm. From that point on, we were in touch with her every 3 - 6 hours until we went to the hospital a full 26 hours later (at ~ 3:30 pm on the second day). Jen helped us to weather the most painful contractions, and in keeping us confident to stay home--for way longer than I'd originally expected mind you--potentially helped prevent a Cesarean birth due to so-called "failure to progress." Finally, after 40 hours of painful early labor and almost no sleep, we arrived at the hospital and learned even after all that--with the ongoing pain and impossibility of sleep--we were potentially too far away from safely reaching a natural birth. After speaking with our OB, we called Jen one more time, and she helped us embrace a switch from all-natural birth to Pitocin + epidural. She persuaded us that a change in course was the right decision, both for our own sanity and for the rest and strength we'd need to keep pushing (no pun intended) toward a vaginal birth. At 11:03 am the following morning--after a night of astonishingly full sleep--my wife gave birth (no Cesarian's here!) to our son. *** In sum, I don't know how we would've pulled through this labor and avoided a Cesarean without Jen's support. Jen prepared me for a massively expanded role as #1 support person vs. what I first expected. Most of all, Jen's direct support during labor made all the difference. If I could give her 10 stars, I would! read more

My husband and I took Jen's Evidence-Based Birth class during my second pregnancy. This time around, I was interested in a childbirth class that would give me more information as my first birth experience quickly went from Plan A to Plan C and I didn't know any better than to go along with what was being suggested for me. This class went above and beyond my expectations, but I'd really like to focus on how Jen made the experience great. Jen was amazing. She is both a wealth of knowledge and extremely invested in each student and their unique experience. She was always available for questions throughout the week and even took time out of her schedule to privately Zoom with me to answer some specific questions I had relative to my situation. I also loved her unique perspective as a doula with a nursing background. I enjoyed learning about the evidence behind many birth interventions and how to advocate for myself. You will leave feeling equipped and empowered. I'll recommend this class, but specifically her time and time again! read more

Jennifer was our doula and birth photographer. I could write an entire book about how special she made our experience but will keep it short and sweet... From the time I went into labor and until we left the hospital we had constant contact and we felt so informed and at peace during our adventure which allowed us to enjoy the experience so much more. In addition, she gave us lots of information prior to labor and the most amazing photos that we will treasure forever. Thank you! Thank you! read more

Birth Fusion - Our now 2yr old - Doulas Near Me

Jennifer was awesome! The class was very informative and she delivered the information in an exciting and easily digestible way. Her clinical experience with real-world examples brought the information out of the abstract. I strongly recommend Jennifer and this class to all expecting couples. 5 stars! read more

Probably one of the best things we decided to do as soon-to-be parents. I couldn't believe how much there is to know and how empowered I feel going into this with the knowledge we have now. My husband and I are so grateful to Jen and all of the guest speakers she had come to the classes. It is very clear that she is the best in the business, and we were lucky to have friends refer us to her when we did. Thanks, Jen, you're great! read more

I couldn't be happier with this class. As a birth doula and First Time Pregnant Person, I thought I knew all there was to know... I learned so much along with my partner who had zero birth knowledge. This class is great for everyone, no matter what type of birth you want. Learn the science behind many birth interventions and how to advocate in a practical way for what you want! read more

My husband and I loved Jennifer's birth class. It is a significant investment of time, but I think it was completely worth it. I am the "researcher" type and even though I had done a ton of independent reading, I learned so much at the class. Jennifer brings a unique perspective to birth because of her experience as a labor and delivery nurse coupled with her experience as a doula. She is very knowledgeable about both the medical and emotional aspects of birth. On top of the information and research being top-notch and cutting edge, Jennifer has an engaging way of presenting the information. She weaves personal stories as well as stories from births she has attended as both a nurse and a doula into her teaching material. On top of the engaging style, she is also really funny. Her sense of humor about birth is refreshing. One thing I really enjoyed about the classes is I felt like she knew exactly what she wanted to say about each topic--there wasn't really wasted time/space, no rambling on or getting side-tracked. At the same time, she encouraged questions and participation from the couples. My husband who is not the "researcher" type learned a ton at the class and I feel so much more confident knowing that we are both on the same page. I would highly recommend the Birth Fusion classes to any expecting couple. Finally, we enjoyed the newborn care and breastfeeding courses as well. read more

We couldn't have asked for a better doula or Evidence Based Birth class instructor than Jen! Her experience as a labor and delivery nurse, combined with her deep knowledge of evidence based practice really makes her the best of the best. She educated us in a way to feel empowered to make the best choices for our labor experience and our baby immediately postpartum. We learned a wealth of information in her class, and she's quite entertaining, too! As our doula, she not only guided us to a facility that practiced in a way which paralleled our values and desires for a birth experience, but provided us with the perfect balance of directness and compassion before and throughout labor. She was our coach, safety net, and defender if needed, and I trusted her more than anyone else on our birth team. We chose Jen because she is strong, confident, direct, has a plethora of different birth experiences, and really knows her shit. I knew that regardless of how things went, I could 100% count on her to help us make the best decisions to keep both myself and our baby safe while still limiting unnecessary interventions. I didn't want to be gently or passively supported through labor, I wanted to dominate it as best as I could, and that's exactly what I did with her support and guidance. My experience was perfect, and I credit Jen to a large extent. I could go on and on about how wonderful she is, but I will leave it at this: Jen's services are priceless and there isn't anyone else I would choose if we did it all over again. Thank you Jen, we will always appreciate you! read more

I took Jennifer's childbirth education classes several months ago and it was really helpful. I had a good impression of her since the first class. She was strong, energetic and positive. This attitude definitely gives you confidence. We were offered different materials that helped a lot in the understanding of childbirth, and Jennifer explained extensively every detail using PPT and videos. It basically covered all the aspects I wish to know about childbirth. I was definitely more confident and less scared of childbirth. She taught us different skills on birthing ball and yoga mat, some of which I used to ease the pain later. From the three classes, I could tell that she is really professional and experienced. I would definitely recommend her classes to my friends. read more

Jen was our doula and photographer for our daughters birth, and I firmly believe that our wonderful birth experience was the result of having her on our "team." We delivered at Sutter Davis Hospital on an incredibly busy night, and despite the best efforts of the hospital staff we were left to labor largely on our own for several hours. Thank goodness we had Jen! I was experiencing back labor due to my daughters posterior presentation, and without her there to guide us through that very difficult period I think my husband and I might have lost it. Instead, though, we felt completely safe, supported and secure throughout my entire labor. Given the specific circumstances of our situation, I believe it's highly likely that our birth story would have ended in a late c-section had it not been for Jen. Instead, she got us through 15 hours of back labor, 6.5 exhaustive hours of pushing, and a "sunny side up" birth without even a single drop of pain medication! The phrase "epidoula" could not be more appropriate for describing what she does! Jen was by our side the entire time, and supported both me and my husband through the entire process. She is invaluable as a doula, and the beautiful photos she took are a treasured keepsake. Thank you, Jen! So much! read more

I took Jennifer's Evidence Based Birth childbirth class and absolutely loved it. She has a wealth of knowledge from her various roles-mom, doula, nurse, that I found invaluable. She knows how it really is and how it really can be, which gave me confidence to ask for the things I want for my labor. The material from EBB is great, but Jennifer's expertise is what brings it all together. I highly recommend her classes! read more

Words are really inadequate to describe the brilliance and skill of Jennifer Anderson! But here goes...! My husband and I took our childbirth education classes with Jen through Mother Baby Source and also hired her as our doula and birth photographer. I had a tough 25 hour labor with a few complications that needed extra attention. But through it all, I had an empowered experience thanks to Jen. Knowing I was in good hands and having her support and knowledge to guide us was essential in keeping me calm and focused throughout. My husband and I cannot imagine what the experience would have been like without her by our sides. It felt very natural having her with us. She was intuitive in discerning when to step up and when to give us some space as a couple. I never felt self conscious or uncomfortable around her in the slightest. After the birth, her visits helped ease the chaotic transition into parenthood and she was always available via text and phone to answer our questions...which were plentiful! The photos Jen took were splendid (and I never even noticed her snapping them)! She captured the vulnerable and precious experience of childbirth in a very tactful and artistic way. I was on the fence about getting the photo package...I thought, "why would I want pictures of myself in labor?!" I am so glad that we decided to go for it and I'm grateful that I have the memory of the birth captured visually. The slideshow she put together is also a great keepsake to share with loved ones and make them feel included in the birth experience, even if they weren't there in the room with you. When it comes to personality, Jennifer has a great sense of humor, and is level-headed and non-judgmental. She's not there to push any birth agenda on you and is not one of those die-hard all-natural birth-or-else kind of doulas. She is very open-minded and caring, and also totally grounded, straightforward and "no nonsense." She knows her stuff. And she's a blast to hang out with. Labor is intense and a fun, lighthearted spirit goes a long way. You really can't get any better in terms of professional experience and medical knowledge. She's an RN and birth educator in addition to her years as a doula and doula trainer. Not only does she provide emotional support and comfort measures to help you through your labor, but she knows the ins-and-outs of the medical world...which is extremely beneficial when you need help interpreting what's going on from a medical perspective. She charts and takes notes throughout the labor and doesn't miss a beat. Choosing a doula to work with is an extremely personal decision. You have to find someone whose personality and style sync up with you and your partner...If you're pregnant, I strongly encourage you to add Jen to your list and set up an interview to get to know her pronto as she books up fast. She was hands down the best choice for our family! read more

Having Jen as an instructor for our childbirth class was one of the few bright spots of giving birth in a pandemic, since we were able to take all the courses via Zoom. Jen's no-nonsense teaching style coupled with her years of experience as both a doula and L&D nurse made her a perfect fit for our own 'want-a-low-intervention-birth-but-believe-in-science' preferences. Although factors out of our control prevented us from using a lot of what we learned from Jen, both my husband and I felt so much more confident about the whole process after completing her course. Highly recommend her as an instructor (and I 100% would have hired her as my doula if it were geographically possible). read more

When my friend suggested we get a doula for my second pregnancy, I thought there was essentially zero chance I would involve a stranger in such a vulnerable and personal experience. Besides, I can tough it out, right? But my friend's advice catalyzed our journey being not only bearable, but the most profound (albeit challenging) event of our lives. Not only was Jen brilliant in her evidence-based and frank knowledge, but her implementation of tactics and support before, during, and after labor/delivery were invaluable. She knew how to alleviate the particular pains I had during labor (or at least turn them down a smidge), asked the doctors the right questions, and advocated for our predetermined wishes while being flexible in impromptu situations. We cannot possibly overemphasize our gratitude that she helped bring our little glow worm into this world. read more

My husband and I loved Jennifer's birthing class. It's a fun and extremely informative experience. Learning in the classroom was so much easier than reading the 10 books sitting on our nightstand. We took these instead of our Kaiser classes because they are way more in-depth. We attended one kaiser class and the information was only a quick basic overview. In contrast, when we finished the Birth Fusion course we felt empowered with detailed knowledge. I appreciate the experience that Jennifer brings to her knowledge-base as a medical professional and doula . She is also very well-connected and shares her recommendations for other birth professionals generously. Feeling confident as we await our big day in about a month :) read more

I cant say enough about Jennifer. I am forever grateful for her involvement in the birth of my second son. With her help, I was able to labor and deliver in a birthing tub just as I had hoped. On top of all her support, she took the most incredible photos that I will cherish forever.I HIGHLY recommend her. She makes you feel confident that you can do anything (including a natural birth :-) ). read more

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I'll keep this brief due to time and inability to express my gratitude for Jennifer sharing her wisdom during her class. Prior to her class I was fairly clueless in regards to the whole birthing process and what the options are while in labor. After taking her class I feel confident that we can make educated decisions during the birthing process regarding medical interventions. She was always fair and balanced in her viewpoints regarding interventions. Overall Jennifer is an excellent educator so intelligent, clear, concise and pulls from soooo much life experience. HIGHLY RECOMMEND. read more

We could not have been luckier to have found Jennifer Anderson and Birth Fusion. I could go on and on about how amazing she is and how I would recommend her to everyone and anyone, but I will try to keep it short! We were not able to attend her birth classes, however, from the first time we spoke with Jennifer, we knew she was the right fit to be our doula and birth photographer. She was incredibly knowledgeable and a huge help in the weeks leading up to labor. Every time I emailed, called or texted she made herself available. Her support and advice were invaluable. I don't know how we would have made it through the labor without her! It certainly would have been a very different experience. She knew exactly what to do to help keep us calm at every stage and helped to ensure that our wishes were carried out even when the hospital had other plans for us. She fought for us to have the birth that we wanted, and in the end, everything was perfect! Having Jennifer there to assist with breastfeeding in the first few postpartum days was a huge help and my hungry boy thanks her too. My fondest memories of the delivery include Jennifer, especially since she did everything and I honestly can't remember the nurse or midwife doing much at all! The most amazing treasure came a few days after the birth when Jennifer presented us with out birth pictures and video. It immediately brought us to tears and everyone that we showed it to. They were breathtaking and so priceless and worth every penny!! We will be forever great-full to Jennifer and hope hope hope we can have baby #2 with her as well!! read more

Jen is an extremely knowledgeable Doula with a cheerful, easy going disposition. Her community connections and past RN work enable her to provide the best labor support and childbirth education services possible. Did I mention that her birth photography is beautiful? She's the best! read more

I absolutely loved Jennifer's birth class. I decided to take her class for many reasons. I'm currently studying to be a Doula so a birth class is a requirement. I have also never had a Hospital birth before. I am a Surrogate so this isn't my first pregnancy and I learned so much taking her class. She is very knowledgeable and makes the classes interesting. I was dreading how "long" the classes were, but in reality she makes everything so interesting it didn't feel long at all. I was so worried I would go into labor before the class was finished,I signed up late, but I completed it and feel so good about taking her class. I had my other half attend the last class. He was dreading it, but even he came out of class with a good attitude! If you are thinking about signing up I wouldn't hesitate as classes fill up fast. I will be recommending her class to everyone who asks! read more

Jen was amazing! Literally, our midwife wasn't in the room when our son started coming out. Having Jen there gave us very real security and comfort. She also brought a really light and fun presence to our birth experience. Her photos were AMAZING! Our tub was lit by a single overhear florescent light, and somehow, the pictures made it look like James was born in New Zealand glacier run-off. We were blown away, thank you Jen! read more

My advice is if you are looking for a Doula, call Jennifer ASAP! My wife and I did not start looking until the third trimester, and Jennifer was already booked. After exchanging a few emails with her, I can see why she is so busy. She is extremely informative and responsive; her words exude thoughtfulness, kindness, and professionalism. Even though we were not her clients, she went out of her way to be helpful and to provide referrals to other doulas. read more

We took the three part course on childbirth. We felt infinitely more informed about the entire process of labor and delivery, as well as our options for birthing plans. Jenn was extremely knowledgeable, but also made the material engaging and fun. I would recommend this class to anyone having a child! read more

I took Jen's childbirth preparation series through the Open Minded Childbirth Course at Mother-Baby Source to prepare for my birth at Sutter Davis this past June. I am SO glad that I found Jen and took her classes! She prepares you for whatever kind of birth you are imagining, but also prepares you for when things don't go as you envisioned (as it happens with labor & birth!). Jen is the perfect combination of a science/medical background and doula/support background and it helps that she knows SO much about Sutter Davis due to her previous work there as an RN. She is funny, interesting, knowledgeable, supportive, and science and evidence based- everything you would want in a childbirth education series. She wasn't my doula, but I can imagine that she is amazing in that role as well. I recommend anyone who asks to Jen's courses, and suggest meeting with her as a potential doula as well. She's as good as it gets! You won't regret it! read more

Jennifer is an amazing doula and I would highly recommend her to anyone! She has so much knowledge and experience with her background as registered nurse as well as a mom. I really cannot say enough good things about her and she was instrumental in me having a wonderful labor experience. If you are considering a doula, DO it and choose Jen! She will really be your advocate but also works really well with the rest of the healthcare team. I really felt confident and supported by her and she lets you take the lead and make your own choices. She is very encouraging and has a wonderful presence. I had my baby earlier this week, but really wanted to post this review soon because I was so happy with her care. I am really looking forward to seeing the video. Thanks Jen! read more

We met Jennifer when she taught our childbirth education courses. We liked her a lot and asked her to be our doula. She has a very calm and reassuring presence that is perfect for a laboring mom-to-be and for a stressed dad-to-be. We hadn't connected one way or another with the photos she showed in the childbirth education class, so when she asked if she could photograph the birth, we said, sure, as long as it doesn't interfere with, and takes a back seat to being our doula. We barely noticed the camera during labor and delivery, but Jennifer made us the most fantastic and amazing slideshow of photos from the birth, photos we could not have captured, it literally brought tears to our eyes (and even made a friend tear up - he found it so moving). Bottom line, Jennifer is a thorough, entertaining childbirth educator, an excellent doula, and a fantastic front seat photojournalist for your birthing story. We would highly recommend her to anyone (and have)! read more