My husband and I hired Jes and Keatyn Wohlgemuth for a postpartum overnight support package. Jes and Keatyn overcharged me and my husband and repeatedly sent a substitute doula (who we liked a lot but would have preferred to hire directly as she charges 20 euros less an hour and doesn't charge VAT). For something so personal as a doula, it felt frankly odd to me that Keatyn and Jes seem to have overextended themselves as they were challenging to schedule with and cancelled sessions several times. In the end, we never even met Jes in person because it would have been annoying to have to keep explaining our baby's routine to her so we decided to stick with the substitute doula which worked well. Even though Jes came off as a friendly and supportive person, in the end, she honestly reminded me of wedding vendors who oversell their services, add a sense of time pressure to sign a contract, and then underperform. This all added to my stress postpartum. read more

"I've come to conclusion that I don't think I'm the right Doula for you. I don't think I have enough experience." - Jes Walsh What a disappointment to deal with someone so unprofessional. I was looking for an English speaking doula and was contacted by Jes Walsh who offered her services in mid-January. Being an expat in Berlin and unfamiliar with the system here so I knew I could use support at the birth because I've never been through this before. A doula I know from my home country suggested that I enlist a doula for my birth because the support could be useful especially from someone familiar with the birth process and who has trained and attended other births. Berlin Doula Jes Walsh who works out of Kreuzberg, wasn't available to meet until the end of February and suggested to meet at a cafe. A leading Berlin midwife / hebamme advised me that this was unprofessional location choice because of the personal nature of the conversation we would be having. At the advice of this midwife and from other pregnant mothers, I decided to give her the address to my home and she agreed to meet there. She arrived late without calling. During our meeting, she faced away from my partner even though she was within a few feet from him. Maybe she is more comfortable around women but it just seemed a bit cold. At the end of our meeting she asked me if I would like to work together, and said she would like to bring me on as a client, would like to meet within a month to go over more details and would like to send a contract over to ensure we would be working together. I looked forward to getting that contract except days passed and I never heard from her. WHO INITIATES MOVING FORWARD THEN SAYS AND DOES NOTHING? I reached out to her via email thanking her for meeting me and asking to review her contract. Only when I reached out, did she inform me of her thoughts and her response was odd to say the least. SHE STATED THAT SHE DOESN'T THINK SHE HAS ENOUGH EXPERIENCE. I read her email a few times, because I couldn't believe someone listed their experience online and in person but then CONTRADICTED all that she previously said and wrote about herself. I wondered why she is advertising herself as a doula offering labor support if she feels this way about herself. I think anyone looking for a doula in Berlin to have labor support, especially with the shortage of midwives / beleghebamme / hebammen should look elsewhere for another english speaking one. THIS DOULA ADMITTED HER LACK OF EXPERIENCE AND IT SHOULD BE A WARNING TO OTHERS. Shortly after this review went up, an new account was created to write a 5-star review for her. I would be very nervous to hire a doula with a situation like this happening. read more

Jes Walsh - This Berlin doula admits to lack experience and not having good enough german. (My partner speaks German) ¯\_(ツ)_/ - Midwives Near Me - Berlin, BE

We have been knowing Jes and working with her for years now, she has helped us care for our babies. We first contracted her when our first son was a newborn, and her cooperation has been very helpful in this delicate period of our lives because she was experienced with everything related to birth and caring for a newborn, and she was amenable to our needs and questions. What me and my partner specifically like about working with her is that she is both sensitive and responsible. She will always keep the agreements made, and she will not engage in agreements that she cannot keep. Also, on the emotional side, it was a good experience for us that Jes will always prioritise the practical and emotional needs of her clients in a working relationship, while also being up for a nice personal chat when there's time for that -- which has formed the ground for our mutual confidence. read more

I had an online meeting with Jes last month, i'm quite new to the idea of a doula and wasn't sure what to ask or expect. She was professional and approachable and really honestly answered the questions i had. She followed up with free resources and information which really helped us too. Highly recommend! read more

Jes was wonderful. The birth of our daughter was thankfully without any serious complications or surprises. Jes's quiet presence gave us just the right amount of reassurance that we believe contributed to the great outcome and to the overall positive experience. The few hiccups we encountered here and there, Jes was able handle with ease of an expert. Were we to have another child in the future, we would not hesitate to hire Jes to be our doula again. :) read more

I engaged Jes Walsh as a post-partum doula last year when I was expecting my second son. Our first son was a really tricky baby, and I knew from experience that the weeks after the birth can be bewildering, exhausting and isolating, particularly when you don't have any family here in Berlin, and your partner has to go back to work. Jes really saved our lives! Having her in our home, supporting me, my partner and our older son was the best decision we made that year, turning what could have been a fraught experience into the most calm, enjoyable and special time imaginable. She instinctively knew what I needed, whether that was to spirit the baby away for an hour while I napped; to play with our older son and make him feel really special, or to listen to me when I re-lived the birth over and over! She's a really calm person to have around; funny when you need her to be, melting into the background when that's what you want, practical, unfussed, and a really, really good listener. Somehow, she always made me feel like I was doing great, so I felt supported in my own decisions, rather than having someone come in and tell me what to do. She was punctual, totally reliable, and very flexible, working around our needs. Our little son was really happy being with her; she's great with babies! I had the same beleghebamme for both births, and for me, it made a huge difference, having someone there who could come to the house and support me in early labour, someone whose sole focus was me. I know they're not easy to find though, and having worked with her over several weeks, I think Jes would be exactly the person I would want at my side when those contractions start! To be honest, I never normally write Yelp reviews, but a friend (someone to whom I'd recommended Jes; I really rave about her to everyone!) told me about this one-star review and I just had to write about my experience because I'd hate for someone to miss out on what I had: having Jes Walsh there to support me, look out for me, and care for me and my baby during an incredibly special time. read more