Jessie The Doula — Local services in Capricorn

Unfortunately we have been incredibly disheartened by the care we have received from The Bright Birth Co. We entered in to a contract with Jessie in October last year. In January, she advised us that she would no longer be able to support our birth. She offered us 3 additional post partum visits as “compensation.” We really needed the birth support, and certainly this is the primary reason we hired her, and so we declined this offer. She then stated that our deposit was non refundable and she would not be returning our $900. We never wanted to cancel the contract - it was purely that she was no longer able to provide the services we hired her for (which was no fault of our own). As she had attended one antenatal appointment, we were not looking for a full refund. Instead we were hoping to reach an amicable solution, which saw her fairly paid for her services, and us compensated for something that was out of our control. We escalated the case with ACCC, and she still refused to refund any of the deposit. We are now weeks out from giving birth, and unfortunately the better part of our pregnancy has been shrouded in stress due to this situation. I have lost all faith in doulas in general, and have been left terribly disappointed and disheartened at the lack of humanity and care received.

Edit: It would appear that I’m not able to reply, so I am editing my review in response. I do not want any other ladies falling victim.

It was your choice to not get the vaccination. This is not our fault. This is in your control. Whilst we respect your choice, we shouldn’t be punished for it. We are still pursuing ACCC. They have not given us any chance to rebut. We have asked for it to be escalated to their supervisor. The other options provided did not negate that you were unable to provide our primary request and need - birth support. We appreciate that you made an effort to offer alternatives, but ultimately they did not equate to lack of birth support. We escalated as we had no choice. You were not providing us with any reasonable options, and were not giving us any scope to negotiate. There was an immediate change in your tone and approach to us as soon as we started to enquire into whether a refund was possible. I’ve reached out to several doula groups and the president of the doula association, and they have all been horrified at how this been handled. The psychological impact should not go unstated. You mention my husband taking over communications like it’s a bad thing, when he is part of the 50/50 partnership affected by this. I have anxiety, as you are well aware, and he stepped in, as all good supportive partners would, when I couldn’t cope any longer. The ongoing psychological ramifications of this event are in total contrast to the support a doula should have provided us.

My take away points to the reader would be: Doula’s do not need to have any formal training, and there is no governing or authoritative body that they have to adhere to. This makes it a very dangerous and slippery slope when pregnant women put so much trust in to their care. Be wary of the terminology employed in contracts. They leave loop holes that facilitate the ability for doula’s to withhold agreed upon care, at a financial detriment to the consumer. We have a solid counter-case, but it means it’s an absolute fight to achieve any...

I was recommended to Jessie by another small business on Instagram. We connected virtually and had our first video call. Both my husband and I felt super comfortable and relaxed with our first online meet and decided to go ahead. It was the best investment into our pregnancy and postpartum journey we made. You cannot put value on the knowledge, support and dam right comfort and love you feel with Jessie as your doula. She supported us in ways that we didn’t know we needed, educated us on the unknown as new parents and became a friend.

Going through our first pregnancy journey and not understand or knowing what to expect was scary and Jessie gently guided us through such a beautiful path. We felt informed, confident and relaxed the whole time and i feel it 100% impacted our birth, which was beautiful. The most incredible experience of my life and I had no fear, no disheartening or negative emotions around it.

Having Jessie at our birth was a relief, she guided my husband into moves that helped me, took over when he needed a rest, fed, hydrated and coached us. But never took away from the connection with my husband and I at such a special time. She is THE birth fairy.

To have someone you have built a bond with, that’s done this pregnancy, birth and postpartum thing several times be there to support you, on top of your partner is the extra strength I needed to feel safe, to feel validated and reminded of how strong I am.

She also brings snacks, so that just tops it. If you haven’t thought about a doula, contact Jessie. If you have thought about a doula, book Jessie.

Big love, thank you again for being my faner, shoulder to cry on, foot massager, snack bringer, water boy and little...

The second I found out I was pregnant with my 3rd baby, I knew Jessie would be my doula. She was my guiding light throughout some very hard days (and nights) and was the most amazing support person. She had an incredible way of intuitively knowing what I needed, whether it be a surprise Uber order, an extra visit, a delivery of home made rice pudding, a hug, a message of support or anything else. I was unable to have Jessie at my birth due to the hospital only allowing one support person and I ended up having a c section, so she offered me some extra postpartum support which I eagerly accepted (although she was under absolutely no obligation to provide it!) and she was still there before and after my birth to be my unwavering advocate and source of calm while I was making some of the hardest decisions of my life, totally exhausted and an emotional wreck. She even ran down to the carpark and moved our big manual 4wd for us so we didn’t get a parking fine and so my husband didn’t have to leave my side!! I absolutely cannot recommend her highly enough. I used to wonder what a doula was or why you’d need one, but I can truly say I don’t know how I’d have survived that pregnancy without her. I can never thank you...