Doula-centered innovations & digital consulting

Advancing maternal justice & optimal health outcomes in New Jersey through skillful collaboration.

To ensure respectful, evidence-based and family-centered care for all birthing families in New Jersey, we must reimagine:

  • A workforce of empowered doulas abundantly supported to do the work they love, for as long as they wish to do it.

  • Clinical/non-clinical care team relationships built on mutual respect and accountability.

  • Coordinated doula integration within programs and public systems that impact related social determinants of health.

  • Opportunities for doulas to work freely and collaborate between public and private practice systems of care.

  • Technological infrastructure to deepen, connect, and enrich doula resource networks.

  • Robust networks of care, including somatic support, for those who experience the hardest birth outcomes: stillbirth, miscarriage, and birth trauma.

Featured Projects & Collaborations

It is a privilege to move this crucial work forward with program and policy development, strategic communications and technical assistance within New Jersey and in collaboration with partners across the United States.

  • 8 recorded listening sessions centered the voices of working doulas representing all NJ counties. In these dialogues, doulas share lived experiences of providing labor support during the COVID-19 pandemic.

  • This project was produced in collaboration with NJDOH, Montclair State University, NurtureNJ and ConnectingNJ.

  • Credits include executive co-production, project design & development

  • This family-facing guide prepares parents to continue feeding breastmilk to infants and toddlers in child care or early childhood education settings.

  • It also educates families on their infant feeding rights in NJ, pumping laws and family leave options.

  • This project was produced in collaboration with Montclair State University and the NJ Breastfeeding Coalition.

  • Credits include editorial production and design.

  • “Opportunities & Inspiration for Birth Doulas and Hospitals in NJ” considers a critical question: What is needed to reduce entrenchment and promote alignment within care teams?

  • Collaborative strategies are grounded in experience providing labor support across NJ hospitals for more than 15 years, to promote continued gains in trust and accountability among birth team members.

  • Highlights actionable strategies that emerged from conversations among NJ parents, doulas, hospital and nursing staff and other birth professionals.

  • This project was produced in collaboration with Jill Wodnick.

  • Credits include executive editorial production and design.

    • Seasoned birth doula + childbirth educator

    • MA in maternal health policy

    • Web/virtual communications design & development consultant

    • Founder of a local startup applying doula care principles to grief, loss & trauma, Held Massage Therapy

  • In addition to labor support, Jess is a Certified VBAC-Specialist, Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educator, postpartum doula, and homebirth midwives’ assistant. Her doula work began as a community doula with the Hudson Perinatal Consortium in Jersey City, NJ and doula training with Debra Pascali-Bonaro.

  • In 2018, Jess founded a doula-informed somatic therapy center for grief, loss and other painful transitions. As a Licensed Massage Therapist and trained end-of-life doula she pioneered a doula framework for other moments in life through Held Massage Therapy.

  • Jess designs content and implements technical production and customer-oriented aspects of online businesses and advocacy efforts. Projects include online courses, editorial/e-commerce websites and online course development.

  • Click here to download Jess’ resume.

    • Email: jess@helddigitaldoula.com

    • Phone: 973.780.7759

    • Office: 1285 Broad Street, Bloomfield NJ 07003