Let Me Introduce Myself...
My name is Jen Henderson. I have been married for 12 years, and my husband and I have four crazy boys. Some of my passions are riding my horses, writing, going to the movies obsessively, singing, drinking entirely too much flavored creamer in my coffee, and laughing. A lot.
I've spent my entire life in Southeast Michigan, and a wee little bit of my life hanging out with the snowbirds in Naples, Florida.
I am a DONA-trained birth doula. Working as a doula has been a rewarding experience, and has taught me much about myself and those around me. My path into the doula world seems to have been a natural progression. I am also very passionate about encouraging my sister doulas on this crazy, wonderful journey.
My own four births have taken place in just about every setting available in our area: The hospital (under two occasions--one good and one not-so-good); a local birthing center under the care of a certified nurse midwife; and, finally, in a birth tub within my own home with a midwife. While I am not necessarily biased to one experience over the other, I do hold a special place in my heart for my homebirth. I, personally, have had my share of pleasant birth experiences to temper the scars left behind by one not-so-pleasant experience I had early on. I see the value in each possible birth setting, so I have no trouble respecting your decision to give birth where you feel most comfortable and in the way you feel most comfortable.
I've spent my entire life in Southeast Michigan, and a wee little bit of my life hanging out with the snowbirds in Naples, Florida.
I am a DONA-trained birth doula. Working as a doula has been a rewarding experience, and has taught me much about myself and those around me. My path into the doula world seems to have been a natural progression. I am also very passionate about encouraging my sister doulas on this crazy, wonderful journey.
My own four births have taken place in just about every setting available in our area: The hospital (under two occasions--one good and one not-so-good); a local birthing center under the care of a certified nurse midwife; and, finally, in a birth tub within my own home with a midwife. While I am not necessarily biased to one experience over the other, I do hold a special place in my heart for my homebirth. I, personally, have had my share of pleasant birth experiences to temper the scars left behind by one not-so-pleasant experience I had early on. I see the value in each possible birth setting, so I have no trouble respecting your decision to give birth where you feel most comfortable and in the way you feel most comfortable.
As a doula, I feel my role is to quietly support the birthing mother and find ways in which the partner and/or others can be involved, in accordance to the wishes of the mother and partner. As a doula, I do not provide medical advice, but will assist an expectant family in gathering information so they are better-equipped to make informed decisions regarding pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period. I know, first-hand, the physical and emotional benefits to a mother and baby who are relaxed throughout birth, and that is my ultimate goal: Healthy mom, healthy baby--not only physically, but also emotionally.
I have experience with:
~ Homebirth
~ Hospital birth
~ Birth center birth
~ Water birth
~ Induction
~ Cesarean section (C-section)
~ VBAC (vaginal birth after c-section)
~ HBAC (home birth after c-section)
~ Back labor
~ First-time to many multiple-time mothers
~ Hypnobabies and HypnoBirthing (birth hypnosis support)
~ Survivors of sexual abuse
~ TENS unit usage
~ Pre-term babies sent home with and without monitoring
~ Postpartum depression
.... and more!
I am certified in Adult/Child/Infant CPR through the AHA (American Heart Association); have received training and certification in Neonatal Resuscitation through the AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics); and have completed a Spinning Babies workshop. I'm currently one of the board members for the Metro Detroit Doulas and Childbirth Educators community; and founder of Doulas Share, which operated as a support and networking group for doulas in the Southeast Michigan area until Fall of 2012.
If you have a particular concern, please contact me to ask about it!
To learn more about me and my philosophy on childbirth, please contact me by filling out my Contact Form!
