Jen Reed (she/her)
Birth Doula
Prenatal Yoga Instructor
jenreed@bravebirth.com
(503) 985-2182
“Jen had helpful suggestions for different positions and breathing techniques to manage the discomfort and she was very in tune to what I needed, moment by moment, responding effortlessly. ”
“Jen has a calm and ever present demeanor that made me feel at ease even in the most stressful and uncomfortably painful moments of birth. Looking back on my labor and delivery experience I am so grateful for the services Jen provided.”
BIO
I never thought that being a doula would be something I would add to my wheelhouse. But then I had babies.
My name is Jen, and I am the director of Modo Yoga Portland, which I co-own with my sister. I have been teaching yoga for twelve years; most often with swear words, and always with curiosity and humor. This path leaves me constantly in awe of the way bodies work and filled with a reverence for the mind-body connection that yoga so often provokes.
Since becoming a doula, I have continued my study of anatomy as it pertains to the birth process, and believe, more than ever, in the power of movement and positioning both prenatally and in labor.
As your doula, I hope to hold space for you to find your strength and trust your body’s wisdom. I will absolutely keep your body moving during the birth process as much as possible to help facilitate more space for baby and comfort for you. In moments of challenge, I am there for you for support, reassurance and encouragement. I hope to help balance the myriad of sacred emotions that arise during the birth process with a modicum of humor. Let’s make this a joyous occasion!
In addition to my doula certification, I am also certified in the Body Ready Method, which uses exercise science and body biomechanics principals to optimize ou bodies for birth. We all carry the story of our lives in our tissues: our trauma, our sports, our professions and how we generally carry ourselves throughout our days. Pregnancy often exacerbates these compensation patterns, which can lead to unnecessary pain during our gestation. As an add on, I can offer private movement sessions that are based on a personal body analysis to identify areas that could use strengthening, lengthening and awareness in preparation for your labor.
Birth is more than an event. It is a transformation that changes people into parents, and groups of people into villages. From a yogic perspective, birth is one of the most humbling paths to total surrender and has added mountains of awe to my already awe-filled perspective, and it is an incredible honor to support you on this journey.
I am nourished from being a wife, mother of two gorgeous boys, getting my hands dirty in our small urban farm, watching yoga wiggle its way under students’ proverbial skin, and being a part of an incredible village of support for whom I am incredibly grateful that I get to see on an almost daily basis.
EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION
Cornerstone Doula Trainings: Labor and Birth Doula Training
Body Ready Method (Birth Prep and Optimization Course)
Spinning Babies
40 Hour Bliss Baby Prenatal Yoga Training
500 Hour Modo Level 1 Yoga Training
200 Hour Modo Flow Level 2 Yoga Training
200 Hour Level 1 Baptiste Power Yoga Training
200 Hour Sequencing Training with Dina Tsouluhas and David Testo
20 Hour workshops with Nikki Doane and Eddie Modestini, Noah Maze, Tiffany Cruikshank and Rocky Heron.
Co-Owner and Director of Modo Yoga Portland
Prenatal Yoga Instructor at Modo Yoga Portland
12 years as an instructor at Modo Yoga Portland as well as Montreal, Los Angeles, New York City, Seattle, Prince Edward Island, and Cincinnati teaching hatha, vinyasa, and restorative yoga.
fees & Services
Birth Doula Services: $2000 sliding scale
Personal Movement Sessions: 1 for $85 or 3 sessions for $225
Prenatal Yoga Series
CONTACT ME!
Testimonials
Working with Jen was a wonderful experience. I practiced prenatal yoga with her and she was also my doula. Jen was an incredible support preparing for labor and during my delivery. She asked a lot of questions to best understand our family goals which in turn helped us think through the details and feel more ready to meet our little one. Her calm and reassuring demeanor really helped me to focus inward during my labor and achieve my desire of an unmedicated birth. Her first hand experience of birthing & being a mom also helped to bring some perspective and insight. She had helpful suggestions for different positions and breathing techniques to manage the discomfort and she was very in tune to what I needed, moment by moment, responding effortlessly. I can’t recommend Jen enough, she truly made a world of difference for our family welcoming our baby boy into the world. - Michelle
My baby Jax was born in late September 2021. Leading up to his birth my body thrived from Jen’s prenatal yoga classes. A few weeks before his birth date, when the reality of this milestone really set in, I hired Jen as my labor doula. This was not something my husband and I thought we would need but looking back I simply cannot imagine what my birth experience would have been like without Jen. She showed up to the hospital at 1am and for 14 hours she held my hand, rubbed my back, talked me through breathing exercises and supported me and my husband during the once in a lifetime birth of our son. She has a calm and ever present demeanor that made me feel at ease even in the most stressful and uncomfortably painful moments of birth. Looking back on my labor and delivery experience I am so grateful for the services Jen provided. - Margot