Experience and Education
I had a home-birth on a candlelit, rainy, December night, sitting in my midwife's lap, while his dad caught our son in 2002. I nursed my little one for 21 months and was a stay-at-home mom for the first 2 years. I became passionate about homebirth, empowering moms and families to experience the magic of nature, pregnancy, birth, nursing and parenting. It was not easy being a new parent because we were constantly moving for the first 5 years, looking for where we wanted to raise our son. It gives me a lot of joy to be able to now help new families adjust and educate them about good practices to promote lifelong health, happiness and peace in the home.
I had worked with children and infants since being a teenager, then went on to be the weekly Garden Docent and monthly Art Docent at my son's elementary school, and Odyssey of the Mind Coach for 2 years in his middle school. Then as a weekly volunteer in the local kindergarten, because little ones make me joyful and need so much personal attention.
After many years practicing yoga, I went to massage school. I've been a massage therapist since 2007 with certification in Pregnancy Massage, Swedish, Deep Tissue, Chair, Hot Stone, Thai, Reiki, Jin Shin Jyutsu. I'm passionate about helping people experience physical health and release tensions and traumas that are stored in the body.
After several years in massage, I decided to expand my scope to work with the environment to create healing spaces. I started studying Feng Shui and got a degree in Environmental Horticulture: Garden Design with CAD Skills. You can see my website at www.greenreflectionsdesign.com My motto is "Peace begins at home." When our environment is peaceful, then we don't need so much physical manipulation to bring our bodies back into balance. Yes, massage is still wonderful and healing, but our environment has a large impact on how long our bodies stay in balance after a spa day.
I also received my Wilderness First Responder certification so that I feel confident responding to emergency health situations. I keep my Emergency Infant and Child First Aid and CPR certification up to date - renewed in March 2023.
I've completed college classes in Early Childhood Development and Nursing classes as a Lactation Specialist. I've received extensive Postpartum Doula training through my collective and research on pregnancy, birth, nutrition, infant and childcare psychology, non-violent communication and positive discipline. I follow the guidelines for creating good sleeping and eating habits as expressed in the book 'Cherish the First Six Weeks' by Helen Moon - postpartum doula to the stars. I am happy to support you in whatever method you choose for sleep training and comforting your child. I'm not one to tell you what to do, but I'm happy to give advice if you would like to discuss your options.
I'm a highly active, hands on worker, so yes --I do massage, landscaping and doula work every month. In my experience, they are all connected. I love caring for babies, new parents, healing bodies, working with alive plants, the natural cycles of the seasons, the life force energy and creating beauty in the home, in the body, and in the heart. I'm a forever learner.
I'm excited to help families in every aspect - from sleeping and eating habits, preparing healing meals and nutrition advice, lactation consulting, relaxing with massage, help around the house, organization, feng shui, a supporting demeanor and friendly love. Raising a child takes a community and we are each other's village. Being around babies gives me so much joy, especially since my babe is now fully grown. I'm happy to be here for you and our community's families now.
Reviews
Yelp reviews - Krista Jennings Postpartum Doula
From A. Young in Healdsburg - "Krista was such a big help to me during the time we brought our 4th baby home. Her nightly reports were helpful and gave me a feel for how (our baby) was progressing. She was also easy to reach during the day and available for any questions. To top it off, she was a huge help for things in the morning that made the start of my day smoother and she used her down time during the night to help me with laundry and unloading the dishwasher. She went above and beyond what was required and I would absolutely recommend her!"
From a first-time mom who was gifted two weeks of postpartum overnight care from family - "Thanks so much for helping with our daughter. I really appreciate your feedback, tips and tricks. As a new mom it can be overwhelming and you helped ease some of my anxieties. Many thanks!"
