About The Nomadic Doula, Jessica Ruscetta

Welcome to The Nomadic Doula and the Live To Wander Bus!

My name is Jessica Ruscetta and I am a doula, lactation & childbirth educator, wife, mother and adventure traveler. Well, almost adventure traveler, more on that later. I founded the doula co-op Two Hands Birth Services, located in southern New Jersey. I love to work with families during one of the most wonderful, crazy, life-changing times in their lives, when they are expecting a new baby! I also love mentoring new doulas and hearing all about people's journey to birth work.

Road to Birthwork

In 2008 I gave birth to my first child and it was not the experience I had hoped for, from the pregnancy to the birth to the postpartum it was disappointing. Of course I had a healthy baby and I was physically healthy but was mentally and emotionally unhealthy. When I became pregnant again in 2011 I was not going to let history repeat itself and I armed myself with more information and support during my pregnancy and the birth of my second child. The difference was life changing! I knew that if first time mothers had the support, information, education and guidance that they could have a better outcome than I did. I wanted to help these families so I began to research becoming a childbirth educator and with that the Pandora's box of birthwork was opened!

With very supportive family and friends behind me I began my training in January of 2013 to become a birth doula, attending workshops in the fall of 2013 and becoming certified in July of 2015. After completing my training I started my own birth services business Two Hands Birth Services in southern New Jersey in late 2013. My hunger for more knowledge continued and I soon also became a certified postpartum doula and certified lactation counselor as well. I wanted to be of as much service to families that called on me as possible.

During my experiences supporting families through pregnancy, childbirth and the postpartum period I also developed wonderful, supportive relationships with other birth workers. I found that these sisters in birth work were essential to the services I was trying to provide. I enjoyed hearing their stories into birth work just as much as the stories of the families I supported through birth. In the summer of 2017 I transitioned my solo practice into a doula co-op and think its one of the best decisions I ever made. We now share our passion for maternity care with each other and support each others work and lives.

The Nomadic Journey

In the fall of 2017, in a time of transition both personally and as a family my husband and I decided to do something radical. On a long drive to a client I had an epiphany about how to merge my calling as a birth worker and our family's dream to tour the country in a converted bus. The Nomadic Doula was born!
As the Nomadic Doula I hope to learn from birth workers and families all over the United States and share in their experiences. The hope is to give a spotlight to these wonderful, caring doulas, midwives, advocates and educators who give all they can to change attitudes and policies on maternity care, postpartum issues and breastfeeding. I hope that this adventure will give me more knowledge and understanding so I can be of better service to the families who I am honored to support and my doula sisters who lean on me as I lean on them.

The combination of traveling with my family and showing my children a different way of life, connecting with nature, minimalism, serving others, nourishing my wanderlust and developing relationships with birthworkers from all over the United States is a harmonious union of all of my passions and I look forward to sharing them with you.

If you would like to contact me to chat, for speaking engagements, teaching, doula mentoring, or anything else I would love to hear from you. To keep up to date on The Nomadic Doula blog, and to be the first to find out about events and all other happenings please subscribe to the newsletter.

Training & Experience

March 2019, Presented a homebirth Q&A, hosted by The Village in Collingswood, NJ and a screening of Why Not Home?
October 2018, Exhibited at Premier Ob/Gyn & JCC Bump 2 Baby Expo, Cherry Hill, NJ
June 2018, Presented a homebirth Q&A, hosted by the Pinelands Library, Medford, NJ and a screening of Why Not Home?
May 2018, Exhibited at South Jersey Family & Maternity Fair, Pitman, NJ
April 2018, Represented Why Not Home? and Two Hands Birth Services at the Midwifery Today Conference, Mt. Laurel, NJ
March 2018, Attended Evidence Based Birth Professional Training, Haddonfield, NJ
October 2017, Exhibited at Premier OB/Gyn Prego Expo, Voorhees, NJ
September 2018, THBS was interviewed by Expecting Parents & Baby, attended their expo as an exhibitor and invited speaker, Cherry Hill, NJ
August 2017, Transitioned THBS into a doula co-op
August 2017, Renewed CLC designation through ALPP
October 2016, Assisted organizing and attended Birthworks International Conference, Mt. Laurel, NJ
September 2016, Exhibited at Premier OB/Gyn Prego Expo, Voorhees, NJ
July 2016, Collaborated with CHOP Cystic Fibrosis Team on the support and unique nutritional needs of breastfed babies and families with CF, Philadelphia, PA
March 2016, Birthed a baby girl at home, Medford, NJ
October 2015, Certified as a postpartum doula through Madriella
July 2015, Became a Certified Birth Doula (CD) through DONA
November 2014, Became a member of PALS (Philadelphia Alliance for Labor Support)
November 2014, Hosted and attended Birthworks International Childbirth Educator Workshop, Medford, NJ
August 2014, Attended training and became a certified lactation counselor (CLC) through Healthy Children's Center for Breastfeeding and ALPP, Philadelphia, PA
November 2013, Attended DONA Birth Doula Workshop, Princeton, NJ
January 2013, Began my doula training!
August 2011, My son was born!
March 2008, My first child, a baby girl was born.

About The Nomadic Doula, Jessica Ruscetta