Jessica, a 35-year-old first-time mom based in Santa Rosa, California, lives with her husband, Gentry, 40. The couple began trying to conceive in December 2024 and were thrilled to discover they were expecting in March 2025. After initially tracking her cycle on her phone, Jessica found success using ovulation test strips alongside regular acupuncture, which helped her manage stress during the process.
Her pregnancy was relatively smooth. She experienced first-trimester fatigue, an increased appetite, and later some low back pain and pelvic pressure in the third trimester, but remained active through walking, hiking, strength training, and stretching. With the support of a doula, Jessica prepared for a spontaneous, unmedicated hospital birth.
Labor began on January 3, 2026, at 41 weeks and 3 days. She labored at home throughout the day before arriving at the hospital around 9:15 p.m., already 8.5 centimeters dilated. As contractions intensified, Jessica requested an epidural—but by the time the anesthesiologist arrived, it was too late. She ultimately delivered without medication, having the natural birth she originally envisioned. Looking back, Jessica feels deeply grateful that everything unfolded the way it did and that she was able to have the birth experience she had hoped for.
Jessica Walton Bio
Jessica Walton is a 35-year-old first-time mom living in Santa Rosa, California, with her husband, Gentry (40), their newborn son, Deacon, and their two dogs. Deacon was born on January 3 at 11:33 p.m. at Sutter Santa Rosa Regional Hospital. Professionally, Jessica serves as a Dean of Students at an independent high school in Santa Rosa, where she is passionate about supporting young people and building strong school communities.
Jessica is a strong proponent of working with a doula, regardless of the type of birth experience someone is planning, and credits that support as an important part of her own journey into motherhood. She can be found on Instagram at @j_wal33.
Resources
- Birth Hour Podcast Birth Stories
- Know Your Options online classes
- Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth
- The Birth Partner
- Birth Without Fear
- Nurture: A Modern Guide to Pregnancy, Birth, Early Motherhood―and Trusting Yourself and Your Body
Little Spoon
If formula is part of your feeding journey right now, Little Spoon makes that choice feel less heavy. Their organic grass-fed whole milk infant formula is a complete nutrition recipe, modeled after breast milk—and everything is openly shared on LittleSpoon.com from sourcing to ingredients to safety testing. Go to LittleSpoon.com/TryFormula to try Little Spoon Formula with their 2 can trial pack (Buy 1, Get 1 free – that’s $30 for 2 cans), which is great if you’re easing into the transition.
No Comments yet!