We were lucky to catch up with Jessica Horton recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Jessica thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What did your parents do right and how has that impacted you in your life and career?

My sisters and I frequently swap stories and laughs of the times we had in our yellow house that sat on a few acres of land, gently tucked down a long dirt road in Lillington, North Carolina. Man, my folks ran a tight ship with a house full of girls. Being one of the youngest, I never fully grasped the concepts of love and protection they showed us. And now that I’m much older, my thoughts have elevated towards gratitude and grace for every “no” they said and sacrifice they made for me back then. Now that I have a family of my own, I consider how blessed I am to still be making unforgettable memories with them now. What did my parents do right? Allow me to ask them questions about how they were able to heal from traumas when they were growing up and then, allow me to share some of my own. What did my parents do right? Accept my mistakes and not only be there to help me make corrections but tell me it’s okay and to try again. What did my parents do right? Become storytellers to my children and remind them of just how strong and beautiful our tribe is so they too may one day seek out their purpose in this life. Doing it right is continuing to wake up every morning for nearing 46 years and chose to love one another over and over again despite challenges they faced as individuals and a couple. What did my parents do right? They show unconditional love, serve in the community, and strive to be the best versions of themselves. What did my parents do right? Lots of things, even though I know sometimes they don’t think so. They have directly and indirectly made a gigantic impact on my life’s work and my passion to love and protect my family and other families I get to support. And I will continue to thank them every day that I can for all these things they’ve done right.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

My name is Jessica Horton, JT to most, and THE doula to many. I’m the knee-baby of 6 girls and grew up in the south walking barefoot and being curious about the ways of the world and life. I know that sounds strange, but I literally feel like I have been an adult since I got here. From lining up my stuffed animals to teach them their ABCs, pretending to write checks, to trying my hardest to understand where babies came from, yes I felt like I had been here before. In fact, I have always been fascinated by bellies and babies. I could never say pediatrician as a child, it was just too long of a word I guess, so I’d tell all the adults in my life that I wanted to be a baby doctor when I grew up. So then I grew up and decided I wanted to do just that. I started my studies at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro as a Biology & Pre-Med focus and walked across the stage with a degree in Public Health & Health Studies . I just wasn’t in the mood for any more schooling but more importantly, I realized my feelings towards more holistic and personable care had truly taken over. What helped me make this life-altering decision was the several years I sent in undergrad volunteering with the YWCA supporting teen parents. Later on, I got my first job as a program coordinator for an Adolescent Parent Program in my hometown.

In that time, I supported nearly 40 teen parents but the impact just one innocent newly mothering referral left on me, sent me back on my journey supporting not only the babies, but the birthing person too. She was only 15 at the time, and her native tongue was unrecognizable to any provider in the county. I was able to gather from her counselor, what kind of journey she had on her way to birthing her baby boy. She was expecting to reunite with her family from her country, but on her way over to the US she was tragically taken advantage of by a trusted male and became pregnant. Much later when it was time for her laboring and birthing of her baby, she was alone, in silence, with no one she could understand. I wish I could tell you I was able to see her through the rest of her high school days, but shortly after we met, she was moved away to another state by her extended family.

This young girl’s story stayed with me for days, weeks, and still brings an ache to my heart when I tell it. But she is one of the very reasons I decided to answer the call of becoming a doula and birth worker. For the many birthing people who are traumatized with no guidance for healing and recovery, seen but not heard, forced and not informed, I was quickened to seek training and certification in 2017 as a birth and postpartum doula/birth worker. I have since continued growing and developing my life’s work and started my own company, Dear Trinity LLC, which is a true gift given to me by The Creator and so named to honor the Holy Trinity and my 3 gifts, Charli, Zola, and Drew. My earthly trinity who I share with the world and hope I make proud, and of course follow in my footsteps one day in some capacity of birth work. They who have shaped me as a mother and how I empower and nurture the families who utilize our services. Dear Trinity, LLC is my love letter to them for the world to see.

Now as a lead full spectrum doula, I help aspiring birth workers to be trained and mentored in addition to the emotional and physical supports to birthing people. I’ve helped develop curricula and provided dozens of educational material for expecting people, my first being for a company based in California called Robyn. Community service projects and guest speaking opportunities for agencies and schools are some of our favorite moments to make. Services are also offered to non-birthing people through our peer support specialist to provide them space and opportunity to develop, without judgement, their tools to support the birthing person in their life and connect/become aware of their own roles in the parenting journey. I am currently excited about finishing up my master herbalist certification to be able to offer more holistic supports and technics for pre-conception, birth, postpartum care as well as support to those who have may experience loss of a birth, other types of loss, and uterine challenges. We have curated our own special design of yoni steam blends, saunas, and as of February 2023, line of luxury foot soaks the your entire tribe can enjoy. Our final project with be wraps to wear your babies. Stay tuned!

In a world of many doulas/birth workers, I still feel that there is only one company like Dear Trinity and only one birth worker that does what I do. I think all birth workers should feel that esteem about themselves. We must exude confidence and knowledge so that it can catch like fire to our families in order for them to take the authority over their own birthing experiences. I’m not saying I’m the best, but I am saying I subscribe to providing each family with what they need which is a tailored experience so they may feel undoubtably cared for and safe.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

I can remember many times being asked, “What’s a Doula?” or “Why do I need that?” by folks in my community. Several years ago, the art of birth work wasn’t all the buzz like it is today. It seemed that every conversation or opportunity I took to “get out there” was shot down with uninterest. How could I make an impact on my people and those around me, when no one wants to tell the truth about what happens to black and brown bodies in the maternal and birthing world? It seemed like an uphill battle to not only get in the door of my community, but to get the medical world to see how much of an impact birth work practices could improve the less than acceptable outcomes people had been subjected to. There were many times I felt like, what’s the point in continuing when no one is listening. Then, the pandemic came….and I felt the literal shift in how we as a community started to take note to how we should care for ourselves and each other. Just as we were conditioned to do many many moons ago. It was tragic to constantly see and then hear/read reports of yet another black body dying in or after child birth, but the truth was finally unveiled. But as most birth workers view this, we turn pain into power! I am glad I persisted and finally took the leap to be apart of this work. It’s certainly not as always glamorous as some may portray it to be, but it’s such a necessity for the survival of the people. I say to anyone who sees a need to fill, you aren’t crazy…nor were you given your vision out the blue. Be persistent and sharpen your tools because they will be needed sooner than later.

Have you ever had to pivot?

Yes! Many don’t know this about me but I started birth work with another beautiful soul right after certification in 2017. She and I were what I would like to call a dream team. Unfortunately, due to unforeseen life circumstances, we had to dismantle our business together. Although very fresh and a great partnership, I believe I became comfortable in the shadow…a behind the scenes kind of person. At first, I was sad that the partnership ended but now I see I needed that so I could stand and branch out in another direction. Birth work was always meant for me and I see that so much with my company now. It’s okay to pivot guys, your gift and talents will help you readjust and get to a even better spot.

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