Routines & Rituals with Jessica Diggs of Centered

In this month’s Routines & Rituals, Jessica Diggs joins us to share the structures and pleasures that keep her life humming. Jessica’s been a birthworker and reproductive health educator since 2012. On top of her solo practice, Jessica also co-founded the community doula offering, Centered. An incredibly wise, caring, and generous person and teacher, Jessica’s plate is very full — plus as we all know babies run on their own schedule making time management key. All of this is to say that Jessica has crafted a flexible but not rigid schedule that combines Ayurvedic practices and nutrition, comfort television in the form of NCIS, and connecting with her close community through dinner parties and dining out. We loved this balanced approach to service and self-care. Check it out!

Q: Tell us a bit about yourself + the business you are in:

A: Most people know me as a doula and childbirth educator. I have had the honor of supporting hundreds of families through their pregnancies and their entry into parenthood as a doula, educator, and now, as a licensed midwife. Currently, I have a solo midwifery practice that specializes in homebirth services, holistic well-person care, gynecological care, and conception support. And when I am not helping mothers birth their babies, I am helping support other doulas as they cultivate their ideal business.Caring for people as they birth — their babies or business — is my gift to our community. I come alongside people when they are vulnerable, curious, and expanding. For me, the tenets of being a doula guide all that I do for others. My offerings are based on non-judgmental support, empowerment through education, a comforting touch, and personalized affirmations.I am grateful that I get to offer this to my midwifery clients and the doulas in our Centered community.

Q: Do you have a consistent daily AM and/or PM routine? Or do you mix it up?

A: With the unpredictability of my schedule, my AM/PM routine tends to be flexible.The consistent piece to my day is this mantra, "you have time." I tend to get a bit anxious about the time it will take me to do all the many things that need to be done, especially with the added uncertainty that waiting for labor brings.I start my day with a deep breath and say "you have time."In the AM, I have time to:

• Wake up naturally by the light from my wall of windows. This is especially nice if I am not awakened in the middle of the night for a birth.
• Do a ride with Cody on my Peloton.
• Shower and exfoliate with C & The Moon.
• Tone and moisturize my face with Le Prunier Plum Beauty Oil.
• Make a pour over coffee and nourishing seeded oatmeal.
• While sipping my coffee from my favorite East Fork mug, I set a timer for 5 minutes and do a brain dump of tasks and goals for the day.

In the PM, my routine varies but I have time to:

• Immediately upon getting in from work, I change into comfy PJs.
• My Sonos is set to play Sweet July's Weeknight Cooking Vibes playlist at 5:15 pm every day.
• I work hard to set a boundary with myself and not work from the couch. I do not always succeed at this.
• I try to unwind on my gorgeous Clad Home couch while watching my comfort show, NCIS.
• For dinner, I love variety and like to support local restaurants by getting takeout or going out with my partner.
• To prepare for bed, I put my phone on Do Not Disturb and apply OSEA Vagus Nerve Oil for sound sleep.

Q: How does the natural world support your modern life?

A: The sunlight that pours through my windows supports my circadian rhythms that are often disrupted by birth work. My plants improve the air quality in my DTLA loft. Nourishing herbs like tulsi reduce the stress in my body to allow me to continue to do this work and be the entrepreneur that I care to be.

Q: Do you have any rituals that you practice daily, weekly, or monthly?

A: Daily: I watch NCIS every day. It is weird and so off-brand but it soothes me to have a show that I don't actually have to watch playing in the background.Weekly: Every Sunday, I review my past week and do a week's prep for the coming week. I write out big wins from the week before, what habits worked well, and what I'd like to improve on. I write out my menu, movement goals, who I want to connect with, and how I plan to relax the coming week.Monthly: At the top of each month, I look at my finances, celebrate wins, and make a budget. My goal is to be intentional about how I spend my money and create spending habits from a place of abundance. I think it is really important that women know the numbers.

Q: Are there any particular foods or botanicals that align with your beauty routine or self-care practice?

A: I tend to do a kitchari cleanse once a quarter. It helps reduce toxins, resets my food habits, and is deeply nourishing. Ayurvedic meals, like kitchari, are foods I highly recommend to my clients when they are postpartum. It is easy to digest, has lots of fiber, and can be made in batches.As I mentioned before, I drink tulsi or holy basil tea several nights a week to help me come down from a birth and sleep peacefully.As of late, THE FULLEST's Warm Feelings™ saffron latte has been so uplifting for daytime energy and mood support to get through busy days. I have recommended it to many of the moms I support.

Q: How does THE FULLEST align with you and fit into your life?

A: THE FULLEST offers mothers nourishment and encouragement in a tangible way. As a midwife and educator, that is what I do. There is an alignment of the goal to support parents to be their best selves through simple but fruitful ways. THE FULLEST's offerings are easy to recommend and encourage busy parents and birth workers to add to their ever-evolving routine.Jessica Diggs is a Los Angeles-based licensed midwife, educator, and co-founder of Centered. She recently co-curated a community just for doulas and their businesses. When she’s not talking about birth and bodies, she loves hosting dinner parties, eating, traveling and devouring a good book.