If you're considering the support of a doula for your pregnancy and birth, we've outlined some of the qualities that make us the perfect choice for families in the Lehigh Valley. If you'd like to schedule a no-pressure consultation to talk about your birth vision and how we can help you achieve it, please contact us! We look forward to serving your family.
1. PROFESSIONALISM: You will always be greeted with the utmost level of professionalism in our dedicated office space that focuses solely on the health and wellness of women and families. We have spent years perfecting our practice to ensure that every family has a positive experience, and this includes everything from our welcome packet to automated appointment reminders and 24-hour a day on call services.
2. TRAINING: All doulas at The Growing Place have been thoroughly trained through both national certifying organizations as well as our own rigorous internal training program. We also partake in continuing education to make sure we are up to date on all relevant topics. Our doulas have special training to support families experiencing a pregnancy loss or stillbirth; twins, triplets and high-order multiples; cesarean birth or VBAC; high-risk pregnancy; out of hospital birth; premature birth; special-needs babies and special family circumstances.
3. RESOURCES: Preparing for birth can feel like an arduous task of read this, study this, learn that. We’ve done the leg work for you. We have a private portal for clients with the latest evidence-based research on nearly all topics birth-related. Want to know the latest stats on Vitamin K shots, or why some people consider delayed cord clamping? We’ve got that covered. We also have a large assortment of books and videos in our lending library, which is available to all of our clients at no charge.
4. RELATIONSHIPS: We have worked with nearly every obstetric and midwifery practice in the Lehigh Valley, and come highly recommended by hospitals, doctors, nurses and of course the families that have used our services. Because of our extensive professional network and the sheer hours we have spent in this line of work, we are prepared to help you decide on a birth location and care provider that most closely match your goals.
5. OUR DUAL-CARE MODEL: Every family that we work with gets two doulas. Twice the knowledge, twice the training, twice the personal and professional experiences. It also means that we have been able to find appropriate work-life balance, which is difficult to do when you’re on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in a solo practice. Because we don’t burn out, we have many years of experience, compared with many doulas nationally who leave the profession after 2-3 years.
6. BACK UP, BACK UP and more BACK UP: Our extensive team of doulas means that God forbid your doula gets in a car accident or has the flu or is at another birth, there is always someone to be there with you. If it’s a temporary delay (such as finishing up at another birth), your doula will join you as soon as possible. If it’s something more severe like illness or a family emergency, your backup doula will remain with you throughout your labor, with access to all of your prenatal notes and birth plan to support you just as your planned doula would.
7. EXTENSION OF CARE: We do a whole lot more than just doulaing birthing families. We have postpartum doulas who help families adjust to life with a new baby, or assist mothers who have had a difficult pregnancy and birth to recover while still caring for their baby. We have a Lactaction Consultant, a Placenta Specialist, a Childbirth Educator, Yoga Instructors and Belly Binding Experts. There’s also a whole-family chiropractor that shares our office and specializes in prenatal and infant care. Having everything under one roof means it’s familiar to you, and easy for us to coordinate your care plan among all of these professionals.
8. FLEXIBILITY: We have 6 different pre-planned packages that meet the needs of most of our clients (including some specifically for planned cesareans!), but we also customize our packages to include exactly the services that meet your needs and fit your family budget.
9. JUDGEMENT FREE APPROACH: Some people prefer epidurals. Some people want to hang in the tub. Some want to go to the hospital at the first sign of labor, and other prefer to stick it out at home for a while. We have no preconceived notions about what birth should look like, other than knowing it should look like what you want it to look like. We spend a good deal of time talking through your vision for your birth, and help you prepare for things you may not have considered. And when the big day comes, we are happy to guide you through any unexpected changes to the game plan.
Now that you've gotten to know about us, schedule a quick consultation with us so we can get to know you!