Going Above and Beyond

I’m reading a book right now that I’m loving called ‘Unreasonable Hospitality’ by Will Guidara. He is one of the owners of Eleven Madison Park, a 3 Michelin star restaurant, ranked one of the best in the world. I could go on and on about so many of his valuable lessons for business owners and entrepreneurs, but one of the biggest takeaways that feels relevant for birthworkers, is how we can think about providing our clients with that little extra “hospitality” that makes our clients feel extra cared for.  

It’s certainly not a requirement to think about giving more to our clients, when we already give so much. Doulas in many ways already offer "unreasonable hospitality". I mean what could top being there with our full presence and unwavering support during possibly the most significant moment of people's lives! But that’s part of what always makes giving more so “unreasonable”, and it’s amazing how impactful that little extra bit of thoughtfulness can make people feel.  

After I took my teacher training for baby massage, one little extra thoughtful thing I did was give clients my teacher’s baby massage book. Sure, it took a little out of my bottom line, but it was worth it to see the joy on their faces, that they could immediately put into practice the techniques in the book with their infants. 

This is part of the reason why, when I was creating the Comforting Touch Client Toolkit, I decided to include my baby massage class.  

The whole toolkit is really an example of going above and beyond. I mean, the idea that all of your clients could receive, included inside their doula package, a resource for preparing partners for how to massage and touch them during labor and pregnancy, is already amazing! For anyone who loves touch, that’s the dream. For their partners to know how to touch them the right way during the whole birthing process. 

But then, I wanted it to include that extra extra thing that would allow them to bring this same level of loving touch into their relationship with the baby! New parents are always wanting to know what to do with their babies. Always wanting to support their development, help their digestion, feel less anxious, increase their milk supply, etc. Baby massage is great for all these things, and more. 

If you’re a birthworker who has yet to tap into this resource for your people, that’s my invitation to you now. Think about how special it will feel for your clients to experience your unreasonable hospitality. When they hire you, they’ll not only be getting your standard doula services, they’ll be getting an extra special birth preparation class to share with their partner so they can know the most comforting ways to touch them during their pregnancy and birth! And then, when the baby arrives, that baby massage class will be there waiting for them! What a gift, truly.

See everything that's included so you can get your unreasonable hospitality on with the Comforting Touch Client Toolkit!