Hopewell Center for Perinatal Services was born from our passion for helping families before, during, and after childbirth. Simply put, we love helping new moms and their families during this most important, intimate, and incredible time in their lives. Founded in 2008 by Caroline Schleappi and Allison Marshall, both certified Labor Doulas, the Hopewell Center for Perinatal Services is the place to look in central Ohio for perinatal services, whether you're looking for prenatal massage therapy, a labor doula, childbirth education, or breastfeeding support.
About Our Name
The name of Hopewell has a two-fold meaning. First, it speaks of the Hopewell Indians, who lived in the Ohio Valley region several thousand years ago. In naming our company after them, we tie ourselves to our geographical ancestors and to the land we call home. In doing so, we also tie ourselves to the generations of women before us who gave lived and gave birth here in the Ohio Valley and beyond. This connection to the past is important to us, as it is a reminder of the normalcy of childbirth and motherhood. Collectively, we are neither the first nor the last women ever to give birth; we hope that our name will serve as a reminder of this fact for us and for our clients, and bring comfort and a sense of belonging.
The second meaning in the Hopewell name is in the components of the word itself. Hope reminds us of what each new baby brings with its birth - hope for the future, simple joy, and contentment. The second half of the word Hopewell -- well. Well reminds us of wellness, which is what we strive to facilitate for all our clients. Well means a source of water drawn from deep in the earth.
We are also reminded of the way water flows, moving effortlessly, allowing itself to be molded and shaped, carried along by the forces of nature it cannot control. And yet, even as water is carried along, it remains a powerful force in its own right. Water is strength -as it flows and allows itself to be moved, it gradually, relentlessly reshapes the land around it by sheer force of its existence. This is the very description of how a woman experiences labor, and shows us how powerful a force childbirth truly is.
