I was completely and utterly terrified to give birth, but I was pregnant, so it needed to be done…read more A friend recommended Birth Kalamazoo, and I'm so glad she did. At first, I didn't think I needed a doula because I wanted a hospital birth with a doctor and ALL the pain meds they could give me. But after talking to some friends and exchanging emails with Jessica, the owner, I realized that a doula could still support me despite the fact that I wasn't planning on a natural birth with a midwife. After I reached out to request a doula, Jessica set up an appointment for me and my husband to meet one. She made it clear that this was to see if we would be a good fit, and it was totally acceptable to decide we weren't. And that was great because while I'm sure she was totally competent, we didn't feel comfortable with her. When I relayed this to Jessica with some reasons why, she said it wasn't a problem and set up a meeting with a different doula. This is when we met Teresa, and she was wonderful. After we officially hired Teresa, in addition to the first casual meeting, we had two meetings to discuss what I was looking for, draft a general birth plan, and answer any questions I had. I had tons. When it all went down, Teresa was a calming presence. My husband and I had never been through any of it before, so having an expert there, advocating for us and helping us through was tremendously helpful. Teresa also did a follow up appointment and provided us with a timeline of what happened when--it was great because everything was a blur for us.

Joy was an incredible support throughout my entire pregnancy and birth experience. During the…read moreprenatal months, she provided thoughtful guidance, answered all my questions with care, and helped me feel confident and prepared for labor. When it came time for the hospital birth, Joy was the calming, steady presence I needed. She made my partner and me feel calm and supported, and truly cared for us every step of the way. She was also a strong advocate, ensuring my wishes were respected and my voice heard, and has positive relationships with the hospital staff. Joy was, without a doubt, the most positive and empowering part of my birth journey. I'm so grateful for her and recommend her to anyone considering working with a doula.

Joy was my guardian angel during my pregnancy and birth. I didn't have many friends that had…read morebabies, and everyone in my family had babies so long ago that they couldn't remember anything! Everyone else kept scaring me with their horrid birth stories. Why do people do this to pregnant women? Save your traumatic birth story for your therapist, not a hormonal, vulnerable pregnant woman! I needed someone to guide me, calm my nerves, and be my rock. Joy was that and more. She couched me during my pregnancy about birth and we created a birth plan. Any question I had she would answer, in a knowledgeable, fun, and unjudgemental way. I ended up changing my ob when I was 37 weeks pregnant to a midwife. Joy helped me not feel so crazy for doing this! And it was absolutely the right decision for us. She also gives the BEST aromatherapy prenatal massages. During labor, she helped me go through each contraction, she would "feed" me my protein shakes during labor since I was high risk for c-section and wasn't allowed to eat, but she wanted to make sure I was getting enough fluids and sustenance to keep going through labor. She helped teach my husband how to help me work through contractions and massage me. She kept me moving to progress my labor. And when my son arrived, we all cried together. It was beautiful and I know I wouldn't have had this beautiful experience if it wasn't for her.

The Vibrance Center has recently expanded and is now offering:…read more Holistic Education, Reiki Energy Therapy, Reflexology, Hot Yoga, Qi Gong, Meditation, Aromatherapy, Nutritional Supplements, Cedar Sauna, Herbal Wraps, Vsinici Classes. It's usually best to call ahead for your first visit.

Wow. I stumbled…read moreupon The Vibrance Center when I was in South Bend for the week and hunting for some yoga. I discovered that they offer Reiki sessions, a practice I recently fell in love with and am eager to explore further. Then I saw that they're offering FREE Reiki appointments for the SB150! I emailed Colleen to inquire, who promptly got back to me and confirmed that, yes, this is in fact true and that she would be happy to see me before I left town. She was even willing to meet at 7AM which was the only time that worked for both of us. Colleen is an enlightened soul and truly gifted at her work. From the moment we met, our souls felt like old friends. I left the session feeling more centered and open than I have in quite a while. Vibrance is only a couple years old and is such a gift to the community. They offer nearly everything you could possibly need for your spiritual and physical health. At this point, Colleen has assembled an amazing team of people and her vision for what this place has to offer has taken shape. I hope word gets out and that they continue to grow!