Pennsylvania Program and Services

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Pettaway Pursuit Foundation's Doula By My Side (DBMS) provides non-medical support, peer-to-peer mentoring and home visitation along with specialized services to women who are at-risk or diagnosed with high-risk pregnancies. The curriculum our doula use is Partners for a Healthy Baby Home Visiting.

A Doula* is a trained professional in maternal health who offers you:

• Emotional, physical and educational support
• Help to access community resources
• Support to you and your family to prepare for the birth of a new baby
• Education on what to expect during pregnancy, labor and delivery
• Support during labor and delivery
• Help to schedule and get ready for prenatal visits
• ​​Trauma-Informed Care
• Education about breastfeeding, newborn care and more!

*A doula does not take the place of your OB/Gyn.

DBMS Program is currently available in five counties of Pennsylvania: Philadelphia, Delaware, Montgomery, Chester and Bucks

Check your eligibility for the DBMS Program now!
Call your healthcare provider to inquire about doula services.

 PPF is in alliance with Keystone First Bright Start Program for PA Residents
Contact Number: 800-521-6867​  

To REFER A MOM to our DBMS Program, complete the Referral Form below.

Allowing Pettaway Pursuit Foundation to serve families who are not eligible for the DBMS Program, The Pal for Parents Program (P4P) has been launched with the intent of furthering awareness on preventative healthcare and maternal health for the entire family. In addition to all facets of maternal health that PPF advocates for within our various communities, continuous support for mothers and their families has always been at the forefront of our cause. This support is offered with the intention of creating a safe and stress-free environment for the mother to prevent potential birth complications. In this regard, we plan to combat these causes of stress through our PAL for Parents Program by offering courses that enforce healthy lifestyles both mentally and physically. With encouraging this environment for mothers and their families, PPF fulfills its goals of offering preventive healthcare education, alleviating stress for parents, and enhancing the wellness of the communities we serve.

The mantra in which encompasses the initiatives we plan to set in motion is as follows:

• Provide evidence-based classes and training for parents on preventive healthcare
• Alleviate stress for parents during this overwhelming phase of their lives.
• Learning together to further enhance wellness in our community

The Pal for Parents offers the following classes, but not limited to:

• Childbirth Education
• Basic and Prenatal Yoga 
• Mommy and Baby Yoga
• Nutrition Class 
• Breastfeeding Support Group 
• ​Newborn Care Class 
• ​Safe Sleep Class
• ​Mommy Support Group 
• Dad's Corner
• NICU Support Group 
• Life Skills Classes

 Registration: To register for classes, please call us at 610-553-5479 or email us at [email protected] with your name, phone number and address.

On-site Certified Lactation Counselor

Our Certified Lactation Counselor (CLC) helps moms build up their confidence around breastfeeding. During the session, moms can bring their babies. Our CLC will help them with  breastfeeding positioning, overcoming breastfeeding anxiety, breast/nipple pain management, pumping, managing and sustaining breastfeeding while working and a lot more. 

On-site Safe Sleep Ambassadors

PPF are proud advocates for safe sleep. We offer safe sleep education courses so that our community partners can be knowledgeable on the best sleep methods for their little ones. As partners of Cribs for Kids, we offer cribs free of charge to those in need when completing  a safe sleep education session.  

On-site  Child Passenger Safety Technicians 

Protecting children when they ride in vehicles is the responsibility of all community members. Pettaway Pursuit Foundation offers Child Passenger Safety education for the following reasons: 

• About 90 people died each day in vehicle crashes (NHTSA, 2010).
• Vehicle crash are leading cause of death for children in the United States (NHTSA, 2012) 
• Child restrains, or car seats, reduce the risk of injury by 71 to 82% and reduce risk of death by 28% in comparison to children in seat belts alone. Bosster seats reduce the risk of nonfatal injuries by 45% among 4 to 8 years olds (AAA, 2012).

 Childbirth Education is a class for parents that will help them to prepare for pregnancy, stages of labor and birth. Education will encompass hopes and fears surrounding the birth of their baby; tips to alleviate pain during labor; physical activities that will help moms deliver a healthy baby; and much more. 

 Prenatal Yoga is an integrative approach encompassing poses, breathing, and meditation. This method is used to prepare pregnant women for childbirth, create a bond between mother and baby, reduce anxiety and stress, and increase endurance, flexibility, and muscles needed for labor and delivery. 

 Nutrition Class is a class that teaches parents how to create a healthy lifestyle for them and for their babies. It includes learning how to read nutrition labels on food packages, how to enforce a proper and healthy diet for pregnant and breastfeeding moms and much more. 

 Newborn Care Class is a class that encompasses the preparation of the baby’s arrival. This class includes but is not limited to safe sleep education, how to change diapers, mother-baby bonding, breastfeeding, how to change the baby’s clothes, how to bathe a newborn baby, how to play with a newborn and much more. 

  NICU Support Group is an emotional as well as educational support group for mothers with babies in the NICU. This group is composed of parents sharing their roller coaster emotions and a facilitator offering non-judgmental emotional support and education. The education includes the importance of skin-to-skin bonding and more.  

   Breastfeeding Support Group helps moms build up their confidence around breastfeeding. During the group session, moms can bring their babies to class. Allowing them to share and learn from each other’s breastfeeding experiences. They can exchange advice regarding different breastfeeding position, overcoming breastfeeding anxiety, breast/nipple pain management, pumping, managing and sustaining breastfeeding while working and a lot more. A class facilitator will be on-hand to guide them with any questions.