About Balanced Families
Our Vision & Mission
At Balanced Families, our vision is to inspire, educate, and become the trusted resource for couples embarking on their journey to cultivate resilient families. Our mission is to equip and empower couples with practical educational resources, offering a balanced perspective to confidently navigate the challenges and joys of building strong families together.
Meet Ben & Jessica
Hi! We are Jessica and Ben Lagrone - the @balanced.birth.couple! Jessica is a certified doula and childbirth educator and Ben is an education specialist turned dad coach. We have three amazing children all with wildly different birth stories. Our birth and postpartum experiences were the catalyst for creating Balanced Families and our balanced resources for couples.
Jessica prepared for an unmedicated birth with all three of her births. Her first and second births began at a birth center where she labored entirely unmedicated, but at the end had to transfer to a hospital for medical reasons - one resulting in an emergency c-section. Her third birth (third time’s a charm!) was an unmedicated VBAC at a hospital.
Postpartum was a steep learning curve for both of us as we tried to make decisions that felt right for our family, but were met with a barrage of opinions about what is the right way to care for a baby.
After the birth of Jessica’s third child, she decided enough was enough. In her heart grew a strong passion to equip couples with balanced resources that erase guilt and uncertainty and empower each family to discover what is best for them.
When she shared this passion with Ben, it really resonated with him, but for different reasons. “Ya know, I wish as your birth partner I was more equipped, too. What if I taught alongside you in the course?” That’s when we had the idea to create a truly couples-focused curriculum that empowered partners to give moms the support they need.
We began Balanced Families in 2019 and since then have served many thousands of couples through our online birth and postpartum classes for couples.
Our Approach
bal·anced
/ˈbalənst/
adjective
taking everything into account; fairly judged or presented.
Resourcing moms and empowering dads: A comprehensive and balanced approach
We want everyone to have a seat at the table, which is why our resources are created for couples, by a couple. Everything we do, our real-life demonstrations, how-to videos, and dialogue prompts, are couples-focused.
The information we give is not opinion-based but is completely balanced and evidence-based. Every couple has a unique family culture. We create space inside of our classes for moms and dads to communicate and discover their options & desires together. Our approach is practical, educational, and engaging so that every couple feels confident and is on the same page.
Education is our weapon, and a balanced perspective is our superpower.
Our Philosophy
“It takes wisdom to build a house,
and understanding to set it on a firm foundation;
It takes knowledge to furnish its rooms”
At Balanced Families, it is our desire to empower couples to build their families with purpose, so that together they can discover the beauty of its shapes and the potential of their family as it was designed to be. Everyone deserves to have a thriving, joyful home.
Raising a Family vs. Building a Family
There’s a difference between raising a family and building a family. Whether you’re just starting to grow your family, or you've been around the block once before, bringing a new baby home can quickly become about survival, maintenance and meeting basic needs. Even as children grow older, raising a family can become a very mechanical process in which we get stuck in a rut of going through the motions of the day-to-day operations in the home.
Building a family is a conscious process of guarding and shaping the culture of our home—what comes in and what goes out. Building a family requires strategic giving of our time, energy, and resources—Key word here is strategic. The building is in how we give, how we listen, how we prioritize, and how we set boundaries. Now, all loving parents give of themselves, but building gives that selfless act definition and lasting purpose. Building is about shaping and crafting a home that is special and meaningful to you. Couples who build together are deliberate, they discuss desired outcomes and partner together to achieve them. Building a family is a lifetime investment in your marriage, in your children and in ourselves. It's what makes a beautiful legacy that will outlive us and will live on in the hearts of our children and beyond!
Our hope for your family is that you see the beauty of this. You were made to be parents! We don’t just mean physiologically have babies, but parent, instruct and shape the life of a brand-new human being.
Our Values
Family: Families are at the core of our mission.
We firmly believe that every couple can build a thriving family.
Integrity: Our values shape us and define our approach to life.
We strive to be honest, genuine, and trust-worthy.
Community: Families need other families!
We aim to provide a source of support and encouragement for couples and their families.
Education: Knowing your options is a powerful thing!
We work to facilitate comprehensive learning experiences of complex topics in simplified ways.
Journey: With you every step of the way!
We believe that every person is in a constant state of growth and discovery.
Partnership: Two are better than one and three are even better.
We operate from a platform of agreement and teamwork, and we’re determined to inspire couples to make this reality their own.