When Juliet G. arrived at Temple Health’s brand-new Women & Families Hospital on September 4th, 2025, she was excited, but also a little nervous. Her son was overdue, and labor needed to be induced. She was also one of the very first moms to deliver at the brand-new facility — on its opening day.
“Everyone was at a brand-new location,” Juliet explains. “I hoped everything would flow well.”
Her worries quickly disappeared.
Welcome to the hospital!
Juliet knew that she was in good hands as soon as she met with her nurses and care staff, who were warm and welcoming.
She was also impressed with her spacious, private birthing room. “It was really nice. I almost felt like I was in a hotel,” she says.
The room included everything she needed, including a private bathroom, a comfortable rocking chair, and a pull-out sofa bed where her partner could rest.
And despite being in a new building, Juliet saw familiar faces from her previous births at Temple University Hospital.
“I recognized one of the staff members and one of the doctors,” she says. “That made me feel more comfortable.”
The big moment
Juliet had already had two daughters, and she had clear goals for her third baby. She wanted to give birth without an epidural, something she’d worked with her doula to prepare for. Even though she’d labored and delivered twice before, “I was still terrified,” she says. “I know labor is very, very challenging.”
Because Juliet’s labor was induced, it took time for her labor to progress. Her doula wasn’t at the hospital at that point, so they checked in regularly on the phone, and Juliet and her partner relaxed and watched TV in the birthing room as they waited.
But when Juliet needed help, the staff was right there.
“Every time I asked for something, they were helpful,” she says. Whether it was bringing her a birthing ball or offering drinks, the nurses made sure she felt supported.
The Temple team also respected her birth plan, including her choice to avoid pain medication. “They ask you, ‘Do you want to do this or this?’ I didn’t have to convince them to do anything other than what I had planned,” Juliet explains.
After slowly laboring for several hours, things suddenly kicked into overdrive. Juliet’s water broke, and — within half an hour — she welcomed her healthy baby boy into the world.
