- Levata, a postpartum retreat in Lehi, broke ground last week.
- The facility offers postpartum care with luxury suites, nursery access and chef-prepared meals.
- Founders aim for affordability and insurance coverage; completion is expected by early 2027.
LEHI — A husband and wife are hoping to change the possibilities for postpartum care in Utah County by creating a retreat for women and their new babies with resources, help and relaxation opportunities.
Amber Packer said their business plan began when she learned soon after she had a baby girl about places where women could go for additional help, but it wasn't an option nearby. She said she thought something like that should be available here in Utah where she and her husband are from. She said Utah women deserve the high quality care they hope to provide.
"This is where there's lots of babies and there's lots of moms, and we care about families," she said.
Now their girl is 3 years old, and they've been working on building this idea, a business they have decided to call Levata. Ground was broken for the building in Lehi last week.
She said it has been easy to find people to join the project because it is an exciting idea. Specifically, she said she is grateful for two individuals, Dave Clarke and Mindy Hill, who work in assisted living and have been able to share their expertise from working in a similar type of facility.
Whether mothers give birth at home or at a hospital, they could decide they want additional help, and Levata hopes to fill that need. Parker said they will provide aid through chef-prepared meals, access to a nursery so moms can sleep, classes on recovery and newborn care, and lactation consultants.
She said she was at the hospital for 48 hours, but the time was "not restful" with people checking in all night and an uncomfortable bed. Amber Packer noted that the beds will be more comfortable and hold two people, not sticking new fathers who want to stay on a couch as hospitals traditionally do, and will help mothers get rest.
"We're so excited to have a nursery because as soon as you leave the hospital, you're kind of on your own," she said.
Trent Packer said although this isn't the first postpartum retreat facility in the United States, it is the first with a building designed for this purpose. Many others are converted from hotels or do part of what they hope to offer with their retreat.
He said the building will be 38,000 square feet with 32 luxury suites. He said it is not a hospital or birthing center and will not provide medical care like a hospital, but it is focused specifically on aftercare.
The couple said they are actively working with insurance companies to negotiate ways people could pay for the stay. Amber Packer said she hopes insurances will also see the benefits and help cover stays, and they are also looking into allowing payments through health savings accounts or putting a stay on a baby registry.
They said similar businesses in the United States charge between $1,200 a night and $2,500, but because their facility is built for that purpose they think it will be cheaper. Amber Packer said they hope the cost for Levata is well below the lower end of other options. She said they hope for it to be comparable to paying for similar services from the home — ordering in food, getting a housekeeper, and paying for courses and baby care.
"We want to make it accessible," Trent Packer said.
He said it will be bigger and nicer than other options, while hopefully being cheaper. He also said it will have security and comfort systems designed for moms and babies.
They have seen a need in the market for aftercare for other women who have received other medical care, and said Levata will have a separate space in the building for other women besides those who are recently postpartum who can benefit from the suites, spa services and meals. People who may need medical monitoring but not inpatient hospital care.
"The more that we've gone down and started through this process, the more we've found that moms and women have not been the priority in medical care … and that's the gap that we're looking to fulfill and prioritize and that's what Levata is standing for is women come first, new moms come first, babies come first," Trent Packer said.
Their goal is to have the facility finished in early 2027.
