Sarah was a great addition to the birth of my 1st daughter, Lilah. My husband and I were nervous going into the process, and didn't really know what to expect, and wanted to know everything we could.
My husband and I did not hire Sarah until a month prior to our scheduled induction, as we had not fully committed to hiring a doula. Once we did, Sarah made sure to come to our house several times to go over all of the planning of our birthplan, going over several movements/positions, and overall informing us of the process and what to expect. She was very calming and reassuring even though we were nervous. Sarah did a great job of informing us about the processes involved in my induction, she was very knowledgeable about different movements and positions to encourage baby to move, and was super helpful in keeping my husband and I calm, as we tend to have higher anxiety generally.
During the labor process, Sarah was extremely mindful of our wishes, and conveying them with the staff and making sure that I had autonomy over my experience and that decisions were not going to be made for me or pushed at me. She explained things to me that I didn't quite understand when doctors came in, and made sure my voice was heard. After the birth, she stayed with me until I was moved and settled, and even came to visit us when we came home from the hospital. She is also coming over again to meet to see how things are going, and help me plan my return to work.
I would definitely recommend Sarah to everybody, even if you have gone through the birthing process before, as she is wonderful at making the experience more intimate and precious. Thank you Sarah for everything you did!
— Lenaya U.
Sarah’s support has been an absolutely vital part of making my prenatal, birth, and postpartum experience so positive. Her calm energy, incredible depth of knowledge, and clear communication are just some pieces of why her doula practice is so incredible. I will without a doubt be reaching out to her for every pregnancy I have in hopes she can be a part of my birthing team!
— Johara S.
Sarah is unbelievable. During times of high stress and uncertainty, Sarah provided a calm, measured approach that was absolutely critical for our family. Sarah communicated clearly and with grace and joy, and you can tell Sarah truly cares for the wellbeing of those under her care. We could not recommend Sarah highly enough. If you are on the fence about a doula, hop off, give Sarah a call, and rest easy knowing you will be in great hands. Thanks, Sarah!
— Jay E.
Sarah was our doula for our first pregnancy and we could not be happier with her services. Sarah is warm and friendly. We really appreciate her calm demeanor. Sarah is very knowledgeable and respectful; and she did an excellent job educating us on different options and potential outcomes for our birth plan. You can tell that she is very passionate about what she does and was very invested in making this a positive experience for us. She went above and beyond and exceeded our expectations.
— Cristina G.
Sarah was such a helpful addition to my birth team. She was there for the duration of my grueling 44 hour labor. She met with us several times before the birth, so we felt very comfortable with her before labor began. One of the reasons I chose her was for her background as a yoga instructor. During one of our visits together before labor, it became evident to me that that skill was going to come in use more than I anticipated. She was clearly very comfortable speaking and supporting me verbally in a tone that was so calming and encouraging. The breath work she brought to my labor helped me tremendously to ground me and I am so grateful to have had her there from start to finish through all the unexpected hiccups of getting our baby earth-side. She came to visit us postpartum and brought so many helpful resources. Do not hesitate hiring Sarah as your Doula, you will not find a more supportive person for your birth team, no matter what kind of birth you are planning for.
— Maggie E.
Sarah was a terrific Doula and my wife and I are very grateful for the help and guidance she offered before, during, and after the birth of our newborn. My wife had a very long labor, and Sarah was present and supportive through the entire experience. If you are looking for a Doula I would highly recommend Sarah. I am confident that she will be a knowledgeable, positive and kind presence throughout your birthing experience.
— Ben E.
Sarah was great to work with; I would highly recommend her. She stopped by to visit with my wife and I twice before the delivery, to talk things over and go through examples of comfort techniques, which my wife found to be very useful. When the delivery day came, it was very helpful to have Sarah present; it took a lot of stress off my shoulders. She did a wonderful job helping my wife through the process. She also did a follow up visit after the delivery to see how things were going those first few weeks. Overall, Sarah is a very caring person and has certainly found her calling!
— Aaron B.
From the first meeting we immediately knew that we wanted Sarah to be part of our birth team. Her strong interest in helping others, lifelong learning and kindness shined through and made us feel instantly comfortable.
During our pre birth meetings she helped us to articulate not only what our ideal birth plan would look like but why and at what points we would want to make deviations. This in depth discussion, and also efforts to understand how I best like to be verbally supported was critical to us feeling comfortable when our ideal birth plan went out the window. We became too high risk for the planned birth center and had to transition to a hospital birth. During this time Sarah provided endless support.
We labored at home and had Sarah meet us at the hospital. Once we got there Sarah was making sure that I was getting the things I needed and supporting both myself and my partner. She suggested different positions and helped me to be able to labor in the positions that were most comfortable for me. In all our interactions, both pre birth and during labor, she encouraged me to pay attention to my body and helped me with connecting my mind and body. This encouragement allowed me to labor fairly unmedicated as I had intended but also allowed me to feel comfortable with realizing when I needed additional support measures. I truly believe that without Sarah's support and presence I would have viewed all these alterations as failings and traumatic. But because of her support I feel happy and comfortable with the birth and labor that did occur.
I strongly recommend Sarah and will be using her for any future pregnancies.
— Cassie B.
Sarah is not only a great doula, but a great person. After we initially interviewed her, she went out of her way to get to know my partner and I. Her many life experiences made for some great stories & welcome distractions while we were biding time during our multi-day, multi-venue birthing tour...she even graciously indulged some unusual requests on our part that were outside the "normal" scope of duties. Having her around both showed me how and gave me the confidence (and often respite) that enabled me to be a better partner in birth to my spouse. She is so conscientious that during the birth process, she would act on things before we needed them or without us knowing to ask. The comfort she provided I can only describe as having not just your own, but your spouse's most knowledgeable, long-time, and caring friend at your beck and call. I cannot imagine the birthing process without a doula; Sarah is an incredible choice that we were fortunate enough to find through blind luck.
— Jason R.
It was a pleasure to have Sarah as our doula. From our first meeting, she was so kind, gentle and encouraging. She was extremely flexible about where and when we met, which made it easier for our busy schedule. She supported our preferences regarding the birth plan and also helped us to consider alternative scenarios…which was helpful because almost nothing went according to the “plan”.
When it came time for the birth, Sarah was with us every step of the way…over 24 hours total! She helped me to find ways to be more comfortable during painful moments and encouraged me when I felt like I couldn’t keep going. She stayed by my side when my husband needed a rest and she made sure that he was feeling supported as well. There were so many ways that Sarah went above and beyond as our doula. If you are looking for someone who is both sweet and knowledgeable, Sarah is your girl. I can’t say enough good things! Thank you!
— Kirsten J.
Sarah was my doula for the birth of my third child. She was wonderful and I highly recommend her! Sarah took the time to get to know me beforehand and understand what I wanted during the birth. She helped me craft a detailed birth plan and was very helpful with explaining options and accepting my choices in a non-judgemental way. When I needed more information on a topic before making a decision, she would help me find reliable sources of information but let me make my own choice. She was also really good at helping my husband plan for what he would do to support me during labor.
For the actual birth itself, Sarah was very helpful at making suggestions in a way that I felt I could use them or say no or ask for another suggestion. She was a good intermediary between me and the midwife, who was trying to manage too many patients at once. Sarah advocated for me when I needed it. She also did a lot of little things, like keeping my water bottle filled, handing me things before I asked for them, refreshing my cold compress, etc. Having her help felt like having a trusted family member or friend there to help, I didn't need to remember to say please or worry that I was asking for too many things. She stayed around after the baby was born to make sure I had everything I needed.
Overall, Sarah was an excellent doula and I can't think of anything I would have her do differently. She helped me feel supported and empowered through the entire process.
— Rita L.
