Serena Sana

4/13/2023

Sara's doula expertise is unmatched, and yet that’s not even her best asset - it’s her heart and compassion for the families in her care. I first met Sara when I had to tell her why the doula I'd been assigned didn't feel like a good fit. She listened to my every word, reminded me it was okay to not be a fit with someone, and then offered herself up because she felt she was the best of her network to match my needs. Her smallest reassurances made all the difference when you are a nervous and anxious FTM. She loved getting the quick message about the baby's health and any updates our OB had. When my induction started, she was on top of things explaining what was happening and what could come next and helped us make decisions on which direction to take. When the baby's HR started to drop and the nurses were running around trying to save baby, Sara paid attention to my husband who wasn't allowed to stand near me and who felt helpless and confused by the unexplained medical chaos. My labor progressed to 10 cm in less than 3 hours, which gave Sara literally no time to get to us, but she hopped in her car, rushed over, stayed on the phone with me the whole time, AND sent another doula to us who was only a 5 minute drive away in case she didn't make it. In that moment, every action she took was to make sure I had a delivery experience that was safe, healthy, and left me feeling good about the experience. She got there and stayed with us through the baby's first hours of life. She made sure we ate, watched the baby like a hawk, took pictures, laughed with us, comforted me, and reflected on the journey.

I was struggling so much during the first few weeks postpartum and a single text turned phone conversation with her helped me feel like a good mom again.

Somehow she always knows what you need even when you don't, and that is her magic! 

Karen

4/3/2023

Sara is amazing – exactly the support and expertise I was looking for. I hired Sara late in my second pregnancy (36 weeks). I knew I didn’t want a labor like my first which was induced at 37 weeks due to low fluid. I wanted to labor as naturally as possible and let my body do what it was made to do. I was not opposed to an epidural but very open to going without if I could. But, I had no time to prepare. I had moved just a few weeks prior, was working full time and had a toddler at home. There was no time or energy for the classes or books. And at 36 weeks I was starting to feel really anxious over my labor. That’s when my practice recommended Sara.

Sara’s expertise and demeanor is exactly what I needed. She had the expertise in chid birth that myself and my husband didn’t have and were feeling overwhelmed trying to learn. She has a calm confidence, listens well and is extremely respectful and collaborative with the medical team. Having her allowed me to let go of so many worries and gave me the confidence I needed going into labor. 

During early labor she was on text and occasional calls with me all day. She was constantly checking in on me and walking me through different positions to try. Once at the hospital, she worked so well with the medical team and my husband. She was my advocate in the room and created a collaborative and supportive environment. I ended up laboring quickly and all naturally – just as I wanted. 

She did an in-person postpartum check in which was really appreciated since our current medical systems lack any real postpartum support. 

Jaclyn McGarry

4/3/2023

We are so grateful to have had Sara as our doula for the birth of our son. As first time parents, we were very unsure about what we wanted and were interested in getting as much information as possible. Additionally, it was important to me that I find a doula who would be supportive of all of my choices, including the decision to use an epidurlal, if that's what I felt I needed in the moment. Sara was kind, compassionate, and always ready with practical suggestions. (Additionally, she was great at providing me with "just enough" information to make a decision and not overwhelming me with details, which is a trap I frequently found myself falling into during pregnancy.)

Our labor was unexpectedly fast, and we were only arrived at the hospital less than an hour before our son was born. Even still, Sara was "with" us every step of the way by phone at home, and she arrived at the hospital in time to be a tremendous help during a very quick labor. Her communication style was exactly what I needed in the moment: direct and supportive, and she also helped me to avoid an epistiotomy when my son's heartrate dropped, which was my biggest fear going into birth. 

After the birth, she stuck around to help get us settled in our room, and even went out and picked up lunch for us! Her postpartum follow up was incredibly reassuring, and she's been kind enough to answer the occasional postpartum recovery question. We are so grateful to have found Sara and would highly recommend her to anyone having a baby! 

Christina P.

3/6/2019

It’s hard to even put in words how empowering our birth experience was with Sara. She gave my husband and I her companionship, guidance, and strength before during and after the birth. To the point where when we faced some struggles weeks after the birth, my husband said, “I feel like we need Sara”. During the birth itself, she pulled together an amazing team, and combined seamlessly with my husband, our Ob-Gyn, and the L&D nurse. There was a palpable flow and united atmosphere that was humbling to behold. 

I am so glad that we hired Sara, it was really important to me to have consistent support before, during and after labor. She really helped me clarify what to expect, what I wanted, and how to get it. Also, really great at answering the question “is this normal?” about five million times. In the end, she made me feel like a rockstar and got us to the finish line with support for all my choices! 

Caitlin McGee-Crane

12/21/2018

Sara was amazing and I believe her support and education were what allowed me to have the med free birth I wanted. My husband and I connected with Sara right away and appreciated all the help and eduzaeduc she provided for us pre birth. We actually ended up dropping out of our birth class for a couple reasons but we weren't worried at all because we knew we would have Sara there to help! During my more than 48 hour labor Sara was there when we needed her and sending support and exercises to try when we felt like we were ok on our own. She didn't complain about the fact that we were calling her in the middle of the night and arrived with the perfect mix of chipper excitement and calming presence. All through my labor Sara seemed to just know when I needed her, when my husband needed her, when we needed her to help my husband help me, and when we needed time with just us.  Sara also took pictures for us while I was laboring and totally got what I was ok with having pictures of and what was private. She took a picture as my husband handed our son to me (he got to catch him and announce it was a boy) and she took our first family picture which is one of my favorite pictures in the world now.

We didnt know the sex of the baby before birth and i think Sara was as excited as we were to find our!

I ended up with the absolute perfect birth team who all worked together like they had been doing births together forever and I think this was due to Sara and her demeanor and mindset. She pulled the room together.

Sara helped my husband and I be a great birthing team, giving us support, help and advice but also knowing how important and special it was that my husband and I had that experince without feeling like there was a stranger involved (although Sara is so easy to connect to she doesn't feel like a stranger after the first 5 min!) I would recommend Sara to anyone and everyone.

Faiza Hasan

10/16/2018

My husband and I felt very comfortable with Sara from the first time we met her. When we were considering hiring a doula, I knew that I wanted someone who would help me to understand what was going on and to feel empowered to make good decisions about the birth process. I also knew I wanted someone who would not push a particular type of birth or philosophy. Sara helped us form a birthing plan by weighing in on the pros and cons and she thoughtfully answered all our questions which put our mind at ease.  From the time I went into labor, Sara was there encoraging me, bringing me ice chips, talking me through things and the  massages she did on my back and hip were amazing during my contractions! After 12 hours of labor when I was stuck at 9cm and the doctor was weighing in on what to do she explained what the options were and how they would affect me. In the end I did have to have a c-section but I was so glad that Sara was there. She helped calm both me and my husband. I had always assumed that I would have a normal delivery so it was a bit of a shock when I ended up having a c-section.I highly recommend Sara not only because she's very knowledgeable in what she does but she s a great support to have during this milestone. My husband and I are so grateful to have had Sara as our doula and as our friend now.

Elaine Busby

9/27/2018

Sara Piccioni has been an amazing friend and doula before, during and after the birth of my baby girl Juliana. Being a first time mom, I didn’t know much. Most women seeking a doula may want to birth as naturally as possible, but I knew an epidural would be the route for me! Sara is an advocate for whatever type of birthing experience you would like.

In my experience, she arrived at my home shortly after I called and provided calming care. Once at the hospital Sara was my voice (in conjunction with my husbands) when I couldn't use mine. I highly recommend Sara’s doula services for any prospective mothers looking for a highly educated, respectful,, sweet and extremely helpful doula. She is truly worth every penny! I will surely use her again for baby #2 in likkkkkke 4 years! Lol.

Layla Chavez

9/15/2018

Sara has the secret touch! During my labor, I felt every bit of the pain, and literally the presence of Sara alone helped me find peace, and relaxation during my 48 hour labor. She has a passion that is SO hard to find, and is truly an advocate for all soon to be mothers. She has a gift, and I am so honored to have shared such a memorable experience with her by my side. I can't forget the comfort she gave my boyfriend throughout this process. He at first was unsure about having a Doula, but Sara helped him understand the importance of his role during our first birth. She was patient and made sure he learned everything he could, to make sure he was involved, and there for me physically, mentally, and emotionally. I don't think we will ever go without her for my future pregnancies!! Love you Sara!

Michelle Boyce

5/2/2018

I gave birth to my precious baby girl, Arabella Grace, 8 days ago. As a first time mom, I had no idea what to expect, so of course I did my research.  I knew from the beginning that I wanted a doula because I wanted to have as natural of a birth as possible, with little to no interventions. I knew that a doula would have the wisdom and experience that I did not have in the whole birthing process, so I began looking for a doula who I could trust to help me have the birth that I wanted. About halfway through the pregnancy, I found Sara through Facebook and we scheduled a meeting.   I knew right away that I wanted Sara to be my doula.  She was very helpful throughout the rest of my pregnancy, she checked in on me to see if I had questions or if I needed anything.

The morning of Sunday, April 22nd, I started having contractions around 3am. They were about 4 minutes apart so I decided to wake up my husband to go to the hospital. We arrived at the hospital around 5:30am and Sara met us there.  She continuously offered encouragement, affirmations, and pain relieving techniques.  Sara made sure that I understood everything that the nurses and doctors were doing, which eased my mind because the nurses did not have the best bedside manners.  My labor ended up lasting 27 hours and I delivered on Monday, April 23, at 7:01am.  From offering granola bars and keeping me hydrated, to helping me with techniques to get the baby in the right position, to encouraging me when I thought I couldn’t go anymore, Sara did it all. If you are looking for a trustworthy, down to earth, hard working, knowledgeable, compassionate woman, Sara is your doula :-)

Amanda Cody

2/22/2018

I found Sara well into my third trimester, I was unsure for a while if I even wanted a doula, but after meeting her with my husband I knew she was what I was looking for. I wanted someone to help us know what was going on and help us know all of our options, after all he and I decided to skip all the classes, and she did exactly that.  We had our first prenatal appointment with her and loved how she helped us figure out our birth plan and what we wanted and taught us some different techniques for pain management and things to try.

A week later my water broke unexpectedly at 36 weeks and when I called her, she helped me calm down and reassured me that everything would be fine.  She met us at the hospital and was there the entire time. The labor was far from what we thought, but sara was there every step of the way. From getting the epidural that I was trying so hard to avoid, to almost being forced into a c section, she was the calm breath of fresh air that I needed as I mentally wanted to panic.

in the end, our boy arrived as healthy as could be without the c section and I'm not sure how I would have been able to do it without her with me. When i felt like my body was failing me and not doing what it needed, she was there to calm me and help me through the crazy contractions and letting me know how well I was doing when I felt defeared.

I also must say that she offered to take pictures of the birth and they are truly so special. Something my husband and I will be able to look back on for that very special moment our son was born. I now know, that if my husband and I have another child, I will be calling Sara as soon as possible to make sure she will be available for us again.

Nicole Hopkins

2/9/2018

Cant ever say enough about Sara! I met Sara late in my 3rd trimester- 37 ish weeks!- but it was almost as if she had been present my entire pregnancy. The constant care was amazing. Always checking in, letting me bother her with endless queations, making sure I had everything available I needed, and overall just being a constant breath of fresh air. Labor day came and I was feeling as calm as ever. As the day/night progressed and turned into everything that wasnt on the plan, Sara stayed by my side ensuring I remained calm, even in the movements I was yelling at everyone. In the end, my delivery did a 360. I ended up not having Sara by my side but through the constant reminders that I was strong and made to do this, Lailah and I(along with my significant other), made it through. If I had to do it all over, Id find her even sooner.