Swathi Jagannath

8/2/2024

I am beyond grateful for the incredible support I received from Sara during both my birthing experience and postpartum journey. From our very first meeting, I felt an immediate connection and knew I was in caring, capable hands.

During the last few weeks of pregnancy, Sara was always available to answer any questions I had about labor and delivery. She provided valuable suggestions about how to navigate through my birth preferences (VBAC vs. repeat C-section) and my conversations with my midwives. When I asked a question, she researched on multiple sources to provide me with the best response possible.

As soon as I went into labor, Sara came to the hospital in the middle of the night to provide support. During the birth, she was a calming presence, providing continuous reassurance and comfort. Her expertise and intuitive understanding of my needs made a profound difference in how I experienced labor. She offered a perfect balance of emotional support and practical advice, helping me navigate each stage with confidence. She advocated for my wishes and preferences, and supported my partner and me throughout the experience.

Postpartum, Sara continued to be an invaluable source of support. She is great with older kids and spent time engaging with my oldest – he asks when is Sara coming to play with him even today. She is greatly flexible with her schedule and made visits to our home even during late nights, which is when we needed the most support with a toddler and a newborn. Her visits were always filled with warmth and understanding, and she consistently went above and beyond to ensure our family was thriving.

I cannot recommend Sara highly enough. Her dedication, kindness, and expertise made a world of difference during one of the most important times in my life. She is a true gem and an exceptional doula who has left a lasting positive impact on our family. Thank you, Sara, for everything you have done. You are amazing!

Marisa Sterling

7/8/2024

I highly recommend Sara as a dedicated doula and birth companion. When I reached out to Sara, I was immediately impressed by her sincerity and passion for her work. As my doula, she checked in regularly, she answered my concerns or questions, and she helped me create a detailed birth plan. During my labor, she helped time contractions and coached me on proper breathing techniques. She went with us to the birth center and continued to support me. When I had to stay late for monitoring, Sara was willing and happy to stay with me for that time. After months of anticipation, I luckily had a wonderful birth experience and Sara played a very big part in making that happen.

Emily Collins

1/12/2024

I felt comfortable with Sara as soon as I met her. Our interview felt like meeting up with a friend rather than a hiring experience. For the birth of my second child, I wanted my husband to be with our son so it was extra important that I completely trusted my birth team. I was lucky enough to have both Milla Blindauer and Sara Wolfe Payne as my doulas, and I recommend them extremely highly either individually or as a team. Sara was at least 30 weeks pregnant with her second child at my daughter's birth! Both Milla and Sara assured me that she was up for it, so I agreed to it - after having one child I felt like the more trusted women around, the better! It turned out to be an incredible bonding experience for us; since we were both pregnant with our second babies, we understood each other effortlessly. Throughout my pregnancy, Sara had a wonderful way of checking in on me. She's so genuinely caring, I felt empowered by her support. When, at 37 weeks, I learned my baby was breech, both Milla and Sara understood the gravity of the situation for me. Throughout my second pregnancy, I practiced mindfulness and did my best to be open to whatever was coming, but I deeply wanted a peaceful home birth (after my first birth was a hospital transfer). With the breech news, I started looking into all my options, and Sara was researching along with me. Finally, Dr. Biney at Providence performed a successful version at 38 weeks and after texting my husband, I texted Milla and Sara. When it was go time, Sara was like a rock. Her presence alone is comforting and reassuring. Ultimately, my daughter was born at home after a few hours of intense labor and eight minutes of pushing. It was a peaceful birth beyond my wildest dreams. Without wholly trusting my birth team, I could have been scared, but I was ready. I wish every parent a joyful, transformative birth. Our postpartum visits were lovely and energizing. Thank you, Sara!

Heather and Justin CG

12/14/2023

Sara attended our birth in early December 2023. She was incredibly attentive and kept in mind our birth plan/wishes at all times. Sara came to our home during early labor (which ended up being hours) and eventually came to the hospital when our birth plan changed. She helped us prepare for the transition by consoling us and taking care of miscellaneous house tasks to ensure we had fewer things to worry about. It was so appreciated! Sara remained at our side for the duration of our 57-hour labor. Her presence provided the constant sense of familiarity that we needed while navigating our quickly changing situation. She helped us to move through various labor positions, provided hip compression during contractions, and was an incredible advocate for us when we could not advocate for ourselves. While all this occurred, she ensured we had time to process emotions for ourselves. On multiple occasions, she recommended we ask for alone time from the staff to give ourselves the space to think and process together. Looking back, this played a crucial role in helping us to stay connected in our decision-making process. We would highly recommend anyone looking for a doula to reach out to Sara.