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.