From Conception to the Birth of a New Era - Part I

"Guest" blog by Sarah Baker.

What's happening to Sarah Baker Doula Services? 
Who is Carol Anne?
What is Lifetime of Love?

Changes are a comin'!
...  Let me explain.

As I step into the New Year of 2016 I have been reflecting on my career as a doula.   I have had the privilege of working with many different families as well as doulas.   It has been exciting, challenging and very rewarding.

I attended all types of births last year, including having the privilege of sitting in on a beautiful, gentle caesarean birth in which everyone cried with joy! Many other births stand out to me as well, including a HypnoBirth that was faster and smoother than any birth I witnessed in almost 4 years, the mother claiming that she had no pain at all! Then there was the birth where the mother had an epidural so that she could chat to us without distraction the entire time - I chuckle when I think of her as I had never met a mother so social! 

From a professional development standpoint this past year launched me into teaching Childbirth Education as a Certified HypnoBirthing Childbirth Practitioner. Being able to provide my birth clients great childbirth education and birth preparation skills added a whole new level of satisfaction for myself as a doula and has in turn benefited the families I served.  Through the HypnoBirthing series, families are going into birth confident, relaxed and joyful. 

I also took an advanced business training course through ProDoula which has inspired and propelled me to move forward and grow as a business woman in 2016.

As for being a birth doula, well, I decided that I would retrain - from the ground up. I am currently pursuing my birth doula certification through Childbirth International and I’m thoroughly enjoying their communications module, an aspect that lacked from my previous training organization.

I have always believed that my own personal growth translated into professional growth and that in turn I would serve my clients better. This year, I will be continuing my education in birth, postpartum, breastfeeding, HypnoBirthing, communication and business -  I have always been an education junky (Reddy’s  anthem “I Am Woman” plays triumphantly in the background)!

The birth industry as a whole is moving forward with big leaps and bounds to provide better, more professional birth support to all types of families with different hopes and needs surrounding their births and babies. Many doulas and their companies are going through growing pains, stretching themselves to become better trained and to provide the very best services:  Sarah Baker Doula Services is no exception.

WHICH BRINGS ME TO THIS EXCITING ANNOUNCEMENT:

Sarah Baker Doula Services

is merging with

Lifetime of Love Birth Doula Services.

Yes, first came love, now marriage and soon lots and lots of babies! 
My work wife Carol Anne and I will be forming a partnership over the next year as
Lifetime of Love Birth Doula Services.

So... how the heck did this happen?

After attending the HypnoBirthing Childbirth Educator Certification course together last summer, Carol Anne and I decided to offer classes to our clients as a teaching team.  We wanted to offer the unique experience of having two doulas/educators teaching the class.  This experience has been, and continues to be rewarding not just for Carol Anne and myself, but also for our clients and students.  Anyone who has taken one of our group classes can attest to our “dynamic duo vibe”, and yes, some have actually called us the "Dynamic Duo" (our comic series will come out soon. You, think I’m joking? My husband is a comic artist.  Just wait!).

What organically grew from this teaching team was inevitably a "Doula Team".  The next steps came naturally and logically - but I'll let Carol Anne speak to those in Part 2 of this blog!