About Warm Hands Birth Services

Who is Sara?

My Philosophy

I believe:

every family deserves to be fully informed on all aspects of their pregnancy, birth, and postpartum experience.
not every birth goes according to plan, and while it's very important to be flexible, it's equally important to know your rights and be confident in your wishes.
our culture is lacking in the support department, especially in the realm of pregnancy, birth, and the postpartum period. Doulas can help bridge that gap.
parents deserve respect, integrity, and honor while on their birth journey. Growing families is hard work!
every pregnancy and birth is a new and different experience, and should be treated as such.
supportive family, friends, and others are beneficial to the birth process.
Postpartum care is the #1 best way to achieve a smooth recovery, a happy baby, and well rested parents!

My Story

Who’s YOUR doula? Why, Sara Thompson, of course!

I thought you’d like to learn a little about me before you decide to shoot me an email about services. Maybe this will help you decide what you’re looking for in your doula- or what you’re NOT looking for.

Most importantly, I want you to find the right doula for you!

First, I am a mom, 24/7. I have four kiddos who range in age from kindergarten to teens. They are the most amazing young people! We recently relocated to the Portland area to be near family.

My wonderful husband, Brandon, and I met in 2006 when his (now our) daughter was 2, and we have been a family since. Our son was born in 2008 after I was diagnosed with severe pre-eclampsia and underwent an induction at 34 weeks. We experienced just about every intervention short of a cesarean with no personalized support at all.
We spent the next 3 weeks commuting to see our little guy 40 miles away in a Level III NICU. Our breastfeeding experience was bumpy at first due to a lack of professional assistance, but by following my instincts and seeking outside support we were able to progress to exclusively breastfed by 2 months old.

This experience later led me to follow the doula path. I knew there had to be a way for moms to receive more support than I'd had.

I took my first training in the spring of 2011, and opened Warm Hands Birth Services shortly after. I couldn’t believe folks were inviting me to attend their births and support them through the postpartum period. What an honor!!

Over 11 years, hundreds of families supported, and 2 more births of my own later, I’m still in awe at the sacred event that is birth and the intensity of the postpartum period, and I'm honored every time I’m invited to share and contribute my experience and "warm hands."

My goal, as your doula, is to provide personalized, quality doula services built on integrity and experience. I am part of a local network of doulas who work as a team to make sure that the services we provide are complimentary, that we help each other to keep our research current, back each other up as needed, and we can rely on each other. Our birth community here is envied by doulas across the globe.

Thank you for taking the time to read about me. Looking forward to getting to know you while we prepare for your birth!

-Sara Thompson

Every parent should have access to a doula.

"Sara allowed us to rest at night, knowing our newborn was taken care of. When I got up to feed her, she was peaceful and happy in Sara's care. Our postpartum care was the most wonderful gift we received!" -G, Livermore

My Training

I originally trained as a birth doula with DONA International in 2011. Since then, I've attended numerous classes and workshops on topics relating to many aspects of birth, postpartum, breastfeeding, and support. I have experience with

preemies, multiples, first time parents, second+ time parents, LGBT families, families without nearby support networks, nervous/anxious parents, complicated pregnancies, IVF/IUI/fertility challenges, surrogates, planned cesareans, planned unmedicated births, and everything in between.

I strongly believe every birthing/parenting human needs support, and that however they grow their family, I will be there to support their wishes.

Additional Training and experience-

Pre-eclampsia
Complications of Pregnancy
Rebozo
Advanced Multiples Support
NCS (Newborn Care Specialist)
Breastfeeding
Optimal Fetal Positioning
Infant Massage
Families via Surrogacy
BIPOC

Placenta Encapsulation
Supporting Trauma Survivors
Acupressure
VBAC Births
Cesarean Support
Homebirth Support
LGBTQ Families
Newborns with health challenges
NRP Certified
CBI Birth and Postpartum Certification
CPR and First Aid
Emergency Medical Responder Trained