Sarah Baker

Credentials/education: Certified Childbirth Educator—BirthWorks, Intl – 2010; Former board-member-at-large—BirthWorks, Intl; Bodywork and Somatic Education—beginning in 2022
Contact: sarah@purplelotusdoulas.com
Services offered: Birth Doula Services, Childbirth Education, Healing from Birth, Professional Doula Training, Placenta Encapsulation
Service area: Greater St. Louis region

Bio

Hi, I’m Sarah and I’m the team leader here at Purple Lotus Doulas. I have been a working as a birth professional since 2010 – as a certified childbirth educator, a labor/birth doula, placenta encapsulator, Healing from Birth facilitator, and more recently, educating and mentoring the next generation of doulas in our Professional Doula Trainings. Birth work is one of my greatest passions in life. After over a decade of birth work, the fulfillment I experience with every area of my work is still just as fresh as it was when I first start working as birth professional.

It is both humbling and rewarding to hear so many of my clients describe their experience working with me as “empowering.” Helping people step into their own power is central to every single aspect of my work as a birth professional. The journey to self-empowerment is different for everyone and the process of finding your power is always going to be unique to you.

I am sensitive to the fact that many people have experienced trauma in their lives, or during previous births, and I approach all of my professional work from a trauma-informed point of view. I have an in-depth understanding of trauma and how it affects the body, both in general and during the processes of labor, birth and postpartum. I am mindful of creating safe spaces and prioritize my clients’ sense of safety.

Doula Work

I am very experienced working with people preparing to birth in different locations (hospital, birth center or home) and am well-acquainted with the unique needs that come with each location.

I greatly enjoy working with both first-time parents and those who given birth previously. My holistic approach, expertise and experience is valuable to anyone with a previous negative birth and/or those planning a VBAC, as they are often needing both emotional healing from their previous birth AND preparation for their upcoming birth.

Childbirth Education

Since I began teaching in 2010, over 400 couples have taken Childbirth Classes with me. By the time a class participant and their partner have finished their classes, their confidence has grown significantly, their fears have reduced and they are well-educated on all the aspects necessary for a healthy, positive birth, postpartum, and transition to parenting.

It is a natural continuation of my role as a childbirth educator for me to also be a doula for some of my childbirth class participants. After their classes have finished, we then spend our doula prenatal visits finalizing their plans and getting to know their specific needs, so I can support them most effectively during their birth. Then when labor begins, I assist my clients in utilizing everything that they’ve learned throughout their classes. This process offers a unique continuity of care that is transformative for my clients, and is very meaningful to me!

When my Childbirth Class participants decide to hire a doula, if I’m not available, one of our other Purple Lotus Doulas often is and the client still experiences our unique team approach and continuity of care that we provide.

Healing from Birth

Healing from Birth was created in 2012 as a result of the large amount of clients I had who sought out Childbirth Classes and doula services after having had a previous negative or traumatic birth experience. It is a perfect complement to the work that I do as an educator and doula and is often combined with our other services. Healing from Birth is a beautiful pairing of my skills and training, along with my empathetic nature and comforting presence. It’s such a joy to hold space for my clients and to see them come away from their sessions feeling lighter and more at peace.

Professional Doula Training

Writing and leading our professional doula trainings is the truly the culmination of all the skills and experience I’ve gained throughout my career! I apply the exact same holistic approach in our doula trainings that I use in every other area of my work. This results in new doulas who have a strong, solid foundation of knowledge and skills, along with the confidence and self-awareness that will sustain them in the long-term as a doula.

A Little More About Me

I am a single parent of 2 special-needs children, ages 12 and 18. I have spent 20 years voraciously educating myself on a multitude of subjects related to alternative medicine and holistic health. I think there are few experiences in life that compare to being at a live concert. I am an aficionado of witty banter, silliness, dark humor, and puns (and you can expect to experience some of this when you work with me!). I am a lover of good food and cooking, but I am definitely no snob! The older i get, the more I focus on “being” versus “doing.” Humans are hard-wired for connection and connection is central to who I am, as i daily seek to connect more deeply with: myself, my children, my Main Squeeze, my family and friends, my clients, and even the stranger that I cross paths with at the store…and you!

Interested in learning more about any of the services I offer? Reach out to me and let’s schedule a time to talk! I look forward to hearing from you.

Testimonials

Amanda and Nick: My husband and I choose to seek a doula due to a very difficult and emotionally negative birth experience with our son. Sarah came highly recommended by a friend who had taken her BirthWorks class….We attended Sarah’s 8 week BirthWorks course, through which both my husband and I gained knowledge and confidence in ourselves and my body.…Throughout my labor and birth of my son, she helped me stay focused and calm. She supported my birth plan and helped us advocate for our birth. Not only was our experience with Sarah empowering for me, but our experience gave my husband confidence in his role in the birth process. Sarah Baker has a calming presence that was essential to my birth. I am grateful for what I learned from her, as well as her ability to support me in the way that catered to my specific needs. Thank you Sarah for all you do!!

Leah and Jonathan: Sarah provided exactly the right blend of comforting warmth and professionalism. We were especially thankful for the helpful information she provided on tough parenting decisions, the support that she gave during a very exhausting labor, and for the way that she empowered us and demonstrated trust in our ability to make good parenting decisions. Sarah was very considerate of our needs and desires and she was a very reassuring presence when we were doubting our own strength and ability to persevere throughout the labor process. We are grateful for all that Sarah has done, as both our doula and our birth instructor, to help us experience the beautiful, memorable birth of our precious baby boy. Thanks, Sarah!

Chelsea: I am so happy to be able to say that not only did I have a “natural” birth, I felt EMPOWERED through the process. THAT is the biggest blessing of my personal journey through this entire process and that is exactly what Sarah Baker led me to with her knowledge, sharing of information and gentle and kind nature. (Not to mention her amazing ability to reduce lower back pain during labor!)

I felt strong and I felt like I knew what I was doing… even in the face of the biggest unknown of my 34 years. By my son’s birthday, I was a pillar; strong, stable and prepared. All of this, thanks to Sarah’s guidance, friendship, knowledge and sharing during her [BirthWorks] class.

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Jess and Nick: It is my honor to recommend Sarah Baker as both an incredible doula and childbirth educator. I knew I wanted to attempt a natural birth, but wasn’t totally convinced I could do it, nor did I have any idea how I would manage the pain. Having decided on giving birth at a hospital, we felt strongly that a doula would be our best bet to help us navigate a natural birth in a clinical setting….Thanks to Sarah, I feel like I had EXACTLY the birth I wanted: private, quiet, pure, and intervention free….I truly could not have imagined giving birth any other way than with the education, support, guidance, and nurturing of Sarah Baker.

Stephanie: Sarah is a gem. I feel so blessed to have met her and have had her wisdom and knowledge during my pregnancy and labor….She encouraged us to ask questions and to make the labor and delivery experience our own…I honestly couldn’t have labored for as long as I did without her help, encouragement and guidance. Her guidance for my husband was wonderful as well. She encouraged him to help me and created a wonderful bonding experience for the two of us as well. My Labor was 20+ hours and she stayed at the hospital the whole time… my labor wouldn’t have been the same without her.

Carol: If you are in the greater St. Louis area, Sarah Baker is the doula that you want in your corner watching your back, encouraging you, and providing emotional support before, during, and after labor. After my first pregnancy, where my labor was induced at 41w2d and ended as a c-section … I desperately wanted to attempt a VBAC. Were it not for her, I would not have been able to make it through 22 (!) hours of active labor and successfully given birth to my daughter vaginally at 40w2d.

Though I had great nurses and have a wonderful husband, she was the one there that led me through most of my labor….She gave me the emotional strength I needed to empower me to make the best decisions possible for my baby and me on my own timetable of readiness, and never forced her opinions on anyone….If and when I have a third child on the horizon, I will definitely book her again.

Nadine: I can’t say enough amazing things about Sarah Baker. She was an incredible help with resources and information on child birth. She was always encouraging and supportive throughout my pregnancy, continuing through the weeks after my son was born …. I know we all have an idea of how we want our birthing experience to be and Sarah really helped me prepare for it well. She helped with my hospital birthing plan and explained medical terms that I never heard of. She encouraged me to make the decisions that were best for me and my family without being biased at all….I did not like the hospital nurses and I was grateful that Sarah was by my side comforting me and diffusing any negative energy. She was truly the best advocate at the hospital. In the end, my husband and I had an amazing experience with the birth of our son and I really owe Sarah for it. I will absolutely hire her again for my next pregnancy.

Becky and Andrew: Sarah was a wonderful person to have on my labor support team with my husband. She is very professional, extremely knowledgeable about the birthing process and gave us excellent support throughout the pregnancy, L&D and postpartum as well. We had a drug-free natural labor that lasted about 19 hours, and Sarah was very helpful in suggesting positions, assisting my husband who was very involved in the labor, and supporting me while interacting with hospital staff….I really appreciated Sarah’s unique ability to listen well and offer thoughts and encouragements throughout my pregnancy without pushing any opinions and advice on us, while instilling confidence in my ability to birth naturally as well. She truly helped us have a labor and delivery experience that we hoped to have and we both look back very fondly of the entire experience. She is truly a servant and will be a calming presence and confident advocate for anyone who chooses her as their doula.

Alexa: My experience with Sarah was truly exceptional. She stood by me through my extremely long labor and guided me through my un-medicated birth. She has such a calming presence and is well educated birthing process. I trust her completely and would recommend her to anyone. I couldn’t have done it without her! She also gave me the strength and support I needed to survive a week in the NICU and transitioning back at home with baby. She gave me more than I could have imagined and am so glad I had her as my doula.

Experience, Availability and Pricing

Sarah currently takes a limited number of doula clients (5-7 doula clients/year), due to her busy teaching schedule and leading the Purple Lotus Doulas team. Price for doula services is $1500.
Sarah’s childbirth education classes vary in price, depending on which class you choose. To read more about the class options, please see the details on the Childbirth Education page.
Sarah’s Healing from Birth sessions can be scheduled around your availability. Visit our Healing from Birth page to learn more.
Sarah offers Professional Doula Trainings 2-3 times per year. For all training info, or to register, visit our Professional Doula Training page. To inquire about bringing our doula training to your city, please contact Sarah by email.
Sarah takes up to 5 placenta encapsulation clients per month. Check the Placenta Encapsulation page for details and pricing.
Sarah’s service area is the greater St. Louis region

Ready to contact or interview Sarah?

Fill out the Contact Purple Lotus form or contact Sarah directly: sarah@purplelotusdoulas.com

Bio