About Sara
ABOUT SARA LYON
Listen up! You’re here for a reason and I’m here for a reason.
You’re here because you or someone you know is pregnant and you’re looking for information about what is sure to be some kind of ride.
As a doula, birth educator and prenatal massage therapist since 2005, I’m here to give you really simple instructions for the most intense day of your life that could change your entire experience of giving birth.
I’m here to give you really simple instructions for the most intense day of your life that could change your entire experience of giving birth.
But first:
Don’t overthink it! You really don’t have to – birth support can be simple and deeply effective.
In theory we should know how to labor and birth intuitively, right? Like, haven’t folks been doing this for a few years already? Mmmmmyeah, BUT… but but BUT that assumes we have a blueprint for “How To Labor And Give Birth” based on seeing people give birth IRL before we do it ourselves.
Reality is that most of us haven’t seen someone in labor before our first personal experience going through it or supporting someone we love through it. And, damn, THAT’S some wild sh*t.
So, where are we getting our visions of childbirth? We’ve got movies depicting screaming moms and fainting husbands, and we’ve got what I like to call “Fishing Stories”, personal tales of wild labors that get longer, gorier and more dramatic with every telling. We can’t help it! It is truly the greatest human drama on the planet, and WE ALL CAME FROM IT. It’s like the bottomless well of good bar stories.
But we need different and we need better, because, frankly, it doesn’t have to be this scary to do something so profoundly human.
After more than 15 years supporting families through their transitions to parenthood and having two babies myself, I actually feel that LESS is MORE. I’m on a mission to equip people with the most effective toolbox for supporting someone in labor BECAUSE WE CAN DO IT and I wish more of us knew that.
My work isn’t chapters and chapters of 12 pt font, it’s practical advice, effective techniques, clear instructions and plain language so you can digest the information quickly and apply the tools with ease.
As a support person, you will learn:
How to make her feel safe. When a person in labor feels safe, they have lower levels of stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol. When the brain feels confident that there is no imminent threat, the brain signals to the body that the coast is clear and more readily allows labor to flow smoothly.
How to meet her needs. Your job is to learn how to serve her in a time of need, not to become an OBGYN. Instead of putting the pressure on yourself to be everything, focus on how you can be of utmost help as someone that the birthing person trusts. This looks like encouragement, hydration, a back rub, a blanket when she’s cold and a fan when she’s hot – you’ll have to read the books for more ;)
What to do with yourself. The hardest part of approaching labor as a support person is performance anxiety. No labor support partner goes into the birth room hoping to be helpless, but most people also aren’t equipped with a guide for actionable support techniques.
Here you are, already way ahead of the game -- GOOD JOB for real!
Learn more about the creation of The Birth Deck on a podcast interview with Sara Lyon, the creator of The Birth Deck.
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