512-740-6154
Rising Sun Doula Care Welcomes You
About Me
Hi families! I am Sarah Merchant, a DONA certified Birth Doula, as well as, a Newborn Care Specialist. I offer individualized support for families from preconception into early childhood through prenatal, labor, and postpartum support, as well as, newborn care. I am passionate about supporting families in achieving the birth that works best for them. I provide unbiased and evidence based birth support for all families. I trust you, your baby and your body’s ability to birth exactly how you need to.
Additionally, with my background in education, I have a deep understanding of early childhood development and many years of experience in supporting families and young children. I offer help establishing routines with your newborn, including overnight sleep support and help with infant feeding. I am also available to answer all those pressing developmental questions that may arise.
Ready to chat? Call today for a free 20 minute consultation.
Sarah is a proud member of Origin: A collective for growing familes. Are you looking for more birth, postpartum, and family related resources in our foothills community? Check out: ORIGIN: a collective for growing families.
Sarah is also a proud member of Colorado Volunteer Doulas, an organization that provides free labor doula support to families birthing at Swedish Medical Center.
My Services
Prenatal Support
When we meet for a prenatal visit, my goal is to support you in whatever means feels helpful to you. Some prenatals include meeting with the birthing person and any additional support people to discuss your goals around birth, outline a birth plan, and share resources related to pregnancy and childbirth. Additionally, I am available for more comprehensive care including partner and sibling guidance, as well as, attending prenatal appointments with you and your preferred care provider.
Prenatal visits can be paid for separately as a consultation or in conjunction with labor and postpartum care.
Birth Doula
As a Birth Doula, I offer continuous support to the birthing person and any partners during labor and delivery. I provide emotional support, physical support, and advocacy on your behalf. While I can help you learn about childbirth, if that is what you are looking for, it is never my role to tell you how to birth. I am there to help you achieve the birth that works for you.
My Birth Support Package includes a free 30 minute consultation for us to get acquainted and decide if we are a good fit. Additionally, we will have 2 Prenatal Visits to establish care and share goals for labor and birth. From that point, I will be on call for your birth month. When you go into labor and are ready for my support, I will come to the birth location of your choice to support your family through the birth. This package also includes one postpartum visit to use as you wish.
Investment for this package: $1250
Postpartum Support
As a postpartum doula, my goal is to step in during those early hazy days after birth and offer care for parents in a way that feels supportive to them. This could look like:
Newborn Care: establishing feed/sleep schedules and routines.
Sibling Care: guidance around integrating new baby, how to talk to older children.
Household Support: laundry, dishes, errands, organizing, you name it.
Meal Prep: cooking, meal train, grocery delivery.
The price for this service is $35 per hour.
Newborn Care
As a Newborn Care Specialist, I am available for both day and nighttime care for your newborn. We will work together as a care team to create a eat, play, sleep routine that supports your newborn and works for your family.
The price for this service is $35 per hour
Sibling Doula
As a Sibling Doula, I provide childcare to other children in the family during birth. Whether birthing in home or at a hospital/birth center, it is beneficial to have someone you trust to care for your older children so that you can fully surrender to the power of labor and birth.
I am on call for your birth month, to come to your home and provide care and support to your children. We can be involved in the birth as much or as little as your family wants. Additionally, I am available help older children process this exciting and monumental change in their lives.
The price for this service is $35 per hour.
Consultation
The journey from trying to conceive through parenthood can be long and confusing! Especially for first time parents. If you are looking for guidance around fertility, birth, or newborn care, schedule a consultation! We can discuss all of your questions and establish care plans that work for your family. Consultations can be by phone, zoom, or in person.
The cost of this service is dependent on time and type of consultation.
I believe strongly that all people deserve access to high quality labor and postpartum support. If the cost of doula services is a hindrance to you to access this type of care, please reach out! I am happy to accommodate you with payment plan options, trades, or discounted rates.
Contact
Ready to talk more? Reach out to discuss your customized care plan!
512-740-6154
“If you want somebody who is trustworthy, experienced, highly qualified, confident and calm, there is no question that you should hire Sarah. She goes above and beyond standard help and takes pride in her work. Sarah definitely made our lives easier by caring for our newborn and 2 toddler siblings along with taking charge of things that needed to be done around the house. It is not easy handing the care of your children (especially a newborn) over but you can relax and know they are in good hands with Sarah. This is crucial to help recover during the postpartum period. And as a bonus, our children love her! You will not regret hiring Sarah!”
-The Paradis Family
“ Having Sarah as my doula allowed me to achieve the natural birth I wanted (I would not have been able to do it without her) but she also added a beautiful touch to my birth, from making sure to help my husband know how to support me to making sure there were candles and music on right when my baby was born. Sarah’s knowledge and professionalism was above and beyond throughout each stage of my labor. Without her verbal encouragement, counter pressure, suggestions about positions, and tools to help during labor (like her rebozo) I would not have been able to manage the pain and intensity nearly as well. Even all the nurses and the OB who delivered my baby made sure to come and tell me how impressed they were with Sarah. I would highly recommend Sarah as a doula and am so grateful that she is a part of my birth story.”
-M
“I have never felt so supported and cared for during a birth. Everyone should have someone like you there to support them.”
-B
“Sarah worked with our family, teaching my two boys throughout their early childhood. She was (is!) a part of our family. Not only do I trust her to love and care for my children, but I often went to her for advice on how to best approach challenges as they came up. She was great about working with us to ensure we were on the same page for everything. I never felt like she was bringing her own agenda to her approach, rather she was bringing knowledge and support into our home.”
-Anne
“Sarah is awesome! She is a skilled, experienced and patient caregiver. Sarah cared for our young toddler and was very adept at building a relationship with her during a hard time of separation anxiety. We immediately felt comforted by her skills and her ability to soothe our child while acknowledging her emotions and needs. Sarah is very patient, interacts with children as she does with adults--in a way that is respectful and honors who they are as young people (while also being mindful of their developmental stages and meeting them where they are at with play or engaging activities). She also would provide advice or feedback with grace, and approached any challenges with patience and humor. If we had not moved out of the area we would have loved to work with Sarah as long as possible.”
-Gemma
“Sarah has been taking care of our children for a couple of years in various capacities. She is a calm, confident, and gentle leader. She has not only cared for them, but also acts as a guide along their learning journeys. I highly recommend her!”
-Tabitha