Today we’d like to introduce you to Sarah Ryan.
Sarah, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I guess I could say, I landed on this path miraculously by accident. Before diving into the birth world, I was on track to becoming a medical lab technician. That is until the birth of my son in 2014 when that came to a pause. Unknowingly, while I was soaking up every minute of his first year I was also creating a different vision of my new life with him. Making the decision to become a doula didn’t happen instantaneously, it was a series of decisions and experiences that lead me to it. It was the decision to deliver at a birthing center, unmedicated, while my sisters called me crazy. It was the decision to hire a midwife, so that I could spend the first days with my new baby in the comfort of my home. It was also the women that came to me after to tell me they wish they would’ve made the same choices but just didn’t know where to start. I continued to share my story to those curious enough to ask and continued to share my resources with those eager to learn and explore their options. It was through this process that I found my voice as a women’s advocate.
In 2016, I found DONA International and began to research into the role of a doula. After a few months of planning, I decided to attend a workshop that summer. I attended my first birth as a professional doula in October of 2016, I knew from that moment this would be my life’s work. I continued forward without any idea of where this would lead me but still growing more and more passionate. After a year of having a solo practice, I found DFW Birth Resource and became part of a collective. Within the same month, I was appointed as the State Ambassador for DONA International. Today, I am lucky to say I have been a part of DFW Birth Resource for almost a year and have gained more than I could have ever imagined.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
I bet if you ask any person who has invested in their passion they will tell you the pursuit is far from smooth. It involves long days and nights, sacrificing time away from your family, vulnerability, and most importantly, acknowledging that you don’t know it all sometimes and there’s always room to improve. Personally, I think my biggest struggle has been learning to juggle my roles gracefully while continuously improving. Have I gotten better? Yes. Have I gotten more graceful? That’s up for debate.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
DFW Birth Resource is a doula collective serving families all over DFW. We specialize in prenatal and labor support. As a group, we offer childbirth education, hypnobirthing, placenta encapsulation, Bengkung belly binding, dancing for birth instruction, and TENS unit rental. I think the things we are most proud of are the resources and network of trusted providers we are able to provide to our clients and community. We are set apart by the fact that we can share in each other’s experiences, learn from them, grow as a team, and use that to better our practice. We are also committed to attending continuing education workshops and encourage each other to search for new learning opportunities whenever possible.
What were you like growing up?
I was born and raised in South Dallas by a pair of hardworking Mexican immigrant parents along with 9 other siblings. We spent most of our summers visiting family in Mexico and going to the beach. These are the summers that shaped me. I remember I would climb to the top of our rooftop to pick the fruit of our tamarind trees. At night, I would hunt for toads and attempt to catch the speedy geckos that climbed up our walls. I learned how to roast a pig and de-feather chickens by the age of 10. Weekends would be for housework, everything was done by hand, including laundry. You learn to appreciate small things when you’ve had to line dry your clothes and carry buckets of water from the well to take a bath. Nevertheless, my values and work ethic were built during these summers. As I grew older, it became apparent to me that a woman’s voice, especially in the Mexican culture, can be lost amongst the housework. I’m not quite sure at what point in my life It happened, but looking back now I know my awareness is a driving force for me as an advocate.
Pricing:
- Birth Doula $800.00
- Hypnobirthing $350.00
- Placenta Encapsulation $200.00
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.dfwbirthresource.com/
- Phone: 469-909-0719
- Email: Info@DFWBirthResource.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dfwbirthresource/
Getting in touch: VoyageDallas is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
