Sarah Thompson
Sacred Vessel Acupuncture & Doula

Website: www.sacredvesselacupuncture.com
Email: info@sacredvesselacupuncture.com
Phone Number: (970) 631-8119

I had the pleasure of seeing Sarah with my second pregnancy for accupuncture. It was near the end of my pregnancy and even with a fear of needles, Sarah helped put me at ease! She has a very calming presence and the accupture procedure also helped me let go of some of my fear surrounding labor and delivery. Here’s a little more about Sarah in her own words:

Why did you become a doula?
Oh, it is such a long story… I have been an Acupuncturist for over 12 years. I started my practice in Pain Management and Sports Medicine. About 3 years into my practice, I found out I was pregnant. It was an entirely different world, and I was completely blown away by the modern view of birth. I believe very strongly in health and the body’s natural abilities. I began my search for practitioners that would be able to provide the services I needed at the time. Being an Acupuncturist first and foremost, I was looking for an Acupuncturist that would be able to provide full pregnancy/birth/postpartum support. There wasn’t anyone! I knew right then that I needed to fill that void. After the birth of my first child, I began pursuing the avenue of becoming a Doula so that I could provide not only prenatal care but also bring my Acupuncture/Herbal and Nutritional services to birth as well.

What areas do you serve?
I work the northern front range and up into southern Wyoming…including Cheyenne, Laramie, Greeley, Loveland and Fort Collins. I work in most hospitals including Cheyenne Regional, PVH, MCR, and the Banner System. I also love homebirths.

How many births have you attended? Is there a special story of a birth you’d like to share?
I honestly haven’t kept track! But it is somewhere over 75 at this point. I have so many amazing birth stories! One of my favorites I actually missed! This was a repeat Doula client. I was called in as a backup doula with her first pregnancy. It was a very long and trying homebirth that lasted several days (started on a Friday and went into the following Monday). I was asked to join in on Sunday to provide back up doula services as well as Acupuncture to help speed things along. When I arrived she was laboring HARD and was progressing very slowly. After an Acupuncture session, she had progressed to near complete…and began some mild pushing. She, unfortunately, developed some cervical swelling and made the decision to transfer to the hospital for an epidural. With her second pregnancy, we began working nutrition and acupuncture early on (at the beginning of pregnancy). She also hired me to be her doula for her second birth. We assumed that her second birth would be long, but our goal would be to make it a normally long birth (more like 12-24 hours, not 4 days). I met with her in the office on a Friday well before her due date. She showed very little sign of being close to labor. I touched base and went to a family holiday party. I got a call from her husband later that evening saying things had really changed and they were headed to the hospital. I gathered my stuff and started to head that way. I called as I entered the parking lot, and the husband told me that I had missed it…baby was already there. To my great surprise, she had a very quick, natural, and healthy birth. It makes me so happy to see that big change from her first to second with proper prenatal care.

Are you certified? What’s your education?
I am not certified as a Doula, for my own personal reasons. I have an extensive education that is accredited, as well as state and nationally board certified. For me, certification did not make sense. The Doula profession is not regulated by a standardized board, and thus all certifications are different and do not encompass the same parameters. For me, it did not make my training better. My Current Education: Bachelor’s Degree Nutrition and Health Sciences Master’s Degree Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine State Licensed Acupuncturist Board Certified Acupuncturist-Herbalist-Nutritionist ToLabor Trained Doula Certification in Functional Medicine to be completed 2018

Do you have a backup doula? How did you choose them?
I have several Doulas that I work with. I am a unique niche in the doula field, and it is very hard to find a back up that can offer all the same services that I provide. I do, however, have an Acupuncturist-Doula that I use as my primary back up. The women I choose as backup are those that I personally know and trust.

How many clients do you take a month?
I have taken up to 5 clients a month in the past, but have found that for me to provide the best care to my client and not have it interfere too much with my Acupuncture practice, that the maximum clients that I can take per month is 2. I do, however, take many more prenatal and nutrition clients.

How would you describe your doula “style”?
I like to explain to potential clients that this is their experiences, not mine. My goal is to give them the experience that they are hoping for and to educate and guide them through it. I use to joke that I don’t have a photo of me being a doula because it isn’t my experience. I am often in the background, giving advice, guidance, and encouragement to the couple. helping them to achieve this goal together. That being said, I do not have any problems jumping in and getting hands on, but in the end, the goal is to build the relationship with the couple, not me and the mother. I am a very strong personality, and that isn’t for everyone. I love educating and throwing lots of information at people, sometimes it can be a bit overwhelming. In labor, I an compassionate, but also direct and fact driven. I will explain risks, and let the couple make the decision that is best for them…whatever it is, I support it.

Do you offer any additional services?
Absolutely! I do Nutritional Counseling for a variety of health conditions, including: Fertility, Menstrual Health, Chronic Inflammation, Diabetes, etc… As well as prenatal and postpartum Nutrition Acupuncture for Women’s Health, Pain Management and Sports Medicine Herbology Cupping Moxibustion Treatments for Breech Presentation Acupuncture for Labor Augmentation