Hannah Sauter
Birth Doula
About
"The best moments of life usually occur when a person's body or mind is stretched to its limits in a voluntary effort to accomplish something difficult and worthwhile!" - Mihay Csikszentmihalyi
Emilee Carpenter Photography
I have two girls under the age of five and recently got a new Goldendoodle puppy
My oldest is named Mattea; the youngest Lucy; then our dog Dwight
(Yes, I am a HUGE Office fan)
I am a stay at home mom to my girls and dog and I work as a Birth Doula.
I have been married for 5 years to my husband Daniel, and in those 5 years, we have owned a house in Corning, New York.
I enjoy making my girls smile and laugh, eating ice cream, (my favorite flavor is Ben and Jerry's Tonight Dough), and also spending quality time with my friends and family. I love winning at card games, especially beating my husband! Also, eating s'mores around a campfire with loved ones brings me so much joy.
I love to watch and learn anything about Doula work and birth.
Hannah Sauter,
Birth Doula
Helping you find your voice in your birth story.
My name is Hannah Sauter I am a Birth Doula located in upstate New York.
As a little girl, I found myself drawn to mothers and children. There was something so beautiful about motherhood that I couldn't put my finger on... As I grew up, I had many opportunities to be close to women and children; because of my dad's work, I was often found helping in the nursery with tiny babies and toddlers. When I was finally old enough to babysit, I filled my every free moment working for mothers in need. My summers were consumed with babysitting by day and relieving parents by night. Not only did I love watching the children, but I found myself staying HOURS after my shift to talk to the mothers. I drank in their stories - from pregnancy to birth, the hardships, the rewards, and every messy detail in between. Motherhood absolutely captivated my heart and mind.
Listening to story after story I found my passion and calling to serve mothers.
Everywhere I went, I surrounded myself with older and wiser women. I always felt there was something to learn from mothers: they were powerful, selfless, and full of love. It was in the midst of listening to their stories that I found myself being a shoulder for moms to cry on, a hug when they needed it, a person to give them a much need break. My passion came alive when I was with them; I found my calling in serving women and their journey of motherhood. I wanted to celebrate and support all that women could do! And this followed me wherever I went throughout life. I loved to help carry the weight of motherhood.
I was married at the age of 19 and we soon became pregnant with our first baby girl. There was something about pregnancy that just fascinated my heart and mind. I have never felt such a deep connection and trust in my body. Due to this trust and love, I knew I wanted a natural childbirth.
I gave birth naturally yet I felt so disconnected and numb, I fell into postpartum depression fast and hard. After overcoming the postpartum depression, my husband and I tried again for another baby. We were overjoyed to find out a little over a year later, we were pregnant with our second baby girl, and this time I wanted to do something different with my birth. I started to watch videos and educate myself on my body, birth, and hormones. I was showing my friends and family birth videos all the time and realized not everyone was as blown away as I was with the beauty of the woman’s body and what we can do.
I needed to do something with this passion and love but I didn’t know what it was. I wanted to feel differently after birth so I chose a home-birth that included a midwife, birth assistant, and Doula (this will look different for everyone and I love helping you establish your birth vision). My connection to my body and what I was capable of as a woman only grew. I had a team that trusted my body as much as I did, and possibly even more so. We welcomed our second baby girl into this world. I didn’t feel disconnected or numb, I felt empowered. There were struggles in the journey, but it felt completely different having been loved and supported through it.
After having a birth that made me feel empowered that is all I could think and talk about. After talking with my midwife, I realized Doula Work would be a good fit for me. I wanted to help support and love women through the hardest but most vulnerable and powerful moments of their life, whether it's for the first time or the tenth time. After watching my husband walk the journey with me two times, I realized that even though he was with me he was so disconnected, this lack of support that my husband had grown a new passion in me to try and include partners and loved ones to the best of my ability and their comfort level.
It was when I decided to passionately focus on the birthing journey that I realized something incredible. Birth is about more than a baby being born. MOTHERS and FATHERS are also being born. During your pregnancy, you are not only cultivating a life within you, but you are also becoming a parent.
Resources
RESOURCE LIST
Do you have the need for a midwife, chiropractor, massage therapist, or acupuncturist? There are people available to aid you in your birth story!
READING LIST
Want to know more about the birth process, what to expect as a new mother, father, or partner? I have compiled a list of incredible books I recommend!
