About Us
Karen and Sara met during doula internship and found that they like working together. Although both maintain their own birth calendar, they often back eachother up. They both believe that the choices you make during your birth must be your decision, and will work tirelessly to bring safety, comfort and care to your birth. They help you pick through the twists and turns of birth and understand the ups and downs of each choice while protecting your birth plan. They just want you to be glowing with joy when your baby is in your arms, happy and at peace with your birth journey!
Karen Guthrie (She/her)
Karen is our hospital specialist, but also loves stand alone birth centers when one comes along. Most birth these days is in a hospital so that is where Karen has helped with 90+ babies.
Karen discovered a passion for caring for Moms and Dads while helping her daughter give birth to her first grandson at South Coast Midwifery.
She is a DONA certified birth doula, graduate of South Coast Midwifery Internship program, Spinning Babies Parent Educator (provisional), advanced VBAC doula and retired Hypnobabies instructor. Karen is also trained for the use of TENS in birth. This tiny little device can allow you to control discomfort and postpone or remove the need for an epidural!
Married for 38 years, she loves nurturing her clients, scuba diving, traveling, quilting and finding new ways to get giggles out of her grandkids.
Sara Venaglia (She/her)
Sara is our postpartum and home birth expert! (She also loves stand alone birth centers). Her journey as a doula began in 2009 with postpartum care. She has cared for over 200 postpartum families, some for just a few days, others for months at a time. Currently, Sara is attending graduate school in family therapy remotely, so nights of caring for triplets are over - but she is happy to come over for a postpartum visit! She has lots of tips and tricks to share for gliding through the postpartum period and into parenthood with relative ease, even if she is not your birth doula.
Sara's love and passion for homebirth has led her to shift her birth doula support to home births only. Fascinated and occasionally horrified by the birth journeys described by her clients, she decided to learn more. Taking DONA birth doula training in 2015, she became a certified birth doula and formed Birth Your Way Doulas with Karen in 2016. After completing the South Coast Midwifery Birth Doula Internship program, she became a midwifery assistant and attended many beautiful births. Her fiercely loving nature is steadily present to hold space around your birth, offering comfort and care in the peace of your own home.
Sara is also a reiki master practitioner, childbirth and postpartum educator, lactation educator and gentle sleep specialist. She loves taking walks on the beach, reading, gaming and practicing yoga.