experience as a doula that Lyon opened Glow Birth & Body in Oakland in 2010 with a team of skilled massage therapists who were experts in deep tissue bodywork in a nurturing and nourishing spa atmosphere. A tailored experience for women and moms-to-be, treatments impart stress relief, reduce swelling, and offer pain relief, all while supporting the body for an easier labor and recovery. As part of Glow’s business model, Lyon instilled a no-tip policy because she believes in paying living wages to her employees. On May 1st, she opened her second U.S. location in Chicago and is “wowing” women with Glow’s signature deep tissue massage technique.
Lyon’s expertise is driven by her belief that quality, science-based birth education and healthy, non-traumatic birth experiences are a human right and should be readily accessible to all. This belief is what drives her to continuously use her voice and position in the birthing arena to elevate the standard and availability of birth support available to Black families and birth workers. She has partnered with organizations around the country such as Chicago Birthworks Collective in Illinois, Woman’s Choice Perinatal Services in New Jersey, and Homeland Hearth Birth & Wellness Collective in Nashville. Together, they are working to make a positive impact against racial disparities faced by Black communities during pregnancy, birth, and the postpartum period.
Lyon is also the creator of The Birth Deck, the widely popular deck of cards which visually distills 50 birth support techniques. After hearing about dozens of clients and their partners flailing through labor scared and forgetting what they’d learned in birth education classes, Lyon thought why aren’t there flashcards for this moment? So, she made them.
Sara will release You’ve Got This: Your Guide to Getting Comfortable with Labor on July 13th, a “must have” book for pregnant moms and birthing partners. This toolkit expands upon the 50 most effective comfort techniques for labor and is packed with tips & tricks, writing prompts, illustrations, birth stories, interactive exercises, affirmations, and practical advice.
“There is real science behind pain management and distraction for labor and I want this book to provide info that is easy to digest and will make the labor process approachable as opposed to unfathomable,” explains Lyon.
The book is available at www.thebirthdeck.com or Amazon.