Doula Services Loss & Grief FAQs Contact

Guardian of the Portal · Womb Wisdom Keeper · Ancestral Doula

Sacred Pause Doula

I walk with individuals and families through the sacred thresholds of life — pregnancy, birth, postpartum, abortion, loss, rebirth, and the remembering of the womb.

My lineage is woven through Nicaragua, Guatemala, and Cuba.
My path carries Ayurveda, Vedic philosophy, womb healing,
herbalism, reiki, ancestral practices, and birth justice.

Bilingual · EN · ES Insurance Accepted Rhode Island · Massachusetts Culturally Rooted
Book a Discovery Call See Offerings
Rasa — Sara Castañeda, Sacred Pause Doula
I believe the womb is an oracle. Birth is ceremony. The body is a living archive of memory, lineage, and resilience.
— Rasa (Sara Castañeda), Sacred Pause
Birth Doula Support

Birth held as ceremony.

Steady, culturally grounded support throughout pregnancy and labor. Care that blends emotional, physical, spiritual, and ancestral practices — so you feel centered from conception through postpartum. I don't walk ahead of you or behind you. I walk with you — con amor, presence, and reverence.

Base Package

Doula Support

Grounded core care

1 prenatal session
Birth preparation + comfort techniques
Ongoing text support during pregnancy
On-call from 38 weeks (2 weeks before due date through 2 weeks after)
Continuous labor support
1 postpartum session (up to 2 hours)

Best for clients wanting foundational support with guidance, presence, and care throughout birth.

Expanded Care

Deeper Connection

More guidance, more preparation

2 prenatal sessions
Birth vision + emotional preparation
Comfort measures, positions, partner support
Herbal recommendations + light Ayurvedic guidance
Ongoing text + voice support
On-call from 38 weeks (2 weeks before due date through 2 weeks after)
Continuous labor support
1–2 postpartum sessions + feeding support

Best for families wanting more conversation, education, emotional support, and postpartum integration.

Full Journey

Full Spectrum Care

Pregnancy, birth, and postpartum

3 prenatal sessions
Birth visioning + somatic grounding
Breathwork, comfort measures, early labor practices
Herbal + Ayurvedic recommendations
Unlimited text + voice support
On-call from 38 weeks (2 weeks before due date through 2 weeks after) + continuous labor support
2–3 postpartum sessions
Womb tending + gentle belly massage
Emotional processing + integration
Infant feeding support + community referrals

Best for clients wanting full-spectrum care and a deeply supported journey from pregnancy through postpartum.

Begin Your Journey
✦
Additional Services

Ancestral care for
the whole body.

🌿

Postpartum C-Section Care

Abdominal and scar massage with herbal oils — one of the most important Ayurvedic treatments after a C-section. Promotes healing, improves circulation, reduces inflammation, and creates space to connect with your body.

🛁

Postpartum Herbal Sitz Bath

A personalized postpartum sitz bath blended with organic soothing herbs and mineral-rich salts. Customized to your unique needs — calendula for skin repair, lavender for relaxation, witch hazel for inflammation. A nourishing ritual for body and spirit.

🌸

Yoni (Vaginal) Steaming

A gentle, holistic practice using herbal-infused steam to support feminine wellness. Cleanses, nourishes, and restores balance to the pelvic area. Perfect for postpartum care, menstrual support, or intentional self-care.

🤲

Sobada

A traditional Latin American form of abdominal and womb bodywork. Supports circulation, releases tension, and helps the body restore balance. Offered at any stage of life — pre-pregnancy, during pregnancy, and postpartum.

✨

Reiki

A gentle energy-healing practice that promotes relaxation, balance, and emotional well-being. During labor, Reiki creates a calm and grounded environment. Postpartum, it aids physical healing, emotional recovery, and nurturing support during transformation.

🌀

Encerado (Closing of the Bones)

A traditional postpartum ritual that honors and nurtures the birthing person. Using gentle body wrapping, massage, and intentional care — this practice helps "close" the physical and emotional spaces opened during pregnancy and birth. A deeply grounding homecoming.

Doula services covered by insurance

In 2021, Rhode Island passed the Doula Reimbursement Act — ensuring doula services are reimbursable by every Rhode Island insurance plan. Massachusetts also covers doula care and abortion support through MassHealth. I serve families across Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Connecticut. I currently accept:

Medicaid (RI) MassHealth (MA) Blue Cross Blue Shield Neighborhood Health Plan NHP Medicaid & Commercial

MassHealth in-network enrollment in progress. Reach out to discuss your coverage.

Abortion · Pregnancy Loss · Grief · Death

The portal is the same
between life and death.

Birth and death move through the same doorway. Every time a soul crosses that threshold — arriving or departing — the body that holds that crossing is forever changed. This is sacred. This is a rite of passage. And no one should have to cross it alone, or without ceremony.

Abortion and pregnancy loss are not lesser crossings. They are not shameful, not failures, not events to simply survive and move past. They are profound initiations — ones that our culture has stripped of ceremony, leaving people to grieve alone in silence. That silence ends here.

Death, too, is held as ceremony. The dying deserve the same sacred witness as the newborn. A candle, a flower, a hand — presence that says: this crossing matters. You are not alone. This moment is holy.

"No one should be alone in this. No crossing should be without witness. No body that has held life — in any form, for any length of time — should be left without ceremony."

— Rasa

What Support Looks Like

🕯️

Abortion Support & Aftercare

Compassionate, non-judgmental presence before, during, and after an abortion. Emotional support, herbal care, somatic grounding, and ceremony for the body and spirit — honoring the decision, the experience, and the sacred complexity of this crossing.

🌹

Pregnancy Loss & Miscarriage

A sacred, witnessed space for grieving the child you were expecting. Ceremony, ritual, ancestral practices, and embodied grief support — because what was lost was real, was loved, and deserves to be honored as such.

🌊

Stillbirth & Infant Loss

The deepest grief — the child who arrived and left in the same breath. Full presence, memorial ceremony, womb tending, and ongoing grief support for families walking through the unthinkable with as much dignity, love, and tenderness as the human heart can hold.

🌀

Womb Healing Ceremony

Ritual healing for the womb after any loss — abortion, miscarriage, birth trauma, or surgery. Sobada, herbal care, Closing of the Bones, and sacred ceremony to acknowledge what the body has carried and to gently, lovingly call the spirit back home.

🤝

Ongoing Grief Support

Grief does not follow a timeline. This support does not either. Whether your loss was recent or years ago — your body still carries it. Continued presence, somatic support, and ancestral healing for as long as you need to be held.

◈

Perinatal Support Groups

Sacred circles for those who have experienced pregnancy and infant loss — held with reverence, cultural sensitivity, and the understanding that grief is not a medical problem to be solved, but a sacred experience to be witnessed together.

🕊️

Death as Ceremony

The dying deserve the same sacred witness as the newborn. Whether it is a beloved companion, a parent, a grandparent, or anyone whose time has come — Rasa holds death as the sacred passage it is. Candles, flowers, ancestral prayers, presence through the night. A hand on the body. A voice in the silence. The full ceremony that every soul crossing the threshold deserves to receive.

This is not separate from birth work. It is the other side of the same doorway. Rasa has held both — and understands that the quality of our dying shapes the quality of everything we leave behind.

Learn about Sacred Passage →

Insurance Coverage

This support is covered. Under Rhode Island's Doula Reimbursement Act, doula services for abortion, miscarriage, and pregnancy loss are reimbursable — because these experiences deserve care as much as any other reproductive event.

I accept Medicaid (RI), MassHealth (MA), Blue Cross Blue Shield, and Neighborhood Health Plan for these services. Abortion doula support is covered by insurance in both Rhode Island and Massachusetts. No one should be turned away from sacred support because of finances. If cost is a barrier, reach out — we will find a way.

Reach Out in Confidence
✦
Frequently Asked Questions

Questions before
getting started.

What can I expect at my first doula consultation?

We meet at a public location — a coffee shop, park, or library. I get to know your birth wishes and what you're hoping for from doula support, and I answer any questions you have about the work and about me.

What is a doula and what do they do?

The word doula comes from ancient Greek meaning "a woman who serves." I provide emotional, physical, and spiritual support through pregnancy, labor, childbirth, and postpartum — including evidence-based information, advocacy, comfort measures, and community referrals.

Is doula care covered by insurance?

Yes — Rhode Island's Doula Reimbursement Act ensures doula services are reimbursable by every RI insurance plan. In Massachusetts, doula care and abortion support are also covered through MassHealth. I currently accept Medicaid (RI), MassHealth (MA), Blue Cross Blue Shield, and Neighborhood Health Plan. MassHealth in-network enrollment is in progress — reach out to discuss your coverage.

Is abortion support covered by insurance in Massachusetts?

Yes. Massachusetts covers abortion doula support through MassHealth. This care — including emotional support, ceremony, and aftercare — is a covered service. You should not have to choose between financial access and sacred support. Reach out and we will navigate your coverage together.

When does the on-call window begin?

My on-call window opens two weeks before your estimated due date and remains active through two weeks after — so you are fully covered no matter when your baby decides to arrive.

Do you offer bilingual support?

Yes — I offer full doula support in both English and Spanish. I believe every birthing person deserves care in the language that feels most like home.

Where do you serve?

I work with families across Rhode Island, Massachusetts (including greater Boston and Cambridge), and Connecticut. Virtual support is also available for select services.

Words from the Women

Held, witnessed,
remembered.

"

Sara held my birth space with such reverence — I felt every part of me honored. She was steady when I wasn't, fierce when I needed an advocate, and tender when I needed to fall apart. I didn't know birth could feel like this.

M

Marisol R.

Birth Client · Providence, RI

← Placeholder — replace with real testimonial

"

I came to Sara postpartum, barely holding myself together. She showed up with herbs, oil, her hands, and the most grounded presence I have ever felt. The Closing of the Bones ceremony made me feel like I was being stitched back into myself. I wept for an hour. It was exactly what I needed.

L

Luz M.

Postpartum Client · Cambridge, MA

← Placeholder — replace with real testimonial

"

Sara held space for my abortion with such care and without judgment — she helped me create ceremony around an experience I thought I had to carry alone and in silence. I didn't know I could grieve and be held at the same time. She changed how I understand my own body.

A

Anonymous

Abortion Support Client · Boston, MA

← Placeholder — replace with real testimonial

Placeholder testimonials — replace with real words from your clients when ready.

✦
Begin Your Journey

Book a complimentary
discovery call.

I offer a free discovery call so we can get to know each other before you commit to anything. No pressure — just a conversation about where you are, what you're hoping for, and whether we're a good fit.

"I don't walk ahead of you or behind you. I walk with you — con amor, presence, and reverence — as you remember who you are."

Website sacredpausedoula.com
Location Rhode Island · Greater Boston · Cambridge, MA
Languages English · Español
Insurance Medicaid (RI) · MassHealth (MA) · BCBS · NHP