BIRTH DOULA SUPPORT

Anna is a rock, a literal pillar of strength (albeit in a small package). She can fit, literally and figuratively, seamlessly into the birthing space.  Her innate knowledge, her intuition and her instincts are spot on.  I was privileged to work alongside her. I was the midwife, she was the doula, and guaranteed this birth would have been much different without her support.  Her ability to squeeze hips and offer encouragement, guidance, and sustenance for hours on end are unparalleled.  Anyone would be lucky to have her on their birth team. We will be referring her for as long as she takes clients (forever please!)

Lindsey, Midwife

Are you dreaming about a perfect birth? Well, mine was pretty much amazing and Anna played a huge role in it- before, during, and after my labor.
When I first met Anna I felt instant connection between us, she has that something special- a sparkle, that warmth, a positive aura... or whatever you want to call it. Her gentle and sweet demeanor is what drawn me to her right away. When I was choosing my birth support team, especially my doula I wanted to make sure that she will make me feel comfortable and safe, which she did. In addition to having a great personality Anna is also very knowledgeable in her field. She shared a lot of useful information with me during my pregnancy and helped me and my partner prepare for our birth. She exceeded my expectations during labor- her massages ?? helped me cope with pain during the most painful contractions, her calm but direct words kept me going when I was ready to give up. I couldn’t have done it without her.
Anna’s postpartum training came in very handy when I needed advice regarding breastfeeding. Anna is a big proponent of mother’s care and her postpartum services focus on mothers needs. During her postpartum visits she was willing to help with housework, gave me the best foot massages, even brought a homemade apple sauce filled with some warming spices for me to enjoy. My recovery was much faster than I expected thanks to Anna’s care.

Lola C.

I had an amazing birth experience at the hospital with Anna.
She helped me so much throughout my pregnancy till postpartum, her knowledge and passion are priceless.
I watched documentaries and read books she recommended and they were so helpful in my whole journey.
I was looking for the most natural birth without interventions at the hospital and I believe I could achieve it in many ways because of her.
She helped with contraction pain by massaging my lower back constatly, showing me how to breath and relax….it was sooooo helpful i can't even describe it in words.

I truly think I couldn’t get anyone better, her energy as a human being is very positive and sweet her passion to what she does radiates and motivates.
THANK YOU ANNA for being my doula from pregnancy to postpartum :)

Madina M.

Anna was amazing, and I would recommend her to anyone.
I called her the day I was due to deliver, having decided at the last minute that I wanted a Doula. She set up a meeting right away, and was calm, direct, helpful, and made me feel two things at once: that I was totally in control, and that I was in great hands with someone with both compassion, wisdom, and openness.
She came with me to the hospital before the birth to meet the practice, and was there throughout the birth when I needed her. She helped me switch hospitals last minute, and then ask the right questions when I was there.
I had wanted a natural birth, but after being two weeks late, I decided to induce; when the induction didn't work after another two days, I decided to have a C section. Anna was there for the hard decisions, really helped me think them through, and made me feel good afterwards, instead of disappointed that the natural birth I had hoped for didn't work.
When I asked her about things she wasn't sure, she immediately followed up with resources and ideas.
I really can't say enough good things. You will be lucky to have her!

Zephyr T.

Anna was a great help through our birthing experience. My labor was 3 days long and she was an invaluable support. She is very knowledgeable about special pressure points that helped lower the pain.  We are very grateful for our experience working with her. Anna has a great personality and a very natural approach to labor, birth and babies. I wholeheartedly recommend her without reservation.

Valentina

Anna was such an amazing help during the birth of our first child in June 2019. She had a peaceful, calm, and patient energy during my marathon 35 hour labor during which she stayed with me the entire time without hardly taking a break! My water broke early in the night and I didn't immediately have any contractions so she worked with me all through the night to try to get things jumpstarted. When I had to be induced 14 hours later, she helped us make the most of a situation that was not our ideal scenario and helped me have the beautiful birth that I hoped to have. We seriously could not have done it without her and her reassurance all throughout was a Godsend as it's really hard to make critical decisions in the moment, despite everything you know and have read beforehand. She was also great prior to birth as she met with us twice, gave us lots of resources, and answered all of our questions. After birth, she met with us an additional two times which was great as it was nice to have reassurance that everything I had been wondering or feeling was entirely normal. Her breastfeeding training and experience was also great to draw on as, even though my baby had no problems breastfeeding, it was really nice to have an extra pair of eyes to watch him latch and, again, reassure us that he was doing just fine and everything is ok. 
I can't recommend Anna enough as a doula! She is beyond kind and compassionate and will go above and beyond to help you have the birth experience that you want to have. She is also extremely knowledgeable and well-trained in all things birth and baby so she is an incredible resource to have that I cannot say enough about. I will definitely recommend her to anyone I know who is looking for a doula and will use her again for all of my future births should I still be living in the city!

Corinne

I'm so glad I found Anna. My husband and I decided late in the game (about a month or so out) to get a doula and being our first pregnancy, we really needed someone who is experienced to help us prepare for the delivery. She is very professional, knowledgeable and has a calming personality. Her support in the hospital was incredible and helped us make informed decisions especially since we were really set on minimizing medical interventions. I had to do all my laboring at the hospital due to high blood pressure and fortunately she was by my side and my husband's, guiding us through this new and a bit scary experience. It was a long night but from my the moment she got to the hospital until the baby was in my arms I felt safe and looked after. A big thanks to our doula, Anna!

Juvie C.

We are first time parents. When we began our search for a doula, we were unsure of the role they played in the birthing process. Our experience with Anna showed us that she does everything, and we now can't imagine how one could give birth without the support and encourgement she provided. She walked us through the emotional and psychological journey associated with giving birth, lent us books and videos, sent us information regarding every question we asked, and was there to discuss and listen throughout the pregnancy and post-partum period. There is more: we had a difficult and long labor, and she was there for every contraction, providing support, encouragement and love. She pushed me to try when necessary, let me rest when I needed it, and was always positive, thoughtful and strong. She stayed with me for every part of the labor and delivery, and was there to help with my recovery, breastfeeding, and postpartum feelings after we gave birth. If you are looking for calm, wise and positive support throughout the pregancy, birth, and postpartum, we cannot recommend Anna enough.

Mary Elizabeth and Martin

From first contact, Anna was both professional and warm. Within hours of contacting her, she'd emailed back for a meeting in person. I appreciated this extra effort. Obviously a doula is part of such an intimate moment in one's life, and it is much easier to assess if the chemistry is right in person than over email or phone. Upon meeting, Anna came across as incredibly calm and grounded. In the pre-natal meetings, she took time to get to know my husband, myself, and our couple dynamic. This helped her be part of our birth experience in an organic way. She also tailored information she shared with us to our personalities instead of giving us a "one size fits all" type of experience. Further, she supplemented our birth education classes in two key ways: First, she went through breastfeeding materials prior to birth. I credit early confidence and success with BF with having this knowledge. Second, while not part of our plan, she made sure we were informed about c-sections and recovery. So many of the materials we'd read were anti-c-section to the point of not even addressing the details. As it turned out, I ended up in a true emergency situation late in my labor and had a c-section. Because Anna hadn't let us go into the labor with blinders on about all the possible outcomes, this outcome was far less terrifying than it might have been otherwise.Two additional endorsements: First, the L&D nurse commented to me that Anna was one of the best doulas she had worked with, making particular note of her calmness. Second, my doctor did not want to work with a doula after a previous, very bad experience. After Anna's willingness to meet him prior to the labor and an understanding of her and his role he acquiesced. Anna handled this potentially tense or awkward situation with grace and high emotional intelligence. As a result, none of my doctor's initial skepticism bled into my birth experience. On my follow-up, he was also impressed by Anna as a doula.

Rachel

I can't recommend Ania enough as a birthing doula! My husband and I reached out to her just mere days before my 39th week, as I was starting to lose confidence that my medical provider had my best interest at heart.  I ended up being induced a week early due to some health concerns, and Ania was able to provide a lot of reassurance and guidance leading up to the induction and made herself available for any text/calls to calm my nerves.  We didn't have a chance to meet in person given the quick turn of events but I still felt a strong sense of familiarity and comfort with Ania, like she was immediately part of our "team" and was fully respectful of my opinions/preferences.  When she got to the hospital, her presence created an immediate sense of calm and peace for us.  When the labor started to gain speed, she was superb in helping us navigate the various options that were presented to us and how to communicate our preferences (for ex., delayed cord clamping, different birthing positions) to the doctor with confidence and have informed conversations.  Without her, we would have been totally overwhelmed and nervous. Ania comforted me with massage and aromatherapy which made the labor that much nicer.  When it was time to push, she was a rock for me and my husband and coached me on how to push.  Her calm and confident energy was so needed in that moment! She stayed for a couple hours following the delivery and helped me with nursing, even took photos of us with our baby daughter.  
After, she came to our apartment for two follow up visits and provided helpful advice for breastfeeding and eased other new parent concerns. she drew a sitz bath for me with healing herbs, to help with my post partum recovery.  
If you are considering Ania for your doula, I highly recommend it! She is kind, experienced and brings the perfect calm, reassurance and peace to the experience that every birth deserves.

Renata F.