A doula is there to be your gentle guide through this special time. She is not there to take the place of the birthing woman’s partner or other family members, rather, she is their as part of the larger team. The birth of a child is an incredibly transformative process for both mother and father. Having a doula’s calming presence can allow everyone involved to feel more comfortable and confident so that they can be truly present and enjoy the birth of their child.

When I became pregnant and gave birth to my daughter in 2002, I really learned first hand the difference that focused, loving, emotional and physical support could make. Her birth with the help of my wonderful midwife was what I had always known it could be. Not long after, I attended the labor and birth of my nephew and my fate was sealed. I knew that working with women and their partners in birth was where my heart and mind felt the most full. I read every book I could find and began to train for my new career.

I now work with birthing women and their families in the Berkeley/Oakland area as well as surrounding communities. Most often I attend births at Alta Bates, Kaiser Walnut Creek and Kaiser Oakland although I have worked at SF General, Valley Care and Marin General.

My Training and Affliations

• DONA Birth Doula Training and Certification
• DONA Post Partum Doula Training
• Acupressure for Labor Training
• Birth Trauma Counseling Training with Pam England, midwife and author of "Birthing From Within"
• Coordinator a volunteer doula program with deliveries at Alta Bates

Testimonials

"Anna was our doula for our first child. We were really lucky to have her and continue to stay in touch with her as a friend. Anna’s practical support is invaluable and her concern and care are really heartfelt. She helped me through vomiting, bathing, arriving at the hospital, getting hydrated, going into immediate delivery and 2 hours of pushing - like the perfect combination of a mother and a friend.

Being the mother of two herself, Anna is sensitive to a pregnant couple’s needs and aware of the varying perspectives towards childbirth. She has a lot of very valuable information and experience to draw from but her best contribution is her genuine personality – it stands out. What a great doula and friend – she just attended our daughter’s first birthday! We could not recommend her more highly. Thanks Anna!"—Pear

"Anna was absolutely unbelievable—an incredible support during labor and in the weeks thereafter. Anna is the best! We are lucky to have her as a doula and a friend"—David

"Anna is incredible!  My husband and I were expecting our first child and wanted to have a third person present during the labor and delivery that would support our vision of our birth process.  With Anna, we got much more than that.  Prior to the birth, Anna focuses on helping you clarify how you envision your labor and delivery and then gives you the tools to achieve it.  Her style is flexible and I found that she often got right to the heart of what I was REALLY thinking about/worried about/hoping for when I didn’t know how to verbalize it.  During the labor and delivery she was there by my side for 26 hours.  I don’t know how she was physically capable of it but she was unfaltering in her support!  She helped my husband and I have an intimate birthing experience but was always there to step forward or back when we needed it.  After the birth, Anna has continued to be extremely supportive.  I feel comfortable calling her anytime to ask for newborn advice, questions about my own recovery, or just to talk to someone.  Choosing to have Anna as our doula was by far one of the most important decisions we made during my pregnancy." -Nayir   

"Although I had done lots of preparation before the birth so that I would be ready to provide support and advocacy as needed, being able to check in with Anna *really* helped me communicate clearly and calmly with Julia and the midwives when things got slightly complicated (and emotionally very intense).  I felt that Anna was just as much a support to me as she was to Julia, and I always felt like she was there for both of us - i.e., I was not just "second fiddle" - before, during, and after Carina's birth.  If/when we have another child, I'd absolutely want Anna to be there again!" - Mark

"Thank you so much for helping us out with our labor. Having your support meant so much to Jim and I. You are very caring and intuitive. You communicated so well with Judy (midwife) and hospital staff too. I don’t know what we would have done without you."—Nerissa

"Thank you again for everything!!! Those days spent together with Sharon and you and Mariaelena will live with me forever. Thank you for your incredible strength on that seemingly endless Labor, especially. Your calming voice and unending patience will continue to teach me how to be with my children and everyone around me. You and Mariaelena were just perfect in every way for our family."—Gomez

"Highest recommendation for Anna Bahnson, a very knowledgeable doula that helped us. We had done an extensive Bradley class and felt pretty informed, but knew we needed someone there with a clear head at the birth, and it made all the difference in feeling comfortable that she was there to help us make decisions, I felt great trust in her and was able to relax. We interviewed a few, and she asked great questions, and was fantastic, pragmatic and a great communicator. She worked well with our medical staff, also takes excellent b/w photos."—Carolyn

"Anna has a natural intuitive flair for birth work and parenting suggestions. This client was challenging and Anna was creative and non-judgmental"—midwife

"For me, Anna was comforting, supportive and empowering. I truly believe that my labor and delivery went as smoothly as it did because of Anna’s soothing and supportive presence. And while my husband originally thought we could do it all on our own, he too was extremely grateful to have Anna there to help him, help me. Anna was there for us, however she never imposed herself—Anna really allowed my husband and me to truly share this amazing experience together. We loved Anna so much that we hope to have her with us for the labor and delivery of all of our children!"— Krista

"Thank you so much for being the backbone of my birth experience. I had no idea what I was in for. Having you at the birth of my son was not a luxury, it was a necessity!!! I would have been off my rocker and to the hospital at least 10 times before it was time to be admitted had you not been there to guide me. Your patience, experience and instinct were priceless! You gave my husband as much support as you gave me. Having you there for him was equally as important and I know that he will be forever grateful that we had you. Whenever I meet a new pregnant mommy to be, one of my first questions is "do you have a doula"? I would highly recommend you to anyone, anywhere, anytime! You are the best!!!!"— Shanis

As your doula I am committed to providing loving, non-judgmental, non-medical support and advocacy before, during and after the birth of your child. I will provide you with resources and information but I will not discourage you from your choices. I will always respect and facilitate those choices. I will do my best to enhance your birth experience by working to really understand your desires and by providing the services listed below.

My services will include:

• 2 prenatal visits (number of visits can be tailored to meet your needs)
• Phone and email contact during pregnancy and after the birth
• Being on call 24 hrs/day for you from your 38th week (36th week for twins) until the birth
• 1-2 postpartum visits depending on need and desire
• Assistance, in conjunction with you and your care provider, with deciding when to go to the hospital or birth center if you are not birthing at home
• Uninterrupted attendance during your labor and birth
• Physical and emotional support for mom and partner during labor and immediate post partum time (+/- 2 hrs)
• Advocacy for mother and partner before, during and after the birth
• A lending library of books and videos

Labor support and other professional services that I provide also include any of the following:

• Birth plan consultation if desired
• Exploration of the emotional side of birth through birth art exercises

• Visualization techniques/Guided visualizations
• Breathing techniques
• Massage for labor
• Acupressure for labor

• Photos of birth and newborn baby as long as the situation allows (you are my first priority)
• A detailed birth log or birth story

• Professional referrals
• Use of a birth ball
• Pregnancy photography (for an additional fee)

• Post partum support in your home after the arrival of your baby (for an additinal fee)

My services will not include:

• Medical tasks such as fetal heart monitoring, vaginal exams or perineal support.
• Operation of medical equipment
• Making decisions for you or argue with medical staff. I will help you get the information from your midwife/doctor and nurses so that you will be able to make your own informed decisions.

The fee for these services is: $950
Please do not allow financial limitations to stop you from getting the care that you deserve. Payment plans can be arranged

Informed Consent Questions (PDF file)
These are a set of questions that you can use to communicate with your care provider before, during and after the birth of your child.

Birth Doula: A woman trained and experienced in childbirth who provides continuous physical, emotional, and informational support to a woman during labor, birth and the immediate postpartum period.

Postpartum Doula: A woman trained to care for new families in the first weeks after birth
providing household help, advice with newborn care and infant feeding, and emotional support.

Eleven studies showed the following effects of doula support:

Effects on Birth Outcomes:

• Labors are shorter
• There are fewer complications
• Cesarean rates are reduced
• There is less need for oxytocin to speed up labor
• Need for forceps is reduced
• Women request less pain medication and epidurals

Effects on the Mother:

• Greater satisfaction with their birth experience
• More positive assessments of their babies
• Less postpartum depression
  

Effects on the Baby:

• Babies have shorter hospital stays with fewer admissions to special care nurseries
• Babies breastfeed more easily
• Mothers are more affectionate to their babies postpartum
  

Effects on the health care system:

• The cost of obstetrical care is dramatically reduced
• Women are pleased with the personalized care doulas offer
  

The Benefit of continuous support in labor is recognized by:

• The World Health Organization
• The Medical Leadership Council (an organization of over 1200 U.S. hospitals)!
• The Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada

How doulas practice:

• Privately, hired directly by clients
• As hospital employees
• As volunteers in community or hospital program

About.com: For Fathers Only
http://pregnancy.about.com/cs/forfathersonly/a/dadpregnancy.html

Seven Fears Expectant Fathers Face
http://www.babycenter.com/refcap/pregnancy/expectingdads/8247.html
Article from Babycenter.com

The Father Factor: How Dads Can Bond With Breastfed Babies
http://att.iparenting.com/breastfeed/dadsbond.htm
By Jonathon Allen

The Father is Pregnant Too
http://www.labouroflove.org/conception-%26-pregnancy/fathers-%26-pregnancy/the-father-is-pregnant-too%21/
Article from Labor of Love website

AskDrSears.com
www.askdrsears.com

FitPregnancy
www.fitpregnancy.com

National Women's Health Resource Center: Pregnancy
www.healthywomen.org/healthtopics/pregnancy

The Coalition for Improving Maternity Services
www.motherfriendly.org

DONA International
www.dona.org

Birthways
www.birthways.org
Childbirth and Parenting Education, Classes and Referrals

Childbirth Connection
www.childbirthconnection.org

kellymom: Breastfeeding & Parenting
www.kellymom.com