Meet Anna Harper | Birth Doula & Placenta Encapsulation Specialist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Anna Harper and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Anna, can you talk to us a bit about the social impact of your business?
As the midwife Catalina Clark likes to say, “Peace on earth begins at birth!” My contribution to changing the world may seem small, but I truly believe that the way babies are born, welcomed into loving hands, and how mothers are supported can shape generations. I have the joy of advocating for people in vulnerable moments, challenging belief systems in the medical system, calling fathers to step into their role, celebrating babies in their arrival, and witnessing mothers realize their strength. This is no small thing!
While my impact can only be with a few families per year, in my pocket of the large area of Los Angeles, I trust that God will use the seeds I plant to grow into bigger things than I even could imagine years down the road.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I have the great joy of working as a birth doula, which is a non-medical birth worker who provides continuous labor support, emotionally, physically, informationally, and spiritually. I build meaningful relationships with families and educate them to make informed decisions, rather than fear-based decisions. I am so passionate about helping women find their voice and feel empowered to get the birth of their dreams. I love babies, but what keeps me in birth work is their mothers.
I enjoy all the aspects of the process: cheering moms on, answering questions, taking photographs, cooking warming meals for postpartum, bellybinding, and processing placentas. This is truly sacred work.
For those who are interested in starting birth work, my encouragement would be to give it time and be patient. It can take time to find the families who are going to be your ideal fit, but if you are truly called to birth work, it will happen for you. Learn as much as you can, not just in a 3 day certification, but in all of life.
What sets me apart as a doula in Los Angeles is my faith in God and my protection of the birth space. As a Christian, I pray for all my clients, and purposefully don’t participate in modalities like reiki or crystals that open up the space. My goal is to honor God in all aspects of my life.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I’ll give a slightly different itinerary, especially made for my fellow birth workers, but for anyone in need of a nervous system reset. Here are some ways that I like to recover after a birth or a long week, places that feel calming and soul-filling:

-A sound bath and mushroom latte from MUDWTR in Venice
-Workshops with the lovely women at WUUM in Venice
-A phone-free hike in Coral Canyon overlooking the ocean, taking your time to get sunlight in your eyes
-Pizza for dinner and records at Endless Color in Topanga

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
It’s only fitting for me to shoutout my Lord and Savior Jesus, from whom I have everything. Were it not for the Lord, I would be pursuing work that only served myself and made way more money. But Jesus has awakened me to his love, filled me with his Spirit, and given me purpose in my life. I never would have expected that doula work would be the path I’m on, but God knew what kind of work would be lined up for me: “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10) When my strength runs out, the Spirit of God gives me boldness in dark rooms, “a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control”. (2 Timothy 1:7) And I am forever grateful that God would use someone like me to administer his love to all kinds of people, from itty bitty newborns to overworked nurses.

Website: http://annagracedoulos.wixsite.com/welcome

Instagram: @annadoulos

Image Credits
Hannah Wang Photography