ABOUT USAnna Bahnson, CD(DONA)
In 1999 I was blessed with the birth of my son. I was the first in my circle of women to have a child. As my friends began to have children I found myself overjoyed to share what wisdom I had gained. Being able to support them in their journeys was so fulfilling. I also became more and more drawn to pregnancy related issues in general. At the time, however, I was busy raising my son and working part time in another industry.
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 or at home.
Training and Affliations
- DONA Birth Doula Training and Certification
- DONA Post Partum Doula Training
- Heart and Hands Midwifery Intensive
- Acupressure for Labor Training
- Birth Trauma Counseling Training with Pam England, midwife and author of "Birthing From Within"
- "Birthing From Within" Childbirth Mentor (Educator) Training
- Coordinator of a volunteer doula program for low-income families with deliveries at Alta Bates
- BABA New Doula Mentor
- Member of the Birth Choice Doula Collective
Stacia Biltekoff, CD, CMTI have been serving families in the East Bay since 1991 with a background in early childhood development, social work and massage therapy. In 1998 I became nationally certified in massage with a specialty in injury treatment and prenatal massage. In 2001, shortly after giving birth to my daughter at home, a few friends invited me to provide labor support for them and a doula was born. As a doula I have two goals: one is that through unconditional support, informed consent and non-judgmental guidance, the mother has an empowered birthing experience no matter the outcome. The other is that if there is a partner involved, the couple be given the space to experience the labor as an opportunity to strengthen their bond on their journey toward parenthood.
In addition to my doula work, I am apprenticing with Nancy Bardacke and hopes to one day teach her Mindfulness Based Pregnancy and Parenting class. I am also the Vice President of BirthWays and teach the Comfort Measures and Labor Support Techniques class currently being offered.
Training and Affliations
- DONA Birth Doula Training
- Certified Message Therapist
- Acupressure for Labor Training
- Vice President of Birthways
- Member of the Birth Choice Doula Collective
Testimonials "I am always grateful when I hear that one of "my moms" is working with Anna and Stacia as their doulas. I have had the pleasure of being awitness as they offer support to a laboring family. They remain mindful of how much distance a laboring mother needs, though always ready to be nurturers, sisters and guides when indicated. It has been lovely to witness their focus and commitment to creating sacred space for the journey of labor and the celebration of a new being entering this world. They really are The Best."--Beah Haber, midwife.
"Anna and Stacia were our doulas for the birth of our first child, Noah. We were excited to have them as our doulas from the moment we met them, but we never could have guessed how absolutely amazing they would be as our son arrived.
From the start, they made sure to involve both of us so that we both felt empowered. The natural trepidation we felt as first time parents going to the hospital was calmed by the knowledge that they would be with us providing guidance. As Anna was on call the day we went to the hospital, she arrived soon after we did and immediately developed a rapport with the medical staff. Throughout the entire labor, she paid very close attention to subtleties and always seemed to know exactly what to do to make the laboring process more comfortable--including showers, walks, massage, and breathing techniques. I had a long labor, and at one point dilation had stalled and a caesarean delivery seemed likely. Knowing that I preferred a vaginal delivery as long as it was healthy and safe for both the baby and me, Anna suggested that I change my body position and moved me in ways to encourage dilation. Within 90 minutes of Anna applying these techniques, I had fully dilated and was ready to push. After our son was born I had a very rare and serious medical complication called a uterine inversion. While my husband stayed with our son, Anna remained with me in the operating room and provided support that I am incredibly grateful for. My husband feels the same way. Both Anna and Stacia have been a reassuring presence for my husband, since he witnessed the inversion and has needed to talk through this very difficult emotional experience for him.
Since Noah's birth both Anna and Stacia have continued to be amazing doulas. They have proactively reached out to us to see how all three of us are doing and have been incredibly responsive to the many questions we send their way as new parents. As a licensed massage therapist, Stacia helped me through muscle soreness following the labor. What we probably appreciate most throughout our entire experience of welcoming our son into the world is that Stacia and Anna have gone beyond being our doulas and have become our friends. They've always maintained the professionalism they bring as doulas but it is balanced perfectly with genuine care and emotional attachment to our lives that has made them such an important part of Noah's birth. We feel incredibly honored and privileged to have met them, and we couldn't be more thankful for the care, guidance, and friendship they have provided."--Carrie and Paul
"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
"Stacia was my doula and I recommend her highly. She met with my husband and I a few times before I went into labor and we felt completely at ease in her company. She has a very calming presence and an amazing ability to meet you where you are at during labor. My fondest memory of my labor is Stacia patiently following behind me as I walked in circles around my house pausing for each contraction with her hands surrounding my hips and back, supporting my whole being it seemed. She has an incredible gift and is extremely knowledgeable about labor, birth, and post-partum care. She is very skilled at getting the partner involved in supporting during labor and has a very good relationship with the drs and nurses at Alta Bates."
"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 again for everything!!! 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."--Gomez
"I asked OJ to call my doula, Stacia, and tell her that "I had reached the edge". She knew exactly what I meant and was by our side shortly thereafter. Stacia's knowledge, professionalism and compassion grounded me. From that point on, I felt pain, I felt power, I felt love but I never again felt fear. "--Sonja
"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 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
