Meet Anna Harper

We were lucky to catch up with Anna Harper recently and have shared our conversation below.

Anna, we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.

I found my purpose by trying things and saying yes to opportunities, even when I didn’t think they would lead anywhere. I’m a big believer that you don’t have to fully know your purpose in order to move forward in the world.
While I was in school, a friend invited me to her home birth, and I said yes, even though I knew nothing about what I was getting myself into. That very experience was miraculous and changed the trajectory of my life. I started birth work out of the love I had for mothers, but grew into many other aspects of the job: advocating for the voiceless, education, community building, and nourishment.
Additionally, my calling solidified as I turned to the deep friends in my life for affirmation. You need people around you who know you well enough to confirm or talk you out of big decisions. With their encouragement, I was able to step into the role of doula with joy and encouragement, and I have never regretted it for a moment.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

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.
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.
What I’m excited about in the next year to come is attending the birth of my first niece/nephew, continuing to learn more every day, and being able to provide more accessible care through insurance. Please send me a message if you are interested in seeing what your insurance covers!

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Here is what I wish I would have known at the beginning of my journey:
First, I don’t believe that a woman has to be certified to be a doula. You can teach the stages of labor, but you can’t teach compassion, kindness, and sacrificial service, which is the truer measure of a doula. We are missing the point of caring for women in labor if we are handing over our qualifications to the system, or allowing the government to oversee our affiliations.
Second, birth work requires community. Don’t believe the lie that you can do this work in isolation. Friends in other professions just can’t understand the demands that you have, so pour into your community fervently.
Third, you can’t take care of others unless you take care of yourself. A good sleep schedule, healthy eating, regular exercise, and trusted friends to confide in are vital for your success. While on-call life does necessitate some all-nighters, you don’t get any trophies for not sleeping. Boasting in this feat will not set a good example for freshly postpartum moms, in a culture that is already pressuring her not to rest, but bounce back. Taking care of yourself first will help you slow down and avoid burnout.

How can folks who want to work with you connect?

I am always happy to work with more doulas and build community with women. I would love to host more events and provide more education, wherever there is need. If you have an interest in women’s circles, prenatal education for a church group or neighborhood, meeting a doula to answer questions, or anything else, please contact me to create something together.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://annagracedoulos.wixsite.com/welcome
• Instagram: @annadoulos

Image Credits

Hannah Wang Photography