Anna Ziskoven

More about me

Hello – my name is Anna. I am a birth and postnatal doula as well as a registered osteopath, based in London. I live with my dog Scooby, and recently moved from the Ashdown Forest in Sussex to London where I live with my partner and dog Scooby on a boat.
Background I grew up in the Netherlands where homebirths were the norm, and from an early age, I learned to view birth as a “normal” yet sacred event. While travelling in India, Nepal and South East Asia I discovered my passion for holistic healthcare and completed an introductory training in Shiatsu and Traditional Chinese Medicine. Continuing my studies, I moved to the UK and completed a 4-year integrated Masters degree in osteopathy. During my time at the teaching clinic, I developed a special interest in women’s health and osteopathy for pregnancy and babies. Through hearing many birth stories, I became increasingly aware of how disempowering and traumatising many of them were, which led me to discover my passion and calling for birth work. In 2019, during my final months of osteopathy training, I also trained to become a doula. The first birth I attended beautifully confirmed that I was on the right path. I have been supporting clients and attending births ever since. I briefly pursued a midwifery career at Brighton University in 2020, but dropped out after the first year. The experience provided invaluable insights into NHS maternity care from multiple perspectives and helped clarify my role and qualities as a doula.

Current offerings & services

• Doula services: antenatal preparation, birth and postnatal support
• Bodywork: postnatal wrapping (closing the bones), pregnancy and postnatal massage, osteopathy and cranial osteopathy.

I am an advocate for homebirths and love supporting homebirthing and freebirthing families in an intimate and private birth space. However, I also feel strongly about supporting clients who choose to birth in hospital settings because of the powerful difference having a doula alongside you makes in those settings. Antenatally, I provide continuity of care tailored to your needs. For example, I can offer antenatal education, help you navigate the maternity care system, explore your hopes and fears, birth vision, birth team building, postnatal planning, relaxation exercises, bodywork, etc. During labour and birth , I provide emotional and practical support, comfort measures, and if needed I will advocate for you. As someone with knowledge of biomechanics, if required I can suggest tools to help baby into a more optimal position. Postnatally I offer practical and emotional support as you adjust to life with a new baby. This can look like infant feeding support, a listening ear/emotional support, preparing food for you, holding baby whilst you nap or shower, and postnatal bodywork for you and/or baby. Outside of spending time with clients, I love to be out in nature, see my friends, read, dance, wild swim, and travel.