Anna Ziskoven
Anna Ziskoven | Osteopathy and Doula Services
Hi! My name is Anna. As a birth/postnatal doula and osteopath I provide holistic support for your unique pregnancy, birth and early parenthood journey.
Languages I can speak
The area I cover
I cover areas up to a 1-hour drive away from Forest Row, East Sussex. This includes areas of East & West Sussex, Kent, Surrey & South London.I can sometimes travel abroad for births.
Getting in touch
I am best contacted via e-mail or WhatsApp - see contact details below! After initial contact I usually set up an in-person or Zoom meeting (depending on distance and availability) so we can have a chat to get to know each other a little and explore the possibility of working together.
More about me
Hello – my name is Anna. I am a birth and postnatal doula as well as a registered osteopath, based in East Sussex. I live with my dog Scooby, in a cosy home on the edge of the Ashdown Forest.
Background
I grew up in the Netherlands where homebirths were the norm, and from an early age, I viewed 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, but also take on clients who choose to birth in hospital 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 the woods, see my friends, read, dance, wild swim, and travel.