Anna Pifko
Breathe in your power. Breathe out your fear.
Doula support in Kent, Medway & London
I’m Anna — a doula since 2016, Doula UK mentor and mother of three. I support families through pregnancy, birth and the first weeks after, in English and Russian.
What brings you here today?
I’m pregnant, or my baby is already here
- I’m pregnant
- I’ve just had a baby
- I’m looking for support for my baby
- I’m looking for support for myself
- I’d like to read about Anna first
I’m a doula or a birth professional
- Red Tent-trained doula
- BSc (Hons) Psychology & Child Development
- Published research
- Carrot approved
- Doula UK-recognised mentor
- Doula since 2016
- Mother of three — 15 years’ experience
- English & Русский
Is a doula right for you?
Doula support is not only for one kind of pregnancy or one kind of birth. You may recognise yourself here:
- You are pregnant for the first time and would like someone steady beside you
- You are expecting twins or more
- You are planning a caesarean, or hoping for a VBAC
- You are planning a home birth or a birth centre birth
- You have read a great deal already and want experienced hands alongside you
- Your last birth was difficult and you would like this one to feel different
- Your birth partner would value support too
What a doula does
Unhurried, continuous care
Pregnancy and early motherhood deserve time and attention. I am available to you throughout — by phone, by message and in person — and I stay with you for the whole of your labour.
Information you can act on
I explain what is being offered, along with the benefits, the risks and the alternatives, in plain language. The decisions remain entirely yours.
Comfort and protection
Massage, breathing, positions, rebozo and aromatherapy, and a calm, protected space around you and your baby — whatever shape your birth takes.
What stands behind the calm
Fifteen years of mothering and ten years of birth work shape the way I support you.
- 15 yearsof mothering three children. Two of them are neurodivergent, so advocating for a child within health and school systems is familiar ground for me.
- 10 yearsas a doula, supporting births at home, in birth centres and in hospitals across Kent, Medway and London.
- BSc (Hons)Psychology with Child Development, University of East London, with my research focused on mothers, sleep and early attachment.
- Doula UKrecognised mentor, guiding newly trained doulas through reflection, debriefs and recognition.
- Publishedresearch of my own. I read the evidence at source rather than relying on summaries of it, which is what keeps my practice current.
Evidence, and trust in your body
I read research at source, and I stay with what it actually shows. Part of what it shows is how much we still do not know. Nobody instructs a baby’s heart to beat, and nobody teaches a body how to open in labour. These processes have been refined over a very long time, and the evidence keeps arriving at the same conclusion: they work best when they are supported rather than hurried.
So I hold both. Research tells us which kinds of support genuinely help. Physiology tells us what to protect — warmth, privacy, freedom to move, unbroken time, and the hormones that quietly depend on all four. Where medical care is needed it can be a gift, and I will help you understand exactly what is being offered. Where it is not needed, my work is to keep the room calm and let your body do what it already knows how to do.
Many of the families I support make considered decisions about how they live, feed, learn and parent. You will not be talked out of yours here, and you will not be talked into anything either.
How I can help
Pregnancy & birth
Birth support packages, antenatal courses, monthly support through pregnancy and a free first meeting.
Read more →from £30 an hourAfter birth
A postnatal doula at home, the bone closing ceremony and breastfeeding support.
Read more →from £50Babies & children
Baby massage courses, sling support and Bach therapy for children.
Read more →from £35For you
Bach flower therapy online, for the times when feelings are running high.
Read more →What the research says
- 25%fewer caesarean births among women who had continuous support in labour
- ~40 minshorter labour on average
- 31%fewer women describing their birth as a negative experience
Cochrane systematic review “Continuous support for women during childbirth”, Bohren et al., 2017.
From my own practice
- 9 in 10of my clients gave birth without an unplanned caesarean
- 9 in 10told me they felt satisfied with their birth
- Almost allpartners said the family settled well afterwards
“Everyone gets through it somehow” — why that is not a plan
Most of us grow up hearing a single version of birth: pain to be endured, with everyone around us saying that it is hard and you simply have to be strong. We hear it from mothers, from grandmothers, and from almost every drama on television.
My own first two births followed that script. It was only afterwards that I learned how much difference position, movement and informed choice can make, and that enduring is not the only option available.
Preparation will not guarantee any particular birth. What it does offer is real influence: over comfort, over the decisions made along the way, and over how the experience settles in your memory afterwards.
What families say
I think she is more than a doula — she is a truly supportive partner throughout pregnancy, birth and beyond. For my second birth I chose a home birth. Anna was always available by call or WhatsApp, met my private midwives, used Bach drops and rebozo, protected the golden hour, and helped me birth naturally — healing the trauma from my first birth. I met four doulas before choosing Anna. She is calm under pressure, never pushy, informative but lets you decide.
My labour was unexpectedly quick and I called Anna when I was already in advanced labour. She calmed me straight away, pressed points on my back through each contraction, used calming oils, asked the midwives to dim the lights, showed them my birth plan and got me the water birth room I hoped for. My husband and I felt calm the moment we saw her. I was left with only positive emotions.
Where I work
Based in Lordswood, Chatham, I support families in person within about 55 miles — across Kent, Medway and into London — and online anywhere in the world.
Medway
Chatham, Gillingham, Rochester, Strood, Rainham
Kent
Maidstone, Gravesend, Dartford, Sittingbourne, Faversham, Sevenoaks, Tonbridge, Canterbury, Ashford
London
South-East London, Bromley, Bexley, Greenwich and Central London for births
Online
Antenatal courses, consultations, Bach therapy and monthly support — worldwide
Articles
What does a doula do? A guide for parents in Kent and London
What a birth and postnatal doula actually does, how it differs from a midwife, and how to choose the right doula in Kent, Medway or London.
Read more →28 September 2026How much does a doula cost in Kent and London?
What affects doula fees in the UK, what is usually included, and what birth and postnatal doula support costs with Happy Birth in Kent and London.
Read more →28 September 2026Planning your fourth trimester: 7 things to arrange before your baby arrives
A simple checklist for the first weeks after birth — rest, food, sleep, visitors, feeding support, older children and your recovery.
Read more →Where you can find me
The organisations I belong to, trained with and work alongside. Each link opens their own website.
- Doula UKMy professional body. Recognised doula and recognised mentor — my profile is on their register.
- Red Tent DoulasWhere I trained as a doula.
- CarrotCarrot approved. If your employer offers Carrot benefits, doula support with me may be reimbursed.
- IAIMInternational Association of Infant Massage — my baby massage instructor qualification.
- Healing HerbsThe Bach flower essences I use, made in Herefordshire to Dr Bach’s original method.
- Doula.ruThe Russian-speaking doula community I am part of.
Questions and answers
What does a doula actually do?
A doula provides continuous emotional, physical and informational support through pregnancy, birth and the weeks afterwards. I help you prepare, stay with you throughout labour with massage, breathing, positions, rebozo and aromatherapy, help you put your wishes across clearly, and support your recovery once your baby is here.
Does a doula replace my midwife?
No. Your midwife and doctors are responsible for the clinical side of your care. A doula carries out no clinical tasks at all: I do not perform examinations, monitor your baby or give medical advice. The two roles sit alongside one another, and most midwives are glad of a well-prepared doula in the room.
How much does a doula cost in Kent?
Birth support starts at £1,800, depending on what is included. Postnatal support is £30 an hour with a minimum of four hours per visit, monthly support through pregnancy is £150 a month, and the first consultation is free. If cost is the obstacle, do say so: Doula UK also runs an Access Fund for families in financial hardship.
Which areas do you cover?
I am based in Lordswood, Chatham, and work in person within about 55 miles: Medway, Maidstone, Gravesend, Dartford, Sittingbourne, Canterbury, Ashford, Sevenoaks and London. Courses and consultations are available online anywhere in the world.
Do you support caesarean and home births?
Yes. I support births at home, in birth centres and in hospital, planned and unplanned caesareans, induced labours, VBAC and twin pregnancies. A caesarean birth deserves just as much preparation and support as any other.
Can I have support in Russian?
Yes. I work in both English and Russian, which many families find invaluable when medical terminology in English is hard to follow, or when the wider family speaks Russian.
What is a bone closing ceremony?
It is an unhurried ritual that marks the end of pregnancy and birth and the beginning of what comes next. We talk over herbal tea, release tension with rebozo massage, a herbal bath, aromatherapy and belly massage, and close with a gentle wrapping in rebozo cloths. It can be done from three weeks after birth, and it is equally meaningful years later.
When should I book a doula?
The second trimester is ideal, as it leaves time to prepare together and for you to get to know me. That said, I have been called in advanced labour and it has still made a difference, so it is never too late to ask.
What if my birth does not go to plan?
Many births take an unexpected turn. My role does not end when the plan changes: I stay with you, help you understand what is being offered and why, and make sure you are still being asked rather than told. Afterwards, we can talk it through as many times as you need.
Would you like to meet?
If you have questions, or would simply like to see whether we are a good fit, book a free 45-minute online meeting. There is no obligation to go further.