Who we are and what we do.

5 facts about St. Louis Birth and Baby

  • ONE. We believe in inclusivity: All people deserve to be treated with respect and seen as their whole, authentic selves. We are LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC friendly. We aim to always strive to learn, grow, and bring more love into the world.

  • TWO. We believe in honoring the sacred journey of birth. The team of individuals walking alongside you while you journey this rite of passage impacts your experience in big and small ways that ripple into your parenthood and beyond.  

  • THREE. We believe community matters. Community is important for birth workers and pregnant people alike. None of us can do life alone. We strive to build community amongst birth workers. We aim to help and encourage new parents in finding community for their journey, too.

  • FOUR. We believe in bodily autonomy without judgment. You get to decide what to do with your body, how to do it, and when. Respect for a person’s autonomy and privacy will always take precedence for us. Enthusiastic consent is non-negotiable. 

  • FIVE. We believe that artistic documentation is beautiful and important. An artful record of the journey to parenthood can greatly impact the processing and/or healing around a person’s birth story and should be treated with care (as it is an outside perspective that may feel different from the person’s own experience of their birth) — our goal is to honor and validate your version while sharing our perspective with generosity and thoughtful honesty.

5 facts about Dana (she/her):

  • ONE. I’m an extrovert. And a homebody. I feel so cozy hanging out at home (usually at my desk editing photos or videos) under a blanket. If someone invites me out, I have a hard time convincing myself to go. But then I DO go, and I end up feeling totally recharged and so glad I left the house. 

  • TWO. I have a terrible memory. I've grown to accept this about myself and consider it a sign that I'm good at living in the moment. Even so, I think this is a big part of why photography is so important to me. 

  • THREE. I'm married to a magician. He's been doing magic since he was eight years old, but decided to start his own business and turn his passion into his career after we’d been married about 6 years. He created a super fun and silly character for his kid's magic show called Chef Bananas (check him out at www.chefbananas.com) who seriously captivates kids of all ages (even the grownups).

  • FOUR. I have two daughters. My oldest is 11, and I delivered her in an unmedicated hospital birth. My youngest is 8, and I gave birth to her in a blow-up pool in my dining room with homebirth midwives. Both births were transformational for me, as I believe most birth experiences are, and, together, they led me to find my passion in birth work. 

  • FIVE. I’m an Enneagram 9 and words of affirmation is my love language. Hearing from my kids and husband that I’m doing a good job as a mom and partner makes my heart swell. Hearing from clients that my work has touched them, helped them heal or process their experience, or brought them to tears brings me the greatest joy.

5 facts about Anna (she/her):

  • ONE. I’m a thinker, listener, and a general “do it yourselfer” (as my mother would say). Sometimes I climb into the freezers at the grocery store to reach the top back shelf instead of asking for help. It’s taken me a long time to learn about my inner strength, my intuition, and the power that results from doing the work to heal myself and the world around me. I believe we are all on our own healing journeys. Birth is one of my greatest teachers.

  • TWO. A favorite memory of mine is when my husband and I married ourselves on a mountaintop in Colorado. We hiked down the mountain, and met our friends and family at our favorite neighborhood bar for happy hour. The next day we had a super fun brunch party at a lovely coffee shop.

  • THREE. I met my beloved beagle mix dog while walking through Tower Grove Park on the way to get some ice cream… truly serendipitous. We love her so much, and she feels like the perfect four legged fit for our family. 

  • FOUR. I am Auntie Anna to a niece and a nephew. They are some of the most fun humans I know (and yes, I got to be part of both of their births). Anytime they come over, they beeline to my freezer for a couple of homemade popsicles, no matter the weather. It’s so much fun watching them explore and discover themselves and the world.

  • FIVE. I’m an Enneagram 8 and quality time is my love language. I love spending time with friends, family, or clients on a coffee date or a walk in the park. My husband and I try to start most days by having a cup of coffee together and then going for a walk in the park.