The best of both worlds.


When you add me to your birth team, you're not only getting gorgeous images that tell your baby's birth story from beginning to end, but you're also getting a certified birth doula - helping you feel seen, supported, confident, and powerful in your birth experience.


Not sure about photos? You can add me to your team as your doula only, and I’ll still bring my camera to document the experience—giving you the option to purchase photos later if you decide you'd like to remember your journey in that way.


No matter how you envision your birth, my goal is to be the fully invested, supportive presence in your corner, helping you bring your vision to life with confidence. Your birth is your journey, and I’m here to help you uncover your own strength and trust in your choices every step of the way.


A photographer shows off camera flash equipment while holding professional gear.
A photographer stands in a birth space illuminated by blue and yellow lighting effects.
What is a doula exactly?
Black and white image of a laboring moment at a birth center in Lincoln nebraska

My Birth Philosophy

Birth is something we've successfully accomplished since the beginning of humanity. It's only recently that our view of birth has shifted from a primal, spiritual, instinctual experience to a medical procedure that needs to be "managed".


While modern medicine is fantastic at emergency care, and I'm grateful that life-saving care is available when needed, we have lost our way with birth.


Just like the vast majority of us are born to see and walk and talk without "intervention" - the vast majority of our births are made to occur without any intervention. Birth works best when we honor and respect the innate, primal, and physiological processes in place that were perfectly designed by nature.

My job as your "doula-tog" (doula + photographer)


My job as your doula is to learn about YOU and what's important to you for your birth experience. I will walk along side you during pregnancy as a resource guide and listening ear, helping you learn about all of the options that are available to you and encouraging you to keep coming back to what's most important to you. My goal is to help you feel truly seen & understood, and confident with whatever decisions you make for your pregnancy, your baby, and your birth experience.


My job as your photographer is to witness and document your birth story. I bring a calm energy and hold sacred space for your birth experience to unfold however it needs to, capturing your strength and the love in the room as you bring your baby earthside. You'll be able to look back on these photos and say "wow...I really did that" or "oh yea - that is when I was feeling like I couldn't do it anymore, but found the strength anyway". These images will be a powerful way for you to put together the pieces of your story, and witness your own strength from the outside looking in.


How can I best serve you?

Birth Doula

If you're not sure about photos, this is the package for you. This package includes prenatal appointments, evidence-based information and mindset coaching, a postpartum visit, access to a library of resources, and the *option to purchase photos later on.

$1800

Birth Photography + Lite Doula

This package includes a 1-hour prenatal consultation, 24/7 on-call time, unlimited hours at your birth to 2 hours postpartum, emotional and physical support, digital files with print release & a slideshow. *Ask about payment plans and available discounts.

$2,495*

Photo + Full Service Doula

This package includes additional doula services to help you prepare for your birth, including 1-2 additional prenatal appointments, evidence-based information and birth mindset coaching, a postpartum visit, and access to a library of resources.

$2995*

Birth Film Add-On

Re-live your birth with motion and the sounds you'll never want to forget - like your baby's first cry. This is a documentary-style film that will tell your full story in about 3-5 minutes. You'll want to watch it over and over again.

$650

HOW DOES IT WORK?

1. Schedule a call


We will start by hopping on the phone or a Zoom to get a feel for one another. I'll walk you through my process and everything I offer, and you'll have the opportunity to ask all of your burning questions. If we decide we're a good fit to work together, we'll move on to step 2!

2. Book your due date


Save your due date with a signed contract and a retainer. I book limited births per year - so this step ensures that no one else can take your due date! I offer flexible, interest-free payment plans and a registry option. Certain discounts may also apply*

3. Relax & enjoy...


Once your due date is officially booked, I will walk you through each step of the process so you're never wondering what's next. We will meet in-person at least once prior to your birthing day, depending on the level of doula services you've requested. I will not be just another stranger in your birth space.

A couple shares a joyful, intimate moment together in a darkened birth center room immediately after delivery of their baby
Newborn crying during first moments in birthing tub.
Birth pool illuminated with blue lights in dimly lit room during labor.
Candid moment between couple in bed during early postpartum.
Artistic black and white photo of a newborn baby curled up in hands against dark background.
New dad stands in a hospital hallway wearing scrubs and PPE looking into the OR where his partner is having a c-section under general anesth
Medical staff attend to a patient during labor in a hospital delivery room.
midwife sits contemplatively in dimly lit birth center room during labor
laboring mom is leaning against the wall supported by her partner
Medical staff assist during childbirth as a newborn emerges in the delivery room.
Newborn baby wearing a white cap rests peacefully on white hospital bedding.
A black and white hallway scene shows medical staff wheeling a patient to the OR for a c-section
An intimate moment shared between new parents and their newborn in the delivery room.
The moment the baby gets put on her mom's chest right after birth
Black and white image of supportive birth team gathered around laboring mother.
Mother cradling newborn baby surrounded by blue string lights.
Mother holding newborn during gentle water birth experience.
new dad holds his swaddled newborn baby in a hospital setting.
Mother experiencing a contraction in a hospital bed during labor
Overhead view of water birth in progress in a birthing tub.
Black and white photo of a newborn baby wrapped in blankets being held close.
A candid black and white photo showing a laboring mother screaming during a contraction in an upright position
Black and white image of tiny newborn hands being gently held.
A black and white image captures an emotional first moment with dad and his newborn baby.
Medical professionals tend to a laboring mother in a dimly lit hospital room.
Peaceful black and white portrait showing restful moment after childbirth.
Medical professional in blue gloves examining a newborn baby during initial health screening.
Black and white photo of siblings resting with newborn baby.
Hospital room scene showing surrogate mom and bio-parents after the birth of their surrogate baby
Black and white intimate image showing tender moment between mother and newborn.
A patient rests on a medical bed during labor and delivery.
Newborn experiencing first moments after water birth in tub.
Sleeping newborn wearing white bow headband and swaddled in patterned blanket at Bryan hospital in Lincoln NE
A tender moment of a mom and daughter hugging while the mom is in labor at home
Water birth of the placenta with red-tinted water in birthing tub.
New dad looks at his newborn baby in the warmer at the hospital
Two people share champagne and smiles while holding a newborn in a hospital room after a surrogate birth.
Black and white image capturing intimate birth support moment in medical setting.
Mother and newborn sharing skin-to-skin contact after birth.
new dad looks at his baby in the warmer after a c-section delivery
Newborn baby lying on a medical scale displaying their birth weight measurement.
Newborn baby wearing a cap smiles while being examined by medical staff in blue gloves.
Baby wearing a white hat is gently cradled while being fed.
Peaceful newborn swaddled in striped blanket resting after birth.
A quiet hospital room scene illuminated by dim lighting with a laboring mother and supportive partner
A newborn baby in the hospital warmer sucking her thumb
Black and white close-up of newborn baby shortly after birth.
Healthcare provider examining a newborn baby on a floral-patterned examination table.
Close-up view of a baby emerging during delivery.
Medical staff assist with newborn delivery in hospital setting.
Close-up of umbilical cord clamp on newborn baby.
A black and white photograph of a newborn baby cradled in adult hands.
Black and white photo of joyful baby wrapped in blanket with string lights in background.
Nurse provides hip squeeze while laboring mom leans on her partner during labor at the CHI birth center in Lincoln NE
Support person provides comfort during water birth in dim lighting.
Intimate black and white photo of family bonding with newborn on couch.
Newborn baby with rosy skin lying on a colorful hospital blanket after delivery.
Emotional black and white moment captured during labor showing intense expression.
New dad in blue scrubs leans over to examine his newborn in a hospital bassinet.
Emotional moment during water birth as baby emerges in birthing tub.
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Anna shares her experience working with Novita Birth Stories

I specialize in birth photography, but also offer lifestyle and documentary family sessions. This allows me to capture the evolution of your family’s story from the very beginning and throughout the years with a level of trust and comfort that is unmatched. You won’t need to find a different photographer for each new chapter; I'm here to document it all.

Lifestyle Newborn & Family

Lifestyle family photography is the perfect balance of posed photos and candid moments to capture your family's unique personality and connection. A variety of different session options are available to fit your needs, time constraints, and budget.

Starting at $150

Documentary Family

Documentary sessions are all about capturing REAL life...the mess, the quirks, the chaos, and the love. We start with 5-10 minutes of "posed" photos for grandma's fridge, then we just hang out, have fun, and capture the magic.

Starting at $750 for 2 hours

Learn more about family photography

An intimate black and white image of a mom holding her baby in the bathtub shortly after birth

birth is the biggest life event, why wouldn’t we capture it?


"Leslie captured our dream birth perfectly. She was the perfect energy in our home, exactly what we had envisioned. These photos tell a beautiful story, and that was most important to me. Would recommend this to anyone on the fence about it- birth is the biggest life event, why wouldn’t we capture it?"


Carey - Hickman, NE

birth is the biggest life event, why wouldn’t we capture it?


"Leslie captured our dream birth perfectly. She was the perfect energy in our home, exactly what we had envisioned. These photos tell a beautiful story, and that was most important to me. Would recommend this to anyone on the fence about it- birth is the biggest life event, why wouldn’t we capture it?"


Carey - Hickman, NE

Novita Family Photostories is a birth photographer, videographer, doula, and family photographer based in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Leslie castleberry is a birth photographer, birth doula, birth videographer, and family photographer in Lincoln, NE