Belly Birth & Beyond

Whether you are pregnant, about to give birth or you have recently
welcomed your new baby…… CONGRATULATIONS!

Belly, Birth & Beyond: Doula Services that support Adelaide women and their partners
and families throughout the journey of pregnancy, birth and early parenthood.

What Is Belly Birth & Beyond?

Belly Birth & Beyond is an Adelaide based doula service for pregnant/birthing women and their partners.  The service area includes the greater Adelaide Metropolitan area, Adelaide Hills, Beachside Suburbs and surrounds.  I am available for travel at certain times of the year to all other areas including Gold Coast and Brisbane surrounds by negotiation.

My name is Helen Hriskin, a certified doula and a qualified body worker and fitness leader offering pregnancy and birth support with great passion, love and understanding.

My services include availability of 24/7 phone and email support for questions and suggestions during pregnancy, creation of a personalised and unique birth plan, child birth education and preparation with access to my extensive library of books and DVDs.  I will accompany you to appointments with caregivers, attend classes, introduce you to consumer groups and advise of birth information evenings offered by my networks.  I work with breath awareness, relaxation techniques, birth affirmations and setting up vital communication with my clients.  I provide massage, aromatherapy, reflexology, fitness, acupressure and continuous physical and emotional support during labour and birth.  During the post natal period I assist with breastfeeding, sibling rivalry, family support, infant massage and holistic baby care; I am often those extra pair of hands.

Birth is a momentous occasion in a woman’s life.  The day you give birth will be forever etched in your memory.  A life changing experience!  It is vital for every pregnant woman to know about her birthing options and make choices with awareness and to have the support available to create an ideal birth team.  It is also important for her partner to feel comfortable and to feel safe and supported as this can be an overwhelming experience for a first time father. I will get to know your partner and show him how he can support you effectively and how he will be able to share his presence in a way that makes him feel most comfortable.
While I believe natural birth is best for mother and baby, I know that sometimes an intervention can help to keep a birth safe and ensure a good outcome.  I provide support in hospitals, in your home or a birthing centre, natural or medically managed.  I have experience with waterbirth, lotus birth, twins, posterior, breech, VBAC, caesarean birth and home birth.  I also work alongside other professionals, Independent Midwives at home or with Midwives and Obstetricians in Public and Private Hospital settings, creating the ideal birth team for the birthing couple.

Click here to read 7 Births in a Nutshell
Helen Hriskin’s personal journey

About Me:

I am wife to Romeo and an energetic Mother raising my seven beautiful children aged between 2 and 25 years.  I enjoy volunteering in various community projects and have a strong sense of community and a great connection with my networks.  I am the eternal student, studying anything from marketing to rebirthing, personal self-development and massage / bodywork.  I am also a trained fitness leader and ­ participated in and ran successful Kickfitness classes for all women whether pre-natal, pregnant or post-natal since the birth of my 4th child in 1998.  As a consumer, I have spent a lot of time with women from the Women’s & Children’s Hospital in South Australia sharing the physiotherapy, hydrotherapy and yoga classes and been invited to births, making life-long friends.  This is where I developed a strong passion as an advocate for all women.  Encouraged by midwives during my pregnancy in 1997, I began volunteering and training as a doula.  I believe all women should have access to a supportive birth attendant and I feel I have a lot to offer and share due to my extensive experience attending births with women in their homes or in hospital, all very different and amazing experiences.  I continue to support the Women’s and Children’s Hospital services for women, and along with my family, I appear in and help organise promotional material for educational purposes for mothers, partners, babies, siblings and families.  I often assist in childbirth education classes for new parents and I am currently the public relations officer / spokesperson for Homebirth Network SA, a member of Birth Matters SA, CARES and committee member for Future Families, a growing conscious parenting group in SA.

“My passion is to fully support women, their partners and family while bringing their new babies into this world, whether you birth in a public or private hospital or at home.
I support you in enhancing your experiences and nurturing your unique journey throughout pregnancy, birth and into parenthood with peace, love, beauty, grace and wisdom”

Belly Birth & Beyond in Stepney, Adelaide, SA is listed under Massage with expertise in Back Massage, Facial Massage, Remedial Massage.

Additional services by Belly Birth & Beyond include Scalp Massage, Thai Massage, Aromatherapy Massage, Foot Massage, Hot Stone Massage.

Call the staff at Belly Birth & Beyond to ask about our services.

Testimonials

Blake’s Birth:

After going through IVF to conceive our third child in 2002, I was an emotional wreck when conception finally happened!
I can say without a doubt that Helen was my absolute rock throughout my pregnancy!  She was always there for me via phone and email, with reassurance, encouragement and sound advice.

I really struggled with being positive, and listening to my own body.  Helen would always gently reinforce my wonderful values to me.  Her excitement about my birth was contagious!  Helen flew to Brisbane when I was one week away from giving birth.  Her magical touch with massage, and her knowledge of aromatherapy seemed to bring me instant calm.  I simply cannot sing the praises enough of the before birth care Helen gave to me.  I don’t know what sort of birth I would have had without her support, I am so glad she was here for me!

Not only did Helen take amazing care of me in my final days of pregnancy, she was a wonderful sounding board for my stressed out husband, and also my older children!  When it came time to go to hospital (I had to have a caesarean due to complete placenta praevia) Helen was by my side until I was pushed through the operating doors, making me smile and I felt empowered.

After my surgery, I lost a lot of blood and had to go to the ICU for a while. While in recovery I knew that Helen would be with me and my baby, making sure my needs were being met regarding my choices for our care.  I didn’t want any supplementing with formula at all, I was very adamant about that, and the nurses were pushing it to bring his stats up.  Without Helen’s support and knowing she was batting for me and my baby, that time would have been highly stressful!

Helen was nurturing and loving to my older children during hospital visits, and her wonderful knowledge of breastfeeding was such a gift.  After my birth, I was so shocked how sore and sorry I was as my previous births had been natural, so this was a complete surprise to me.

Helen was amazing; her exceptional after birth care is one thing (amongst many) that sticks in my mind regarding my birth. As you can tell, I am a huge fan of Helen’s Doula abilities, her calm and her infectious enthusiasm for birth and babies is quite amazing!  Words I use to describe my wonderful Doula: Nurturing, wise, calm, warm, supportive and fun!  Helen is born to do this, she has such a gift. Thank you Helen for everything, you helped me make what could have been a horrible birth into an experience I will treasure.
Ainslie Bernoth ~ Mother of 3 & Photographer ~ Victoria Point, QLD ~
Year 2003

Alvy’s Birth:

After a traumatic first birth (emergency c section) I was very scared going into my second.  I knew I wanted a natural vaginal birth.

I also knew I needed help to get one, as simple as it sounds getting a natural birth isn’t so easy. Hospitals unfortunately seem to want to intervene wherever they can.  Luckily I was put in touch with Helen and from her very first email I knew that I wanted her at my birth.  Her energy and love of the birthing process filled me with so much confidence that I could not wait to go into labour.

For my first birth I thought I was set, I had my Mum, my sister and my partner and although these people love me very much it wasn’t the best help for a birth support team.  The whole time I was in labour my family looked at me with fear and sympathy and that’s not really what a birthing women needs.  She needs knowledge, support and calm.

It was so soothing to know that Helen was ready to be with me whenever I needed her, not just for the labour but for anything.  I had some difficult meetings with the hospital who didn’t really want me to have a VBAC, Helen came with me to my appointments which gave me the strength to demand the birth I wanted.

From my first contraction I let her know that things were getting ready to happen and when I was ready for her she came to my house and was just an absolute god send, back massages for hours on end kept me at home until I was 9cm dilated which was exactly my plan.  When we got to hospital she was my rock. Just knowing that she was there was like a drug.  I didn’t need an epidural I had a doula!

Helen knows all the tricks to keeping the pain at bay.  She is a wealth of experience and the best tool you can take into a birth!

Even when things went a bit pear shaped (posterior bubs getting stuck) and I finally decided I needed some intervention Helen allowed me to keep in control and still get the best birth possible in my situation.

I truly am forever indebted to Helen and now believe that a Doula is a ‘must have’ for every birth. Now when I meet a pregnant woman the only piece of advice I give is…. GET A DOULA!!!

Helen is so amazing; she is the kind of person who lights up a room.  Just being around her empowered me to have an amazing birth. I could not have done it without her!

Amy ~ Mother of Two & Student ~ Adelaide, SA ~
Year 2008

Ryan’s Birth:

My first birth ended up in caesarean after 42 weeks of pregnancy and over 12 hours of labour, so it was my dream to have a natural birth this time.  With the help of Helen she made my dream come true.  So when I received a phone call from a friend saying she knew a doula that was experienced with VBAC (vaginal birth after caesarean) that I could talk to if I wanted some help.  I’d never even heard of a doula and I thought why not as I was very nervous and unsure about it all.
I was not a very confident person and had a very positive, negative attitude towards everything.
So I met up with her and liked her instantly, she was very easy to talk to and down to earth.  She had a very bubbly nature and it amazed me how she got so much done with seven children and being there for so many labouring women.  Anyway, each time i saw her, I left feeling more positive than the last.  She gave me different outlook on birthing and I started to believe that i could actually do this.  At this point I was still unsure as to whether to have her there for the birth or not as I wanted mum etc there and didn’t want an audience.  This all changed!  On the big day I stayed at home and laboured all day on my own on a mission.  I let Helen know that something was happening and that I’d call her if needed her and boy did I need her!!  Due to the hospital midwives telling me to stay at home as long as possible I started to get a bit uncomfortable towards the end of the day so i rang Helen to come on over.  I have never been so relieved to see someone as she arrived at my house only to whisk me off to the hospital straight away.  I’m so glad that she was there as there was no question that I did not want her to leave my side.  She was brilliant; I honestly believe I wouldn’t have done it without her.  What she did no midwife, partner or mum could do.  She gave me all the confidence to believe in myself and that what I was doing was right.  She made my birth come true and I will be forever grateful to her.  I never realised that I needed her so much, she was just the best.  Now I have a beautiful little boy and feel I’m the luckiest mum around.
Rachael ~ Mother of Two ~ Adelaide, SA ~
Year 2008