"Twenty
eight years ago I attended my first birth as part of
Mothercraft training. I was shocked at the lack
of support and compassion for the woman birthing and
the rough handling of her newborn baby. I made a
commitment there and then to support women and their
families by providing a loving, nurturing space for birth.
My commitment still stands as I continue to support women, their
partners and children throughout pregnancy, birth and
early parenting. I encourage them to trust and
follow their own inner wisdom and knowledge, to understand
what gets in the way of them doing so. My wish
is for all babies to be born into a loving and
supportive environment."
Specialises in: Post Natal Support, Childbirth Education, Birth support, and hypnobirthing
Amanda Pizzey
"I believe that a
deeply satisfying experience of birth and mothering is
every woman's birthright and that 95% of all women
have the ability to birth their babies
naturally.
Providing an
environment for yourself where all of your body
systems can work as they are designed to is the key to
ensuring the best chance of birthing naturally and
therefore experiencing bliss and love win yourself and
with your baby".
"Birth is one of the peak moments in life, and having a positive
birth experience can impact a woman's relationship
with herself, her baby, her partner, her own mother
and even other women in general. It is a miraculous
and awe-inspiring event.
Having the right preparation and support brings
confidence and can make an extraordinary difference to
the outcomes and to the way parents feel about
themselves and the birth of their child. As a Birth
Educator and Doula I get to make a difference to
peoples lives. I feel privileged to support couples at
this wonderful time."
I believe that it is every women's right to have the opportunity to achieve the birth they want. I am there to inform parents of their choices before birth so they can go into birth well educated and with an open mind. My role is to support women, their partners and their families emotionally, physically and practically.
I have been working as a Nanny for ten years for many different families from all walks of life, caring for children from birth to age 12. My passion is supporting mothers before, during and after birth and working with all the family members at this time.
As your Doula I will meet with you three to four times before the birth. During these meetings I will help you develop a birth plan that is just right for you and your partner. I'll also provide you any other information you may request regarding the birth and will be there emotionally for you and your partner. I will be on call for two weeks prior to your due date to ensure I am there to support you during the birth. Finally I will visit you twice after the birth to discuss the birth and answer any questions you may have.
I am also a qualified massage therapist and infant massage instructor and I use these skills to make women and families as comfortable and confident as possible.
Certified Doula through Optimum Birth
Training through Dial-a-Doula
Diploma of Community Services (Child Care)
Certificate IV Oriental Massage
Certificate in Infant Massage
Specialises in - Birth Support and Post Natal Support
Sheree Stewart
I studied as a Midwife and became registered in 2006 but felt that I wasn't able to fully respond, support and be with women whilst working in large public hospitals doing shift-work. I noticed the amazing difference of labour and birth when a woman felt fully supported, and I wanted to participate in that role. So I trained with Dial-a-Doula and found that this really strengthened my own beliefs around birthing.
I believe that it is imperative that women be informed, empowered and inspired about their birthing journey and find their inner power so they no longer need to fear birth. If women were to birth with courage, knowledge and power, I believe that we would have the lowest rates of intervention ever known, and much better outcomes for women and babies and the whole world.
I absolutely love being with women and am deeply passionate about all things women; babies, life and birth that I feel it is the fuel that drives me. I work with women in a very gentle, loving, soul-centred way to help them connect with their inner power and birthing potential.
Specialties: Care throughout the childbearing year, HypnoChildbirth, Peadiatric Massage Consultant (infant massage)
Rachael McLeod
I am a mother of two children now 8 and 9 and discovered my passion for birth during my own journey of motherhood. Initially I started out studying midwifery, however it became apparent that I wanted to participate in a much richer relationship with birthing women. The doula role is the perfect avenue to provide that and I love the relationship I build with my clients, as each one is so incredibly unique with each birth teaching me so much personally and professionally.
Being a doula, offering birth support, is the most rewarding, passionate, exciting job I could ever imagine. The total dedication you can give to one woman is phenomenal. Working with women and their partners closely during the pregnancy, helps them become empowered in their choices prior to the birth. During this time relationships are formed so when the day of the birth arrives the couple feel safe and protected, as a relationship of trust and respect has already been established. It is especially comforting for the partners to have someone to share the experience and reassure them that all is going as nature intended, even though it may sometimes look very unnatural. Many of the techniques that are used during birth, such as massage and reflexology, are given during the antenatal visits so that when the woman is labouring she responds instinctively to their relaxing qualities, like she has done throughout the pregnancy.
Location: I currently live in Woodend in Central Victoria and work within Melbourne as well as regional towns within the shires of Hume, Macedon Ranges, Mt Alexander and City of Greater Bendigo.
Website. www.birthbynature.com.au
Helen Hriskin
I am a mother full of love, light and laughter raising my seven beautiful children aged between 20 Months 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 have participated and run 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 being invited to births and making life long friends. This is where I became very passionate for my strong advocacy for all women and encouraged by my 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 with women having had all kinds of birth scenarios myself at home and in hospital and attending births with other 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 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 to enhance your experiences and nurture your unique journey throughout pregnancy, birth and into parenthood with peace, love, beauty, grace and wisdom"
Qualified in: Massage / Bodywork: Aromatherapy & Relaxation, Trigger Point & Deep Tissue, Therapeutic & Remedial, Reflexology and Pregnancy Pre & Post Natal & Infant Massage, Acupressure for labour. Certified Fitness Leader: Kickfitness, building core stability using stretch, Pilates and breathing techniques.
Specialises in: Fitness for Birth, Pregnancy & Post Natal. Birth and Post Natal support, breastfeeding difficulties and sibling rivalry.
Steph Pollock
Birth has been with me for many years, but it was not until the birth of my first child that it became all so clear that the place alongside pregnant and labouring women has always been my calling. And all due to the support I received from an unknown care giver, who guided me through my first birthing journey, resulting in empowering me, allowing me to make the decisions surrounding this birth and guarding myself and my partner from the hospital community. I knew then that I too wished to hold this very important space for women.
Birth is powerful.
It is a place where a woman can be vulnerable, where she can be in pleasure, where she can be in fear and feel lost, where she can be in rhythms of labouring contractions and in contact with her baby, deep within and birth will always be transforming.
Woman is amazing.
These doula's have completed their formal training with Dial a Doula and are now attending births
Jennifer Atkins
I have always been passionate about babies and birth. Since a young age I have felt a connection with infants and spent many years caring for them. I believe my connection with babies starts in utero and continues to their birth.
As a doula my practice is to honour, care and develop connections with pregnant women and new mothers. In respecting their choices, listening and building trusting relationships I can support their strengths, embodied knowledge and create warm and peaceful atmospheres for her and her baby.
I embrace a holistic approach to health and wellbeing and believe the continuum of care provided by a doula is essential when supporting women during childbirth.
"I am a mother of three beautiful children. My first two sons were born in hospital. Their births were induced and followed with further intervention which prolonged the labours. During this time I felt uniformed and unsupported. When I became pregnant with my third baby I knew I wanted a natural birth. I wanted to be completely present for the experience and to welcome my baby peacefully into the world. I prepared for the birth with daily yoga and meditation. My daughter was born into water at a Birth centre. It was beautiful. This positive experience made such a difference for our whole family and inspired me to help other women birth their babies.
Motherhood is an important role that brings women the deepest joy. I believe with support and preparation you can experience the birth you want and flow into motherhood with love, confidence and grace."
Guided by an innate wisdom that calls all women forth to joy in the splendor of birth, motherhood and family, I have found myself the comforts of home in my work as a doula, natural health practitioner and nanny.
Life is a precious gift and as humans, we have the amazing power to create and recreate ourselves and others in every moment. I am so inspired by the human experience of birth, and to witness women and families as they create their own experiences in the most nourishing and positive ways. Everyday I am awed as I observe mothers and babies finding their way together, as they learn to listen and communicate with each other and make their perfectly unique journey through life.
As a doula I feel so blessed to be of service to the community, to create a space to allow the most organic way for people to explore their way as parents, lovers, creators… as human beings. And to allow space for all possibilities…
Birth is precious. As a doula my vision is to support each woman in having her pivotal birthing moment without judgement so that she as a mother and her baby can enter the world in pure acceptance, awe and love.
I believe that it is every women's right to have the opportunity to achieve the birth they want. I am there to inform parents of their choices before birth so they can go into birth well educated and with an open mind. My role is to support women, their partners and their families emotionally, physically and practically.
I studied as a Midwife and became registered in 2006 but felt that I wasn't able to fully respond, support and be with women whilst working in large public hospitals doing shift-work. I noticed the amazing difference of labour and birth when a woman felt fully supported, and I wanted to participate in that role. So I trained with Dial-a-Doula and found that this really strengthened my own beliefs around birthing.
I am a mother of two children now 8 and 9 and discovered my passion for birth during my own journey of motherhood. Initially I started out studying midwifery, however it became apparent that I wanted to participate in a much richer relationship with birthing women. The doula role is the perfect avenue to provide that and I love the relationship I build with my clients, as each one is so incredibly unique with each birth teaching me so much personally and professionally. 
I am a mother full of love, light and laughter raising my seven beautiful children aged between 20 Months 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 have participated and run successful Kickfitness classes
Birth has been with me for many years, but it was not until the birth of my first child that it became all so clear that the place alongside pregnant and labouring women has always been my calling. And all due to the support I received from an unknown care giver, who guided me through my first birthing journey, resulting in empowering me, allowing me to make the decisions surrounding this birth and guarding myself and my partner from the hospital community. I knew then that I too wished to hold this very important space for women. 
I have always been passionate about babies and birth. Since a young age I have felt a connection with infants and spent many years caring for them. I believe my connection with babies starts in utero and continues to their birth. 
Oh the amazing grace of birthing new life into the world! 
"I am a mother of three beautiful children. My first two sons were born in hospital. Their births were induced and followed with further intervention which prolonged the labours. During this time I felt uniformed and unsupported. When I became pregnant with my third baby I knew I wanted a natural birth. I wanted to be completely present for the experience and to welcome my baby peacefully into the world. I prepared for the birth with daily yoga and meditation. My daughter was born into water at a Birth centre. It was beautiful. This positive experience made such a difference for our whole family and inspired me to help other women birth their babies.
Guided by an innate wisdom that calls all women forth to joy in the splendor of birth, motherhood and family, I have found myself the comforts of home in my work as a doula, natural health practitioner and nanny. 
Birth is precious. As a doula my vision is to support each woman in having her pivotal birthing moment without judgement so that she as a mother and her baby can enter the world in pure acceptance, awe and love.
