Lea & Chris Bridgen with baby Lucy
Having a doula for the birth of our first child was the best decision we had made. My husband and I really wanted emotional and physical support as we really wanted to enjoy the experience. I met Helen at Daisy Birthing during my pregnancy and was immediately made to feel at ease with regards to any anxieties that I had. As I started yoga very early on I really got to know Helen and loved her passion and enthusiasm for labour and birth and how a woman and her partner should embrace and have the birth that they really want. Helen is easy to talk to and understands that this is an exciting and anxious time for both parents. Once we had arranged to meet in our home Helen discussed with myself and my husband how she could help us. We both felt at ease that Helen was going to be there to support us both not just myself. We went through the birth plan and decided what and how ideally we would like. Helen was very supportive and encouraged us to ask questions if any intervention was to take place so that we knew why things were happening. Unfortunately I went overdue and went to hospital due to a drop inb aby’s movements. We called Helen late on. Saturday night and she wasso supportive at what was a difficult time and arrived and stayed with us at the hospital. Once I was settled on the ward Helen and my husband had to leave but they were back as early as possible the next day. This made me feel comforted. Helen encouraged me and my husband to work together with breathing techniques. She ask questions to the medical staff and showed so much strength and encouragement to get us through each contraction. Helen enabled us to have positive experience without pain relief and enjoy it. Helen had many qualities she is knowledgeable, honest and not afraid to speak up. If I had to choose a doula I would definitely choose Helen. We feel Helen has a real bond with our family, she is very special. Helen is amazing as a birthing partner and exceeded our expectations of what a doula does.
Kate & Rob Jervis with baby Megan
Having had 2 previous sections, once pregnant with our third child I knew that I would want a natural birth. I knew that my best chance of achieving a successful VBAC would be if I had as much support around me as possible, and that would mean finding a good doula to help both myself and my husband through our birthing journey. Helen has been a fantastic support from the moment we met her. We decided to plan a home birth and Helen provided us with so much knowledge and information through what proved to be a bumpy journey. She is kind, patient and has a lovely calming nature which proved extremely useful through the labour! Helen was in regular contact with us throughout the antenatal period and was always super prompt with her replies to any questions I had. She helped us to feel empowered to make the right decisions for us regarding the birth by providing us with all the information we needed. She helped us to make our birth plan, bringing to our attention things which we may have otherwise not have thought about. Once I had gone into labour, we called Helen who arrived armed with her positive and cheerful nature and all her birthing aids. She was an excellent support the whole way through the labour, both practically and emotionally. She suggested different positions and techniques to help me deal with the pain and let me hold her hand through some really tough contractions ☺. She also helped me stick to my birth plan as best as she could, reminding me of the things, which were really important. It was lovely to see that way that she and my husband worked together throughout the birth, they were a real team. I feel that the success of my VBAC is in part down to Helen who never for one moment doubted my ability to do it (even when I seriously doubted myself!). I know that I would never have had the strength to complete my journey to a home birth after 2 caesareans without her and I don’t think she could ever know how truly grateful we are for her heart felt support throughout.
Heather McNeillis-Wilson & Mark Wilson with baby Clara
I hired Helen as a birth Doula for the birth of my third child. My first was born via c-section and my second was born via forceps, probably related to spending a lot of time on the bed, so I wanted someone who could support me to have a natural and active birth. Helen was there for me via facebook chat (my preferred medium) though out my pregnancy. She talked through birth options with me and helped me with planning my birth arrangements, which were sometimes not what the medical profession would have advised. During early labour and the build up to labour Helen was there on facebook chat for me. She advised on tactics to cope with contractions and also to speed up what was a pretty long latent phase. She made me aware she would come round as soon as I needed her to. Helen was around within 10 minutes of me asking her (we live pretty close). When she first arrived I was coping well with contractions. She was non-invasive and supportive. I chose to give birth at the Serenity birthing centre in Birmingham. When we arrived things started to go wrong with my labour. After doing the initial exam they found baby was an undiagnosed breech. Helen was aware of my birth plan to try for a vaginal breech delivery and was instrumental in helping me agree this with the midwife on duty. However, I also had severe pre-eclampsia, which was also not diagnosed until labour. This double obstetric emergency meant I ended up on Labour Ward at City Hospital, with about 8 members of staff in the room. Labour progressed quickly so whilst all this was going on I was also in transition. Helen was able to protect my birthing space and allow me to make an informed decision based on my wishes before labour had started. I did eventually consent to c-section. The poor management of the hospital and emergency situation could have left me and my husband completely traumatised, but Helen was able protect my birthing space and protect me from this. I actually feel completely at peace with the whole situation and feel that I ended up with the best possible outcome for my labour given the obstetric emergencies. Having a doula during a difficult and potential traumatic labour is incredibly beneficial in maintaining a positive outcome and positive birthing experience under difficult circumstances. Helen has an incredible amount of knowledge on birth and the natural birthing process and has such faith in women’s bodies to do what they are meant to do. She is calm in a crisis, but also proactive in protecting this birth space. She is completely non-judgemental regarding birth and parenting choices and acts to the interest of her clients.
Bharti & Perminder Gohil with baby Akshay
We met Helen our Doula in August and I had my baby at the Halcyon Birthing Centre. In the first instance she was very positive and full of assurance, which made us feel at ease straight away by being very supportive and enthusiastic. During the birth Helen supported us so well she bought with her a couple of birthing essentials that was really helpful which made the whole birthing experience a lot more special and comfortable all through our birthing journey. She also said the positive affirmations that I had learnt through Hypnobirthing, which immediately put me at ease so I could concentrate on the birth of our baby. She was very supportive in helping us with the unexpected transfer to the hospital, communicated and expressed any concerns we had with the midwife and paramedics brilliantly. During the antenatal and postnatal visits face to face and over the phone she was a great source of information, she helped us straight away and managed to find a solution when we didn’t understand some issues we had with our baby. I am very glad that we decided to have Helen to help us with the birth of our child we would highly recommend her to other expecting families.
Sally Williams & Terry McAllister with baby Maya
Helen was my antenatal teacher and doula. I was a very nervous first timer and throughout my pregnancy and labour she was always there to answer any of my questions and there were many! Her techniques and advice made me feel more relaxed and confident. I had a tough and long labour and Helen was there through every step helping both me and Daddy. I couldn’t have done it without her and would highly recommend her to anyone having a baby!
Ayisha & Quadis Hussain with baby Safeeya
Due to having a traumatic birth with my daughter, I often felt bouts of anxiety during my second pregnancy (I had alot of sleepless nights). I took my time to research and make contact with a few doulas. I felt an instance connection with Helen she was very generous with her time, I never felt rushed. I completed some online yoga sessions with Helen via Zoom which I gained some valuable information from and would recommend. I also did a relax and release session, hand on heart this was the best thing I could have done to help with my anxiety. I felt completely renewed and actually started to look forward to giving birth! Towards the end of my pregnancy I was told I would need to be induced, I was so upset. Helen was so supportive and gave me the tools to make a more informed decision. Helen enabled me to have the birth that I wanted but was told I couldn’t have. The support I received from Helen before, during and after was invaluable i wouldn’t have had the positive birthing experience I had without her.
Steph & Phil Winwood with baby Douglas
Helen is an amazing and gifted doula, I honestly don’t know what my husband and I would have done without her, especially as first time parents! Her wisdom and knowledge is second to none and was instrumental in making sure that we had the birth that we wanted. Helen has a beautiful energy and is a warm and comforting presence. She protected our birth space fiercely, in the most respectful way, making sure that staff were aware of our preferences and ensured that everything was done with consent. Helen was with us all of the way. Helen helped us make informed choices in a non-judgemental manner which were evidence-based, so that the things that were most important to us stayed at the forefront of the conversation with medical staff. My time with Helen didn’t just include birth preparation and the birth itself, but we also did a number of EFT (tapping) sessions to help with my anxiety around hospitals, consent and certain procedures. Helen you are such a special lady and we will forever be grateful for all you did to support us during the birth of our son. Thank you so much!
“Helen is so warm and welcoming, she put me at ease and was so calming throughout the sessions too. I knew I could talk confidently to Helen. My goal at the start was to be able to talk about birth and my experience without it negatively affecting me and for my memory of the birth not to bother me in a negative way. If I was to have another child I wanted to have a confident and positive birth in future. I was able to look back on the traumatic memories that used to really bother me without bothering me much, if at all. One of the best parts to come out of the sessions was that Helen helped me remember positive memories that beforehand i could not recollect and now overshadow the not so nice memories. I cannot thank Helen enough for this new positive outlook and without a doubt i highly recommend Helen for traumatic birth recovery support.” – Steph
“I recently spent time with Helen for her 3 Step Rewind service. Prior to starting out sessions, I was a little sceptical about how effective the rewind would be. Helen thoroughly explained the process before hand and made me very comfortable, which I believe played a huge part in how successful I found this service. I honestly never really thought that I would be able to mentally “move on” in the way that Helen described. But I trusted her and the process and decided to embrace it. During the process, Helen’s questions really got me to think about things in a way I never had before. Rather than focusing on the actual issue, we only spoke about the feelings the issue provokes and how it impacts on my daily life. I had never really thought of my concerns in this way, it wasn’t necessarily easy for me to do, but Helen was patient and gentle in her approach. The relaxation part of the session was incredible. I have never felt so relaxed and switched off. I felt light in both body and mind. At the end of my sessions, I was unsure if it had worked, I decided time would tell. It has been 3 months since I completed my rewind and I can honestly say I have not thought about my concerns once since. Things that used to trigger negative emotions related to my concern no longer happen and I feel very much like I have turned a page.
I would highly recommend the 3 step rewind service that Helen offers. If you want to leave negative experiences in the past where they belong, this is the service for you.” – Caroline
Helen is a great teacher, and is very relaxed & natural in her approach. Always happy to answer any questions for nervous mums to be, and gives practical examples & practice that really help prepare for labour & birth. Definitely give Daisy Birthing a go! Highly recommended – Janine
Fantastic! As a third time mum I can’t believe how much I never knew for my previous births. Helen’s belief in natural birth shines through in her classes and she cant do enough to support you in your mission to have the birth you want. thoroughly enjoyable and would recommend to anyone who’s pregnant 🙂 – Kate
I am so glad my friend recommended Daisy Birthing to me. Sienna was my 3rd child but I still learnt sooo much. Daisy left me positive, well informed and empowered about my upcoming birth. Thanks Helen for all your help and advice. – Nicky
After going through quite a difficult labour previously I was anxious about the birth of my son. After attending a 6 week Daisy course (and enjoying it so much I did a second 6 week course!) I found that the breathing techniques and the new knowledge of the birth process I learnt from these sessions made me actually look forward to labour and made my sons birth a really positive experience. Thank you Helen 🙂 – Louise
Brilliant class, I learnt a lot and I feel lots more confident about my birth. Looking forward to another term and the couples workshop. Helen is a friendly and helpful teacher – could not have asked for more from the experience. – Lisa
I can’t recommend Daisy Birthing highly enough. It has provided much needed relaxation and reassurance – particularly as this is my first baby. It has also given me a massive confidence boost – I have gone from being utterly convinced that I wanted a hospital birth with all the possible pain relief available to now planning a calm, midwife-led birth in a birthing centre in a pool. I’m actually really looking forward to my birthing day now! – Liane
I am currently in my second lot of daisy classes after enjoying it so much with my last child. This is my third baby and it’s just as much use now as if would have been with my first. The techniques for coping with labour are priceless and the relaxation is the highlight of my week. Helen not only talks you through tips but you get to practice them too so that it’s second nature by the time d day comes! Worth every penny and I’ve met some lovely people who have continued to be friends as our babies have grown. – Caroline
Relax & release (pre labour)
My partner and I really enjoyed the relax and release session. I didn’t realise how relaxed I would feel at the end – so much so I fell asleep.
Without the tools and techniques we learned during my Daisy Birthing classes and the couples workshop, and the relax & release session at the end of my pregnancy, I would not have known what to expect during my labour. Despite being induced I felt prepared for the task ahead only due to what I learned from Helen. – Becky
What a great afternoon! We had a private couples workshop this afternoon – I’m 33 weeks and my husband and mom will be at the birth so we asked Helen to come and do the workshop at my house for just the three of us. As a first time mom I now feel encouraged, excited and that I understand what will be happening during the birth of my baby. Helen helped me understand the importance of positioning and breathing and has also fully prepared my mom and hubby for signs to look out for to know how the labour is progressing as well as massages they can do to sooth me during labour. I feel more confident now that I have tools to help me through and the confidence to make decisions on what care I’m given. Helen was absolutely great in answering any and ALL questions we all had! She was here for just over 3 1/2 hours and it was worth the money – I liked the fact it was private and at my house and Helen was so lovely it was a fun afternoon! – Sally
Highly recommended!! Attended a group couples workshop as a birth partner 2 years ago and came back in preparation for my own birth this year. Was really pleased to find Helen still teaching as I had enjoyed it so much the first time round. The workshop helped us to understand the different stages of labour and gave us the confidence through information and relaxation techniques to deal with it together. The class was very relaxed, informative and well paced with well timed breaks and lots lovely refreshments 🙂 – Annabel
The classes and the couples workshop were brilliant. The classes helped me to relax during pregnancy and labour. Still I remember Helen’s words when I want to relax. It was really beneficial to know breathing techniques and that my partner knew about them as well. My partner’s help and support were really great so I’m glad we attended the workshop and he knew what to do. I would recommend it to all couples. – Kasia
I attended the Blossom Baby Yoga classes with my little girl from the age of 8 weeks all the way through to 11 months… We absolutely loved it and can’t recommend it highly enough! The baby massage, yoga and sensory activities in the littlies group were perfectly pitched for when the babies are still very young, and then the wrigglies class from 6 months onwards is great fun, as the babies start to interact with each other and crawl around and again Helen creates activities that really help them to develop. There is also gentle stretching for mums so it feels like you’re getting something from the class too. Alongside this I’ve made some lovely friends and Helen gives such great advice on looking after your baby, feeding them, etc 🙂 Really can’t recommend it highly enough… We’re really going to miss our Thursday Blossom Baby class now the time has come for nursery and work! Thanks for everything Helen xxx – Katie & Tabatha
Great class. Enjoyed learning some baby yoga moves to try out at home. Have also been given some great ideas for sensory play. Thank you – Laura & Nathan
Me and my daughter absolutely love this class, we have been going since she was 9 weeks, she is now 20 weeks and we intend to carry on for as long as possible. The class is a really relaxing atmosphere for both parents and babies, we always come away feeling chilled out cannot recommend enough!!! – Michelle & Boux
Lovely, friendly class with lots of ideas for things to do at home. Especially liked the basics of massage and the new songs with actions. Thanks Helen – Jo & Arthur
My baby and I have been attending Helen’s classes since she was 10 weeks old, she is now 9 months old which I think is testimony in itself to how good the classes are! Hence we are sad to have just signed up for what will probably be her last term as she is very nearly crawling. It has been fab for both of us to learn new exercises that encourage lovely one to one time whilst stimulating her physically and mentally. Every class is slightly different so you never get bored. My daughter loves the song and rhyme in particular as well as the lovely bubbles relaxation at the end. Helen is a natural, always offering sound knowledge, encouragement and advice on any concerns we have. It is also a fab way of meeting other mothers and making new friends. Highly recommend signing up! We’ll miss this class 🙁 – Julia & Olivia
Fantastic class for my baby girl who suffered with colic from birth. She loves the songs and exercises we do in class, and I can really see the difference attending a class makes to her day. She is now a very happy little baby, and as a first time mom I have learnt so much from attending this class. Fab teacher and great class content! – Vicky & Harlow
My daughter and I have been going to Baby Yoga classes since she was 8 weeks old and she is now almost 7 months old and we have just signed up for another 6 week block of lessons as we enjoy it so much. Helen’s classes focus on relaxation and bonding with your baby and many of the exercises we do in class we have practised at home which has been fun. I also think my daughter has become more flexible since attending the classes. Each class is a bit different so you never get bored and as well as exercises for your baby there is also some post-natal exercises for mum too. I would highly recommend Helen’s classes as they are good value for money and offer something a bit different and are a great place to meet other Mums. Helen offers lots of support for new Mums and the class has given me confidence to breastfeed in public. – Lisa & Evelyn
Me and my son have been going to baby yoga since he was 7wks he’s now 26wks. It’s been fantastic for us both, as a first time mum it was hard to find the confidence to go out alone with my son let alone breast feed in public. The atmosphere at the class and support from Helen changed that immediately, we can whop them out anywhere now. My son really enjoys the class too, he likes the singing and interaction with other children and we love the calming techniques. I’d recommend the class to everyone it’s great value and great fun. – Tammy & Solomon