Helena Whitwell is a doula and hypnobirthing instructor. Her work is rooted in a deep passion to help parents approach birth with confidence, peace and a sense of empowerment. Inspired by her own positive birth experiences and the realization that many others did not share the same story, she has spent years creating spaces where parents-to-be can connect with their bodies, their faith, and each other. From hosting online pregnancy prayer sessions and guided tours to supporting families through transformative childbirth experiences, Helena brings a unique blend of practical wisdom and compassion to provide emotional and practical guidance. Here she talks to The Natural Parent magazine about the passion behind Christian birth supporthow she balances work and family life and her hopes and dreams for the future.
The passion: What inspired you to create your business?
After having two very positive pregnancy and birth experiences, and realizing that this was not a shared story among family and friends, I felt passionate about helping others find joy and fulfillment in birth. Some friends encouraged me to explore becoming a doula, so when my kids were 7 and 5, I did. I really enjoyed my training with Nurturing Birth. A few years later, I trained with Calm Births to become a hypnobirthing teacher. My favorite part of this job is creating spaces to equip new parents to feel empowered, calm and confident as they approach birth and life with a newborn. A slightly more specialized part of my work is working with clients who want to bring their faith more centrally into their pregnancy and birth experience.
The launch: How did you get started in the first place?
After training as a doula and completing a mentoring program with Nurturing Birth, I was desperate to find my first birth client! In early March 2020, I reduced my admin hours to invest time and energy into my doula business. Later that month, we went into lockdown so I had to think creatively!
I started by hosting live pregnancy prayer sessions online, which soon spread and became a safe place for anxious pregnant women to rest, be calm, and surrender their anxieties to God. It was so rewarding to hear birth stories from those in attendance and hear how they were able to keep their composure even when the unexpected happened. This encouraged me and encouraged me that there was a need for spaces like this.
From there, I developed online ticketed pregnancy retreats. Since 2020, I’ve hosted about 30 three-hour retreats, which include worship, imaginative prayer, creative prayer using a scanning image, chatting with other pregnant moms, and hearing stories from guest speakers I invite.
I have continued to have the occasional birthing client and have seen some magical moments. I feel very blessed and privileged to have been a part of so many people’s journeys. I also trained as a hypnobirthing instructor with Calm Births, so I now offer group and private lessons, online and in person!
Innovation: What has been the biggest breakthrough for you with your business?
It’s been a slow fuel and something of a “side hustle” for many years, but I find it a great way to grow a foundation, let the seeds be planted and allow them to grow over time. I now hear from clients who have their second and third babies and return to my retreats with each pregnancy.
The first breakthrough came during my doula training when I realized that I didn’t have a responsibility to make sure everyone had positive birth experiences. My role was to accompany and walk alongside others, whatever their journey and whatever their pace. Through this I learned how to hold safe spaces and not try to take over by bringing all my own stuff to the table!
But I think the biggest breakthrough came when I realized the power of connecting your mind, thoughts and emotions to your body. I had done it subconsciously in my own way through prayer and affirmations for my own births, but when I learned about Hypnobirthing much later, I saw the amazing science behind it all. That our bodies are designed to release the hormone ‘oxytocin’ when we feel loved, safe, understood and unobserved and that we are then more likely to have faster, smoother unassisted births. So when I work with people of faith, I like to help them connect their faith to that plan.
Yin and Yang: How do you balance work and family?
Balancing work and family is a constant dance. I also serve in a church as an ordained minister: sermons and preaching on Sundays, with other parish and community events and pastoral services during the week!
I’ve learned (well – I’m still learning!) to have good boundaries in my time and strive to be a present wife and mom. I schedule my teaching and client visits around our family rhythm and try to show my children that serving others is a joy, but so is resting together.
I currently spend 4 nights a week sitting in a rec center an hour away from home as my daughter trains on an acro gymnastics team. So with the center’s wifi, an empty coffee and my laptop, I now use that time for my business. As I can use these evenings to work, it frees me up for other things during the day – time to myself, seeing friends and writing sermons! It also means I can be around my kids before and after school.
