Natural Birth Support & Massage with Bette Ras

21/07/2025

I am back from a few weeks Europe and love to welcome ‘old’ and new clients in my beautiful & relaxed tiny cottage for a very important winter massage.

Deep Tissue
Pregnancy& Post natal.
$90 full hour, $150 for 2 appointments!

Wat does it do for your body:
Deep Tissue Massage relieves chronic muscle pain, improves flexibility, reduces stress&blood pressure, speeds recovery and leaves you feeling relaxed and renewed!

How?
Deep tissue massage 1)eases chronic muscle pain by breaking up tight knots and enhancing blood flow-especially effective for conditions like lower back pain, sciatica and athletic injuries.
2)Improves flexibility& mobility by releasing adhesions in muscles and connective tissues.
3)It lowers stress, heart rate& blood pressure-promotes relaxation by activating the body’s “rest-and-digest”response.
4) Aids healing-enhances circulation, reduces inflammation, and softens scar tissue post injury.
5)Boosts overall wellbeing- releases endorphins, eases tension, and contributes to better sleep and mental calm.

18/10/2024

Special Introductory Massage Offer:
Book in before the end of November to get 90 minutes for the price of 60 minutes!

18/10/2024

Price List:
60 minute Deep Tissue Massage $90
90 minute Deep Tissue Massage $125
60 minute Pregnancy/Postnatal Massage $90

18/10/2024

A little bit about my work and my background:

At the age of 19 I started my midwifery career in the Netherlands, with the goal to support pregnant and birthing women to have the most natural and relaxed birth as possible with healthy outcomes for mother and baby.

I worked from 1986-2004 in many different roles. These included home birth midwife in the west of Holland, a midwife educator in Amsterdam and a hospital midwife in Saudi Arabia. My 4 adult children are all born at home in Haarlem, the Netherlands.

We moved to New Zealand and in 2005 I began my own practise in the Bay of Islands. I was an LMC midwife until 2020 and enjoyed supporting so many powerful strong women birthing their babies naturally at home, in water, in a tent, in a cowshed and on a boat! The births of two of my four grandchildren in my home in the Bay of Islands was definitely one of the highlights!

Since 2021 I am living in Parua Bay near Whangarei and started widening my knowledge and skills with some very interesting courses; trauma healing, kinesiology, deep tissue massage, pregnancy & postnatal massage.

This year we built a beautiful tiny cottage at our property in the Farm park, well equipped for massage therapy, consultations and courses.

My offerings now include
- Deep tissue massage
- Pregnancy and Postnatal massage
- Baby massage courses for parents and baby
- Pregnancy and Birth preparation classes
- Private Consultation for a second opinion or if you want guidance after a negative birth experience

Please give me a call on 021 2488686 to book in for a well deserved deep tissue or pregnancy massage.

For any questions about my services I’d love to hear from you, either via this phone number or a facebook message.

Bette

22/05/2024

So much good information on this website! I love Sara Wickham’s research! For everybody who wants to be well informed, making own decisions and avoiding unnecessary medical procedures!

An important reminder that you have rights.

Your body. Your baby. Your decisions.

If you'd like more information on which to base those decisions, I have a website at www.sarawickham.com which contains more than 500 free, searchable articles relating to pregnancy, birth and related decisions.

I've also written a number of books to help women and families better understand the evidence on topics such as induction of labour, group B strep, vitamin K and birthing the placenta.

One of my favourite books that I've written is the one that this quote comes from, "What's Right For Me?"

That's because it helps people understand how systems of maternity care are set up, and the fact that there are different approaches.

It offers tips and tools for decision making and will help you to think things through.

Because it's not about who's "right" or "wrong."

It's about what's finding what's right for you, your baby and your family.

Loads more info at https://www.sarawickham.com/me

01/05/2024

So important to read this book ( and a few more) from Sara Wickham! Great research and answers to so many questions you probably have!

Some people think I’m anti-induction, but that’s not true.

My friend Jenny had her labour induced, and I’m delighted.

It was absolutely the right decision for her, and for many other women too.

What I’m ‘anti’ is the way that more and more women are being pushed into induction without good reason, and without being given good information about the pros and cons, risks and benefits, so that they – like Jenny – can decide whether or not it’s right for them.

What I wrote in my book was this:

“I’m not anti-induction.

I’m anti using limited and cherry-picked evidence and deceptive claims about risk to try to persuade entire groups of women to hand over control of their bodies and undergo intervention in the name of safety when the recommendations aren’t based on good science or an understanding of the wider consequences of such actions and may cause harm.”

My aim in writing In Your Own Time was to unpack that evidence and spell it out so that everyone can make the decision that’s right for them.

Because it’s not up to me, or the midwife or doctor in the clinic that day, or the computer, or sonographer, or your doula, hypnobirthing teacher, or childbirth educator.

Your body. Your baby. Your decision.

My aim is to help explain the evidence so that you can make the decisions that are right for you.

Find out more at www.sarawickham.com/time

24/04/2024

21/04/2024

💯 Rest is so important during pregnancy. Nurturing a life inside of you takes lots of energy!

🛌 When it’s time to sleep, finding a comfortable position can be a challenge. That’s why we developed Rest Smart℠, recommended positions when sitting or laying down.

🛻 Try the Hammock Position in bed and dynamic sitting when riding in the car. Use those sitz bones!

💡 Discover Rest Smart℠ and so much more in our Daily Essentials video, a comprehensive guide filled with exercises, tips, and support for your pregnancy.

⬇️ Click the link below to check it out.
https://i.mtr.cool/mgvzrxqmxw

yoga exercise

06/04/2024

04/04/2024

Women have done this for centuries…

Birthing at home is not a trend. It’s traditional.

Some people believe that women are hopping onto this “new trend” of birthing at home and that it will eventually fade or be “out of style”. But really, birthing at the hospital is the new trend.

There can be lots of factors to think about when choosing to birth in a hospital, will you know the birth team, will you feel safe in a new and unfamiliar environment, what are the intervention rates and guidelines? All things to consider especially with national caeserean rates now sitting at or above 30%.

At Home Birth Aotearoa we have a dedicated and passionate team waiting to answer your questions. We offer a multitude of free and koha based evidence-based and backed research. Check us out at homebirth.org.nz or on social media at

30/03/2024

Calf stretches during pregnancy? Yes, they help.

If you’re already (or just considering) doing squats, stretching your calves will make them even easier.

Calf stretches also lengthen the hamstrings, which in turn, increases mobility of the sacrum. This mobility enables the pelvis to open for baby’s descent during labor.

Ready to stretch?

All you need is a rolled-up towel or a foam tube.

Click the link below for all the details and to check out more of our Daily Activities!
https://i.mtr.cool/crxigxaamd

30/03/2024

Good advise:

During pregnancy, it’s more important than ever to incorporate dynamic motion into your day to keep your hips fluid.

Dynamic sitting? What does that look like?

If you work at a computer, swap out your office chair for a firm exercise ball, keeping your knees spread apart, lower than your hips. Let your abdomen become a hammock for baby.

When driving a car, try putting a small physio ball (with just one puff of air) in between your ischial tuberosities (or “sitz bones”), so they touch the car seat. Your hips will get the dynamic motion they need, and you’ll have less pain. Win-win!

Click the link below for more tips on our recommended Daily Activities!
https://i.mtr.cool/grhuakvgta