River Ridge East Birth Centre

12/03/2026

🌏 Today we had the pleasure of welcoming a group of medical students (one of whom is training to be a midwife) visiting NZ from Japan!

It was a privilege to host them and share a glimpse into the way we support birthing families/whānau in Aotearoa.

They were in awe of our beautiful, calm, and home-like environment. (And we might have convinced the midwifery student to come back for an internship/placement with us!)

Visits like these highlight how highly regarded, around the world, our Maternity System is! 🌏

12/03/2026

🧶We'd especially love some very small/small 100% wool hats - if you'd like a pattern please let us know! 🧶

11/03/2026

💟 This is what it looks like when birth happens in a space that feels like home.

A welcoming space.
Familiar faces.
A team you can trust that listens to your choices.

At River Ridge East Birth Centre, we intentionally create an environment where your partner, your whānau, and your LMC (with support from our team) move together as one steady circle of care. Nothing is rushed. Nothing feels foreign. You are surrounded by people who are fully present for this first moment as a whānau.

This kind of connection, continuity, and calm is the magic of our space.

Come for a tour and experience what truly supported birth feels like. 💟

📸 Catherine Smith

11/03/2026

👀Did you know? 👀

06/03/2026

🌼🌸 The River Ridge East Birth Centre community came together to donate a heap of goodie filled handbags for the Love Grace Handbag Appeal New Zealand. Huge thank you to everyone who made this drop off possible
For those who don’t know what this amazing organisation is…go and check them out! 🌸🌼

03/03/2026

🤍💛 Well done to the fabulous River Ridge team members who completed 14,545 push-ups to raise funds for the Mental Health Foundation! 💛🤍

03/03/2026

💟 We are so lucky to have Andrea back for her second placement here with us. Please get in touch with Hannah (hannah@rrebc.co.nz) to find out more information, or to book in for a session with Andrea. 💟

🌟 Wanting to chat with someone about your pregnancy, birth, or postnatal period? Send Hannah a message to schedule a time to see Andrea! Andrea is here at River Ridge East Birth Centre every Tuesday.

Email: hannah@rrebc.co.nz 🌟

26/02/2026

💌🩷💟Last week we farewelled Tracey - she worked here at River Ridge for almost 20 years! We wish her all the very best with her move to her dream home and property in the Far North.

We are so excited to have welcomed some new team members recently, we'll start our introductions with Louise and Fae. 💟🩷💌

25/02/2026

💜 Please share this information with families navigating an unexpected early arrival - this extra support can make a real difference. 💜

💜 Did you know? 💜

If you’re a primary carer, you may be eligible for Preterm Baby Payments in addition to your Paid Parental Leave if your baby was born live before 37 weeks of pregnancy — as long as you meet the criteria for parental leave payments.

Preterm Baby Payments are available for up to 13 consecutive weeks and are paid at the same rate as your Paid Parental Leave.

For many families navigating an unexpected early arrival, this extra support can make a real difference. If you’re unsure about your eligibility, it’s worth checking here:
https://www.ird.govt.nz/paid-parental-leave/qualifying/preterm-babies

25/02/2026

👀 Did you know? You choose what happens to your placenta/whenua after birth. 👀

22/02/2026

🐯 Lynley is holding her Birth Tiger Safari session here at River Ridge East Birth Centre on Thursday 26th March. Get in touch via the FB event to reserve your place asap! 🐯

A Birth Tiger offers an image to the fears that sit in the back of your mind around birth, the ones you don’t want to look at.

In a Birth Tiger Safari, I guide you to connect with your Inner Huntress in preparation for the rite of passage that is birth, in all its unknowns and mysteries.

With courage you can track your own Birth Tiger, get to know it, and shift or widen perspective before your birthing day.

Fear is a primal instinct. It invites us to listen… to our intuition and to what needs attention.

It is normal to feel uncertainty and worry during pregnancy.
Part of you may deeply trust birth…another part of you may hold doubt.

Fear is often presented as something we must resist at all times, as though giving it any space will somehow manifest the very thing we do not want. So when fear arises, we try to avoid it. We do anything but feel it. We push it back.

What if fear is a liminal state and an invitation to step over a threshold?

We explore your ‘Birth Tiger’ in a curious & grounded way, through questions, conversation & guided journeying.

You will gain a deeper understanding of yourself and practice your ability to cope with whatever unfolds.

If you are ready to step into your Huntress, go deep with your fears around birth & look to the wisdom within you, this offering is for you.

One on One Private sessions are available, send me a message to connect and we can make a time...

or come along to my first Group Birth Tiger Journey in March!

See here: Birth Tiger Safari

I am Lynley, Mama of 2 boys, a Deep Soul Explorer devoted to birth, women, mothers & the sacred rites of passage that shape our lives.

As a Healing Birth Practitioner, Birth Story Medicine Specialist & Neuro Linguistics Master Practitioner working with a mythic lens, I midwife Mamas through their spiritual & emotional journeys, & also offer Circles, Group Explorations & Ceremony.