Your Body, Your Birth, Your Baby.
Your Body, Your Birth, Your Baby. This is a powerful statement. Healthcare systems are set up in a way that often obscure, confuse or outright ignore these legal, biological and moral imperatives.
Overwhelmingly, what defines your experience of childbirth is the service provider you choose or are forced to access due to lack of options, and, your own engagement in your healthcare journey, not so much your physical condition. While your own health and wellbeing throughout the perinatal period is critical in your health outcomes, your willingness and ability to engage in your healthcare journey and just as much, that of your care providers deeply affect the outcomes for you, your baby, family/community and the healthcare providers and system.
I’ve been working with and supporting hundreds of women and families since 2012 through maternity advocacy, health consumer representation, nonprofit media, coaching, consulting and doula support. The services I provide to families and women are tailored to their unique needs and circumstances.
Basic
Single Session. A 4 hour power session to help you set your most important goals and have your most pressing concerned addressed.
Intermediate
Four Session Package. These sessions can be used in different combinations during the perinatal period. Pregnancy & postnatal. Does not include Childbirth.
Advanced
Full Journey Support. Up to 6 sessions as well as attending at Birth. Various conditions apply, please get in touch for more info.
Choosing the right care for your family is part of your journey into parenthood.
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Prenatal, labour and birth and postnatal care occur in your home, sometimes in combination with care at a clinic or hospital. In Australia some hospitals offer publicly-funded homebirth as an option. The majority of home births occur with trained, registered midwifes who speacialise in home birth and are often privately funded (you pay the full, or most of the fees). Each state has different rules and service availability.
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Within a dedicated area of the hospital or a freestanding birthing centre. These are generally supported by continuity of care models, run by midwives and supported by additional clinicians such as Obstetricians.
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Maternity care is delivered through the hospital system, childbirth occurs at hospital. In Australia we have Public and Private hospitals, each have their benefits and downsides. You can sometimes access Midwifery Group Practice (MGP) and Continuity of Midwifery Care, if they available - these are generally considered the best option for most women within a hospital setting. Despite midwifery continuity being the most supportive option, this type of care is only available to a small percentage of women across the health sector.
Themes I cover in the *basic session.
Navigating Maternity Healthcare in Australia
Accessing maternity health care can often be overwhelming. Many families and individuals arrive with little education about childbirth and the systems in which perinatal and childbirth care take place. While care providers work hard to keep you informed, they are also bound by policies, workplace culture and lack of time. Maternity healthcare across Australia differs wildly, and access to various services will depend on where you live. Understanding the different models of care and knowing what questions to ask your service providers, are pivotal on your journey to meaningful healthcare and outcomes.
Mother’s health and wellbeing
It is estimated that mothers can continue to experience postnatal depletion up to several years after the childbirth of each child. Women experience motherhood through physiology, mental health and wellbeing, the environment, culturally, within their families and workplaces, their community lives and all their relationships.
Lifelong health of women is deeply impacted by her overall wellbeing during the reproductive years, keeping a watchful eye and planning effectively for this transitional, extra load period will yield many benefits in the later years as well as ensure a smoother journey in those critical earlier ones.
Birth options and choosing the right care provider/s
Choosing the right care providers and understanding the options available to you can be daunting and confusing. I help you work through the available support in your region, understand the policies and procedures, why they vary from place to place, and help you maximise the potential in care and your relationship with your chosen or allocated care provider.
Whole family well-bonding
When thinking about pregnancy and birth, a lot of people’s minds go to the baby. Pregnancy, childbirth and critically the postnatal period are a ‘never to be repeated’ period in the foundational elements of our families. Tending carefully to this phase with acknowledgement and a supportive strategies, ensures better experiences for everyone but also is an health and wellbeing investment in preventive action.
Planning for the perinatal period, Childbirth and Early parenting support.
The perinatal period, which can last up to a few years, is critical in a woman’s life-long health. First time pregnancy can tend to be heavily birth-focused. While its critical to have the foundations for a good birth in place before you arrive in this moment, it’s just as important to be prepared for the (lifelong) marathon post birth, caring for newborn and yourself.
While intrinsically related, these two phases (pregnancy + birth and the postpartum periods) often occur in two different care environments. Like anything else, understanding these environments is key to your overall experience and wellbeing. We discuss the importance of addressing these, so there are little to no gaps in your planning and preparation, in this life-defining phase.
*All packages include the Basic Session unless otherwise discussed.