Exhibitors Join us at the Pregnancy, Birth and Postpartum Expo 2024 Are you committed to supporting expectant parents and young families? We invite you to be a part of our Pregnancy, Birth and Postpartum Expo 2024, an exciting event designed to connect experts, businesses and organisations with the community. This is your chance to showcase...
Vicki Hobbs from Back-to-Basics Birthing is proud to be hosting Dr Hazel Keedle with her VBAC Workshop for Birth Workers. Dr Hazel Keedle is a Lecturer of Midwifery and completed her PhD in 2021 at Western Sydney University, Australia. Hazel has more than 25 years of experience as a clinician in nursing and midwifery, educator...
Jenn Fontaine is one of a handful of people worldwide who have been personally trained and mentored by Penny Simkin and accredited to present and facilitate the When Survivors Give Birth workshop and she is coming back to Perth to present another workshop. This important client care workshop focuses on understanding and healing the effects...
During the Middle Ages women continued to use natural medicines and holistic care for the wellbeing of their families and pregnant women, while men attended university to become physicians, which then started the restrictions on natural healers who were considered “witches” if they were performing healing without formal accreditation. The Church declared that anyone using...
I am so fortunate and honoured to have met and learnt from Ginny Phang-Davey from iBirth Professionals, who shares her knowledge and experience with us on how to use the basic OMP PROTOCOLS during pregnancy, labour and birth for a better birth experience. The great thing about Ginny is she is so authentic about these...
Have you given any thought to birthing your placenta? Yes, that’s right, after your baby is born it doesn’t just stop there – the placenta needs to come out too. The placenta is an incredible organ and has been the lifeline of your baby for the duration of your pregnancy and it needs to be...
As we continue to brace ourselves for the changes that are occurring on a daily basis, we are all faced with fears, concerns and uncertainty. These circumstances are rare and unusual here in Australia, and we now more than ever have to show solidarity and work together to get through this as best we can....
Your birth plan is more powerful than you know. A birth plan is not a legal document, but it can be used in a court of law to show how the woman expected to be treated and supported by her care providers during her labour and birth and immediate postpartum period. The birth plan shows...
The Natural Alignment Plateau phrase was first used by Marjie Hathaway, who is an independent childbirth educator and author of several books, as well as a practitioner trainer for the Bradley Childbirth Method. She highlighted that it is not uncommon for women to get to a point in their labour where their cervix stops dilating....
We have some really incredible bodyworkers in Perth, so I have put together the Perth Bodyworkers Collective and these are all practitioners that I know, like and trust and regularly refer my clients to who have had amazing results. I always suggest having regular massage during pregnancy with a Pregnancy Massage Specialist who has done...
This birth story is the perfect example of how hypnobirthing classes encourage mums to trust their body and their innate wisdom. I am so proud of Sharna and Scott and how they used all their hypnobirthing knowledge and techniques to create that perfect birthing environment and drew on the experience and midwifery skills of their...
The curse of the due date and the eviction notice for your baby is clearly etched in every woman’s mind after she has confirmation of her pregnancy. She marks that date on the calendar with excitement and shares this with all her family and friends. This is when her baby will come. Then as the...
Updated 17/09/24 I’m pleased that since originally writing this blog on 31/08/2019, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) announced on 4th September 2024 the deregistration of home foetal dopplers following a safety review and states: “Home-use foetal dopplers Foetal dopplers are handheld devices used to detect or monitor the heartbeat of a baby during pregnancy. These...
One of the main concerns women have about their labour and birth will be whether or not they will be able to cope with the intensity of pain. Here are some medical pain relief options for labouring women to give you a starting point of what is available, but also what you need to do...
Choosing a care provider for your birth can be a daunting task. Many women feel they are going to get a better birth by going with a private Obstetrician, but statistics show that women are more likely to have inductions, interventions or end up with a caesarean by going private, so it is important for...
The clitoris and the perineum – the holy grail of womanhood. We know episiotomy can impact the function and healing of these two sacred parts of the female anatomy, so it is important for women to be educated on what you can do during labour and birth to reduce or eliminate the risk of tearing...
Obstetricians and GP obstetricians are heading a push for machines that go “ping” to replace midwives. What this means is replacing real and dedicated continuity of care, touch, conversations, connections and experts in normal physiological birth with numbers, machines, computer screens and charts that lead to interventions and caesareans. The well-known skit from Monty Python’s...
With Christmas fast approaching the word around social media pregnancy groups is that their Obstetrician has booked them in to be induced at 38 weeks before Christmas to avoid the rush and lack of staff or because their Obstetrician is going on holidays. Christmas and holidays are not medical reasons for induction of labour but...
The Australian Institute of Health & Welfare (AIHW) have released the Australian Mothers and Babies 2016 report and it is disappointing to see that the national caesarean rate continues to rise and is well outside the World Health Organisation recommendations of between 10%-15%. This data provides an overview of mothers and babies, maternal demographics, the...
It’s interesting to see the responses from women to women who share what they are planning for their birth or their experience of having a “good birth” on social media. Natural birth – what are you trying to prove? You won’t get a medal. These are just some of the responses women are subjected to....
Orgasms release copious amounts of oxytocin therefore I am a big advocate for female orgasms during labour when things start to slow down or stall. If it is a choice between synthetic oxytocin and real oxytocin, what would you rather have? Just put a sign on your door saying, “Please keep out – orgasm in...
Every woman should write a birth plan, but for a VBAC mother it is even more important! This is because many women who are having a VBAC (Vaginal Birth After Caesarean) are now more educated and have identified that there may have been alternatives or different options they could have chosen instead of the interventions...
Bit of a ranty blog this one about understanding that your cervix should not be on a timer – what we need is for women to go back to basics birthing. That Friedman’s Curve from the 1950’s has a lot to answer for and is outdated and inappropriate to be used in this day and...
We have several Hypnobirthing couples who have given us permission to use their birth videos or photos in our classes for training purposes. In a discussion we had not long ago in our practitioner group we have noticed quite a few hypnobirthing babies being born “en caul” or “in the caul.” Being born en caul...
The cervix (from the Latin cervix uteri, meaning “neck of the womb”) is the lower, narrow part of the uterus where it joins with the top end of the vagina. The cervix is cylindrical in shape and during most of your pregnancy your cervix is long and thick and is generally between 2cm and 4cm...
Are you a doula, midwife, childbirth educator, body worker or other health care professional that would like to learn more practical and evidence based tools and techniques to teach or prepare women during their pregnancy for an easier labour and birth? Spinning Babies integrates the art and science of giving birth to give the mother...
There are so many things to consider when you are planning your vaginal birth after caesarean (VBAC) and these are just the ones I wanted to put together quickly to get you started, but you have to do your own mind-mapping to work out where you need more information, where you feel strong and confident...
Your Pelvis One of the important physical aspects of the body during pregnancy is the pelvis. Your pelvis is not one fixed bone; it is made up of 4 separate bones: sacrum; coccyx two iliac bones, one on the left and one on the right, which are joined to the sacrum at the back at...
For the most part, I feel so positive about the new VBAC guidelines just released by ACOG this month (ACOG Practice Bulletin #184) and wanted to share a few highlights that potential VBAC women can really push for with their own care providers here in Australia. We seem to be so far behind in Australia,...
What are the “absolute” risks of stillbirth? Many healthcare providers create fear in women when they say, “the risk of stillbirth doubles by the end of 42 weeks.” This is the “relative” risk of stillbirth. It is important that you obtain the “absolute” risk before making any decisions. The “absolute” risk means how often does...
No two women are the same; therefore, no two births will be the same even with your own subsequent pregnancies. There is no text book that can tell you when you will go into labour, what you will experience and what the outcome will be. Independent childbirth education is about preparing you for your labour...
Are you having trouble convincing your partner on the benefits of having a Doula at your birth? One of the main reasons a couple may not hire a Doula is because the partner thinks the Doula may take over their role, but it important to know that the Doula will be very inclusive of the...
Updated 03/06/24 We are so lucky to have so many awesome Privately Practising Midwives available in Western Australia, and I am so relieved that the list has grown extensively since I first started this Directory and continues to grow, which is exciting for women of Perth and Western Australia. A Privately Practising Midwife (PPM) is...
There is no doubt that synthetic oxytocin has its place in maternity care, and can be instrumental in saving lives, but even the companies who develop this synthetic oxytocin state that it should not be used for routine inductions and augmentation of labour unless medically necessary. For the use of synthetic oxytocin the woman needs...
Amniotomy also known as “artificial rupture of membranes” is where the membranes are ruptured / released by the midwife using a gloved finger that has a hook on the end (amnicot) or a little device called an amnihook. This allows the amniotic fluid to be released. The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends that in normal...
A synthetic version of prostaglandin hormones is inserted into your vagina either as tablets, gels, suppositories or pessaries. You will need to remain in hospital for this and once inserted it is recommended that you lie down for at least 30 minutes so the gel can stimulate the cervix. The dose, number of doses and...
The aim of using the balloon catheter is to try and avoid a pharmaceutical induction and is recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO). The Foley’s catheter is a single balloon inserted inside the cervix and the Cook’s device is a double balloon, one inserted inside the cervix and one left on the outside of...
Your medical caregivers will tell you that a stretch and sweep is not considered an “intervention” because it doesn’t involve drugs, so it is natural. This is not true and anyone putting their fingers up inside your vagina and pulling, poking, stretching and sweeping around the inside of the cervix is not natural and more...
There is a lot of confusion around the safe diffusing of essential oils and the use of traditional oil “burners” (vaporisers) and diffusers during labour and birth. It is not just about the smell. Essential oils are made up of chemicals – even chemicals found in nature can have adverse effects on the mind and...
The perineum is the area between the vagina and anus, made up of skin, tissue and muscle and stretches incredibly as the head emerges. Many women become fearful about the perineum tearing or needing an episiotomy and wonder how their baby is going to fit through their vagina. An episiotomy is where the Obstetrician or midwife...
The rights of a pregnant woman anywhere in the world must be taken seriously, but for the purpose of being Australian and educating my local community I have put together some really important resources so that women have an easy reference point to go to and know that they do have rights, they can refuse...
The best advice I can give you for your labour and birth is to enjoy it. You are only going to get the opportunity to birth this baby once. How you prepare and educate yourself and practice your knowledge will make a world of difference to the way you birth – regardless of how your...
I have been busy creating my online childbirth education program called “Back to Basics Birthing” and as part of my research I posted a request in a Facebook group asking the women in the group what were things that they wish they had known about “the first few hours after birth.” We have so many...
Do you want to try and prevent colic and wind, therefore pain and distress in your baby? Every time you pull babies up by their legs to change their nappy you are pulling the nerve roots that go into the intestines out of place. These roots have a direct link to the small and large...
The first hour after birth of skin on skin and bonding is an important and sacred time for the newborn baby, mother and partner and needs to be protected and supported. You cannot get this time back so it should not be interfered with unless the mother or baby need medical attention immediately. Many hospitals...
Who would have thought that someone would create “lactation cookies” and that they would help to burst those boobies with a bounty of breast milk? Unfortunately, I have tried a few recipes to make for my postpartum clients, but just hadn’t found one that made me salivate. Not that I needed them, but who wants to...
Many hospitals still have a policy of no eating during labour in case you have to go for surgery. Like so many of these hospital policies this is now outdated information and is based on work by Dr. Mendelson in the 1940s that indicated that under “general anaesthesia” there was a possibility of acidic stomach...
“I wish I had done some classes or prepared myself for what to expect when I went into labour, and maybe my birth would have been very different.” This is what so many women say to me when they are trying to have a more positive experience with their next birth or VBAC (vaginal birth...
This myth that vaginal exams is beneficial has become conditioned into the minds of pregnant women so they think it is a necessary part of their labour. Because of this myth, most hospitals will have a policy that women are to have vaginal exams every 4 hours in a risk-free birth and more frequently in...
Group B Streptococcus (or more commonly referred to as GBS or Group B Strep) is a bacteria that is normally present in our bodies. Around one fifth of women carry the bacteria without even knowing they have it. In RARE cases GBS can cause serious illness and even death in newborn babies, but more commonly it...
So you have just tested positive for Gestational Diabetes. What now? Well first of all you need to find out as much as you can about this condition and how it affects you and your baby and your birth preferences. But where do you start? What is going to be helpful and what is going...
During your labour and birth, it is important that you feel comfortable, safe and calm in your birthing space. Music plays an important part in this. Everyone is different of course, and during labour and birth what you think you might like to hear during your labour and birth may be totally different when you...
Choosing your health care provider for birth is so important and should be high on your priorities along with childbirth education. Obstetricians are highly trained and specialists in surgical procedures. They would be the first to admit that when it comes to “normal birth” then the experts in this area are midwives. Midwives are highly...
Hey mummy, please be patient….. Please mummy, let me stay for a little while longer, I feel safe and calm and loved. I know you are tired, I know you are sore. I’m sorry I am putting all this pressure on your body. But I’m not ready to be born just yet. Please be patient…..it...
So, you have just been for your 20-week scan and your sonographer has told you that you have a low-lying placenta, and you will be monitored to see if you can birth vaginally, or you may have even been told to prepare for a caesarean. It is important NOT TO STRESS! A low-lying placenta can...
Why is it so important to choose an independent childbirth educator and attend classes such as hypnobirthing or active birthing classes? Because over time women have forgotten that birth is a natural and normal physiological event! Women have become more accepting of medical interventions. Caesareans are the highest they have ever been, and it is...
The Unique Connection between mother and child – does it exist? I loved watching the video which went viral in 2015 on social media. It has everyone talking about how clever the children are to find their mums, and it got me thinking about how so many couples don’t understand the importance of that skin-on-skin bonding...
Your baby has just been born and you look down to see what you have created and to your surprise you notice your baby looks like it is covered in white zinc cream and ready for a day out at the cricket. Vernix Caseosa (vernix) is the white, cheesy substance found on the skin of...
There is no such thing as a “natural induction” of labour. Anything that is trying to make your baby come before it is ready is a risk. So, you think it is time to evict your baby? You have had enough. You are tired, uncomfortable and just want to meet your little one…..NOW! However, have...
There are many natural induction methods that may help to trigger the start of labour, but these too can also create stress and frustration when they don’t work. It is also important to remember that you’re not designed to be pregnant forever, so you can trust your body to do what it is meant to...
Nearly 75% of pregnant women experience swelling during the last trimester of their pregnancy and most of the time it is relieved by good posture, massage, staying cool, elevation of legs and rest. However, when something like pre-eclampsia develops, severe swelling or” pitting oedema” is merely one symptom of sometimes a more serious condition known...
Your hospital bag….. What do you need to take with you to the hospital? This is just a general guide of things you may need or want to have available when you are at your place of birth, and I have added to the list as other mums have recommended items they felt were essential. Now...
When I am performing pregnancy massage, one of the most common questions I get asked is how to turn a breech baby? I think it is really important that mums understand that sometimes they just need to be patient. Do all you can to encourage your baby into a vertex (head down) position early on,...
Preparing for birth is like preparing for a marathon. You need to prepare both your mind and your body. In your mind, you need to release fear, which creates tension, producing more pain, creating more fear, which starts a whole vicious cycle in the mind and body as described by British Obstetrician and leading advocate...
Stretch marks – is there a miracle cure? Around 70% of pregnant women develop stretch marks during pregnancy and this is due to scarring that develops in the deeper layers of the skin. When there is a lot of stress, stretching and strain on the collagen fibres in the skin, and repetitive stress and tension...
“Hypnobirthing” is just a fancy name for “hypnosis for birth” and the hypnosis part of this course is only one small component of the program. It is a full childbirth education program that covers so much in only 12 hours of session time. When I chat to women about hypnobirthing some of them have said...