Biography

Twenty years as a Midwife facilitating public hospital Childbirth Classes in many locations around Australia, made me realise there was just something missing from current teachings. Every week I wondered why attendance at classes didn't really guarantee that the couples we saw would have a smooth or uneventful birth. I constantly sought answers about what we really needed to discuss to prepare women and families for this unique and exciting event.As a mum of three, a fulltime Midwife/Child Health Nurse and a very passionate advocate for normal active birth, I had the ability to observe and discuss this topic with women, who themselves admitted they were 'hopeless' with pain but cruised through their labour journey. Others admitted they had a high pain tolerance but struggled to get through the first few hours of contractions and ended up with very managed birth experiences. What was the answer to achieve an amazing birth? I also noticed in my Child Health Position, visiting women at home after their births, that a positive straightforward birth experience seemed to reflect in more confident parenting and beginning early relationship with their new baby. It was then that I had the amazing pleasure of looking after my first Calmbirth couple, whom I observed working calmly and confidently throughout their labour and birth, one contraction at a time. Very soon after this I also met two more Calmbirth participants, who also demonstrated this amazingly calm and controlled focus of their own birth journey. I decided then and there that I needed to be teaching and educating pregnant couples on how to achieve this birth for themselves. The rest is history...I feel very confident and excited to be working in partnership with new parents to ensure they have the best birth journey possible for them. It is empowering to be able to share this up to date scientific evidence and knowledge with couples and seeing the couples walk out feeling positive that their birth journey is achievable and, above all, that birth is a normal life event.