Every mother deserves to be nurtured, in whatever way she feels she needs support.

Birth attendance

As a birth attendant, the services I offer are personalised to each family, as I find that everyone has very different and individual needs which should be catered for.

As a courtesy I offer a free initial consultation*. If you then decide to hire me, we will meet for as many antenatal appointments as you feel that you need to get to know me.

I suggest that at least three antenatal appointments is ideal because I think that it is vital that we all feel comfortable with each other, and that you are satisfied that I am the right person to be welcoming into your birth space. These appointments usually cover a variety of topics, but can include creating a birth plan if that is important to you, comfortable positions that may assist during labor, how to work with pain, partner support, breastfeeding preparation and the basic care of your newborn.

Once labor begins, I will join you either at home (for a home birth) or your place of birth, and stay with you until your baby is born. Once your baby is safely in your arms and your family is ready to settle into the beginning of your ‘babymoon’, I give you some privacy and retreat.

We then schedule a couple of postnatal visits to your home. We can talk about your birth, your baby, breastfeeding, and anything else related to new parenthood that you might be interested in chatting about, or I’m happy to help out with whatever it is that you need.

Post-natal support

I have valuable experience working with families whose births I have not attended, and am available as a postnatal support to assist families with gentle parenting, sleep issues and breastfeeding support. I have completed the Certificate IV in Breastfeeding Education (Counselling) and take pride in my involvement with the Australian Breastfeeding Association through whom I have studied, and whose volunteers have been such valuable mentors to me for over six years. In my post natal role I offer gentle-parenting support and guidance for parents, which stems from my experience as a nanny and also as a mother to two sons.

I believe that if parents can feel supported in following their hearts with their babies, and given assistance on a practical level, that many issues that are not health related can be resolved. I also have a strong network of different practitioners who I can refer clients onto in various areas around Melbourne, for more complex issues and for those which are outside my area of experience.

I do not follow any particular methods or books, though greatly admire the gentle philosophies that Sarah Buckley and Pinky McKay discuss in their books/workshops. I do not support controlled crying or strict and rigid routines for children, as I do not believe that they are safe or what young babies and children really need to assist them with their patterns. I instead try to encourage parents to feel empowered in their parenting by following their hearts, and the lead of their baby. I gently encourage parents to follow some daily rhythms for their babies, understand what is normal infant behaviour, and assist them to tune in to when their babies are tired.

My role is also to ensure that a mother feels well rested and capable in her mothering, and is taking time to nurture herself as a woman as well as a mother.

Many families want support weekly for a morning or an afternoon per week (depending on what is the hardest time of day for them in their current situation), or sometimes twice a week until they feel that they are well rested and experienced enough to feel confident in their parenting. Some couples prefer that I come on weekends from time to time so that they can both discuss the issues that they are having, and that the dads/partners can learn more about how best to support the new mother.

I work on an hourly rate that includes travel costs/time, and I usually work in a minimum of 4 hour blocks, helping mothers will many aspects of babies/toddlers, but also with meals, shopping or washing/housework – whatever she needs to feel supported in her role as a mother. My carrot cake has become a much loved part of post natal support!

Some families want overnight support with young babies or children, and my timing for this is usually from 9pm – 7am and is charged at a flat rate. This usually involves support in re-settling and night feeding, though I rarely take over the complete role of care for a night, as I feel that it is important to encourage the new mothers to feel confident in their own abilities once they have caught up with some sleep.

By supporting a mother to have a deep connection to her baby, I feel that I am supporting her for a much longer time than I am by her side, because when a mother gains trusts in her own instincts she will often go on to parent with confidence for years to come.

I support couples in suburbs throughout each area of Melbourne, though am happy to discuss travelling further by request.

I have compiled an extensive list of services, products & practitioners personally known to me, to help make your journey into motherhood a beautiful and empowering experience, and have a large library of books, DVDs and magazines that my clients are welcome to ulitise to assist them in their decision making.

Choosing a birth attendant is not always as easy as finding someone’s information on a website and liking what you read. Deciding that they are the right person for you can often take a long phone discussion and preferably also meeting in person. There are many women doing this work around Australia, and I’m always happy to make recommendations if I am not local to you, or if we aren’t compatible for your needs.

Please search www.findadoula.com.au for listings of other birth attendants and post natal doulas who are available to assist you on your journey.

Please email me at nurture@netspace.net.au to discuss my current price structure, and the other ante-natal and post-natal support that I offer at an hourly rate.

* free initial consultation if you travel to my home in the Dandenong Ranges. For an initial consultation in which I travel,
a standard fee applies. This will then be deducted from the birth package fee if a booking is made.