Anna Cusack

Welcome.

Sometimes it feels like pregnancy, birth and postpartum are all about the baby, but what about you? The health of our communities depends on mothers, parents and caregivers getting the support they need to be okay. Whether you are 8 weeks pregnant or your youngest is 8 years old, you matter too.

I’m Anna (she/her) and I’m a doula, but not in the “hold your hand during labour” kind of way you might be familiar with. My work happens outside the birthing room, providing you with emotional support, technical or knowledge-based advice and resources and organisational assistance through pregnancy decision making, birth mapping, postpartum planning, birth debriefing, postpartum planning and non-judgemental guidance through the early months and years of parenting.

I come to doula work with a postgraduate degree in physiology (how the body works), multiple years experience working in the health system and keen eye for how our social structures influence our lived experience as mothers and parents. I'm also a mum of two little ones, which although not essential to be a good doula, helps me to really "get" where you're at and empathise with the challenges you may be facing.

I host quarterly circles/mini-retreats in Lake Macquarie and a variety of online events, get behind the mic on the "Anna Asks" podcast and publish weekly articles via my Substack, the Default Parent Project. 

My book "Mama, You're Not Broken: Unmasking the Unspoken Emotions of Modern Motherhood" has been praised by some of the best in the business and led to me running guest workshops on guilt, overwhelm and anger in motherhood at various parent support groups and early education centres. At times I am asked to craft personalised gatherings, such as honouring an upcoming birth or weaning, or marking a relationship separation, and these fill my heart right up. Please do reach out and contact me if you would like to bring your own ideas to life.

Please click through to read more about me and my qualifications or check out my services.