Looking to read something light-hearted and fluffy? This article isn't it! This piece has taken me over two years to write, and is not something I publish lightly. Nevertheless, it is important, and I would ask you to read on with the knowledge that I write from a place of deep love and care. 

This article is written from my perspective, that of a white, straight, cisgender biological mother who is passionate about both birth rights and children’s rights, and is written primarily for other peop…

This article was first published elsewhere in Oct 2023.

Inspired by the recent State of The Midwifery Workforce episode on The Great Birth Rebellion podcast, today I want to share some reflections on the state of the postpartum doula workforce.

In the podcast episode, hosts Mel and B and their expert guests speak to data collected on the Australian midwifery workforce, which indicates a high percentage of early career midwives (those with 0-5 years clinical experience), but an average staff …

This article was first published elsewhere in Oct 2023.

This year would’ve been my 15 year school reunion, had anyone got around to organising it. Admittedly, there might have been one and I missed the memo, which is fine. I didn’t go to the 10 year one after all.

The year I graduated from high school, 40 of my 160ish peers recorded uni entrance scores of over 98.00. For context, my school was “academically selective”1 in label and spirit crushing in practice. I mean, what could possibly go …

This article was originally published elsewhere on 18 Nov 2023.

Please note there are content warnings for suicidality and psychosis on this article. If mention of these topics is too much for you right now, you may like to come back to this later. That said, it may also be exactly what you need to read, so I’ll leave it to you.

Overtime on an Unpaid Job: Hard Truths on Parenting Kids Who Hate Sleep

Pop culture tells us babies will sleep in the corner of…

Most parents have their sights set on baby's arrival, but postpartum presents its own challenges. As a postpartum doula I can help with many of these, but not all of them. I like to be upfront with my clients and let them know what my scope of expertise is, and if my skills can’t tick all their boxes, assist them in connecting with the right provider to address their unique concerns.

I began writing this document some time ago. It provides a list of, and links to, the types of services and prof…

This article was first published elsewhere in September 2023. 

Did you know that as well as my individual services, I also have a low cost online membership? It's hosted here on my own website and app, and includes a community forum where you can ask me and the collective brains' trust your questions, regular social, co-working and circle-style zoom calls, private blogs and an archive of some of my previous courses and resources. Feel free to check it out here.

How often have you as a Defa…

This article was first published elsewhere in August 2023.

In case you hadn’t noticed, becoming a parent is a big deal. An assumption people often make when a second or subsequent baby (or babies, if you’re expecting multiples) comes along is that because you’ve done it before, you’ve got it covered and don’t need so much help. In some ways they’re right, but in many they’re very, very wrong.

Yes, you’ve parented a baby before, but you’ve never parented THIS baby.

If you’re the gestationa…

This article was first published elsewhere in August 2023.

What do you say when someone asks what it’s like having kids? I say “kids” purposefully because this is how the question is often raised with me, partly because I now have two children which makes “kids” the plural relevant, and partly because one child families are still treated as an unfortunate aberration rather than a valid family structure.

I’ve found those asking the question aren’t much interested in my analysis of sociolingui…

This article was first published elsewhere in June 2023.

There was a time in the distant pre-kids past when I was a gym junkie. With an exercise science degree under my belt, this was fraught with danger. Every time I stepped through the doors of a gym I was met with a wave of unqualified people giving their only slightly less experienced training buddies the shittest of shit advice, barely-teenage personal trainers cluelessly writing pelvic floor destructor programs for postnatal mot…