I’m a woman who has given birth by caesarean three times
and left one of those births scrambling
and the others confident and strong.
I went through a huge educational journey
between my first and second births that led me to plan
a homebirth after caesarean with my second baby,
and when that pregnancy also culminated in a surgery that I didn’t want,
I knew one thing for certain:
I wouldn’t have planned it any differently.
I stood by every decision and every choice I had made,
and when it came time to have my third baby
who ended up being another homebirth transfer repeat caesarean
I still would have done it all again – exactly the same.
These experiences of birth and my education,
both personally and formally through training as a doula,
as well as the incredible experiences
I've had supporting women on their journeys
have given me a unique understanding of what impacts a birth
and a very firm belief that birth is about so much more than delivering a baby.
Birth is a transformation that not only brings a baby into the world,
but creates a mother in the process.
This is true whether you are having your first or tenth baby.
Each time, a new version of mother is created
as you birth a new soul.
As mothers,
our experience of this process of pregnancy, birth and postpartum,
is tethered to our feelings of safety and trust at every turn.
As a doula and a next birth after caesarean guide,
I want you to understand that you are the decider
of what happens to you in this journey.
I want you to feel confident
in making choices that are
right for you
and your family,
not what it is
convenient or comfortable
for anyone else.
I want you to know that
your intuition,
your values,
and your experiences
are all relevant in your decision making.
I want you to enter motherhood feeling
strong, secure and capable,
because you are!
My experiences of birth both changed me in completely different ways.
I know the difference in how I felt as a mother
between having a birth where I was
supported and trusted to make decisions along the way
and one where I had decisions made for me,
despite my protests.
Every woman's circumstances are unique
when it comes to pregnancy, birth and postpartum.
It is so important for us to be seen beyond a set of criteria
and treated as the individual people that we are,
and that is what empowers us in our journey.
I want every single woman to enter motherhood
with that same sense of empowerment and strength that I did,
and to have the support they need
to rest, recover, and transition into the role of a mother -
whether for the first time, or the tenth.
I am here for you - your journey, and your needs,
however that looks
Vicki Hobbs' Doula Training Academy
Together Circle Facilitator Training
Birth Cartography with The Birth Map
Rachel Reed's Reclaiming Childbirth Course and founding member of the Reclaiming Childbirth Collective
VBAC Facts Professional Member
Fiona Rogerson's Rethinking Trauma
Kangatraining Australia Trainer
Doula Network Australia Member
Homebirth NSW Professional Member
Homebirth Australia Professional Member
Optimal Maternal Positioning Basics Training
Co-host of the Australian VBAC Stories Podcast
President of Homebirth NSW
Coordinator of Homebirth Australia
Local Group Coordinator of Western Sydney Homebirth Group