About

Hello! I’m Rachael. My aim is to hold space for women and their families through the entire birthing journey, be it with physical and emotional support, education and assistance, acting as a birth concierge or simply massaging out the knots and tightness of daily living so that they can achieve the birth they want.

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Image by Colour of Life Photography

 

As a doula I want to support women and birthing families by empowering them through education, resources and evidence based choices for childbirth. I believe a doula should support and nurture a family in a way that is unique to them and provides an environment for a them to grow as a family. I believe in the child birthing year, that support should cover all four trimesters. I believe birth is natural and should be as individual as you are. I believe you should feel safe, respected, encouraged and powerful and that childbirth is not a sickness but a life event that should be celebrated.

As a single mum to a teenage boy, I know what it means to be surrounded and lifted by a supportive network. Having experience as a Peri-operative (Operating Theatre) Registered Nurse, I understand the environment of the hospital and medical world. As a Pregnancy Remedial Massage Therapist, I get the need for therapeutic touch and it’s benefits. As a student Childbirth Educator, I am on the path to providing you with up to date, unbiased, relevant and evidence based research and knowledge to help you develop the right birthing plan for you. I aim to provide accessible, affordable, quality, tailored birthing bodywork, support and education.

Qualifications

  • Bachelor of Nursing (10+ years experience) Peri-operative Scrub, Scout, Anaesthetic and Recovery nursing.
  • Diploma of Remedial Massage
  • Diploma of Pregnancy Massage NurtureLife® Pregnancy Practitioner
  • Specialist pregnancy bodywork workshops in Acupressure, Rebozo, and Advanced Massage techniques
    • Labour Preperation Massage, Post Natal Massage – Pregnancy Massage Australia;
    • Shiatsu for Birthworkers, Advanced Pregnancy Massage – Suzanne Yates/Well Mother;
    •  Debra Betts Accupressure For Pain Releif workshop;
    • Rebozo and Womb workshop with Clare Blake – Fertility Massage Therapy UK;
    • Making Space for Baby – pelvic workshop with Jenny Blyth and Fiona Hallinan;
    • Spinning Babies workshop with Ginny Phang.
  • Certified Infant Massage Instructor with IMIS
  • Current Adult First Aid & CPR certification
  • Current Paediatric First Aid and CPR certification
  • Commercial Cook (CertIV) Current Working With Food certificates
  • Reiki Level II/ Kineasy (Kinesiology AKA 90 hours Category B, 8 hours Cat A)
  • ili ili Stones Practitioner (level II)
  • Labour Doula, Post Natal Doula, Spiritual Midwifery – Dial A Doula
  • Bachelor of Health Sciences – Complementary Medicine – (Currently Deferred)
  • Lamaze Childbirth Education Trainee 
  • Student Childbirth Educator  – Childbirth International.
  • Student Placenta Encapsulator (APPA)
  • DONA International (Doula) Training (November 2017) https://www.dona.org/