Maddy the Doula

Maddy the Doula I’m your companion through pregnancy, birth and postpartum for a confident and joyful experience. Details on my website ✨

So many women assume they’ll figure things out along the way, and then suddenly they’re in labour, things are happening ...
27/04/2026

So many women assume they’ll figure things out along the way, and then suddenly they’re in labour, things are happening fast, people are talking at them and they realise no one taught them what to expect or how to navigate the different options.

That’s exactly why I created my Birth Guidance Session.

It’s two hours, just us, going through your birth preference, your questions, what to expect, how to work through labour and anything on your mind.. it’s your time.

I can guide you through your options with clear, grounded, practical guidance so you walk into birth actually knowing what’s happening and how to handle it.

If you want that kind of support, check out my investment guide on my website or DM me “GUIDANCE” and I’ll send you the details ✨

This past week has been super fun, so I thought I’d share a bit of what I’ve been up to 🍂 I supported an incredible woma...
23/04/2026

This past week has been super fun, so I thought I’d share a bit of what I’ve been up to 🍂

I supported an incredible woman through her labour and birth which was so powerful to witness. I’ve had a handful of prenatal visits with couples all on different journeys. First babies, second babies, hospital plans, home birth plans, VBACs, planning water births… it’s always interesting how different every family is, and I really love getting to meet people in that space and chat through what’s actually going to support them on their journey and during their labour and birth.

We had our monthly Doula Village gathering last week, and I got to sit and chat properly with one of my clients who birthed last year. It was so nice seeing her thriving with her babe.

Yesterday morning I went to a home birth gathering where a bunch of the mamas get together and share their birth stories and connect. I saw one of my clients there, and some of the midwives I work alongside, which was really nice, I absolutely love being in a space where birth is spoken about openly and with positivity.

Then I went and visited the new family who birthed last week and their little baby, and brought a heap of food to ease the load.. beef stew with mashed potato, savoury muffins, sourdough, Nepali rice pudding.. lots of easy and nourishing things to have in the fridge.

We chatted through the labour and birth experience and while I was there and I sent them the photos and videos I’d taken.

One of my favourite parts of the visit was talking about names. Going through their top picks, what they meant, what sounded right… can’t wait to hear what they settle on.

And there’s been new enquiries, meeting people who are exploring doula support and lots of messages to clients amongst it all.

No two weeks or days are ever the same! A beautifully full week 🩷✨ ps incase you missed my stores the last photo is my mushrooms soaking up some vitamin d ready for the stew!

Just finished recording a podcast episode with  for her new podcast launching soon!  It was all about my story of how I ...
15/04/2026

Just finished recording a podcast episode with for her new podcast launching soon!

It was all about my story of how I came into doula work, why I choose to do it even through the challenges, and how it’s changed me as a person, my favourite parts of the work, visions for this space, what my usual day and weeks look like as a doula being on call and supporting women through all different stages..

Feeling really encouraged by our chat and reminded of how much I love this calling I have in life, and how much impact it makes for families and future generations ✨

12 years of marriage today 💕 so much adventure, especially raising our little ones, always choosing to show up for each ...
12/04/2026

12 years of marriage today 💕 so much adventure, especially raising our little ones, always choosing to show up for each other as the days roll by 🥀♥️.jack

10/04/2026

Let’s be real, he’s not going to learn birth from the Instagram reels you send him.

You keep sending great posts with heals of info, 10/10 podcast episodes, saving things to chat about and hoping something will click, but it just doesn’t land in a way that actually prepares him for being there with you. And you never get around to talking about your needs in a meaningful way.

As a birth doula, I know that early labour is where everything begins and the support in this stage is pivotal to the labour experience.

If he knows how to support you through this early labour period, things feel much calmer it can feel calmer.

Here’s what actually helps in the early hours of labour before things intensify:

• dim lights, quiet space, soft music, candles on

• remind her to eat something small and sip fluids regularly- nourishment and hydration and so important

• stay close and grounded, your presence matters but don’t be watching or fussing over her too much, she needs privacy too

• use simple touch like hip squeezes or steady pressure on her sacrum through contractions- whatever she feels is most comforting

Most partners want to be helpful, they just don’t have a clear picture of what that looks like, which is totally fair because most of us have never seen birth unfold before.

That’s why I made the Birth Partner Guide, so you don’t have to keep drip feeding reels and having half conversations when things point to your mind.

It’s all there to go through together, it’s simple to read and chat about, practical, and easy for him to actually follow and absorb.

Grab my Birth Partner Guide and send it to him to read and then go through it together, it’ll change the way you go into birth together and you can cut out the frustrating reel tag.

10/04/2026

She’s cheering for you 🫶

08/04/2026

I don’t actually talk about homebirth all that much, because I know it’s not always accessible for everyone.

It can be expensive, hard to book into, and there simply aren’t that many options around, especially in Hobart. We don’t have a government funded program which doesn’t help.

But at the same time… it was a really meaningful part of my own journey, and it shaped how I see birth in a big way. I absolutely loved my experience of having a private midwife and home birth.

So I’ve found myself sitting a bit in between, not sharing much about it, but also feeling like there’s probably more I could say.

So I’m curious…

Would you actually like me to talk more about homebirth?
My experience, what it was like, what I learnt, what it opened up for me?

Or would you prefer I keep the focus more on hospital birth and preparation within that space?

Let me know in the comments 🤍

I’ve had three completely different births and I can see how much each one has shaped me.I recently recorded a podcast o...
08/04/2026

I’ve had three completely different births and I can see how much each one has shaped me.

I recently recorded a podcast on where I shared all three of my birth stories, which I felt quite nervy about and it brought up a lot of the memories from those experiences. It’s not often I get to really reflect on all three of my births, with each one changing me profoundly.

My first was augmented and intense, my second felt calm and supported, and my third was a homebirth, calm and private.

Each one taught me something different about myself, birth, trust, about what it feels like to be supported, and what it feels like when you’re not.

I think we often hear birth talked about in very simplified ways but the reality is that it can look and feel so different, even within the same woman.

And what I’ve come to care about most in my work as a birth doula isn’t so much the “type” of birth someone has, it’s how they feel in the experience.

Whether they feel informed, steady, heard, and not alone.

That’s what stays with you and shapes how you remember it.

And that’s a big part of why I do this work now.

It was really special to share my full stories on the We Are Mothers podcast, and if you’re pregnant or preparing, or interested in hearing about my personal journeys of birth, I hope you enjoy them.

You can listen on Spotify 💕 https://open.spotify.com/episode/3tvKGfh9KAYPINWLWhKZ47?si=2y9eNAFnRm21VgphZbs79w
If you’ve given birth before, I’d love to know, what’s one part of your experience that stayed with you?

07/04/2026

Get educated, get your strong support team gathered, know your rights, know what consent vs coercion sounds like, and be sure that your Birth Partner knows your wishes, knows the system they’re entering and knows how to advocate for you. You can grab my Birth Partner Guide where I break down everything you need to cover as a couple before labour, so that you both feel confident and ready to have the best birth experience possible

A cute Easter weekend with the fam 🌼 We had so much fun setting up the backyard for an evening dinner party in the garde...
05/04/2026

A cute Easter weekend with the fam 🌼 We had so much fun setting up the backyard for an evening dinner party in the garden, I forgot to snap once the sun had set and the candles and fairy lights were out ✨🕯️ food, kids, dancing, cake, a puppet show and so much chocolate 🩷🥰 I hope you all had a beautiful time celebrating. Swipe to see me ✨existing ✨ in the chaos of the morning egg hunt 😅💫🥕

Coercion is NOT consent 🔥❌This week, an Australian Supreme Court ruling made that crystal clear.A woman was denied pain ...
30/03/2026

Coercion is NOT consent 🔥❌

This week, an Australian Supreme Court ruling made that crystal clear.

A woman was denied pain relief, denied access to a birth suite, and denied continuity of midwifery care, and what followed was found to be negligence.

Let that sink in.

She was not given real choice.
She was not given space.
She was not supported to make a free decision.

That is NOT consent. That is COERCION.

And I have seen this in my own work.
Women being pressured, rushed, spoken over, made to feel like they have no other option. Don’t worry, I’ve got polished advocacy skills and sorted these situations out carefully.

It is completely inappropriate.
It is not okay.
And now, it is being recognised in court.

THANK YOU to this woman for pursuing this case, not just for herself, but for every woman before her who has experienced this, and for every woman still to come. 🔥

This matters because women need to know this:

You are protected.
You have rights.
And if those rights are violated, you can be supported and upheld, even in court.

This is why preparation matters.

Because in the intensity of labour, you should not have to fight for your autonomy.
You should not have to carry the mental load of decision-making under pressure, or wonder if you’re being given all the information or are trying to be swayed into interventions that suit the hospital system.

Your partner should know how to advocate.
Your team should protect your space.
You should feel SAFE in your choices.

Send this to your birth partner.
This is part of their role too. 🔥

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Hobart, TAS
7000

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