Maddy the Doula

02/10/2025

✨ “Even with things not going to plan, you held space for me that made it so much better than it could have been. I felt looked after and nurtured at a time when it was most important for me to be held that way.” ✨

Words like these honestly stop me in my tracks. This is why I love being a doula. Birth doesn’t need to be perfect. What matters is feeling safe, cared for and truly supported through it all.

If you’ve ever wondered what difference a doula can make, this mama’s reflection says it so beautifully. You deserve to feel held in your birth too 🩷 always shared with permission.

15/09/2025

This week has been beautifully full ✨

🤰 Met with two women looking at doula support for next year - one already a yes during our meeting

💛 Held a prenatal session with one of my November couples preparing for the birth of their first babe

💬 Big debrief with a fellow doula.. because it’s not all fairy lights + water births. Sometimes it’s heavy and hard to navigate, and that’s where our skills really matter, and debriefing is so important

🌸 Doula Village park catch-up with so many mamas + babes

📸 A branding shoot for me (so fun!) + the Airbnb shoot ticked off 🏡

🐝 A weekend tucked away with my little family

And behind the scenes… I’ve signed up for ongoing business support 🙌 so I can keep pouring my energy into the parts I love most.. serving women, being a mama, and creating a home life that feels slow + intentional ✨

12/09/2025

A publicly funded homebirth option is finally being talked about for Tasmanian families.
The draft program is open for consultation until 19 October.
Have a read below, your voice matters 💕

https://www.health.tas.gov.au/sites/default/files/2025-09/tasmanian_public_homebirth_program_draft_consultation_paper.pdf?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR5Xk584ayvP-N9YE6XekrjdFAF1cyvuFKNg-RN-0FbBIJXimQ7sL94hbmBleQ_aem_oGoDppSyhfJ_OWmtRWbUxa

07/09/2025

As a doula I see how much it matters when a man chooses to be present. In pregnancy it is taking on the load at home so she can rest, showing up with emotional support when she feels unsure, and holding the vision of the birth they both hope for by putting in the time to learn about labour and birth and how to support her. In labour it is the steady hand on her back and the quiet words that remind her how strong she is, even when he feels uncertain himself. After birth it is centering the family by first centering her, making sure she eats, rests, heals, and knows she is cared for.

When a woman feels safe and supported in this way her whole wellbeing improves. She has more capacity to bond with her baby, to recover, to feed, and to step into motherhood with confidence. A mother who is cared for can care more deeply for her child, and that love ripples out into the whole family.

Fathers are not on the sidelines. They are part of the heartbeat of this journey. When a father steps into his role as protector, nurturer, and anchor, the whole family feels it. Mothers birth differently when they are supported and respected. Babies arrive into a space charged with love. Families begin on a foundation of strength and tenderness.

Never underestimate the impact of a dedicated father on the wellbeing of a mother, a baby, and the whole family. Children thrive with a loving and present father.

Happy Father’s Day, especially to the fathers who are putting in the effort day in and day out. And to my Husband who is the best father a child could hope for 💙

09/08/2025

Some birth wounds run deeper than we think.

Have you heard horrors of birth from your mothers, grandmothers and great mothers?

If you read the last slide, you can only imagine the trauma held by the women who birthed before us in the system - these were our grandmothers and their mothers, who passed their stories down to our own mothers, who shared them with us.

If your mum, grandma, or aunt didn’t get a voice in their birth, if they weren’t given choices, if they were treated with disrespect or fear, that leaves a lasting wound.

And sometimes those wounds show up as resistance to you having something better.

Not because they don’t want you to be happy, but because imagining a joyful, empowered, supported birth means facing what they didn’t get to have.

We don’t heal those wounds by repeating the past.

We heal them by rewriting it.

Your birth is yours.

It doesn’t have to look like theirs.

And you never have to shrink your vision to fit someone else’s story.

✨ I’m here to hold space for your vision and walk beside you every step of the way. To create a positive experience that you truly enjoy.

📸 ✨

The last slide is a screen shot from a post I saw on Facebook by .s.hurt - I hope she won’t mind be posting it here

08/08/2025

World Breastfeeding Week 2025 - Prioritise Breastfeeding: Create Sustainable Support Systems. Breastfeeding isn’t just between a mother and baby… it’s between a mother and her village.

As a doula, I’ve walked alongside many women in the early days of feeding their baby. I’ve seen the blissful moments - that deep exhale when baby finally latches well, and I’ve seen the tears, the cracked ni***es, the self-doubt. I know all about the overwhelming 3am feeds when it all feels too much, when you can’t latch baby, when baby vomits all their feed up, when you’re ni***es are so sore and stinging because you haven’t figured out how to get a good latch, when you don’t have a spot to pump when out, when you spill precious pumped milk, when you soak your clothes and bed sheets with milk, comments from others that are unkind, when you’re battling mastitis, when you need to take extra pump breaks at work, when you’re balancing nutrition, fluids, your own needs and your baby’s needs, when you miss out on social events because baby won’t take a bottle, weaning and pregnancy juggles. I’ve been through a lot myself.

Breastfeeding is natural, yes… but it’s also learned. It takes support, patience, and the right environment to truly thrive. This year’s theme is a reminder that breastfeeding doesn’t happen in isolation. It happens in the context of mothers who feel safe, supported, and surrounded by care, not just in the first week, but in the weeks and months that follow.

If you’re feeding right now - whether at the breast, with expressed milk, or a combination - know that you deserve support that lasts, not just quick tips and “good luck.” Being told Fed is Best and not to worry is not support, fed it’s the bare minimum. You deserve a system that holds and supports you, so you can hold your baby.

Here’s to creating a world where feeding journeys are nurtured, protected, and celebrated.

16/07/2025

These forms are used at the RHH too. Fill it out if it feels good, but you don’t have to, and you don’t owe anyone an explanation for your choices. An informed choice is the most important thing, so be sure you understand the pros and cons specific to you. And opting in or out of recommendations doesn’t require you to submit an essay on your reasons.

Public service announcement: If you are being asked to complete one of these (or a similar version used in your part of the world), and it doesn't feel supportive, informative, or like it is a discussion being held in partnership with you, you are not obliged to complete the form.
Care plans can be fabulously wonderfully supportive and empowering. Care plans can also be a tool of coercion and disempowerment. If the vibe is more the second than the first, it is completely OK to take the form with you and never fill it out. It even says that in the Qld Health guideline: To the extent that the woman wishes to do so, the woman may maintain documentation including the Discussion and Partnership Care Plan (p. 15). In other words - if you don't wish to do so, that's fine!

https://www.health.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0022/736213/maternity-decline-guide.pdf

12/07/2025

If you’re looking for calm, grounded support through pregnancy, birth, and postpartum, I’d love to walk that journey with you.

My full birth support package includes:

• Two in-depth prenatal sessions

• Full birth attendance

• A nourishing postpartum check-in

• Ongoing phone and text support throughout

My support is personal, centred around your needs, and grounded in presence, trust, and experience.

Message me anytime to chat about availability, or head to my website in my bio to learn more. Let’s talk about how I can support you 💫

23/06/2025

Quick snaps from a postpartum visit this week ✨🌷 home made sourdough, raspberry and white choc muffins for the soul, and slow cooked beef and mushroom stew with mashed potato - an absolute fave. I cook these things at home and bring them with me so I’m not fussing around your kitchen, I can sit and chat and support you with whatever you need at the time from house chores and emotional support to newborn baby care 🌸 this mama is doing so well, she has beautiful support this time around which has made the world of difference to her recovery 🥰

14/06/2025

Great news! I still remember the amazing care I received from these ladies when learning to feed my first baby. You really do remember the support you receive during those tender and vulnerable times 💫

We are thrilled to welcome the The Lactation Network to the rooms at Eternal.

Anne-Maree and Lou have tirelessly helped hundreds of families navigate the challenges of newborn and infant feeding and with the closure of the Hobart Private Hospital Maternity Unit, we welcome them to our rooms at 2 Melville St HOBART, to continue their important work.

The The Lactation Network will be consulting for antenatal and postnatal clients every Tuesday 9am - 5pm, commencing Tuesday 1st July. Please contact Anne-Maree and Lou directly for further information or to book an appointment. Watch this space for further exciting news and offerings!!

https://www.lactationnetwork.com.au/

30/05/2025

Everyone deserves a doula ✨✨✨ send me a message if you’d like to chat about how I can support you on your journey through pregnancy, birth and postpartum. You and your family are so worth the investment 🩷

23/05/2025

Dear women of Hobart,

I’ve seen so many of the mamas in local groups comment about this deeply disturbing situation.

No one should ever feel unsafe or violated during pregnancy, birth, or postpartum care, or any Gyne care.
If you have experienced inappropriate behaviour or abuse by a midwife, obstetrician, or any healthcare professional, please know that you are not alone, and it is not your fault.

This recent case is a painful reminder of why we must speak up.

If something happened to you, you can report it.
You deserve care that is respectful, safe, and centered on your dignity.

Support is available for reporting or for emotional care. Reach out. You are believed, and you are supported.

⚠️Content warning ⚠️

Detectives from the Family and Sexual Violence Division of Tasmania Police have charged a southern-based obstetrician with sexual offences.

The man has been charged with one count of indecent assault and one count of assault with indecent intent.

The offences are alleged to have occurred in 2022 and 2025 in the Hobart area. Other alleged sexual related offences are currently under investigation.

The man has been stood down by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) prior to today’s charges.

Following charges being laid, the man is scheduled to appear in the Hobart Magistrates Court on September 1.

It is acknowledged that alleged offences of this nature are deeply disturbing, and Tasmania Police encourages anyone with information about sexual abuse to come forward and report, regardless of the passage of time.

Reports can be made directly to police on 131 444, by visiting a police station or Arch (http://arch.tas.gov.au/). If your report relates directly to a medical practitioner, you can also report to AHPRA.

Anonymous information can be provided to Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or Crime Stoppers Tasmania