Vicki Hobbs - Back to Basics Birthing

04/09/2025

The problem with birthing on your back – and the racist history of pelvic stereotypes. Pelvic typologies are not just outdated; they are rooted in racist and sexist pseudoscience. By teaching and repeating them uncritically, the medical system risks perpetuating harmful stereotypes. The modern, evidence-based approach is to support women’s movement, positioning, and physiology rather than labelling pelvises into categories.

The problem with birthing on your back – and the racist history of pelvic stereotypes For many women, the default birthing position in hospitals is lying fl ...

03/09/2025

The incredible placenta that keeps your baby alive. How many of you kept your child’s placenta, or did placenta encapsulation? What did you do with the placenta?
Photos?

Imagine an organ that exists only for a short time, yet carries the weight of two lives within its function. That’s the placenta—a temporary bridge between mother and child, forming in the uterus during pregnancy and quietly orchestrating the survival of the developing fetus. It delivers oxygen, nutrients, and hormones with flawless precision, while also removing waste the baby cannot yet handle.

It works as if several organs were fused into one: lungs, kidneys, and digestive system combined, all operating on behalf of the unborn. Beyond sustaining growth, it creates hormones that keep the pregnancy steady and strengthens the baby’s early defenses against the world.

Though it disappears after birth, the placenta’s role is nothing short of extraordinary. For months, it serves as a lifeline, binding mother and child in a partnership of survival and growth—one of nature’s most remarkable designs, fleeting yet unforgettable in its purpose.

03/09/2025

Don't forget your Strength to Progress Conference tickets in Perth with keynote speakers Bashi Kumar and Hazel Keedle - two amazing speakers and anyone in the birth world will benefit from listening to them.

STP tickets are still on sale so don't miss out.
https://www.tickettailor.com/events/strengthtoprogress

02/09/2025

Looking back on last year’s Perth Pregnancy, Birth & Postpartum Expo.

What an unforgettable day it was! The expo was buzzing with energy – from incredible speakers who inspired and educated, to amazing exhibitors who shared their wisdom, experiences, products, and therapies with so much heart and enthusiasm.

Families had the chance to explore a wide variety of support services, discover why caring for the mind, body, emotions and energy is so important during pre-pregnancy, pregnancy, labour, and postpartum, and connect directly with the wonderful people behind these services.

It was colourful, fun, interactive, and deeply worthwhile – a day filled with learning, connection, and community spirit.

This year promises to be even bigger and brighter – and we can’t wait to share it with you! Contact Vicki to book your stand.

And who better than to have Cat Fancote - Capturing Birth take our photos from the day. One of the best, award winning birth photographers in Australia.

https://vickihobbs.com/pregnancy-birth-postpartum-expo-2025/

31/08/2025

Expo 2025
Exhibitor spots are now open for the Perth Pregnancy, Birth & Postpartum Expo 2025! Join us on Sunday, 9th November 2025 at the Rendezvous Hotel in Scarborough for a day celebrating all things pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. This is a unique opportunity to showcase your business to expectant parents, new families, and birth professionals who are actively seeking information, support, products, and services. Spaces are limited and filling fast, so don’t miss your chance to be part of this vibrant, collaborative event! For all the details and booking form email Vicki Hobbs at vicki@vickihobbs.com

29/08/2025

“I wish I had done some classes or prepared myself for what to expect when I went into labour, and maybe my birth would have been very different.”

This is what so many women tell me when they’re preparing for their next birth or VBAC (vaginal birth after caesarean) – they want a more positive experience this time.

But here’s the thing: your first birth really matters. It often shapes how your next births will look. If your first birth involves unnecessary intervention or a caesarean, you may find yourself having to fight harder for your choices, or needing to spend the next pregnancy researching and preparing for a VBAC, which brings a whole lot of different challenges and emotions. Read more.....

"I wish I had done some classes or prepared myself for what to expect when I went into labour, and maybe my birth would have been very different." ...

26/08/2025

Wait for white: why optimal cord clamping matters for your baby
In the moments after birth, there’s often a flurry of activity: checking the baby, cleaning, measuring and of course, cutting the cord. But before that clamp clicks shut, there’s a critical opportunity to support your baby’s transition in a simple yet powerful way: by waiting for white. Read more.....

Wait for white: why optimal cord clamping matters for your baby In the moments after birth, there’s often a flurry of activity: checking the baby, cleaning, ...

26/08/2025

Exhibitor spots are now open for the Perth Pregnancy, Birth & Postpartum Expo 2025! Join us on Sunday, 9th November 2025 at the Rendezvous Hotel in Scarborough for a day celebrating all things pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. This is a unique opportunity to showcase your business to expectant parents, new families, and birth professionals who are actively seeking information, support, products, and services. Spaces are limited and filling fast, so don’t miss your chance to be part of this vibrant, collaborative event! For all the details or booking form just click on the link.

Exhibitors Join us at the Pregnancy, Birth and Postpartum Expo 2025 Are you committed to supporting expectant parents and young families? We invite you to b ...

25/08/2025

Trying to find a good pregnancy, birth or postpartum book? We have some great book reviews, which are done by our emerging doulas as part of their assessment. Check out our website for book reviews and articles. Here is one for "The Motherhood Space".

Book Review by doula Carly Williams The Motherhood Space: A companion through the beautiful chaos of life as a modern mother. Book written by: Gabrielle Nan ...

22/08/2025

Dr Michel Odent (July 7, 1930 – August 19, 2025)

This week we have lost a gentle, yet powerful revolutionary. The world mourns the passing of Dr. Michel Odent, a pioneer who trusted in the body’s wisdom, honoured the power of the primal period, and redefined birth as an act of love and transformation. From birthing pools, microbiome, melatonin to the first hour following birth, his work reshaped how we welcome new lives, and how we understand what it means to be human. It's also so important to acknowledge how fully he lived his mission. His ideas continue to ripple into birthing rooms, homes, birthing centres, midwifery practices, doulas and hearts around the globe. His vision lives on in every mother-centered birth.

Let's remember his words "Experiences have clearly shown that an approach which 'de-medicalises' birth, restores dignity and humanity to the process of childbirth, and returns control to the mother is also the safest approach."

One of the absolute highlights of my career was hearing Michel Odent speak at the Passage to Motherhood conference in Brisbane back in 2015. There he was.....in the flesh......mingling with the birthy crowd, flashing that cheeky smile of his (none of this Zoom or pre-recorded nonsense). During the break, I worked up the courage to go over and talk to him, and when he asked why I was at the conference, all I managed to blurt out in my awe-struck daze was: “to see and listen to you.” Out of all the things I could have said, that was it. He chuckled, replied quickly in his wonderfully thick French accent, and I had no idea what he said, but honestly, it didn’t matter. My birthy cup was well and truly full.

Though Michel has left this world, his legacy and wisdom will live on in every gentle birth, every mother supported, and every life touched by the truth that birth is powerful, sacred, and worthy of trust.