http://www.thebirthnest.com.au/

The BirthNest, South Eastern Suburbs, Western, Perth (2025)

22/08/2025

Today, we honour the life and legacy of Michel Odent — a true pioneer who reshaped how we understand birth.

His vision was simple yet revolutionary: create an environment where birth unfolds instinctively, without unnecessary disturbance. He reminded us that the way we welcome babies into the world shapes not just families, but society itself.

As midwives, educators, and birthing people, we continue to carry forward his wisdom: “To change the world, we must first change the way babies are being born.”

Rest in peace, Michel Odent. Your work lives on in every gentle, empowered birth. 🤍

25/07/2025

💜 FUN FACT FRIDAY 💜 By around 13–15 weeks, your baby’s taste buds start developing, and they can taste the flavours in the amniotic fluid based on what you eat.
Garlic, vanilla, even curry — your cravings might just be baby’s first food adventures!

Studies even show babies smile more after birth when tasting familiar flavours from the womb. How cool is that!?

02/07/2025

💜The Birth Comb: A Small Tool With Big Impact 💜

Did you know a simple comb can be a powerful comfort tool during labour?

Holding a comb with the teeth pressing into the base of your fingers stimulates acupressure points and uses the gate control theory—helping shift your brain’s focus away from the intensity of contractions.

It’s grounding, accessible, and fits right into your birth bag.

Whether you’re planning a hospital, home, or birth centre experience—this little tool can support your sense of calm and control. 💛

Have you heard of the birth comb before?

Comment ‘BIRTHCOMB’

if you want to add this powerful tool to your birth kit

👇 Tag a mama-to-be who might love this!

04/06/2025

💜ADMISSION CTGs💜 Did you know many hospitals are still offering Admission CTGs, this means that if you are a low risk, healthy woman who presents in labour, continuous fetal monitoring is connected for approximately 20-30min, but this can be dependant on when it ‘meets a certain criteria’ so what is explained as a 20-30min procedure can actually eventuate into being connected longer, or even continuous throughout labour. When a Cochrane Review looked at the evidence, it stated there are no statistical benefits to baby outcomes and there was an increase in cesarean and instrumental births.

At the end of the day, it’s a woman’s choice if she wants CTG monitoring or not, but she should be given this information to help her make an informed choice?

#

06/02/2025

💜Haemorrhoids💜

What You Need to Know

These uninvited guests can often show up during pregnancy and postpartum. They are swollen, veins in the re**um. Symptoms may include sudden and severe pain during bowel movements, swelling or a bulge around the a**s, blood in the toilet bowl, excessive wiping, a**l itching, feeling as though you have not fully emptied your bowels, and mucus in your underwear after wiping.

During pregnancy, increased blood volume, hormonal changes such as relaxin causing increase in laxity, the pressure of your growing baby on pelvic veins can slow circulation, and straining due to constipation make haemorrhoids more likely. The ‘pushing’ phase in labour (even more so with coached pushing) can also cause haemorrhoids to appear or worsen significantly and can become very uncomfortable postpartum.

There are ways to reduce the risk and ease discomfort:

Preventive Tips:
💧 Stay hydrated & eat fiber-rich foods to avoid constipation.
🚶‍♀️ Move regularly to support circulation.
💨 Avoid straining on the toilet—use a footstool to help with positioning.
🗣️ Avoid coached pushing, allowing your body to reach an uncontrollable urge to bear down if necessary and focus on breathing techniques for bearing down

Comfort Measures:
🛁 Sitz baths with warm water & Epsom salts can soothe irritation.
❄️ Apply a cold compress to reduce swelling.
🍃 Witch hazel pads or a peri spray can provide relief.
👤 Invest in seeing a Woman’s Health Physio

Haemorrhoids are super common, and while they can be frustrating, they do get better with time and care. If they’re persistent or causing significant pain, it’s always worth checking in with your healthcare provider and seeing a woman’s health physio.
💜 If you want to learn breathing tools to assist in your birth and further your education, dm ‘BirthNest’ to learn how I can help you

06/01/2025

💜 Private Birth Classes 💜 if you are searching for the ultimate personalised birth education, The BirthNest offers private classes, either in person or online. Here are 3 reasons why you may find Private classes are best suited for you

☝️ Private can accomodate your needs by working around your unique schedule such as working FIFO or full time, if you have older kids, or are unable to attend group classes for whatever the reason. Private classes we can work around you and your family to best fit into your life and schedule.

✌️Each couple have their own specific needs and preferences of what they are hoping to achieve or discuss during classes. Private classes can be specifically tailored to your unique needs. We still give you access to all the usual information, but can take the time to customise or discuss content further so you get the most out of our time together. Making the learning experience both personal and effective

🤟 Take away the stress of travelling, we can do the classes in the comfort of your own home making this a convenient option. Especially if doing after work or if you have other children to get to bed. You can enjoy a stress free learning environment with all the attention on your needs and the time to answer any questions, concerns or information you need.

This personalised approach not only saves you time and effort but also creates a more intimate and comfortable learning environment.

If you believe this would be the best option for you comment ‘BirthNest’ and I’ll send through all the information you need

09/12/2024

💜JUST YOUR FRIENDLY HOLIDAY REMINDER 💜

It can be tempting to have control over the date your baby comes over the holiday season. But unless there is a true medical reason to induce you may want to ask yourself the risks associated with induction and bringing baby into the world before they are truly ready. The risks associated to both your birth, and the baby’s abilities to transition into the outside world.

24/11/2024

💜what does a vaginal exam tell you? 💜

I can tell you now, it does NOT tell you when your baby will be born. There is so much more going on in your labour than just how much of your cervix is out of the way.

A vaginal examination can tell you how far dilated you are at that moment, but it doesn’t tell what it will do in the future and does not determine how far away you baby is.

If you want to learn more

Book in with me to do The Positive Birth Program and find out other ways to assess labour progress

29/04/2024

💜 Cesarean Preferences 💜 Here are some examples of my favourite preferences if you are birthing your baby via cesarean

💜Atmospheres calm
Sometimes staff can become desensitised to their environment, that this is the BIRTH of YOUR baby, you probably don’t want them talking around you like you are not there on this amazing life event. Sometimes they need to be reminded.
💜Baby born slowly and gently
Birth is already a very intense experience for your baby, being born gently and slowly helps baby transition calmly and can reduce mucous after birth
💜Drapes lowered
So you can witness the birth of your baby
💜Delayed cord clamping
Is not usually standard practice in a cesarean environment and may need to be specified (see previous posts)
💜Immediately Skin to Skin
If your baby comes out crying and not needing any further medical assistance, than get them straight on your chest, weighing and measuring your baby can wait, they can check your baby’s condition on your chest and do the rest of their jobs after if that is your request. Skin to Skin is easily done in theatre and sometimes even the first breastfeed
💜Baby stays on mothers chest
Continue your skin to skin and initiating, if mum and baby are well, then let’s keep them together to enjoy these moments to bond and initiate breastfeeding
💜If baby is separated, partner remains with baby
As the Partner, you are now your baby’s advocate, you are there to offer them support when needed and be their voice, request skin to skin, request to be returned to mum if possible, request to get some colostrum from mum, request for mum to be brought through to the nursery on the way to the ward. These are just a few suggestions to consider
Did you find this helpful?
Please ❤️ and Share
Comment below if you would like to share any other cesarean preferences 👇

15/03/2024

💜 Precipitous Labour💜 when labour is quick…

Typically, labour contractions begin gradual and intensify over time, precipitous labour contractions can be more frequent, longer and stronger resulting in a rapid birth. Although this may seem ‘better’ many women find their bodies overwhelmed and exhausted after experiencing such intensity over a short period of time. A quick labour and birth presents with both benefits and some challenges.

Some would say that the intense sensations of labour don’t last as long so is over quicker, although this also gives you body less time to prepare for the motions it’s experiencing such as utilising important hormones like endorphins, some women are more likely to have perineal trauma as there isn’t gradual stretching of the tissue, plus baby’s can often be a little stunned after a quick birth and need extra transition time

What can you do to help prepare?

🤍 create a birth map and/or birth preferences, opening up the conversation and what you may or may not want/need in these moments
🤍 discuss your concerns with your care provider, your previous birth experience and discuss you birth map/preferences with them
🤍 Educate yourself on the signs of labour, doing good quality birth education for you and your support person to help support you confidently within your birth space and give you the tools to assist you with the sensations and process of labour
🤍 consider your birth location, if you have some concern of ‘not making it’ or having your baby in transit to you birth location, consider (if possible and available) Homebirth, where everyone comes to you

Did you experience a precipitous birth? What helped you?

I know I had a quick birth with my 3rd and the fact that I was at home and didn’t need to worry about leaving the house to birth surrounded by my support was very comforting for mecomforting for me

27/02/2024

💜 Arrive Trial 💜 Are you a low risk, healthy pregnant woman who recently went to your OB appointment and they have started the conversation regarding induction at 39weeks.

So here are 5 of my issues with the Arrive Trial (please go look into it further if you are being offered induction so early because I cant fit it all in 1 social media post)

Firstly, the ‘expectant management’ group also included women who were induced (37%) for a ‘medical’ reason although it could be argued that many of these reasons were not ‘medical’ but rather in the grey area of ‘precautionary inductions’ such as post dates, high BMI, suspected big baby…

Of the 22,533 women eligible to partake in this study, only 6106 agreed to participate (it could be argued that 73% did not want to be a part of the study because they were not wanting to be in the induced group)

The trial wasn’t ’blinded’, this means the care providers were aware of the women who were included in each group which in turn makes it difficult to avoid any sort of bias towards treatment

94% of women were cared for by a Doctor and all were within the medical model, research shows low risk women being cared for by a continuity of care model by a known midwife in a birth centre or homebirth setting report a c-section rate between 5-13%, Doula support has also been shown to drastically reduce unnecessary non-indicated cesarean, maybe instead of offering an induction, request the woman to find a doula or change care provider to a midwifery model (just a thought)

It is significantly concerning that 1x trial which had many flaws had the ability to change practice so quickly and efficiently, and is it just coincidence that the so called ‘findings’ aligned with what the obstetric model is familiar with which is higher intervention medicalised births rather than the physiological approach.

Things to think about - If you see red flags 🚩 change care provider to someone who aligns with your values! You will thank yourself in the long run knowing you were well supported in your choices

The BirthNest

22/08/2025

25/07/2025

02/07/2025

04/06/2025

06/02/2025

06/01/2025

09/12/2024

24/11/2024

29/04/2024

15/03/2024

27/02/2024

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