Journey of Birth - Family Midwife

05/12/2025

Sometimes, people ask why they need to read books about pregnancy and birth which look at the research in depth, when there are so many other things they could be doing.

Can't you just follow what your midwife or doctor says, they ask?

Or go to a childbirth education class and have it summarised?

Well yes, you can totally do those things, if that's what works for you.

We're all different.

No shade on anyone's decisions here.

But some people want to understand the evidence for themselves.

They want it explained by someone with deeper knowledge, and maybe to get the references, so they can read the original studies.

We also know that what's in the guidelines that maternity care systems use isn't always lined up with what the evidence says.

And these are big decisions, whose implications and effects can last a lifetime.

That's where I come in.

Because there is sometimes a discrepancy between the actual evidence and what you get told by people in health care, and because the effects of your pregnancy and birth experience can last a lifetime, it is always a good idea to get informed before you decide what's right for you.

I'm at https://www.sarawickham.com

My resources are designed to help you become informed and to understand the evidence, so you can decide what works for your situation.

Pop on over and find out more.

18/11/2025

Little Leo! From palping him in his mums belly to witnessing his arrival earthside, doing postnatal weigh ins (nearly outgrown the sling!) to now

I feel so blessed to be a midwife, such a beautiful role supporting families through these times… and then to see them grow 😭❤️

07/11/2025

Here is every birthdate, ranked from least to most common. How common is your birthday? 🎂

27/10/2025

Skin to skin 100% needed for both mums and their babies… and dad too 😉

You have to love the comment that “separating mums and babies is no longer ethical” yes!! No need for any more comparisons anywhere in the world cause we all know how important it is

27/10/2025

So true 😂😂😂 happens to every breastfeeding mumma at some stage

just saying 🧡🤱🏼🤭

11/10/2025

As a midwife providing continuity of care we often get little updates…today was a photo of this beautiful baby girl, little Mia, who is now 6 months old and the first baby born at Rockingham Hospital under the new access agreement which provides the option of continuity of care with a known midwife through the pregnancy, birth and postpartum period

So special receiving these updates, it reminds me what a privilege it is travelling these journeys alongside families ❤️

28/09/2025

If you haven’t seen a baby born encaul this little video shows it

Even though it is said to be rare I believe it happens far more frequently then the statistics state. I’ve seen many of these in my time as a midwife and every time it feels so special and I wonder the significance for that child…there are a lot of religious and cultural meaning behind these births so if you are interested google these too!

21/09/2025

👶Did you know this used to be common practice?

For decades, babies were often lifted by their ankles and held upside down immediately after birth.

Sometimes, they were even given a few “spanks” on the bottom 🍑 to stimulate crying.

⚠️ Why did they do this?
• Doctors once believed a newborn needed to cry right away to clear the lungs 🌬️
• Hanging the baby upside down was thought to “drain fluids” from the airways
• Spanking was thought to “jump-start” breathing

💡 What we know now:
• Babies are born already transitioning their lungs to air, no spanking or dangling required 💕
• The safest, most effective place for a newborn to adapt is skin-to-skin on the parent’s chest 🫶
• Crying isn’t the only sign of health…quiet, alert breathing is perfectly normal 🌸

✅ Modern care emphasizes:
🤱 Immediate skin-to-skin
💧 Delayed cord clamping
💤 Allowing the baby to transition gently and naturally

🚫 No hanging, no spanking.

Just trust in physiology and connection 💗

✨ Times change, but photos like this remind us how far birth practices have come and how important it is to keep questioning the “norm.”

-Love,
Badassmotherbirther

21/09/2025

.
When the immediate postpartum is undisturbed, the first language spoken is not words. There’s just touch and the quiet symphony of skin against skin.

A baby pressed to the chest, breathing in the familiar scent of home they have always known.

The warmth of their parents’ embrace guides them gently into the world, teaching safety, trust, and love without a single instruction.

Touch, smell, closeness…they are not luxuries.
They are the ancient threads that weave
bonding, regulation, and belonging.

In these first moments, before the world intrudes,
there is only this: the holy exchange of presence.

-Love,
Flor Cruz
/ .like.a.badass

𝐇𝐞𝐥𝐩 𝐦𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬, 𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐁𝐚𝐝𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐌𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐁𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞, 𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐞, 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞, & 𝐟𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭!