Melanie The Midwife

Melanie The Midwife Midwife in Private practice, Host of the Great Birth Rebellion Podcast, Midwifery Mentor and Research

Melanie lives in the Blue Mountains with her Husband and two children and has been a midwife in private practice, and providing homebirth services, since 2009. She has a passion for providing minimal intervention care and has respect for the physiological process of pregnancy, birth and the early postnatal period. Melanie loves to see the powerful process of birth unfold and watch families blossom as pregnancy and birth unfolds. Her passion for midwifery led her to complete her PhD, called "birth outside the system", in 2015, and she has held positions in midwifery research, midwifery lecturing and National Policy development at the Australian College of Midwives along side her work as a midwife. Melanie has a degree in Naturopathy and incorporates alternative therapies and nutritional guidance into her midwifery care.

Edit: WAIT - some of you are making some sense… 10 Luna months = 280 days = up-to 42 week pregnancy. BUT 42 weeks minus ...
12/09/2025

Edit: WAIT - some of you are making some sense… 10 Luna months = 280 days = up-to 42 week pregnancy. BUT 42 weeks minus 2-3 weeks between Last period and ovulation = 39 weeks of actual pregnancy 4.3weeks per month x 9 = 39 weeks… we are pregnant for 10 Luna months… 39 actual weeks of pregnancy BUT if estimated birth dates are counted from last period to 42 weeks it’s more like 10 calendar months… wait… ok, we are pregnant from 9-10 months depending on how you maths it and your definition of pregnant. What a morning 😆

Sometimes I read stuff I don’t want to. This is that week. This is your reminder that pregnancy is closer to TEN months than 9 months and we don’t deliver our baby we BIRTH them. 42 weeks is a normal term pregnancy
Any book that doesn’t recognise these fundamental basics. Get in the bin. months than 9 months and we don’t deliver our baby we BIRTH them.
Any book that doesn’t recognise these fundamental basics. Get in the bin.

12/09/2025

Any guesses what I might be reading?

You’ll find out podcast soon - book review incoming -

12/09/2025

If we are talking about the baby, the research (all of which is covered podcast ep. 163) shows that for low-risk women under the care of a midwife, the outcomes for babies are equivalent, if not better than if they gave birth in hospital. That conclusion only applies to babies. If we look at outcomes for women, there isn't even a comparison, the research is clear that outcomes for the mothers are WAY better than if they went to hospital. Get the full story and all the resource papers ep. 163

11/09/2025

I'm not sure why I'm yelling.
Get the full story podcast ep. 163 Is homebirth a good choice for you. I go through the research evidence and all the research papers are in the resource folder if you are on the podcast mailing list.

Don't ask me for the papers to support this 35 second video. Do the leg work, listen to the podcast and look at the resource folder, they are all there.

09/09/2025

Authentic midwifery understands that the same environment needed to fall into sleep, is what the woman needs to fall into labour.
Michel Odent, in his explanation of the the basic needs of women in labour used this 'falling into labour' analogy. The same way as we would help our children fall asleep is what a woman needs to effectively fall into labour.
Full story ep, 166 podcast - Ode to Odent

As I keep working through the writings of Michel Odent, there are little gems scattered everywhere. This one reminds me ...
09/09/2025

As I keep working through the writings of Michel Odent, there are little gems scattered everywhere. This one reminds me of what I spoke about on ep. 127 of podcast.

In that episode I speak about how I rarely stitch first or second degree perineal tears and give a clinical assessment tool to help work out which tears will heal well without stitches and which might need repair:

1. All 3rd and 4th degree tears should be repaired
2. No 1st degree tears NEED stitching and most 2nd degree don’t need stitching
3. If the wound is not bleeding and sits together well with good symmetry, it’s ok to leave to heal
4. Approximation of the wound is important so limiting activity and keeping your legs together will aide effective healing

Get the full story podcast ep.127 - do I need stitches if I tear at birth

Shout out to .mcguigan who shared:‘Just listening to ep 167 on pushing out your baby & I remember reading and hearing a...
09/09/2025

Shout out to .mcguigan who shared:

‘Just listening to ep 167 on pushing out your baby & I remember reading and hearing about “bearing down” - and given I was having a home birth without VE’s, I was keen to wait for that sensation to know I was nearing pushing.

I ended up feeling this so overwhelmingly - and I looked back at birth photos and these pictures were both mid contraction but a contraction (so only a few minutes) apart. Look at that difference!

Right after this I got in the pool & she was born 25 minutes later without anyone telling me to do anything. I genuinely loved pushing that baby out - because I just ✨let it happen✨’

Oh woman! Do I wish this power upon every birthing mother 🔥

09/09/2025

standardised maternity care relies on standard measures and time checks being applied to every labour and birth, I call it 'birth by numbers'. If your body doesn't comply with the expected time and measures, it will be MADE to comply with medicine, tools and interventions. They will tell you it's for the good of yourself and your baby. Get the Full story on ep 167 podcast

08/09/2025

Physiological pushing isn't just the absence of coached pushing. Any instruction where the care provider gives explicit direction is an interruption in the physiological pushing process and a coached pushing phase doesn't always include coaching pushing.
Physiological pushing is where the woman submits to the instruction of her body - that includes with pushing, positioning and with breathing.
Get the full story in ep. 167 of the great birth rebellion podcast - pushing out your baby

08/09/2025

Pushing out your baby can be the most blissful and ecstatic thing you'll ever do. To have this peak human experience there are things that need to be in place, because interruption is the enemy of the bliss of birth
Get the full story at ep 167 podcast

It has begun. My book writing journey begins today. GUIDE TO A GREAT BIRTH. If you are on my mailing list at www.melanie...
07/09/2025

It has begun. My book writing journey begins today. GUIDE TO A GREAT BIRTH.
If you are on my mailing list at www.melaniethemidwife.com look out for an email. I’m putting together a wise advisory group to accompany me on this book-writing journey. I’ll be looking for applicants shortly and sending an invitation to join out to my mailing list.

05/09/2025

The 5 big induction studies episode is where Prof Hannah Dahlen and Dr Melanie Jackson Melanie The Midwife work through the information about stillbirth rates through pregnancy and if induction of labour is the answer to stillbirth prevention. Ep. 152 Of the Great Birth Rebellion podcast

Address

101 Great Western Highway, Sun Valley NSW
Springwood, NSW
2777

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Monday 8am - 5pm
Tuesday 8am - 5pm
Wednesday 8am - 5pm
Thursday 8am - 5pm
Friday 8am - 5pm
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0425 280 682

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