Of The Womb

Of The Womb Hi, I’m Olivia Acheson — a certified birth doula supporting women across Sydney’s North Shore and Northern Beaches.

I work with families during pregnancy, labour, and the early postpartum period to provide calm, evidence-based, and continuous care.

Snapshot of what my birth packages include. Get in touch for a complementary connect call to see how I can support you!
24/09/2025

Snapshot of what my birth packages include. Get in touch for a complementary connect call to see how I can support you!

Part 5 - The Placenta Birth Your baby is here but birth isn’t quite over yet.What happens?Mild contractions resumeThe pl...
23/07/2025

Part 5 - The Placenta Birth

Your baby is here but birth isn’t quite over yet.

What happens?
Mild contractions resume
The placenta separates and is expelled
You may feel a small urge to push again
There may be a small gush of blood

How long does it last?
Usually within 5–30 minutes after birth

What’s happening in your body?
Your uterus is contracting to detach and deliver the placenta. You may choose:
1. Active management (oxytocin injection and gentle cord traction)
2. Physiological management (natural delivery with no meds)

Hormones like oxytocin and endorphins continue to rise even after birth helping with bonding, breastfeeding, and healing.

This is such a sacred moment of feeling completely empowered, total joy and deep reflection as you look down at your beautiful creation.

Part 4 – The Pushing PhaseA new wave of energy. It’s time to meet your baby.Signs & Symptoms:Uncontrollable urge to push...
23/07/2025

Part 4 – The Pushing Phase

A new wave of energy. It’s time to meet your baby.

Signs & Symptoms:
Uncontrollable urge to push or bear down
Pressure in your bum
Deep vocal sounds, downward breathing focus, primal energy
The “ring of fire” as the widest part of baby's head crowns

How long does it last?
30 mins to 2 hours (quicker for second+ births)

What’s happening in your body?
Your baby is moving down the birth canal. You might be coached to push, or you might follow your body. Hormones support you:
Adrenaline sharpens your focus
Oxytocin continues contractions
Endorphins keep you strong and connected

Every push brings you closer to meeting your precious life. This is powerful, transformative work and moments you will never forget.

Part 3 – TransitionThis is the storm before the calm: short, intense, and powerful.Signs & Symptoms:Very strong contract...
23/07/2025

Part 3 – Transition

This is the storm before the calm: short, intense, and powerful.

Signs & Symptoms:
Very strong contractions (every 2–3 mins)
Can shake from adrenalin
Can feel nausea or hot/cold sweats
Sometimes overwhelm or self-doubt (“I can’t do this!”)
Urge to bear down or p**p

How long does it last?
15 minutes to 1 hour typically

What’s happening in your body?
Your cervix is finishing dilation: 8 to 10 cm. Your body is gearing up to push. Hormones are absolutely surging:
Oxytocin + adrenaline reach their peak
Endorphins flood in to help you ride it out

It’s the hardest part — but also the shortest. You’re nearly there.

Part 2 – Active LabourThis is when things really ramp up. Your body is in full flow.Signs & Symptoms:Strong, regular con...
23/07/2025

Part 2 – Active Labour

This is when things really ramp up. Your body is in full flow.

Signs & Symptoms:
Strong, regular contractions (every 3–5 mins)
Lasting 60–90 seconds
Increased focus, intensity, less talkative
Bloody show or more pressure in the pelvis

How long does it last?
Around 4–8 hours for first-timers (can be shorter for second+ births)

What’s happening in your body?
Your cervix is dilating from about 4 cm to 7 cm. The uterus is working hard, and hormones are kicking in:
Oxytocin: Strengthens contractions
Endorphins: Natural pain relief
Adrenaline: Keeps you alert

Let your body lead. Use movement, breath, water, massage, combs, tens, a doula to support you ride the waves.

Part 1 – Early LabourYou might not even realise you’re in labour at first — and that’s normal.Signs & Symptoms:Mild, irr...
23/07/2025

Part 1 – Early Labour

You might not even realise you’re in labour at first — and that’s normal.

Signs & Symptoms:
Mild, irregular contractions (like period cramps)
Backache or pelvic pressure
Mucus plug loss or increased discharge
Restlessness, emotional shifts, or nesting

How long does it last?
A few hours to even a few days (especially with your first baby!)

What’s happening in your body?
Your cervix is softening, thinning (effacing), and beginning to open (dilate) usually to around 4 cm. Hormones like oxytocin (for contractions) and endorphins (for pain relief) begin to rise.

Tip: Even though it's hard, try not to time contractions. This is the time to rest, hydrate, breathe, and prepare. Your body is getting ready, trust the process and try to rest as much as possible.

What does the evidence say about Doulas?A Cochrane review of continuous support during childbirth, encompassing 27 rando...
23/07/2025

What does the evidence say about Doulas?

A Cochrane review of continuous support during childbirth, encompassing 27 randomized controlled trials with nearly 16,000 women, found that continuous support, particularly from a doula, is associated with numerous benefits and no associated harms.
Specifically, doula support was linked to increased rates of spontaneous vaginal birth, shorter labor durations, and decreased use of pain medication, epidurals, instrumental vaginal births, cesarean births, and negative birth experiences.

If you would like to read the article here is the link https://www.cochrane.org/evidence/CD003766_continuous-support-women-during-childbirth

How does a Doula differ from a OBGYN or Midwife?Unlike a midwife or doctor, a doula doesn’t perform clinical tasks — my ...
23/07/2025

How does a Doula differ from a OBGYN or Midwife?

Unlike a midwife or doctor, a doula doesn’t perform clinical tasks — my role is entirely about your emotional wellbeing, birth experience, and continuity of care. I’m not there to replace your medical team but to work alongside them — supporting you at home, in the car, and in the delivery suite. It’s a holistic, woman-centred role that enhances your natural birth journey.

Why I do this??I became a doula after having four unmedicated births of my own, each one a moment of deep empowerment an...
23/07/2025

Why I do this??

I became a doula after having four unmedicated births of my own, each one a moment of deep empowerment and clarity. Those experiences revealed something that changed the course of my life: birth doesn’t have to be something we fear. It can be something we actually enjoy.

So often, women are taught to see birth as something painful, clinical or out of their control. But that’s not the whole story. We are designed to give birth. Our bodies are brilliantly made for it. The problem is, our minds often don’t believe it. That disconnect can rob women of what birth is meant to be — a moment of power, trust, and joy.

My work is about closing that gap. I’m here to help you believe, down to your core, that your body knows how to birth. Because when your body and your mind align in the birth space, something extraordinary happens: fear softens, strength rises, and the experience becomes your own.

How do I support you??Continuity of care: In a system where true continuity is rare, I offer consistent, familiar suppor...
23/07/2025

How do I support you??

Continuity of care: In a system where true continuity is rare, I offer consistent, familiar support—someone you know and trust, walking with you from pregnancy to birth to postpartum.

Emotional presence: I create a space where you feel safe, seen, and truly known, helping you remain anchored in your body and your confidence.

Informed choices: I provide evidence-based information to help you and your partner make decisions that align with your values, not a one-size-fits-all model.

Partner inclusion: I also support your partner in being an empowered, confident part of the birth—this is a shared journey, and I love helping couples work together as a team.

My Birth Philosophy // Birth begins in the mind just as much as it does in the body. One of the foundation things I work...
23/07/2025

My Birth Philosophy //

Birth begins in the mind just as much as it does in the body.
One of the foundation things I work to prevent in birth is what is known as the Fear-Tension-Pain cycle. It's simple, but powerful: when we feel fear, our bodies instinctively tense up. That tension increases pain and the pain reinforces more fear - Creating a loop that makes labour feel harder, longer and more distressing than it needs to be.

My approach centres around avoiding that cycle.

The Boyd already knows how to give birth. If your mind feels safe, your body will follow. My role is to help you feel calm, grounded, seen and fully supported - so that your body can release into the natural rhythm of labour without resistance. When a woman is deeply relaxed her body produces the hormones that make birth work beautifully and effectively.

1. Oxytocin for powerful, connected contractions

2. Melatonin to help them flow in rhythm

3. And later, adrenaline to bring energy and focus when baby is ready to arrive

Rather than fighting the sensations of labour, I want to help you relax into them. As soon as we start resisting contractions—tensing, clenching, or panicking—we interrupt the very process that’s working for us. But when we lean into the waves, breathe through them, and stay present, the body takes over, and the process unfolds the way it was designed to.

What is Of the Womb? - Continuity of Care from prenatal planning to postnatal care and everything in between - Individua...
23/07/2025

What is Of the Womb?
- Continuity of Care from prenatal planning to postnatal care and everything in between
- Individual Packaged to suit your needs and desires
- Birth Planning and Preparation
- Ongoing support via email and text throughout your pregnancy
- Partner support
- Emotional, physical, informational support during labour
- Postnatal debrief, care support, meals and love that can be individually tailored to your needs.

More details are on my website or send me a message to find out more about how I can help you on this journey.

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Sydney, NSW
2075

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