Sage Obstetrics

03/05/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/18B1RWtef1/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Today, we hold space for the mothers whose babies are not in their arms.

To the mums who have experienced miscarriage, stillbirth, neonatal loss, or the loss of a child at any age, we see you. We honour your love, your grief, and your strength.

Mother’s Day can be especially painful when your motherhood is entwined with loss. It can feel like the world has moved on, but your heart remembers every moment, every hope, every heartbeat.

Today, and every day, we walk beside you.

28/04/2026

We love ❤️ what we do.

21/03/2026

If you are pregnant, due in November and would like specialist obstetric care with Olivia, please get in touch. We still have limited availability for November.

Long may this glorious autumn Taranaki weather last!

21/02/2026

February has been a busy month - we have welcomed 3 beautiful babies in the last 9 days and await another 2 more before the end of the month! It’s a hot month to be a heavily pregnant mama. 🫶

We are now booking clients due in October 💓

(Photo of Olivia’s girls learning about the inner workings of a hospital)

10/02/2026

When you are an absolute nerd about Fetal Growth Restriction, having this pop up in your inbox is like the equivalent of the concert of the year 🥰😜

(And yes, this busy obstetrician needs to charge her phone)

03/01/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/1BEscU1cKT/?mibextid=wwXIfr

The American College of Nurse-Midwives mourns the devastating death of Dr. Janell Green Smith, CNM, who died from complications of childbirth. Dr. Smith was a respected midwife, scholar, and advocate whose life and work reflected a deep commitment to respectful, evidence-based, and equitable care.

That a Black midwife and maternal health expert died after giving birth in the United States is both heartbreaking and unacceptable. Her death underscores the persistent and well-documented reality that Black women—regardless of education, income, or professional expertise—face disproportionate risks during pregnancy and childbirth due to systemic racism and failures in care.

We grieve Dr. Smith’s loss and recognize it as a profound failure of the systems meant to protect birthing people. In her honor, ACNM commits not only to reaffirming our values, but to intensifying our actions to dismantle racial inequities in maternal health, strengthen accountability in care systems, and work alongside Black midwives, clinicians, and communities to prevent future tragedies.

We extend our deepest condolences to Dr. Smith’s family, loved ones, and the midwifery community. We carry her legacy forward with urgency, humility, and resolve.

14/11/2025

Dr. Olivia Payne will be taking limited bookings for people due in July and August 2026, as she’ll be taking a much-needed holiday with her family.
Please book in as soon as you get your positive test so we can do our best to accommodate you.

Thank you for your understanding!

30/10/2025

We are deeply touched to receive this beautiful painting — a heartfelt reminder of the incredible journey each mother takes and the trust placed in us to be part of it. Thank you to Natasha Bell for gifting this stunning painting for our clinic.

15/07/2025

29/12/2024

What does FRANZCOG mean?

I am often asked what this - the official specialist qualification conferred by the Royal Australian & New Zealand College of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists - actually means. The terms “specialist”, “obstetrician” and “gynaecologist” are protected titles for those who have attained Fellowship (the exception to this would be GP Obstetrician which is common in many rural and remote parts of Australia).

FRANZCOG recognizes that an individual holds specialist registration as an Obstetrician & Gynaecologist with their professional body (RANZCOG), which is also reflected in their registration with the Medical Council of NZ (Specialist Vocational Registration). Attaining this involves passing two gruelling examinations - two 3 hour written examinations and one 3 hour clinical examination as well as progressing through (at minimum) 6 years of in hospital specialist training with credentialling in obstetric & gynaecologic procedures and basic ultrasound.

Not only does this entail a huge amount of work, time and personal sacrifice, maintaining Fellowship of the College is also a big responsibility! This means maintaining current professional knowledge and skills through requisite annual Medical Education training and conference attendance (CME), which is audited. In addition to CME, maintaining membership of FRANZCOG costs specialists around $5k AUD annually.