Charisma Midwifery Collective

Charisma Midwifery Collective Self-employed midwives in Franklin District: Carol Hedgman, Kirsten Eady, Sarah Bosgra, Diane Burgoyne and Annette Norris

Charisma Midwifery Collective is a group of six like-minded midwives practicing in the Franklin Area. We enjoy a rural-based case load of women spread across the district and provide antenatal care at Pukekohe Maternity Hospital.We have strongly-aligned philosophy promoting normal birth and primary birth care options. We love our work and feel honoured to care for pregnant women and their babies.

We stay up-to-date in our care by regularly attending study days, and we are committed to developing new midwives by supporting student midwives through placements. Feel free to contact us through this page to book care for your next baby.

24/08/2023

If you have any baby gear you no longer need-Please feel free to bring it up to the Resource centre, we will definitely find new homes for it, it was very sad for our midwives to see this dumped in Pukekohe today when we know it came from us in the beginning xx

Red duck curry. Family effort. Duck killed by Jaryd, & cooked by Madi. Not a fan of duck but ate anyways as can’t stand ...
28/05/2022

Red duck curry. Family effort. Duck killed by Jaryd, & cooked by Madi. Not a fan of duck but ate anyways as can’t stand the thought of waste, & killing for no reason

13/04/2022

"Dear C-Section Scar,
I didn’t want you. I didn’t plan for you. In fact, I did everything I could to avoid you. But today I touch you with compassion. I smile at you. I send love, grace, and tenderness to you.
You are not weakness. You are not failure. You are not a mistake. You are part of me.
You are not a dead end, the place where my birth journey halted and could travel no further. You are a passage I am still discovering. You are the door that opened to my baby. You are the door that opened into who I am as a mother and as a woman.
Riding over bumps in the car. Laughing and coughing. Bending at my waist. The day I stopped taking narcotics to soften your pain was a milestone. The day I could get out of bed without holding my husband’s arms and without searing pain was a milestone. The day I could stand up from the rocking chair while holding my baby was a milestone. The day I could sit on the floor to play with my son and make my own way back up to my feet was a milestone. The day I could bend over to pull my underwear up by myself was a milestone. These were milestones I resented. I didn’t want to have to be passing through these milestones.
I wasn’t prepared for the numbness. I couldn’t feel anything when my fingertips touched my own skin in the inches between my belly button and p***c bone. My fingers felt like they were touching someone else’s body; there was no feedback from my nerves that had been cut. It felt like I was touching something in me that had died.
The doctor cut through six layers of muscle, tissue, and organ to get to my baby. She separated my abs in the middle and pulled my baby through. I have met at least seven new layers within myself because of you.
You are not my whole story of becoming a mother. But I will never know how my birth as a mother would have been different had I pushed my baby out of my va**na.
C-section scar, You are the dark place cut into me that opened into light. You will never be one simple story, but you will always be mine."
Words by Catherine Gray
📸

17/10/2021

"You were second.

Not in my heart, but one did come before you in time.

Yes, with you, it was different.

There was no gender reveal party. No elaborate showers.

We didn’t read all the books or check the apps every week to see what vegetable you measured up against.

I didn’t take as many photos, didn’t spend every waking moment thinking about the way your hair might curl up on the ends one muggy summer day.

My mind was busier; my body more tired.

The worries of a first-time-mom had faded, and now my thoughts drifted to fears that I wouldn’t be enough for you. I wondered how on earth my heart could ever be big enough, how I could manage to divide my time and energy and love equally enough.

And then, before I knew what happened (because, you see, time passes so much quicker the second time around), you were here.

And in an instant, every fear faded.

That magical feeling when you finally see the person you’ve loved for so long, face to face? It’s not a one-time deal.

The world stopped for what seemed like hours as I introduced myself and sang you ‘Happy Birthday.’

And that was it. I was yours.

A mom of two. A family of four.

And oh, sweet baby, the lessons you’ve helped me learn.

You’ve taught me how to juggle 1,000 balls without completely melting down.

You’ve taught me that kids truly are resilient, and that my love covers so many gaps.

You’ve taught me to slow down. To savor firsts and lasts, and to focus on what’s really important, like drinking in the smell of your hair after a bath, and memorizing your tiny fingers and your perfect baby lips.

You’ve taught me to chill. To roll with the punches, and to laugh when everything falls apart.

You’ve taught me how absolutely strong I can be, and you’ve given me a confidence I lacked the first time around.

But more than anything, my love, you taught me that a heart is absolutely limitless in size, and that love is the antidote to fear.

So, it’s true. You didn’t make me a mother.

But you sure made me a better one."

Words via Daylight Dark
Image via on Instagram

05/10/2021

🙋🏽‍♀️ Not been your best self through these tough times? Me neither.
🗣 Said things you don’t mean to people you love? Me too.
🍸 Eaten extra things or had a few more drinks to manage your feelings sometimes? Same here.

Don’t be so hard on yourself.

🙅🏽‍♂️ It’s hard enough getting through this incredibly challenging time without adding on a layer of guilt about how much better we ‘should have done’

😩 Todays been a real shocker…kids screaming at me while I’m on work calls, planner printer dramas and just…a million other things to deal with which after a terrible nights sleep with Josh waking me up multiple times has meant, I sure haven’t been my best self today. But, I have to let that go.

The old me would have added to the nightmare of today by laying on disappointment on myself for my short, snappy behaviour, but with the insight I now have, I realise that negative self talk is only more likely to make me sleep badly and repeat the cycle tomorrow.

It’s ok not to get it right all the time, it’s ok to not have your sh*t together all the time and sometimes we just need to be ok with the fact that we do things that aren’t a reflection of who we want to be, especially at times like this.

If you haven’t been who you want to be lately, it’s ok. Don’t beat yourself up. Draw a line under the day, writing it down and get it out your head if you need, get a good sleep and focus on creating a more positive tomorrow x

02/09/2021

The large seal was sighted on Monday in Havelock North's Karamū Stream.

02/09/2021

"My husband heard a scuffle last night and when we pulled the curtain we found it."

26/10/2020

Birth centres offer a midwifery-led model of care which supports a non-medicalised approach to childbirth. They are often reported as having low rates…

26/09/2020

🌿 Nuchal Cord 🌿
This image is absolutely outstanding!
I know what you are thinking though, that cord around the neck...

A high percentage of babies are born with the cord wrapped around their neck, known as a nuchal cord, perhaps as much as 1 in 3. Many people assume that this has a detrimental effect to the baby, but this isn't generally thecase.

You see, a baby doesn't breathe like we do, whilst in the womb. They don't rely on air entry through their mouth and into their lungs. All of their oxygen and blood supply comes via the cord. Therefore, if the cord is wrapped around the neck, it doesn't effect gas exchange. The baby cannot really be strangled by the cord.

Yes, if the cord is tight around the neck, it can be squeezed during a contractions/surge and this can momentarily occlude oxygen and blood from passing to the baby, but in general this effect is no different than if the cord wasn't around the neck.

A potential, rare issue it could create is if the cord is very short and also wrapped around your baby, this could prevent them from being able to move down the birth canal effectively. Sort of like dangling something on a rope, that you just can't reach!

Babies are birthed through the cord or it can be slipped over the head once the head is born. Rarely, if the cord was very tight and the baby was unable to be born through it, it may need to be cut before the body is born.

Our bodies were made for this and the cord is super clever in the way it provides for your baby.

(📸 Townsville Birth Photographer - Lauren + Douglas Birth)

To learn more and surround yourself with support- join my private Facebook group My Baby Experts Community

14/09/2020



"This week is birth trauma awareness week. Trigger warning: I mention the negatives of my birth experience

Now I don't know about you but as I come up to 4 weeks since I had Lily I am just starting to come to terms with a birth that was very different from the one I hoped for. Looking back at this picture I can remember the overwhelming love, pain and confusion I was feeling as I tried to process what I had been through.

From wanting as natural a birth as possible using hypnobirthing techniques as my main form of pain management and keeping mobile....to an induction followed by an epidural (which failed when it came to pushing), episiotomy and a ventouse delivery after I began passing out between pushes. It was nothing like what I pictured 😔

I know that compared to other peoples births, mine wasn't so bad and I am very grateful that she was born safely and healthy but ultimately it was traumatic for me. I've had nightmares about it and even now feel panicked when I remember parts because I felt like none of it was in my control and my birth plan was ignored. The epidural was offered like it was my only option and the midwives and doctors repeatedly told me I wouldn't cope with the pain until I agreed.

The toughest part is when I discuss it with people and get the "at least baby's healthy" response. Like yes, I am so grateful she is OK and I love her beyond measure but that doesn't erase what I went through, or how it made me feel. I don't feel like I can discuss my birth story with people because I feel like I failed somehow as I don't have a beautiful "positive birth story".

To anyone else who had a difficult, traumatic or just different birth to the one they wanted, I hear you. It's ok to grieve what we didn't get to experience. If someone tells you about their birth and they had a difficult one, don't invalidate their struggle by saying at least they're alive. Let them know that it's ok to talk about it and that you are there for them. That's what I needed 💗"

(Shared from )

11/09/2020

🥳 Huge Carpet Giveaway for our official Grand Opening 🥳

Is your home in need of new carpet? Why not get yourself in the draw to win $4000 worth of premium NZ carpet, for free!

To enter all you have to do is:
- Like our page 👍
- Share this post 🙌

Entries close on our big Grand Opening day (19/09/2020).
Our winner will be announced the following Monday so stay tuned 🧐👀

*Winner will receive 20 lineal metres of Feltex Cable Bay. This is a top of the line, 36oz solution dyed nylon carpet where the retail price is $196 per lineal metre.

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Tuakau Road, Pukekohe
Pukekohe East

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