More about me

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I graduated as a with a Bachelor of Nursing from the University of Notre Dame Australia in December 2004.  After graduating I did a 'gap half-year' traveling through Europe and the USA.  On my return I registered as a nurse and did a year of the Graduate Nursing Program at Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH) for Children in Perth, WA from August 2005.  After a year travelled some more through Europe.

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In March 2007 I started working in the Neonatal ICU at PMH.  By the end of 2007 I was back in Europe (I had discovered a passion for travelling!) and in January 2008 I started working in the UK as a nurse.  For the next 3 years I worked between PMH and various hospitals in the UK - mostly NICUs and PICUs at Great Ormond Street, the John Radcliffe (Oxford), St Thomas', and University College Hospital.   I also spent some time nannying in France and bar tending in London and Austria.

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In December 2011 I did a 4-week work placement in Ghana - 2 weeks on the 'labour and delivery' ward, 1 week in the 'NICU', and 1 week in a rural clinic (which was staffed by 1 RN and a 'pharmacy' technician).  It was eye opening!

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In 2012, thinking it was time to 'settle down' ;) I did the Postgraduate Diploma of Midwifery training between Edith Cowan University and Osborne Park Hospital - to complete our hours we had to be employed by a hospital as a Registered Nurse/Student Midwife.  Initially I just did this for fun and bit of extra knowledge, but soon realised I had a passion for being a midwife (which means 'with woman') and decided I would split my working time between NICU and midwifery.

 

In February 2013 I did a 3-week work placement in Sri Lanka, all on the labour and delivery ward.  In those 3 weeks I assisted with 20 births and witnessed least 20 more - on our busiest day there were 10 babies born during my 6 hour shift!

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In July 2013 I found out I was pregnant and immediately started planning for a home birth, and in early March 2014 my daughter was born at home. 

 

I thought as a midwife and nurse with NICU experience I would have no issues with breastfeeding...  You can read the full story of my breastfeeding/expressing journey and what lead me to start on this business in 2016 here.

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In 2018 I gained the International Board Certification as a Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) and in June I became an Endorsed Midwife, which means I can pass on Medicare rebates to clients.

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In July 2020, since my ability to travel had been halted by lockdowns, I decided to do a Master of Midwifery by Research.  I passed in November 2024, with my thesis entitled Western Australian mothers' experiences of breastfeeding support in hospital after birth.

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In 2024 I started teaching undergraduate nurses at the University of Notre Dame, which includes units on Maternal Health.

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To date I have visited 82 countries - I also have a real interest in learning about different cultures, especially related to birth and how others care for their babies. We are very lucky to be living in a country like Australia, with our healthcare system and high standards of living, but I also believe we can learn a lot from 'traditional' cultures.

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I am registered as a Nurse and Midwife with the Nurses and Midwifery Board of Australia, with Endorsement to prescribe scheduled medicines (this allows me to work privately as a midwife). I have trained as HypnoBirthing® Educator, although as of July 2023 I am no longer certified.  At various times I have been a member of the Australian College of Midwives, the Australian Breastfeeding Association, Lactation Consultants of Australia and New Zealand (LCANZ), and the Childbirth And Parenting Educators of Australia (CAPEA). From October 2021 to present I have been on the LCANZ Board of Directors.  I have Professional Indemnity and Public Liability insurance with AON and MIGA.