Connected Hypno & Birthing

12/02/2026

Who’s coming to our gathering in February? Only one week left!

11/02/2026

Labour can be hours shorter if induced early in the morning, and it's probably to do with how the uterine contractions match up to our natural body clocks.

11/02/2026

Today we acknowledge and celebrate our longest practising Practising Midwife, Marijke Eastaugh, as she steps away from birthing.

While she has retired from attending births, her dedication to South Australian women continues through her work as a lactation consultant and in antenatal and postnatal care.

Marijke’s contribution to midwifery, to women, and to this community spans decades — and her impact will continue to be felt for many years to come.

𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐣𝐤𝐞'𝐬 𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐞𝐜𝐡

15th January 2026

"Thank you all for your well wishes in my semi-retirement as I pivot to the pastures of lactation and post-natal care.
It has taken a long time. I haven't effortlessly let go of the privilege and sacred duty of birthing with women.

For me, it's the flow state - being completely present, watching a goddess use her earthly physical body to expel that grown baby. It's mostly sheer grit and hard, slow work.
And patiently explaining, coaxing, prompting a new formation of mother and child.

So many babies, so many experiences - not just at home, but in Mount Barker Hospital, in Kingscote on Kangaroo Island, in Flinders at the Queen Victoria Hospital, then the Women's and Children's Hospital at Burnside, up the Riverland - Renmark and Loxton - even Mount Gambier and Bordertown.

I step away knowing that women are still "held well" in your hands. I'm entrusting you to continue this essential human right to have a choice of where and with whom to birth.

Be kind to each other. This group is only held together by care for each other. You are a minority group; behave as if every one of you is a precious gem in the crown of what we do. You have chosen to be here; make yourself have a purpose. As part of SAPPM, it will serve you well. And in Rodanthe Lipsett's words, there is, "No one way."

With heartfelt gratitude,
Thank you " ~ Marijke Eastaugh

31/01/2026

March Group Workshop of 2026 added by request for those who couldn’t make Feb group.

March 22nd & 29th 2026
10am to 5-5:30pm both days at Vitality Semaphore

The ideal time to do a class is anywhere between 20-34 weeks of your pregnancy but have had couple between 18weeks right up to 38weeks in my classes before, so it’s never too late to learn.
The cost is $570 per couple, an investment you make in having a positive and informed birth with independent evidence informed, empowering childbirth education with a Registered Midwife with Endorsement.
Book in directly via my website to secure your spot or contact me to find out more or to book in.

Next group after this is April 26th and May 3rd, followed by a group in July, October and December and that will be it for 2026.

20/01/2026

The state’s health watchdog has ordered doctors and midwives to support women who refuse medical treatment during pregnancy and childbirth, even if it risks permanently harming their unborn babies.

The Safer Care Victoria guidelines, which quietly came into effect this month and is the first document of its kind in the state, coincide with growing concerns about the prevalence of birth trauma and an anecdotal rise in the number of women choosing “freebirths” outside the hospital system to avoid unwanted interventions.

The full story: https://theageaustralia.com/45PfbUq

07/01/2026

High-quality systematic review finds no value to "admission strip" CTG.... "Routine admission CTG in low-risk term pregnancies demonstrated no improvement in maternal or neonatal outcomes... These findings support current recommendations favouring IA [Intermittent auscultation] over routine admission CTG in low-risk pregnancies..." Full text at https://obgyn.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/1471-0528.70047 Or as Henci Goer says "Just say no to routine CTG"... https://hencigoer.com/just-say-no-to-routine-continuous-fetal-monitoring/

05/01/2026

Comment GUIDE 👇🏽 the pain of labour and birth is different to the pain of injury or illness… we aren’t designed to tolerate the pain of illness BUT we are designed to work with the pain of labour because the pain of labour and birth comes with endorphins and oxytocin - 2 hormones designed to give us a natural HIGH while giving birth… it’s a wild mix of pleasure and pain that is out of this world (often in a good way)

To unlock the bliss of birth, you have to work through it without medication - for oxytocin and endorphins to work best, you’ll need to avoid using an epidural.

You can increase your opportunity at bliss by applying the strategies I share in my ‘guide to giving birth without pain medication’ where I share all the strategies I’ve seen work for women who give birth without pain medication - I’ve been a midwife for 18 years and watched women use these strategies successfully for 18 years - they aren’t complicated, you just have to be prepared

Everything you need to know is in the guide to giving birth without pain medication. 👇🏽👇🏽👇🏽 Comment GUIDE 👇🏽👇🏽👇🏽and I’ll send you the purchase link… it’s only $27… and has everything you’ll need to make plans for a medication-free labour and birth

29/11/2025

I have been MIA on socials as life has just been well…busy! And it seems many I speak to are in the same boat.

Regardless I thought this deserved a spot on the grid to say I am now taking private midwifery clients on in 2026. Covering the western suburbs of Adelaide and it is in a limited capacity for now.
I am already grateful for all the enquiries and bookings I have had already.
I am almost fully booked for the first half of 2026, with only a couple of spots left for March.
I am not taking on any clients for February as my youngest is starting school. I am having time off at the end of July/beginning of August for The Convergence of Rebellious Midwives so I am unavailable during that time.
It is strongly recommended to contact a private midwifery as early as possible if you are considering Homebirth as many do book it early.
Please feel free to contact me to ask any questions and if you have an enquiry.

29/11/2025

First Group Workshop of 2026 is up and already filling…

February 8th & 15th 2026
10am to 5-5:30pm both days at Vitality Semaphore

The ideal time to do a class is anywhere between 20-34 weeks of your pregnancy but have had couple between 18weeks right up to 38weeks in my classes before, so it’s never too late to learn.
The cost is $570 per couple, an investment you make in having a positive and informed birth with independent evidence informed, empowering childbirth education with a Registered Midwife with Endorsement.
Book in directly via my website to secure your spot or contact me to find out more or to book in.

31/10/2025

It sometimes feels like there's a new childbirth-related news headline every week.

And no matter whether it's on the web, in the papers or on TV, it’s highly likely that it will be scary and focused on risk.

It may instill fear and undermine women’s confidence in their own bodies and babies.

Here are a few things that you should bear in mind when reading these headlines and the associated stories.

1. Both the originator of the research and the people who turn it into a story want to get the headline and the story to spread as far and wide as possible. Their job isn't to help you make an informed decision about what is right for you.

2. The goal of getting maximum publicity for a research finding or story is sometimes achieved by taking a sensationalist stance. Sometimes, key facts are glossed over, shared in a misleading way or left out completely.

3. Risk and fear sell news very quickly. There are many, many studies showing that birth is safe and that women's bodies are marvellously good at growing, birthing and feeding babies. But these don't make exciting headlines, and they don't make nearly as many people read, click and share, so they are often ignored.

4. There is almost never any discussion of the bigger picture or the wider context, either of the study or situation itself or of other work that has been done on the same topic. We need more information than can be found in the headlines.

5. In reality, research and report findings are never certain. All studies have limitations. Sadly, the complexity and the uncertainty gets compromised in favour of those risk-filled headlines which make you want to click, read and share.

Stay calm. Remember that the job of the media is to sell headlines, not to help people making pregnancy and birth decisions.

Breathe.

Get informed.

And then make the decision that's right for you.

If you'd like to see more of my work on this topic, you can find me at https://www.sarawickham.com/wrfm

27/10/2025

A free birth is when a woman chooses to have a baby, usually at home, without a registered midwife or doctor in attendance. It’s much riskier than a planned home birth.

25/10/2025