http://www.radiantbirth.com.au/

Radiant Birth, Melbourne (2025)

20/08/2025

3 SPOTS LEFT IN OUR SEPTEMBER COURSE

With only two weeks to go until our second birth course for 2025, with emails prepped and ready to go for those already booked in (keep an eye on your inboxes tomorrow!), course goodie bags in the making, and I going over the content flow, needless to say we are honoured and thrilled to be welcoming another group into this space.

These courses are such a joy to facilitate. They are a blend of practical, evidence based and traditional knowledge, embodied learning, and real conversations that bring clarity and confidence to your birth experience.

Every time, we are reminded of the deep trust people place in us to walk alongside them in preparation for one of life’s biggest shifts into that of a mother, a father, a parent.

If you’ve been thinking about joining, now is the time.

We can’t wait to sit with you, move with you, share wisdom, ask you the questions that allow you to get curious about what your most aligned birth feels like and create a supportive, grounded space where you can be your whole self, where questions are welcomed, fears are held, and birth is honoured.

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27/07/2025

Caroline’s story is a beautiful reminder of what’s possible when we are truly supported, within ourselves, by our care team, and in the spaces we choose to birth.

Her home waterbirth was not just about bringing baby April earthside, but about a deepening of trust in knowing what was right for her and her baby, even if that isn’t always reflected back by culture or the people we speak to.

She said: "It was the hardest, most intense, and most rewarding experience of my life—and I’ve never felt more powerful as a woman." And if you’re birthing for the first time, home or hospital, her story is a must read.

And we just wanted to say... You did it!!

Caroline did our course, listened to podcasts, read the books, and prepared like heck! She was also supported by doula and said:

"The best decision I made was finding a doula from the outset. I chose Emilie Darlison from Eden Births, and she completely transformed how my husband and I viewed birth. Since we don’t have family in Melbourne, I didn’t want to burden my husband emotionally, and having a doula provided us both with the support and continuity we needed to support our decision to birth at home."

You can read her full story via Rhea Dempsey’s site. It’s a powerful one. Here’s an excerpt that made me chuckle:

"The hospital staff replied, ‘Caroline who?’ – Tell her to come into the birth suite now,” and I just yelled into the phone in between vomiting, ‘I’m having a FU***NG HOMEBIRTH!!’ That got the message across. They replied, ‘Ok we are sending the midwives out now’."

We’re so grateful she chose Radiant Birth as part of her preparation. On the course, Caroline said:
"The course was jam packed with knowledge and wisdom drawn from lived experience... an incredibly enriching and empowering experience."

Next course: 5 & 6 September 2025 x

26/07/2025

There’s so much that unravels and reshapes you in postpartum. I could talk about the cracking open, the remodelling, the rebecoming… but instead, here are three lessons that have stayed with me. Maybe they’ll speak to you too.

One. There’s no right or wrong, only what’s right for me, for my family.

When you’ve spent your life people-pleasing, tuning into others’ expectations, doing what looks “right” on the outside, it’s a jolt to realise that even the “right” things can feel wrong if they’re not aligned with you. The only compass that matters is the one inside you. It can feel uncomfortable at first to do what YOU want, especially when it’s not what everyone around you is doing. But mama, please yourself. A deeper joy awaits beyond the initial challenge.

Two. It’s okay to change. It’s okay to change your mind.
I am not who I was before I had kids, and I love the younger me… but I think this version of me is my favourite. She is braver, more vulnerable, and she KNOWS things. What once felt clear has shifted. What felt like the plan no longer feels like the path. And that isn’t failure. It’s growth. You’re allowed to change your mind, again and again, or change it back. Follow what feels right. It won’t be a straight line, but it will lead you home.

Three. Ask for help.
Not because you’re failing. Not because you can’t cope. Though both might be true sometimes. But because you’re not meant to do it all alone. Asking for help is a gift to yourself and to those who love you. Especially for those of us who love to give, maybe it’s time to let someone else feel the joy of giving back.

And while I haven’t worked this one out fully, I’m learning every day.

So maybe the unexpected fourth learning is... be where you are. You are (more than) enough.

What has been your biggest postpartum learning?

22/07/2025

What actually helps in labour, and what doesn't?

Here's a quick round-up of our favourite supportive tools and actions, which are also the ones we see used most often.

What you can do:
🕊 Move freely
🕊 Come back to your breath
🕊 Let your body lead
🕊 Feel safe and supported
🕊 Use your voice or sound

Things to use:
🕊 TENS machine
🕊 Birth ball
🕊 Sling or rebozo
🕊 Comb, spiky ball, or stress ball
🕊 A fan
🕊 Flannels dipped in icy water and heat packs
🕊 Water
🕊 Massage oil
🕊 A clear plan for medical pain relief; know what you are or aren’t open to, when you might want it introduced, and make sure your support team understands your preferences

The space:
🕊 Music
🕊 Laughter & love
🕊 Privacy & dimmed lights
🕊 Familiar scents or essential oils (if helpful for you)

Your support team:
🕊 Know your birth intentions & be all over the birth map
🕊 Counter pressure & touch
🕊 Massage
🕊 Words of encouragement, belief, & reassurance
🕊 Steady, calm presence

There’s no doubt we love a big checklist and working through one can feel grounding and purposeful. Gathering your things, fairy lights, a pillow from home, nappies, toiletries and postpartum pads is absolutely part of the process. You know what you need, as doulas we believe that in our bones.

So, what doesn't help labour? So glad you asked! We feel strongly about these.

❌ Feeling rushed or on a timer
❌ Bright lights and noise
❌ Frequent interruptions or unnecessary questions
❌ Restricted in movement
❌ A lack of emotional support or unhelpful presence
❌ Fear-based or negative language
❌ Not being listened to
❌ Pressure to perform or be quiet
❌ Disconnection from your body/instincts
❌ Interventions without informed consent
❌ Being observed or watched without connection

The things that often make birth feel more easeful and embodied often aren’t the things that we can pack in a bag. It’s being in a safe space, having connection, trust, rhythm, and a team who truly know you and how to support you.

Most if not all of the no-no's are around how we are cared for, the environment and access to what we need physically and emotionally; but, more on that another time.

Big love,
Josie x

21/07/2025

Preparing for birth isn’t about scripting the perfect experience, but that doesn't mean we recommend going with the flow. Parents who take part in holistic birth education often feel more emotionally prepared, less anxious, and more confident as they head into labour. It’s about feeling informed, confident, and supported, no matter how your story unfolds.

Research shows that attending a thoughtful, person-centred birth education course (like ours!), especially when it includes space for exploring birth intentions and preferences, can make a big difference.

Better outcomes, fewer interventions. Studies have found that antenatal education can reduce the likelihood of caesarean birth (especially planned ones), increase the chances of going into labour naturally, and support a vaginal birth. Some research also shows it can lower the risk of postnatal depression.

It’s not about learning one perfect "way". Our courses offer a range of information and tools from both a modern and traditional wisdom lens, practical planning, and understanding your individual needs and wants. Meeting you where you are, with whatever birth you're preparing for.

More informed choices. Education helps you ask the right questions, advocate for your needs, and be an active part of every decision along the way. Because knowledge isn’t about control, it’s about clarity.

In our course you'll get 2-days of education and connection including:

🍃Prenatal yoga and meditation for the birthing person each day
🍃Traditional Chinese medicine for pregnancy and labour
🍃The physiology and energetics of labour and birth, from early labour through to birthing the placenta
🍃Body preparation for awareness, tension release and maternal alignment
🍃Understanding and working with pain in labour, with both natural and medical comfort measures
🍃Optimal positions for labour and birth, what you can do when things feel stuck or slow
🍃Partner roles, communication, and support
🍃Birth intentions for your best birth and informed decision-making
🍃Restful but realistic postpartum preparation
🍃Breastfeeding basics and newborn sleep
🍃Hear some birth stories
🍃Radiant Birth handbook
🍃Light lunch and refreshments each day

Join us in a Radiant Birth course and move through birth feeling grounded and prepared. Our next course is the 5th and 6th of September with and .

We also have two 1-day workshops honing in on postpartum preparation and birthmapping. Preparing for a supported postpartum is essential (and it doesn't just happen!) and because birth can take us on many pathways and we want to see you informed and prepared for many different pathways.

We aren't trying to pack everything in to one weekend, we know that things need space to integrate and land. So you can choose what feels needed and necessary for you whether you are birthing for the first time or the third time.

DM us to learn more or head to our link in bio.

Radiant Birth

20/08/2025

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