Natural Beginnings - Holistic Health, Bodywork & Doula Services

04/11/2025

Wow. This baby was conceived via IVF 30 years before implantation from adoptive parents.

It was only a matter of time 😯

03/11/2025

I expected this crap from Royal Aust & NZ College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists RANZCOG but didn't expect this fawning from College Midwives to RANZCOG.
Given ACM have switched off comments on their post like cowards, everyone needs to email the CEO of ACM: helen.white@midwives.org.au (+ CC in media@midwives.org.au and acmmidwiferyadvisor@midwives.org.au) expressing that:
~There was no consultation with consumers
~It is against women's choices to birth where and with whom they want
~Is an overreach when laws already ban anybody from practising as a midwife unless registered as one, and
~There is no issue when doulas are working within their scope of practice as support people, not medical professionals.

Instead these hospital birth based organisations should stick to their own lane and instead urge the government to:
~Improve hospital based birth care so that 1 in 3 women are not traumatised by their treatment in the system and too scared to birth there
~Encourage more privately practising midwives in rural areas
~Make homebirth midwives more affordable by subsidising their insurance
~Offer more publicly funded homebirth models.
Even so some women will still choose to birth unattended by medical professionals and it should be their right to do so!

Virginia

In light of several recent tragedies linked to freebirth, Royal Aust & NZ College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists RANZCOG and ACM are urging Commonwealth, state, and territory health ministers to introduce laws like those in South Australia under the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law (South Australia) (Restricted Birthing Practices) Amendment Act 2013.

These laws would ensure that only registered midwives and doctors manage labour and childbirth.

“ACM respects individual women’s right to autonomy in birth. Harmonising national legislation as proposed, will ensure all women can have confidence in the transparency, safety and accountability of care during birth, in the same way, all across Australia,” said Dr Zoe Bradfield, ACM President.

Freebirth is the practice of giving birth without a registered healthcare professional, such as a midwife or doctor, present. It is different from a homebirth, which is planned and supported by a registered healthcare provider. The absence of appropriate clinical support during freebirth has led to preventable harm and loss of life.

Adopting this legal framework across Australia would help keep birthing women and people, and their babies, safe. It would also strengthen professional accountability and clarify the roles and responsibilities of obstetricians, GP obstetricians and midwives.

Read the full statement here: https://midwives.org.au/Web/News-media-releases/Articles/2025/03_November/Jooint_Call_Health_Ministers_End_Freebirth_Deaths.aspx

01/11/2025

Baby’s brain is still developing in utero up to 39 weeks and early birth can impact on later school performance.

28/10/2025

This beautiful card was written by a gorgeous client who has been coming to me all year - initially for womb healing after sexual trauma and betrayal.

She has had Mizan therapy (womb massage and yoni steaming), Trauma release ceremony, flower essences, and Holistic Pelvic Care (internal pelvic floor release work) with me.

It’s been such an honour to facilitate her healing journey and witness the growth she has achieved in so many areas of her life.

Thank you Sarah for trusting me with this important work.

(Shared with permission).

Reach out if you are feeling called to begin your healing journey. I have so many techniques that can help!

26/10/2025

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

26/10/2025

Your baby’s head might look a bit different after birth - and that’s completely normal ☺️

Your baby’s skull is made up of soft, flexible plates that can actually shift and overlap during birth - it’s called moulding, and it’s one of nature’s most incredible designs. Those soft bones can create a temporary cone shape or elongated head as your baby moves through the birth canal.

Here’s what you need to know:

• It’s completely normal and harmless
• Your baby’s brain is perfectly protected throughout
• The head shape will return to normal within days or weeks
• It’s an evolutionary adaptation that helps birth happen safely.

You might also notice some swelling (caput succedaneum) or a blood collection (cephalohematoma) on the scalp - again, temporary and normal.

Your baby’s body is designed for birth, even down to the incredible ability of their head to adapt and then return to its beautiful, round shape.

If you’re preparing for birth, remember that knowledge is power. Understanding what’s normal can help you feel more confident and less anxious about the unknowns.

What surprised you most about your baby’s appearance after birth?

📷

20/10/2025

🤘🏼😎

19/10/2025

🥰

19/10/2025

If tiny hairless marsupials can breastfeed in their mama's pouch to stay alive, why would tiny human babies not be capable of breastfeeding?! Maybe the belief that they can't (and mothers restricted from trying) will one day be relegated to the history books!

“See the photo below, which is of a 28 week gestation baby at the breast and breastfeeding at the age of 10 days. In many special care units, premature babies are not ‘allowed’ to go to the breast until they are 34 weeks gestation. This baby didn't read the book, I guess. For our article Breastfeeding the Premature, part 2, see when premature babies can and should start going to the breast: http://ibconline.ca/premature2/“ ~Dr. Jack Newman, M.D.

“The optimal environment for the baby is on his mother’s chest, skin-to-skin, not in an incubator far from her comforting touch, voice, and smell.” ~Dr. Nils Bergman; more on zero separation: https://tinyurl.com/y2gxkskj

03/08/2025

Naaaaw! 😍