Dr Jess Michaels

Dr Jess Michaels Osteopath, Birth Doula and HypnoBirth Educator (IBCLC in training)

26/02/2026

I cannot believe we are still telling mothers that co sleeping is dangerous.

When Koa was born I carried this tiny seed of fear about sharing the bed with her.

Every message i had growing up said it was risky.
But the moment I let my instincts lead I realised this is the biological norm.

When a friend shared a podcast from James McKenna (thanks .celestial.mother) everything finally made sense. The science explained in such a grounded and evidence based way felt like permission to trust what my body already knew.

McKenna introduced the term breastsleeping to describe a very specific pattern seen in breastfeeding mothers. When a mother is breastfeeding her night time physiology changes. She becomes more alert, stays in lighter sleep and naturally curls her body protectively around her baby. Babies respond by regulating their breathing, temperature and nervous system through closeness.

This is why breastsleeping is different from generic bedsharing. It describes a biological pairing that relies on breastfeeding and a safe sleep environment. A firm flat mattress, no soft bedding, no smoking, no alcohol or sedating medications and only a breastfeeding mother sharing the sleep space.

Research from organisations like UNICEF UK and La Leche League shows that when these conditions are met co sleeping for breastfeeding families can be a normal and low risk option.

Anthropologists have shown for decades that mammals sleep with their young. Human babies are contact seeking mammals and our physiology was designed for closeness.

This is also why sleep training can feel so difficult for many mothers. It asks babies to behave in ways that contradict millions of years of biology.

If co sleeping does not feel right for you that choice is completely valid. Every family finds their own way. But we should not shame mothers or fill new mums with unnecessary fear about an option that is biologically normal and well supported by evidence when done safely.

Let your instincts guide you and give yourself grace as you find what works best for your baby and your body.

Every pregnancy reshapes the maternal brain in its own way and understanding these changes can help you meet yourself wi...
26/02/2026

Every pregnancy reshapes the maternal brain in its own way and understanding these changes can help you meet yourself with more compassion.

Especially if you are a Type A mum who is used to doing everything at a high standard. Motherhood asks you to soften and hold yourself with grace as your brain adapts to caring for a new baby.

You are not meant to do it perfectly. You are meant to do it with presence.

25/02/2026

I’ve been working with pregnant women, new mums and babies for almost a decade now, listening to their bodies, their fears, their instincts, their strength. And somewhere along that journey, in the fog of early postpartum, a very clear vision landed in my chest… a tool that would support women to stay upright, mobile, intuitive in their births.

What started as drawings at my kitchen bench has now supported over 6000 women and birth workers around the world. Six thousand women who trusted their bodies, stayed in their power, moved with their babies, and felt supported by something that was once just a whisper of an idea inside me.

And the wildest part is… we’re only just getting started!!

The Birth Sling by Dr Jess Michaels® is so much bigger than a product. It’s part of a much larger shift back toward physiological birth, body-led birth, deeply instinctive birth.

I get to treat women and babies as an osteopath and IBCLC, I get to show up online while mothering my girls, and I get to carry this vision forward one birth at a time.

I still can’t believe this is my work, but I’m so grateful it is.

For every woman who has ever felt that tug in her heart, that knowing, that inner spark… trust it. It’s there for a reason.

Since there are quite a few new faces here I thought I’d do a little reintroduction Thanks for being here 🫶🏼
16/02/2026

Since there are quite a few new faces here I thought I’d do a little reintroduction

Thanks for being here 🫶🏼

When I first graduated as an osteopath, I thought competence meant certainty.Now I know it means presence.A regulated ne...
13/02/2026

When I first graduated as an osteopath, I thought competence meant certainty.
Now I know it means presence.

A regulated nervous system doesn’t mean you never feel stress. It means you can move into activation when needed and return again. That flexibility is health.

Before I treat someone.
Before I enter a birth room.
Before I respond to my own children.
I check in with myself.

Because nervous systems talk to each other long before words do.

And if you’re pregnant reading this, this matters for you too. The people around you in labour, their tone, their pace, their energy, your body reads it all. Safety isn’t just something we say, it’s something we feel.

And honestly? Staying regulated as a mum is probably the hardest of all.

Yes, I try to respond calmly. Yes, I understand the theory. But the day in and day out of big toddler energy, noise, mess, interrupted sleep, and constant needs can stretch any nervous system.

Nobody is perfectly regulated. Not me. Not you.

The goal isn’t perfection.

It’s repair.

It’s coming back.

It’s modelling that return.

That’s the real work 🤍

12/02/2026

Almost 4 years of building this passion led business 🤯

Showing up online has never felt “easy” for me. It still doesn’t!

But watching women move, labour and birth differently because of The Birth Sling makes every uncomfortable moment worth it.

This work is changing births.
And it’s changed my life too.
Thank you for being here.

12/02/2026

So many women add “pregnancy and birth” to their private health insurance thinking it will give them more choice… but most don’t realise what it actually covers.

In Australia, private maternity cover only pays for a private obstetrician and a private hospital birth.

It doesn’t cover homebirth, birth centres, doulas, continuity of care, or midwifery-led models that support physiological birth.

And it certainly doesn’t guarantee better outcomes.

If you’re birthing in the public system, the most evidence-based model — Midwifery Group Practice — is completely covered and offers the best outcomes for women and babies….And if you do ever need an obstetrician, there are incredible OBs working in public hospitals who step in for emergencies and clinical needs without that private price tag attached.

So instead of pouring money into a policy that doesn’t actually support the type of birth you want, consider investing in the things that truly change the experience,
like a doula, prenatal bodywork, education, postpartum support, or saving to choose the model of care that aligns with your vision.

When women understand their options early, they get to make decisions from a place of clarity, not fear.
And that alone can shape the entire pregnancy and birth journey.

10/02/2026

Caring for a baby through the night is hard, there’s no denying that….And for some mothers, especially those with multiples or complex circumstances, a gadget like this might feel like a lifeline.

There is no shame in doing what you need to survive.

But generally speaking, devices that replace holding, touching and being close to your baby during feeds can be damaging to their developing nervous system.

Feeding a baby, whether at the breast or via a bottle, is not just about milk. It’s about safety, co-regulation, bonding and sending powerful messages to a newborn’s brain that the world is safe and they are held.

Babies are wired to be close. Their physiology, their attachment system and their primitive brain all rely on connection, not convenience.

This isn’t about judging parents.
It’s about calling out an industry that keeps creating gadgets to reduce contact, when what babies need most…especially in the newborn window… is US!!!

If you’re in the thick of it, exhausted and doing your best, you’re not doing anything wrong.
But we can’t pretend that these shortcuts come without a cost to our babies’ long-term emotional development.

pregnant

05/11/2025

Here’s my thoughts on the recent statement put out from RANZCOG and the ACM.

✌🏻

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Woolgoolga, NSW
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