Dr Jess Michaels

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

13/03/2026

I could feel myself getting really dysregulated this morning.
Lots of complaining, lots of tears, and I was getting easily frustrated.
I was trying to time a Zoom call with Aura’s nap, but it just wasn’t going to happen.
So I stopped pushing it.
I said to the girls, “Let’s go outside and build a fire and pretend we’re lost in the wilderness.”
Koa decided we should be witches… so we were witches.
Sometimes the day just asks you to let go of the plan.
These are the days I know I’ll think about when I’m 85.

04/03/2026

If I was forced to simplify my treatments with pregnant clients, here’s what I would focus on…

Nervous system regulation.

Because birth does not unfold well in a body that feels like it’s being chased by a lion.

If a woman walks into my clinic stressed, overwhelmed, or feeling pressured about timelines, maybe she’s just had an “induction talk” the first thing I’m thinking about is not her pelvis or her baby’s position.

I’m thinking about her nervous system.

Is she in a calm, parasympathetic state where oxytocin can flow?

Or is her body sitting in fight or flight?

You cannot override biology.

A stressed nervous system suppresses the very hormones that help labour begin and progress.

So if she’s not floating into the clinic on an oxytocin bubble… I’m doing everything I can to make sure she floats out on one 🫧

Sometimes that means having a friendly chat and
Talking through the physiology of birth.
Reassuring her that her body and baby have their own timing.

Sometimes it’s gentle, indirect treatment.
Slowing everything down.
Often craniosacral style work that helps the body soften and the nervous system settle.

Because when a woman feels safe, her whole system changes.

Breathing slows.
Muscles release.
Hormones shift.

And that calm state is one of the most powerful ways to prepare a body for birth.

Sometimes the most important “treatment” is simply helping a woman remember that her body knows what it’s doing. ✨

02/03/2026

Love these new Mamabites! (And no, this is not paid)

I’ve been breastfeeding for almost five years straight, and as an IBCLC I can tell you… having a delicious, sugar-free sweety treaty that’s actually packed with intentional ingredients to support your feeding journey and postpartum recovery makes such a difference.

Congrats on creating another beautiful, thoughtful product for mums.
co

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 🫶🏼

05/11/2025

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

✌🏻

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4/16 Hawke Drive
Woolgoolga, NSW
2456

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+61450535183

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