About

Former Midwife

I qualified and registered as a midwife in 2001 after completing a direct entry Bachelor of Midwifery BSc (Hons) in the UK. I have practised midwifery in a range of contexts in the UK and Australia including, hospitals, community-based group practice and as an independent homebirth midwife. My PhD explored midwifery practice during physiological birth. I retired from midwifery practice in 2023.

Author

I am the author of two bestselling books and an award-winning blog. My writing and research has also been published in academic journals and magazines, and my publications have been cited in midwifery textbooks and clinical guidelines.

Teacher

I began teaching as a clinical educator for students and staff in maternity services. To develop my ability to support student learning I completed a Post Graduate Certificate in Education (2006) and a Certificate in Foundations of University of Teaching (2009). I moved into university teaching in 2009 and designed and taught undergraduate and postgraduate midwifery programs and courses. In addition to formal education, I have over a decade of experience facilitating workshops for midwives, doulas and birth workers. I currently utilise my teaching experience and qualifications to offer online courses and create content for the Reclaiming Childbirth Collective.

Speaker

I am an experienced and sought-after speaker and have been invited to present at a range of national and international events. I have been interviewed for many podcasts and featured in the Birth Time movie and the Born at Home movie.

Researcher

I completed my PhD in 2013. The full thesis is available in the USC Research Bank and has been downloaded over 6000 times. My book Reclaiming Childbirth as a Rite of Passage develops the findings of my PhD further and applies them to the modern context of birth. My research focus is women’s experiences of birth and care provider practice during birth. My methodological expertise is qualitative and my work intersects with sociology, anthropology, history and politics. I have supervised Honours and PhD students to completion. I aim to contribute to the body of knowledge that foregrounds women’s rights and rites in childbirth, and to challenge the medical paradigm to reform maternity care on women’s terms. My research has been published in journal articles and conference papers.

Consultant

I have provided consultancy on midwifery education, practice and legal cases. As a member of working parties I have been involved in developing clinical guidelines and consumer information.