Welcome beautiful,
I'm so glad you're here
I'm Steph, a postpartum doula with heart.
I’m so happy you have found this page and are seriously thinking about upping your postpartum game.
My name is Steph, I’m a Postpartum Doula from Geelong, and I am incredibly passionate about looking after women and birthing people after baby is born.
We spend so much time planning for birth (which is great) but what about a plan for postpartum? Once your baby is born, what does support look like to you? Do you have boundaries around your time and energy? Who is helping you feel less isolated? Less bored? Who is looking after you? Who is supporting your breastfeeding challenges? Who is running you a bath, talking you through your hormonal shift, feeding you nutritious snacks and making you feel like an absolute goddess? That's where I come in.
In my role as a postpartum doula I want to take you from a place of 'hmmmm ok' to 'fuck yes!' I want to make you feel like the post-birth rockstar that you are.
A little bit about me: I'm a mama, a wife, a gift-giver, a hugger, witty with a heart of gold (and a little bit sweary). I'm super passionate about birth and postpartum, and about breastfeeding. I have a huge heart and I want to make space within to care and nurture you in your postpartum. You can learn more about me here.
If you are picking up what I’m putting down we should totally chat.
Why do you need a post-birth bestie?
I have this vivid memory from 2018. Sitting topless on my toilet seat at 2am, my three day old baby screaming in the other room with my husband, wanting to be fed, and me unable to feed because my nipples were so damaged and sore. I was trying to hand express colostrum into a syringe so I could spare my nipples. Feeling stressed and anxious that I wasn’t able to express much (I also had no idea how to hand express) and so I dissolved into a puddle of tears knowing that I would have to succumb to that toe-curling pain of feeding my son. I wish I had someone to call for support through those foggy first few days. I wish I knew more about breastfeeding and newborns. I wish I had someone to cry to, someone to support me and tell me that it was going to be ok. I wish I had a post-birth fairy godmother.
This is why I’m doing this work now. To be the person I wish I had at 2am half naked sitting on the toilet with a syringe to my nipples (imagine that Kodak moment!)
The transition into motherhood is huge work. From those first few days, to weeks, to months, it's constantly changing. And unfortunately, we have lost our village. It's rare that we have more than two adults in one household, we often live in different cities and states from our family. Postpartum care in Australia is non-existent beyond six weeks (and even then it's minimal and more focused on baby).
Here's the thing, we enlist the help of personal trainers in the gym, mentors at work and Marie Kondo to help us tidy our house! So why are we doing the hardest job in the world by ourselves? Motherhood is rewarding, joyful, beautiful yes, but it's a transition of epic proportions, a fragile time going from your former life of maiden to your new one as mother. I want to be there for you as you make this transition, complete with love, snacks, hacks and so much more,
