My Story…
When I had my own babies, having been a midwife had helped me immensely in my own transition to motherhood (though of course nothing ever truly prepares you!) but I also knew how much I would have appreciated some extra help and support. I have no family in Australia and spent a lot of time on my own with two small children as a FIFO wife. I felt that there was a void in services for mothers that needed to be filled and that I could fill it! Supporting women as they make the drastically life altering journey into motherhood lies at the very heart of what I love most about midwifery.
I qualified as a midwife in 2000 in the UK. I trained and initially worked at a large teaching hospital with a midwife-led birth centre attached, followed by a stint working as a locum in six very busy hospitals around outer London, and an isolated rural unit in Ireland. I then returned to a permanent role in a large consultant led unit in the UK and also worked casually in a small country hospital.
I qualified as a midwife in 2000 in the UK. I trained and initially worked at a large teaching hospital with a midwife-led birth centre attached, followed by a stint working as a locum in six very busy hospitals around outer London, and an isolated rural unit in Ireland. I then returned to a permanent role in a large consultant led unit in the UK and also worked casually in a small country hospital.
Soon after migrating to Australia from England, I was pregnant with my first child and I haven’t practiced midwifery since I became a Mum. I chose to stay at home for my children’s early years because working shifts as a midwife was not possible with my husband working away a lot at that time and no family in Australia to provide out-of-hours childcare.
Unfortunately, at the point where I realised I had to go back to midwifery or lose my registration (different rules in Australia- return to practice is much easier in the UK), I had a 3 year old, a babe in arms and was on my own 50% of the time! I sadly had no choice but let my registration lapse, but once my youngest was in Pre-School and my husband changed to a more family-friendly job in 2012, the idea of Hills Postnatal was born.
Over the last nine years I have loved being able to support women at a pivotal time in their lives, whilst building deeper ongoing relationships than was possible in midwifery. I truly love what I do and going to work does not seem like a chore.
As a Mum of two high school aged children who had Selective Mutism in their early years, alongside my postnatal work I also mentor other parents in managing their Selectively Mute child's anxiety and help them to access the help that their children need and are entitled to receive at school.
Unfortunately, at the point where I realised I had to go back to midwifery or lose my registration (different rules in Australia- return to practice is much easier in the UK), I had a 3 year old, a babe in arms and was on my own 50% of the time! I sadly had no choice but let my registration lapse, but once my youngest was in Pre-School and my husband changed to a more family-friendly job in 2012, the idea of Hills Postnatal was born.
Over the last nine years I have loved being able to support women at a pivotal time in their lives, whilst building deeper ongoing relationships than was possible in midwifery. I truly love what I do and going to work does not seem like a chore.
As a Mum of two high school aged children who had Selective Mutism in their early years, alongside my postnatal work I also mentor other parents in managing their Selectively Mute child's anxiety and help them to access the help that their children need and are entitled to receive at school.