Midwife Rach

05/06/2026

05/06/2026

Have you heard about CMV?

02/06/2026

“I often get funny looks when I spend ages telling parents everything I know about a topic and then follow that up by asking them not to take my word for it.

But I still do it, regardless, and there are a few reasons for that.

One is that I want every parent to make the decision that is right for them, and not what they think I or the local paediatrician or the family next door would do.

So a good way to figure out what you think and need and want is to cast your net about for a few different opinions.

Nobody can be truly objective, and even those of us who consciously try to give a balanced viewpoint will put more emphasis on some things and less on others.

If you seek a few opinions, you’ll hopefully get a good overall picture.

Though yes, you can also get confused, and there is some inaccurate info out there, so you’ll need to use your judgment.

The second reason is that I don’t want you to believe everything you read, and that goes especially for what you read on the internet.

But it would be unhelpfully inconsistent, I think, to say, ‘hey, treat everything else with caution, but what I’m saying is fine’.

And I don’t want to be inconsistent, so please go ahead and treat my views and analysis with scepticism as well.

Just please be sure to apply the same scepticism when you read what journalists and others say and write about this area.”

That’s an excerpt from my book, Vitamin K and the Newborn.

It was written to help parents to make the decisions that are right for them, and for professionals and birth workers to better understand the evidence relating to vitamin K.

You can find out more at https://www.sarawickham.com/vk

02/06/2026

Representing private midwives in our region and strengthening collaboration across maternity care. 🤝

Today I had the opportunity to speak with local paramedics about private midwifery practice, the role of privately practising midwives, and our scope of practice during emergencies at homebirths.

A big thanks to NSWA & Haley Findlay, PhD candidate, for inviting me along 🙌🏾

Open communication and shared understanding between healthcare professionals helps ensure families receive safe, coordinated, and respectful care wherever they choose to give birth.

A huge thank you to the team for their warm welcome, thoughtful discussion, and genuine interest in collaborative care. I was also lucky enough to stay behind for a tour of the TOLL base and get an inside look at the TOLL Ambulance Rescue Helicopter. It was an incredible experience and a great reminder of the highly skilled teams working across our healthcare and emergency services network.

Grateful for opportunities like these to share knowledge, build relationships, and strengthen connections between midwifery and emergency services. 💙

23/05/2026

Midwife Rach is now taking bookings for clients with due dates from February 2027 ✨

If you’re expecting in 2027 and would love my support throughout your pregnancy, birth, and postpartum journey, I’d love to hear from you. Early bookings are recommended as availability is limited.

20/05/2026

You do not need to become the ‘perfect crunchy mum’ or the ‘perfect crunchy person’ to work with me.

You are allowed to:

▫️choose the epidural or decline pain relief
▫️ask for the transfer or stay at home
▫️mix feed or breast feed (or formula feed!)
▫️change plans or keep them
▫️do all the tests and scans or choose ones that align with you
▫️agree to the induction or decline it

Pregnancy, birth and motherhood are not tests you pass by doing everything “perfectly.”

You do not lose your strength because your plans evolve.
You do not lose your instincts because you ask for support.

‼️My role is not to judge your choices‼️
My role is to walk beside you through them.
To provide information.
To help you feel safe.
To support you in making decisions that feels right for you and your family.

Women deserve care that feels respectful, compassionate and free from shame 🩷

17/05/2026

17/05/2026

Maggie shares her experience as a midwife having a homebirth for the first time 💜✨

Just under one month ago, I gave birth at home to my fourth child. I wasn’t a midwife when I had my other three children, so experiencing pregnancy and birth as a midwife was both a blessing and a curse.

During labour, I found myself repeating the same words I tell all of my women: “Just breathe.” At times, it felt impossible, and it gave me a deeper understanding of birth than I’d ever known before.

My early labour lasted just over 12 hours, and for much of it I thought I was once again experiencing prodromal labour — something I had been dealing with since 33 weeks.

I was fortunate that my active labour was just under two hours. The intensity is something I’ll never forget, but my body handled it, despite using no pain relief.

I didn’t have a “calm birth,” possibly because I didn’t prepare enough for it, or maybe because after weeks of false labour, my body was simply done. But I wouldn’t change my primal birth for anything.

There were moments throughout the day when I doubted myself and doubted my body. It was unlike anything I had ever experienced before. I worried that the TENS machine and hot shower wouldn’t be enough. But in the end, I trusted my body, and it birthed my baby exactly as it needed to.