Caitlin Gard Midwife

Home
Australia
Cairns, QLD
Caitlin Gard Midwife

Privately practicing midwife offering homebirth services in the Cairns region

10/08/2026

Second time around...

The milk is milking and the spray is spraying 🫠

09/08/2026

It was world breastfeeding week last week so naturally I've been reflecting on my own breastfeeding experiences.

I've enjoyed a pretty varied lot; tongue and lip ties, laser revision, high palette, weak latch, dysfunctional suck, cracked and blistered ni***es, ni**le thrush, milk blebs, if there's anything else I've blocked it out!

But with all that I still managed to feed my first for two years (heavily reliant on silverettes but we did it). And I'm now 5 weeks in with my second.

I used to tell people breastfeeding was free and convenient, mine was not! But the 48 hours of expressing and bottle feeding I did was so arduous that I figured I just had to make breastfeeding work. So hats off to you if you exclusively expressed because that is tough!

I've seen a lot of comments against celebrating breastfeeding because it apparently shames formula use. But the week is not just about celebration but also education.

In a time where intervention and medicalisation is becoming the majority, a moment for physiology is so important.

And there are many places in the world where formula use is not a safe option because of lack of access to clean water and production standards.

So happy world breastfeeding week 🩷

03/08/2026

What French cheese was modelled on.

And the lint!
Why is there so much and why are their hands so strong?

01/08/2026

You'll never convince me that disconnection or distance makes mothering easier.

It's not easy.
It's not meant to be easy.

But our children deserve, and need, all the connection we can give them.

29/07/2026

Our family is saying farewell to the tropics and heading back down south.

I'm very sad to be saying see you later to so many beautiful people. And to be leaving such a warm, supportive and inspiring homebirth community. But it's time to return to our other circle and for our children to have family close by ❤️

We are off in a month so if you want to see me before we go please reach out xx

27/07/2026

End of pregnancy is a humbling experience!

The waddle, the 10 point turn to get out of bed, dropped objects being permanently relocated to their new home on the floor.

A magical time ✨️

Which one is you?

26/07/2026

A few words from yours truly about my birth journeys ❤️

22/07/2026

You don't get a medal for not taking any drugs.

Maybe my most hated birth saying?

Womens birth choices are deeply personal and multifaceted.
How dismissive is it to assume that the way someone wants to welcome their child is purely for some kind of clout?

06/07/2026

Baby Henry has arrived ❤️

A beautiful en caul waterbirth at home at 41+6. Unfortunately we made an ED trip that evening for respiratory distress but we are home now and back in our bubble.

03/07/2026

Being a 'long gestator' bloody sucks.

As a midwife I can't tell you how many times I've told women that gestation is individual, variable...
That 'due dates' are not based on any good evidence.
Explained the stats on induction and stillbirth.

As a mother whiling away the days all those logical conversations make my eyes roll into the back of my head.

I indulged my delusions this pregnancy 😅
I told my mother in law that surely this time it would be earlier because I was in so much pain early on (HAHA)

Now I've settled back into resigned resentment.
Here we are again.
Following the same script.

Last time I, not so gracefully, bowed out just before 43 weeks.
Who knows what is to come this time.

My theme for this year was 'trust' and I can see exactly how I am being tested in line with this.
To surrender to the wisdom of my baby and trust that all will unfold as it is supposed to, regardless of when and where that is.

The last year has been a continual unfolding and unlearning of all the things I've been told about my body.
Dysfunctional.
Too slow.
Infertile.

Navigating the 'overdue' pregnancy in the realm of modern women's health care is difficult.
There is a lot of noise. A lot of questioning. Doubts.
A true test of autonomy and intuition.
And yet I'm also aware to be grateful for the opportunity to grow mature, healthy children.

Stay tuned.
Baby incoming.... eventually.

Photo by Kim| Cairns photographer

Address

Cairns, QLD

Website

http://caitlingard.com/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Caitlin Gard Midwife posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Practice

Send a message to Caitlin Gard Midwife:

Featured

Seachange Psychology
Unit 8/61 Mcleod Street

Want your practice to be the top-listed Clinic in Cairns?