Melanie The Midwife

Melanie The Midwife Midwife in Private practice, Host of the Great Birth Rebellion Podcast, Midwifery Mentor and Research

Melanie lives in the Blue Mountains with her Husband and two children and has been a midwife in private practice, and providing homebirth services, since 2009. She has a passion for providing minimal intervention care and has respect for the physiological process of pregnancy, birth and the early postnatal period. Melanie loves to see the powerful process of birth unfold and watch families blossom

as pregnancy and birth unfolds. Her passion for midwifery led her to complete her PhD, called "birth outside the system", in 2015, and she has held positions in midwifery research, midwifery lecturing and National Policy development at the Australian College of Midwives along side her work as a midwife. Melanie has a degree in Naturopathy and incorporates alternative therapies and nutritional guidance into her midwifery care.

15/06/2026

The crying day/days in the first week postpartum. I always warn my clients about the crying day ... you'll be crying, not the baby... The crying day happens about day 3 and coincides with your milk coming in. It doesn't happen to every woman, but it happens to enough women that I always give a heads-up... you might feel like crying loudly and a lot around day 3 postpartum...

You don't have the 'blues' or postpartum depression, you probably aren't even sad! but you may feel like crying a lot and over everything. The best thing to do is

1. CRY, let it out, all of it, don't hold one little bit in.
2. make sure your family knows your cry plans and they walk tenderly around you
3. don't invite unwanted visitors on this day
4. Delegate other jobs (that aren't crying) to the other grown ups in your house.

Don't be scared of crying day, there is nothing wrong with you, your milk is just coming in, your hormones are changing and you're probably a bit sore and tired. A cry will do you good and tomorrow you'll feel heaps better.

episode 206 and 207 of podcast are all about what to expect in the first 2 weeks after having your baby. Get the full story in these two episodes

11/06/2026

Every labour is so different, but one thing that I watch over and over again... the closer the woman is to giving birth, the closer she wants to get to the ground.

The very first research project that I ever worked on as a researcher was a birth positions study. One of my jobs was to attend the births of the women who enrolled in the study and document their body language all the way through labour.

Universally the women were more mobile and upright in early labour and progressively moved closer to the ground, the closer they were to giving birth.

Yes, as you progress in labour your contractions will typically get longer, stronger and closer together (thats the textbook answer) and also you will want to get closer to the ground and deeper into your internal labour land brain.

These are just a few ways to know if it's time to call your midwife or get in the car to travel to your chosen birth place.

10/06/2026

Matrescence is the word we use to describe the process of becoming a mother - your brain and body physically changes as do your priorities, responsibilities, identity, place in the world... everything!

Matrescence is mum puberty! it's as big as adolescence, and the identity shift is profound. Some women love and embrace the change and others fight it.

Episode 206 and 207 of The Great Birth Rebellion Podcast explains this transition more fully with tips on how to navigate the life stage of matrescence. The more you know, the easier it will flow.

Get listening now

09/06/2026

That first poo post-birth... am I right?!

So much happens to our body when we grow and birth a baby, but through it all, you've got to keep pooping! Most women are frightened of this first poo and 99 times our of 100 it's actually completely fine!

Your poo mantra is 'it's not going to be as bad as you think it is'

For more top postnatal tips - The Great Birth Rebellion Podcast episode 206 and 207 - The first 2 weeks postpartum

08/06/2026

All killer, no filler.

Comment GUIDE and I’ll send you the link to get the guide to giving birth without pain medication…

the cheapest but highest value information you’ll ever find.

08/06/2026

Honestly, don't waste your money on v***a icepacks for after your birth. There is a much simpler and cheaper way to ice your f***y after birth... frozen condoms! In this video I give an explanation of how to prepare and use them...

1. fill them up just enough to create a flat 1-2 cm high icepack and tie it off. Don't make huge p***s sized icepacks - the condoms can accomodate that much volume but that size it not ideal for icing your v***a
2. freeze them flat and then put them in the clean container ready for post-birth v***a adventures
3. wrap in a paper towel and apply onto (not in to!) your v***a so the cold sits where it hurts or where the swelling is
4. repeat as needed

Perfect solution for post-birth swelling and soreness.

I talk about this and lot's of other cheap and practical post-birth recovery tips in episode 206 and 207 of the great birth rebellion podcast

04/06/2026

If you have a negative blood group, your care provider will be checking the blood group of the baby after birth. They’ll collect it from their umbilical cord so they don’t have to give the baby a needle… but often they’ll prematurely clamp the cord to capture the blood.

If you want to do optimal cord management after birth, it’s best to collect the blood from the placenta, not the cord. In this video I show exactly how to do this.

This placenta was born over an hour before collecting blood.

To understand more about why we check baby blood group after birth for women with a negative blood group, listen to episode 205 of the great birth rebellion podcast

04/06/2026

My favourite colour combination in the logo designed by

The pink/blue and pink/green combo is 100% dopamine maxing IMO… but really, whatever the colour of the logo is, doesn’t even compare to what’s inside the box… have you found the great birth rebellion podcast yet?

It’s a game changer for pregnancy and birth prep. Free and always will be

Follow the great birth rebellion podcast on your favourite podcast platform and comment PODCAST in the comment to get on the mailing list so you don’t miss a thing.

03/06/2026

Labour and birth are mostly a mental game. Your body can go there, but you have to will your mind along. What you say to yourself and what others tell you will determine if you have the capacity to continue without pain medication.

These mental toughness strategies have been the single most loved element of my guide to giving birth without pain medication. These are just a few of the mental toughness prompts that powerfully walk you through each contraction and prepare you for the next one.

Comment GUIDE and i'll send you the link to invest in the rest of the guide to giving birth without pain medication, only $27 - cheaper than lunch

02/06/2026

Anti-D is not a medication, it's not a vaccination... it's a blood product.

Anti-D donors are voluntarily sensitised, meaning they have a negative blood group and they allow themselves to be injected with blood from someone with a positive blood group so their body starts making anti-D antibodies. Once they are sensitised, their blood is harvested, the antibodies are extracted and their blood plasma is mixed with other blood donors to create your single dose of anti-D.

Get the full story on episode 205 of podcast

Address

Blue Mountains
Springwood, NSW

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 5pm
Tuesday 8am - 5pm
Wednesday 8am - 5pm
Thursday 8am - 5pm
Friday 8am - 5pm
Saturday 8am - 5pm

Telephone

0425 280 682

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