Sage Obstetrics

02/09/2026

Your Caesarean Matters 💕

Despite having done hundreds of caesareans, it wasn’t until I had an emergency caesarean with my first child that I really understood the impact of it as a surgery and the recovery. I was unprepared for how I might feel about my bodily integrity
And it forced me to reflect on the fact that despite being one of the most commonly performed major surgeries, there has been little attention paid to optimising how caesarean is performed and how the wound is closed.

Over many years, this has led me change the way I operate to:

🌸 Celebrate caesarean birth by incorporating what
is important to you in your birth experience
🌸 Avoid unnecessarily large incisions
🌸 Ensure future fertility and reproductive risks
are not increased by suboptimal uterine closure
🌸 Employ techniques to reduce blood loss and
lower surgical infection risk
🌸 Ensure meticulous layered closure to lower the
common risk of “apron/overhang” of the
abdominal wall as the scar contracts underneath
🌸 Optimise scar healing and cosmetic appearance

27/08/2026

One of the great joys of obstetrics is caring for families again and helping to welcome another beautiful sibling 🥰

Both of these beautiful boys were birthed by their amazing māma in the water. 💦
(Photo shared with permission).

15/08/2026

Perinatal morbidity and mortality data in New Zealand have consistently shown that pēpi Māori are twice as likely to die at gestations >35 weeks than pēpi Pakēha.

Olivia is deeply honoured to be invited to join the panel of Te Iti Kahurangi, a research partnership with Te Whatu Ora and Te Tātai o Hauora Hine (Victoria University). This critically important work seeks to identify preventable and contributing factors to perinatal morbidity and mortality for pēpi Māori admitted to Level 3 NICU facilities in New Zealand.

08/08/2026

We have had an exceptionally busy time with 5 beautiful babies arriving between the 28th July and 1st of August! 🩷💙

This week Olivia will be catching up with all those whose appointments required rescheduling during this period and attending to a large volume of admin/emails…Incredibly, we will welcome our last baby for August this week!

Olivia did some teaching in June on “Obstetrics for Emergency Doctors” for the fabulous ED doctors at Taranaki Base Hospital. This incredible cake was made by the wife of one of the consultants.

23/05/2026

🤰 Did you know that pre-eclampsia is one of the world’s leading causes of maternal and infant deaths?

Tomorrow is World Pre-eclampsia Day, and we’re reminded that hypertensive disorders of pregnancy are life-threatening and disproportionally affect women in low- and middle-income countries. For women with pre-eclampsia, early birth remains the only definitive treatment, as the condition is driven by the placenta and will only resolve once it is delivered.

Published today, a new Cochrane review finds that planned early birth for pregnant women with high blood pressure cuts maternal complications by nearly half and reduces the risk of stillbirth by 75%, without increasing the likelihood of caesarean section.

The review reinforces current international guidelines, which recommend that all women with pre-eclampsia should be offered planned early birth no later than 37 weeks and, for women with gestational hypertension or chronic hypertension, careful monitoring with planned early birth considered from 39 weeks onwards.

💬 "A common misconception is that by waiting longer, mum and baby are gaining more time, but often what you are doing is just delaying an inevitable emergency birth, when both may be in a worse condition," explains Dr Alice Beardmore-Gray from King's College London.

The authors advise that the timing of birth should ultimately take into account the woman's preferences and the severity of her condition.

03/05/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/18B1RWtef1/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Today, we hold space for the mothers whose babies are not in their arms.

To the mums who have experienced miscarriage, stillbirth, neonatal loss, or the loss of a child at any age, we see you. We honour your love, your grief, and your strength.

Mother’s Day can be especially painful when your motherhood is entwined with loss. It can feel like the world has moved on, but your heart remembers every moment, every hope, every heartbeat.

Today, and every day, we walk beside you.

28/04/2026

We love ❤️ what we do.

21/03/2026

If you are pregnant, due in November and would like specialist obstetric care with Olivia, please get in touch. We still have limited availability for November.

Long may this glorious autumn Taranaki weather last!

21/02/2026

February has been a busy month - we have welcomed 3 beautiful babies in the last 9 days and await another 2 more before the end of the month! It’s a hot month to be a heavily pregnant mama. 🫶

We are now booking clients due in October 💓

(Photo of Olivia’s girls learning about the inner workings of a hospital)

10/02/2026

When you are an absolute nerd about Fetal Growth Restriction, having this pop up in your inbox is like the equivalent of the concert of the year 🥰😜

(And yes, this busy obstetrician needs to charge her phone)