Welcome!
Below is a list of some of my favourite resources for families during pregnancy and postpartum, all in person services are Sydney based but online options are, of course available to eveyone. So if you’re looking for something to read, a course to take, a podcast to listen to or a trusted practitioner to try then here are, in my opinion, some of the best…
Free Online Resources:
evidencebasedbirth.com/birthing-in-the-time-of-covid-19 - Evidence Based Birth is one of my favourite resources. In general this is a free birthing class aimed at birthing in hospital during Covid but still very worth a watch. There is also a link to download some worksheets and a guided relaxation track.
coreandfloor.com.au - check out Bernadette’s free antenatal classes! She also has many other wonderful offerings on her website.
tinyhood.com - if you’re planning to breastfeed then taking some courses during pregnancy is a key recommendation of mine. This free course is a great start.
Information:
spinningbabies.com - I'm a huge fan of Spinning Babies! I've been on 2 courses with different educators to gain different perspectives on the techniques and how to apply them. Their Daily Activities are a great resource for parents to use in their pregnancy
optimalmaternalpositioning.com - a great approach to preparing the pelvis for birth, this website offers information and courses for parents and professionals. I took their course for professionals years ago and love having them in my skillset.
bodyreadymethod.com - in my opinion, this is the most comprehensive approach you can take to your labour preparation. I am a Certified BRM Pro and will soon be teaching their Parent Course.
milescircuit.com - these techniques were developed by an American doula and have been shown to help baby get into an optimal position late in pregnancy and even in labour. Can be done without a partner so especially useful for solo parents or those whose partners are away/work odd hours
birthingwisdom.com.au - Rhea Dempsey is an incredible childbirth educator and author, check out her published articles here
pregnancybirthbaby.org.au - a government website with articles covering pregnancy and parenting
evidencebasedbirth.com - an American site that is a great source of unbiased, evidence based information
midwifethinking.com - wonderful blog series from a respected Australian midwife
sarahbuckley.com - Sarah is an obstetric GP and published author, her blog is a great resource on all things pregnancy, birth and parenting
physiolaura.com - this blog is full of great, practical advice for staying healthy and strong during your pregnancy and postpartum
sarawickham.com - Dr Sara Wickham is a midwife, researcher, educator, speaker and author. Her book on induction is my most borrowed book from my doula library and her website is packed full of balanced and researched information
mothersafe.org.au - now found under Health Direct, this is a great resource for researching the safety of medications in pregnancy. There's a helpline with a live person on the other end.
gidgetfoundation.org.au - a not for profit organisation supporting the emotional wellbeing of expectant and new parents
panda.com.au - lots of good information and support on this website and their helpline for families no matter what stage they are at
cope.org.au - this organisation provides support for the emotional challenges of becoming a parent
tresillian.org.au - if you’re struggling with your baby then this organisation offers day visits or residential stays to help support families
homebirthnsw.org.au - the home of home birth in NSW, there are links to support groups, a listing of midwives and more
northshoremums.com.au - parenting and lifestyle website for the North Shore
Reading:
I recommend all of these books and have these and more in my ‘doula library’ - available to lend to my clients!
Your Baby, Your Birth - Hollie de Cruz
Gentle Birth, Gentle Mothering - Dr Sarah Buckley
Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth - Ina May Gaskin
Birth Skills - Juju Sundin
Inducing Labour, Making Informed Decisions - Dr Sara Wickham
Why Induction Matters - Rachel Reed
Reclaiming Birth as a Rite of Passage - Rachel Reed
First Forty Days - Heng Ou
Birth Partner - Penny Simkin
Cheers to Childbirth - Lucy Bloom
Men, Love & Birth - Mark Harris
Spiritual Midwifery - Ina May Gaskin
HypnoBirthing, The Mongan Method - Marie F Mongan
Active Birth - Janet Balaskas
Mindful Birthing - Nancy Bardacke
The Positive Birth Book - Milli Hill
Becoming Us - Elly Taylor
The Positive Breastfeeding Book - Amy Brown
The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding - Teresa Pitman & Diana West
Listening:
You can find these podcasts through your usual podcast app (eg, iTunes) or at the links below…
The Great Birth Rebellion - every episode is spot on, required listening for my clients!
The Midwives’ Cauldron - essential listening, especially the episodes on ‘pushing’ and the ‘perineum’
Australian Birth Stories
The Motherhood Memo - including an episode that features an interview with me!
Nurture Hub - Pregnancy, Birth & Parenting
Parental as Anything
Tales From the Fourth Trimester
Australian VBAC Stories
VBAC Link
VBAC Birth Stories
The Birth Hour
The Baby Bubble
Evidence Based Birth
Birthful Podcast
Watching:
Birth Time - a documentary on the current state of our maternity services, look for a screening near you
The Business of Being Born - a great documentary on the system of modern birth
Born at Home - not just for those considering homebirth, it discusses the impact of birth on families long after they met their baby. A great watch, currently screening in cinemas but hopefully it’ll be available to screen soon
...and for some light relief check out Netflix for The Letdown and Workin’ Moms ;)
Education:
northshorehypnobirthing.com - I teach the wonderful Hypnobirthing Australia’s Positive Birth Program. Contact me to find out more about private or group classes
hypnobirthingaustralia.com.au - if you can’t educate with me then you can find other practitioners teaching this amazing course here!
calmbirth.com.au - a directory listing of educators sharing this hypno based antenatal course
shebirths.com - with a philosophy of ‘empowerment through education’ this course recommends getting a doula!
rainbowfamilies.com.au - their antenatal classes are LGBTIQA+ focused and inclusive, designed to support and empower their participants. Check out their Events page for details of upcoming classes
Other Providers:
weststreetwellbeing.com.au - a wonderful centre with a range of practitioners including acupuncturists, massage therapists, and other natural and energetic healing
beachesbaby.com.au - Peta is a wonderful IBCLC covering the Northern Beaches and North Shore, she also hosts in person clinics at her home. Her breastfeeding class is one of my top picks for my pregnant clients
learnlatchlove.com.au - Megan is a pragmatic and compassionate midwife and IBCLC offering in person and zoom consults. Her website is ‘under construction’ but does feature her contact info
northphysiotherapy.com.au - seeing a women’s health physio is my biggest recommendation. This wonderful team specialise in pre & postnatal care and are conveniently located next to North Shore Public & Private Hospitals
physiotherapyclinic.com.au - another of my favourite physio teams, they have rooms in multiple locations including Bondi Junction and Cammeray
thestudiorozelle.com.au - a fantastic physio practice in the Inner West, also offering pre and postnatal exercise classes
lanecovechiropracticcentre.com.au - if you’re looking for chiro care then Julie in this clinic is a must see. A former midwife, she brings a lot of experience to her pre & postnatal clients
cosmictree.com.au - my favourite place for a pregnancy massage, Hiromi has magic hands!
lovepilates.com.au - this amazing team offer pre and postnatal yoga and pilates in Willoughby & Beecroft
naturalbeginnings.com.au - Virginia is a fellow doula who practices as a herbalist, Mizan massage therapist and also offers placenta encapsulation
lifeandlens.com.au - a birth photographer whose work I love. Sarah is a mum of 2 young children who produces beautiful work
aliciahetherington.com - a beautiful ‘lifestyle’ photographer, Alicia can capture your pregnancy, newborn and family moments
blissbirth.com.au - wonderful supplier of my favourite TENS machine (the Elle 2) to rent or buy, they're based in the Blue Mountains and ship all over Australia. Use my discount code: ‘samanthagunn15’ to get 15% off their prices
birthafloat.com - having a homebirth? This is a great place to rent or buy your birth pool
Servicing all areas of Sydney including the CBD, North Shore, Northern Beaches, Inner West, Eastern Suburbs and more.
Based on the North Shore, I support all types of births in all types of environments, including home, birth centre and hospital. Some of the hospitals I attend include the Royal North Shore Hospital Public St Leonards (RNS), Royal North Shore Private North Sydney, The Mater Hospital Wollstonecraft, Northern Beaches Hospital Frenchs Forest, Hospital for Women Randwick (RHW), Prince of Wales Private (POWP), Royal Prince Alfred Camperdown (RPA), Westmead Public Hospital, Westmead Private Hospital, Hornsby Hospital, The Sydney Adventist Hospital Wahroonga (SAN) … and more.
Want to know if your area is serviced? Please get in touch using the Contact Form, I’d love to hear from you.