ABOUT mamatoto midwives

JULIANA BRENNAN

DIRECTOR AND REGISTERED & ENDORSED MIDWIFE

It was towards the end of my Bachelor of Nursing in 1993 that I realized my calling was to work more closely with women. In 1995 I studied for my Graduate Diploma in Midwifery, and I never looked back on this decision!

As a student, I witnessed many births that were very medicalised with intervention, and it was not until I worked along-side Birth Centre and homebirth midwives that I realized that gentle, calm and empowering birth can certainly unfold for women and their families with the right support and preparation.

As a child, I grew up on a farm, and I witnessed many different mammals (generally cattle) giving birth. Rarely did we have complications with calving, and I was surprised as a student midwife at how many women had so much trouble and difficulty with birth. I couldn’t understand why so many women would hemorrhage, would find labour and birth ‘unbearable’ as the cows we owned rarely (if ever) had these issues. Over the years, I have discovered what I believe the answer. Women who are not fearful of birth and who are undisturbed, supported and who are very well emotionally and physically prepared for birth tend to have very straight forward and uncomplicated labour and births.

In 2011 I was one of the first midwives in Victoria and Australia to obtain my Medicare Eligibility, and in 2012, I was the first Midwife in Australia to get my Prescribing Rights and be an endorsed and notated Midwife with AHPRA. Mamatoto Midwives was launched and is rocketing into the future!

I completed my first Master’s Degree in Midwifery in 2002 and my major area of study was Post Term Pregnancy. I published a comprehensive literature review on “The Risks associated with Post Term Pregnancy” in 2005 in ‘Women and Birth’. It is my long term goal to teach Midwifery in Third World Countries such as Africa…where I’ve already been lucky enough to travel to! I also have a Masters Degree in Clinical Nursing (Nurse Practitioner).

I am married to Tim and we have three beautiful children, all of whom were born in Birth Centres where we were supported by known Midwives. They are all young adults now! I had very positive birth experiences for all three of my children, Grace and Riley were Water Birth babies!

My special interests in Midwifery are protecting the first birth, Vaginal Birth After Caesarean (VBAC).

I also offer…

• Acuneedling for common pregnancy symptoms and for labour and birth
• Birth debriefing and counselling.

I believe that every woman should have a known Midwife for her pregnancy, birth and early parenting and I support the research evidence that shows that continuity of midwifery carer improves outcomes for women by working as a Private Midwife and Director of “Mamatoto Midwives”.

SHELLEY TAYLOR

REGISTERED & ENDORSED MIDWIFE

It was leading up to and during my sisters first pregnancy that first called me to midwifery. She chose independent midwives to support her through pregnancy and birth and through this grew from a place of fear to a place of empowerment and confidence. I knew then that supporting women on their birthing journeys was what I was meant to dedicate my working life to.

I graduated from the Bachelor of Midwifery at ACU in 2015, completed my honours during my graduate year at The Royal Women’s in 2016. I worked with families in the antenatal, birthing and postnatal setting at RWH and have also been a part of the midwifery team at The Angliss Hospital.

My own personal experiences birthing my two boys further increased my desire to offer truly individualised and woman-centred care to families. After a long labour ending in a caesarean with my first babe, I had private midwives support me through my second pregnancy to achieve the healing VBAC I desperately wanted.

With the right support, I believe that a positive birth experience can show you your inner strength and give you the best start to your parenting journey. My sincere desire working with such a wonderful small team is to be able to partner with families to help them to achieve their best possible experience of pregnancy, birth and postpartum as they bring a new life into their family.

I also offer..

Internal pelvic release work to women to further explore their pelvic space, creating balance, releasing tension and promoting softness in the pelvic tissues.

Acuneedling for common pregnancy symptoms and birth preparation.

In my spare time I enjoy exploring the hills with my family, going to the beach, fishing with my kids, reading, sewing and knitting.

DINA PHILLIPS

REGISTERED & ENDORSED MIDWIFE

Mumma, Nanne and Midwife,

I am so grateful to be part of the Mamatoto team, providing holistic midwifery continuity of care to women during one of the most profound times of their life.

I became a mother in 1998 and my experience under the continuity of care model was so positive I knew I wanted to become a midwife and support women as beautifully as I was during this unique and vulnerable time. I was blessed to have my next two children under the same model of care, my choices were heard and respected at all times, leading to a fully supported home birth with my third.

I commenced my Bachelor of Health, Midwifery in New Zealand in 2010 at the wonderful age of 40(better late than never). It wasn’t always easy, as life takes us on journeys that we haven’t anticipated, but my dedication and determination got me through. I graduated in 2013 and two days later moved to Melbourne to commence the next chapter in my life.

After six months of settling into Melbourne I was offered an opportunity to undertake the Midwifery Graduate Programe at St John of God Hospital in Perth. This was an amazing opportunity as I consolidated my learning supported by new colleagues, family and friends.

On completion of my graduate year I returned to Melbourne and undertook a position in the private healthcare sector working with women antenatally, during labour and postnatally. During this time I furthered my study to attain Medicare eligibility and prescribing rights which in turn enabled me to register as an Endorsed Midwife.

I then gained a position on the inaugural team that through collective passion and vision for continuity of care in midwifery practice, successfully established the Know Your Midwife programe into the private setting.

I am dedicated to antenatal education and have been running classes for 3 years. I believe that education is a crucial component of antenatal care, leading to less anxiety and empowering women to make informed decisions that are relevant to them.

As a midwife I feel honored to have the privilege of sharing intimate moments with women from varying backgrounds who place their trust in me. We all have our unique stories, dreams and hopes, we inherently have the same needs which are to be heard, supported, encouraged and loved. Continuity of care with a known midwife upholds and respects these needs.

JOSEPHINE JONES

ENDORSED MIDWIFE

It’s such a challenge to encapsulate a deep desire of my heart into a few paragraphs. Put simply, I am passionate about my role as a midwife. This is especially true of my life as an endorsed, private practicing midwife. Midwifery has been my career for well over 20 years and although I have worked in remote and rural areas of Australia, in large public city hospitals and the private hospital sector, my years as an endorsed private practicing midwife have brought me the greatest joy, the most rewarding relationships, and the most fulfilling professional development .

My personal journey to becoming a mother includes four pregnancies, two involving the rollercoaster of IVF. I have given birth to one daughter (who sadly is no longer with us) and three sons (that now tower over me). Like all life stories, it is filled with humour, success, failure and some sadness. My aim is to draw from my own life story and my years as an experienced midwife to support you in your own pregnancy, birth and motherhood journey.

I believe, with the best support, from a known midwife, women can flourish in their pregnancy, making informed decisions for themselves and their baby. By guiding and equipping women to trust their bodies, birthing becomes a journey of empowerment and parenting their newborn becomes a fulfilling journey of healing, nurturing, learning, loving and bonding. This is certainly what I’ve been privileged to witness and be part of.

I am humbled by the part you invite me to play in your journey. I have dedicated my professional life to supporting women, their partners (if present) and their newborn baby. I commit to bringing all I have as your midwife, whether you choose to birth at home or in a hospital, to enable your pregnancy, birth and postnatal journey to be the most positive experience it can be.

Other services I offer:

Internal pelvic release work (IPRW)

This is a form of internal bodywork that can help to release tension in the soft tissues, leading to a rebalancing of the organs, ligaments, muscles, scar tissue and the fascia that are all interconnected. This “sighing” (relaxing) of the tissues can help bring comfort and promote an increase in the pelvic space ready for baby to descend and engage in late pregnancy and to navigate the birth canal for a potentially smoother labour and birth.

Acuneedling

Acupuncture for midwives. Assisting with common discomforts in pregnancy and postpartum. Pre Labour preparation & labour activation.

KIRSTEEN SMITH

REGISTERED ENDORSED MIDWIFE & IBCLC

From a very early age I knew I wanted to become a midwife. I graduated as a midwife in 2011 and commenced my graduate year at the Royal Women’s Hospital in Melbourne. I continued to work there for the following 11 years across antenatal, birthing and postnatal before moving into the homebirth space in 2021. In 2015 I worked in a remote village in rural Zambia, in a tiny, ill-equipped 1-room clinic, running pregnancy clinics, birthing services and attended to anyone who walked through the door. While I was there I raised enough money to build a fully functional maternity unit that is now run by 2 nurse/midwives. I continue to raise funds to support this clinic and the vital services it provides the women and children of the region.

I am extremely passionate about women’s health, and firmly trust in the power and strength of the woman’s body. My time in Zambia cemented my belief in the importance of education and how empowering knowledge is during what can be such a vulnerable chapter of life. My passion then led me to study further and become an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant in order to support women bettter in their feeding journey in whatever way that looks like. My aim is to equip women with information to help them make the best, informed choices for themselves and their families.

My journey into motherhood began in 2017 when I gave birth to my first son, in the water, at the hospital where I worked. In this birth I felt strong, supported and safe with my independent midwife by my side. For my following two births, it was an easy decision to bring them into the world at home, in my own environment, surrounded by my family and midwives.

Whether you choose to birth your baby in a hospital or at home, the important thing to remember is that the choice is entirely yours. There is not just one way to bring babies into the world and I am extremely passionate about making sure women’s transitions into motherhood are safe, secure and supported.