Sheena Byrom
Midwife / Director of All4Maternity
She/Her
Midwife / All4Maternity Director
I qualified as a midwife in the 1970’s and have worked since in all areas of practice and as midwifery leader. I am the co-owner of All4Maternity with my midwife daughter Anna and I lecture nationally and internationally on childbirth related topics.Travelling the world is something both me and my husband Paul love doing. I also adore spending time with my ever expanding number of grandchildren - it’s true what they say, these children keep me from growing too old, too soon!
Dr Anna Byrom
Midwifery Educator / Director of All4Maternity
She/Her
Midwifery Educator and Director All4Maternity
Thank you for browsing our All4maternity website. It is lovely to share our resources with you and we hope you find what you need. I am passionate about supporting students, midwives and maternity workers to access evidence to inform practice and care.
I am founding Director/CEO of the award winning All4Maternity.com supporting the learning, sharing and caring needs for all midwives and maternity workers. In 2017 we became the first midwifery publishers of the important practice-focused journal, The Practising Midwife, 2019 saw the launch of The Student Midwife journal and 2022 The Practising Midwife Australia edition.
Commencing my midwifery career over 23 years ago, I have worked in a variety of roles across midwifery services, education, and research, throughout the UK. I have practice experience of caseload, continuity models of care, providing midwifery care in all areas of clinical practice and leading infant feeding services in community and hospital settings.
I completed my PhD, in 2019, with the Maternal and Infant Nutrition and Nurture Unit (MAINN) at the University of Central Lancashire, England. My thesis explored the influences of the Unicef UK Baby Friendly Initiative upon midwives and service-users. Passionate about supporting authentic, relational and social midwifery education I was awarded a National Teaching Fellowship, in 2019, from Advance HE acknowledging my contributions to midwifery education since 2010.
I have also worked with national, regional and local teams to support Internationally Recruited Midwives with their transition to practice across NHS England.
My interests include promoting and supporting positive childbearing for all women and families; encouraging optimal infant nutrition and nurture and developing effective education curricula. I am passionate about translating evidence in to practice in meaningful and engaging ways.
I am also a busy mummy, with three children: Seamus, Betsy and William. Outside of work I love nothing better than sharing time with my family, relaxing in hot baths, reading and, when the weather holds, cycling the hills of the Ribble Valley, Lancashire.
You can find out more about me via my website - Visit my Website
Neesha Ridley
Midwife / Education & Organisational Dev. Lead
She/Her
Education and Organisational Development Lead Midwife
Neesha will be joining us in this role shortly!Coming soon...
Hannah Tizard
Midwife / Education & Organisational Dev. Lead
She/Her
Education and Organisational Development Lead Midwife
Passionately driven by the experiences of my mother as a teacher, and my own personal experience of becoming a mother at a young age, I have dedicated my career to midwifery education. My mission is to empower students and midwives to provide personalised and holistic care that upholds the human rights of women, birthing people and families. Through All4maternity and All4Birth, we aim to create a learning environment that is inclusive and responsive to the diverse demographic, societal, and cultural needs of midwives, students and communities. This involves the effective translation of knowledge to create a learning environment that is inclusive and responsive to everyone’s needs. Our offering at All4maternity and All4Birth uses approaches of ‘Learning, Caring and Sharing’, to foster a sense of belonging and facilitate the acquisition of knowledge in a way that is positive, meaningful and impactful. As a Professional Midwifery Advocate, I lead compassionately, with respect to support the wellbeing of midwives. I strive to help them to navigate their experiences and the emotion work involved in providing care and take action to support positive cultures within maternity services. My values of creativity and accountability inspire me to innovate and collaborate authentically, and my proudest accomplishment is founding the award-winning Blood to Baby campaign, which highlights the importance of physiological transition in newborns through optimal cord clamping. As a founding international expert of All4Birth, I have contributed to the development of a website that provides evidence-based information to optimize wellbeing throughout pregnancy and childbirth.My interests outside of my love of supporting students and midwives in their learning journey revolve around my wonderful family, including my three children, one of whom is a registered nurse, working in gynaecology. I find immense joy in immersing myself in music, exploring various festivals, feeling the grass under my feet, savouring diverse culinary delights, and cherishing moments spent connecting and socialising with friends, these infuse my life with fulfilment and happiness.
Gill Byrom
Membership Support Lead
She/Her
Membership Support Lead
Alongside the role of bringing up a young family, I explored several career pathways, culminating in the role as a trained cytologist working as a member of the cytology department at Burnley General Hospital.Jayne Purdy
Managing Editor / Partnerships
She/Her
Managing Editor & Partnerships Lead
Joining the All4Maternity family has been an absolute joy. The whole team are truly passionate, and positive and care for maternity workers across the globe. My main focus as Managing Editor is to support our contributors, sponsors, editorial and production teams to ensure our three journals - The Practising Midwife, The Practising Midwife Australia and The Student Midwife are to deadline each issue. As Partnerships Lead I build and nurture meaningful relationships with businesses and organisations who share our vision.
My passion is living a healthy lifestyle, so exercise, nutrition and mental wellbeing are my priorities. I enjoy travelling with my precious daughter, our top two favourite places in the world are NYC and Dubai – totally different I know!
Alessandra Bayes
Business Management Admin. Lead
She/Her
Business Management Apprentice
I joined the All4Maternity family in February 2022, after looking for a suitable business apprenticeship which was matched to my ambition. Whilst on my learning journey I have been able to support various sections of the organisation including memberships & subscriptions as well as the production of The Practising Midwife and The Student Midwife journal. This has allowed me to build and develop on my skills in customer relations, project management and administration support.
Outside of work, I enjoy keeping fit by going on walks with our family dog, Toby. I also love going out with my family and friends and visiting new places around the world.
Mike Geldard
Business Development Advisor
He/Him
Business Development Advisor
I joined All4Maternity as their Business Development Advisor in January 2022 following a full career as a commissioned officer in the Royal Marines. Highlights from my career in the Royal Marines include being the Commanding Officer of Commando Training and being awarded the OBE for my services to international conservation, counter-poaching and countering the illegal wildlife trade. I am one of the founding Directors for WILDNIS Limited, a Patron for the Endangered Species Protection agency and a Trustee for RangerLab.I live for the outdoors. Keeping fit not only helps me with my personal wellbeing but also my ability to access nature. I also love to play the guitar.
Alys Einion
Assistant Professor,
Author / Editor-in-Chief
The Practising Midwife
She/Her
Associate Professor, Author and Editor-in-Chief of The Practising Midwife
I am a midwife and midwife academic, teacher and researcher. I am a novelist and prolific writer. The founder of Centred Birth Hypnobirthing, I am a hypnotherapist, complementary therapist and activist for Gender Equality. I am currently engaged in research on inclusive midwifery practice and education, and decolonisation of midwifery.
Paula Cummins
Midwifery Lecturer / Evidence Series Editor
The Practising Midwife
She/Her
Midwife, Senior Midwifery Lecturer, MRes Student
Tani Crotty
Student Midwife /
Editor-in-Chief The Student Midwife
Student Midwife / Editor-in-Chief, The Student Midwife
I am currently studying a Bachelor of Midwifery at the Australian Catholic University in Brisbane, Australia. I have a Masters of Journalism, Graduate Diploma in Television Producing and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Film and Television. I have worked for 14 years creating family, documentary and children’s television programs for major networks across Australia for diverse audiences. I have my own women centred photography business, documenting life for women and their families through matrescence and into the wisdom years. My love for visual and oral storytelling stems from my mother evoking our imagination daily with stories of her own, especially our own birth stories, retold to us as part of the fabric of our childhood. I am passionate about continuity of care models for women and supporting women in all phases of life, particularly during the birth continuum and the tanglement of motherhood.
I am a mother to four bush kids and love spending time camping in nature at our rural property. I teach basket weaving with natural fibres, love growing my own food and flowers and being barefoot often.
Garry Cook
Copy Editor
He/Him
Copy Editor
My background is in photography and journalism, where I have 30 years’ experience working as a writer and sub-editor. I’ve freelanced on a long-term basis for Express Newspapers, Reach plc and the BBC. I’ve also worked closely with midwifery staff at the University of Central Lancashire, administering websites for the Normal Birth Conference and the COST Action IS1405 EU Birth Research Project. My socially-engaged photography practice is focused on provoking positive change on social issues. I promote equality for all.Vic Scholes
Designer
TPM/TSM/TPMA
She/Her
Designer - The Practising Midwife/The Practising Midwife Australia
I joined the All4maternity team in December 2021 as Designer for The Practising Midwife. It's been a massive pleasure to work alongside such a positive and supportive team and I've thoroughly enjoyed every journal. Educating and immersing myself in the world of Midwifery has been fantastic and I love bringing authors' articles to life. Since September 2022 I have also been the Designer for The Practising Midwife - Australia edition.Amy Easton
Student Midwife / Social Media Lead
She/Her
Social Media Lead
In 2020 I decided to finally pursue my dream of becoming a midwife. I completed an Access Course and I'm now a student midwife at the University of Southampton. I love supporting women, people and families and I'm passionate about evidence-based care and informed decision making. With a background in marketing and communications, being the Social Media Lead for All4Maternity is a dream! I create content for their social platforms and assist their mission to nurture midwives, students and maternity staff.
Outside of midwifery, I enjoy reading, trips to the theatre, and spending quality time with friends and family. A lazy beach day with the kids makes my heart happy.
Abbie Rich
Midwife / All4Birth Co-Project Lead
She/Her
Midwife / All4Birth Co-Project Lead
I'm a Midwife working in Devon, and qualified in 2020 during the coronavirus pandemic. I currently work in a team-based continuity-of-carer model, where I support a caseload of women and birthing people; also providing care for those in her team in the intrapartum period. I have a passion for education, for both women and birthing people and those supporting them through the use of widely available, accessible and inclusive content.
Alongside my job as a Midwife, I am also undertaking a part-time Masters Degree in Advanced Practice to further my own education and knowledge, with a keen area of interest being support for student midwives in the clinical environment. I enjoy advertising midwifery as a career of choice and celebrating the true art and science of midwifery practice.
Anna Horn
Cultural Safety Consultant
She/Her
Cultural Safety Consultant
I am a maternity service user and advocate. After the empowering waterbirth of my daughter, Iris, I became extremely passionate about midwifery led care.
Outside of family time with my daughter and husband, I am a breastfeeding counsellor and PhD student at City, University of London where the focus of my research is group antenatal and postnatal care.
I have a special interest in addressing disparities in maternal and child health.
Project Lead
Anna is a maternity service user and advocate. After the empowering waterbirth of her daughter, Iris, Anna became extremely passionate about midwifery led care. Outside of family time with her daughter and husband, Anna is a breastfeeding counsellor and a PhD student at City, University of London where the focus of her research is group antenatal and postnatal care. Anna has a special interest in addressing disparities in maternal and child health.Cheryl Samuels
Midwife / All4Birth Co-Project Lead
She/Her
Midwife, Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust
I am a practising midwife and antenatal education specialist. I joined the All4maternity team in September 2020 as project lead for All4birth with the aim to promote wellbeing and physiology for women, birthing people and families right from preconception to parenting. We welcome ideas, contributions and connection from you all so please get it contact with us if you would like to support our community.This section is hidden
Hazel Keedle
Editor-in-Chief,
The Student Midwife
Cheryl Samuels
Project Lead - All4birth
Midwife at Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust
I am a practising midwife and antenatal education specialist. I joined the All4maternity team in September 2020 as project lead for All4birth with the aim to promote wellbeing and normal physiological birth for women, birthing people and families right from preconception to parenting. We welcome ideas, contributions and connection from you all so please get it contact with us if you would like to support our community. Outside of work I have four children (including twins)and two dogs that keep me busy. We love going on daily walks in the countryside, crafting and cooking. I also fundraise for a rural maternity clinic in Ethiopia and we are currently raising funds to buy an ambulance, you can find out more on my Instagram page @the_holistic_midwife
Jules Geldard
Events/Conferences Lead
She/Her
Membership Development Lead
I qualified as an Occupational Therapist in 1990 and worked in various OT roles, including paediatrics and stroke rehab, for a number of years before deciding to try something new. Subsequently I moved in to recruitment of health professionals and then recruited for large corporations, before leaving to start a family. A few years later, I set up the recruitment team for an organisation which helped women back in to work, usually after having taken a break to start a family, or to study, and, I eventually left there to concentrate more on my children and manage our house build. Now the kids have pretty much gone and it’s time to focus on something new, and working within the health arena for me was an obvious choice, particularly one with a female focus. All4Maternity is a family business and I’m delighted to be a member!Dr Claire Feeley
Midwifery Researcher / Editor TPM
Midwifery Researcher / TPM Editor
After having an awe inspiring, empowering (but definitely not easy) birth with two outstanding NHS midwives, I began my path to midwifery and qualified in 2011 at Oxford Brookes University. I completed my Master’s degree at UCLan in 2015, and I’ve recently finished my PhD. I have worked in all clinical areas, in a number of different Trusts. My first love being community midwifery, my second love being water birth! My primary passions are around women’s health inequalities, particularly childbirth choice, autonomy, rights and care provision.
My Master’s research involved interviewing women opting to freebirth in the UK; insight indicating maternity systems do not always provide space for women’s individual needs. These findings have been published and can be found at https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Claire_Feeley. My PhD study research questions conversely looked at how midwives working in the NHS were providing a space for truly woman-centred and individualised care. I collected data from 45 NHS midwives who had facilitated women’s out of guidelines birth choices. They have provided inspirational creative and practical guidance of how maternity services can better meet women’s needs, regardless of birth choices. The findings are yet to be published, but will also be linked to my Research Gate profile.
I have had the privilege of presenting at a wide range of national and international conferences. In addition, I’ve published a range of texts including The Practising Midwife, Sheena Byrom and Soo Downe’s latest book ‘Squaring the Circle: researching normal birth in a technological world’, and Hannah Dahlen’s upcoming book (Nov 2019) ‘Birthing outside the System: The Canary in the Coalmine’.
Peter Gillett
Designer /
The Student Midwife
He/Him
Designer - The Student Midwife
Having spent many years working in design for print, marketing, advertising and video animation around many large UK agencies, I've more recently scaled things back as a freelancer. Working with The Student Midwife team is certainly a departure, and an interesting process making the subject matter of each issue a fun and funky read.Kay King
Head of Growth & Development
Business Development Manager
I am delighted to be part of the ever growing work of All4Maternity in my role as Business Development Manager. I split this role with my work as the Executive Director for White Ribbon Alliance UK. Having come to maternity care whilst living in the Xhosa communities of the Eastern Cape, it was there that I first began to support birth as a doula. I now specialise in working to support birth that is informed by baby loss, being with families at some of the most challenging moments of their lives. Prior to working in maternity I had a career in the Arts and Cultural sector, leading on the strategic, financial and developmental aspects of several leading arts organisations in the North of England and South Africa.Udaysah Kamran
Business Management Admin. Support
She/Her
Business Development Admin. Support
I Joined All4Maternity in September 2023, which I was drawn to after looking for the best place to gain work experience for my business administration apprenticeship. On my journey so far I've been able to support the team in each area of our organisation such as memberships, our journals The Practising Midwife, The Student Midwife and The Practising Midwife Australia. I have also been able to help with the launch of our new digital resource, the All4Maternity Hub! Working alongside the All4Maternity team will help me achieve my apprenticeship, it will also allow me to develop and acknowledge the skills and assets required in administration support.
My interests outside of work are exploring new places and experiencing new things. I love spending time with friends and family and also playing with our family cat, Kiki.
Nicole Rajan-Brown
Editor-in-Chief - The Student Midwife
She/Her
Third-year student, University of Salford
Nicole is passionate about promoting informed choice and positive birth experiences for all birthing people. Alongside her studies, Nicole is a qualified hypnobirthing teacher and is actively involved in improving local perinatal services.
Nicole is also passionate about supporting students to discover their leadership potential. Nicole promotes this passion through chairing of her midwifery society and as a student ambassador for the Midwifery and Maternity Forum.
Prior to starting her midwifery journey, Nicole studied and worked in research in French and linguistics. When she qualifies, Nicole would like to work in a continuity team, and pursue her love for research with further study. Beyond midwifery, Nicole loves to spend time with her family, exploring the outdoors and enjoying the garden.
Krystyna
Nowobilska-Dean
NQM /
Content Development Lead
She/Her
NQM/Content Development Lead
I am a qualified midwife based in the South East. I am dedicated to providing continuity of care adapted to suit the needs of pregnant women, people, and families, and thoroughly enjoy practising within a case loading model with Private Midwives. I have a special interest in water birth. I am skilled in advocacy and supporting families to achieve their birth, infant feeding, and parenting goals. I am also a passionate LGBTQ+ advocate and I am keen to continue improving care and education within perinatal services.
Amy Rutter
Copy Editor
The Practising Midwife
Copy Editor
Trained by the National Council for the Training of Journalists, I have over 14 years of writing and editing experience under my belt. I’ve worked with several national charities and within one of the UK’s leading digital marketing agencies where my clients were household names. I love helping people and I want to know that what I do every day matters. That’s why I prefer to work with organisations that have a positive impact on the world. Although I’m new to the midwifery sector, I’m mum to a whirlwind of a toddler and I’m in awe of the midwives who cared for me and made my birthing experience such a positive one.I enjoy doing dance exercise classes, going for walks in the countryside and watching crime documentaries. I also love going to punk gigs, but with a toddler, I can rarely stay awake late enough to go to them!
Renae Coleman
Midwife and Lecturer /
Co-Editor-in-Chief
Midwife and Lecturer / Co-Editor-in-Chief
I am a proud Boorooberongal woman from the Darug Nation and a mum to three boys. I am a Registered Midwife, currently working as an Associate Lecturer of Midwifery at Western Sydney University. Part of my role involves supporting First Nations nursing and midwifery students, to not only progress through the program, but to learn in a safe and supportive environment. My research focuses on the experiences of First Nations Bachelor of Midwifery students and First Nations workforce development. Also, I volunteer as a Board Member and treasurer on the Rhodanthe Lipsett Indigenous Midwifery Charitable Fund and an Honorary Advisor on the Australian College of Midwives, Midwifery History Project.
The Practising Midwife Australia
Hazel Keedle
Midwife and Lecturer /
Editor-in-Chief
Midwife and Lecturer / Co-Editor-in-Chief
I am a Lecturer of Midwifery at Western Sydney University, and I completed my PhD in 2021 in women's experiences of planning a vaginal birth after caesarean. I have more than 25 years of experience as a clinician in nursing and midwifery, educator and researcher. I have worked in a variety of maternity models from homebirth, caseload and standard hospital care. I am very passionate about improving support for women during pregnancy, birth and the early transition to mothering and have published on VBAC, obstetric violence and coercion. I am also passionate about interprofessional education, and I coordinate workshops for midwifery students with medical students, psychology and social work students and also paramedic students.Kerry Sutcliffe
Childbirth Educator / Membership Dev. Lead
Childbirth Educator/Membership Development Lead
I’m a research associate and PhD candidate at UNDA and researcher at WSU working on a number of studies related to maternal health. I am a childbirth educator and my PhD is exploring the role birth-partners and care-providers have in the translation of childbirth education into practice during labour and birth. With a background in Counselling and Psychology, I am particularly interested in qualitative research and perinatal mental health. I support The Practising Midwife Australia journal as Membership Development lead.Jame Telfer
Illustrator
Illustrator
I am a Gumbaynggirr woman, creating, thriving and living on Country on the mid north coast of New South Wales. I am a busy miimi (mother) to four junuy Gamambi (children) and passionate about creating positive change in women’s health and birthing spaces for Aboriginal women and their families. As an artist, aromatherapist and space holder for woman, I also advocate for continuity of cultural maternal care for Aboriginal mothers and their families. I have a deep connection to culture, Country and kinship, while being guided by a long line of strong matriarchs.The Practising Midwife Editorial Advisory Board
Annette Ballard
Midwife
She/Her
Midwife in Cambridge
I have over 20 year's clinical and managerial experience working at the Rosie in Cambridge and now at ESNEFT - Ipswich. I have worked in the antenatal and postnatal ward areas, the low risk birthing unit and high risk labour ward. I have spent the majority of my career on the high risk labour ward providing individualised care to women with either:- complex medical needs, requiring induction of labour, requesting epidural analgesia, pregnancy complications from 12/40, pregnancy interruption for fetal abnormalities, bereavement care and support, and out of hours assessment and triage. I am currently Labour ward and Triage Marton at ESNEFT. I like to learn something new every day and I am a great believer in an open learning and sharing culture. I strive to make a difference to improve patient care.Maria Birt
Midwife
She/Her
Community Midwife
Being a busy mum of twins and a singleton, there isn't much time for many personal interests, however when I am able to find time I enjoy crafting, reading and yoga.
Alicia Burnett
Midwife
She/Her
Midwife / All4Birth Co-Project Lead
I work as a midwife for the pregnancy and baby charity Tommy's and am a committed advocate of midwifery and Black maternal and neonatal health.
Dr Ella Caine
Midwifery Educator, Professional Midwifery Advocate, Clinician
Midwifery Educator, Professional Midwifery Advocate, Clinician
I currently practice in education and as a clinician in Norfolk. I came to midwifery after 2 homebirths, thinking that childbirth was straightforward process. Though this perspective has changed since qualifying in 2000, I am as committed and invested in midwifery as ever. My interest now is in the impacts of economic and socio-political factors on experiences and outcomes of childbirth. I recently embarked on a Darzi Fellowship with an Integrated Care System in London on a project addressing maternal health inequalities.Tracey Cooper
North East & Yorkshire Chief Midwife
North East & Yorkshire Chief Midwife
I have over 26 years midwifery experience, working in all areas of midwifery and birth settings. I have held both management and Consultant Midwife roles. I was awarded an MBE in the 2018 New Year's Honours list for contribution to midwifery. I received an Outstanding Contribution Award for Midwifery and Maternity Services in 2018 from the Midwifery Forum and became a Fellow of the RCM in 2017. contributes to guidance and professional policy locally and nationally. She was a member of the NICE High Risk (2019) and healthy women and babies (2014 & 2017) Intrapartum Guideline Committee's and the NICE Intrapartum Standards for Healthy Women and Babies (2015). I gained my PhD in 2011 at UCLAN, looking at Women and Midwives Perceptions of the Midwife’s Role. I have developed care in all settings in collaboration with obstetricians, to ensure women and their families are at the centre of decision making. I have also developed many midwifery-led birth settings and different models of care throughout her midwifery career. She has supported midwives to develop the first midwifery led practice and birth centre in Bulgaria.Susan Crowther
Professor of Midwifery
Professor of Midwifery, Auckland University of Technology, NZ
I have been with The Practising Midwife for over two decades and worked in many regions around the world as consultant, caseload midwife and midwifery educator/researcher. Currently I supervise postgraduate students and lead on research projects including spirituality and childbirth, sustainable caseload midwifery, migrant women's reproductive health, mindfulness and maternal mental health. Having done my midwifery education in the UK in the early 90s I now work at Auckland University of Technology (AUT), Auckland, New Zealand.
I live two hours north of Auckland on a large life style block with my husband and dog. We are vegan and practice veganic permaculture and produce most of our own food. I love being in nature, swimming in the ocean and have a daily meditation practice.
Sarah Curran
Community Midwife
Community Midwife, South Eastern HSC Trust, NI
I am currently a community midwife and member of the first home birth team in the South Eastern HSC Trust in Northern Ireland. I have a particular passion for home birth but my main focus of research and expertise is informing choices and informed consent. As a community midwife, I spend much of my time discussing birth options, birthing preferences and ensuring the parents are fully informed of their rights and choices with regards to maternity care and childbirth. I enjoy being part of a continuity team as I can provide holistic care to women and birthing people and ensure their needs are always met by attending appointments with them and providing individualised care.
Lorna Davies
Associate Head of Midwifery
Associate Head of Midwifery at Ara Institute of Canterbury
I have worked in the field of midwifery as both practitioner and educator for nearly thirty years. I am currently Associate Head of Midwifery at Ara Institute of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand. In addition to my lecturing role, I am a researcher and an author and have written many articles and chapters as well as editing a number of midwifery textbooks. My main areas of research are sustainability and midwifery, workforce issues, newborn assessment, parenting and childbirth education and self-care in midwifery practice. I am an accredited mindfulness teacher, a qualified childbirth educator and a social activist.Grace Edwards
Professor of Midwifery
She/Her
Professor of Midwifery, Aga Khan University, Uganda
I have worked as a midwife for just over 44 years, as a hospital and community midwife, midwifery lecturer and consultant midwife. I have extensive experience working with the maternal and infant confidential enquiries serving as the national midwifery lead. The last 15 years of my career saw me developing midwifery practice in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Uganda which gave me great insight into the diversity of childbirth in very different settings. I am now back in the UK but was appointed adjunct Professor of Midwifery Education and Practice at Aga Khan University in Uganda. I also a visiting professor of Midwifery at Coventry University, UK .Professor of Midwifery, Aga Khan University, Uganda
Grace has worked as a midwife for just over 41 years. She worked as a hospital and community midwife, midwifery lecturer and consultant midwife. She also has extensive experience with the maternal and infant confidential enquiries serving as the national midwifery lead. She is currently Professor of Midwifery Education and Practice at Aga Khan University in Uganda.Laura Godfrey-Isaacs
Midwife
She/Her
Midwife, King’s College Hospital, London
I am an artist, writer, midwife and birth activist. I currently work as community midwife at King’s College Hospital, London alongside my interdisciplinary arts practice. I produce the Maternal Journal, a community-led movement that supports mental health and wellbeing through creative journaling.Cathy Green
Midwife
She/Her
Midwife, Home Birth Team, Birmingham Women’s Hospital
I am passionate about supporting women and families to have a positive experience of birth and early parenthood. I have worked as a midwife in a variety of settings including birth centres and currently work for a dedicated homebirth team in Birmingham. I also teach antenatal classes for a local charity and offer a fast and effective birth trauma treatment. I enjoy working with students and have lectured on topics around promoting normality. I am currently part of a team supporting women to have upright breech births.Kathryn Gutteridge
Independent Consultant Midwife/past RCM President
She/Her
Independent Consultant Midwife, Clinical Psychotherapist, Past RCM President & Associate Professor Midwifery
I have been a midwife for many years (more than I can remember) and it is the job of my dreams. I have loved providing care for families and working in ways that help them get the best from their childbearing experiences. I am particularly passionate about disadvantaged groups of women and enabling them to be heard and their experiences recognised. I have worked with many women who have poor mental health and provided a unique wellbeing service in my former role. As a survivor of sexual abuse myself I have written and provided education for health workers. I founded and set up a resource called SANCTUM Midwives that has been pivotable in developing universal sensitive midwifery care. I have written many publications and also have presented internationally on all of my work. The areas I am passionate about are; sensitive environments, advocacy, promoting emotional wellbeing and midwifery led services. I co-designed and developed Serenity and Halcyon Birth Centres, which offer care in a true midwifery model. More than anything I am a midwife and love the remit and untapped resources of our work.Laura Henry
Registered Midwife
They/Them
Registered Midwife
I am a midwife in the Republic of Ireland. I am an activist and committed union member. I am passionate about supporting birth workers on their journey, especially aspiring and student midwives, and ensuring there is space for everyone in the conversation. I am committed to empowering birth workers to be everyday activists and advocates. I hope to see Midwifery Led Care expanded across Ireland and someday work as a Community Midwife or in a Continuity of Care team.
Sophie Layfield
Midwifery Educator
She/Her
Senior midwifery lecturer - The University of Worcester
I am a midwifery lecturer with particular interests in physiological birth and infant feeding. I was awarded the Baby Friendly Leadership Qualification in 2020 and have used this within my role as the Baby Friendly Lead within the University. I gained a MSc in Public Health and Wellbeing in 2017. I have also gained qualifications in Aromatherapy in Childbirth and Hypnobirthing. I have enjoyed working with The Practising Midwife and have published articles on, 'Orgasmic birth', 'Oxytocin and the normal physiology of birth' and 'The Impact of Covid-19 on midwifery training throughout the UK'.
Maddie McMahon
Doula
She/Her
Birth and Postnatal Doula, Cambridge
Maddie has been a birth and postnatal doula since 2003. She is a Doula UK Mentor and runs Developing Doulas, a Doula UK approved doula preparation course. She is an ABM breastfeeding counsellor and founder trustee of Cambridge Breastfeeding Alliance, a small charity bringing together breastfeeding supporters from LCGB, NCT, LLL and ABM. She volunteers for AIMS, on the helpline and in the campaign group. She recently achieved her childhood dream of being a published author with the publication of Why Doulas Matter in 2015. Her new book, Why Mothering Matters is coming soon. Mum to boy and girl teens and stepmum to one all-grow-up boy, she lives and works in Cambridge.Benash Nazmeen
Assistant Professor of Midwifery
She/Her
Assistant Professor of Midwifery
I am a migrant, a midwife and a mentor. I work in Midwifery Education and am an early career researcher. I am passionate about addressing health inequalities and invested in improving maternity services for those we care for and those who work in them.
Phoebe Pallotti
Coordinating Midwife
She/Her
Coordinating Midwife of Sheffield Maternity Cooperative (SMC)/h5> I am a practicing midwife, a doula and Coordinating Midwife of the Sheffield Maternity Cooperative (SMC) and Director of Maternity International. I have extensive academic and third sector experience, in a career spanning more than twenty years. I am a passionate believer in global medical justice and I have spent much of my career campaigning for and working with parents in the UK immigration system. I also focus on the rights of LBGTQIA people in childbirth in my current work with the SMC.
Sunita Panda
Assistant Professor
She/Her
Assistant Professor, School of Nursing and Midwifery Trinity College Dublin.
I qualified as a midwife from India in 1999. Following my Master’s degree in 2004 I worked as a midwife in a Tertiary Maternity Hospitals in Ireland for over 11 years from 2005-2016, and completed my PhD in 2019 from the University of Dublin Trinity College. My research focus is around decision-making for caesarean births, and I'm passionate about reducing inappropriate caesarean births. Other areas of interest include systematic review and metasynthesis, midwifery education and maternal health.Kerry Pollard
Midwifery Educator
Midwifery Lecturer at University of Central Lancashire
With a background in adult nursing as well as midwifery, I am a midwifery lecturer at UCLan. My areas of expertise are in the complex labour and birth environment and the training and support of newly qualified Midwives. I have a special interest in the prevention of perinatal and maternal mortality and morbidity.
Katrina Rigby
Lead Research Midwife
She/Her
Senior Research Midwife/Women & Children's Research Team Leader, Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
I have been practising midwifery in a wide range of settings since 2000, including Research Matron experience. I am a National Research Midwife Champion representing the NIHR Northwest Coast Clinical Research Network (NWC CRN). I am the Individual of the Year Award Winner for the NWC CRN 2015, and Women of the Year Award Winner 2022 to represent women in the NHS from Northwest England. I am committed to being involved with high quality research, to generate best evidence for best practice, and continually strive for excellence in care.Dr Lucia Rocca-Ihenacho
Midwifery Lecturer and Researcher
She/Her
Senior Lecturer in Midwifery, Programme Director for Global Maternal Health MSc, Co-founder of Midwifery Unit Network
I trained in Italy and migrated to London in 2002. I am a midwife and anthropologist with 20 years of experience in diverse settings including case loading in Genoa, Italy, homebirth in London, developing midwifery in rural Afghanistan, Consultant midwife in Public Health and Co-founder of the Midwifery Unit Network. Since 2015 I have been based at City, University of London where I am currently the Programme Director for the Global Maternal Health MSc. Within the Midwifery Unit Network, a community of practice that supports the implementation and improvement of MUs in Europe and globally, I offer consultancy and training to ensure high-quality care. I am an intersectional feminist.
Rineke Schram
Obstetrician
Obstetrician
I was born in the Netherlands and moved to the UK in 1984. I worked in the NHS as a Consultant Obstetrician for nearly 25 years. I also have years of experience as Medical Director, and Director of Medical Education, Royal College Revalidation Lead, Responsible Officer and external peer reviewer. I have been the lead Obstetrician for Lancashire and South Cumbria Local Maternity System (LMS), since its inception in 2017 and am Clinical Lead for North West Coast Maternity Clinical Network. My clinical expertise is in women with medical conditions during pregnancy (e.g. diabetes) and women with complications during childbirth. I have a particular interest in women’s right to informed consent (and informed refusal) and dignity and choice during pregnancy and childbirth. In my professional leadership role I strive to ensure that medical ethical principles such as the right to autonomy, informed consent and confidentiality are upheld and protected.
Outside of work interests I am an enthusiastic gardener and, more recently, pianist of imperfect proficiency!
Sam Todd
Birth Centre Manager and Professional Midwifery Advocate
He/Him
Birth Centre Manager and Professional Midwifery Advocate, Birmingham Women's and Children's NHS Foundation Trust
I qualified as a midwife in 2012, since then I have held a variety of positions such as a rotational Midwife between a Birth Centre and Delivery Suite, Sign up to Safety Lead, Homebirth Team Leader and Lecturer in Midwifery. Currently I am the Manager of an alongside midwifery unit.
I am passionate about midwifery-led birthplace options, the role of Professional Midwifery Advocates and the use of complementary therapies within maternity. I am undertaking an MSc in Midwifery Studies which is due for completion in 2023.
I live in Staffordshire with my wife and two children. I love being outside however, most of my spare time is spent running around after my children.
Jane Wines
Midwifery Lecturer
She/Her
Midwifery Lecturer, University of British Columbia
I started midwifery after the birth of my third child. I trained at the University of Surrey, and worked in hospital and the community. After immigrating to Canada I ran a community-based case-holding practice, was the first Head of Midwifery at the local hospital, and in 2015 I joined the University of British Columbia. I have the privilege of running the Internationally Educated Midwives Bridging Program at UBC, and in that role I meet and work with midwives from all over the world.
I live on beautiful Vancouver Island. I enjoy organic gardening, foraging mushrooms and berries and riding my e-bike on the trails. I am a beekeeper and I crochet. We also have a tiny house b&b!
Jess Falk Perlman
Midwife
She/Her
Midwife
In September 2020 I took a leap of faith and went back to university to retrain as a midwife. Now entering my third year at King’s College London, it’s safe to say that there is nothing I would rather do. Having studied an MSc in Global Health & Development and worked previously in humanitarian NGOs, I am fiercely passionate about health justice. Following in my own mother’s footsteps as a midwife made perfect sense and I feel privileged to walk alongside women and birthing people on their childbearing journeys.I am interested in evidence based practice, and thinking about how evidence is contributed to, used and understood by student midwives, maternity care providers and the families we serve. Outside of work, I love going for walks with my dog, long-distance running, reading and baking.
Neesha Ridley
Midwifery Educator
She/Her
Workforce Lead - NHS England
I qualified as a midwife in 2005 and worked as a clinical midwife within a continuity of carer team for a few years before working as a practice educator. I have since worked in several different clinical leadership roles before progressing to the role of programme leader. I now work for NHS England, as the midwifery workforce lead across the North West. I am committed to promoting evidence-based, high quality and safe care for people, women and their families across the world.
Sally Goodwin
Midwife
Midwife
Sally qualified as a midwife in March 2011. Sally has worked as a hospital midwife, community midwife and briefly as a caseload midwife. Sally is also a qualified hypnobirthing teacher and has a keen interest in optimising women’s birth experience regardless of where or how they choose to birth. Sally is passionate about; physiology, kindness, women’s choices & voices and physiological breech birth. Sally currently works as lead midwife for induction of labour and recently graduated (survived) with a MSc from University of Nottingham. Sally leaves a piece of her heart in “FreMo” a birth centre, and hopes to visit again soon and regularly fundraises, donates, supports this wonderful haven in Kawangware (Nairobi slum).Hannah Tizard
Midwifery Educator
She/Her
Midwifery Educator, UcLAN
I am a Midwifery Lecturer at UcLAN (FHEA). I love supporting students through their journey to become future midwives. I have a passion for finding meaningful and engaging learning opportunities, recently developing a new strategy for teaching cultural competence, in a way that encourages students' own deep introspection. As an academic PMA I am developing creative ways to embed the AEQUIP strategy within the HE setting with both staff and students. I concurrently run BloodtoBaby.com, a website dedicated to physiological transition of the newborn with optimal cord clamping, which includes the world's first online module promoting resusciatation of the newborn with an intact cord. The website is recommended by NICE and British Association of Perinatal Medicine. I have huge love for All4Maternity, working alongside Anna and Sheena since 2017, I was also a previous Editor-In-Chief of the Student Midwife Journal 2018-2019.Joyce Marshall
Senior Lecturer in Midwifery
Senior Lecturer in Midwifery, University of Huddersfield
Joyce is currently a senior lecturer at the University of Huddersfield with responsibilities in research and education. She is a practising midwife who has worked clinically in different areas within the UK. Her research focus is maternal and child health and wellbeing, including infant feeding and midwifery practice.This section is hidden
Gill Moncrieff
Midwifery Researcher
She/Her
Midwifery researcher
I am a midwife and researcher at the University of Central Lancashire. I work on a variety of diverse maternity related projects.Jonathan Cliffe
Midwife
He/Him
Midwife - Delivery Suite, Warrington Hospital
I am a band 7 Continuity of Care team leader in the Delivery Suite at Warrington Hospital. I lead a team of midwives who provide care for families who require additional support in their pregnancy journey. I am a professional midwifery advocate and chair my local royal college of midwives branch. My passion is supporting reflective discussions that have meaningful outcomes. I believe in the methodology of ensuring staff are supported in order for them to support the service.This section is hidden
Alys Einion
Associate Professor of Midwifery
Associate Professor of Midwifery and Reproductive Health and Swansea University
I am attracted to improving global & public health and midwifery practice by gathering evidence and using technology powerfully to translate important information into manageable and meaningful pieces for practitioners and women alike. Passionate about understanding the benefits, challenges & consequences of integrating social media into practice. Attracted to improving global & public health and midwifery practice by informing action through research. Utilising long standing midwifery principals alongside technological advances will improve women's health literacy, choice, empowerment and connectivity with healthcare professionals. I believe this to be vital to the future sustainability of midwifery services.Felicity Hawthorn
Copy Editor
Copy Editor
Felicity Haythorn, affectionately known as Flea, is a copywriter, copyeditor and proofreader. She honed her craft in magazine journalism before going freelance after the arrival of her two daughters. Two wonderful birth experiences left her with huge respect for the midwifery profession, which is why she loves copyediting and polishing the fascinating articles and opinions that make up The Practising Midwife.Alison Brindle
Midwife
She/Her
Midwife, Lancashire Teaching Hospitals Trust
I currently work as a community/birth centre midwife at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals and support colleagues as a Professional Midwifery Advocate. I am studying for my MSc Midwifery degree at UcLAN and completing my dissertation. I have had several articles published in The Practicing Midwife and, as a student also curated the Student Survival Guide series of articles. I have many midwifery passions including supporting students, midwifery leadership and the provision of woman centred salutogenic care. I am an active social media user and founded #ZeroSeparation and #TheatreCapChallenge social media campaigns.The Student Midwife Editorial Board
Tani Crotty
Student Midwife /
Editor-in-Chief
Editor-in-Chief, The Student Midwife
I am currently studying a Bachelor of Midwifery at the Australian Catholic University in Brisbane, Australia. I have a Masters of Journalism, Graduate Diploma in Television Producing and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Film and Television. I have worked for 14 years creating family, documentary and children’s television programs for major networks across Australia for diverse audiences. I have my own women centred photography business, documenting life for women and their families through matrescence and into the wisdom years. My love for visual and oral storytelling stems from my mother evoking our imagination daily with stories of her own, especially our own birth stories, retold to us as part of the fabric of our childhood. I am passionate about continuity of care models for women and supporting women in all phases of life, particularly during the birth continuum and the tanglement of motherhood. I am currently studying a Bachelor of Midwifery at the Australian Catholic University in Brisbane, Australia. I have a Masters of Journalism, Graduate Diploma in Television Producing and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Film and Television.
I am a mother to four bush kids and love spending time camping in nature at our rural property. I teach basket weaving with natural fibres, love growing my own food and flowers and being barefoot often.
Elli Blackwell
Student Midwife /
Co-Editor
She/Her
The Student Midwife Co-Editor and Social Media Lead for Projects All4Maternity
I'm a second year student midwife at Birmingham City University. I am the Social Media Lead for projects at All4Maternity as well as Co-editor of the Student Midwife Journal. I have a background in communications and marketing but always knew midwifery was my true calling. I'm passionate about active birth, informed consent, and research into improving maternal and neonatal outcomes.Emilie Janssen
Student Midwife /
Podcast Lead
Student Midwife / Podcast Lead
In 2020, I took a leap of faith and jumped into midwifery – it remains one of the bravest and best things I have done. With a background in biomedical science and healthcare communications, I aim to combine my passion for innovative digital comms with my love for perinatal care, and the All4Maternity family felt like the perfect next step. I am passionate about student midwife wellbeing and cannot wait to share more on this in my role as Podcast Lead.Rachel Barnes
Student Midwife, UK
She/Her
Student Midwife UK
Returning to university to retrain as a midwife has been one of the most exciting, challenging and fulfilling things I have done. Going into my second year, I am excited to deepen my knowledge and research interests as part of the Student Midwife Editorial Board Team. My background experience is quite varied. Working in the social care sector has given me a highly person-centred perspective and I am passionate about combining this with evidence-based practice to support women and families to achieve the best possible outcomes. Prior study for an MA in Critical Theory helped me to develop the ability to critique and engage-with academic literature, and I have a keen interest in the translation of research into practice. Finally, training as a Shiatsu therapist prior to the birth of my son led me into bodywork with pregnant women. These experiences inspired awe at the capabilities of women’s bodies, and a fascination with physiology and physiological birth which eventually led to my decision to retrain as a midwife.
Holistic approaches to health, nutrition and wellbeing. I enjoy walking, running, dancing, cold water dipping, yoga and cycling – and generally having adventures in the beautiful hills and valleys of the Pennines where I live.
Humphrey Beja
Intern Midwife, Uganda
He/Him
Intern Midwife, Uganda
I am an intern midwife currently working at Mulago Specialized Women and Neonatal Hospital-Kampala. I completed my Bachelor in Midwifery Science from Lira University, a four-year program and I am also a Commitment Mentor at the Clinton Global Initiative University year long program for the year 2023. I am a member of the National Midwives’ Association of Uganda (NMAU) and a Young Midwife Leader (YML). I am passionate about Respectful Maternity Care. I am interested in clinical midwifery, research and midwifery education. My research interests are maternal and newborn health, sexual and reproductive health, HIV/AIDS.
I like music and am a church choir member, I also like dancing though nervous about it. I like listening to podcasts and Ted Talks and I participate in Rotarac activities.
Pia Caprioli
Midwife, UK
She/Her
Midwife, Lothian Homebirth Team
I qualified as a Midwife in September 2022 from Robert Gordon University and moved to Edinburgh to join the Lothian Homebirth Team. My passion for midwifery travels back to my early twenties, when I was close to complete my Bachelors in Modern Literature, followed by a Masters in Creative Writing, allowing me to explore the topics of women’s discrimination and obstetric violence in post-war Italy. After some work experience in literary, publishing and communication agencies, five years ago I moved to Scotland to work as clinical support worker in Reproductive Health. Some of my main areas of interest are physiological labour and birth, sexual health, gender discrimination and violence.
Beyond midwifery, I love reading and writing, baking, watching movies, dancing, and cuddling my 3 years old doggy, Noodle.
Lesley Mills
Student Midwife UK
She/Her
Student Midwife, UK
Having a good sense of humour and a great passion for bringing a warm smile to people in the little way possible. Rest assured, as a student midwife studying at Kingston University in London, I am keenly interested in the well-being and success of the birthing woman I care for and finding new ideas to understand them while caring for them. For me, Lesley, this means being an adequately prepared student who will learn to develop in my chosen profession.
Outside of midwifery, I enjoy spending quality time with my loved ones and being surprised by the simple things of life. I enjoy new adventures and exploring new locations, especially the outdoors.
Brogan Romano
Student Midwife UK
Student Midwife, King's College London
I’m Brogan, a third-year midwifery student at King’s College London. I'm a member of the Editorial Advisory Board and so excited to be part of it! I feel so strongly about student mental health and love to encourage other students to advocate for themselves as they would birthing people. Before going into midwifery, I was a huge theatre kid and loved being on stage and acting my heart out. A very big career difference but I think it's what makes me such a people person. My personal interests are antenatal education and postnatal care (including NIPE!)
When I'm not on placement I love spending time with my very large family, eating lots of delicious Italian food and re-watching the Twilight Saga.
Susan Wherle
Student Midwife, USA
She/Her
Student Midwife, USA
I was a labour and delivery nurse in the United States for 12 years before moving to the UK to pursue a MSc in Midwifery. I have degrees in English and Nursing as well as a MBA. I also hold additional nursing certifications in the US in fetal monitoring and inpatient obstetrics. I am passionate about women's rights and healthcare access for BAME birthing persons.
In my free time I love to travel, read, and enjoy the beautiful British countryside that is so different from Texas!
Sophie Whitehead
Student Midwife, UK
She/Her
Student Midwife, UK
I decided to pursue midwifery after working as a healthcare on a maternity ward after I completely fell in love with it! I have a passion for education, with hopes of continuing on at some point to complete a Masters degree and an education role within the NHS or a university setting. Some of my main interests in midwifery are bereavement care, continuity of care, high risk social care and home births. As part of my role on The Student Midwife editorial board I would love to explore these topics and share with others!
Outside of midwifery I love travelling, running, hiking, reading and crochet.
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Josie Rawlinson
Student Midwife, New Zealand
She/Her
Student Midwife, New Zealand
I am a midwifery student based in Tauranga, New Zealand. I have a passion for advocacy, equity, sustainability, and holistic wellbeing. I have a background in psychology and youth work. After graduating I plan to focus my practice on supporting pregnant people and families to birth at home.
Alicia Burnett
Midwife
She/Her
Midwife
I am passionate about supporting students to elevate their voices through publication, and I am particularly interested in working with students from historically marginalised and under-represented communities. My clinical interests include supporting families affected by pregnancy and infant loss, and my current role reflects this. I also enjoy writing and I am currently working on my first book for student midwives!Gemma Ollerenshaw
Student Midwife
She/Her
Third-year student midwife at the University of Nottingham.
I am passionate about developing and delivering family centered antenatal education that is holistic, inclusive, and accessible to all. I strive to support informed choice and educate women and birthing people about their rights and options in childbirth.
Through the university, I mentor mature students, supporting their transition back into education whilst navigating the challenges associated with being a mature student in higher education. I also enjoy encouraging future student midwives though my student ambassador role for the university.
Outside of midwifery I enjoy spending my time outdoors exploring national parks and forestry with my family!
Nicolette Porter
NQM / Co-Editor - The Student Midwife
She/Her
Newly Qualified Midwife / Co-Editor - The Student Midwife
I am passionate about promoting inclusive care and sharing knowledge informing midwifery practice to my fellow student midwives. I also have a special interest in improving the experiences of autistic women and birthing people in maternity services. I hope to raise awareness about neurodiversity to healthcare staff and students to increase positive experiences. I want to undertake a master’s degree and work as part of a continuity of care team.
Syeda Begum
Student Midwife /
Digital Lead Co-Editor
she/her
Laura Henry
Registered Midwife
They/Them
Midwife, Republic of Ireland
I am a midwife in the Republic of Ireland. I am an activist and committed union member. I am passionate about supporting birth workers on their journey, especially aspiring and student midwives, and ensuring there is space for everyone in the conversation. I am committed to empowering birth workers to be everyday activists and advocates. I hope to see Midwifery Led Care expanded across Ireland and someday work as a Community Midwife or in a Continuity of Care team.
Emma Wallace
Student Midwife
She/Her
Student midwife, University of Brighton
I love anatomy and physiology and enjoys exploring how the body’s system changes and affects pregnancy and childbirth. I also have a keen interest in improving the accessibility to perinatal services for the LGBTQIA+ pregnant community. Specifically for people who birth not as mothers or women. This interest stems from being a surrogate myself and experiencing language barriers.
My family and I enjoy exploring the Sussex countryside and being so close to the sea. I can often be found whizzing along the seafront on my child’s scooter.
Kat Skeates
Student Midwife
She/Her
Second-year student midwife at Canterbury Christchurch University
Kat is passionate about informed choice, evidence-based practice and providing a positive birth experience for all.
She is also undertaking a diploma to be a hypnobirthing practitioner. In the future, Kat hopes to work on promoting physiological and individualised care on obstetric units, or perhaps as a diabetes specialist midwife.
Before pursuing midwifery, Kat worked in journalism and communications. Outside of her studies, Kat loves crochet, baking and walks with friends.
Saj Taha
Student Midwife
She/Her
Student midwife, The University of Cumbria
I have always had an interest in international midwifery practice. Born in Sudan and raised in the UK, I was able to appreciate the different approaches to healthcare which inspired me towards my career. I am passionate about highlighting the importance of the role and scope of a midwife, as well as informed choice and the practice and impact of FGC.
Prior to starting midwifery, I studied Biomedical Science and am keen to combine the scientific evidence based research aspect of that degree with the practice of Midwifery. I am also an active member of her university’s midwifery Society.
When I qualify I hope to work in the NHS and provide support for midwifery services in developing countries.
Outside of my training I enjoy learning to play the guitar, and like to travel.
Susan Iwenjiora
Student Midwife, UK
She/Her
Student midwife, UK
Coming soon...
Coming soon...
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Rachel Whiting
Nurse Home Visitor - Registered Midwife
She/Her
Nurse Home Visitor/Registered Midwife /
I'm a proud Barkindji woman and Registered Midwife living and working on Dharug land in the Australian Nurse Family Partnership Program at Greater Western Aboriginal Health Service. My role allows me to deliver culturally safe support and education to Aboriginal families within the community and empower mother's towards self-determination in their birthing journey. I am passionate about standing up and speaking out against racism in the health system and my dream is to be an advocate for change.Chelsea Beckford-Procyk
St. Midwife
She/Her
Student Midwife, University of Bedfordshire
Chelsea is a first year student midwife at the University of Bedfordshire. She passionate about continuity of carer, the use of hypnobirthing during pregnancy and childbirth and breastfeeding. With a background in health and social care, Chelsea is and is an advocate for maternal health inequality reduction. In the future, Chelsea hopes to be a force for change in improving the maternal health outcomes for BAME birthing people in the UK. Once qualified she would love to work in a home birth team offering continuity of care.Ali Monaghan
Midwife
She/Her
Newly Qualified Midwife
Ali has recently re-qualified as a midwife in the UK after after first working for 6 years as a midwife in the US in both hospital and home settings. Ali's midwifery passions include home birth, continuity of care and carer, breastfeeding support (she's been qualified as an IBCLC since 2013) and providing true informed choice and compassionate, respectful maternity care to women/ birthing people and their families. Ali also loves to write, and blogs about midwifery issues when she gets a chance (when she's not busy setting up her independent midwifery practice).Fatimah Mohamied
Midwife
She/Her
Newly Qualified Midwife
Fatimah Mohamied is a newly qualified midwife and human rights activist, she is passionate about bringing about justice and fighting racism. She is also keen to implement intact cord resuscitation for newborn infants.Ash Bainbridge
St. Midwife / Editor TSM
They/Them
Student Midwife, University of Worcester
Ash is passionate about person-centred care and informed choice. They advocate for LGBTQ+ inclusivity in midwifery education and practice, across the childbearing continuum and for all pregnancy outcomes. Collaborative working with student midwives across institutions and with other birth workers is a priority for Ash who leads Maternal Journal for Student Midwives and co-founded the Birth Worker Reading Circle. Ash is also a member of Elsevier's student midwifery advisory board. After qualifying, Ash aims to combine their previous professional experience in research and education with editorial experiences gained with The Student Midwife so they can contribute to cutting-edge midwife research and publications.Mhairi McLellan
Newly Qualified Midwife
She/Her
Newly Qualified Midwife
Mhairi is part of the WeMidwives team on Twitter, has published in The Practising Midwife and spoken at conferences including the RCM Education Conference. Mhairi enjoys working in remote and rural settings. Before becoming a midwife Mhairi had a varied career that included completing a degree in performance art, studying nutrition, training as a baby massage instructor, auxiliary nursing and running away to join the circus.Brooke Toli
Registered Midwife & Aboriginal Support worker
Registered Midwife & Aboriginal Support Worker
I am a newly registered midwife, with a passion for my local Aboriginal community in the Hawkesbury. I currently work as an Aboriginal support worker with the hopes to establish antenatal and postnatal education for my local area. I am currently doing a graduate certificate in Person centred diabetes care and education, which one day allow me to work as a diabetes educator.Deepa Santhosh
St. Midwife
She/Her
Student Midwife, Oxford Brookes University
Deepa is a birth educator, doula, hypnobirthing practitioner and a breastfeeding specialist. She started her career as the first doula and birth activist in Chennai, India in 2009. When she moved to London in 2011 she discovered midwifery. She has vast experience of working alongside midwives as part of the infant feeding team including leading the Baby Friendly project for a London NHS Trust. Deepa is particularly interested in optimizing normality in maternity care, using quality improvement techniques to enhance every family's experience of maternity services and would like to be a global midwifery trainer in the future.Sophie Rickett
St. Midwife
She/Her
Student Midwife, University of Nottingham
Sophie is a third year student midwife who loves supporting and nurturing women throughout the entire pregnancy, birth and postnatal period. She is passionate about tailoring care to each individual family to ensure their unique choices are respected. Sophie is a strong advocate for both women and midwives who are affected by current matters within the maternity system. She holds several active roles at her University, which allows her to be heavily involved in improving the student experience. She hopes to work in a home birth continuity team once qualified, ideally by the coast, which is where she feels most at home. Sophie is looking forward to beginning her role as a newly qualified midwife within a continuity team in September.Giada Guida
Registered Midwife
Midwife
I am a registered midwife working in a tertiary hospital in Sydney. I had initially graduated as a midwife in Rome (Italy)and later I have moved to Sydney, where I completed my recognition of prior learning pathway and my masters of midwifery. I am also a lactation consultant and I recently got my endorsement for scheduled medicines. I am passionate about educating women about their choices and I advocate for them in every situation.The Practising Midwife, Australia Editorial Advisory Board
Cherisse Buzzacott
Midwife
She/Her
Midwife
I am an Arrernte woman, a mum of 4 and midwife. I have experience working in remote setting in First Nations communities in Central Australia as well as supporting women working in a rural birthing hospital. My passion for midwifery is advocating for the rights and voices of First Nations women and establishing birthing on country services. I am the Chair of the Rhodanthe Lipsett Indigenous Midwifery Charitable Fund, we give scholarships to First Nations student midwives and midwives.Emma Collins
Midwife
Midwife
I am privileged to be a midwife and find being with birthing women, supporting them in the birth they want, the most fulfilling part of midwifery. I am currently completing my Masters of Research where I am exploring midwifery perspectives in relation to obstetric violence. I am keen to understand how obstetric violence is operationalised and identify how we can improve birthing experiences for women. I have been involved with All4Maternity for several years, running the facebook page for student midwives and as a previous co-editor for The Student Midwife journal. I am very excited to be back working with the committed All4maternity team.Brinley Davies
Student Midwife
Student Midwife
After dreaming of being a midwife for 10 years, I finally enrolled into the Bachelor of Midwifery at Western Sydney University and will be graduating class of 2023. I am passionate about all things midwifery, but feel a particular calling for antenatal education and birthing support. My dream is for all women to have access to superb midwifery care and be able to have a positive birthing experience that reflects their individual values and ideals.Natascha Dastur
Midwife
Midwife
Coming Soon...Dr Natalie Elphinstone
Obstetrician and Gynaecologist
Obstetrician
I am an Obstetrician working both privately and publicly on the Mornington Peninusla on Victoria's south coast. I have witnessed the birth of over 1500 babies and believe in supporting women and families to make individual choices that feel right for them. I also plays an active role in teaching and mentoring the next generation of medical students, specialist trainees and obstetric GPs.
When I'm not working, I am kept busy with my four children. I love sharing birth stories and more on my Instagram @drnatalieelphinstone. I also enjoy my “hobby” as a professional paper-crafter, appearing on television, in store and at conferences!
Sally Hargreaves
Clinical Nurse Consultant
She/Her
Clinical Nurse Consultant Quality and Patient Safety Services and PhD Candidate UTAS
I am undertaking a PhD and have significant knowledge and expertise in midwifery and nursing as well as managing and leading maternity services especially in NW Tasmania. I have a special interest in women's health. I have experience in quality improvement, safety management and quality and safety systems. I completed a Master of Leadership in 2021 and undertook a research project exploring women's experiences of maternity care in North West Tasmania. This research has been presented at conferences and has been published in Healthcare Journal.My interest and hobbies include family activities such as surf club, hockey, and rowing. I also enjoy cooking, seeing friends and family and walking my dog on the beach.