Melanie The Midwife

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

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

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

26/08/2026

Why do midwives decide to leave midwifery? I feel like being in midwifery is a death by a million cuts... midwives are expected to sustain ourselves so that we can survive and put up with unsustainable working conditions. That's why the recent midwifery workforce reports show that the average career span for a midwife is 3-5 years and we are currently unable to sustain the midwifery workforce into the future - it's simple, the high level organisation of midwifery workplaces creates an unsustainable work environment that ends up destroying midwives.

There is no doubt the system needs to change to make midwifery a safe profession to work in... but in the meantime, while we wait and hope for change - there are a few things you can do to survive and hopefully thrive in midwifery - the survival is the topic of episode 217 of podcast.

Have a listen now.

24/08/2026

We've got the secret sauce to surviving and thriving in your midwifery career. On episode 217 of the Great Birth Rebellion Podcast, myself Melanie The Midwife and Lynnelle Moran of talk about how midwives can survive and thrive in careers despite the pressures we work under and the systemic barriers inherent in working in the maternity care system.

The reality is that the system isn't designed to care for midwives, for that reason we experience vicarious trauma, moral distress, horizontal violence and eventual burnout within hostile work environments. The antidote to burnout is connection between midwives and supporting and connecting with each other.

Episode 217 of details the hazards and solutions for midwives and Lynnelle explains the findings of her research. This episode is medicine for midwives and information for higher-level leaders who have the power to affect change to make midwives working conditions more sustainable

If you are wondering how you are going to survive and thrive in your midwifery career, this episode of the great birth rebellion podcast is for you.

19/08/2026

How do you explain childbirth to your children? If you don't know where to start, why not try episode 216 of It's part of the national science week program National Science Week. Myself Melanie The Midwife and 9 year old Frida sat down to talk through the facts and details of childbirth in a way that children can understand.

Listen to episode 216 of the great birth rebellion podcast with your kids to kick start their childbirth education journey.

17/08/2026

This week on episode 216 of the great birth rebellion podcast it's all about teaching children about childbirth. For this episode I sat down with my own daughter, Frida to talk about childbirth - this week it's not for parents, it's for kids. Have a listen to episode 216 with your kids so they can understand how birth works.

This episode is proudly presented as part of the official program for Australian National Science week National Science Week
https://www.scienceweek.net.au/event/the-great-birth-rebellion-childbirth-for-children/

12/08/2026

The convergence of rebellious midwives 2027 tickets are available for you now. Everyone is welcome at the convergence.
'I will never not come to the convergence' (Georgina). The convergence has embedded itself into the maternity care landscape as a resting place for people to come and learn, be nourished, be loved, shake off stress and indulge in deep, rich learning and community. Coming together is how we thrive so we can keeping caring for ourselves and women and have long and lovely careers ... get your ticket to convergence 2027 now, you won't regret it, people come back year after year. Grab your ticket and find out why.

Details: 13th-15th Aug 2027 in Darling Harbour (Sydney, Australia)
Full details and ticket sales at melaniethemidwife.com

10/08/2026

The convergence of rebellious midwives 2027 - ticket sales open now - long payment plan and super early bird tickets out now.

Each year we get together at the convergence of rebellious midwives - it's more than a conference. It's YOUR gathering space and a time to get together once a year in a space with other like minded people who want to see YOU thrive in your work as a care provider or birth worker. The convergence offers you a chance to stop, slow down, be cared for and have your cup filled. To re-energise and refresh you to keep going and doing your good work.

People come from all over the world to come to the convergence. It's not just for midwives, it's for anyone who wants to be sustain in their work with women and wants them to have better maternity care.

Get your ticket now for our 2027 convergence: 13th-15th of August In Sydney (Australia). All the details at https://www.melaniethemidwife.com/

05/08/2026

I just wanted to learn a new banjo song so you’d have some banjo beats while I told you about The Convergence of Rebellious Midwives 2027… it happens every year AND tickets just went on sale! It’s time to get your ticket to the convergence 2027! Right now they are on sale for $200 off!

If you’re seeing this, it’s your chance to get your 2027 convergence ticket

The convergence always delivers (unlike my banjo performance) and midwives, birth workers, health professionals and doulas come back year after year to be rejuvenated by the convergence.

If you’ve ever thought of coming, 2027 is going to be the best yet - at the premium venue at the ICC in Darling Harbour (Sydney, Australia) from August 13th-15th 2027

The benefits of booking early include $200 off your ticket or long payment plans. Get in early to avoid FOMO again.

Tickets on sale at www.melaniethemidwife.com

31/07/2026

The convergence of rebellious midwives 2026 is upon us! We kick off tonight for another weekend of excellence with all our people. Everyone is welcome at the convergence but it’s built specially for birth workers and professionals who want to keep growing in their learning and keep advocating for women - and keep loving and supporting each other.

Tickets for convergence 2027 on sale Monday 3rd of August. For convergence 2027 in darling harbour, Sydney - Australia August 13th-15th.

Get on any mailing list at www.melaniethemidwife.com to be notified of super early bird discounts and long payment plans Dr Melanie Jackson (PhD)

26/07/2026

If you have an epidural, does this affect the baby? If you have an epidural does this increase your chances of caesarean or instrumental birth? The answer to both of these questions is, yes.

On episode 213 of the Great Birth Rebellion, I talk through some of the research on epidurals. One of the studies I cover is called, 'Effect of intrapartum epidural analgesia on rate of emergency delivery for presumed fetal compromise: nationwide registry-based cohort study'. This study looked at over 600 000 births and concluded that Among women who received Epidural, 13.2% underwent emergency birth procedures for presumed fetal compromise, compared with 4.1% of women who had no analgesia and 7.0% of women who received alternative analgesia

This study concluded that the use of pharmaceutical pain management in birth doubled or tripled the chances of the baby being compromised and then requiring emergency procedures including caesarean and instrumental birth. Get the full story on episode 213 of the great birth rebellion podcast

22/07/2026

What is prodromal labour - no-one really knows... but it's something like getting labour contractions that start and stop, often for days, but don't seem to be taking you any closer to birth... it's not false labour, the contractions are real - so what do you do about it???

myself Melanie The Midwife and Poppy Popthatmumma explain it all in episode 212 of podcast.

Address

Blue Mountains
Springwood, NSW

Opening Hours

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

Telephone

0425 280 682

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