The Soul of Soul Midwifery

The Fight To Protect Normal Birth

Midwives are fighting for normal birth while policies and procedures continue to favour medicalised birth. We walk a tightrope between protecting physiological birth and recognising when help is truly needed. Navigating that delicate space is where trust becomes everything and why continuity of care truly shines.

I started this journey into midwifery with a deep love for women. I sat with them through long hours of labour, listened to their concerns, and offered whatever support I could. I’ve always felt profoundly connected to each and every woman I’ve cared for. I felt their hopes for a vaginal birth, an unmedicated birth, or whatever their birth dreams were. I felt their heartbreak when those dreams shifted and the joy when they were realised. Every woman’s journey left an imprint on me.

Leaving The Mainstream Maternity System

After years within the mainstream maternity system, my soul couldn’t survive there any longer. Not to say there aren’t beautiful midwives working within it, there absolutely are, but for me the battle felt too large and the structure too high. I struggled with policies that didn’t always serve women and my ethics were constantly challenged.

So I created Soul Midwifery to offer an alternative. A space for women who align with the desire for physiological birth, for keeping birth normal, and for those who wish to birth in community, surrounded by people who are supportive and loving while still having access to medical care if ever required.

Finding My Rhythm In Private Practice

When I moved into private practice, everything changed. I began finding my rhythm, supporting women in their full autonomy. Sometimes that meant sitting with choices that stretched my comfort zone, but I learned to honour and accept each woman’s path.

I realised that private practice midwives work differently. We don’t just advocate for normal birth and respect physiology, we provide the full spectrum of information and then the woman decides.

The responsibility isn’t ours to make her agree with what we think is right. It is about informed choice, not compliance. This shift was powerful and freeing.

Women are intelligent, intuitive, and deeply in tune with their bodies. They know when something feels right and when it doesn’t. There is a beauty in watching women seek opinions from midwives, doctors, and others while still knowing the final decision is theirs alone.

At Soul, our heart and soul are entrenched in this work. We go on the line for you, stand up for you, and stay beside you through every high and low. It is a calling not a job!

We believe in women holding full autonomy, understanding the benefits and risks, and being honoured in whatever choices they make. We support birth in all its forms, guided by the woman’s preferences, her intuition, and her power to choose.

Looking Ahead

What do I see for the future in this space?

I am so excited to grow and expand these services to offer even more to women. I see more birthing options, more homebirth midwives, more alternative health options, and most importantly a community that stands up for women. A community where women have a home, have their people, and feel supported as they move through a system that is still medically dominated.

I have huge plans for Soul, and I am so glad you are a part of it.

Hannah x