If you are reading this then you have already begun your journey to learn how to Birth Better! I am Melissa Blackford, the founder of Birth Better and it is my ambition in life to assist families to gain the skills, knowledge and confidence to embrace their natural birthing instincts. I have been a Registered Midwife for over 10 years and strong advocate for physiological birth. I also have a Diploma of Prosthetics and Orthotics so my passion for optimal fetal positioning stems from this unique perspective of biomechanics.

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However, in recent years I’ve become disillusioned by the medicalisation and fragmentation of our maternity care system. I am also saddened by the alarming rise in physical and emotional birth trauma, with 1 in 3 Australian women describing their birth experience as traumatic. 

https://www.panda.org.au/info-support/after-birth/child-birth-trauma

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On a global scale, there is concern for the prevalence of morbidity and mortality among women and babies associated with the rising caesarean section rate and overuse of obstetric interventions (BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, 2019). These disturbing statistics have become the ultimate catalyst to create Birth Better and join the birth revolution to assist families to reclaim birth as a rite of passage.

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I feel incredibly fortunate that my own birth stories remain the most transformative and ecstatic moments of my life, but I  believe I could’ve avoided a cascade of obstetric intervention if I’d had the birthing insight I have attained since completing my HypnoBirthing International Educator course and becoming a Spinning Babies Aware Practitioner. I have included the birth stories of our 9 year old son’s arduous birth journey and our 7 year old daughter’s vaginal breech birth on the website for your perusal!