OUR SERVICES

Calmbirth Classes® with Ash

Ashleigh is a practising endorsed midwife with nearly a decade of experience caring for women and their families. She is also an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) and NDC Practitioner, with all qualifications working together to support the holistic, evidence-based education she provides.

We offer Calmbirth education alongside breastfeeding and newborn education, designed to support emotional, physical, and mental wellbeing through pregnancy, birth, and parenthood.

Calmbirth: Safeguarding Emotional and Mental Wellbeing Before, During, and After Birth

“A woman experiences her best birthing journey when she feels SAFE, UNDISTURBED, and RESPECTED. Calmbirth is dedicated to educating and enhancing birthing outcomes for all women and their families, addressing both physical and emotional aspects of the experience.” — Karen McKay

Recognised as one of the pioneering childbirth education programs, CalmBirth is evidence-based and supported by clinical and scientific validation demonstrating its effectiveness in:

  • Decreasing the incidence of medical interventions

  • Reducing the reliance on pain relief and epidurals during labour

  • Alleviating the effects of perinatal anxiety and postnatal depression

  • Enhancing the overall birth experience, regardless of birth method

Calmbirth is the first antenatal program implemented in major maternity hospitals throughout New South Wales.

It explores the mind–body connection in depth, focusing on how pregnancy, labour, and birth hormones work in harmony to support the female body in nurturing new life and facilitating birth. Its growing popularity reflects a shift towards informed, active participation in maternity care, empowering women and their partners with practical tools and knowledge to support pregnancy, birth, and the early postpartum period.

  • Calmbirth classes empower you with evidence-based tools to approach birth with confidence, calm, and clarity. Grounded in the mind–body connection, these classes help you understand how your body and hormones work in labour, while giving you practical techniques to manage fear, pain, and uncertainty.

  • You will learn how to prepare your mind and body for birth, including breathing and relaxation techniques, understanding the physiology of labour, working with your birthing hormones, and practical strategies for your birth partner to provide effective support. You’ll also gain insight into reducing fear, increasing confidence, and creating a positive birth experience—no matter how your birth unfolds.

We suggest attending between 24–34 weeks, giving you space to reflect on the information and incorporate it into your birth planning in a meaningful way.

That said, it’s never too early or too late to begin learning.

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Calmbirth® Caesarean Birth Course

Our Calmbirth Caesarean Birth Course is designed for women and their partners who are planning an elective caesarean or have been advised that a caesarean is the safest option for their birth.

This evidence-based, supportive course helps you approach your caesarean with confidence, calm, and a sense of empowerment by understanding both the emotional and physical aspects of surgical birth.

Throughout the course, you will learn:

  • The mind–body connection and how it relates to caesarean birth

  • How to prepare for a calm, positive and informed surgical birth experience

  • Practical Calmbirth tools and relaxation techniques to reduce fear and anxiety

  • What to expect on the day, including the surgical process and your immediate recovery

  • Ways to support bonding, skin-to-skin, and early breastfeeding after caesarean birth

  • Postnatal recovery strategies and conscious parenting foundations

This course also supports you in reframing expectations around caesarean birth, helping you feel emotionally prepared, informed, and actively involved in your birth experience, rather than passive in the process.

Calmbirth Caesarean education is about ensuring you still experience a connected, calm, and positive transition into parenthood—no matter how your baby is born.

  • Calmbirth Caesarean classes are designed to help you approach a planned or unexpected caesarean with confidence, calm, and understanding. Rather than focusing solely on the surgical procedure, these classes support you emotionally and practically, helping you feel informed, prepared, and actively involved in your birth experience.

  • You will gain a clear understanding of what happens during a caesarean birth, along with practical Calmbirth tools to manage anxiety and promote relaxation. The course covers emotional preparation, the physiology of birth and stress response, and how to create a calm environment in theatre. You will also learn how to support bonding and skin-to-skin immediately after birth, strategies to initiate and establish breastfeeding following a caesarean, and guidance for recovery and the early postnatal period.

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Our Class Schedule

Meet your education team

Ash is an Endorsed Midwife, Registered Nurse, and IBCLC Lactation Consultant, as well as the founder of Nurture and Nourish. With experience across midwifery, infant feeding, and holistic maternal care, she supports women and families through pregnancy, birth, breastfeeding, and early parenthood with a calm, evidence-based, and deeply woman-centred approach.

Drawing on additional training in Neuroprotective Developmental Care and birth education, alongside her experience as a mother of six, Ash provides thoughtful, individualised care with a strong focus on continuity and support for rural families.

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • We recommend attending between 24–34 weeks of pregnancy. This allows you time to absorb the information and begin applying the tools as you prepare for birth. However, you are welcome to attend at any stage of pregnancy.

  • The Calmbirth program is taught over a full weekend, running from 9:30am to 5:00pm on both Saturday and Sunday.

  • Yes, we strongly encourage partners to attend. Calmbirth is designed for both of you, giving your support person practical tools to actively support you during labour and birth.

  • Calmbirth is still highly beneficial, and we also offer a dedicated Calmbirth Caesarean course. Both options help you feel informed, calm, and actively involved in your birth experience.

  • Yes. Calmbirth is specifically designed to reduce fear and anxiety by teaching you how your mind and body work in labour, along with practical relaxation and breathing techniques.

  • You will learn about the physiology of labour, the role of hormones in birth, breathing and relaxation techniques, coping strategies for labour, partner support tools, and how to create a calm and positive birth environment.

  • Yes. Calmbirth is a recognised, evidence-based childbirth education program supported by clinical and scientific understanding of the mind–body connection in birth.

  • Research and clinical experience suggest that antenatal education, such as Calmbirth, can improve confidence, reduce fear, decrease intervention rates, and enhance overall birth satisfaction—regardless of how birth unfolds.

  • Calmbirth focuses primarily on birth preparation. However, we also offer separate breastfeeding and newborn education classes to support you in the postnatal period.

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