Maddy the Doula

01/11/2026

Two weeks of homeschooling! 💖 I had no idea how much we’d both enjoy ourselves on this journey, it’s been such a magical couple of weeks. Of course there’s challenges too like a cheeky toddler in the mix (my main challenge!) but overall it’s been so wonderful. I think what I’ve loved most is just having so much more time together and seeing how relaxed and happy she is. There’s time to get lost in her imagination, spend hours making something, follow her interests and play without always having to rush off somewhere.

I’ve also loved how much learning is happening in our everyday life without either of us even realising it. Cooking, writing letters, making birthday invitations, reading to her siblings and all the little things that come up throughout the day.

We’re doing plenty of maths, spelling, reading and writing, but I love that we can fit it around our days rather than the other way around. Some days we get lots done and other days we spend more time out and about.

I’m trying not to put too much pressure on myself to have everything figured out straight away. We’re only two weeks in and I’m happy to slowly find our rhythm and add things as we go.

It’s been such a lovely change for our family and especially my daughter and I’m feeling very grateful that we get to spend this time together 🩷

Also, homeschooling friends, I’d love your favourite science recommendations! That’s one thing I haven’t got around to planning yet. I’m also thinking that I need to have a weekly checklist or blocks to tick off for each subject, as she loves to work early morning or after dinner and keeping track of what we’ve done is tricky! We have our first home school office visit tomorrow 😀

25/10/2026

Lots happening this week.. the world has awakened with the new Spring season and the enquiries and bookings are flowing ✨✨ thank you always for your trust and support, it means the world 🩷 birth

02/10/2026

Me and my cutie 3 year old share a birthday week so we went for an adventure to Richmond and had the most wholesome day together. I want to bottle up his little voice talking about the ducks with their mothers 🥺 Then I went to my fave place for dinner where the food is great and the oldest Italian man still works. 32 ✨✨✨💖 and three years since birthing this little guy in the lounge 🥰

25/09/2026

✨off call ✨ recharging and loving the Spring sunshine with the family. Have supported a bunch of families recently and we are all wrapped up with postpartum support now. Focusing on my clients who are birthing towards the end of the year and next year, and meeting prospective clients as enquiries come in. Thinking about a mid year trip interstate next year so I’ll have to plan dates in before babies are conceived. This final stretch of the year is my absolute favourite. We have a few trips planned around Tassie in the coming weeks which is very exciting. Will be celebrating three years since my last baby was born over the weekend and I’m slowly realising these days of having little children are in the final stretches. School holidays coming up and then moving into home schooling my oldest girl. Did a photo shoot with my 7 year old the other day and these were the results 📸 🌸

07/09/2026

Come and spend a couple of hours around the table with us 🌸
We’ll be making beautiful flower crowns with Tash from Queen of Crowns, eating from a gorgeous grazing table, chatting, creating and having a really lovely time together at Whimsy Cottage.
Saturday 26 September
11am–1pm
Whimsy Cottage, Kingston Beach

There are only a small number of places around the table, so if this sounds like your kind of Saturday, come join us 🩷
Tickets are live now - book through the link in my bio or on my website https://www.maddythedoula.com.au/whimsywomen
Here’s to making life a little more whimsical ✨

19/08/2026

New parents spend so much time getting ready for a baby with all the gear and nursery set up, and not nearly enough time getting ready for birth and the postpartum period.
You dont need to have a perfect birth plan or feel like you need to control every aspect, but knowing what to expect in labour and preparing can make all the difference to your experience.
Knowing what to do when labour starts and your birth partner knowing how to support you is so important. Knowing when you probably don’t need to rush off to hospital yet, and how to handle that moment when it is time to go is all really important planning.
These are things I talk about with my doula clients all the time, so I’ve pulled some of it together into a free little video series if you want it.
Especially if this is your first baby and you’re thinking… okay but what do we actually DO when I go into labour?!
Comment or DM me PREP and I’ll send it to you 🩷 or you can find it on my page too xx

12/08/2026

Did you plan to breathe in a certain way? Did you manage to keep it up through active labour or did it become too much to keep track of?

05/08/2026

I was lucky enough to be alongside Elena’s parents as she was welcomed into the world 🌸
She is so deeply loved and incredibly blessed to have such devoted and courageous parents.
I’m sharing this news article to help spread the word to find someone who may be able to help find answers and bring support to Elena and her family 💖

Tolmans Hill baby Elena Bali has baffled doctors in Tasmania and Melbourne after suddenly losing the ability to open and move her eyes at six weeks old.

Her family rushed her through several doctors before she was admitted to the Royal Hobart Hospital two days before Christmas, where an MRI found an unexplained white spot on her third cranial nerve.

Her mother, Laura Bali, said specialists had ruled out several causes and described Elena’s symptoms as “incredibly rare”, while the family balanced hospital trips with running Hobart bottle shop Hop, Vine and Still.

Elena has begun opening one eye at a time and has been referred for therapy, while her family has launched on Instagram to try and hear from people across the world to find answers and started a GoFundMe to seek support for the medical and travel costs.

02/08/2026

So chic, if you ask me 🌞

24/07/2026

For hours at home it’s just the two of you navigating labour with a great rhythm, and when you get to hospital it feels like everyone needs something from you.

She’s in labour, you’re trying to support her, people are introducing themselves, asking questions, showing you where to go, there’s paperwork, a bright clinical room, bags, parking… it can all feel like a bit of a whirlwind.

Before you know it, you’ve gone from being completely focused on each other to having your attention pulled in ten different directions.

I think it’s worth talking about this before you’re in the moment.

How do you want to feel when you arrive?

What would help you feel settled?

What do you want your partner to be doing while you’re having a contraction? Should they answer questions, or wait? Stay beside you? Start setting up the room? Worry about the bags later?

There’s no perfect way to do it, but having the conversation beforehand makes it so much easier to protect these moments instead of feeling like you’ve both been swept up in everything that’s happening around you.

These tips are just about what happens once you arrive. I could do another whole post on leaving the house and the drive to hospital because that’s a huge transition in itself.

Save this for later, send it to your birth partner, and have a chat about how you want that transition to look and feel.

If you’d like to go a bit deeper, my free Early Labour video series covers the transition to hospital in much more detail 🩷