Nurturing Nurses

Lauren is an Endorsed Private Practice Midwife with an excellent reputation in Brisbane for supporting women and families as they journey to—and through—one of life’s most transformative transitions. She works with a whole-family approach, preparing parents not only for pregnancy and birth but also for the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual shifts that come with parenthood and welcoming a new baby.

As a First 1000 Days advocate and nervous system-certified practitioner, Lauren is passionate about equipping families with the tools to build healthy bonds and secure attachments, promoting positive early childhood experiences. This critical period lays the foundation for healthy infant brain development and long-term emotional wellbeing. Lauren empowers parents to connect with their own intuition rather than looking outside themselves for answers.

Lauren provides a variety of Medicare-rebatable appointment types, including:

• Pregnancy care for women alongside their chosen care provider – whether booked to birth through the public system or a private maternity hospital. Lauren is a strong advocate for collaborative models of care and can offer:

  • Shared care with private obstetricians across two clinics in Brisbane

  • Support as part of your care team alongside GPs or hospital clinics

• Birth Mapping appointments – helping you explore your preferences and decision points along the way

• Routine postnatal care – including mother and baby checks, breastfeeding support, perinatal wellbeing, and birth debriefing

• Postnatal in-home care packages – servicing inner north Brisbane and surrounds

• Baby Massage education – 1:1 sessions or private small groups for three or more friends

• Closing the Bones Ceremony – a deeply nurturing postpartum ritual rooted in traditional cultural practices, used to honour and support the profound transition into motherhood

In addition, Lauren offers ‘Mothering the Midwife’ Retreats, designed to support the wellbeing of those who hold this professional responsibility. These one-day retreats are created for nurses and midwives to reset their nervous systems, reconnect with themselves, and maintain balance to help prevent compassion fatigue and burnout.

Ana Ristov is a registered Psychologist and accredited Perinatal and Infant Mental Health Clinician with a deep commitment to supporting women through the full arc of the perinatal experience – from preconception, pregnancy, and birth, to the early years of parenting.

Ana understands that becoming a parent is about so much more than having a baby. It’s a profound identity shift – matrescence – as complex and transformative as adolescence, only with far less societal guidance (and much less sleep). She’s passionate about helping you navigate this journey with gentleness, self-compassion, and clarity, so that you can feel more grounded in your evolving self.

She supports clients navigating:

Pregnancy and Birth

• Managing antenatal and postnatal anxiety or depression
• Feeling anxious or uncertain about giving birth
• Recovering emotionally from a difficult or traumatic birth
• Making sense of your birth experience

Postnatal Identity & Adjustment

• Finding your footing in the early stages of parenthood (matrescence)
• Reconnecting with who you are outside of motherhood
• Adjusting to new roles, expectations, and daily rhythms
• Struggling with body image or pressure to ‘bounce back’
• Realigning with your core values in this new season of life

Parenting & Connection

• Strengthening your bond and emotional connection with your baby
• Tuning in to your child’s needs while learning to trust your instincts
• Exploring feelings of frustration, anger, or “mum rage”

Relationships, Roles & Boundaries

• Navigating shifts in your relationship or co-parenting dynamic
• Setting boundaries to protect your wellbeing and your child’s
• Preparing for or settling back into paid work after leave

Ana knows what it’s like to be in the thick of it – she’s navigated many of the same struggles that you might be experiencing right now. Her style is warm, thoughtful, and collaborative. She works from the belief that you are the expert in your own life, and that therapy is a space for curiosity, reflection, and renewal. Her approach integrates attachment theory, trauma-informed care, and evidence-based therapeutic frameworks – all held within a safe and supportive relationship.

Whether you’re preparing for pregnancy, navigating the early postpartum haze, or simply wondering where you went in all of this – Ana offers a space to gently land, reflect, and begin to feel more like yourself again.

Sing High Sing Low – Singing for Mums & Bubs With Fiona Maria – Singing Facilitator, hearted-centred Community Builder

When was the last time you felt nourished and held?

Hi, I’m Fiona Maria, founder of Sing High Sing Low. I offer gentle, joyful singing spaces where women of all life stages can simply be. No pressure, no performance—just breath, song, and connection.

My Women’s Singing Circles run in Summer Hill, Bondi, and coming to Crows Nest in September. These are not your usual mothers’ groups. We gather in calm, welcoming spaces to sing simple songs learned by ear—soothing, repetitive melodies that settle the nervous system and invite us home to ourselves. We layer up some harmonies as the mood of the day takes us. Shy singers, “non singers” and karaoke divas are all welcome!

Together we (re) connect to our voices and ourselves.

How it’s different to other “mums & bubs” groups

Many baby classes focus on entertaining your child. This is different. These sessions nourish you, the mother, the woman. When you’re calm, connected, and resourced, everyone benefits. You’ll leave feeling lighter, more grounded, and able to manage what life throws at us.

Women’s Singing Circle is open to women of all life stages—because we know it takes a village, but we don’t always know where to find one!

Why Singing with Your Baby Matters

Long before language, babies are wired to respond to your voice. Singing regulates their heart rate, lowers stress, and builds secure attachment.

And it helps you too—singing reduces anxiety, lifts your mood, and brings a deep sense of connection.

This is not a performance. It’s a practice—one that is a timeless part of the human experience. For generations, mothers sang to soothe their children, mark daily rhythms, and build community. But in our modern world, this shared singing culture has been lost. I’m here to help bring it back.

A Little About Me

I’ve spent over 20 years singing, performing, and facilitating voice work in community and workplace settings. As a trained Singing Mamas leader, I bring a model rooted in care, inclusion, and the science of sound and wellbeing.

You’re warmly invited. Come with little ones—or just as you are.