Bumps & Beyond BULLETIN

By Asha from TerryWhite Chemmart Arana Hills

Hi, my name is Asha and I’m a Midwife.

Sounds a bit like I’m owning up to a guilty secret but in fact, being a midwife has been a lifelong calling for me. Just ask my family, instead of riding our bikes and playing like other kids, I would often make my sister and cousins play ‘babies’, right down to insisting they ‘birth’ their dolls and then ‘breastfeed’ them. Looking back at photos of me there was always at least one baby doll in my arms so it’s no wonder that I started babysitting for local families at 14. I then progressed to becoming a nanny, work which took me to all over the world.

I always knew that I wanted to be a midwife but the pathway required that I study nursing first, something I did as a means to an end. I even recall my lecturer’s comments on one nursing assignment saying ‘when are you going to study midwifery???”After four years of study I achieved my dream and officially qualified as a Registered Midwife. I found my passion working in the birth suite, supporting new babies into the world and helping turn people into parents. I found being a midwife such a privilege, sharing in people’s most life-changing moments, both the highest of highs and lowest of lows.

Fast forward 25 years, 3 kids of my own, a move from Melbourne to Brisbane, a global pandemic later, and I now find myself working at TerryWhite Chemmart Arana Hills. A completely different environment but equally rewarding. I now use my knowledge and experience to help educate families through my antenatal education classes and baby clinics.

Every Wednesday and Thursday I offer baby clinics at the pharmacy, where Mums, Dads and even grandparents can come along and have a 30 minute consultation with me free of charge. I assist with all sorts of parenting concerns, feeding, sleeping, growth & development, as well as providing a kind, supportive, non-judgemental ear if you just need to debrief. I also offer two different antenatal education classes every month, a full day labour and birth preparation class, as well as a 3 hour class which covers everything you need to know about the first 6 weeks with baby.

Join me in upcoming issues as I discuss some of the common pregnancy and parenting issues and concerns.

ph 3351 6100 | www.theclinichub.com.au