Specialty: Normal physiological birth, Waterbirth & Vaginal Birth After Caesarean, (VABC.)

With over 39 years of experience in maternity care, I am a dedicated private midwife specialising in holistic, humanistic birth experiences. I qualified with Honours in General Nursing (1983) and Honours in Midwifery (1985) at the Johannesburg Hospital, where my passion for midwife-led care blossomed. For over 22 years, I’ve supported pregnant individuals and families through home births and in various Johannesburg birth units and hospitals.

My approach emphasises trust, honesty, respect, and advocacy, fostering deep connections that often last for years. Having personally navigated a challenging birth with my son, I bring profound understanding and empathy to my practice. This experience shaped my commitment to preventing and effectively managing difficult labours, leading to a caesarean section rate below 10% and a natural birth rate over 90% for my clients. My focus is on optimizing fetal positioning in late pregnancy to encourage physiological birth. When medical interventions become necessary, I still strive to ensure a beautiful and empowering experience.

My Philosophy & Services:

I believe birth is a unique and intimate experience with lifelong impacts. My passion is for natural, physiological birth, empowering families through informed choices. I offer comprehensive private midwifery services from pre-conception counseling through postnatal care, including extensive breastfeeding support.

To ensure one-on-one, high-quality care, I limit my practice to 5-6 clients per month. Consultations are available at my home office in Sundowner, Randburg, and Genesis Clinic in Saxonwold, Johannesburg.

I strongly advocate for doula support during pregnancy and labour, recognizing their invaluable contribution to reducing intervention rates. My antenatal classes provide evidence-based information to empower you for birth and early parenthood. I collaborate closely with a multidisciplinary team, including obstetricians, paediatricians, doulas, and various holistic practitioners, to ensure comprehensive care.

Services Include:

• Antenatal Consultations & Care: Scheduled incrementally from every 4 weeks to weekly in late pregnancy.
• Home & Clinic Births: Assistance during labour and birth, including normal vaginal deliveries, waterbirths, and support during caesarean births. I encourage active birth techniques and natural pain relief, utilizing medical interventions only when medically indicated.
• Postnatal Consultations & Care: Including hospital and home visits, with dedicated breastfeeding support.
• Well Baby & Postnatal Follow-ups: At 3 and 6 weeks postpartum.
• Antenatal Childbirth Classes: Preparing you physically, emotionally, and intellectually for birth and early parenthood.
• Equipment Hire: Birth pools, TENS machines, and Symphony Breast Pumps.

Consultations are available at: Genesis Clinic in Saxonwold, Johannesburg as well as at my home office in Sundowner, Randburg.

LET’S GET IN TOUCH:

• tel:+27823357731
• karenvdm61@gmail.com